Vicars Message

Into the Great Lent Again

The Great Lent is beginning on Monday, February 15^th this year.  It is always an amazing spiritually edifying season for me because from childhood days observance of lent was a very special experience.  Being a human being and living in a materially minded surroundings with all relatives and friends trying to enjoy life to the fullest extent possible, lent was a liberating experience.  Lent offered a stricter life style. In a poverty infested village life, the lent was of no special change. But restrictions of various kinds built fence around life in a special way. Abstinence of various kinds was considered a privilege. The great fellowship in the Sunday School and the Church atmosphere upheld life in a strong spiritual circle. 

Lent was exciting and rewarding even though lent bestowed an added experience of impoverishment.  For that reason alone, lent ended with great pomp and joy on Easter Sunday.  At the same time, many people including many non-Christians and Protestants wondered what does the lent mean!  Also many non-Christians did know that lent is a special time for Christians tough to some it meant a lot.

What does Lent do? Let me very briefly delineate some of the thought that flashed through my mind.

 1.Lent is a healthy discipline.  Often a number of people believe that lent is only abstinence from some kinds of food and marital relationship.  Yes it does involve abstinence. But lent should not be reduced to just some control over food consumption.  In fact lent offers a total restructuring of one’s life.  For people whose life is simply a loose-fit structure with no basic foundation or framework, it is a time that can be used for reorienting and rebuilding.  Physical structuring adds to health not only in body but also in career, life ideals, life styles etc. 

Many people decide to impose some kind of physical disciplines such as going to bed on time, wake up on time, go to office on time, keep strict watch on their appointments, do things in an organized way.  Some people try to put their things in order, clean up their clumsy bedrooms, office rooms etc. Some people organize their meal time, entertainment time, exercise time etc.

Some do impose fasting as part of their physical discipline.  It helps reduce weight, avoid many sicknesses related to overweight, such as heart attack, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, etc. and above all simply the manageability of our own body. Fasting gives a different understanding of the experience of people who live in poverty.  Some of us did go through quite a bit of poverty and starvation but in America they are fine and simply ignore the way they came through. In spite of enough money with them, they won’t give to the poor!  The mere intention of fasting is to save some money avoiding some rich food and give that to the poor. I have seen ‘believers’ rarely doing it. Money is God for many people and so even if God comes down and tells them, they will better deny God than giving to the poor. Often they won’t even remember what our Lord said, “whatever you have done to the least (poor) of these that which you have done unto me.” 

2.Lent helps a healthy spirituality.  We all know that for each person there is a control system which is the mind that makes all major decisions. Spirituality can take control of the mind to make changes in a person’s life.  Mind trains the intellect and absorbs life principles for a person.  Spiritual life enlightens the mind. Without training the mind in proper way one cannot have a healthy and peaceful life. 

During the season of lent we have special hours or prayer, Bible reading, meditation, etc.  This is a special discipline like the physical discipline. We can set the hours of prayer, duration of prayer etc. and do it diligently.  In our parish we have arranged to have evening prayer everyday in the chapel.  This is an occasion for us to spend some more time with the Lord.  And we will see the difference that it can make in our life.  Spirituality does not come without hard work. Often people think it is so easy to be spiritual. No. It is very difficult to be spiritual. True spirituality is a tough discipline of the mind. With that discipline a quality life can be attained.

Quality life is a life that makes sense to oneself and others. Such a life will generate a lot of power through love and affection.  And indeed there will be a lot of virtues seen in that person.  Quality life simply does not come with education, financial stability, influence or authority. It comes through one’s ability to understand others well and react to them in a humane way.  We have seen enough educated or influential or authoritarian people who were good for nothing as far as the society is concerned.  For such people lent is a good time to restructure their life. And indeed it is possible only if they are willing to change.

Again quality life will be a life of sanctity as well.  Sanctity is the higher state of affairs when a person thinks, talks, behaves and lives like a saint.  And there is no need to any additional witness to that because that person’s life will speak for itself.  Lenten season will help us formulate such a personality.

I hope and pray that this lent will give us all a new life and power to foster enrichment of our life both physically and spiritually.

Lovingly,

Fr. M. K. Kuriakose

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