From the Pastor’s Study

by Rev. Mr. R. Morales-Kuhn, Reformed Episcopal Church, USA

The very word Lent sends all types of messages to the reader. Monks in dark cowlings and cassocks walking mournfully along in single file, sad minor key music in the background may come to mind. Giving up something good, chocolate, soda, certain food items that may be deemed guilty pleasures, all this conjures up a semi-medieval mood or feeling. The simple explanation may be the easiest to explain.

The word Lent, may in fact, come from the Old English for lengthen, as in the days getting longer as we approach Spring. This forty day period, minus the Sundays, were to help us understand and reflect on the suffering and temptations Christ suffered during the forty days in the wilderness, right after his baptism by John the baptizer, in the River Jordan.

The longer days would give the average person a feeling of hope, a feeling that maybe they were going to survive winter after all. Now one could look forward to the great feast of Easter, the hope of resurrection, the life eternal, and the single most important fact in the Christian faith, the Perfect Gift from God.

That Gift of course being His Son Christ Jesus, who was born to a virgin, lived and taught amongst mankind, was crucified, died, was buried, and most importantly, rose up from the dead, to be the start of God’s ultimate gift to mankind, life everlasting. Wow. What a promise. And all this comes from the quiet reflection of the forty days that lead up to the great feast of Easter.

Should one give up something during the forty days? That should be a personal choice, but it should be a choice that is done in private, quietly, without fanfare, to mark the period of Christ’s temptation, but not to be a badge of honor. “Look how good I am, I gave up ______” “Look at what I did to suffer with Christ”. No, if one feels they should give something up to help them reflect on the forty day period, then it should be a private accounting, between you and God, no one else should know. Why is that important ? Because it is a self sacrifice, not one for everyone else to feel sorry for you.

More importantly, you should read and reflect on the Word of God during this period. There are many resources on the market, online and from your own parish that you can refer to for guidance. Ask your pastor, they can help. The common lectionary, or several good older lectionaries from years gone by could be good resources. These too can be found online. A lectionary is a day-by-day listing of several passages, Old and New Testament readings, plus a Gospel reading and a reading from the Psalter, the Psalms of David. In the forty day period you will be taken from the period of the last days of Christ’s earthly ministry up to and including the triumphant entry to Jerusalem, the trial, crucifixion, burial, and, of course, the glorious resurrection on Easter Day.

During this Lententide or season, let us “be still and know that He is God”, let us take the time to study, reflect upon, and inwardly digest the Word of God in the Bible and apply those lessons to our lives. This would be the best way to remember what Jesus did for us, the once and for all greatest gift, His life, death, and resurrection; that we too may partake in that great gift.

Amen