A Reflection for Lent 2015
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Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent, a 40-day interior journey of the heart open to the Lord. Lent comes from an old English word meaning to ‘lengthen’. It is observed in spring, when the days begin to get longer.
Lent is a beautiful time of intense renewal for the Church and for all of us. The Church invites all to ‘stretch’ wider our gaze towards Jesus’ saving love that conquered sin and varied forms of indifference (Pope Francis’ Lenten message 2015).
Longing for more before God’s presence, we realize how short-sighted we are in following His voice because of our “busyness”, and repeated evasions to reach out to others!
What are our pitfalls? We cannot pray, fast and do works of love when we forget to lengthen our quality time for prayer, source of our strength and inspiration. We cannot ‘spread wide’ our tent when we allow our hardness of heart to steal our capacity to be merciful. We cannot ‘widen our horizon’ towards others if we constantly cling to our ego and selfish interests. When spiritual blindness and numbness befall on us, let us slow down, take time, be still by the waters of grace.
Let us reflect on a modern version of Ps. 23 which touches our hearts during Lent:
The Lord is my pace-setter. I shall not rush, he makes me stop for quiet intervals. He provides me with images of stillness which restore my serenity. He leads me in ways of efficiency through calmness of mind and his guidance is peace.
Even though I have a great many things to accomplish each day, I will not fret, for his presence is here; his timelessness, his all-importance will keep me in balance, as he prepares refreshment and renewal in the midst of my activity.
When he anoints my mind with his oil of tranquility, my cup of joyous energy overflows. Truly, harmony and effectiveness shall be the fruits of my hours, for I shall walk in the pace of my Lord and dwell in his house forever.
(Tokio Megashia)
Lent is a period that ushers a spring of grace and new life within us. We need to stop, get a new rhythm to hear more the voice of the Shepherd. He will introduce us to a different pace of believing, hoping, loving.
Let us follow ‘the Lamb that was slain’ for our sake. (CBFma)