Reflecting On Lent; A Significant Event On The Christian Calendar

NEWS COMMENTARY ON REFLECTING ON LENT; A SIGNIFICANT EVENT ON THE CHRISTIAN CALENDAR

Before we join Christians to celebrate the victory and joy of Christ at Easter, let us reflect with the period of Lent.  Lent is a period of forty days in which most Christians pray, fast and reflect on the suffering, death of Jesus Christ for salvation. These forty remarkable days begin on Ash Wednesday and ends on Good Friday but excludes the Sundays within the 40-day period. Christians observe Lent to acknowledge their nothingness before God and seek for mercy and justice. They also emulate their Lord and saviour Jesus Christ who fasted for forty days and forty nights that enabled him to conquer Satan. Christ Knowing very well that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step prayed, reflected, strategize against the devil and kept a focus on His mission to save the human race from Satan’s bondage. How can we, as Christians, learn and emulate this good example by Jesus Christ? Socrates, the father of philosophy once said that, “An unexamined life is not worth living”.

Ghana’s 63rd independence anniversary falls within this year’s Lenten period. Ghana might be growing fast, but one wonders how far we can go considering the evils that confront us daily. It seems Ghanaians spend a lot of time talking rather than listening. It is not uncommon in Ghana to hear issues being discussed and talked about on the mass and social media, yet with so little positive impact on the society. Let us for a moment think about environmental pollution, illegal mining, how to deal with corruption, inequalities, unemployment among other challenges. We often go to church and talk to God but we, hardly, listen to God and ourselves. Contents on radio and television especially on Sundays, seem to suggest that many Christians have become commanders of Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost. We command the son of God here and there as if our Lord does not know what we need, or Perhaps we have made Christ our executive officer. The Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference in this year’s Lenten letter rightly observed that the sense of sin is gradually becoming senseless in our society? We read and preach the Good News but how much wisdom and understanding does it bring to our faith and good works?  There abound bitter jealousies and selfish ambitions even among Christians. These evils breakdown relationships and cripple community development. We seem to have forgotten the prophetic call to build just and loving communities where the poor and needy are catered for. Giving alms during this period of purification is encouraged but if it is Without the spirit of mercy and justice, then it only becomes a philanthropic gesture, with no spiritual gain. How many Christians agree to be fools for Christ by practising His teaching of tolerating the sinner but not sin, befriending the enemy instead of retaliating, praying and loving all and sundry whether good or evil? Are we not becoming wiser than Jesus Christ, who became a fool by suffering death in order to liberate us from being possessed by possessions and persons? The main objective of Lent is to reflect on how well we can suffer justly in life today to gain joy tomorrow. Unless we become sufferers for justice and joy, we will continue to live like the proverbial bat that wishes to urinate on God but ends up soiling itself. Let us as Christians, and for that matter Ghanaians, reflect and follow the straightway for lasting development, acceptable to God and our ancestors. Pope Francis admonition to all during this Lent is on behalf of Christ, be ye reconciled to God. We wish everyone a fruitful and spirit-filled Lent. May God be our guide and strength.

BY REV.FR JONAS RICHMOND ATARAH, CATHOLIC PRIEST OF NAVRONGO-BOLGATANGA DIOCESE.