By Fr. Vivek Lionel Basu –
In the annual liturgical cycle of the Church, two long periods of Lent and Easter play an important role in the renewal and reformation of our Christian life. They both form one continuum and they go together. If the Lent is a period of ascetical preparation, then Easter is an experiential actualization of being born again in the Risen Christ. Though numerous symbols, rituals and pietical practices are associated with both these events, without the spirit behind them, they can defeat their very purpose. Basically, it is a call to become a new person in Christ, (Lent) to experience the power and fruits of Christ’s resurrection in our lives, the Easter.
As we begin this long journey of Lent, in all the three liturgical cycles, we have the same readings on the Ash Wednesday. In the first reading, the Prophet Joel announces God’s appeal to his people: “Come back to the Lord; let all, fast and pray.” In the Gospel, Jesus tells us how we ought to go about praying, fasting and alms-giving, which were a part of Jewish spirituality. These three constitute a Lenten triangle, which indicates their mutual inter-related character. Through prayer, we open our minds and hearts to God, in alms-giving we express our concern for other humans and by fasting we discipline ourselves so that we can reach out to God and to others. Alms-giving, praying and fasting are not three isolated acts of Christian spirituality, but they all indicate a disposition that is essential to be the disciple of Jesus. Prayer: openness to God; fasting: to ourselves; alms-giving: to our neighbour.
Before proceeding to reflect upon these three levels of openness, one important aspect has to be highlighted. In the context of the way, the people of Jesus’ time practiced these pious acts, wanting to draw the attention and to impress upon the observers of their goody-goody piety; we must listen to Jesus’ critique and new contribution. He speaks of performing such religious acts for one’s own spiritual joy and growth, with God as our sole witness. This secret inner joy was to be a sign of the person’s profound spiritual genuineness and authenticity. In spiritual life, conversion is not a change of our actions and behaviours but a change of our attitudes, orientations, mind-sets that effect the actions and behaviours. It is easier to forego an item in the meal or the total meal for a short period. It is easier to throw some alms to the poor, or pray ostentatiously. But it is harder to change our attitudes and mentalities that will have lasting and enduring effects. This is the core of the Lenten penitence.
- Prayer: It’s a fundamental Openness to God: Real prayer is the search for the depth and our merger with the divine. “Deep calls to deep” (Ps 42:7). It is the experience of the divine within us. As we sit in silence, we learn to listen to our hearts as well as to the promptings of Divine Spirit. Instead of condemning ourselves, we try to understand: “Who we really are” i.e. God’s beloved son/daughter. Real prayer makes us deep, sensitive and warm. We discover the God, who is bottomless depth, unbounded sensitivity and unfading warmth. We cannot discover God without discovering ourselves. We cannot discover ourselves without discovering God. Similarly, if I understand my heart, I will be able to understand the heart of my neighbour too. In my struggle to understand my neighbour I will get a better insight into my own heart. Prayer is the first aspect of the Lenten Triangle.
- Fasting: It is not just abstaining from some food or drink or pleasure. Fasting means that we discipline ourselves. Without a sustained commitment to productive work we are not really a Christian (1 Th 4:11; 2 Th 3:11-12). We are happy doing the minimum that is required of us in our role and for our survival. Only those people who work hard make time for others. Our dependence on modern facilities makes us lazy and less inclined to undergo hardships. Pope Francis invites us to reflect: “Hedonism and consumerism can prove our downfall, for when we are obsessed with our own pleasure; we will find it hard to feel and show any real concern for those in need. When we allow ourselves to be caught up in superficial information, instant communication and virtual reality, we can waste precious time and become indifferent to the suffering flesh of our brothers and sisters” (Apostolic Exhortation on the call to holiness in today’s world, Gaudete et Exsultate, n.108).
- Alms-giving: It is symbolic of that concern for the needy, which defines a disciple of Jesus (Mt 25:31-40). The poor widow gave not the surplus she had, but “out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on” (Mk 12:44). Christian alms-giving is an incarnational mystery: we empty ourselves to share in the pain of the under-privileged. “We cannot uphold an ideal of holiness that would ignore injustice in a world where some revel, spend with abandon and live only for the latest consumer goods, even as others look on from afar, living their entire lives in abject poverty” (Gaudete et Exsultate, n.101).
Lenten Challenges:
- How can we make our participation in the Family prayers more warm, meaningful, involved, and satisfying?
- How can we make our personal prayers really vibrant, personal, strong, and deep in our rapport, familiarity and intimacy with God? What efforts could we take to grow in a profound and fulfilling personal experience of prayer?
- Can we be generous with God to reserve more time to be spent with Him?
- How do we invest our time, energy, money, talents, and effort, all for the growth of the family?
- Human relationship has become the greatest challenge for the modern man. We easily succumb and surrender to the allurements and attractions of external situations. How could we spend ourselves for others in order to grow in cordial, joyful self-giving, self-emptying, and self-effacing relationships with the members of the family?
A Prayer for Lenten Grace
Loving God, during the holy season of Lent, bring us closer to you. Prepare a place in our home and hearts for silence and solitude, so that we may re-discover the grace of a prayer-full life. Lord, help us to fast from those things that threaten the well-being of the body and soul and remind us of the grace of simplicity. Enlarge our hearts so that we may give to those in need, and so doing re-discover the grace of gratitude and generosity. May this season be a grace-filled time to rekindle our love for and faith in you. Amen.
Fr. Vivek Lionel Basu belongs to the Archdiocese of Bangalore