For committed foodies among us, Lents arrive every year with a threat of prolonged deprival of our culinary delights. Devoid of all the exotic varieties of meats and sea foods, many are in deep disgust with the whole idea of connecting lent with eating.

Why is it like this? Is lent a bunch of don’ts? Are we trying to please God with all our food sacrifice (the opposite of meal offering!) And someone exclaims, hey do marthos have Lent at all???

Though it may have many shades of meaning, Lent is primarily a time set apart. In the life of the community of faithful, the Church, lent provides a time set apart for spiritual discipline. Christian life is a journey in faith. It is a growth toward maturity in Christ. It is based on the spiritual practice of fasting and prayer, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. Jesus begins His public ministry with forty days of fasting and communion with God (Matt.4:2, Mk 1:13, Lk 4.2). Fasting and prayer is an undeniable character of the Church from the early days (Acts 13:2, 14:23).

In addition to fasting and praying as an individual member of the church, Lent is a time and occasion of communal fast. The Great Lent or the Fifty Day lent is thus connected to the passion of Christ which has accomplished salvation from sin and death. It is a challenge to prepare us to take up the cross and follow Christ. Lent is in fact a spiritual retreat of the church, through which it meditates upon the cross of Christ and submits it in a sense of complete repentance. Its purpose is a real and more intimate experience in abiding in Christ.

“During the season of Lent, every member is expected to set apart time for serious reflection, self examination and renewed commitment with fasting and prayer. Fasting should never be observed with ostentation or spiritual pride. Neither is it intended to win favors from God by changing His mind. This is a time in which we wait upon the Lord in fellowship and are transformed to fulfill His will”. (Roots and Wings, p.60)

The exercise of Lent is a time of rebuilding the Alters of

Prayer

• Meaningful and confident personal prayer time
• Restarting a ceased Family Prayer time (in the US??)
•  Deepening and enriching a shallow prayer time

 Word

• Intentional and focused reading of scripture
• Take one or two books to read and study deeply during this time( A few YFs have started with Philippians, it’s the best book for Lent; you can have your choice)
• Try to get a daily devotion book.

 Relationships and Giving

• Combating our own shortcomings, addictions, if any, wrong relationships, etc
• Healing time for hatred, anger, mistrust…
• Set apart a little bit from your personal money for helping others or our Mission Work

 Lent is the spiritual power to say enough.

Enough to more and more extravagant clothes

Enough to exotic food

Enough to spending spree; to indiscriminate shopping, either at eBay or the local mall.

Enough is a bad word in this land of plenty,

but can we dare say it , to us and to others??

Lent is shedding a little taste

To spread the taste of love around

To become the divine taste and fragrance

Amen