Lenten Reflection: Repeat
28 Feb 2024
Wake up. Take a bath. Eat breakfast. Go to work. Work. Eat during the day. Travel home. Have dinner. Take a bath. Sleep. Repeat tomorrow. On regular days, these may be our routine. Perhaps there are some differences in relation to conversations and interactions with family members, friends and co-workers as well as on small details like the food we take but more or less, we do the same things over and over. Repetition can be boring and tedious or it can be good and helpful.
We go through Lent every year, same as with other seasons of the church and of life. The Seven Last Words are the same every time. The narrative of Christ’s passion does not change. Perhaps the question then is how have we changed, how we are allowing ourself to be different, maybe better, with such repetition. Looking into the many years we have gone through this period, we may either find it repetitive in a dull way or repetitive with reason.
There may be a tendency to no longer pay attention to messages heard again and again. But there is also an invitation to listen more, to take them deeper into our heart. The repeated practice of the Lenten Season is a reminder of a truth that never changes: across time, we have been loved. And this year, may it be a greater response we have to the quiet yet constant call of God to accept His embrace. What are we doing this time to make it meaningful for our soul? How are we allowing ourself to heed the message of salvation more? Why is Jesus dying on the cross important, if at all?
Gising. Ligo. Agahan. Punta sa trabaho. Trabaho. Kain sa araw. Biyahe pauwi. Hapunan. Ligo. Tulog. Ulitin kinabukasan. Sa mga pangkaraniwang araw, marahil ito ang ating gawi. Maaaring may mga ilang pagkakaiba kaugnay ng mga pakikipag-usap at pakikipag-ugnayan sa mga bahagi ng pamilya, kaibigan at kasamahan sa trabaho at sa mga maliliit na detalye tulad ng pagkain subalit malamang, ginagawa natin ang pare-parehong mga bagay. Ang pag-uulit ay maaaring nakayayamot at nakakapagod o mabuti at nakatutulong.
Dumadaan tayo sa Kuwaresma taun-taon, tulad ng iba pang panahon ng simbahan at ng buhay. Nananatiling pareho ang Huling Pitong Salita. Hindi nagbabago ang salaysay ng pagdurusa ni Kristo. Marahil ang tanong ay kung paano tayo nagbabago, paano natin tinutulutan ang sarili na mag-iba, marahil maging mas mabuti, sa ganitong pag-uulit. Kung titingnan ang mga nakalipas na taon na dumaan tayo sa panahong ito, maaaring nananawa tayo sa pag-uulit o mas nakasusumpong ng dahilan dito.
Maaaring may tendensiya na huwag nang bigyan ng pansin ang mga mensaheng naririnig nang paulit-ulit. Subalit may paanyaya ring higit na pakinggan ito, at mas palalimin sa ating puso. Ang paulit-ulit na pagsasagawa ng Panahon ng Kuwaresma ay paalala ng isang katotohanang hindi nagbabago: sa pagdaan ng panahon, hindi nagmamaliw ang pag-ibig sa atin. At ngayong taon, nawa maging mas dakila ang ating tugon sa tahimik subalit patuloy na tawag ng Diyos na tanggapin ang Kanyang yakap. Ano ang ginagawa natin ngayong mga araw upang maging makabuluhan ito para sa ating kalooban? Paano natin hinahayaan ang sarili na higit pang tumalima sa mensahe ng pagliligtas? Bakit mahalaga ang kamatayan ni Hesus sa krus, kung mahalaga man nga?
#aihlentenreflections #ateneoishome
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