Because there is only one God, and only one mediator between God and men, Jesus Christ man, who gave himself a ransom for all, of which he bore witness in due course. 1 Timothy 2: 5-6.
This week marks what many Christians call lent. I remember that there were traditions that we lived among her not eating meat; there were many movies of the death and resurrection of Jesus. But, over time this has been lost to such a level that many do not know what this great sacrifice means which Jesus died on the cross of Calvary for all of us. His death shed his blood to cleanse us of our sins and have entrance to the kingdom of God.
Although many know that everything begins from Lent, which is the liturgical time of conversion, which marks the Church to prepare us for the great feast of Easter. It is time to repent of our sins and change something of ourselves to be better and to be able to live closer to Christ.
Lent lasts 40 days; it begins on Ash Wednesday (Feb 26, 2020) and ends before the Lord’s Supper Mass on Holy Thursday. Throughout this time, especially in the Sunday liturgy, we make an effort to recover the rhythm and style of true believers who must live as children of God.
Also, there is a color that many Christians identify with and it is. The liturgical color of this time is purple, which means mourning and penance or sacrifice. It is a time of reflection, of penance, of spiritual conversion; time of preparation for the paschal mystery. In Lent, Christ invites us to change our lives. The Church invites us to live Lent as a path to Jesus Christ, listening to the Word of God, praying, sharing with others and doing good works. It invites us to live a series of Christian attitudes that help us to be more like Jesus Christ, since by action of our sin, we distance ourselves more from God.
Sin separates us from God, it breaks our relationship with Him, that is why we must fight against sin and this is only achieved through the internal conversion of mind and heart. Therefore, a change in our life, a change in our conduct and behavior, seeking repentance for our faults, and returning to God who is the true reason for our existence. For this reason, Lent is the time of forgiveness and fraternal reconciliation. Every day, throughout our lives, we must throw from our hearts hatred, rancor, envy, and jealousy that oppose our love for God and for our brothers. In Lent, we learn to know and appreciate the Cross of Jesus. With this we also learn to take up our cross with joy to reach the glory of the resurrection.
Lent is the time of forgiveness and fraternal reconciliation. Every day, throughout our lives, we must throw from our hearts hatred, rancor, envy, and jealousy that oppose our love for God and for our brothers. Lent is a path to Easter, which is the most important feast of the Church as it is the resurrection of Christ, the foundation and culminating truth of our faith. It is the good news that we have an obligation to spread. In Lent, we learn to know and appreciate the Cross of Jesus. With this we also learn to take up our cross with joy to reach the glory of the resurrection. Remember that it is not biblical to believe that God will automatically bless in response to the observance of a ritual. God is interested in our hearts, not in our observation of rituals.
Prayer: Open your heart
Lord Jesus I am in front of your presence asking you for forgiveness. Thank you for dying on Calvary’s cross, because for your sacrifice I have entrance to the kingdom of heaven. Forgive my sins because today I want you to live in my heart. Amen.
Friendly Advice
In these days of Lent we can
- Fasting consists of eating only one strong meal a day.
- Abstinence is about not eating meat or something you want God to change in your life.
- They are days of abstinence and fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
- With these sacrifices, it is about our whole being (soul and body) participating in an act where we recognize the need to do works with which we repair the damage caused by our sins and for the good of the Church.
- Repenting of my sins and confessing.
- Struggling to change myself.
- Praying. Take advantage of these days to pray, to talk with God, to tell him that you love him and that you want to be with him. You can help yourself with a good meditation book for Lent. You can read passages related to Lent in the Bible.
- Teach your children the Our Father, the prayer
- Tell children about the meaning of Lent in a pleasant way so that they understand it and are motivated to fulfill the purposes of the Lenten calendar. Educate them in the spiritual sense, especially.
- Read in the Gospels the story of the Passion of Christ.
- In these times of quarantine, connect to hear a message of spiritual edification.