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| Ash Wednesday Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral, Caloocan |
Today marks the beginning of our soulful journey as we celebrate Ash Wednesday—the beginning of Lent. This religious tradition symbolizes our impurity as sinners; thus, we come to Christ for repentance and prayer.
In this modern world, we are bound to be tempted to dwell on the dark side, fall into sin, and take the road against the light. In the eyes of God and men, we are all sinners in some ways and at some point in our lives. It is through the admission of sins after suffering from guilt that our healing journey commences, and our impurity is washed out, bringing back the holiness from within.
I have learned from the wisdom of my teacher back in college when she said that 'man is exemplary in nature but has been tempted to commit sin through the influence of the environment, and that principle will remain in my heart to look at the good side of everyone no matter how bad that person is. No matter how evil you have become, there's a certain holiness in you, and we must always be conscious that God will rightfully judge us at the end of our lives as we join him in our lives after death, holding us accountable for our actions.
Our 40 days of celebrating Lent are not to become holy but to reflect on our misdeeds and overcome challenges as we strive to live a holy life. Our greatest challenge is to defeat evil in our daily lives through our thoughts, words, and actions. This is never an easy challenge, but through the transformative power of personal reflection and devotion, we can unleash the purity of our hearts to do good and avoid evil, empowering us in our spiritual journey.
Lent 2013: Embracing Christ in Our Lives reminds us of reliving our holiness before Christ. We have sinned and may commit sins in our lifetime, but putting Christ at the center guides us to live a better life free from pain and suffering.
As we grow spiritually, we are also called to inspire and instill hope in those who are struggling, eliminate negativity, and share Divine love and light with them. This message of hope and inspiration is not just for us but for us to share, guiding us on an everlasting journey to healing and recovery and uplifting our spirits.
A Blissful Lenten Journey!
© 2019 Del Cusay