Lent: Time for a Make-Over

by Admin · February 17, 2015

On TV?we see programmes that show the transformation of people or homes. Likewise, Lent is a time for a spiritual make-over, as BURGIE?IRELAND?explains.

The Easter celebration eases the pain of Good Friday and Lent

Reality TV make-over type programmes like Pimp My Ride, Style By Jury and more recently, Extreme Make-Over are entertaining and thought-provoking, but are they sustainable and do they really change people�s lives for good?

In case you�re not familiar with these programmes, let me explain. Selected people have their car, themselves, or their home given a �complete make-over�. These are usually extreme to the point of breaking a car down to an empty shell or tearing a house down to the ground�and re-building these in one week!

There�s a lot of excited jumping around and screaming and shouting when the owner(s) see their new car or the family get to move into their new home, or the make-over�s subject reveals her (usually) new look!

Top-of-the range appliances and furniture replace the old and everything is brand-spanking-new and luxurious beyond the average person�s wildest dreams. When people have personal make-overs�with new hairstyles, teeth, skin, contact-lenses and wardrobe�you hardly recognise the spunky-new-me that�s replaced the old!

Amazing! Wonderful! Everybody is so happy!

These programmes are amazing and maybe even very generous in their intentions, but it makes me wonder how long this �material� happiness will last?

In fact, it may even make some viewers feel hopeless because they are led to believe that only money can buy happiness.

And are the contestants able to maintain their jazzed-up car or house or the personal make-over that has changed their looks for the better?

I like to think of Lent and Easter as our annual �spiritual make-over�, but with some important differences:

Lent and Easter is not only for a selected few. There are no chosen contestants�everybody is invited!
We have more than a week to complete this the make-over. In fact, there are 40 days of Lent plus seven weeks of Easter, ending with Pentecost.
There�s no cost. The make-over is entirely free of charge.
Ongoing support is provided for �participants� by way of sacraments and prayer, alone or in community with their parish or congregation.

Lent is a time to look into our spiritual lives and �demolish� old ways that might have become negative or self-destructive. This can be difficult and painful�especially when we have become set in our ways.

Just like the bulldozers that knock down walls when demolishing the make-over houses, we need powerful �equipment� to help us with our spiritual make-over. This comes by way of confession, Mass, prayer, the Stations of the Cross and self-sacrifice.

When people volunteer for a personal make-over they take risks and trust the hair-stylist, optometrist, dermatologist or orthodontist who makes decisions about �fixing� the imperfections. During Lent we can put our trust and confidence in God to help us make these difficult changes.

Reliving the crucifixion and death of Jesus can leave us with the same empty feeling we had when losing parents, leaders, mentors or life-long friends, or had insecurities in areas of work, family or health. Depression, loneliness and hopelessness can become overwhelming when you don�t have a friend or family to turn to. Feeling as lost as the disciples must have felt when Jesus was taken down from the cross, we too can feel drained and hopeless during services of the Passion and Crucifixion.

When Easter Sunday dawns we are called to meet our obligation to celebrate Holy Mass, and in the Eucharist we find hope, reconciliation, inner peace and joy. Spiritual, emotional and physical suffering is undoubtedly painful during Lent, but Easter celebrations can help to erase this pain.

Bl Mother Teresa lived all her life with spiritual darkness and suffering. She said the prayer dictated by Jesus to Visitation Sister Benigna Consolata Ferro (1885-1916):

�O Jesus, only love of my heart, I wish to suffer what I suffer and all Thou wilt have me suffer, for Thy pure love not because of the merits I may acquire, nor for the rewards Thou has promised me but only to please Thee, to praise Thee, to bless Thee as well in sorrow as in joy.�