Letter from the Pastor
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March 6, 2022Why is Lent 40 days (really 46 days)? We heard the reason in the Gospel. Our Lord was sent into the desert for 40 days to be tempted by the devil himself. The three Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke tell the story, with St. Luke’s Gospel in greater detail, even a dialogue between our Lord and Satan. After our Lord was baptized in the Jordan, the Spirit of God drove Him into the desert. He fasted during that time. Fasting was a religious practice since ancient pagan times. So fasting is a part of our faith tradition as well. We don’t fast as easily as once we did. Fasting is done for several reasons: to control the desires of the body, to suffer with those who are suffering now, and to imitate what our Lord did - to sacrifice.
I was thinking about fasting on Ash Wednesday. Our Holy Father asked the world to pray and fast in solidarity with the suffering people in the Ukraine. As one watched the news and saw the images of the people suffering: cramped in the subway tunnels and cars, the men saying goodbye to their families at the train stations, the destruction of their towns and homes. But the one scene that really got to me was the women carrying their infants, having their other toddlers hanging onto their coats, their little legs trying to keep up, dragging their one suitcase behind them, and walking all those miles to the Polish border.
What do they have for food or drink? The children will be fed first, if anything is left, then the parents would eat, not knowing where the next meal will come. The fear of not knowing where to go, or what will happen to their loved ones left behind. Of course, we don’t know what they are really feeling, but we can suffer with them. We can give up our food for one day, or the many other comforts we enjoy. We can offer up our little hunger pangs or inconveniences so as to identify with the suffering Christ.
This can be a great teaching moment for our children as well. Let them see the children of their same age, and what they have to go through now. And pray for the innocents who are suffering because of an unjust aggression. Pick a day of the week, maybe Friday, since it is the day of the Passion of the Lord and fast, ultimately fasting is: a sacrifice and offer up the sacrifices so as to end the true suffering of God’s children in the Ukraine.
Fasting is good for the soul and the body. Learn to fast.
Other than fasting, here are some other ideas for a holy Lent.- Read the Bible. Begin with the events leading to and including Holy Week and the Passion.
- Attend Mass Daily. Go to Mass at least an extra day of the week besides Sundays; also offer up Masses for people in need as well as for deceased or sick loved ones. Spending more time after Mass in prayer during Lent.
- Go to Eucharistic Adoration. Spend time before the Blessed Sacrament in the presence of the Lord.
- Pray the Stations of the Cross on Fridays and bring the children to experience the Stations.
- Complete a Work of Mercy. Select a specific spiritual or corporal work of mercy.
- Pray the Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet. Turn off the music or podcast on your car radio and instead pray the Rosary or Divine Mercy Chaplet or talk to God on your commute
- Create a Prayer List. Each day, say a prayer for someone special. Adopt a person in prayer this Lenten Season.
- Spiritual Reading. In addition to Scripture, pick up some spiritual writing. Read about the sacraments, the spiritual classics or the lives of the saints.
Wishing you a Blessed Lent!
