SINCE EARLY DAYS CHRISTIANS HAVE OBSERVED WITH GREAT DEVOTION THE TIME OF OUR LORD'S PASSION, DEATH AND RESURRECTION. It is the custom of the Church to prepare for this by a season of penitence and self-denial.
Ashes reminder of mortality
Lent begins with a service for Ash Wednesday. The ceremony of the ashes is a sign of repentance and a symbol of mortality.
It is customary, but not essential, to produce the ashes by burning the palm crosses of the previous year. This may be done before the service.
The ashes should be placed in a bowl on or near the communion table.
By placing ashes on our foreheads at the beginning of Lent, we simply remember the truth that we are not destined to live eternally on earth.
Rather we are pilgrims going through time on earth, preparatory to living eternally in our final destination of heaven, in the company of our Father, God.
So as the symbolic ash is placed upon our foreheads, we pray,
"Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return".
In other words, our human bodies, created from earthly substances, are destined to return to the earth once our souls, our spirits have moved on.
This is not tragedy, but reality. It is practical to remind ourselves annually that our personal beings comprise far more than our external bodies.
We are eternal spirits which can choose where we wish to spend our eternity - with God, or in the absence of God's Presence.
It is good eternal planning and common sense to take steady care of our spirits, because good life and behaviour according to the values of Jesus Christ assist us to access the eternal kingdom of heaven.
Benefit
Lenten practices have great benefit for each person's life, body, mind and spirit.
If we undertake Lent with sincerity and devotion, we undertake spring cleaning which purifies metaphysical clutter which accumulate in our souls.
Purification
Serious commitment to purification of our inner selves leads us to identify and deal with addictions, obsessions and compulsive behaviour.
Lent is the time to confront bad habits into which we have drifted [by means of meditation and reflection], deal with them [inner resolve and purification], make reparation for the sin we have committed through these faults which have knock-on effect on other people [repentance and penitence] and create new habits in keeping with Christ's values [renewal].
Confronting bad habits
There are various forms of bad habits, including the following seven sins
- Envy, or jealousy
- Gluttony, or over eating and drinking to the extent that harm to the body is caused
- Greed or avarice; wanting far more than can personally be used, sometimes to the detriment of others in need
- Lust, or pursuance of others because of their physical attraction, without true love or care for their feelings or lives
- Pride, or undue belief in personal superiority without humility before God
- Sloth, or laziness and refusal to carry out the tasks which are personal duty
- Wrath, or undue bad temper and emotional or physical violence towards others
Original sin
Due to the original sin which the fall of early humanity fell into, we are often subject to an inner force which moves us into the wrong direction.
Lent helps us to refocus our spiritual compass in the right direction again - our true north being the Laws of God [the Ten Commandments] and the values of Jesus Christ [laid out clearly in the four Gospels, or New Testament].
Grace of God
Continual effort is necessary to control the inner movement of our ego, and allow the presence of the grace of God to inspire and direct our thoughts, desires and actions.
Strength
Lent gives us the opportunity to practise disciplining our spiritual and mental muscles so that, when we experience temptation to do wrong, we are able to resist and do what is right.
Fasting
One way in which Christians strengthen is through fasting and abstinence.
By control of physical appetite by denying untoward greed for food and drink, we are strengthening our spiritual selves.
Fasting does not mean self-denial to the point of anorexia. That defeats the purpose, as this places the health of the body at risk.
As in all things, moderation is the key.
Practice self-control by giving up some food or drink that is personally loved, but not essential for bodily health and functioning.
Here is where reflection is important. If alcohol has become so personally important that alcoholism is impending, this is a definite area of fasting to be addressed.
If food has become so personally important that health and mobility is being compromised, this is an area which needs to be addressed.
Another form of fasting is in the words we speak. If we use the Name of the Lord in vain, we need to address the commandment to keep the Name of God holy.
If we use blasphemy or curses in every sentence, this is a habit which needs to be addressed as not in keeping with true holiness.
If we use sarcasm, sneers, undue gossip or unkind words towards others, fasting from unkindness and the unkind word needs to be addressed.
Prayer
Spend time in prayer. Ask Jesus Christ what to address in your personal life. Then draw up a Lenten programme to address your challenges.
Each person's challenge is different. We cannot make one plan for all. Also, what may be a personal issue one year may be fully resolved the next, with a new challenge.
Christ will help you to know which spiritual road to walk, when you spend time in prayer.
Positive actions
Make a resolution to do some good deed to help another in some way. So Lent is not simply a time of emotional and spiritual spring-cleaning, but also a time of carrying out good deeds in the Name of the Lord.
Spiritual reading
Good spiritual reading is a great aid to a life of steady direction and holiness. There is no greater aid than to read the New Testament.
The life of Jesus Christ gives us the template which we can follow when making difficult decisions.
"What would Jesus do", is often seen on bracelets - WWJD. Indeed.
We learn what Jesus would do, when we read what He did.
So spend at least ten minutes a day in reading the Word of God.
You can increase the time as you draw from the joy that is the Life of Jesus Christ on our earth.
Good luck with your Lent!
Ten Commandments, Exodus 20; 1-17
1. I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before me.
2. You shall not misuse the Name of the Lord your God in vain
3. Keep the sabbath day holy
4. Honor your father and your mother
5. You shall not murder
6. You shall not commit adultery
7. You shall not steal
8. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour
9. You shall not covet your neighbour's house
10. You shall not covet anything that is your neighbour's
The four Gospels
Available in the great resource
https://ebible.org/
With thanks to ebible.org
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