Lent: Fasting for Spiritual Progress

Published by

3 years ago

Bishop of Ibadan Diocese of the Anglican Communion, Most Reverend Joseph Akinfenwa

LENT refers to the period of forty days after Ash Wednesday and the day before Easter, during which Christians fast in memory of the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The season is also a memorial of the last few weeks of the Incarnation; a celebration of the last days that our Lord Jesus Christ spent on earth, His crucifixion and His resurrection. Fasting is not a jolly activity. Why then do we describe a season of fasting as a celebration? Lent is a celebration, a season of joy, because it culminated in victory for the believer in Jesus Christ.

The culmination of the Lenten season, which is the resurrection of Jesus Christ, gave us victory over sin and death. Its remembrance therefore should give us joy, even as we fast. Yes, Lent should be a period for sober reflection. It should be a period for soul searching. It should be a period for more intense prayers. However, it should not be a period of outward mourning or sorrow. It should not be a season of sanctimonious show-off.

Our Lord instructed us:Matthew 6:16-18 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast.

Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.Fasting is spiritually rewarding.

A Christian should, in fact, take fasting as part of his regular Christian life (during and outside the Lenten season). The time of fasting should be devoted, not to externalities, but to self-examination and the cultivation of the inner (or spiritual) life.

Christian fasting is very useful for building and renewal of spiritual energy, for building and renewal of faith, for improving spiritual growth, for the discipline of the body/flesh, and for seeking God’s face and intervention in specific situations.

This is why a Christian should fast regularly – the benefits are numerous and attractive. Food is good for the human body, and it is our right to eat as we wish/can. However, excessive attachment to food can threaten our physical and spiritual health. Paul wrote to the Corinthians.

IN CASE YOU MISSED THESE FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

“It is gladdening that only six months after that memorable event, the Minister of Interior is back in Enugu to perform another significant and symbolic ceremony. This time, the Minister accompanied by the Acting Comptroller General of Immigration, is in the Coal City to unveil the enhanced E-Passport and Commission the Passport Production Centre for the South East situated in Enugu within this Complex.”

Speaking also, the Acting Comptroller General enthused that the people of the South East can now rejoice, pointing out that it was not that his Service oblivious of the suffering of the people but that time and resources had not permitted earlier action.

He commended Gov Ugwuanyi for his support and assistance to the State Command that had culminated in the realization of the project.

Responding, Aregbesola showered encomium on Ugwuanyi who he described as his good friend and one who has been of immense assistance to the Immigration Service in Enugu state.

The minister said not only does South East have a passport production centre within reach but also that the people now have access to an array of choices of the enhanced E-Passport that will aid their globe-trotting disposition.