Lent is a precious time of preparation for Easter that begins with Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Thursday. We must keep this in mind so we can make this time effective and take advantage of this great opportunity that the Church, as mother and teacher, gives us each year.
It is sad that some faithful Catholics focus this liturgical cycle on Ash Wednesday and more specifically on the ash. Sometimes we see some people worried about receiving the ash, thinking that with this alone they have already achieved salvation. The ashes must be a symbol of personal conversion, a transformation of the heart. The ashes should be something intimate and profound in our Christian journey that leads us to this time of preparation for Easter. This time in which God passes through our life, touches it and makes it the way of perfection.
Since ancient times ash was used as a sign of penance, as a desire to change one’s life and to allow Christ and his gospel to guide our lives so we can echo Jesus’ invitation: “Be perfect like the Heavenly Father is perfect.” Therefore, our Lent must be a path to perfection, to get closer to God and fight to fulfill his will.
Consider the following events in the history of salvation: Moses walked for forty days before ascending Mount Sinai to meet God; Elijah walked for forty days to Mount Horeb, and the people of Israel walked for forty years to the Promised Land. Jesus retired to the desert for forty days for the intimate encounter with the eternal Father and was exposed to temptations that he fought with prayer, fasting and the word of God. We can conclude that the number “forty” in the sacred scripture is symbolic, of preparation for something very important. From there arise the name of Lent, which means fortieth and is a reminder of the forty days that Jesus prepared for his public life, to announce the kingdom of God. Today we cannot separate Lent from that very important preparation for Easter, for that permanent and definitive encounter with God.
It is necessary that we have three elements of great importance during Lent, for a true preparation for Easter:
1) Prayer, which should be intimate communication with our Lord;
2) Fasting, which should consist of eliminating from our lives everything that separates us from the evangelical spirit;
3) Penance, which is to rid ourselves of the obstacles that prevent us from being holy.
Lent is not the time to change the menu and to taste those foods of the season. It is time to change our hearts, change our lives and strive to live the same life of Christ, taking into account his teachings: “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last”, and anyone “he who wants to be great, must be the servant of all “, and “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me “.
To deprive us of drinking alcohol or to leave certain foods or certain actions for forty days is a false, useless and unpleasant spirituality to God, and they do not lead us to achieve a true conversion. Remember: “rend your hearts, not your garments.” I want this Lent to transform our lives forever.
