Come along on the journey
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- The season of Lent began on March 5 with a commemoration called Ash Wednesday.
Lent is a period of 40 days when Christians prepare themselves for the arrival of Easter, which commemorates the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and the hope this provides. During Lent, the Church actively retells the story of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus by following the pattern of the Gospel writers in the New Testament.
Since we already have celebrated Christmas, Christians now move toward a time of prioritizing, reflecting and then looking forward as we draw hope from the sacrificial example of Jesus.
So Ash Wednesday is a time where Christians are reminded that we are called to humility: From the dust we came, and to the dust we will someday return.
The ongoing journey of Lent reminds us that from humble beginnings come greater things if we are led by God and the ways of Christ. As Lent draws to a conclusion during Holy Week (the week leading up to Easter), Christians dive deeply into the betrayal and suffering Christ experienced and are reminded that, just as it was with Jesus, God is present in our darkest times.
Furthermore, we are called to actively care for others who are experiencing suffering, betrayal and oppression as a way of ministering in the name of Christ. As the New Testament says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).
Finally, as the end of Holy Week approaches, when things are as dark as they can become in the context of the story of the crucifixion, a new light shines. The Christian doctrine of resurrection is the belief that not even death can stop the loving, compassionate mission of God in the world. We actually believe that all who experience the love of Christ and walk in the ways of Christ’s love and compassion can have eternal hope, even though we will experience suffering.
It is a life-changing message, but it requires patience and faith. These are two things that are hard to come by much of the time, but that is why we intentionally set aside time to pray, reflect and even abstain from certain things (called “fasting”), so that we can, with God’s help, develop the patience and faith to complete the journey.
At the end of Lent, as we celebrate Easter, we recognize that the journey is not just about a couple of months set aside on a calendar, it is about a lifetime of faith. Come along on this journey.
