A Seasonal message

From Fr. Mike

 
 

The season of Lent lasts for forty days and is reminiscent of the forty days of fasting and temptation of our Lord in the wilderness. (Matthew 4:1-11). It begins on Ash Wednesday and ends with Easter or Resurrection Sunday.

Lent is a time for prayer and reflection. It’s a time for almsgiving (charity given to the needy). Lastly it’s a time of fasting.

In an article posted on the Anglican Compass by Fr. Lee Nelson read it here, Fr. Nelson puts it this way:

These disciplines are taken from the opening verses of the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, right in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount. See how Jesus begins each section of this sermon: “when you give to the needy…” (Matthew 6:2); “When you pray…” (Matthew 6:5); “When you fast…” (Matthew 6:16)

In each case, Jesus speaks of the “secret reward” of these disciplines.  Spiritual writers through the centuries have noted that this refers to the riches of the fruit of conversion, expressed through each of the disciplines. In short,

  • Fasting expresses conversion with regard to ourselves, avoiding the feeding of bodily passions and selfishness

  • Almsgiving expresses conversion with regard to our neighbor, putting the needs of our neighbors ahead of ourselves.

  • Prayer expresses conversion with regard to God himself, as we speak tenderly to Him, and ask Him to speak to us.

Lent then, is a time to immerse ourselves in the transforming love of Christ…to prayerfully consider how and why Jesus suffered on the cross for us…to draw closer to Him through penitent but joyful abstinence of things we enjoy. Perhaps that may be red meat or maybe it’s giving up TV or social media for an hour to pray. And lastly, it’s a time to look around you and seek out those less fortunate and to show compassion and mercy.

Taken all together, prayer, almsgiving and fasting, helps us draw closer in personal relationship with God (prayer and fasting), and awakens us to the needs of others (almsgiving).

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)