In this period, we have two fasts, as
we all know. There are about seven weeks of strict fasting, eight if
you include the Cheese-fare weekwhich precedes. For a lot of people this
is an enjoyable and desirable time, for others it’s difficult and for
others again not at all pleasant. We’ll try to convey some thoughts on
this period, as it has been described by the Fathers of the Church.
First of all, let’s recall Saint John the
Damascan, who made a general observation concerning Lent. ‘Do not
weaken Lent, for it is an imitation of Christ’s way of life’. This is
important. Christ doesn’t debilitate, that is drain the power of Lent.
More broadly, we might say that Saint John doesn’t disparage Lent. He
doesn’t say that this period isn’t right, nor does he mock the fast of
the Church. He doesn’t dishonour it, he’s not displeased when it
arrives, he doesn’t hope for it to pass quickly, he doesn’t make a show
of breaking it without reason and nor does he express forcefully the
view that times have changed and we must change with them.
Great Lent is an imitation of the life of
Christ. After His baptism, He went out into the wilderness and there
‘having fasted for forty days and forty nights, he became hungry’
(Matth. 4, 2). Christ was the perfect human being and had no disposition
to sin, but He needed to give us a model. We had to have an image of
asceticism before us in order to achieve our goal, which is union with
God. During this period, He suffered the temptations of the devil and
during the time of these temptations, ‘angels ministered to him’ (Mark,
1, 13).This time of Christ’s temptations has much to teach us.
In a way, Christ was educated in
temptations through fasting. Later, the devil would bear down upon Him
like adreadful tempest. He emerged the victor from all the temptations.
As should the faithful. We’ll have plenty of temptations in our life. We
need to be educated in them. This period of Lent is a spiritual
preparation for us Christians. We learn to fight. The Lord has shown us
how, since He was tempted first.
