LENT - AN INWARD AND COMMUNAL JOURNEY

The season of Lent is a personal inward journey and a communal outward faith journey. It is an inward journey for deep reflection of the meaning of Jesus in your life. As a community of faith it is step outward after we have recognized where God has led us on this journey. During our reflections we are awaken to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. We have the responsibility to share this good news we discover. These may include sobriety, humility and gratitude for life. It is a journey for anyone caught in any trap of life. Our personal reflections and worship in community lead us toward the redeeming love of God.

The prophet Isaiah spoke words of promise to an ancient people:

61 The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
    because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
    to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
    and release to the prisoners;
² to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
    and the day of vengeance of our God;
    to comfort all who mourn; (Isaiah 61:1-2).

Also you can feel the same joy as Zacchaeus did when he became a new person in Christ.

⁸ Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” ⁹ Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:8-10).

Saint Paul offers advice on how we as individuals and as a church should carry the good news to others. (Galatians 6:1-3, 10.) Bear One Another’s Burdens:

6 My friends if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. ² Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. ³ For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. ¹⁰ So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.”