LENT a SEASON to ADMIRE BEAUTY of GOD in US

The world is entering into the season of Lent, a holy and joyful season to lose and gain; to lose the weight of our body and soul, to gain the beautiful image God has fashioned on us which we destroyed through our inhuman (sins) ways. Most of all the religions in the world have this period of purification to be perfect, complete and joy in its fullness. “Be perfect, therefore, as my Heavenly Father is Perfect”.

What are the action plans we can engage in to achieve this awesomeness of God in us? This is where the season of Lent is a great opportunity to follow and to enjoy the greater Love of God. We speak of threefold pillars of Lent; Prayer, Fasting and Charity. All of these interlinked to achieve the image that was lost. I was talking to my parishioners about a weight loss program. Some of us act like as though we are created to eat and drink only, seems like a survival constant struggle. When we look in the mirror, most of us dislike ourselves. We do not like the way we look. We are spending money and energy buying food and eating much. We then spend more money and energy on weight loss products. Buying into this makes us double losers. If we are into this season, this is the 40 days challenge to lose weight and refashion beauty allowing the toxics of our body and soul to drain. I am talking about healthy way of Fasting to reenergize yourself to live in full strength and to utilize the bigger Talents invested on you by God the Creator. Meanwhile, you will build up the Spiritual Beauty too. Second, the other areas of Fasting are from bad behaviours the many things we do on a regular basis. For example, if we have a habit of seeing only negative things, the dark areas of others, not entering our darkest areas. Living to appreciate the amazing beauty God’s creation, not the things we defiled and holding on.

Abstaining from them will lose the weight of our hearts. Every time someone hurts us, every time we are humiliated, and never able to come to a consensus of understanding our own failures, our heart builds up rocks, which can be as large as a mountain. When we fast from our bad habits, we roll down those rocks and take weight off our hearts. Then when we look in the mirror, we see the image of God that we are fashioned in. The three Pillars of Lent will bless us to meltdown the rocks in our hearts to rejoice in the fullness of God’s Grace. Let us remould our beautiful image by observing this Lent in a creative way. Following is some of the areas we can Feast and Fast during this season of opportunity and blessing.

Fast and Feast

Fast from Suspicion and Feast on Truth, Fast from Complaining and Feast on Appreciation, Fast from Judging and Feast on Christ Within Others, Fast from Idle Gossip and Feast on Purposeful Silence, Fast from Anger and Feast on Forgiveness, Fast from Discouragement and Feast on Hope, Fast from Worry and Feast on Trusting God, Fast from Unrelenting Pressures and Feast on Unceasing Prayer, Fast from Lethargy and Feast on Enthusiasm, Fast from indifferences and Feast on Unity, Fast from Thoughts of Illness and Feast on the Healing Power of God!

Wishing all the readers a Jollyful Season of Lent.