Lenten reflections

Next Sunday is Easter Sunday which is considered by many as the greatest Christian feast. It is also the end of Lent, a religious observance for 40 days, from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday. The 40-day Lenten season is a replication of the sacrifice of Jesus’ journey into the desert for 40 days before he started his public life. The number 40 has so much significance in the Bible.

Moses spent 40 days with God on Mount Sinai. Elijah spent 40 days and nights walking to Mount Hebron. God sent 40 days and nights of rain in the great flood of Noah. The Hebrew people wandered 40 years in the desert while traveling to the Promised Land. Jonah gave 40 days to the city of Nineveh in which to repent or be destroyed. There is also a traditional belief that Jesus lay in his tomb for 40 hours from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning.

The Catholic Church is not the only Christian church. Some of the other churches are the Anglican, Episcopalian, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Lutheran and Methodist churches. In the Eastern Orthodox Church with more than 250 million adherents, Easter Sunday is the most important religious event, more important than Christmas Day. This period is also a time for all true believers to prepare for Easter Sunday, the commemoration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Traditionally, the preparation is done through prayer, penance and fasting, which means foregoing certain foods and giving up luxuries and comforts.

However, Pope Francis has given a new dimension to the observance of Lent. He said: “No act of virtue can be great if it is not followed by advantage for others. So no matter how much time you spend fasting, no matter how much you sleep on a hard floor and eat ashes and sigh continually, if you do not do good to others, you do nothing great.”

For those who continue to lead a life of cheating, lying, plundering, stealing, oppressing the poor and underprivileged or abusing the wealth and power they possess, all the big show of fasting, praying and visiting churches will not wash away their sins.

There are the rich and politically powerful people who publicly display acts of holiness during this time but spend the rest of the year amassing illegal wealth and living lives of luxury in the midst of poverty and suffering.

One traditional Lenten practice aside from praying, fasting and alms giving is living a daily Lenten devotional. This is a great practice when it is followed by meditation. Aside from a daily devotional, another practice is to read books that will inspire to lead a better life or help understand and better appreciate the Catholic faith. There are many of these books available.

One of these books that I consider as a joyful and spiritual book is “Happiness in this Life: A Passionate Meditation on Earthly Existence” by Pope Francis. This is a collection of homilies, speeches and messages of the day that highlights his wisdom of finding happiness in the here and now.

The 12 chapters are divided into four parts: Your Search for a Meaningful Life; You and Others in your Relationships; A Hundredfold Reward Plus Suffering; Those Who Pray Live Serenely.

Someone who reviewed the book said: “Along the way, Pope Francis discusses the sanctity of women’s rights, talks about how love of sports can bring out our best qualities and explains why fighting discrimination is the essence of loving thy neighbor. He shares personal stories and anecdotes from his life, provides comforting messages of hope and discusses the ways of flawed families to make you a better person. The core ideas of Francis’ papacy – mercy, support for marginalized people and diplomacy – shine through.”

Books on the lives of saints are also some of the best readings during Lent, especially during this coming Holy Week. One should choose biographies of saints that have personal meaning in their lives, such as the life of St. John Baptist de la Salle for La Sallians, St. Ignatius for Ateneans and that of St. Scholastica for Scholasticans.

One of my favorites is the book of St. Francis of Assissi by Msgr. Leon Cristiani. This was given to me as a gift 30 years ago and I have tried to read it every Lenten season.

Another inspiring book is by Teresa of Avila, “Book of her Life.” It is her own account of her journey written at the request of her confessor. Interestingly, the Inquisition confiscated copies of the manuscript and it took Teresa years before she got it back. She even had to appeal to the King of Spain to intervene with the Inquisition. She was teaching the faith at a time when women were not expected to engage in that.

Among my personal meditations are the following excerpts from Pope Francis’ Lenten message several years ago: “Lent is a new beginning… The apostle Paul tells us that the love of money is the root of all evils… Lent is the favorable season for renewing our encounter with God… Let us pray for one another so that we may open our doors to the weak and the poor.”

*      *      *

Email: [email protected]