Finding meaning and contentment in Lent

Mar 07, 2025

1st Sunday of Lent (C)
Readings: Deuteronomy 26: 4-10;
Romans 10:8-13;
Gospel: Luke 4:1-13

There’s a well-known saying that money can't buy happiness, but celebrity Joey de Leon offered a deeper perspective. He pointed out that while money can buy us what we want and bring temporary happiness, it doesn't guarantee lasting fulfilment. Instead, he argued, money can't buy contentment. In reality, true happiness doesn't come from an endless supply of money, but from learning to be content with what we have.

Temptations can easily distract us, influencing our thoughts and actions, much like the impact of social media influencers (not to cast a negative light on them). They can push us to our limits, especially when the forces of evil try to lead us astray. Just as our Lord Jesus trusted in the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1), we, too, must place our trust in Him, especially during our Lenten practices, embracing a “Patient Trust” as inspired by the prayer of Teilhard de Chardin, SJ.

Lent should never be reduced to a mere ritual or observance. It’s about deepening our relationship with the Lord, walking with Him through His suffering, passion, and death, and ultimately, rejoicing in the great hope of the Resurrection come Easter. Our lives must remain rooted in hope. We may be weak, but we are never hopeless. We are called to be the people of God — not just any people, but a people growing toward holiness, faithfulness, and walking the straight path with Jesus Christ toward our ultimate end. If our goal is not to be with God, then where else can we find true contentment or meaning in life? Life does not owe us pleasure, but it offers us meaning, and we can find that meaning through our relationships.

As we begin this season of Lent, we are invited to reflect on what truly brings us contentment. Or, to put it another way, what gives our lives meaning in our relationship with the Lord? Does this meaning inspire gratitude for the Lord and for life in the Church? Today's readings remind us that with power comes responsibility. As the people of God, we have a responsibility — not just to observe our Lenten practices, which some might view as mere rituals that fade once Lent is over — but to enter into the deeper experience of meaning and unity with the Lord's suffering.

Lent calls us to embrace 'Mercy and Compassion,' to respond to the invitation to be merciful, just as our Father is merciful. The Gospel today highlights Jesus’ temptation in two ways — relating to our daily bread and testing God when things don’t go as we expect. Yet, there is a deeper message for us: the temptation did not stop at these two, for if it had, our world would surely be different. The Gospel tells us that after exhausting all forms of temptation, the devil left Him to return at the appointed time (Luke 4:13). This reminds us that temptation is ongoing, and our response should be rooted in trust and dependence on the Lord.

One of the practices we can engage in during this season of Lent aligns with the theme of the Jubilee Year of Hope. When Pope Francis opened the doors of the Jubilee Churches, he also opened a special, extraordinary door at a place where many would not expect to find God’s presence —yet, as we know, God is present everywhere, the ‘Emmanuel.’ This door of hope was opened at the Rebibbia Prison in Rome, reminding us that true hope, as we are told in Romans 5:5, does not disappoint. Hope is about renewal, restoration, and healing. It is the assurance that, no matter what happens, we can always rise, repent, dust ourselves off, and continue moving forward on our journey.

The prison is not the only door of hope that reminds us to find meaning in our Lenten practices. There are many other doors we encounter in our lives, both in our ministries and within the life of the Church. For instance, there are the doors of hospitals, where patients enter hoping for healing from physical illness. There are also the doors at ports or immigration checkpoints, where migrants seek a better life in a new country, hoping to find work or a brighter future. Additionally, there are doors of hope at refugee camps, where refugees wait for a chance at a new life, hoping for repatriation or relocation to a more stable, peaceful environment.

In this season of Lent, we continue to be a hopeful people of God, seeking renewal in our relationship with the Lord and finding deeper meaning in our journey, despite the temptations we face daily. These challenges are overcome through our faithful devotion to our Lenten practices and by God's grace, especially through our regular reception of the sacraments.

(Fr Aaron Alammalay is the assistant priest at the Church of St Andrew, Muar. He is also the bishop’s delegate for the Diocesan Ministry for Migrants & Itinerants.)