Lent

Once again the Church in the heat of the present election campaign calls Catholics to look intensely at the unfolding events from the standpoint faith. This faith, our basis for celebrating the Holy Season of Lent, has something to tell us about the meaning of the events and the people behind the events.

To be sure, the right of suffrage or the people’s right to elect qualified, competent and morally upright citizens ‎to run government, is sacred. That is why it must be exercised freely and intelligently.

From the light of the Christian faith people’s freedom and decision in the electoral process are curtailed by the deliberate ‎manipulation of surveys and the voting machines. National media reports abound with such unethical practices. Most detailed stories are relentlessly blared in the fearless social media. Strangely the presidentiables and other candidates do not complain.

The forty-day period of fasting, prayers and alms-giving are only means to an end. The end purpose of the Lenten observance is to meaningfully celebrate the Paschal Mystery which is the mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus. The Cuaresma in Spanish and Quadragessima in Latin which stand for Lent in English constitutes a great call to look closely and intensely into our individual selves‎. Jesus spent 40 days and nights praying to His Father about His mission and keeping himself focused through fasting. He did all to be able make His Pasch or Passover.

Christ already saved and redeemed ‎us once and for all times through His passing over from death to new life. That was two thousand years ago. But the fruits or graces and blessings of that salvation and redemption can only be obtained now and in the present time by us living the paschal mystery. Which simply means that Christian life now happens in terms of transition or transformation, that is, from death to life or its similar processes.

These transformative processes are: from darkness to light, from weakness to strength, from decay to growth, from slavery to freedom, etc. ‎This must happen to us during the time of Lent. Fasting from all kinds of death-dealing material pleasures are a form of dying.

Many people at this pre-election time are in the dark because they do not know the truth about the candidates and their political program, the people are weak because they are not organized, they are in moral decay because they lost the sense of right and wrong, ‎and they are enslaved by the greed for power, riches and popularity.

That is why this 2016 Lenten celebration from February 13 ‎to March 27, First Sunday of Lent to Easter Sunday, is crucial and indispensably necessary for those who really believe that there is no social transformation with personal transformation. Hence our Lenten fast including the Way of the Cross, prayers and alms-giving ‎are a moment of grace we must embrace.