LENT: IN IMITATION OF JESUS
It is a period of preparation for Easter. This period takes forty days of prayer, fasting and penitence. This is a very important season because it helps us to prepare and celebrate the greatest feast in the Church. These 40 days of Lenten observant do not include Sundays in Lent.
In the Bible the number 40 is very significant and symbolic. To talk about 40 days or years is to say that the right amount of time or duration for something has been completed. It is also a time of great discipline and devotion. We remember God destroyed the Earth with water in 40 days and 40 nights, Moses was on Sinai for 40days and nights.
BUT our 40 days period of Lent is in the imitation of that of Jesus, of which we read in Matthew 4:1-11. During this time, we are told he was tempted by the devil. What is important is that he found clarity and clear understanding of his mission. He also relied on God to resist the temptations that may come his way in his ministry.
After the dramatic event of his baptism, Mt. 3:13-17, it seems Jesus needed some time to come to terms with the major changes and the happenings in his life. He needed to get away from friends, family and familiar comforts in order to see God and himself clearly. He may have wanted some intentional and time with God as he searched for answers and direction.
Like Jesus we may also be in need of some direction and closure with God. We may also need to abandon our familiar comforts in order to gain some clarity and divine strength in such confusing and wayward world.
Lent is a period of repentance, a returning to the lord. It is a period to return God and re-focus our lives to be more in line with that of Jesus. It is a 40 days of discipline in changing our lives and letting God change us. The traditional pillars of Lenten observance are PRAYER, FASTING and ALMSGIVING. These observances are always aimed at helping us repent and turn to the lord.
Have a very transforming experience this Lent.
By Fr. Delight Arnold Carbonu
