Today we celebrate the solemnity of the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. It may not be as glamorous a celebration as Christmas or Easter. It may not look, at the peripheral level as spectacular an event in the life of Jesus as Christmas where there were angels singing, shepherds running or even Easter, rocks rolling, Magdalene rushing. Still, I believe, Ascension was an important event in the life of Jesus as any other events in his life. In fact it was one of the glorious event in his life. To explain this, I just want to pick up one verse for St. Paul’s letter to Ephesians. (It is part of our ‘office of the readings’ today. And it is also the ‘short-responsory’ for morning prayer.) Because it is St. Paul who gives an insight into the glorious dimensions of this seemingly quiet and subdued event; I.e. Ascension. I just want to divide the sentence into tow halves to know the full meaning.
In the first half he quotes (Ephesians 4:8):- “When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive…..” What does it mean? It is an ancient military language. In ancient times when a great warrior returned home after successfully waging war against the enemy, he had a victory parade at home, in his home country. People used to come out in numbers to great the victorious king. In that victory parade the victorious leader will parade in chains all the enemies that were captured in the battle. This event is called as ‘leading the captivity captive.’ It means those who were planning captivity for them are now taken captive. It was a one of the most shameful days for those who are captured. But for the one who conquered them, that is the victorious king it was one of the most glorious moments. And St. Paul wants us to understand Jesus’ ascension in these terms. When Jesus entered into his Father’s Homeland, after successfully conquering sin and death there was a victory parade for Jesus … a spiritual victory parade ….. The enemies that were conquered; sin, death and evil were paraded in chains. Today is the day Jesus lead the captivity captive. Let us rejoice and be glad, because on this day our enemy, the devil was put to shame.
Secondly St. Paul says in the same verse, “ As he lead the captivity captive, he gave gifts to men. That is another common occurrence in the ancient ‘victory parade.’ As the group of people came on to the street to greet and hail the victorious leader, the victorious leader who obviously was coming back with lots booty, throws gifts from the booty to the people. If is for them to celebrate his victory. This is another imagery Paul uses to explain the importance of ascension. As Jesus ascended into heaven, he gave gifts to men; men who came to believe and celebrate his victory. What were the gifts? Read verse 11 in the same chapter.
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: …
It is interesting to note that these either being an apostle or prophet or evangelist were gifts are not useful for themselves. These were not gifts for themselves. But these were the gifts to be used for others. He gave his men gifts to be apostles, evangelists or teachers so that hey in turn can be gifts to others. He gave them gifts so that they in turn can be a gift to their family, to their community and to the church. That is what he does even today. He gives us gifts so that we in turn can be gifts to others.
Now, the critical question is how can we gifts to others? Be a good priest, you are a gift to your parish. Be a good husband, be a good wife, be a good son or daughter or be a good grandmother, then you are a gift your family. If you are a nurse, be good nurse, if you are a teacher, be good teacher; if you are a cook be a good cook, if you are a mechanic, be a good mechanic. Then you are a gift to other.
That is the challenge for us today and every day, to be gift for other. May the Risen Christ who is seated at the right hand of the Father, bless you all. Amen.

Corpus Christi Sunday 2009

Today is the Corpus Christi Sunday. The day when we honour the Real presence of our Lord Jesus Christ in the most holy Sacrament of the alter. His self-giving to us in form of bread and wine in the Eucharist. Often we do not know the true meaning of the Eucharist or mass, hence we find it as a burdensome obligation every week and a boring exercise. ‘No music, no guitar, not lively.’ This is the common complaint.
Today I thought I can reflect with you about significance of the celebration of mass. In the sixth chapter of John, we read that on the shore of sea of Galilee, great number of people gathered around Jesus, and He preached to them at length. Once the preaching was over, the disciples say, let us send them away, our work is over, and let them find their own way. But Jesus said, ‘our work is not yet over, we need to feed them.’ And he fed five thousand men with five loaves and two fish, to remind them how their ancestors were fed miraculously with manna, the food from heaven in the desert. That day they were fed with the word and with the bread. Great pre-figuration of the Eucharist.
And the next day, these people go in search of Jesus to the same place, where they were fed. But Jesus was not there. And then they come to know that he was on the other side of Galilee. They rush there. Looking at the crowd, Jesus says, ‘you are searching for me because you ate the bread, not because you saw my miracles or believed me.’ Then he goes on to give a long discourse on spiritual food, the food that gives them eternal life for which they need to seek. He begins by saying, John 6:27: “Do not labour for the food that perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the son of man gives to you;” After a long discourse about it he ends up saying, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up o the last day.” Look at the words here. How precise they are. Unless you eat this and drink this you will not have this. So, eating his body or flesh and drinking his blood is a pre-requisite for eternal life.
Unfortunately, these words were hard to follow for many and they decide to leave him, without really finding out what really he meant and how is it possible. But only a handful remain with him to find out what he really meant and what really he is going to give. And as we read in the gospel today, on the evening of the Passover, which was celebrated, to remind them of the great liberation they had from bondage of Pharaoh through the sacrifice of the lamb, he the new Pascal lamb took the bread,(which earth has given and human hands have made) blessed it and gave it to his disciples saying, “Take this all of you and eat it. This is my body, which will be given up for you!” And the chalice (filled with fruit of the wine and work of human hands), “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.”
What actually was he doing there? We know that he was celebrating the first mass there. What is the meaning of the that mass he was instituting and the mass we celebrate even now? See, the next day he as a high priest is going to offer his own body and blood as a sacrifice and expiation for our sins and the sins of humanity once and for all. And when that sacrifice is made, his disciples are not going to be there. So he wants to make it present real to them now. As in the sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins, where people need to eat the flesh of the lamb that takes away their sins, and be sprinkled with the blood of the lamb for their cleansing, So he who is going to offer himself as an expiation putting an end to the sacrifices of bulls and lambs, making it present in the form of bread and wine. Thus showing them the way how they can eat his body and drink his blood and have eternal life.
So the Eucharist is making really present today the sacrifice which Jesus offered once and for all on the cross. By participating in that sacrifice and eating his flesh which he offered up for us and drinking his blood which he shed for us, we make the salvation which he gained for us, our own. We need to do this to have eternal life. This is Jesus’ will that we should eat his body and drink his blood to have life. Now, Jesus cannot say something and make it not possible. He cannot say that you have to eat my flesh and drink my blood to have eternal life, and does not do anything to make his body and blood present to us. He wanted his word to be present with us and so he gave us the scriptures, and so also he wanted his body and blood to be present with us, and so he gave us the Eucharist. The bread and wine is transformed into his body and blood and presented to us to eat and drink and have life. This is what mass is all about.
When we celebrate the Eucharist (the mass) every day, we are fed with both his word and his body. First we are fed with the word and then with his body and blood. It is a double feeding. Two course meal. We cannot accept one and reject the other. And as we don’t seek for variety in eating style, we need not necessarily seek variety in mass. And eating has never been boring for any of us although we have been eating all throughout our lives, three times a day. If it is so, then I do not know why Eucharist (the spiritual banquet) is boring, not interesting, and a burdensome obligation. It is a spiritual banquet where you eat the spiritual food. Eating should not be a boring thing. And secondly, we need to hunger for it. If we don’t eat one meal rats run in our stomachs. If we don’t attend one Sunday mass, do we feel that hunger? Rats running in our heart? Let us love the Eucharist, our spiritual food. Amen.

Trinity Sunday 2009

I remember a wonderful story I read from Leo Tolstoy. Its about a bishop in Russia who once when he was travelling by boat heard about an island where only three men lived. He decided to visit them out of his pastoral love and care. But many objected saying "The old men are not worth your pains. I have heard said that they are foolish old fellows, who understand nothing, and never speak a word, any more than the fish in the sea" (Tolstoy, p.3).But he insisted that he should go. He went and saw them. He asked them how they pray. They said we pray saying "Three are ye, three are we, have mercy upon us" (Tolstoy, p.4).” But bishop insisted that they should learn at least the “Our Father……” So he stayed the whole day and taught them ‘the Lord’s prayer.’ And towards the evening he left with great satisfaction. But after some time he saw the three old me speeding up in their boat to ask “ Bishop, how to begin the prayer, we forgot.” And the bishop seems to have said, “Don’t worry about what I taught you, go and pray the way you know best to pray, “Three are ye, three are we, have mercy on us.” This story tells us that for a simple believer, doctrinal accuracies do not matter.
On this trinity Sunday I am going to reflect on the mystery of the Trinity with this simple faith. Because I strongly feel that for those who believes it, nothing is needed to prove, but for those who do not believe, nothing can make them to believe. Trinity for me is not someone or something that is in my head I need to reason out to believe, but Trinity is something or someone I experience everyday in my life. Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are not up there in the sky about whom you have to reason out and believe. They are here and we encounter them everyday.
God the Father is giver of life and giver of every good thing in my life. Every day you and me see so many beautiful things and experience so many blessings. Where do they come from? Everyday when you and me experience the beautiful sunshine, showers, success, Don’t you see the hand of God the Father in these? And the message of God for you and me? I love that hymn which says “Every tiny star that twinkles in the night sky and every drop of morning dew, every pretty butterfly, everything that wriggles-by, tells the fascinating news to those who dare to hope. And the message is God still loves the world.” Friends, for those who have eyes to see, the whole world is a manifestation of God’s love. In everything that is created beautifully We can see the Father and feel so close to him. So for me, God the Father is not a concept of the mind but a reality I look at everyday.
Secondly, Jesus Christ my redeemer is someone whom We encounter everyday. It is he who lifts us up when we fall. Every time you forgive someone or forgiven by someone don’t you feel his presence? Every time you participate in the Holy Eucharist and receive his body and blood, don’t you feel so close to him? Every time you make your confession, don’t you feel his forgiving love? Yes! It is in these sacraments we encounter him and feel so close to him. And every time you come across a person in need, don’t you see Jesus in him? So Jesus Christ redeemer is not someone who lived some two thousand years ago and lives in the pages of history, but he is someone who lives even today. He said “Lo! I will be with you un till the end of time.” He is there. Whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren, you have done it to me.” So we can see him everyday.
And finally, Holy Spirit the sanctifier, the Paraclete, the counsellor is also part and parcel of our daily life. Holy Spirit is the guide. He is the one who inspires every good work. Every time we see some good things done or some good things said, we can feel his presence. Life is full of choices. And it is he who helps us to choose the best. All the great things you achieve are possible because of the holy Spirit. It is he who is giver of gifts and talents. It is who brings our efforts to succeed. Trinity is a reality, not just a doctrine. It we humans who dispute with each other to see whether they are equal to each other or subordinate to each other and so on. But God is love. And there is perfect love existing between the three persons of the Trinity. Perfect love has no subordinates only equals.
So in conclusion, let me you give some practical tip to see how we can make the trinity part and parcel of your life. Each day before you go to bed, take five minutes: for the first one and half minute, think of all the good things that you experienced or the blessings that you got that day and thank the Father for that. For the next minute and half, think of anything where you failed to do well, your sins, and ask Jesus for forgiveness. And for the final minute and half, think of the thinks that you need to do the next day, and ask the holy Spirit to lead you. End up with “Our Father…” Make Trinity part and parcel of your life. Amen.

Pentecost: Holy Spirit, the Sanctifer.

Today is the day of the Holy Spirit. There are so many ways in which we refer to this third person of the Trinity. We call his as the spirit of the Father, Lord and giver of life, Advocate, counsellor, Spirit of truth and so on. With all these names, one important suffix with which he is referred to is called ‘the sanctifier’. Holy Spirit is the sanctifier. If God the Father is the creator, and God the Son is the Redeemer, then, God the Holy Spirit is the Sanctifier. Today I want to reflect together with you and see what this ‘sanctification’ means. Or ‘What do we mean when we say that the Holy Spirit is the Sanctifier?’
First of all let us understand what sanctification means. Or what does it mean to sanctify? "Sanctification" or ‘sanctify’ comes from two Latin words: sanctus which means holy, and ficare which means make. So to sanctify means to make holy. And when we say that the Holy Spirit is the sanctifier, what we mean is that ‘the Holy Spirit is the one who makes us holy.’ Hang on! Then what does Jesus do? Is he not the one who redeemed us? Is he not the one who shed his precious blood for us and delivered us from the power of sin and death through his own passion and death. Yes, No doubt about it. But it is the Holy Spirit who makes this salvation available to us and to the nations. It is the Holy Spirit who helps us to make this salvation our own. He does this through the ministry of the church whose birthday we celebrate today and through his own indwelling. Let me explain.
Now, what do we mean when we say that the Holy Spirit sanctifies us through the Ministry of the Church. What we mean is that, it is the Holy Spirit who is the soul and heart of the church. It is he who guides the church. It is he who is active in the church’s ministry of the proclamation of the word of God. It is the Holy Spirit that gave the courage and wisdom to the Apostles to go out and preach. It is the same Holy Spirit that enabled the people who were listening to the Apostles to understand what they were hearing in their own languages. Look at the first reading and see how the people wonder and say, “How does it happen that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, people of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia ………..; we hear them preaching in our own language about the marvels of God.” How is it possible? It is the Holy Spirit that enabled them. Remember the word of Jesus in the gospel too. “I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you now. But when the Spirit of Truth comes, he will lead you to the complete truth.” As if to say ‘Now you cannot understand many things but when the Holy Spirit comes he will help you to understand everything.’ So men down the ages were able to preach the word of God under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In fact the scriptures themselves were written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. And it is this word through which we are sanctified. Jesus says in St. John’s gospel, “you are cleaned already by means of the word.”
And secondly, the Holy Spirit sanctifies us in the Church through the ministry of the Sacraments. Sacraments are the channels of grace through which we are sanctified at each and every stage of our life. Baptism when we are infants, Communion when we are around ten (age of reason), Confirmation when we are fourteen, Marriage or priesthood when we are adult, confession whenever we want it from the age of reason, and Anointing of the sick when we feel that we are at the evening of our life. So at each and every stage of our life there is sacramental grace offered to you and me for our sanctification. And Holy Spirit is the dominant person in all these sacraments. He is the one who sanctifies us through the sacraments.
And finally, he sanctifies us through his own indwelling. By virtue of Baptism, we are made as the temples of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us. He acts as the voice of God in our conscience directing us towards the truth and goodness. He also acts as the power and strength of God in us enabling us to bear spiritual fruits in abundance. St. Paul says to Galatians in the second reading “What the spirit brings is very different: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control.” These are the fruits of the spirit. Anyone who is lead by the Spirit dwelling in his heart will bear these fruits. And these fruits are the signs of the sanctified person. They say “You know the tree by its fruit.” So also we know our sanctity by the fruits we bear.
So, today under this special aspect of Sanctifier, then, let us to invoke the Holy Spiritand say (“Altissimi donum Dei, fons vivus, ignis, caritas et spiritalis unctio,”) I.e gift of the Most High God, gift given to our souls to lead them to sanctity; living fount of grace, fire, divine love, spiritual sweetness. Come. And again( Septiformis munere, digitus paternae dexterae,) dispenser of the seven gifts by which You make our spiritual life perfect, finger of the right hand of the Father which indicates to us the road of sanctity. Come and fill us today. With great joy, love and desire let us invoke the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier! today and everyday. Amen.

Ascension 2009: Go! get on with your life and mission.

Today we celebrate the Ascension Sunday. Remembering a great event in the life of Jesus. How he assumed into heaven body and soul and made to sit at the right hand of the father, and given dominion, power and sovereignty. Something we can be proud of and celebrate. But to stop with that is like seeing only one side of the coin and forgetting the other side. There is another side of the story which is also important. Today is the day when the disciples or the church is asked to assume responsibility to the mission as adults. Stop being children and start being adults. Let me explain.
For the disciples, to be honest, the ascension of Jesus was not so much a moment of glory. After all they were human beings, not angels. They had feelings , emotions and attachments. In their three years of relationship with Jesus, they became so attached to him. In the process of learning so many things from him they also built their dreams and life around him. And his leaving them now surely was not a moment of joy. I remember my leaving my mother to come to London was not a moment of joy for me or for my mother. And my mother leaving me and this world just twelve days after my coming to Lewisham was not a moment of joy. We are human and we are attached to things and people. And when they leave, it hurts us deeply. Parting is always painful. We feel a sense of loss, betrayal, and abandonment when our beloved ones leave us. I felt all these things myself. And so I can perfectly understand the feeling of the apostles at this point of time. Look at the way they were gazing into the clouds and remaining like that for hours till the angels disturb them. They were completely lost.
This is not the first time this kind of abandonment was happening to them. When Jesus was crucified and buried they felt abandoned and betrayed. And just when they are about to go back to their old lives, Risen Jesus appeared to them again and said he is risen and death has no power over him. This filled them with new hope and helped them to dream new dreams and form new hopes. Now again, he is leaving them and going away. New hopes and dreams lasted only forty days. Again the same feeling of abandonment and loss. Not knowing what to do.
I remember, when I had the same feelings after my mother’s death, I went to see my confessor and spiritual director and shared with him, how I felt abandoned and lost. He said, “Bosco! What are you doing here? Go back to London. Get on with your life. Fulfil what dreams your mother had for you. Your mother will be more closer to you now than ever. Now that she has no physical body to restrain her to one place and time, she will be with you all the time” Are these not the same words the angels tell the men who were gazing into the sky with a sense of loss. ‘Why are you men from Galilee standing here looking into the sky.’ it like saying ‘Go! get on with your life. Do what you are supposed to do. Do what he commanded you to do. Go and share the Good News. And as he promised, he will be with you un till the end of time.’
Abandonment is a painful thing for both; those who abandon and those who are abandoned. Because there are emotional involved. But true love goes beyond these emotions and thinks of the holistic good of the other person. True mother or master (teacher) is one who teaches the child everything and lets him/her go. Maturity comes only when they go out and live on their own. This also true of animal kingdom. I have seen the life of Cheetah on National Geographic Channel. Mother Cheetah teaches the cubs as they grow how to hunt. How to wait in ambush, how to attack and how to kill. But when they grow up and become adult it deserts them. When they try to follow her, she chases them away. She does not even hesitate to hurt them; not because she does not love them, but because she wants them to go and get on with their life and be mature.
So also Jesus, as a true master wanted his disciples and us to get on with their mission as adults. If Jesus is there still with them, they will be depending on him to do everything and prefer to be like children depending. Or they will be like a care-free young man who has parents to do everything. No responsibility or maturity. But Jesus wanted his disciples and us to be mature, to be responsible. So he left them and ascended unto the Father.
That does not mean that he abandoned them completely. But he was and is with them and us even now more closely in spirit than ever. This is what he promised. Lo! I will be with you un till the end of time.
And as I feel my mother’s presence so closely now than ever, so also the disciples felt his presence more closely than ever, especially when they were put in prison and were led to execution. So Ascension day is the day when we called be more mature Christians and take responsibility of the mission he left for us. Amen.

We are going to enter into the Passion week starting with the ‘Passion Sunday’. This is the time when we particularly focus our attention on the passion, suffering and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. ‘The cross of our Lord’ or ‘Christ on the cross’ is going to be the centre of our attention. This is the time when we take time to reflect what this ‘cross of Christ’ or’ Christ on the cross’ means for us.
Friends, cross means different things to different people. For some it a fashion. I saw people wearing cross even as an ear-ring because it is a fashion. Nothing more than that. The person who hung on it does not matter. For some, it is an identity; that I belong to a certain group. And for some it is something else.
I remember a funny story I heard a long back. It’s about a man who was fed up of his life and the problems of life. He climbed a tall tree to jump from there and commit suicide. His wife came with the two little children and started pleading with him to come down, for she and her children will be left without any support. He was not moved. His relatives and friends tried to persuade him to come down with no avail. Even the village-elders could not do anything to bring him down the tree. Then they decided to call their Parish priest to give final blessings before he dies. Priest came and said a small prayer extending his hands and blessed him making a sign of the cross on him. You know how the catholic priests bless people. They make a vertical line followed by a horizontal line to symbolize a cross. As soon as the priest blessed him, the man climbed down the tree immediately and went with his wife without saying a word. All were surprised and happy. After a week, his wife asked him why he hurried down immediately when the priest blessed him with the sign of the cross. He said “ you know what the priest said ‘Come down form the tree (sign of vertical line) or I’ll cut the tree down(sign of horizontal line). He seems to be a man who will do it so I came down.” Friends, it’s a joke to say what cross meant for him or for some.
As I told you, cross means many things for many. So also ‘Christ on the cross’ means different things to different men. Speaking of this, St. Paul says to Corinthians, 1 Cor. 1/23-24 : “We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to the Gentiles, but to those who believe, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
What he says is this: For some Christ is the cross is a stumbling block. So they try to do away with Him. Hence they crucified him. They make every effort to do away with Him, because He is a stumbling block. If He is there, they cannot have their own way. It is these people who call those men who teach goodness and morality as ‘stupid’. (I am not just hinting at Richard Dawkins. There are many like him) Truth and morality is a stumbling block to them. They go an extra mile to ridicule them and do away with them. Because they cannot live like their ancestors(monkeys) from whom they believe they descended. Is it not true that many today are trying to do away with God and religion. (M******* does not need a god.)
And for some he is a folly. The thought of God and supernatural realities is an absurdity. They say it is a n opium of the oppressed and depressed. It is neurotic’s drug. How can a man who died two thousand years ago save someone who is dying now. It is mathematical impossibility and scientific absurdity. But they do not know that life is not all about mathematics and science. Life is not as simple as ‘2+2=4 formula.’
As Paul says, for those who believe it is the power and wisdom of God. History proves that through the ages Christianity has achieved what no other religion or organization has achieved. It has endured or survived more persecutions than any other religion or institution has survived. It went through so many dark days than any other religion and survived, just because it is the power and wisdom of God that was leading it. (If you say something what was the light and guide of man as an absurdity, find something that is as useful as religion that will help man to be man not an animal.)
For me personally, cross of Christ gives meaning and purpose to my own crosses I carry everyday. First of all, it tells me that I cannot run away from these. Even God made man cannot escape the cross. Cross is part and parcel of human life whether you like it or not.
Secondly, it tells me that this too will pass away. Crosses are temporary. After the cross there is Resurrection. Persevere, you will come out victorious. Is it not our experience. So the sign of the cross means different from what it meant for that man on the tree in the story. The vertical line means “Calm down, do not be worried!”. And the horizontal line means “this too will pass away!”

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Let me conclude with what St. Paul said to Romans 8/35&37: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him loved us and gave his life for us. (Does it sound like a drug to the suffering man. Never mind. I’d prefer to take the drug to alleviate pain than disbelieve it and foolishly suffer it.)
God bless you all!

What is lent?

We have entered into the season of lent. Often we do not have a proper understanding of lent: what it is? What we are suppose to do? Etc. For many lent is a time of some or much penance and mortification. Giving up your favourite pass times or food or wine etc. Deprive yourself of many things and live a hard life and punish your body. In some places, they even go up to the extent of receiving lashes or wearing thorns etc. All as a penance for their sins. The whole idea behind is something like this. This I read in one of the book-lets on lent. ‘It is like a man who was hitting himself against a brick-wall. When someone asked him why he was doing that , he said, “It’s just so nice when I stop it.”’ What I mean is this. Lent is not all about making your life ghastly or miserable for few weeks to feel good about it afterwards when you go back to the same old things. I don’t think you are going to give up wine permanently or chocolates or cigars or meat or something else. I feel lent is not all about this. Even though penance is part of lent, it is not the whole of it.
Lent for me is all about relationships: rebuilding or restoring the relationships with God and men. I heard that the word Lent is derived from an Anglo-Saxon word lengthen or lencten meaning "spring." That is why lent is also called as the ‘Spring season of Christian calendar.’ I want to focus on three important aspects of Spring time in relation to Christian life.
First of all, Spring is the time of Change. What change? It is a time when day time starts lengthening and night time starts shortening. You can already see the change now. As the days go by you’ll notice it more clearly. You know why it is happening like that?……It is because, the axis of the earth is starting to tilt towards the Sun now. All these days (I.e.during winter) the axis or the orientation of the earth was away from the Sun, hence there was more darkness and less day-light. Now that the earth starts changing its orientation towards the Sun, its life changes. There is more of day light and less of darkness. And this has got great spiritual significance for us Christians. For us Christians, lent (or spring-time) is a time when we begin to tilt our orientation towards Christ, the risen Son (Sun) so that he may have more say in our lives or more time in our lives. For me this is what lent essentially means. ‘Changing our orientation’ towards Christ. All these days our axis may have been directed towards other things like, money, fame, success, pleasure, etc., which in themselves are not bad. but now we let it change. We let more of Jesus come into our lives. We will not leave many dark corners(What we sometimes call as private) in our lives. This is true lent.
2.Secondly, Spring is also a time of new life and new beginning. If you go out and watch the trees now, you can notice that these trees which were leafless all this winter, have started blooming. You can see the buds already and by the end of lent you can see beautiful tender leaves all over the trees making it to look so green and beautiful. That is why I say it is a time of new life and new beginning. So also our Christian life. It is a time for new beginning. You must have began your life anew last year, but time and weather must have weathered your leaves and they have fallen and you stand like the trees in winter; Leafless and apparently lifeless. Now why begin again? You may ask me. Remember, ff trees were to think, ‘last year I produced leaves, they didn’t last; the previous year it was same. or in fact it is same every year. So no use.’ and stop budding new leaves, there will not be any growth. That is true of our Christian life too. Don’t think of your failures last year. This again I say about changing your self not about doing penances. Start again. Tree may not know it is growing but we who look at it know. So also, we may not know we are growing but God can see it.
Finally, Spring is also a time of action. It is the time when farmers spring into action. The idle and cold winter is gone and so the farmers spring into action to cultivate something. What is first step for that? It is ploughing and planting. That is what they do in the spring. They spring into action and plough their field to remove the weeds and plant new and good seed with the hope of a good harvest. That is what we are expected to do during lent. Plough out those old bad-habits and plant new good-habits; habits that can give good harvest. They say it takes six weeks to form a habit or leave a habit. Fortunately, we have got six weeks for lent. Enough time to for or to leave.
Let us then spring into action from day one. This is what lent is all about.
God bless you!