Build Bridges: Lent Needs a New Image!

Fr Ralph de Hahn – Here is an opportunity to build bridges. This season offers us the opportunity to move away from the conventional slogans and frigid promises. It will demand a deeper faith and a lot of courage, like stepping out of a dark cell into a new light.

The 40 days of Lent is ample time to build those bridges, with dedication, love and perseverance.

It is a marvellous season for reparation — repairing the wasted hours of the past by the grace of God. In fact, we will be escaping from the all-earthly dwelling to the more heavenly kingdom.

Lent offers that opportunity to build bridges from my mere physical needs to my essential spiritual demands; it is actually a wake-up call!

God is Close to Our Very Being!

How about building a bridge with God, getting closer to him by conversation or moments of silence? He is not so distant as we often imagine; in fact he is surprisingly close to our very being!

Then bridging relationships with some family members, and addressing this struggle for prosperity and physical health while we neglect our spiritual wealth.

We can also bridge that gap between our little giving to that joyful fluency of sharing with the unfortunates in society.

Get Rid of Unforgiving Bitterness

Of great importance is the bridge of unforgiving bitterness to creating friends from so-called enemies. A smiling “Hello” can touch stubborn hearts. We need to cross that bridge from living a lie and finding peace in the truth; and also that bridge of words and more words to responsible and courageous action.

There are also our usual penitential exercises which demand a far deeper change of values, and a change of heart in our practice of reconciliation.

Lent is such a valuable, joyful and challenging season of building bridges that will, hopefully, bring me to my knees before my crucified Redeemer on that Good Friday, and lift my spirits in inexpressible delight with the resurrected Lord.

That will be an awesome Easter, with most bridges crossed — and a whole new image of my Christian Catholic faith, of who created me, and why!