By Fr. Gabriel Muteru,
Lent is a forty-day liturgical season observed by Christians. Its purpose is to prepare for Easter. It is a common practice for Christians to devote days of preparation before an important feast (e.g., Advent). These preparations are part of the expression of the Christian hope for eternal life.
Lent is symbolic of the forty days Jesus spent in the desert in preparation for His public ministry. He spends his time there in prayer and fasting in the spirit of renunciation. At the end of this period, Satan visits him to tempt Him from His resolve. By rejecting the Devil, Jesus demonstrates his commitment to the purpose for which he was sent: to save the world from sin. In the same way, Lent is a time for the Church to gain spiritual strength to continue her work of calling souls to sanctification and salvation. Members are called upon to devote time in prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. This will give them the spiritual strength to purify themselves of evil and to make a renewed resolve to work for their salvation in fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12-23).
There are many prayerful devotions practiced during Lent. Some are self-imposed such as daily Mass attendance. Others are communal such as Ash Wednesday, Stations of the Cross, retreats, and days of reflection. Frequent Confession and Communion are also encouraged. Finally, there are prayers specific to the season. All these practices give one strength in discernment and the resolve to be a faithful follower of Jesus.
Lent is also a time of reminding us that this world is like a wilderness where we fight two enemies, Satan and our own bodies. In Christian teaching, we are body and soul. Saint Augustine sees both as good, for each is a part of God’s creation (Gen. 1:31). Augustine further says that the bond between body and soul is healthy and helps us reach salvation if the proper order is kept; that is, the body must be at the service of the soul. Otherwise, the soul becomes subservient to the body, resulting in evil, where it becomes prone to desires that undermine one’s relationship with God. Lenten fasting and abstinence trains the body to be more committed to the spiritual life, purifying it from such inclinations.
Finally, a true understanding of our closeness to God is always tested in our love for others. Most of Jesus’ teachings focused on concern for the poor and the needy, including the sinner. He depicted final judgment as a day of reckoning for those who neglected to attend to the poor and neglected, who are the face of Jesus (Matt. 25:31-46). Thus, almsgiving is an important Lenten practice. It is a time of repairing our relationship with God by repairing our relationship with our neighbors. It is a time of asking for forgiveness by offering forgiveness. It is a time of purification, it is a time of grace, a time of holiness, a time of salvation.
Fr. Gabriel Muteru is the chaplain at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine. In his position, Fr. Gabriel serves as a staff member of the Mercy Center, a department centered around ministry, social justice, and community engagement. He plays an active role in a variety of service and social justice initiatives, liturgies, retreats, and provides an active pastoral presence on campus. Originally from Kenya, Father Gabriel has been in the United States since 1994. He first came to this country to complete his doctorate but ended up remaining here to do mission work for his home diocese, the Archdiocese of Nyeri. He has also worked for other colleges, most recently serving as an adjunct faculty member at St. John’s University in New York and, prior to that, serving as chaplain at Molloy College and as an adjunct assistant professor at Dowling College, both also in New York.
Desert photo by Ivars Krutainis