Lent is a time for reflection on the passion of Christ and its meaning for us. It is a period for us Filipinos to reexamine our innermost feelings to see if we still have that Easter hope for moral change in this country. With all the social evils and government scandals now pressing in from all sides, we need to have an ethical regeneration because our country continues to get freaked out by the never-ending tales of insolence, incivility and immorality of some of our leaders. We always cry for hope, but we never get to its realization. The Lenten season always offers hope and this we must accept.
But many of us look for other ways to spend the culmination of the Lenten season—the Holy Week. Many of us find ourselves spending the week in beach resorts. To many of us, Holy Week is an opportunity to enjoy a long, pleasant vacation. Lent no longer jogs the minds of some of us into a prayerful reflection—a fact indicative that we no longer take Lent seriously. The essence of Lenten meditation falls by the wayside, and this paves the way to a joyous celebration of family outings and parties.
Just like Christ, we go through disappointments and doubts and fears. And we have to make sacrifices. Let us take this penitential season to examine ourselves and ask why we are suffering and reflect on the sufferings of Christ. Aside from focusing on prayer and fasting, we should take a look at the brokenness of our country and ask why it is in such a dismal condition.
In our Lenten meditation we should learn to appreciate the value of sacrifice, fasting and abstinence. May we realize that through reasonable acts of sacrifice and self-denial, we can make a difference in making this country a better place to live in.
—REGINALD B. TAMAYO,
assistant city council secretary,
Marikina City