(The Nationalist, February 2006)
In Lent we are called to repent and sin no more. There’s a story about Peter, a painter, who wasn’t very professional in his work. He used to dilute the paint with lots of turpentine, which made it easier to spread as well as lasting longer. In his town there was a parish where they wanted to re-paint the outside of the church. So they called for tenders. Peter submitted his estimate, and it was accepted.
He set up scaffolding and began work, using his well-diluted paint. Suddenly, a thunderstorm started, and lightning struck near the scaffolding; Peter fell to the ground and got a bad fright. But he picked himself up, and then he saw the new paint being washed off the wall by the downpour.
He took this as a warning from God about his cheating, and he said, ‘God, what do you want me to do?’ According to the story, God answered, ‘Peter, re-paint, and thin no more!’
Saint Basil the Great, a monk living in Turkey in the fourth century, wrote a rule of life for his monks. (They are still there today in the Order of Saint Basil in the Eastern Church.) He gave us a wider understanding of what fasting may include. He wrote, ‘Do not limit the benefits of fasting merely to abstinence from food, for a true fast means abstaining from evil. Loose every unjust bond, put away your resentment against your neighbour, forgive him his offences. Do not let your fasting lead only to wrangling and strife. You do not eat meat, but you devour your brother; you abstain from wine, but not from insults. So all the labour of your fast is useless’. (On Fasting, 1.10)
We could:
- Fast from indifference, self-centredness, not caring. Give your family extra love each day.
- Fast from judging others. Before making judgments, recall how we wish Jesus to overlook our faults.
- Fast from discouragement. Hold on to Jesus’ promise that he has a mission for us. Whatever we give up for Lent, don’t let it be hope.
- Fast from complaining, from self-pity. When we are about to complain, let us stop and recall the good things that happened to us in our life.
- Fast from resentment and bitterness. Work on forgiving those who may have hurt us.
- Fast from spending too much money on ourselves, from self-indulgence. Set out to reduce our personal spending and to give instead to the poor, e.g. through Trócaire.
In Lent, don’t just give up, take up. Take up prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Give up sin, take up repentance. Do something which is personal, that is, that costs us something in personal effort or sacrifice; practical, and positive. Lent is an opportunity to move from mediocrity to greatness, from inward-looking stagnation to a self-giving generosity and growth.
For those in a hurry: ‘Human ethics must not end with humans, but should extend to the universe’. (U Thant, former UN Secretary General)