Lent: A Journey of Love

Many times people ask me as to what have I given up for this Lent? Many Catholics decide to forgo something for the season of Lent; may be meat, alcohol, chocolate, biscuits, smoking and so on. Apart from material forgoing, some make decision to forgo the things that help them to rediscover God in their lives. Why do we do that in the Lent alone? Why can’t we do other time of the year? What makes Lent so significant for the people of God?

Lent is one of the important seasons in the Catholic Liturgical Calendar. It is a season of Grace; a grace poured into our hearts ever since we were born. We grow into an awareness of this grace and renew our relationship with God. In this season we are invited to reflect on our lives and realign our lives towards God. Lent offers us an opportunity to retrospect our commitment to God through prayer, fasting, almsgiving and penance. We acknowledge that we are weak and fragile before God despite our technological advancements. We turn towards to God so that he can work in us through his mercy and compassion. We also recognise our love for God and love for our neighbour. Hence it is a time for fixing our relationship with God.  

Lent means ‘spring’; it is a springtime where we are renewed and refreshed through the Lenten observances. We are washed clean so that we enter into paschal mysteries of Christ death and resurrection. The Latin based language use the word “Quaresma” for Lent, which simply means 40 days. After the baptism, Jesus was tempted and tried in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights whilst he was in prayer and fasting. Thus, the Church invites the faithful to reflect on one’s own life in order to be aware that we are also tempted in our every day life. Temptation is part of human life, but how do we deal with it, is more important than dwelling on the issue of temptation.

The four pillars of Lent, prayer, penance, almsgiving and fasting help not only the people in need but makes us empathise with the poor, in other words it makes us feel the pain of the needy; for instance, when we fast, we feel the hunger that a poor person goes through. These pillars help us to mend and to deepen our relationship with God. How am I going to observe these fourfold pillars? Jesus focuses on the aspect of humility in our Lenten observances. God knows our hearts and minds; therefore I need not showcase my Lenten observances. Hence Jesus’ words come true, those who humble themselves will be exalted and vice versa.

When we invite guests to our homes for dinner, we make sure we prepare well in advance with a careful style. Each of us is invited to prepare ourselves for Lent. We can prepare it spiritually and religiously with the four pillars as help. What is that God wants to give me or show during this Lent? As I deepen my relationship with God, subsequently God wants to show himself to me. Let me sit back and listen to His voice. Probably, God wants to give me something; a gift or may be God wants to free me from something that hinders my relationship with Him. It is important for me to open to His call to freedom. We need to identify the things that come between God and myself, hence erasing the block.

We are in an extremely fast growing world, where we don’t have much time to stand and stare. It is significant to find some time off for prayer, may be 10 minutes a day. In this busy world of ours, we are glued to our own little gadgets like smart phones, televisions, computer, Facebook, movies etc. It is significant for us to find some time for our own families. Can I eat one meal together with my own family, and share the fellowship as Jesus shared with His disciples on the Last Supper? Sacred Scripture help us understand the meaning of life. They give food for our thought and heart. Can I spend a few minutes to read the Sacred Scriptures? They nourish us and help us comprehend that the Love of God has. This Love will conquer our hearts and give energy move on in life.