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Joe, a post-graduate student, participated excellently in the Bible study I animated at one college campus. He was smart, handsome and appreciated by everyone in the group. That day, after the two hours of Bible study, Joe wanted me to spend some time with him. Whilst sharing about his life with me, he cried bitterly. It was quite difficult for me to think of Joe the way he described himself. He felt very filthy and broken inside. The struggles within him were so much that he felt helpless and unable to deal with them. After a meaningful confession I saw in Joe an apparent difference. He looked confident and wholesome as he walked out of my sight. This is where I begin my reflection for the Lenten season. Joe felt disfigured, tarnished and stained. But it was the original image and likeness of God in him that was really disfigured. The awareness and decision to embrace the Sacrament of Reconciliation is what brought within him an experience of being cleansed; giving him the courage and strength to move ahead. God created us in His own image and likeness (Gen. 1:26). The very purpose of our human and Christian life is nothing but to perfect each day this image and likeness of God invested in us. So, Jesus opens the invitation to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Mt. 5:48). Similarly, St. Peter reminds us that just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: Be holy, because I am holy (1 Pet. 1:15-16). No wonder St. Paul urged the Galatians in this manner: My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you (Gal. 4:9); for Christ is the perfect image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15; 2 Cor. 4:4). Again we see St. Paul exhorting the Ephesians to become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:13). Finally, when St. Paul himself reached this maturity in his life, he could confidently declare I no longer live, but Christ lives in me (Gal. 2:20). This is exactly what is expected from each one of us. In making man in His own image and likeness, God crowned him with glory and honour, but through sin, man fell short of the glory of God (Ps. 8:6; Rom. 3:23). Just like how a drawn or carved image can get disfigured or stained, the image and likeness of God in us can get disfigured or stained by our sins. Sin disfigures our true self from being loving, generous, gentle, patient, etc. (the me made in the image of God) into one who is hard and coarse, self-centered, uncaring, etc. I believe the season of Lent is a special and beautiful time in our spiritual journey to pause for a while and look at our current image and likeness so that we may be able to recognise and identify how it has been disfigured, tarnished or stained. It is a time to refresh and restore the God given image and likeness in us. One of the best ways for every Jesus Youth to revamp the disfigured, tarnished or stained image and likeness of God in us is to refurbish our basics the six constants/pillars. May this Season of Lent be for us, Jesus Youth, a clarion call to look into our lives and a time to examine our faithfulness in living these basics which help us to mature until Christ is formed in us.
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