By Larissa D’Souza –
One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older woman was standing on the side of a highway trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab.
She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man’s door. To his surprise, a giant colour TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached. It read: “Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband’s bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others”.
We are so involved in our lives that we often forget to help others. We become selfish and uncaring and are too busy to extend a helping hand. The purpose of Lent is to draw us closer to Jesus. When we let go of outer things, we will have more space for God. Hence the season of Lent is a blessing.
Lent is also a paradox: when we give up something, God gives us more. When we surrender our chaos, we receive peace. Lent is becoming, doing and changing, whatever it is that is blocking the fullness of life in us right now. Lent stimulates us to let the Word of God penetrate our life and in this way to know the fundamental truth: who we are, where we come from, where we must go and what path we must take in life.
During this season we must help people discover the joy of the Christian message: a message of love and mercy. Every day we witness situations of injustice, violence, and hatred. Television and the Internet bring these into our living rooms, but we also observe and live them in our own cities and homes. The Church calls us during Lent to be especially conscious of the needs of others and to act accordingly. Giving materially to another is an act of Christian charity. During Lent, the Church also calls us to first convert ourselves and then to transform the world for justice, so that we might serve the Kingdom which Jesus lived and preached.
Ashes: They remind us of the creation story that we are made from dust (Gen 2:7). Violet/purple color: This is a color for the Lenten season which signifies humility, willingness to repent, mourning for the sins and suffering with Jesus.
Stones: They remind us of Jesus experience in the desert for forty days and being tempted by the devil.
Fish: It is a symbol of lent which calls us to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
Incense: It is a symbol of prayer, and as it is written in Ps (141:2) that ‘Let my prayer come like incense before you.’
We can think of Lent as a time to eradicate evil or cultivate virtue, a time to pull up weeds or plant good seeds which is better is clear, for Christian ideal is always positive rather than negative. The cross shows us the seriousness of our sin but is also shows us the immeasurable love of God. Ask the Lord to help you see this Holy season of Lent as a time of spiritual renewal rather than a time of deprivation. Ask the Lord to motivate you to reach a new level of experiencing the Lord’s grace.
Larissa D’souza is currently studying at Davar’s, but has been a working professional as a Project Coordinator in Sports; and in Travel, Tourism and Banking. Reading books, watching football, listening to music and writing in her spare time are things that Larissa loves to do. She has never missed saying her Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet every day.