This is Lent!
I don’t know about you, but Lent is my favorite liturgical time of the year after Easter. Why? Simply because this is a time when I particularly open myself to God and let Him heal me, teach me, but also challenge me. I tend to grow significantly in my faith during that time with Jesus.
The Church reminds us that we are “dust” (Gn 3:19), that our life comes from God, and that we are made for Love, true love, as Whitney Houston used to sing “ 'cause on Earth we weren't meant to stay” (My love is your love).
During Lent, we’re invited to walk with Christ into the desert, nourishing ourselves with the Word of God more profoundly, and show concretely the Mercy of God around us. Usually, we give more consciously to the poor, we fast and we pray.
Lent is a time of penance, but a time of penance with hope, because we are already saved. Therefore, we embrace and accept our crosses and sufferings to offer them to God, in communion with Christ and with all those who are suffering around us. These forty days of fasting help us prepare for the great celebration of the death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus-Christ, on Easter.
If you’re like me, you must be in intense reflection the days before Lent. I’m always tempted to make a long list of commitments and resolutions for Lent. Of course, this is not supposed to be the spirit of Lent. Lent is actually a time when we are called to surrender more to the Mercy of God, by simply welcoming and living the Gospel in our poverty.
Thus, I usually focus on three questions:
How shall I fast this year?
What are the concrete commitments I will take to deepen my faith and my relationship with God?
What is enslaving me? Do I have addictions that prevent me from leaving more room for God in my life?
Indeed, these days we cannot only focus on fasting food. How many of us may be addicted to TV, web, social medias, mp3, etc. ? We also need to know when to disconnect from screens or music and take time for ourselves.
Giving is so easy compared to fasting for many of us. But remember: the time of fasting is actually a time of deliverance and blessings.
May we all live our Lent time with great fervor, guided by the Holy Spirit.
“But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Mt 6: 17-18
Have a blessed Lent !
