Ash Wednesday was today and marks the beginning of Lent. It is a very important period in the Catholic calendar as we will go through 40 days(excluding Sunday) of preparation before we celebrate Easter. Easter marks the resurrection of Christ after being laid in the tomb for 3 days.
I love this period actually. It is the time for us to reflect on humanity and abstain from the luxuries of life. It is living like how Jesus suffered throughout this period before Easter. For me, it is a time to be humble and be appreciative to what I have and to remember those who are less fortunate than me. Let us remember those who are suffering because of war, injustice or illness.
Anyway, back to Ash Wednesday. I went to the Assumption Church in Jalan 222 after going home to take a bath to feel fresh after work. It was a rainy day and I hate rainy days as the possibility of accidents are higher. I took a slow drive and parked my car along Jalan Templer, rather far from the church as it was already packed with cars.
I didn't get a seat as I was a bit late and the church was packed with parishers who came after their work. I stood under my purple umbrella near to the porch. I tried as much as I could to listen to the homily given by Father Phillip Muthu who was talking about fasting and abstaining. Our fasting is very much different from the deffinition being practiced by Muslims. We still can eat during the day but nothing fancy or expensive. We are to live a simple daily life throughout these days.
What amazed me was when the church minister placed the ash over my forehead making the shape of the cross. She said, "Repent and be faithful to the gospel". I quickly sent an SMS to Ruby to share with her how inspired I was by the words.
To me, that sentence can be simply broken down in my own understanding:
Repent would be to admit and acknowledge the mistakes you have done. Be it skipping church, robbing or sleeping with your neighbour, confess it to God and move on. Sin in this world can never be avoided. It is because of human nature. As much as we pray and follow the holy teachings, we are still tempted by the evil or fall to the weakness of our humanness. God is loving and forgiving. He loves us.
Faithful to the gospel would mean living the word of God. Like as I said above, it is difficult to follow but we should atleast try. If trying is also difficult, then we should look deeper into ourselves to see what is stopping us from trying. It could simply be our attitude. Nothing is impossible.
I wish that during the moment of Lent, we may discover something new about God that will touch our hearts. It would be good to share it with your friends or family about what you discovered. Share it with people regardless of their religion or who they are. You never know as they may be touched by your words.
If you are having problems fasting and abstaining, consult your Muslim friends. I am sure they will be happy to share how they went through it during Ramadhan. Trust me, what they do is a lot harder than what we Catholics are doing. Nonetheless, some of them do it flawlessly and is not a hassle.
Also, pray as much as you can during this time wherever you are; in your car stuck in traffic jam or waiting for the Facebook website page to load. Although we may be saying short prayers, we are atleast still remembering God during this time.
Open your eyes to the world as you may receive messages indirectly from God that will stimulate your mind spiritually and move you.
God bless all of us during this moment of Lent and may it be a life-changing moment to us all.
