A time of renewal

By Fr. Emeterio Barcelon, SJ

March 10, 2011, 9:34pm

 MANILA, Philippines – Lent is a time of renewal. Like spring cleaning, the window sills and shelves get dirty from the normal dust of the ambient air. Periodically we need to dust off. The trees too shed their leaves to have new more efficient leaves. It is also a time for checking our bearings and the target of our lives. 

Lent starts with a reminder on Ash Wednesday: “Remember man that thou art dust and to dust you shall return.” Of course this is not spoken of the soul which lives on after it is separated from our bodies.

Lent is a time of penance and sacrifice. To accomplish our goals in life we first have to conquer ourselves. A help for this is fasting and abstinence which used to be more difficult. Because of the Spanish indult, we were privileged not to fast for the 40 days of Lent. Before the new Canon Law in countries without the privilege, like the United States or Germany, et. al., fasting of 40 days during Lent meant only one regular meal a day. 

The first few days can be uncomfortable but as the days pass the fasting is hardly noticed. In the Philippines we never saw the need to celebrate the carnival (farewell to meat) or Mardigras (or the last Tuesday for animal oil or grease).Fasting and abstinence are all helps for conquering self and strengthening the self against self indulgence. The new Canon Law is less specific on how we have to discipline the body but still directs each one to make sure he does penance for sin and do sacrifice of self.

Lent is a time for prayer. We are reminded of our obligation to adore God and to express our gratitude for all the blessings received; to express sorrow for transgressions and resolve to do better. But particularly, it is a call to express our love to the Creator and the other creatures that the Creator loves. In our effort to control of our appetites and pride, the pagan philosophers like the Greek Plato, Socrates counselled that it was necessary to “know ourselves”; then “to control ourselves”; but it is only Our Lord Jesus who taught us the third counsel for improvement: “Deny thyself.” It was this last counsel that made all the difference.

There is no logical need to deny ourselves to obtain self improvement but Jesus taught us and gave us His example by his simple life and dying on the cross. It was bending over backwards to obtain better control of our appetites and pride.

In doing penance, there is need for moderation for it is not an end in itself. Penance and sacrifice is only to prepare ourselves to be able to improve ourselves, to receive grace and the mercy of God and to be able to do His will. The important thing is to be able to do our daily tasks in joy and fulfilment of the purpose of our lives. Lent is the yearly check on our control, sacrifice, penance, and joy in doing the will of God.

The present Catholic Lenten regulation is that those having reached 21 years and those who have not yet started their 60th year fast on two days of Lent, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, while all who have reached their 15th birthday have to abstain from meat on the Fridays of Lent. Outside of Lent, Christians should be reminded on Fridays of the passion and Cross of Christ by doing some sacrifice. 

Sacrifice and penance do not have to be big. Standing up when we want to sit, refraining from answering back an insult, helping a stranger or neighbor, can be as powerful as fasting. But of course we can fast if it helps us to control our self-indulgence and pride. We can also sacrifice in imitation of our Saviour who willingly died on the Cross for us.