Ecclesiasticus I: Introducing Eastern Orthodoxy
Ecclesiasticus II: Orthodox Icons, Saints, Feasts and Prayer
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Lent
is a period of forty-day fast which the church observes after the example
of our Saviour Jesus Christ; it is a time for self discipline, self denial,
and dedication.
It is a time in which we are to discover our shortcomings and sins and
to rectify them.
It is a period in which we should not only discipline our bodies, but
in which we should prepare our hearts and souls to be worthy to receive
our resurrected Saviour Jesus Christ, at the feast of the resurrection
on Easter.
Lent is a time for us to gain mastery over our desires not only our physical
appetites should be curbed, but our spiritual life should be given attention.
Lent is a time when we should undergo a spiritual experience, rather than
just a time when we must forego sonic material things; lent consists in
doing something, not merely doing without something. Some people have
the mistaken idea of thinking that if they refrain from eating sweets,
or not attending the picture show during lent, they have made a great
sacrifice, but although discipline of any kind is good for us, that fact
that we have given up such a superfluous thing does not prepare us to
receive our risen Christ.
We have only to turn our thoughts to the cross of Calvary, to realize
the wrongness of such a sacrifice. Jesus gave His life on the cross to
save us from our sins, and if His sacrifice is not to be in vain, we must
use the lenten season to prepare ourselves to receive the risen Lord,
in the church’s Holy Sacraments, at the feast of the Resurrection.
God gave His only Begotten Son to die for sin; the very fact He gave His
Son to die for us on the cross of Calvary, shows us how great is His love.
Will there be love in our hearts for our heavenly Father if lent means
only to us the giving up of some small material thing?
The cross tells us about God. Calvary is just the measure of distance
God will go to encourage, to help, to save you and me. He gave His Son,
He gave Himself, the cross tells what happened in Palestine, two thousand
years ago, and it likewise tells what is happening here today.
Above everything else lent should be a time of love, more love of God
and less love for the material things on this earth. God wants the hearts
of His followers, not only for lent alone but for all time. Lent is a
convenient season to begin putting away dishonesty, impurity, lying, unkindness,
selfishness, or anything that stands between us and harmony with God.
Lent is a period of time in which we should examine our conscience and
find what our shortcomings may be, and after finding out what is keeping
us from the glory of God, to repent for our sins, and dedicate our lives
anew to our risen Lord, so when we greet each other on the feast of the
resurrection, with the words “Christ is risen. He is risen Indeed”
they are not only words from our mouths but meditations from our hearts,
which we give anew to our Heavenly Father, who first gave so much for
us, through His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
From Word
Magazine
Publication of the Antiochian Orthodox
Christian Archdiocese of North America
April 1959
p. 5
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