Symbolism in Lent

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ Have you ever thought about all the symbolism in Lent? We begin the Lenten season in the color gray – the color of the ashes we wear upon our head as a reminded of where we have come from and where we will go. Grey is also the color of dullness, the color of our lack of enthusiasm towards God. The greyness can represent the sin. Sin is the action resulting from my free will that separates us from God. However, when I recognize my sin, it opens me up to God’s love. The color of Lent is not grey, but purple. Purple of the color of repentance and conversion. This means that to get out of the grey, we must embrace the purple. Today’s Gospel tells us how to avoid the greyness and enjoy the purpleness of Lent: Jesus said to his disciple: “Be merciful, just as your father is merciful. Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and over flowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.” (Luke 6:36-38) God’s love and mercy has no bounds. He loved us so much that he sent his only son to die for our sins so we can grow in his glory. When we sin, when we judge, when we condemn and when we withhold from others, we are denying the glory which God has provided to us. “We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws” (Daniel 9:5). Only the Devine mercy of God who is “compassion and forgiveness” converts that tendency within us. By asking God to be merciful on us, we are also asking God for the grace to merciful to others. God looks past our sins and short comings to help guide us to the pathway that leads to heaven. Take a minute to reflect on your short comings, take time to reflect on your sins. This is a good time to reflect on those grave sins which are barriers to Christ. He wants to remove those barriers and lighten the load which you burden on your back. The church will be having a Reconciliation Service on March 20 from 7:00 pm to 9:00pm. Please try to attend this service. It is a great time to open up to the Lord our God. Yours in Christ Michael F. Marcon