FASTING AND PRAYING

 




“We would worry less if we praised more;

thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent

and dissatisfaction.”

Henry Allen Ironside


 

Today is ‘Ash Wednesday’, a Holy Day for Christians. The Lenten season begins today. Since the break of the dawn, I have been receiving (on WhatsApp) from many of my Catholic friends and relatives a message supposedly from Pope Francis.

It’s a very relevant message from our present Pope, who is known for some revolutionary ideas about worship and living. I had come across this particular message three Lents before, in April, 2020 to be precise (Check on Google for it: ‘Pope Francis on prayer and fasting’ – published by ‘The Centre for Contemplative Practice’). The message had really made sense to me…

But, this time around, the WhatsApp University has rebooted it after making liberal changes. Nevertheless, Pope’s basic message stays: “Dear fellow Catholics, there are several simple ways in which we all can and should observe ‘Fast’ and do our prayers… and, why do it during the Lent alone? Why not throughout the year?”

Jesus Christ was a revolutionary when it came to many of the religious practices of His time. His ideas and teachings made immediate sense to the ordinary hearts, but not to the hardened ones. The latter, therefore, crucified Him…





So, today, as we Christians observe the ‘Ash Wednesday’ to mark the beginning of the season of Lent, the essence of this day is supposed to remind us, that we all have come from the ashes (earth) and shall return to the ashes (earth)… We all are here, as travelers, for a brief period, and we need to thank God for this privilege… We have come here carrying with us nothing, and we shall go from here carrying with us nothing… So, why carry this heavy load along our short travel – the load of wealth, success, name, fame, arrogance, envy and discontent?

The idea is, certainly, a Holy one. But, as Master Himself had said referring to the rich man: “It’s easier for a camel to walk through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.”

The load of our wealth, success, fame, name, arrogance, envy and discontent – yes, it’s not easy for us to simply ‘leave it behind’  and ‘follow the Master’…

It’s easier, you see, to fast from eating meat than fast from those 15 simple-things which Pope Francis is telling us to fast from…

“By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return”… The Creator hadn’t minced words while sending Adam and Eve out of His heavenly garden…






A Blessed Wednesday to all…

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

 

Pic's.: Pixabay/Tadas Lisauskas.:

 

Video:Masaka Kids Afrikana

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