Exactly six weeks ago Christmas was celebrated with great fun and joy. And in Sao Paulo as well as in parts of Goa, the old tradition of carnival - again with much jest and festivity marking the beginning of the Lenten season - is just about over. With Ash Wednesday, Christians the world over begin a season of abstinence, prayer and voluntary fasting. Some would certainly add some form of physical mortifications to it, too.
On Ash Wednesday, the priest while applying ashes on the forehead of individuals during worship says either, "Remember, thou art dust and unto dust thou shall return", or "Repent and believe in the Gospel".
The words 'repent' and 'repentance' appear several times in the Old as well as New Testaments of the Bible, emphasising the need for people to change their sinful ways and turn to God. Right at the time when Jesus began sharing the good news of God's love with people, he asked them to repent of their sins. Though it is true that God's love is unconditional, Jesus knew that it would be much easier for people to receive God's love in abundance if they would first repent for their wrongdoings.
Interestingly, even John the Baptist who heralded the coming of Jesus, preached saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" and "therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance". In the Old Testament, for instance, Job who had to suffer a great deal in his life, becomes aware of his sinfulness and says to the Lord, "Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes".
Another prophet of the Old Testament, Daniel, finds himself in the same state saying, "Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession... "!
The original words in the Hebrew and Greek from which "repent" and "repentance" are translated, mean to turn, to change direction. It is a complete about-face from disobedience to obedience and love. True repentance is coming to a full realisation that we have rebelled against our Maker; against His way and His righteous law. It means that we come to abhor ourselves for our self-willed, rebellious, sinful past. We must be truly ready now, with God's help, to bury our old natures, quit sinning, and submit to God with all our hearts.
Lenten season is an invitation for all to turn within, to look inward. It is a time to see why our relationships with one another and with God are strained or broken. However, before real repentance can happen, you have to feel the need to be reconciled with your enemies and the need to turn to God.
Repentance leads us to forgiveness of our own sins and it helps us to forgive others even without them asking for our forgiveness. It also brings us great psychological relief, which ultimately frees us not only of our stress and burden but also saves us from psychosomatic illnesses.
Many spiritual healers insist on repentance and forgiveness as a prerequisite for any healing process to begin. The Lenten season invites people to live a life that is in accordance with God's will and plan.
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