In the first few decades of the early Church, there was no liturgical celebration other than the weekly celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection. Towards the end of the first century, the believing community felt the need to celebrate the central event of their faith in a unique way. So the first of the feasts, Easter, the Feast of Feasts, was born.
To reap the spiritual fruits of Easter, the early Church encouraged believers to observe two days of prayer, reflection, and fasting to express sorrow for the death of Jesus. Gradually, the preparation period was prolonged: in the third century, it became a week, then three weeks, until it was extended to forty days in the fourth century. That was the beginning of the season of Lent.
Our penance during Lent is a commitment we take up to rely on the grace of God to overcome our unwillingness to follow Jesus along the way of the cross. In his Lenten Message for 2023, Pope Francis says that the Lord asks us to surrender ourselves to him and detach ourselves from mediocrity and vanity to deepen our knowledge of Jesus and embrace the mystery of his salvation. This is possible only when we surrender ourselves to total self-giving inspired by love. The pope repeats his invitation to the universal Church to set out on the journey, like a mountain trek, which requires effort, sacrifice and concentration – the important requisites for the synodal journey that the universal Church has committed to make.
“The Lenten journey of penance and the journey of the synod alike have as their goal a transfiguration, both personal and ecclesial. A transformation that, in both cases, has its model in the Transfiguration of Jesus,” writes the pope. He makes two proposals to make this transfiguration a reality in our lives this year. The first is “to listen” (Matthew 17:5) to the voice of Jesus. Attending daily Mass may not be a possibility for many of us. So, he urges the faithful to study the Word of God and listen to the voice of the needy brethren.
The second proposal of the pope is “not to take refuge in a religiosity made up of extraordinary events and dramatic experiences, out of fear of facing reality and its daily struggles, its hardships and contradictions.” Listen to the voice of Jesus telling us, “Rise, and do not be afraid” (Matthew 17:6-8). On our synodal journey, the Lord grants us the necessary light and courage to go down to the plain to be “artisans of synodality” in the ordinary life of our communities.
The Lenten Pastoral Letter of Bishop Stephen Chow also calls on the faithful to take this Lenten Season as a time of repentance and renewal, as witnesses of our true identity: “People of God and agents of justice and love …we are called to reach out to help each other, especially those who are financially stricken or socially marginalised, to stand on our feet,” says the bishop.
Thus, it is crucial to commit ourselves to transform our Lenten observances into a “full, active and conscious participation” in the passion of the Lord through our works of charity, almsgiving, prayer and fasting. jose, cmf
