Repent and return to God this lenten season

Which comes first? Believing or repenting? Faith or penance? Millions have been through the experience of conversion.

There are millions of stories, each one unique. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that Jesus began preaching the Gospel by using the phrase: “Repent and believe...” 

Decades ago, a friend of mine once told me: “Who needs salvation? I have everything I want.” We had been in the same university together and then we started working for the same company. He was doing well financially. He wasn’t rich. But he had come from a poor family and, finally, he could have just about anything he wanted. He felt carefree and even happy living the aimless, materialistic life. 

We were good friends, so we could talk honestly to each other. He was convinced that all the preaching about Jesus saving him from sin was useless. It wasn’t a matter of true or false. He said he had better things to do than waste his time in church. 

That friendship taught me a lot. I learned how totally guiltless a person can feel even if that person is living far from God. I understood why Jesus talked about the Holy Spirit having a power to “convict”, as narrated in St John’s account of the Last Supper: “When he comes, he will show the world how wrong it was, about sin, and about who was in the right, and about judgement.” 

I think this is why Jesus talked about “repenting” first. Each person has to experience a need for God. That starts when we feel a vague sadness and say: “Something’s wrong. My life is meaningless.” The need for God only becomes self-evident when the Holy Spirit works secretly from within our conscience. It’s the moment when light overcomes the darkness. Far from being a pleasant feeling, it’s painful. But it is the beginning of peace. 

According to ancient church tradition, we are about to begin Lent. It is a season of penance for 40 days, leading up to Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

We imitate Christ’s 40 days in the desert. It’s a time when the words from the Letter to the Hebrews echo in our hearts: “The Holy Spirit says: If only you would listen to him today! Do not harden your hearts.”

It’s a time when we want to examine our conscience: “What sins have I committed?” It’s a time to turn back to God and ask him to forgive “our trespasses”. Better to be like the tax-collectors and prostitutes who repented than the Pharisees who thought they had no need of repentance.