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40 Days of Lent: Day 15

40 Days of Lent: Day 15

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

40 Days of Lent: Day 15

Today on a Thursday, after several days of this week and this month, how are you? Perhaps there is a sense of already having done much. Maybe you’re looking forward to the end of the week. There can be a feeling of tiredness after hours of many activities and hard work. For sure, a lot has been going on and we are searching for some kind of relief.

In the Filipino language, the word ‘pahinga’ or rest contains ‘hinga’ which means breath. This is interesting for it connotes that resting and breathing are connected. This may also be very useful when we understand that we can find moments of reprieve not in complicated ways but in something as simple and reachable as the air that comes into our body. In addition, the Bible actually has several references to breath and mostly associates it with the Spirit of God.

The narrative of Christ’s passion reaches a peak when we are told he breathed his last. We know that with this, death came to Jesus, though not to claim him forever. For us, his last breath meant our new life. Because of this sacrifice, we can allow ourself to be enlivened by the breaths we take. And today on a Thursday, after several days of this week and this month, let’s spend some moments to mindfully take fifteen slow breaths, relishing it each time, taking in God’s spirit and savoring our savior’s love. We can breathe, we can take a breather, we can rest for our Lord gives us reason to do so.

40 Araw ng Kuwaresma: Ika-15 Araw

Ngayong araw ng Huwebes, makalipas ang ilang araw nitong linggo at buwan, kumusta ka? Marahil marami nang ginawa. Maaaring inaabangan na ang pagtatapos ng linggo. Tila may kapaguran mula sa sari-saring gawain at pagpupursigi. Tiyak na maraming nagaganap at naghahanap tayo ng ginhawa.

Sa wikang Filipino, naroon ang salitang ‘hinga’ sa ‘pahinga’. Nakamamangha na tinutukoy nitong may kaugnayan ang pamamahinga at paghinga. May pakinabang dito kung tunay nating mauunawaan na makahahanap tayo ng ginhawa hindi sa mga komplikadong bagay ngunit sa payak at abot-kamay na pagpasok ng hangin sa ating katawan. Dagdag dito, may ilang pagbabanggit ang Bibliya sa hininga na karaniwang kaugnay sa Espiritu ng Diyos.

May pukaw ang salaysay ni Hesus nang sinabing binawian na siya ng hininga. Batid natin na sa pagkakataong ito, dumating na ang kamatayan kay Kristo, bagaman hindi siya nito nagapi habambuhay. Para sa atin, ang kanyang huling hininga ay nangahulugan ng bagong buhay. Dahil sa sakripisyong ito, maaari nating tulutan ang sarili na mabuhay sa bawat paghinga. At ngayong araw ng Huwebes, makalipas ang ilang araw nitong linggo at buwan, nawa maglaan tayo ng ilang minuto upang may pagmamalay na huminga ng labinlimang beses, na ninanamnam ang bawat isa, na dinarama ang Espiritu ng Diyos, na nilalasap ang pag-ibig ng ating tagapagligtas. Huminga tayo, huminto sandali at magpahinga sapagkat binibigyan tayo ng dahilan upang gawin ito ng Panginoon.