The season of Lent began on Ash Wednesday, with a reminder that, "Dust you are, and into dust you shall return" and as we pass through this season, we are reminded of God's divine love through the Stations of the Cross, Sundays of Lent that focuses on our renewal & reconciliation, the ministry of priesthood that was instituted at the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday, as Jesus said, "Do this in memory of me!", Christ's crucifixion on the Holy Cross on Good Friday with the words, "Lord, Forgive them for they do not know what they do "and finally in the Resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday.
The season of Lent invites us to surrender ourselves to God and to reconcile with God and as we reconcile in his love, as a penance participate in Christ's mission & ministry of empowering people through the various parish associations and Small Christian Communities etc. Our penance should be to reach out to people and touch their lives by regularly visiting the sick & the disabled, the orphans & the aged people.
The season of Lent helps us build stronger relationship with God the Father & also with our family and friends. It helps us to encounter God the Father in our day-to-day hopes & struggles, joys & sorrows, struggles & sufferings and empower us to understand that Life is a gift & a challenge to face the difficulties we undergo in our day-to-day struggles. Participating in building God's kingdom means taking part in the death & resurrection of Christ. Many parish associations are always short of members and volunteers who will empower & enrich their association and reach out to the people within the parish.
Hence to make our Lenten mission more meaningful, let us not only contribute monetarily towards Lenten alms but also let us also contribute our time & talents towards the renewal of ourselves, church & society. Many parish associations need continuous help & assistance in helping to build God's kingdom and the time and talents we contribute will help in the empowerment of our parish, church & society.
Let our Lenten mission be to help those who are strayed from God that they return to God and the Church. Let us bring those who are away from Christ that the reconcile with Christ and be back in the flock of the Good Shepherd. This Lent, as we observe fast & abstinence, let us also abstain from speaking ill about people, using foul language, that breaks or ruins relationships. Let us abstain from speaking rudely to people and help other people to join in this mission. This Lent, let us first reconcile with ourselves, ask God pardon for the wrong we have done and then spread this message of reconciliation to people around us. Let reconciliation be our mission as we give Christ to people in form of His Body & Blood.