A Lenten Message from our Pastor
Reverend Thomas G. Graham
"Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return." So run the words from our Ash Wednesday liturgy. With the mark of the cross, we remember our earthly nature, as sons of Adam and daughters of Eve. We remember, too, the time Our Lord spent in the wilderness with the wild beasts, ministered to by angels, where he fasted and saw visions.
The Season of Lent is the precursor to Easter. It fits within the Easter Cycle of Seasons. There are forty days in Lent with a respite given each Sunday. Lent is a season conducive to introspection and meditation.
Jesus embarked upon a fast after his baptism in the River Jordan. Fasting, prayer, meditation are part of an ancient pattern. Adepts of many traditions practise these arts to open themselves to the Spirit, to see visions and dream dreams.
Jesus was a man at the height of physical and mental health. His fast and time in the wilderness followed time-honoured precepts. He did nothing foolish, nor ill-thought out. He followed the tradition of the prophets. A fast brings with it physiological and psychological change and challenge. Jesus faced these squarely. Should he continue on this path? Should he return to Nazareth and take up his carpentry? No one would think him wrong; everyone would think him right.
In times past, Christians followed a partial fast in imitation of Christ. Many still do. In some ways, it was ‘easier’ for our forebears. By the time Lent arrived, the larder was getting low. In agricultural communities, where most people lived on subsistence farms, food supplies shrank over winter. Lent was a time of scarcity, before the first ‘pickings’ of spring.
Not everyone could partake. Nursing mothers, infants, young children and the infirm were exempt. This was a spiritual exercise for the hale and fit — something one did willingly. The fast brought benefits of heightened awareness and perception.
Many people still refrain from certain foods during the time of Lent, as they exercise their Lenten discipline. It only "works" if this comes from the individual heart and is not imposed by others.
Jesus’ time in the wilderness strengthened his resolve. His discipline and fast opened him to his deep spiritual nature and prepared him for his mission. We, too, gain, as we follow in his footsteps.
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