A perfect time to be selfless
My favorite seasons of the liturgical year are Advent and Lent. You can just feel the festive spirit of Advent and the solemnity of Lent.
Both seasons are seasons of preparation. Advent prepares us for the coming of Christ — whether it is the second coming, when we come to Him in our final days, or when He comes to us in our daily lives. Lent prepares us to celebrate and commemorate the Lord’s resurrection.
I think that while we prepare our hearts to receive Jesus during Advent, we prepare our hearts to love others during Lent as we fast, pray, and give alms. The two seasons prepare us for Jesus’s commandment to love God and to love our neighbors.
I’m a perfectionist, which can be paralyzing. I tend to wait for the perfect time before I do anything. I wait for the first of the month to write again. I wait for the first day of the week to start a new habit. And so on.
Lately, I’ve been struggling with being self-centered. I have become too focused on my own problems and worries that I fail to see that others are carrying crosses much bigger than mine. I complain about my inconveniences while others face matters of life or death.
If you’re like me who’s waiting for the perfect time to be selfless, lent is the perfect time to focus not on ourselves, but on others. Now is the perfect time to fast from the things we want, so we can give more to others in need. Now is the perfect time not only to pray for our desires but to pray for others.
And with what’s happening in Ukraine and other parts of the world, our prayers and our help are needed by others more than ever.
Lord, thank You for this season of Lent. During this season, help me to learn to deny myself, take up my cross, follow You, and love my neighbors.
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This post first appeared on carlocruz.org.
