All of us love holidays. They give us a chance to catch up with family members or to clean out the clutter in our homes or we get a chance to get away from the normal rhythm of life to recreate our energies and minds.
Lent is a little like holidays even though it does not sound like it. In many religious traditions there are periods of time for ‘catching up’ through spiritual exercises. In the Christian tradition, the 40 days of spiritual training is linked to the 40 years of the people of Israel in the desert on their way to the Promised Land.
Lent begins on Feb 25 this year with Ash Wednesday. It’s called ‘Ash’ Wednesday because Catholics receive ashes on their forehead to remind them that life here is only temporary. Lent helps us remember that God’s power “dispels all evil, washes guilt away, restores lost innocence, brings mourners joy, casts out hatred, brings us peace and humbles earthly pride” (taken from the prayer of Easter Vigil).
The main elements of this time of spiritual training are present in most religious traditions – 1. Almsgiving 2. Prayer and 3. Fasting.
Almsgiving
All of us can shed some fat, both in the amount of stuff we have in our homes or the weight we carry on ourselves. Almsgiving is about shedding some of the fat so that our lifestyles become leaner and we find it easier to focus on the important things or persons in our lives.
Prayer
Strengthening the relationship with God or praying as a community to witness to the greatness of God is essential for our well being in the short and long term. If we simply drift from day to day without a sense of direction, or worse still, if we are running towards a dead end, we really need to stop and check our directions. Take a look at a good map and redirect, refocus. Prayer can help us do this. Silence brings great surprises.
Fasting
Fasting is a great ‘therapy’ for getting in shape mentally, spiritually and physically. The danger is that we might consider ourselves as really virtuous and better than others because we are fasting. The idea is that we ‘fast’ from the things that are holding us back from being more loving and generous. For example, fasting from gossiping or from terribly long telephone conversations that are not necessary. We could fast from computer games once or twice a week and fill the time with good conversation with our family or friends. It’s all about refocusing. Fasting helps us feel some solidarity with those who are hungry every day. We can do so many things if we only have time to reflect and work things out for ourselves. Fasting from TV or window shopping might create that time for us.
Every good wish and blessing for a good season. Remember, a good Lent or time of training means a great finish. Easter will be so much more meaningful. We will move from darkness to light as promised.
Reflection by Ms Wendy Louis, Exec Director, ACCS
