“Behold,
now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” – 2 Cor
6:2
The
recent baptism of my nephew Joaquin was a joyous event. He was smiling the
entire time. He usually does, but even more so on that day. More with his eyes. His godfather Vu and godmother Anna were beaming as well, especially as Joaquin was being lifted up and presented to God like Jesus in the
temple. (Or was it like Simba in the Lion King?)
During
the baptism, all of us present reveled in this realization during the rite of
anointing with the chrism of salvation: “As Christ was anointed priest,
prophet, and king, so may you live always as a member of this body, sharing
everlasting life.” Our joy, to a large extent, comes from realizing that
Joaquin is a child a God. Moreover, he is God’s Beloved, like the revelation of
Jesus during his baptism at the River Jordan. He shares Christ’s everlasting
life.
Joaquin’s
baptism points me toward this journey of Lent – a passage to new life and joy. The
journey of Lent takes us towards this central and radical truth of our
spiritual identity. Through the Paschal Mystery – Jesus’ passion, death, and
resurrection – we are irrevocably transformed to new life and joy as God’s
Beloved. The Lenten call to repent (change of heart) is an invitation to
embrace hope, life, and new life by embracing ourselves (and others) as Beloved
of God.
Ashes
are not just a sign of our mortality and penitence. It is also a sign of our
hope as we begin a journey from ashes to an Easter of new life and joy. The
Lenten disciplines are helps on this journey: (1) Prayer can help us to let God
be renewed as the center of our lives. (2) Fasting can help us trust God in reordering
of our bodies, minds, and hearts to healthier, more integrated ways (3)
Almsgiving can help us realize that we belong to one another, to the Body of
Christ, in solidarity an service.
What practice of “giving
up” a vice or “picking up” a virtue can you and I adopt to better help us journey toward new life and joy in God?
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