Lent Reflection (2)

Lent: a time to let go and let live!


The readings of the second Friday of Lent remind us of our sinful activities and give us guidelines of how to begin a new life. The first reading invitees each one of us to say goodbye to our sinful life and begin a new life. One the other hand, the Gospel is more concrete as it says, reconcile with your brothers and sisters and do not call anyone fool. A close glance of these two readings will us that the first reading is theoretical and the Gospel is practical. We might even just say, one gives theory of what to do and the other gives practical implementation.


Traditionally Lent has been considered a season of repentance and penance. Many peopel term it as a time of reconciliation and they go for confession. Recently I was trying to explain the meaning of Lent to a Muslim friend. He highly appreciated the ways we Christians observe Lent. But at the end of our conversation he asked me a question which made me to think. He asked, “Where do you go after Lent? Do you go back to sinful life after Lent?” I never seriously thought about it. My friend, being a college profession must have understood that I was not ready for this sort of question. To my great surprise he said that Lent was a time to let go everything and begin a new life. I just said YES.

At the end of Lent we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As Jesus overcomes the death, he wants us to begin a new life. He assures us that the light of resurrection will guide us in our new life. Shall we not try to let go everything during this Lent and begin to live our life more meaningfully…?