Last Wednesday we began the season of Lent which is our preparation for the Easter, for Jesus’ resurrection.
It is a season of forty days, in imitation of Jesus spending forty days in the desert. Jesus fasted in the desert, and overcame the devil’s temptations. In the Gospel for Ash Wednesday Jesus is telling us about prayer, fasting and almsgiving. These three things are very important in our lives during Lenten time: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. During Lent, in imitation of Jesus in the desert, let us pray more, fast, and help the poor. We have a lot of people around us who need help. Sometimes we have to look carefully. Many people need food, money, very often only a good word from us. Please remember during Lent the words of Jesus, “Whatever you did to one of the least of these you did to meâ€. This is our work for Lent.
Fasting is another task the church encourages us to undertake during Lent.
The Bible tells us that fasting from food is not what is important; it is what the fasting symbolizes that really matters. The Bible tells us that fasting from food must go together with fasting from violence and fasting from oppressing people. In other words, when we fast from food it is no use unless we also have a loving and forgiving attitude towards others.
Let’s take the example of Jesus in the desert seriously and make an effort to forgive those who have hurt us. Let us go out into the desert during Lent this year, and say no to the evil temptations to continue committing sin and instead trust in God like Jesus. Let us say like Jesus, ‘Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’.
Prayer is another activity we should reevaluate during Lent. A life without prayer is a life without the joy of God’s presence. If we do not pray we are not proper Christians. Martha was busy serving when Jesus came but Mary spent time with him and Jesus said, “Martha, Martha, you worry and fret about so many things and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better partâ€. Lent is not only about helping others, about doing something, it is also very much about the type of person we are. To be better people we need to pray more because all goodness comes from God. God is a loving Father who desires that we allow Him to be close to us. So let us pray more this Lent and experience more of the joy of God in our lives
The word Lent is an old English word which means springtime. May this Lent really be a new springtime in our lives. Through prayer, fasting and help to the others, may we like Jesus in the desert for forty days overcome temptation and thus be well prepared to celebrate Easter.