Some Thoughts to Ponder upon this Season of Lent

Sometime ago, while lost in my thought over something, a friend (who just dropped by) asked why I looked so serious. I jokingly answered her that it is the season of Lent hence the serious look. She retorted (much to my amusement) that there is no reason for us to sport gloomy faces even though we are in the season of Lent, fasting or otherwise.

My friend was right. Even though Lent is a time to recall the sufferings and death of Jesus, we do not stop there. We look forward in anticipation of the glorious resurrection on Easter Sunday.

These forty days of Lent are sacred times for us to prepare ourselves well for the celebration of Easter. Our observance of Lent will be more meaningful and fruitful if accompanied with prayer, acts of self-denial and sacrifices as well as good works directed towards our neighbor. I remember when we were still young, it has always been hammered into our heads that it is important to give up something for Lent and offer them to Jesus.

We speak of sorrow and repentance, of sacrifices and self-denial and reaching out to others as the main essence of the season of Lent. But I believe all these things can be encapsulated in only one word - LOVE. This is the main theme of Lent. Love is the meaning of Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection. And it is the meaning behind our sorrow and repentance for sins, the motivation that we put in our acts of self-denial and readiness to help others.

Suffering is a reality that is very much embedded in our daily life. Each one of us has experienced one time or another some sort of agony and crucifixion. It might be the agony of having to put up with somebody you cannot get along well, the struggle to build up a deteriorating relationship, the pain of enduring a physical illness. Crucifixion can also happen in our life in various ways. In all this, however, we are reminded that Jesus had already been where we are. Just as Jesus embraced his cross because of his great love for us, so he invites us especially in this season of Lent to accept our share of sufferings in the same spirit of love.