Every day we clothe the old man with the appearances of the new man. There is nobody who does not think, "There must be a change in my life." But we are not able to give a response to the Spirit which yearns to transform disharmony into harmony, disorder into order. These failures take us along with the currents that are unable to strike out in the opposite direction. This is what happens when many of us, endowed with the power of reason, common sense and spiritual strength, disregard good impulses.

As we pass through the period of Lent, if we respond positively to the simple, good impulses we get, we shall be imbibing the spirit of this sacred season. Lent becomes meaningful, when we realise that our lives are not like the movements on the surface of water; on the contrary we should regulate our lives by obeying inspirations that arise within us. Then our lives will be renewed. We will be born again.

The experience of salvation of one who obeys good impulses is what is recorded in St Luke’s Gospel, chapter 19, verses 1-10. The current of the rich tax collector Zacchaeus’s life, faces a reversal. There is an inner urge to swim against the current, the current of the daily grind to grab more and more wealth. The very desire to see Jesus is a sign of this urge. Though wealthy, and a great force behind the powers that be, Zacchaeus has no peace of mind. Life must take another turn, he feels. But then, how to go against the current? Jesus’ journey to Jericho provides a good chance for the same. Already he begins experiencing mental peace which    eluded him all these years.

We read in the Gospel, "He (Zacchaeus) was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way" (Lk 19:34). The good impulse lightened the burden in his mind. He adopted the means that no man of influence or wealth would ever dream of and the reward Zacchaeus received for following this good impulse was incomparable mercy and the experience of God. Jesus saw Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus found Jesus. Recognised the Saviour. Zacchaeus and his family were saved.

The kernel of Zacchaeus’ conversion of heart and experience of salvation, was the attitude of preserving intact the inner urge towards the good. When the gentle breeze of change blows into the daily experience of our life, what is our preference-to step into a new life or to step out of the possibility of a change? Do we just while away our time thinking we shall renew our life when a new heaven and a new earth come into being?

There are some decisive factors that we cannot afford to overlook. Divine inspiration enters our life as good example given by others or as the voice of conscience. Above all, the word of God is there as a lamp for our path and a light for our feet. To ignore these factors is to reject the divine will. If we do so only restlessness and anxiety will be there in the balance sheet of life. Inspiration and positive impulses that lead us into a new life reveal to us its meaning. It is the insight that one can also give good example, that lends a social dimension to human life. This is what happened in Zacchaeus’ transformation. Zacchaeus is a message for the whole world. His transforming the good impulse into action is a lesson for all of us.

Here we see the perfection of sacrifice. From the tree top he was led to the heights of glory of eternal life. The poor widow who gave all she had (cf Lk 21:1-4) is also a lamp post for the Lenten spirit . May the current of our life be the effort to follow divine inspiration and to give a good example! May the movement of our life during this Lent be in this direction!