LOVE in the season of LENT

You might find the title odd.

Love during Lent?

What?!!!

Don't get me wrong brother.

But if it's February or December, Yes I can understand.

But during Lent?

No Way!

You just won't “naturally” feel it.

Unlike in February, when you see flowers, heart-shaped chocolates everywhere, love-letters, and of course couples proudly displaying their affection to one another, you can easily “feel” that “love” is “really” in the air.

But during Lent?

No Gifts around. No carols. No joyous melodies. No bonding. No reunion. No Noche Buena (festive dinner). No, nothing!

In fact, the opposite is more true. Instead of carols and joyous melodies – you hear slow hymns, “pasyon” (Passion) songs. Instead of family reunion and bonding times – you get a period of solitude – a period of “SELFness” - a period of “being alone” away from others.

You get a picture of a dry, boring, mechanistic devotional event – reading a repetitive pattern of prayers written in that tiny booklet. Kneeling afterwards at some pre-determined intervals before starting another prayer in the next station.

Very mechanical – repetitive – boring – restricting – and at some point, even dry.

Something that you are not used to – something that is out of touch of your everyday “reality”

So tell me, where is Love in this?

LOVE is just not like this!

Or is it?

Whenever I hear stories of couples publicly announcing their being together, I find Great Joy!

Who won't after all? After guy “courts” girl. After girl makes her patweetum (act don't want) first – moves – to create that sense of mystery. After girl feeling that spark-just-won't-get-out-of-your-system moment after your coffee-date. After feeling that sense of uncontrollability, even if you try to control it or at least pretend that you tried to – but you just can't. After that “pa-bibo” (“star” complex) moves just to win her heart.

After all this “tension” - At (long) last the WAIT is finally over!

They are now officially together!

Kilig, diba? (Heart-tingling, isn't it?)

This is LOVE!

Or is it?

Whenever the topic of LOVE is mentioned, I always recall what Fr. Angel (Luciano) said during his talk in our CLP in Sts Peter and Paul around 2 yrs ago.

Rephrasing his words, he told “That the Highest Form of Love is best summarized in one of the Crucified Jesus' 7 Last Words”:

“FATHER, FORGIVE THEM FOR THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING”

Maybe, this is what TRUE LOVE really is.

Maybe, it REALLY is!

No fancy Hollywood. No disillusionment.

LOVE that is based on the simple Act of Forgiving and Understanding.

LOVE that is just beyond Emotion, but is a rather Powerful VERB that COMMITS you to hone your SKILLS that enables you to Continuously Create that Craft into Perfection!

Maybe that's the reason why it should be repetitive and mechanical.

Maybe that's the reason why it tends to be dry and boring sometimes.

We tend to lose track.

Tending to focus more into the functional aspect of what we do.

And in the process Forgetting our TRUE Direction.

And at times even complaining that our FREEDOM is being restricted.

Not knowing that it is ONLY through this that we can enjoy TRUE FREEDOM.

Because it is only in following the Right Rules that we can TRULY build something.

There is no Freedom in Chaos. It is simply an Illusion!

Just like an ART, before it becomes a MASTERPIECE, we need to follow some basic artist skills, plus patience, discipline and commitment.

And we tend to screw up at first. But who cares? Learn our mistakes, correct it and try again - but this time, following carefully the right rules.

And in following correctly the right rules, we will eventually enjoy TRUE FREEDOM – Freedom in Becoming who we Really Are!

May This Season of Lent Guide You in Your Search for True Love!

Yours in Christ,

JC