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40 Days of Lent: Day 24

40 Days of Lent: Day 24

13 Mar 2023 | Office for Mission and Identity (OMI)

40 Days of Lent: Day 24

Are you excited to start a new week? Do you feel like you can’t wait to get up and take the next step? Is there a giddiness when you imagine the days ahead? Hopefully, the answer is yes. But even if there’s a sense of no to your responses, the reality is we cannot stop time from proceeding. And the blessing is that no matter how we may feel, we always find ourselves having reasons to carry on, persevere and push forward.

We can imagine how Jesus felt at certain points in his life. To know that he was the son of God may have been quite surprising. To realize that his mission was to love us which also meant to save us from sin could have been overwhelming. To understand that he had to die not because it was a given from the beginning but a consequence of others’ misjudgment and misinterpretation of what he was doing must have been frightening. Yet, he continued. And we saw that he never lacked consolation, peace and even faith in the midst of everything.

Christ had reasons for why he needed to do what he had to do. He had grounding from where he could draw strength. He had motivation to keep going despite the hurdles and pain. How about you? What are your reasons for carrying on? Where do you draw strength? What motivates you? As you go through these in your mind and in your heart, may you, too, find consolation, peace and faith. Be assured, take comfort and relish the truth that the Lord is right beside you, behind you, ahead of you in the path you are taking.

40 Araw ng Kuwaresma: Ika-24 na Araw

Ganado ka bang simulan itong bagong linggo? Hindi ka na makapaghintay na bumangon at humakbang? May kilig ba kapag iniisip mo ang mga araw na parating? Nawa ang sagot ay oo. Subalit kung mayroong bahagi na hindi sa iyong mga tugon, realidad na hindi natin mapipigilan ang oras. At ang biyaya naman ay kahit ano pang nararamdaman natin, lagi at lagi tayong nakasusumpong ng mga dahilan upang magpatuloy, magsumikap at magpursigi.

May hinagap tayo kung anong nadama ni Hesus sa ilang punto ng kanyang buhay. Maaaring nagitla siya nang mabatid na anak siya ng Diyos. Marahil nakalula sa kanya nang mapagtanto niya ang misyon na ibigin tayo na nangahulugang kailangang iligtas tayo sa kasalanan. Tiyak na may pangamba nang maunawaan niya ang nalalapit na kamatayan na hindi naman iniadya mula sa simula ngunit naging bunga ng maling panghuhusga at pagtanggap ng iba sa kanyang ginagawa. Subalit nagpatuloy pa rin siya. At nakita natin na hindi siya kailanman nagkulang ng kapanatagan, kapayapaan at maging ng pananampalataya sa gitna ng lahat.

May mga dahilan si Kristo kung bakit kinailangan niyang gawin ang mga ginawa niya. Mayroon siyang sandigan kung saan humugot siya ng lakas. May nakahikayat sa kanya na magpatuloy sa kabila ng mga balakid at sakit. Ikaw? Ano ang mga dahilan mong magpatuloy? Saan ka humuhugot ng lakas? Ano ang nakapaghihikayat sa iyo? Sa pagbabalik-tanaw mo sa mga ito sa iyong puso at isip, nawa makasumpong ka rin ng kapanatagan, kapayapaan at pananampalataya. Magtiwala ka, pagaanin ang loob at namnamin ang katotohanan na ang Panginoon ay nasa iyong tabi, nasa iyong likuran, nasa iyong unahan sa landas na tinatahak mo.