Beloved Parishioners,

As we begin this great season of Lent my reflection is focused on the battle we engage to combat the flesh to be able to journey with Our Lord these forty days of Lent. The image of soldiers throughout history has been a symbol of courage, discipline, and die-hard commitment to a cause.

Whether on the battlefield or in times of peace, soldiers often find themselves retreating—not in defeat, but to regroup, reconsider their strategies, and return stronger. This retreat is often a conscious choice to gain clarity and prepare for future battles, not a sign of weakness. Again, it is also during retreat that soldiers can assess their circumstances, analyze the enemy’s strategies, and recalibrate their approach. Additionally, retreat allows them the time and space to tend to their wounds, replenish their supplies, and prepare for the next phase of battle with greater precision and strength. Just like in this strategic manner of secular military, I feel it is expedient that I raise a war cry to us Catholics who are soldiers of Christ by virtue of our sacramental confirmation, to prepare ourselves for our own strategic retreat and renewal — the Lenten season.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of our retreat, the Lenten season, and during the liturgy of Ash Wednesday, the minister besmears our forehead with ash while uttering the phrase “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Since, the ash represents the acknowledgment of our mortality, this gesture of smearing it on our body, which reiterates the Biblical teaching that humans are created from dust (Genesis 3:19), is also a reminder to us of the transient nature of our life as well as a call to humility.

The Lenten season offers us an opportunity to retreat spiritually. It is a period of penance, fasting, and prayer when we discipline our bodies and call to mind the temptations of Christ and his fast in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, and Luke 4:1-13). The Lenten season lasts for 40 days. During this period, we remember and model our lives after Jesus who fasted for 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness. This fasting of Jesus is symbolic of both spiritual preparation and a parallel to the 40 years the Israelites spent wandering in the desert (Exodus 16:35). Further, during the time of his temptation and fast, Jesus was without food and in solitude, seeking communion with God and preparing for his earthly ministry, so too must we be in emulation.

In this season the Church encourages us to fast, abstain from certain food or practices, pray, and give alms. These actions help us discipline our bodies, foster humility, and unite our sacrifices with Christ’s suffering. The Church teaches that fasting and abstinence encourage spiritual growth by shifting focus from worldly desires to spiritual priorities. Prayer which includes daily personal prayers, Masses, other devotional prayers like participating in stations of the cross, among other practices, are ways to strengthen our relationship with God. However, it should be noted that children under the age of 18, adults over 60 years, and the sick are exempted from this Lenten fast and abstinence (Canon 1252).

Lent is not merely a time of fasting or penance; it is a sacred retreat—a period of self-examination, prayer, and preparation. For us remarkably, this season is an opportunity to withdraw from the distractions and noise of daily life and focus on our relationship with Christ, to strengthen our faith, and to renew our spiritual resolve. It is a time for us to reflect on our shortcomings, ask for forgiveness, and renew our commitment to living out the gospel message in the world. Furthermore, by participating in Lent, we prepare our hearts to celebrate the joy of the Resurrection with greater gratitude and devotion during the Easter period. Our Easter gains better significance in our journey of faith when we observe our Lenten season with devotion.

Just as soldiers retreat to prepare for battle, we soldiers of Christ ought to retreat during Lent to prepare our hearts for the spiritual battles ahead since we are rightly called the militant Church. Let this write up be for us a rallying cry and a call to retreat. In this season of Lent, we shall not only grasp our cross, but we must grasp it with purpose, understanding that the struggles and sacrifices we make during this time are not in vain. Just as a soldier prepares for victory through retreat, so too do we prepare for the ultimate victory of Easter through our spiritual retreat during Lent. May God grant us the grace of perseverance as we embark on this Lenten journey. Amen.

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