The Lenten Season, of which only a couple of more days remain this year, is observed by the Catholic Church for 40 days prior to the death anniversary of Jesus Christ by Crucifixion on Good Friday. During this period, the followers are urged to reflect and repent upon all that’s not quite right in our lives, with an intention to renew our resolve to improve.
It is a time of liberation through the means of prayer, fasting and abstinence. Alms giving and charitable outreach is emphasised.
To deny ourselves of something and spend it on the needy is encouraged, as is perhaps sharing of our precious personal time to spend with the lonely, sick, elderly and through assistance with practical tasks they require
to be fulfilled. It is satisfying to not only donate in money or kind, but of oneself, in sacrifice.
Merely following the letter of the law and not merging it into our daily living has thrown up many new ideas about Lenten endeavours.
Expanding them to areas in our lives beyond abstaining during this period from something material we particularly like, Pope Francis has exhorted us to also fast from behavioural indiscretions like irritability, anger, malice, violence, selfishness, hasty judgements and suchlike, which cause disharmony and intolerance. Differences can be resolved by ‘agreeing to disagree’ within the respectable realm of peaceful co-existence, thus liberating us from everyday human failings. Seemingly these are escalating and gaining recognition as par for the course.
Surely, matters of decorum and decency comprise behaviour pointers to introspect upon and restore. Not easy, but we can try, believing that on Good Friday, Jesus Christ sacrificed His life for our sins, proving He is a God of Love! His teaching through parables enabled the common person to discern good from bad, right from wrong as guides to daily living, especially treating others as we’d have them treat us!
Aware that life on this earth is fragile and God’s judgement awaits as regards how we lived on earth, we must recall the words of the Ash Wednesday blessing; ‘From dust you came and to dust you shall return!’ Let’s return this Easter, to celebrate liberation from the unnecessary in our lives!