Lent: Season for Gratitude and Generosity

Lent is a season of grace and mercy. It is a time for the prodigal sons to return home for whom the father is waiting to receive, to embrace and to celebrate. Lent is a time to experience and proclaim the mercy of God (Pope Francis’ message for lent 2016). God loved this world so much that he sent his only son not to condemn and punish but to save and redeem the humankind (Ibid.,). Sin exists from the beginning of the world. God tries to stop man from sinning but man discovers better ways and means to commit sin. Man could not deprive from sin. At the same way God cannot deprive man from redeeming. God is always giving new chances to change. The season of lent is a chance given for us to experience the mercy of God.

Pope Francis calls us to place special emphasis on the spiritual and corporal works of mercy during this Lent, taking into account the current Jubilee Year of Mercy (Ibid.,).  We are imbued by the mercy of God and we in turn let shine forth that mercy to our neighbors with our service. St. Paul’s says that “He who says I love God but in reality not shows his love towards his neighbor is a liar.” God who is rich in mercy not only said that he loves us but he showed that love by offering his only son as a ransom for our sins and renewing us through his grace and mercy. We have received his mercy in various ways and through various persons like life from our parents, characteristics from our families, identity from our communities, friendship from our colleagues… we are recognized by these merciful acts of our Father. As a merciful act (being) we have a potency to act out that same mercy towards our neighbors who are in need.

For in the poor, the flesh of Christ “becomes visible in the flesh of the tortured, the crushed, the scourged, the malnourished, and the exiled… to be acknowledged, touched, and cared for by us.” (Misericordiae Vultus, 21). God recognized our sinfulness and showered his mercy upon us. With grateful hearts let us share that mercy generously with our brothers and sister who are poor both materially and spiritually. Let us reminisce the words of our Lord; ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me’ (Mt 25: 30). In the corporal works of mercy we touch the flesh of Christ in our brothers and sisters who need to be fed, clothed, sheltered, visited; in the spiritual works of mercy – counsel, instruction, forgiveness, admonishment and prayer – we touch more directly our own sinfulness (Ibid.,).

There are many Lazarus living in the present world. We do not know through whom the Lord is knocking our door. In this act of mercy let us not hamper ourselves to our neighbours alone but be generous in widening our hands to the people who are unknown, alienated and rejected by the society. The Pope warned against constantly refusing “to open the doors of their hearts to Christ who knocks on them in the poor,” as such consistent refusal on the part on the part of the “proud, rich and powerful” leads to condemnation.

Lent culminates with the celebration of the paschal mystery which was the culmination of Christ’s life on earth, the culmination of the love of bridegroom for his bride. Let us be grateful towards the mercy and graces we have received and be generous in sharing those gifts with others. By doing this we die with Him in mercy and rise with Him in glory and power. May this season of lent during the year of mercy lead us to the personal conviction of gratitude for the blessings we have received and generosity in giving and sharing those blessings with the persons who are poor and in need.