What does this mean? Well, I intend to find out.
I am not a member of the Catholic faith. I was not raised around many catholics, and so most of what I learned about the catholic church and their beliefs came through the history books. And history books generally don't offer a pleasant view of religion, mostly because the events involving religion that made history too often did so because that religion was being exercised poorly.
That being said, if you are catholic or are well-versed in catholicism, and you see something here that has not been represented correctly, please let me know. My intent here is to present the good that I see in this religious practice even though it is not of my own religion.
The concept of Lent has fascinated me over the past few days and and such, I did some research. Lent is generally known as a 40-day period of fasting, prayer, and penitence. It begins on Ash Wednesday and concludes on Maundy Thursday (the Thursday immediately before Easter). This period is actually longer than the prescribed 40-day fast and there is some discrepancy on how exactly to count out the days, but the fast represents the 40 days that Jesus Christ spent fasting in the wilderness immediately following His baptism and before appearing on the Mount of Transfiguration. The bible scholar will note other significant instances involving 40-day or 40-year periods of time.
I believe the purposes of Lent--namely fasting, prayer, and penitence--do not have to be limited to religiously-observant catholics or even christians. Anyone stands to receive personal improvement by following them. To put them in a less religious light, they might be called sacrifice, meditation, and self-improvement. Call it what you may, but I hold that the process and outcomes of observing Lent can be beneficial to anyone.
Fasting generally denotes abstaining from food and water for a period of time (as Christ did in the wilderness) but for mortal people who are not the literal Son of God, a 40-day food fast is not advised. (Fasting from food involves many personal and health considerations that should be taken into account.) Instead, Lent is generally observed by the act of giving something up or making a sacrifice. There are many levels of sacrifice to choose from, and popular choices go from giving up sweets and meat to giving up being angry or rude. The purpose of fasting or sacrifice is to give up something valuable in exchange for something else, which is most often an intangible reward. Frequently, the reward of the sacrifice is found to be more valuable than the original sacrifice made.
The act of fasting or sacrifice is also intended to have a lasting change on the individual. Many fasts, particularly those from food, end after a period of time and things return to the way they were previously--the person now released from their fast eats and carries on with their lives. Many religions prescribe regular fasts from food for various amounts of time. Because participants of the fast return to their normal food-eating routine after the fast, the purpose and effects of such a fast must be something other than physical. This is where the other elements of Lent--prayer and penitence--come in. As the body undergoes a more intense period of self-control where the mind and heart deny it of physical sustenance for a time, it opens up opportunities to focus more on the spiritual and mental and less on the physical.
Deeper changes happen as prayer and meditation provide channels for introspection, peace, relaxation, and a deeper connection with a whole (be that god, nature, or humanity) to come into one's life. These connections influence fasting and sacrifice by giving inspiration and meaning to the fast, as well as a greater willpower and sense of ability to achieve the goals of the fast or to make it through the intended sacrifice. It can also help people become more aware of benefits of their fast or sacrifice that they may not have noticed previously.
Penitence is generally defined as the act of showing sorrow or regret for sins or trespasses, and in the Catholic faith this involves the confession of sins to a priest. To me, penitence is the first step to becoming a better version of yourself. Once you have recognized that you've made a mistake or can improve in some way, it logically follows that you should put forth an effort to change that. One of the greatest parts of this human experience is the fact that we can change ourselves.
In 2015, Pope Francis II gave his address for Lent and proposed that people give up indifference, in turn becoming more aware of and caring for those around them. This is one of my favorite views of sacrifice, where rather than seeing the process as a denial or limitation, it is seen as an additional focus or improvement that one undertakes. It is still a sacrifice--of our time, our selfish thoughts, our comfort--but it becomes much more purposeful end enriching. In addition to the spiritual aspects of fasting, such a sacrifice to improve oneself has a lasting effect on one's way of life. Indeed, 40 days is certainly enough time to build a new habit.
I would like to encourage everyone to make a sacrifice or change in their lives to become closer to what they envision the best version of themselves to be. During Lent is a great opportunity to do so, but the most important thing is to do it when you're ready, rather than when the world expects you to. I am observing Lent myself for the first time and, although I have fasted in various ways before, I am excited to see what I learn from the experience.
I will digress from the previous practices regarding the titles of the posts in two ways: first, by using a word that is not Latin, and second, by commenting directly on its meaning. "Lent" is an abbreviation of the Middle English word "lenten", which was originally used to denote springtime. I appreciate this because as the weather warms up it is clear to see that springtime is a season of rebirth and fresh starts. Lenten sacrifice provides us just that.
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