By Polycarp Ifeanyi
Christians have been advised to withdraw from earthly things and focus solely on Jesus as they journey in the lenten season.
A knight of the church Hon. Sir. Ifeanyichukwu E.S. Nnajiaku KSM who is also the immediate past President general of Catholic Men Organization (CMO) Onitsha Catholic Archdiocese gave the advice while chatting with news men on the essence of lenten season.
According to him, lenten season is a period of self denial, a period someone will have subber reflection of him or her life and self sacrifice of many things. Prayer, almsgiving, fasting, penance, observing station of the cross, saying Rosary daily and visiting Blessed Sacrament are good but not enough while observing lent.
” Some within the period will say they can not eat meat even if they have not being eating meat in the past. So, the issue of not eating meat doesn’t make any difference.
Someone will go into fasting from 6-12, 6-1, 6-3, 6-6 as case may be. But the highest sacrifice one has to offer is to discover the weak point of his or her life and try to avoid those areas and allow the spirit of God to rule over flesh. If you are a type of person who talks too much, you may decide to apply keeping quiet and meditation during the lenten period.
If you use to go to area that leads you into into committing sin, avoid the area and withdraw yourself from following people to the area then, you have generally observed lent. Someone should be even avoiding sin as a way to live spiritual life by trying to identify the areas human frailty has been causing him not to do the will of God.
Within this lenten period, Church is calling on all the Christians all over the world to follow Christ into the wilderness for wilderness encounter. Wilderness encounter which somebody like John the Baptist encountered God through the wilderness experience and that was why he didn’t live where others were living during his own days. He was not wearing clothes like others wearing. He doesn’t take alcohol and other foods.
His only food was locust and honey and that is called desert experience ( All alone with God). Then, Samuel also had special encounter with God. That was why he was not living in ordinary place except in the temple of God where his ears was opened to hear when God started calling him.
Therefore, Christians should withdraw from the earthly things no matter the level of hardship. They should indulge in self detachment and focus more on things about God .
The critical period before the main Easter period is called Triduum. Trindum included; Holy Thursday, Holy Friday and Holy Saturday. This is a period Christ went into (Shahole) from the moment after the last supper of Holy Thursday. He was able to institute the sacrament of Eucharistic and able to ordain priests.
After that, Christ left us with something perpetual, His blood and body which is presence in every tabernacle in the Catholic Church. So, the three days is very critical and important for every laity who is a Catholic. That is a period Church said, ” you must go to confession at least once in a year” and that is the Triduum. The three days is Holy because, the whole world is silent and waiting for what will happen to Christ who was crucified on Good Friday. Whether He would resurrect or not, whether all His preachings and predictions would come to pass.
Christ died and released those who have died starting from Adam and Eve, our fore- fathers and mothers. That was why Christ went into Shahole and was able to push the hole and loose the dead and open the door of paradise for those who believes in Him.
In summary, any Christian who is a Catholic and failed to participate fully in this season is really missing a lot of things. It is good if you are a Mother, Father, youth and even clergies to participate and adhere to all these lenten rules, knowing fully well that when someone who is washing clothes he or she is also washing hands. It is also pertinent to understand that by the time we finished everything on earth, we shall stand in the presence of God to render account of all our stewardship which will led us to the everlasting hand of God.”
