21st February 2010

“Lent” is certainly a special season of grace for the reconciliation and renewal of our faith in God.  Yearly, we are seeing more people coming to Church either for the Stations of the Cross, the Sacrament of Reconciliation or [even] to give more of themselves through alms, penance, fasting or services to the poor and needy.

The Ash Wednesday Masses launched the season of Lent very solemnly. We were all marked with a cross of ashes on our foreheads to remind ourselves that we are from dust and unto dust we shall all return.  As we acknowledged our finiteness, we also affirmed that only God is infinite and almighty.  More importantly, we are each called to turn back to Him – the Lord of our lives, the Light of our earth’s journey, the ultimate Love of our hearts.  Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we are to turn away from sin and believe more fully in the Gospel of eternal salvation.

Where do we begin?  How do we begin to live this Lenten season?  To live a “holy season of Lent,” it seems to me we have to begin with ourselves.  We need to prepare our interior selves, our hearts need to be more receptive to the abundant graces that God wants to give us.  To be more receptive to the Spirit, we need to “cleanse” our hearts – we need to begin with “forgiveness.” 

“Forgiveness” can begin at different levels.  First, the self – we need to forgive and not be too hard and too demanding on ourselves.  We are not perfect and we may have failed people we love through our weaknesses and sinfulness. Second, when we are able to find peace within, we will be more disposed towards seeking God’s forgiveness.  When we experience God’s Mercy, our hearts will be freed of the “burdens” that hinder us from loving others as fully as we ought to.  Third, we need to forgive people who have hurt us and caused us pain and suffering. While the deep wounds of hurt will remain for most of us, we are still called to open our hearts to God’s Mercy which empowers us, to be like Christ, and forgive, regardless of the pain. 

Lenten season may seem to demand great courage from us in the living of our faith.  But, if we see Lenten challenges as God’s ways of urging us to love Him more, and be more like Christ who suffered His Passion for our sake, then our Lenten ways of living a “holier” life are opportunities of deepening our relationship with the Lord, and loving our neighbours more fully as Christ did.

Yours in Christ,

Fr Philip Heng, S.J.

Read last week's article

HOMILIES WRITTEN BY FR PHILIP HENG,S.J.