Today the season of Lent commences by the imposition of ashes and the call to

repentance. God’s gracious invitation to return to Him is proclaimed today through the

ashes solemnly placed on our foreheads, with these words: “Repent and believe in the

Gospel” and “From dust you came, unto dust you shall return” (Gen 3:19). By the

imposition of ashes on our foreheads, we are also reminded that life is short and so we

must not allow ourselves to be totally absorbed in frivolous pursuits and trivial

occupations.

Just as the waters cleansed the earth for forty days during the time of Noah, just as

Israel was purified in the desert for forty years and just as Jesus himself prepared for his

mission for forty days of prayer and fasting in the desert, Lent is a “forty” day season of

inner renewal and transformation in order to meaningfully celebrate the passion, death

and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the Eastern Christian churches, where both Saturdays

and Sundays are regarded as festival days, the period of Lent is the eight weeks

preparation before Easter; while in the Western Christian churches, where only Sunday is

regarded as a festival, the 40-day period begins on Ash Wednesday and extends, with the

omission of Sundays, to the day before Easter.

Needless to say, the season of Lent is a time devoted to prayer, fasting, and

almsgiving. Considered as the cardinal works of the religious life, these three were seen

as the key signs of a pious person, the three great pillars on which the good life was

based.  But Jesus pointed to the heart of the matter: “Beware of practicing your piety

before men in order to be seen by them… when you give alms, sound no trumpet before

you … do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing … when you pray,

go into your room and shut the door … when you fast, do not look dismal … anoint your
head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men …” (Matthew 6: 1-

18) With these words, Jesus warned his disciples, and all those who have decided to

follow him, to be wary of doing good for the wrong reasons and of self-seeking glory -

the preoccupation with looking good, appearing holy and seeking praise from others.

True holiness for Jesus is selfless. It is a loving devotion to God and humanity. It is to

see God in others. It is the willingness to forget oneself in order to be sensitive to the

needs of others and to reach out to those who are suffering.  Hence, the Lenten season is

not simply a time to be sorry for one’s sins but a season to recomitt oneself to doing

good.