Lent: ‘Remember you are dust’
By
SOMEBODY once said, “When I was in my teen years, I joked with God; in my middle age, I humored God; in my old age, I became serious with God.”
Let’s not be “serious with God” only when we’re in the “pre-departure area” or when we’re in deep crisis.
*** Sometime ago I met a lady physician who confided that she had put God at the center of her life.
I asked her why. She said, “I had an invasive tumor on my left breast and the thing had to be removed.
Even now I am fearful because it may not have been cured completely.
***
The crisis made me realize how fragile life is. If God wills that I live longer, I’ll devote my time serving Him and people in whatever way I can.”
*** Most of us are unwilling to step down from our appointed “kingship” or budge from our complacent lifestyle until we feel some pain or experience a crisis so that we feel we are at the end of our resources.
*** Then we begin to explore the possibility of putting God at the center of our lives.
The crisis may be similar to that of the lady physician. The “pain” may come in the form of a sickness or death of a loved one or a broken relationship.
*** Or, it may be the realization that we are getting on in years and our life doesn’t seem to be going anywhere or that we have not done anything really worthwhile for God and our fellowmen.
*** Yesterday, “Ash Wednesday,” ushered in liturgically the somber 40-day season of Lent; in local parlance, “Cuaresma.”
*** Lent affords us the opportunity to pause, to look into our moral and spiritual life and examine where we have failed and where we can improve.
Lent comes close to annual PHYSICAL EXAMINATION where we find out if our bodily functions are in order.
*** Lent should inspire us to ask questions like: How’s my relationship with God and with others? Has my life been spent only in money-making and pleasure-seeking?
*** Is there anyone I can’t forgive or something I can’t give up which is hurting my relationship with family and friends? An illicit relationship perhaps?
***
The ash that you received on your foreheads yesterday is a symbol of human mortality. “Remember you are dust.” Meaning, remember you’ll die. What then?
*** Lent reminds us, too, of God’s tremendous love for us. Jesus Christ, His Son, came down to suffer and die in order to save us from sin and death. Think about that.
*** FAST & ABSTINENCE. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are the only days of fast and abstinence that are OBLIGATORY now.
*** The law of fasting allows only one full meal a day, but does not prohibit taking light meals in the morning and evening. Catholics who are 21 years old up until 60 are bound by this law.
*** The law of abstinence forbids eating meat, but not eggs, products of milk, or contents made of animal fat. The law binds those who are 14 years old and above.
Sinful as we all are, we surely need penance, repentance, and reparation.
*** ST. JUDE. Today, Thursday, join us in our novena to St. Jude Thaddeus, Saint of the Impossible, at the Divine Word Shrine, Christ the King Seminary, on E. Rodriguez Boulevard, Quezon City, after the 6 p.m. Mass.
A healing pray-over follows and anointing of holy oil follow.