The Holy Season of Lent begins this Wednesday (01 March 2017) - the start of 40 days (excluding Sundays) season of penance, reflection, and fasting which prepares Catholics for Holy Easter Sunday - when Jesus' Resurrection gained redemption and Eternal Life for every one of us.
The Season of Lent only began to be a important part of my Catholic faith journey about 9 years ago. Before that since Lent 1998, I would abstain from meat and fish and not watch television and other personal activities/hobbies i enjoyed- that was the extent of what I did in terms of penance. I thought giving up things I enjoyed 40 days during the Lenten Season was sufficient. I could get back to my normal life. Yes, I was pretty good at compartmentalising my faith life into special seasons.
I would do works of mercy and support charitable missions. My time of personal prayer and reflection was an important priority. Until it dawned on me about 9 years ago, I think, that being a vegetarian was not a difficult choice for me for 46 day from Ash Wednesday until Holy Saturday! Neither was it difficult to give up watching television as I do not own a television in Divine Retreat Centre since 2004. By then, I had been serving full-time here for about four years. The Word of God I heard everyday had slowly penetrated to begin to grow root in my heart and mind. I cannot live as Jesus wants me to by just "being a Catholic who observes the requirements of being a disciple of Jesus for Lenten Season".
Jesus is asking more of each of us. Jesus said, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." (Matthew 4:19) Our Lord did not ask you and me to only do so for a certain period of the year. What is more, in my times of personal reflection, the Holy Spirit was shining a light on the Word of God which means so much to me now in how I try to live each day. it is Galatians 5:22-23 - "But
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
Has focusing on this Word of God helped me at a personal level in my faith journey? To say that I have mastered the way to live according to this Word of God would be a lie. But as nine Seasons of Lent has gone by, with gratitude to God, I know that with His Grace, there have been some changes in my heart and life. Something I learnt during a retreat conducted by Rev. Fr. Rex. Pai SJ for Divine Volunteers in 2013 has helped me tremendously. Fr. Rex said when we were in a difficult situation, we needed to take time to reflect and pray and to ask ourselves this important question, "What would Jesus do if He was in my shoes?
This one question has helped me to make changes to my daily living significantly. Of course, i still had my personal faults and weaknesses but the way I handled my faults and weakness were being anointed by the Grace of God. For example, I would get angry but instead of losing my temper immediately, I would lock myself in my office for 3 days before saying or doing anything in a knee-jerk reaction even if I was right. These days, I do not feel the need to say anything because I would have cooled down and started lifting my problem up to God! Often that time of solitude in reflecting on the Word of God from my Bible and writing down the bible verses in my prayer journal spoke to my heart. It helped to soothe my hurt and upset emotions. It had the same effect as contemplating the Face of Jesus as Divine Mercy. No other depiction of Jesus touches my heart as that of Jesus as Divine Mercy. The unconditional Love and Mercy and Gentleness of Jesus's Eyes penetrates my heart and soul in a very special way. If Jesus is merciful to me, why can I not try to be so to others? It is never easy but the key is never to give up no matter how many times you or I will fail. Jesus is right next to each of us at all times, "Do not be afraid - I am with you!" (Isaiah 43:5)
The past nine Seasons of Holy Lent based on Galatians 5:22-23 has helped me to realize it is not about what I can personally give up in the way I live that matters to Jesus. It is HOW I choose to live with the Power of His Grace to be His little instrument on earth. I cling to the Promise of God. “My
grace is sufficient for you, for POWER is perfected in weakness.” (2 Corinthian 12:9) How I am to the people living around me: my family, loved ones, friends, colleagues, strangers and most importantly to people who test my patience, self-control or who for some reason or another makes me feel irritated. For those of us who wish to live as disciples of Jesus, partiality is not an option - "But if
you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as
transgressors." (James 2:9) It is why the most important commandment Jesus has given each of us is, “This
is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you." (John 15:12)
The Holy Season of Lent is a beautiful sacred season for every Catholic to take a good deep look into how we live our faith in our daily life. It is crucial because we cannot live again a day that has gone by. It is gone forever! We also cannot plan to do something on a future date because we do not know if this very moment we are alive could be our last moment. Let us live for Jesus in the PRESENT moment! Remember, "And who of you by being worried can add a single
hour to his life? (Matthew 6:27)
My prayer is for every Catholic including myself to embrace the upcoming Season of Lent as a beautiful period of Grace from God for us to truly renew our hearts, our minds and our actions that we radiate the Light of Jesus to the world at all times. Is the Fruit of the Holy Spirit abundant in our lives? Let us desire with all our hearts to be "rooted in Christ" (cf. Ephesians 13:7) so that we fulfill the mission God has given us on this earth.
I hope the inspiring YouTube music video below, "JESUS AT THE CENTRE" by Isaac Houghton and New Breed, will uplift and empower each of us to be Christ-centred not just for the Season of Lent 2017 but for every day of our life!
