5 Things You Need to Know About Lent

by: Christina Ibrahim

It’s that time of the year again! We find ourselves at the beginning of another Lenten season, and every year it’s the same drill; frantically trying to finish all the meat and cheese in the fridge so we can replace it with tameya and Minicol. But every year as we go through the motions, have we ever really stopped to think about why the Church in its wisdom has put in place the traditions and rites during this blessed time?

So here are 5 things you need to know about the lent, on this journey.

1. Why is the lent 55 days?

Simply put, we have 7 days for Preparation Week + 40 days when Jesus fasted in the wilderness + 7 days for Passion Week + 1 day for Lazarus Saturday.

2. Origin of the Lent

The period of Lent, was first observed by the apostles themselves or in the immediate post – apostolic period in preparation for Easter baptism. It was said that the fast lasted for approximately 2 days, commemorating the time the Lord spent in the tomb. It was only following the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D that the Lent became the fixed 40 days we know today.
Source: The Paschal or Lent Fast: Apostolic and Perpetual (Oxford, UK: John Henry Parker, 1845)

3. What does “fasting” actually mean?

The Old Testament Hebrew word for fasting is ts-oom, which means to cover your mouth. However in the New Testament the Greek translation for fasting was nace-ty-oo, which means to abstain from food. 

4. So is abstinence necessary in fasting?

“There can be no knowledge of the mysteries of God on a full stomach.” St Isaac the Syrian (Orthodox Prayer Life: The Interior Way)

When we abstain from food for a period of time, the Lord grants us a poor and contrite spirit, allowing us to come to Him begging for His forgiveness and mercy, pleading with Him to reveal to us our sins, knowing that through a broken spirit He will hear and “give heed to the voice of my cry.”(Psalm 5)

5. Is it just about the food?

No. It’s about so much more than that, Isaiah 58 reads:
“Is it a fast that I have chosen, a day for a man to afflict his soul?  Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes?  Would you call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? “

Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh?

Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’”  (Isaiah 58:5 – 7)

God does not require burdensome fasting rituals and ascetic practices, but that we show love and mercy in every aspect of our lives, through good works. By putting away our sin, we allow Christ the opportunity to renew our hearts and He promises that, “Your healing shall spring forth speedily.” What more can we really want than healing and revival during this time of Lent?

Spear in Your Side

by: St Mark Youth

Every time. Every time…
I tend to ignore your wounds, your sores.
I pick the spear, yet I’ve been there before.

I hide from your face as I run to my shame
Yet the next day your goodness I always proclaim
Bowing down I utter your name
Praying that kindly You’ll forget my blame

You are good
You are merciful
You are kind

Yet as I momentarily forget these gifts
The truth of Your crucifixion I must reminisce
The spear that pierced your innocent side
Is the spear that I push further with my pride

I am Pilate
I am the soldier
I am a sinner

Teach me Lord to put down the spear
Teach me Lord to live in your fear
As I gaze O Lord at thy Passion
Allow me to act in Christian fashion

Put down the spear
Live in His fear
He will hold you dear
And make your conscience clear

Attaining Godly love

Sermon: Fr Michael Fanous
Blog: Anthony Bebawi

Bible reference- Luke 14: 25-35

“Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. “Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

Continue reading “Attaining Godly Love”

Being Restored by Christ

By David Ibrahim

Somebody once told me that in the Old Testament there is only one character; and that character is Christ. For the first time however, I read a part of the Old Testament where I found Christ in every verse and in fact He asks us a question in almost every verse. Today’s passage, 2 Kings 4:8-35, is all about our relationship with Christ. With that lens, let’s read this text verse by verse.

 v8: The notable woman from Shenum invited Elisha into her house for food every time he passed by. Like Elisha, Christ is always passing by in my life. The first question is, am I like the woman eagerly inviting Him in or do I just allow Him to pass by me.

v9-11: Now we see the woman’s invitation becoming more eager. Rather than just invite him for food, she has now reserved “an upper room” for every time Elisha passes by Shenum. Actually the upper room of a house was the place where people would go to cool down and even that she sacrificed. The second question is; do I go out of my way to make Christ feel welcome in my heart or again am I relaxed when it comes to welcoming Christ.

v12-17: When asked “Do you want me to speak on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?” the woman replied “I dwell among my own people.” What a remarkable response! She is pretty much telling Elisha it’s enough that a holy man is residing in my house.  A lot of times we will serve God and even expect something in return. However this woman portrays to us a quality that is sweeter; seeking God’s holy men just for God. So the third question Christ asks us is do you seek me for who I am or for a reward?

v18-20: Is this fair what happened to the woman? Is it fair that she loses the gift she didn’t even ask for? It said at the beginning of the verse that the child grew. In this context, the Hebrew word implies that he was just learning how to walk. From now on, let us view the child as the gift of spirituality that is a result of our relationship with Christ. If we reflect on our own spirituality, we will find that as it starts to grow, sin enters and it dies out. So the question that is asked to us now is, what do I do if I am spiritually dead?

v21: This is the first response. Here we see the woman laying her dead child on Elisha’s bed. If Elisha is a type of Christ, then the bed is symbolic of the altar. So the first response is that I present myself to Christ’s altar.

v22-25: The woman told her husband to send a donkey and servants so that she can meet Elisha. Immediately, the husband asked why, today is not a holy day? Of course the husband said this because he was grieving over his son but doesn’t Satan try to do this to us as well? Whenever we are trying to resurrect our spiritual life, doesn’t the devil come in asking why? In fact, he often tells us to either delay repentance or he puts thoughts in our minds that we are not worthy of forgiveness. What is my response when I am spiritually dead? Do I seek after holiness in meeting holy men of God (the priest) like the woman or do I listen to Satan’s attempt to prohibit me from meeting Christ?

v26-30: We see here a very strong parallel between the sinner woman of the New Testament and this Shunamite woman. Both were in deep distress, clinged to the feet of a holy man of God and in both instances there was a person that was trying to prohibit them from meeting Christ (Elisha was a type of Christ). The Shunamite woman’s response is remarkable. She says to Elisha in verse 30 As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. Is this my attitude in repentance? If Satan tries to stop me, do I give in or do I hold onto Christ for dear life? This is the third response, to stick to Christ like glue.

v31-35: St Augustine has a really nice commentary on this verse. He says Elisha came in person; he was a type of our Lord who had sent His servant ahead of Him with a staff that represents the law… The dead child arose when the living man had fitted himself to him; the Lord accomplished what the staff had failed to do; grace achieved what the Law could not. It’s in these verses that we begin to see Christ’s response to my repentance. The first thing Elisha did was he stretched himself out on the child, mouth on mouth, eye on eye, etc. The fathers say that in the same way that the big man Elisha tried to fit himself on the child’s body, so also Christ the Divine, incarnated and “fit” Himself in the human flesh. The second step was that Elisha rose walked back and forth in the house. Again the fathers say that this was symbolic of Christ walking to the different cities preaching the Gospel. The third step was that Elisha went out again and stretched himself on the child again and of course this alludes to the crucifixion. After all of this, the child who was once dead sneezed seven times and his eyes were opened. Elisha’s actions resulted in the complete rising of the child (seven representing completion). What does this mean for me? When I am truly repentant, the power of Christ’s incarnation, death and resurrection is manifested and I am once again raised from spiritual death. Not only that, but I become a part of Him, “his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes and his hands on his hands” verse 34. This is the victory Christ gives us when we turn back to Him in repentance.

In our relationship with Christ, we will often encounter moments where we are spiritually dead. Like the child we become immovable and paralysed by our sin. However, when we come to Christ in true repentance, clinging onto Him, an immense Divine power is manifested and we are once again made alive in the body of Christ. May we always return back to the source of life and healing so that we may be eternally united with Him in the Paradise of Joy.

Glory be to God Amen.