Life is beautiful, we ought to embrace each new day with new visions and vigour. Days are passing swiftly, closing each day’s chapter. The year 2025 began like a blank sheet, but each step we take unravels the mysteries of life. A year is composed of seasons. When one season fades, it gives way to the new revealing its beauties and mysteries. Likewise, the liturgical calendar or season of the Church presents us with different seasons. The season of Christmas sailed us through the birth of Christ to the land of the new liturgical calendar of the ordinary season. The season of autumn stands as the gateway of spring where nature showcases her seasonal beauties, that’s where one can feel her serenity. The month of February is gone. The passage of time is sweet and swift and there is no time for regret or remorse rather enveloped with serenity and heartful contentment, because life gives a wonderful experience.
The young learners have started their new academic session, busy absorbing the knowledge; the way to life. They are physically, and mentally prepared to begin their voyage into the sea of learning. This voyage is not going to be a sweet sailing adventure rather it is a challenging battle of learning, to learn to equip, and defeat the obstacles and rise, to shine as an outstanding person in future. This vision of success triggered their adrenaline to push themselves forward like an athlete, to win a medal.
The liturgical calendar of the Church takes us to the new height: a season of lent, a time for preparation to be a worthy follower of Christ. This season of Lent begins with The Ash Wednesday. On this day, a mark of ashes of a cross put on the forehead; reminding that life is fragile and dust we are and unto the dust so shall we become. This season invites us: to prepare, to reflect, to be humble and lower our egos, to submit ourselves at the feet of the cross, to walk with Jesus in fasting and prayer and to renew our spiritual life to be true Christians, a Christlike human in communion with him.
Christ the son of God, born of a woman as human, prepared himself to be a worthy sacrificial Lamb, to redeem us, the sinners from the clutches of evil, and from his power of damnation of our precious souls, which is made in his image. If Christ our Lord undergoes severe trials and temptations in reparation for the sins of mankind, then we the sinners must walk thousands more miles for our sins.
The season of Lent is an invitation of all the sinners to Christ...
It is A call to Holiness: Joel 2:12 says, “Yet even now, says the Lord, Return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” (NRSV Catholic edition)
Richard Baxter said, “Holiness is nothing else but the habitual and predominant devotion and dedication of soul and body, and life, and all that we have to God; and esteeming, and loving, and serving, and seeking Him, before all the pleasures and prosperity of the flesh.”
Holiness is an act of detachment from sinful living and embracing the Christlike nature. Holiness is to be planted and nurtured and not just admired. It is the conscious invitation, and embracing Christ in us. Holiness and sinfulness are the two components which cannot exist together. It is like the mixture of oil and water, darkness and light. There is no communion in them. Therefore, we have to choose either one of them. It is the choice of embracing the one and leaving the other.
A call to realize the nature of men: Lent is a time to contemplate and understand the sinful nature of mankind. It is a call to have a spiritual walk deep within and realize the very nature of mankind. It is a spiritual journey which will help us to enlighten and understand that we are sinners. Sinfulness is the state of diminishing the graces, the detachment of our spiritual union with the divine. It is a state of complete hollowness and the devoid of heaven. It is a thirst of Christ, the divine. It is called, a time to realize our nature. Not too late to realize then never.
A call to submission:
Lent is the time to submit oneself in the power of the higher being and live a life trusting in the grace of God with faith and devotion. The tendency of mankind is to live in an egoistic world depending on one’s own strength but today we are called to submit and live our life in humility, like Christ.
A call to forgive and make peace:
Not too late to amend one’s mistake and forgive and make peace. Nobody likes to live a life with a load within. Forgiveness and making peace are some of the key elements of the Lenten season. Forgiveness is not just a complement rather it is a command to be followed in order to be at peace. Col.3:13 says,
“As the Lord has forgiven you, so you shall also must forgive.”
Forgiveness or reconciliation is not only to be done with the people around but also to be with oneself. It is through forgiveness peace shall descend within and with the other.
Holiness is for All:
Holiness is living a life without a speck of blemishes in the eye of God and in men. It is a call not only for the priest and religious but a genuine call for all. Every religion and religious core value teaches us to live a holy life and attain moksha, salvation, which is complete liberation, and release from the cycle of death and rebirth. The core teaching invites us to live an ethical life in communion with the divine being. There is no distinction of class and caste nor differences in religion in the very call of holy living.
The Lenten season is a spiritual walk with Christ, imitating his life in the wilderness with fasting, prayer and almsgiving. It is a call to look into ourselves and realize our sinful nature. It is an invitation to sacrifice one’s comfort and walk the little extra mile to awaken our spiritual life and renew ourselves to be a worthy follower of Christ. During this Lenten season let our spiritual life re-awakened in Christ and live a true Christian life. May our life be a grace-filled one and a source of blessing to all.