Don't Stop "Enjoying"!

It's Ash Wednesday! My phone have been ringing incessantly today and not too few of them are from people wanting to know the Mass times. This was despite ample notice given at last week's bulletin, announcement made at Mass and that we have a Secretariat office to handle such enquiries... *sigh*

Meanwhile, it has been fine so far with the fast and abstinence for today. I didn't fall over the place in fainting or dizzying spells. Even when one takes a good look at how we fats and abstain for such occasion, I doubt if this is all really too little an effort for such great a venture. Two half meals and one full meal? I was wondering if we can just go a little more and just have one full meal instead! ;-) I am not making myself out to be a glutton for pain, nor championing for more rigid ascetism to wean ourselves from materialism, etc. It is about the question of a deeper appreciation of what lies ahead of us and that joy can still be found despite the "lack".

"Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel" I prefer this than the other one which, though is just as true, can be rather ominous and overtly dramatic: "Remember, man, you are dust and to dust you will return!" However, whichever version is used, it is one that calls us to begin some amount of soul searching and decision making in our lives. One, it brings to fore the fact that we are mortal and whatever time we have remaining, we had better make it a good and proper one. Two, there is no lack of work or services that can be done to see to the plight of our needy brothers and sisters. In this season of Lent then, what can you see yourself undergoing or undertaking to make this period a meaningful one?

Lent is not a kill-joy season, it is not against life and its practical meaning which we encounter daily. It doesn't mean that we should desist from enjoying. On the contrary, it is about going deep down to the sources of joy and life. Think about it!