Once again, we are in the season of Lent. We are into that yearly season set aside by the church where faithful Christians are called to pause and reflect during this forty days and nights. Our Lord Jesus Himself spent forty days and forty nights in the desert before His public ministry, that eventually ended in His redemptive death on the cross (Luke 4:1-15). It is the period, where Christians are called to get into serious business in preparation for the celebration of the ‘’Holy Triduum”; the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Our Savior Jesus Christ.
Lent is the season when we intentionally and spiritually amidst the activities and distracting thoughts of everyday routine/activities make our annual 40-day retreat with our Lord. During this season, we intentionally allow ourselves to focus on God, who first loves us and wants our response. As individuals, families, communities, churches and nations, we are called during this period of forty days to become more aware of the fact that God, who is love Himself, is in love with us and wants our love in return in the relationship. It is a period of preparation into deepening our awareness of this relationship with God and our neighbors.
Therefore, dear brother and sisters in Christ, in deepening our relationship with God, the church invites us to imagine ourselves once again being wrapped up on those beautiful images of God’s love and His divine presence as a father and friend. As a father, he showed us His immeasurable love by sending His son to die for us. What other love is greater than that? “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” (Jn:15 :13) As a father, He wants us to come back to Him as the prodigal son did because His arms are always opened and wants to receive and reconcile with us, His children. As a friend He wants us to chat and speak with Him as we would do with our friends. He wants us to come as we are and be free to say whatever we want to say to Him just as we do with our loyal friend. We are again invited to be nearer to God bearing in mind the quotes of Mother Theresa of Calcutta, ‘’ The nearer you go to God, the nearer he will come to you”
More so, an essential element is required during this period, the element of silence. In silence, we consciously choose to remain internally and externally quiet to reflect and hear God speaks to us. It is the time when we consciously hand over to God our distracting thoughts and allow Him to carry them away. Then, we focus only on the beautiful and divine qualities of God. As part of the deepening relationship, we also avail ourselves to the working of the Holy Spirit who is God Himself. That same Holy Spirit that led Jesus into desert to prepare for His public ministry, and by the same holy Spirit, Jesus overcame the temptation. So, the closer we are to the Holy Spirit, the more potential we are to overcome the temptations of the world. Cf. 1st Sunday of lent.
In conclusion, to help us become awake to this relationship and to help us focus on the divine qualities of God, the church offered to us three ways; prayer, fasting and almsgiving. (Mtt 6: 1- 6)