Fr. Gabriel Coutinho, Parish Priest
Isaiah’s prophecy” The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light” finds its perfect fulfillment in Jesus Christ. In Him, the light of God pierces through the shadows of human sin, suffering and despair. But this light is not imposed, it is offered. Jesus, in His public sermon declares,” Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand” pointing to the pathway through which we receive His light. Repentance becomes the means by which the darkness within us is transformed by His divine brilliance.
Every human heart harbours some form of darkness-whether it be fear, anger, sin, or despair. Jesus does not condem us for this, rather, He invites us to step out of that darkness into His marvellous light. Yet this is choice, God’s love is freely given, but Love, by its very nature requires freedom. It cannot be coerced. To truly embrace the light of Christ, we must use our freedom to choose Him.
Repentance or metanoia is at the heart of this Choice. The Greek word metanoia calls more than just change of behaviour. It signifies a change of mind, a profound transformation of our inner being. It is an invitation to put on another mind to see through the eyes of God, and to embrace a larger consciousness. In repentance, we surrender the limitations of our own understanding and allow ourselves to be reshaped by God’s truth and love. Prophet Joel’s words echo this invitation: “Return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Rent your heart not your garment”. True repentance is not about outward gestures but an inward turning back to God. It is a recognition of our needs for His grace and an opening of our hearts to His mercy. As we have begun this Jubilee year and lent season in all earnestness, Let us put into practice Baruch’s exhortation” For just as your purposes go astray from God, return with tenfold zeal to seek Him.
To work in the light is to be cleansed by Christ and to be renewed in His love, and to share in His life. It is this steadfast love of Christ that constantly draws us back offering us a chance to begin a new.
Let us then embrace the call to repentance not as a burden, but as a gift. To repent is to step into the light, to leave behind the darkness of sins, and to enter into the warmth of God’s love. It is to allow our hearts to be transformed, to see with the eyes of God, and to live in the freedom and joy of His kingdom. In this season of Lent and Jubilee year may we respond with our whole hearts freely and willingly to the invitation of Jesus. Let us choose the light, walk in the light and allow the light of Christ to shine through us into the world in this season of Lent and Jubilee. For in this light, we see light.