For some Christian denominations, the season of
sacrifice is now underway and will end on April 17, 2014. 40 days of prayer,
fasting and personal sacrifice mark the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
When a
man leaves on a journey, he must know where he is going. Thus is the case with
Lent. Above all, Lent is a spiritual journey and its destination is Easter,
"the Feast of Feasts." It is the preparation for the "fulfilment
of Pascha, the true Revelation."
Lent is a recession for the soul. It gives you an opportunity to do without and
consider what's really important. Lent reminds us that everything we enjoy is a
gift. In times like this, it reminds us that jobs and opportunities are divine
gifts, not rights.
Throughout
Lent there are three acts we can do to adequately prepare for Easter; fasting,
prayer and almsgiving.
The act of fasting is somewhat misconstrued
nowadays throughout Lent as people tend to give up something up for the sake of
it, myself included. But fasting is the desire to be more like Jesus and walk
with Him through the desert and along the journey; to prepare ourselves for
Easter. Personal desires for things we do not necessarily need can often get in
the way of our relationship with Jesus and so when we give these things up and
erase our ‘I want’ statements, we give ourselves a much better chance of really
becoming closer to Jesus.
Fasting is probably the most well-known aspect
to Lent from a social point of view, but the most important part of Lent is
prayer. Prayer is the easiest and best way to become closer to God and is vital
in preparing to celebrate Jesus’ death and resurrection. As little as 5 minutes
a day dedicated to prayer makes such a huge different if we are open to it.
There are many books and guides available for Lenten prayer and meditation that
are very short and very helpful for daily use.
Almsgiving is giving help through money,
support, labour, food and many other things. There are many great charities and
societies that have campaigns throughout Lent that need much help and support. For
some of us though, money is not always a viable option of giving and so we turn
to other forms of giving. Small and subtle ways of helping are often the best
and so random acts of kindness and compassion never go astray.
Fasting, prayer and almsgiving are the best
ways to prepare ourselves for Easter. To allow ourselves to truly appreciate
the amazing love that Jesus has for each one of us and the unimaginable value
he has placed within us through His sacrifice on the cross and His
resurrection.
Each year Lent and Easter are, once again,
the rediscovery and the recovery by us of what we were made through our own
baptismal death and resurrection.
A
journey, a pilgrimage! Yet, as we begin it, as we make the first step into the
"bright sadness" of Lent, we see far, far away the destination. It is
the joy of Easter; it is the entrance into the glory of the Kingdom. And it is
this vision, the foretaste of Easter, which makes Lent's sadness bright and our
Lenten effort a "spiritual spring." The night may be dark and long,
but all along the way a mysterious and radiant dawn seems to shine on the
horizon.
Summing
up then, Lent is thus a time in which the Gospel should challenge us, disturb
us and unsettle our present judgments. It is also the time for preparation for
the Triduum so that we can go to the cross like Christ and put to death all in
us not worthy of a child of God in order to renew our own baptismal vows at the
Paschal Vigil. We should endeavour therefore to make progress on our pilgrimage
journey to the Promised Land. As Leo the Great expressed it:
“None of us, dear friends, is so perfect and holy,
as to make reflection and improvement unnecessary. All of us, regardless of
rank or dignity, should be concerned to embark on the race that is set before
us with fresh determination this Lent, making an effort over and above the
norm.”
Finally,
Lent reminds us of what the Christian life is about, and encourages us to
pursue it.
So this Lent, GIVE UP the things you don’t
need, GIVE TIME to God in prayer and reflection and GIVE COMPASSION and LOVE to
the people who need it.
- Ashley Mwanza
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