Lent: A chance to cleanse ourselves and be one with God
Changing our lives, repenting of our sins and preparing for Easter is what Lent is all about. It involves denying ourselves of all worldly pleasures, writes Rachel Kabejja
A friend posted a comment on Facebook which said, “I’m giving up Facebook for Lent. Talk to you guys at Easter.” It is now a week since she posted that comment and we have not heard anything from her. The Lent period indeed has begun.
Lent is a time which most Christians observe a few weeks before Easter approaches.
Rev Fr Joseph Musala, a Catholic priest at St Matia Mulumba in Old Kampala, explains Lent as, “A period of fasting leading up to the feast of Easter, recalling Jesus’ 40-day fast in the wilderness. It begins on Ash Wednesday and ends right before the evening mass on Holy Thursday.”
Three things are important during this time - fasting, abstinence and prayer.
Fasting: The church tradition is not to eat meat on Ash Wednesday and on every Friday during the lent period. This is done to commemorate Jesus’ broken body and flesh, which was torn for our sins. Fasting is meant to portray a whole life of conversion in a Christian’s life and turning away from sin.
Abstinence: Abstinence means you stop doing anything that you enjoy doing. It may be sports, sex or music among other things. You forego it to create more time with God.
Prayer: This is the most important thing during Lent. During this time, Christians are urged to spend more time with God in prayer and reading His word. They are also encouraged to be more repentant.
The Anglican way
Rev Michael Mukhwana, the Vicar at St John’s Church of Uganda, Kamwokya, explains that Anglicans observe Lent as a form of Christian practice and discipline but it is also a time of reflection, evaluation repentance and seeking the face of God.
Interesting to note is that during this time, the Anglican Church does not hold any weddings or any form of celebrations such as baptism and confirmation.
How do the Balokole do it?
According to Pastor Alex Mitala, chairman of Pentecostal churches, they do not observe this period because it is not biblical. “There is no scripture commanding us to observe this period. This is another part of dogma teaching although we can’t judge those who practice it. We fast where necessary, like when we want to humble ourselves before God or pray for the nation, but we don’t have specific periods of the year to do this and it is not a must,” he said.
Lent and its traditions
In the Lent period, there are traditions observed and upheld by the Catholic Church which Rev Fr Musala explains below.
Giving up something: Christians give up something they enjoy doing in order to pay special attention to the word of God, study and put into practice the works of faith, love and hope. However, emphasis is put on love through charity, especially towards others.
Ashes: They are used on Ash Wednesday and are made from palms used on Palm Sunday. They are a symbol of dying to self in order to rise with Christ on Easter. In our lives as Christians, there are things which we must kill, like cheating, lying, stealing and violent anger. Ashes are also an outward external sign of self-examination and repentance.
Scrutinising or examining self: Each of us is a sinner. We don’t please God always, so Lent is a time of cleansing and examining ourselves, especially our conscience.
Prayer, fasting and alms giving: The two greatest commandments are to love God with all your heart, soul and mind and to love your neighbour as you love yourself. During Lent, we draw nearer to God in prayer and giving alms to the poor.
Stations of the Cross: It is an active, visible, dramatic and participatory way of reading scriptures about Jesus’ passion. The Catholic Church has come up with pictures of Jesus’ different stages on the way to the cross and at each; we stop, read a scripture, reflect and pray.
Blessed palms: These were waved by people to signify Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem a week before Easter. They are also burnt to produce ashes for Ash Wednesday.
Holy Thursday: This is the day before Jesus’ crucifixion. It was the day when Jesus had a meal with his 12 disciples where he significantly showed them that He was the Passover lamb-in-awaiting. On Holy Thursday we remember the same incident, when we were forgiven of our sins.
Lamp and oil: In every Catholic Church, a lamp burns 24 hours. It is placed next to the tabernacle (in which the bread and wine are kept) and as long as bread and wine are available, the lamp always burns. If anyone is sick, they can go and pick bread from the tabernacle. This only happens within the Lent period. Jesus is our light and the lamp signifies that light. In the Bible, people were often anointed with oil as a symbol of healing. The Catholic Church does the same. This oil is blessed by the Archbishop on Holy Thursday and given to all parish priests for anointing the sick.