The Time of Grace

For God says, "At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you." Now is the acceptable time! Now is the day of salvation! (2 Corinthians 6:2)

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent which is a forty-six day preparation for the celebration of Easter. (Forty six days because it includes the six Sundays of Lent.)  This day, aside from Good Friday maybe the "most hated day" in the Liturgical Calendar because the Church invites us to pray intensely, abstain and fast. I remember last night, during the dinner in celebration of Fr. Orly's Silver Sacerdotal Anniversary, I said to one of the youth member beside me, "Eat a lot now since it is fasting tomorrow." But she asked me, "Why brother, is it necessary?" "Yes", I replied. "It is one of the commandments of the Church." She said, "I don't want it and I can't do it."

Why do the Church oblige us to fast and abstain? Because it is one way of taming our senses and teaching us sacrifice. It is in being faithful to small things that we can be more faithful in greater things. And I would say, it is not only today or in Good Friday that we must fast and abstain but also during the Fridays of Lent and even everyday as much as possible. When I say fast, it is not only about not taking food or eating less.  When I say abstain, it is not only not eating flesh meat. But more importantly, from pleasures that may lead us to sin. For example, watching movies or internet browsing or even texting. When you are in the habit of subscribing to unlimited texting everyday, you can practice subscribing only once a week. Or when you are fond of watching teleseryes three or four hours every night, you can just watch TV only for an hour. And you can use the time you sacrificed by praying or reading the Bible or an inspirational book. In this way, we lead ourselves closer to holiness.

This is also the season of prayer and meditation. We actually commemorate how Christ fasted and payed for forty days in the desert while being tempted by the Devil. We are invited by the Church to intensify prayer and reflect on the real meaning of our lives. We actually begin the Lenten Liturgy by the mass or a Liturgy of the Word with the imposition of ashes which reminds us of our mortality and how we need to repent and turn our lives to God.

"Faith without works is dead." (James 2:17) That is why we are also invited to do acts of mercy. We are asked to help the poor and those in need. It is the time to help the beggars that we meet on the road or our classmate or coworker in need of financial or moral help. "There is no person so poor that he cannot give anything nor a person so rich that there is no room to receive some enrichment." There are lots of good works that we can do in a day: food for a hungry person that we meet on the way, or to a friend in need of advice, to our brother or sister in need of instruction, to a dead relative in need of our prayers. The Church lists fourteen works of mercy, seven which meets the bodily needs of our brothers and sisters and seven for their spiritual needs. But the circumstances by which we could help are limitless.

Seven corporal works of mercy

1. To feed the hungry
2. To give drink to the thirsty.
3. To clothe the naked.
4. To visit and ransom the captive, (prisoners).
5. To shelter the homeless.
6. To visit the sick.
7. To bury the dead.

Seven spiritual works of mercy

1. Instruct the uninformed
2. Counsel the doubtful;
3. Admonish sinners;
4. Bear wrongs patiently;
5. Forgive offenses willingly;
6. Comfort the afflicted;
7. Pray for the living and the dead.

When you hear the word "Lent", what first comes to your mind? Is it hunger for holiness or discomfort to set aside the pleasures of this world? I hope this Lent will truly satisfy our spiritual hunger which is more than the hunger of this mortal body.

"Do not be sad this day for rejoicing in the Lord must be your strength!" (Nehemiah 8:12)