Message from Fr. Jose Koluthara, CMI
| Lord Jesus, |
My Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Keeping the joy of resurrection in focus, let us begin our Lenten journey. The gospel of this First Sunday of Lent (Mk.1:12-15) presents before us two of the bywords that dictate the atmosphere of Lent: reform (or repent) and believe. This is the programme for the season; this sets the tenor for the life of the committed disciple of Jesus.
“To reform” means to recognize the evil in our lives and to turn our back on it. It means to face up to sin in our lives and to turn away from it. For example, we are aware of selfishness that puts our comfort ahead of others’ needs. We are aware of pride that keeps us from admitting our faults. We are aware of laziness that keeps us from helping others. “To reform” means to face up to these evil tendencies in our lives and to do something about them.
Besides reforming our lives, Jesus tells us to “believe in the gospel”. This means to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He came to save us. It means to seek out Jesus, especially in the sacrament of Reconciliation, and to receive from Him forgiveness and healing. Author Kilian McDonnell says, “No man will celebrate the mystery of Christ in joy if he does not first recognize in sorrow that he is a sinner.” Today’s gospel invitation touches on both of those important points. It invites us to admit we are sinners, and to turn to Jesus for salvation.
Today’s gospel invitation makes a perfect introduction to Lent. Down through the centuries Christians have found the season of Lent to be a time of special grace, especially for reforming one’s life. If we are looking for a special way to celebrate Lent this year, we could do no better than to use it as an opportunity to rediscover the peace and power of the sacrament of Reconciliation. For in this Sacrament we do what Jesus invites us to do in today’s gospel. We acknowledge our sinfulness and accept Him as our personal saviour.
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