From Lententide to Eastertide

If it were that year now - the year when Jesus died and resurrected, we would be counting hours for his resurrection now during these darkest hours of Jesus' death - only if we understand what Jesus meant when he foretold his death.During the darkest hours from the death of Jesus to his resurrection, it is fitting to reflect meaning of Lent and its connection to Easter. For us to appreciate Easter, it is indispensable that we understand what our Lenten journey means. 

Remember, when Jesus and his disciples were still in the region of Galilee, at Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked them who they think he is. Peter was the only one, who gave the correct answer, saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”(Matthew 16;16), as aided by the divine power (Matthew 16:17). This confession of Peter on Jesus as the Christ led to Jesus’ foretelling of his death, to which Peter protested but rebuked by Jesus (Matthew 16:21-28). Then, after 6 days from this, Jesus took Peter, James, and John, to Mt. Tabor and let them witness his Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-13).

This strain of events in Galilee actually foreshadows the death and resurrection of Jesus in Jerusalem. The Gospel narrative of Matthew 16:21-28 is very important to reflect the meaning of Holy Week, as Jesus not only foretells but also explains what it means to follow him, as the discipleship requires self-denial and taking up our own cross, in these verses. “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me”(Matthew 16:24), said Jesus, hoping that his disciples would be loyal to him, even though he must go to Jerusalem  to suffer greatly and be killed but to be raised on the third day (Matthew 16:21) to fulfill the Messianic prophesy (Isaiah 52:13-53:12).

As disciples of Jesus, we not only rejoice over the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, waving palms, spreading royal cloaks, and shouting, “Hosanna in the highest!”(i.e. Mark 11:10)  on Palm Sunday, but also we follow him all the way on Via Dolorosa to the foot of the Cross. Otherwise, we would turn ourselves into these mobs, shouting, “Crucify him!”(i.e. John 19:15) , even though we had thought Jesus entering into Jerusalem on donkey on Palm Sunday as the fulfillment of the coming of the Messiah King in Zechariah 9:9.  Or, we could be like Peter, who said, “Even though I should have to die with you, I will not deny you”, and the disciples who said likewise (Matthew 26:35), but denied him and ran away from him, upon his arrest, thus failing to walk with him on Via Dolorosa.

Now, having passed Palm Sunday, we are deep into the darkest hours of Paschal Triduum. It is the darkness of our sins that bring this darkness toward the end of the Holy Week. Tenebrae factae sunt, tenebre peccatis nostris. Our sinfulness that has brought this darkness of the hours is associated with a lack of strengths in our faith, as it fails us to follow Jesus on his Via Dolorosa to the foot of his Cross. Because weak lukewarm faith is easily plagued by fear, we flounder to keep our promise to follow Jesus – as such feeble faith is subject to various temptations, therefore, committing sins.

In order to make our Holy Week experience meaningful, as the consummation of our Lenten journey – to make our Easter experience truly joyful, we must remain loyal to Jesus as his disciples and walk on Via Dolorosa with him all the way to the Cross. 

Since Ash Wednesday, throughout these 6 weeks of Lententide, we have been on training ourselves to walk through Via Dolorosa with Jesus as his loyal disciples, though we may die with him. As long as we keep our strong faith in Christ, we understand what it means to remain loyal to him to the point of dying with him, as Paul writes in Romans 6:8, “If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him” to rejoice the victory of eternal life over death. This eternal life has been promised by Jesus, “I am the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live; and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die (John 11:25-26).  Namely, even though we die with Christ at the end of Via Dolorosa, in fulfilling our loyal discipleship, we live with him in the Resurrection.

Has our Lenten journey, which Fr. Michael Sparough, S.J., in his Ash Wednesday homily juxtaposes to “marathon training”, made your faith stronger – strong enough to complete Via Dolorosa with Jesus to the Cross?  Or, does the prospect of dying scare us off and makes us abandon Jesus in his Passion and run away from Via Dolorosa and the Cross?

In the past 6 weeks of the Lententide, we have confessed our sins and reconciled with God. Have our acts of penance and reconciliation not only brought us closer to God but made our faith strong enough to carry our cross on Via Dolorosa with Jesus?

At 3 o’clock in the afternoon on Good Friday, we must find ourselves at the foot the Cross, as we have completed journeying on Via Dolorosa with him.

To the faithless and those whose faith is weak, the Cross is seen as a defeat and an object of mockery, as one of the two crucified criminals along Jesus, contemptuously said, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us”(Luke 23:39). On the other hand, to those who are faithful, the Cross means salvation, as the other criminal said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom”(Luke 23:42), to whom Jesus replied, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise (Luke 23:43).

We, the faithful, are not like Peter, who denied Jesus three times, out of fear. We are not like the crowds of Jerusalem, whose Palm Sunday joy to welcome him turned into powerful hatred to demand his crucifixion, either.  Not to mention, we are not like the crucified criminal, who mocked crucified Jesus. We come to the Cross with Jesus to die with him in our sins so that we may live a new life with the risen Christ. This is why Easter is renewal. We have been committing ourselves to “marathon training” for this Easter renewal upon completing Via Dolorosa with Jesus at the foot of the Cross. Therefore, during the Eastertide, we can continue on with our “marathon training” all the way to its completion on Pentecost Sunday. Thus, our life as loyal disciples of Jesus is well said by Paul in these words:

 “For through the law I died to the law, that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me; insofar as I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me” (Galatians 2:19-20).

At the foot of the Cross, the phase I of the “marathon training”, which started on Ash Wednesday, has completed. From the Upper Room, where the risen Christ appears, we begin the phase II of our “marathon training” starts and will complete on Pentecost. Let us continue running with our cross and self-denial into the Eastertide!

St. Joseph: A Man of Agape, Macrothumei, and Pistis – Loving and Faithful Husband to Mary, Loving Foster Father of Jesus, and Powerful Intercessor of God’s Grace on Us

Though the feast of St. Joseph has passed and it is already Palm Sunday to begin Holy Week, it is nevertheless fitting to reflect on the exemplary faithfulness of this holy man.  In fact. the faithfulness of Joseph enabled him to be obedient to the will of God for him - accepting pregnant Mary as his wife and raising Jesus with her. It has turned out that this was not just the will of God for St. Joseph but, after all, to save us through the body and blood, as well as his soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is also the ultimate fulfillment on the everlasting Davidic kingdom, as the King of all kings, our Lord Jesus Christ, draws the lineage of David, though Joseph, based on Matthew 1:1-16 (and also through Mary - based on the Protoevangelium of James).

March 19 is the solemn feasts of St. Joseph, the faithful husband of St. Mary.  This is also known as La Festa del Tavola di San Giuseppe (The feast of St. Joseph Table) in Sicily and wherever Sicilian Catholics are. 

Just as the Jewish Purim festival is enjoyed with abundant food, La Tavola di San Giuseppe is adorned with bountiful food.  In fact, food is not the only common element between Purim and La Tavola di San Giuseppe, as there is a sense of thanksgiving to God in both of these fiestas.  Purim rejoices over God’s protection of the Jewish people from Haman’s evil plot to exterminate all Jews from the Achaemenid (Persian ) Empire without the knowledge of its king,  Xerxes I, based on the Book of Esther.  It was through Queen Esther’s intercession that God works His way to save the Jews and to defeat Haman.  La Tavola di San Giuseppe celebrates God’s saving grace for people in Sicily from famine by bringing a great harvest through the intercession of St. Joseph – though this folk devotion is not based on the scriptures.

Just as what is Esther to the Jews during the time of Persian King Xerxes I, St. Joseph served as a powerful vehicle to gain God’s saving favor for the Sicilians during a difficult time of famine.  Thus, La Tavola di San Giuseppe is more like Thanksgiving to God, as well as, St. Joseph, for a great harvest that saved people of Sicily from starvation. Because it is to honor God, La Tavola di San Giuseppe is three-tiered to signify the Holy Trinity. Not to mention, this formula of the table allow for more foods to be put on.

From the Sicilian folk devotion of La Tavola di San Giuseppe, we know that we can count on St. Joseph’s intercession when we are in need of food to survive. It is not to be confused what St. Joseph can do on our behalf with what God can do for us.  St. Joseph is an intercessor, who is like a catalyst, facilitating the effects of God’s grace on us. Perhaps, a reason why St. Joseph is such a great intercessor for God’s grace to work on our needs, as reflected in La Tavola di San Giuseppe, is found in his exemplary faithfulness to God.  Certainly, the Scripture readings for the solemnity of St. Joseph (2 Samuel 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16;  Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27 and 29; Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22; Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a) can support this line of thought.

The Gospel reading (Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a) reminds that it was rather a rocky path for Joseph to receive her as his wife.  In fact, the Protoevangelium of James (9-24) tells not only that Joseph really struggled and suffered in order to accept Mary as his wife because it was God’s will but also that he continued to struggle with Mary, having and raising Jesus. Because love (agape) enables us to bear suffering for a long time (macrothumei) for another person (1 Corinthians 13:4), Joseph is truly a man of agape. Joseph’s ability to remain macrothumei for Mary is attributed to his absolute faithfulness to God – his obedience to God’s will, given how the Gospel reading describe Joseph as a man of faith. In other words, Joseph’s faithfulness made him not only fit to serve as an effective intercessor to bring God’s grace to people of Sicily, saving them from famine, as reflected in La Tavola di San Giuseppe, but also macrothumei to show his agape for Mary and Jesus, accepting it is God’s will for him to be the husband of Mary and to father Jesus. Now, with this exegesis of the Gospel reading text, it is helpful to see why Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22 is chosen as the Second reading for the solemnity of St. Joseph. The second reading explains that Joseph’s obedience to the will of God for him was not influenced by the law but purely out of his faith (pistis), which means “trust”.  Joseph is an exemplary man of faith because of his absolute trust in God. This is the bottom line of who Joseph is. That is why he not only accepted Mary as his wife – even though he was troubled enough to have thought of secretly canceling his nuptial agreement with her – as God’s will for him, though a literal interpretation of the law made it “illegal”, as well as “mortal sin” for Mary to be with Joseph, having been pregnant before marriage.  

Imagine, if Joseph had been a man of legalistic mentality, like the Pharisees. Then, he would have so upset with Mary being pregnant before marriage and cut his relation from her for good. In fact, Joseph was a man of faith, and his faithfulness – his trust in God – kept him free from the poison of legalism. That is why Joseph welcomed Mary as his wife with his agape, accepting it all as God’s will.  Joseph, indeed, is a man who reminds that faithfulness keep ego in check. Because of his faithfulness, he was able to have kept his ego from influencing on his decision-making about what to do with Mary, who was already pregnant. Not to mention, as Luke 1:26-38 describe, it was also God’s will for Mary that she was made pregnant with Jesus before her marriage to Joseph. Therefore, Joseph’s acceptance of Mary as his beloved wife (Matthew 1:18-25) really means God’s will to save us through Jesus. Not only Mary but also Joseph to cooperate the will of God that Jesus was born and raised to grown in wisdom and strength to embark on his salvific mission. This is evident by juxtaposing Matthew 1:18-25 to Luke 1:26-38, the former is about Joseph’s faithfulness to God and His will, while the latter is about Mary’s.

Because of his unshakable faithfulness, as reflected in the second reading for his solemnity (Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22), he was able to accept and remain absolutely obedient to God’s will to save us, as described in the Gospel reading for his solemnity (Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a).  This also means to fulfill the prophetic word of God to David, spoken to Nathan, as described in the first reading for the solemnity of St. Joseph (2 Samuel 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16).  In this prophesy, echoed by the responsorial Psalm for the solemnity (Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27 ), God is promising David that his heir, sprung up from his loins and whom God raises, is the one to make his kingdom everlasting is, indeed, the Son of God, who is brought to this world through Mary and raised on earth through agape of not only Mary but Joseph. Of course, the kingdom, referred here, is not the historical kingdom that David built but the Kingdom that Jesus, who bears the Davidic lineage (Matthew 1:1-16), brings. In fact, salvation is the ongoing process that leads us to this Kingdom that Jesus brings, and Joseph has been a very important instrument for this for his faithfulness.

Given the significance of St. Joseph, for what his exemplary faithfulness enables, for our needs, La Tavola di San Giuseppe reflects only its tip of iceberg.  As we continue to pray for his intercession, while modeling his faithfulness for ours, not only we enjoy the benefits of God’s merciful grace but also we grow further in faith, becoming better practitioner and bearer of agape, as well as macrothumei. This way, we can better observe Jesus’ Mandatum Novum: Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos (John 13:34). This is the commandment of love is indispensable for the everlasting Kingdom that the hair of David, Jesus, brings to save us. The faithfulness of Joseph, his foster father, has its special role in this grand salvific scheme of God. 

St. Joseph, pray for us! 

Lenten Check-Up before Passion Sunday

One thing that characterized Lent is to experience the tension between God’s wrath and God’s mercy in the deuteronomic cycle of our sinfulness, God’s judgement, reconciliation. Ever since we were evicted from Eden, our relationship with God has been a cyclical rollercoaster of our sins, God’s judgement, and reconciliation. This is like being stuck in what Buddhism teaches as the Samsara.

When we started Lent with Ash Wednesday, we were made aware of our own sinfulness and need to reconcile with God. Then, we have been reminded of the cyclical pattern of our sinfulness, which triggers God’s wrath in judgement. Coming out of penance, we reconcile with God and start over with a clean heart, vowing not to sin any more.

Not to sin? No more sin? Not to bring about God’s wrath anymore? It’s easier said than done, isn’t it?

We go to confess our sins, receiving the benefit of absolution, and reconcile with God. That is what the Sacrament of Reconciliation is about. However, don’t we find ourselves confessing the same sin over and over? Don’t make God tired of forgiving us? But, why can’t we just stop sinning upon judgement and reconciliation? Does it mean that our penance is not sincere?

One important theme of the Liturgy of the Word for the 5^th Sunday of Lent on Cycle B is a new covenant, after so many previous covenants that failed due to our repetitive or cyclical sinfulness. This was reflected in the First Reading (Jeremiah 31:31-34). Then, the Second Reading (Hebrews 5:7-9) alludes to the fact that the Son of God, who came to this world in the human flesh of Jesus, was made the scapegoat, because of our inabilities to take up the due responsibilities for our own sins. Remember, we keep the same behavioral patter of Adam and Eve, all of whom blame another, rather than taking responsibilities for their own sins (Genesis 3:6-13). Ever since the time of Adam and Eve, we are saying, “It’s his/her fault!”, rather than saying, “I’m really sorry. I was careless…I should have been more careful…Help me, Lord, so that I won’t make this mistake any more”. When we say, “Through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault” for the Penitential Rite at Mass, we should mean it. These words are not just to be said but really meant to be meant sincerely. Otherwise, they would be empty blah, blah, blah….unpleasing noise to the Lord.

We put all our sins on Jesus the Christ, as the scapegoat – so that we won’t face the judgement. In doing so, we are even bold enough to juxtapose this to Passover Lamb (Exodus 12:1-13), though it is also Yom Kippur Scapegoat (Leviticus 16:1-34).

As we have one more Sunday in this Lent, which is Passion Sunday, a.k.a. Palm Sunday. In other words, there are not many day left for this Lent. Therefore, we really need to get very serious about changing our behavior by changing our heart. For this reason, we really mean in citing Psalm 51 for responsorial Psalm on the 5^th Sunday of Lent, singing, “Create a clean heart in me, O God”. We need to cry out to the Lord for our clean heart. This way, we won’t make Christ being a grain of wheat to die in order to bring abundant fruits (John 12:24), as read and reflected in the Gospel Reading (John 12:20-33) for the 5^th Sunday of Lent on Cycle B.

Let us make sure that we do not make a grain of wheat fall and die for nothing. It is our clean heart that makes the Paschal Mystery meaningful to our salvation.

Lent as “Marathon Training” in the Context of the Liturgical Calendar and the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola

While Advent is the season to prepare for the adventus of the Lord in the human flesh of Jesus, Logos incarnating to dwell among us, Lent (Quadragesima) is the season of 40 days to prepare for the Death and the Resurrection of the Lord, in contemplating Paschal Mystery. From the Resurrection Sunday until the feast of Pentecost, there are seven weeks of Easter celebration.  From Advent until Pentecost, through Christmastide, a short period of ordinary time, Lent, and Eastertide, we basically focus on the life of Jesus and how we relate ourselves to his life. For this reason, we start a liturgical year with Advent, reflecting the Old Testament prophesies of the coming of the Messiah and our need to remain vigilant and repentant in our preparation for his arrival. The Advent Gospel readings juxtapose this adventus preparation to the preparation for Parousia, because preparation for this eschatological event also requires the same kind of attentiveness and vigilance, as well as penance for the state of grace, for Advent.

As we begin a liturgical year with Advent season in preparation for the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas), reflected in the First Week of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, we are reminded to examine ourselves, as John the Baptist called the world to pay attention to the prophetic voice for repentance, juxtaposed to Examen in the Spiritual Exercises, to prepare ourselves to encounter the Lord. We first meet the Lord at his Nativity, celebrating this event until the feast of Epiphany, for twelve days. Liturgically, we extended Christmas celebration until the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

We go through a brief period of Ordinary Time between Christmastide and Lent (no more than 8 Sundays) – between the feast of the Baptism of the Lord and Ash Wednesday, reflecting how Jesus recruited the first batch of his disciples in Capernaum and began his public ministry in Galilee, upon his Baptism. This is to see unfolding consequences of what we have prepared for during Advent and celebrated: the adventus of the Lord, or to put in light of John 1:1-14, the evolving effects of the Logos-Theos manifesting (theophany) in the human flesh of Jesus.

Through Advent into Christmastide, we begin symbolizing Christ with light in anticipating his adventus. That is why we make symbolic impressions of increasing light by lighting Advent candles one by one on each Sunday of Advent to reflect increasing brightness and receding darkness as the adventus of the Lord (Christmas) draws near. This Advent impression evokes how night darkness gives its way to the light of sunrise upon dawn. No wonder that “Kalenda” proclamation in the Roman Martyrology makes the date of the Nativity of the Lord on the feast of Sol Invictus, a Roman sun god, as to replace this pagan deity with Christ, thus claiming the “birthday” of Jesus December 25.  Certainly, juxtaposition between Christ the Son and the sun can be drawn, with a motif of light. The allegorical parallel between Christ the Son and the sun is also reflected in Misa de Gallo in the Spanish-speaking cultures and Simbang Gabi novena in the Philippines. Mass in these cultural traditions begin at dawn, while it is still dark, and end by the time the sun rises.  These Hispanic and Filipino traditions toward the end of Advent allegorically juxtapose the anticipation of the adventus of Christ the Son to the sun rise. In this Christ-sun metaphoric parallel, the Nativity of the Lord, as the very first theophany, can be compared to sun rise, though it was still dark when Mary gave birth to Jesus. With this Christ-sun juxtaposition, then, Christmastide is like the morning brightness, lighten by the risen sun.  By the time we celebrate the feast of the Baptism of the Lord to end the liturgical Christmas season, upon celebrating the feast of Epiphany, the sun is well above the horizon, in this Christ-sun juxtaposition.

While it is still early in the morning sun light, we begin Ordinary Time, after the liturgical Christmas season, which ends with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. As the sun is visible above the horizon, Jesus, upon his Baptism, is clearly visible in the world – though the world still does not recognize who he really is.  The visible Jesus recruits his disciples and begins his public ministry in Galilee. Then, Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, as to interrupt Ordinary Time (which resumes after Pentecost).  This is like the beautiful morning sun light is compromised by fast-increasing dark clouds, as to hide the sun. It is to juxtapose the darkness of our sins, which leads Christ to his death on the Cross, to the dark clouds to block the sun. So, Lent begins with constant reminders of our sinfulness and our need for repentance. It is also a critical period to reflect how our unrepentant sinfulness led to the death of Christ, as Lent advances into the Holy Week, especially into Paschal Triduum.

It is supposed to become brighter as the altitude of the sun increases. However, on the contrary, the darkness continues to grow toward noon and beyond. Then, the darkest hours begin at three o’clock in the afternoon, as it was the time Jesus took his last breath on the Cross, fulfilling his promise to the Father, accepting His will in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:42//Luke 22:42//Mark 14:36), with his last seven words, “Πάτερ, εἰς χεῖράς σου παρατίθεμαι τὸ πνεῦμά μου/Pater, eis cheiras sou paratithemai to pneuma mou /Father, into your hands, I commit/commend my spirit”(Luke 23:46), thus consummating his mission, the reason for him to make his adventus in the human flesh of Jesus on Christmas, by completing his kenosis on the Cross. Because of this, the Christ the Son in the human flesh of Jesus died and was buried, juxtaposing to the darkest sky while it was too early for the sun to set. As the corpse of Jesus was buried before the sunset of that day not to interfere the Sabbath of Passover (John 19:38-42), the darkest hours begin before the actual sunset, and it runs throgh the evening of Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and before Easter Vigil Mass, as we cover the crucifix and other statues in the sanctuary with purple cloths (Passiontide veiling) during this darkest period. It is, indeed, “the dark night of the soul”, and this increasing darkness is reflected in the Tenebrae service, which begins Spy Wednesday, continued on Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday), Good Friday and Holy Saturday.  These four days of Tenebrae service make a contrast to the lightening of Advent candles on each Advent Sunday, as the former is to extinguish one candle after another, while the latter is to light one candle after another.

The darkest period before Easter Vigil Mass, during the time of the Passiontide veiling, is, indeed, what San Juan de la Cruz puts as “La Noche Oscura del Alma”, because it is the darkness that leads our soul to mystical union with Christ – the risen Christ, as he poetically reflects in Subida del Monte Carmelo. The gradual lightening during Easter Vigil Mass may be reflected on our souls’ longing kindled in love (ansias en amores inflamada) to meet the risen Lord, upon our completion of Lenten penance. Through metanoia – conversion of heart during Lent, by turning away from sin and returning to God, this darkest time of the soul is not mere darkness. Rather, it is indeed, La Noche Oscura del Alma to meet the rising Lord during Easter Vigil Mass. As San Juan de la Cruz puts La Noche Oscura del Alma in the context of Subida del Monte Carmelo, the dark night of the soul in the period of Passiontide gives rise to Christ’s victory over death in his glorious Resurrection, juxtaposed to Elijah victory over Baal’s prophets on Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18:16-45). Not to mention, Mt. Carmel’s association with victorious Elijah calls our attention to Jesus meeting with him, along with Moses, on Mt. Tabor during the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1–8//Mark 9:2–8// Luke 9:28–36) , which is understood as the prefiguration of Christ’s Resurrection, also reflected in the Gospel reading for the Second Sunday of Easter.

By the time we celebrate Easter day time (morning) Mass, Christ the Son is fully risen, hallelujah! The tomb, which hid Jesus’ corpse was hidden – juxtaposed to the Passiontide veiling, is totally empty. Yet, as reflected on the disciples’ fear over the empty tomb, due to their ignorance of the Resurrection, the Eastertide began with lingering anxiety and doubt in us. Thus, we still need to work on our soul and heart during Eastertide, reflecting on how the two disciples were enlightened by their companion on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), and how Jesus’ repeated appearances until his Ascension gradually replaced the disciples’ fear with joy, preparing them for their apostolic mission on Pentecost (John 20:19-21:25; Luke 24:36-53; Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:14-20; Acts 1).

The risen Christ never descends. He rather ascends to prepare our permanent dwelling place in heaven (John 14:1-3) and to ensure that the Holy Spirit will come upon us on Pentecost to send us on our mission (John 16:7). It means that the sun will never set, upon the Easter Sunday sunrise, allegorically speaking to juxtapose Christ the Son to the sun. As reminded on Christmas, replacing the former feast of Sol Invictus of pagan Rome, Christ the Son is far greater than the sun.  In fact, this is why the sun will no longer be necessary with Parousia (Revelation 22:5), as our apostolic mission to carry over Christ’s mission consummates with this eschatological event in the Kingdom at hand.

This is one way to look into how our Lenten journey is connected not only to Easter and Pentecost but also back to Advent and Christmas. Furthermore, this contextual reflection of Lent gives foresight into what we are called, as reflected in Jesus’ these words, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all  that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age”(Matthew 28:19-20).

With this in mind, I invite you to further reflect on Ash Wednesday homily of my good friend, Fr. Michael Sparough, S.J.. In this, Fr. Michael allegorically describes Lent as a “marathon training”.  Then, what is the “marathon” we train for during Lent is juxtaposed to?  I say, the “marathon” starts on Pentecost – not Easter. 

To expand and expound Fr. Michael’s Ash Wednesday homily (found in Youtube: Fr. Michael's Video Homily Excerpt - Lent is Spiritual Training), which is “the kick-off “into Lenten “marathon” training,  the “marathon” is our respective apostolic mission journey, reflecting the gifts of the Holy Spirit that God bestows upon each of us on Pentecost.  It means that our “marathon training” continues on beyond the Resurrection Sunday.  Remember, the disciples were not yet ready to go on their apostolic mission until Pentecost, as they were still plagued with anxiety on the day of the Resurrection.  Therefore, the Lenten “marathon” training that Fr. Michael is speaking in his Ash Wednesday homily is just the first segment of the “training”.  Upon the Resurrection Sunday, we begin the second segment of the “marathon training”. We take a bit of rest during these days between Ascension of the Lord and Pentecost – just as marathoners take it easy a day or so before the race. As St. Paul of Tarsus well reflects with his words in 1 Corinthians 9:24 and 2 Timothy 4:7-8, the “marathon” we are training to run is not about “participation”, but must be firmly resolved to complete for a prize. Why so?  Because, being Christian, trying is not good enough. Our efforts must bring good results, as Jesus has allegorically said that a tree is judged by its fruit (Matthew 12:33) and also indicated in his parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30). That is why Fr. Michael also touched upon Matthew Kelly’s distinction between “trying” and “training” – so that we do not make our Lenten training another excuse of “trying” and “trying” with no traction for results.

After all, the Lenten marathon training is to prepare us for our Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam apostolic mission marathon! For those who are familiar with this Jesuit motto of Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam,  the Lenten “marathon” training can be done in connection to the First Week (#24-71) and the Third Week (#190-217) of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. In connecting Lent to Advent, Christmastide, and Eastertide, as reflected above, engaging in the entire four-week format of the Spiritual Exercises is very meaningful. Then, the Spiritual Exercises serve as our best “marathon” training manual.