Introduction:
What is Lent?
What is Lent?
The Season of Lent, which reminds us the forty days Jesus spent in the desert before taking up his Father’s mission, is celebrated by all Christian Churches as a period of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. The Season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, on which day the faithful are imposed ashes on their foreheads. This symbolic action of imposing ashes reminds us that we are mere mortals – “You are dust and unto dust you shall return” (cf. Gen 3:19) and that we are sinners in need of repentance – “Turn away from sin, and be faithful to the Gospel” (Mk 1:15). Ash Wednesday, therefore, reminds us that we are mere mortal beings, that this world we live is not our permanent home, and that we are sinners in need of metanoia, conversion of mind, heart and vision. Far from this stark reality of our existence, Ash Wednesday presents us two profound faith realities, that is, our permanent home is with God in heaven and our Father in heaven is a loving and forgiving God (Joel 2:13b). It is because of these faith realities the Season of Lent is a grace-filled season – “Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 6:12) – a season of turning back to God and of journeying back home (Lk 15:11-24). This grace-filled season of repentance and forgiveness is referred to as a springtime of Christian life. I would like to offer some thought on Lenten observance base on Pope Frances’ reflection, how best we can live out Lenten poverty in context of forth coming election and the Year of Family.
Pope Francis’ Reflection on Lent:
In his first message, Pope Francis focuses on the poverty of Christ as a model for imitating during this Lenten period of Forty Days of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. He writes that God “does not reveal himself cloaked in worldly power and wealth but rather in weakness and poverty.” He explains this fact of God by quoting St. Paul who wrote; “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich” (2 Cor 8:9). The Pope explains that love is the reason why God had acted in this mysterious way - “But the reason for all this is his love, … a love which does not hesitate to offer itself in sacrifice for the beloved. … God did this with us.” This act of love, “the logic of incarnation and the cross” is “his way of loving us, his way of being our neighbour, just as the Good Samaritan was neighbour to the man left half dead by the side of the road” (cf. Lk 10:25ff). This self emptying or poverty of Jesus is not like someone who gives alms from his abundance out of a sense of altruism and piety but is from a profound experience of his Father’s infinite love and mercy. Hence, his poverty is out of the richness of his being the Son of God the Father, who is abounding in love, compassion and tenderness. It is this experience of Jesus, the inexhaustible love of the Father, which is the source, motive and drive of Jesus’ poverty, his selfless donation in order to enrich others – “to become sons and daughters in the Son, brothers and sisters in the firstborn brother” (cf. Rom 8:29).
The Holy Father describes three types of destitution we Christians are called to confront in imitation of our Master Jesus. The three types of destitution we confront are material, moral and spiritual. The Pope writes, “Material destitution is what is normally called poverty, and affects those living in conditions opposed to human dignity: those who lack basic rights and needs such as food, water, hygiene, work and the opportunity to develop and grow culturally.” The main reason for material poverty is due to displaced priority - “When power, luxury and money become idols, they take priority over the need for a fair distribution of wealth”.
He describes moral destitution as “slavery to vice and sin”. He laments that moral destitution has affected many families especially the young members of the family, who are “in thrall to alcohol, drugs, gambling or pornography”. He opines that ‘unjust social conditions, unemployment, which takes away their dignity as breadwinners, and lack of equal access to education and health care are some important causes, which blurs many people from seeing ‘the meaning in life or prospects for the future, or have lost hope’. This moral destitution is closely linked to spiritual destitution, ‘which we experience when we turn away from God and reject his love.
Encouraging the faithful to “imitate Christ who became poor and enriched us by his poverty,” Pope Francis calls for self-denial, which hurts us while enriching others during this Lenten period. To counter material destitution Pope Francis asks us to shed our obsession for “power, luxury and money” and convert our conscience to “justice, equality, simplicity and sharing”. Since moral and spiritual destitution has much to do with the loss of self-esteem, trust and hope, Holy Father recommends ‘the Gospels as the “real antidote”.’ He invites all Christians to joyously “proclaim the liberating news that forgiveness for sins committed is possible, that God is greater than our sinfulness, that he freely loves us at all times and that we were made for communion and eternal life.” Pope Francis urges Christians to follow and imitate Jesus, “who sought out the poor and sinners, and console broken hearts and offer hope to our brothers and sisters experiencing darkness”. God is the ultimate answer to our world’s problem, “What gives us true freedom, true salvation and true happiness is the compassion, tenderness and solidarity of his love” in Christ Jesus. This poverty of Jesus is not merely an item/idea for preaching, rather imitating our Master, who taking flesh and bearing our weaknesses and sins as an expression of God’s infinite mercy to us, “we Christians are called to face the poverty of our brothers and sisters, to touch it, to make it our own and to take practical steps to alleviate it.” The Pope is convinced that in this way, “we can courageously open up new paths of evangelization and human promotion”.
Relevance of Pope Francis’ Lenten Message today:
Pope Francis’ Lenten reflection, centered on the poverty of Christ that enriches and gives life to others, has special relevance as India prepares her General Election and as the world celebrates the Year of Family. He clearly underlined that there is greatness in poverty or self-denial and self-sacrifice because it enriches and liberates other. This conviction and life style of Jesus’ leadership is something our society sorely needs, and so urgently. The spontaneous rise of Aam Admi Party, a political phenomenon, under the leadership of Mr. Kejriwal is a clear and audacious message, hidden for a long time, that India is thirsting for a genuine, honest and unassuming servant-type of leadership.
In our society, rulers/leaders lording it over or exercising authority over citizens is taken as normal. This style is simply “might makes right” – if you have more money power, if you have more army of gangsters or powerful underground support – you run the show. Here the concept of “lording over” implies absolute power over another. In this leadership you herd people together, and tell them what to do. If anyone disagrees or challenges, you eliminate him/her. This is how Hitler and Pol Pot exercised leadership du ring their times. This style of leadership or exercising greatness was prevalent in even Jesus’ time. Servants and slaves do not define leadership or greatness in their vocabulary and dictionary, as it is in our society today. This type of leadership ushers in the reign of the culture of death, where chaos and lawlessness, growing inequality, hopelessness of the common people, social division and violence become the order of the day, which are familiar phenomena in our society.
To this kind of the culture of death, where people considered lording it over as greatness, Jesus was emphatic in saying, “No” – “Not so with you” (Mk 10:43). For him greatness and leadership is in service, not in ‘lording over’. Jesus inverted the whole understanding, style and landscape of leadership or greatness when he said: “Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all” (Mk 10: 43-44). He himself said, ‘He did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many’ (Mk 10:45). In his scheme of the world to come, society flourishes when men or women who are humble, law abiding, who make sacrifices at the service of others, who transcend selfish ambitions and who are honest and just in dispensing their duties are chosen as leaders. Society degrades when arrogant people with selfish ambition (inordinate love for money and position), who flout law and justice and who are ungodly are elected as leaders. Finding greatness in service begins by giving up ones personal right to be served. It is in putting one’s life at the service of others even to the point of sacrificing one’s ambitious life for the good of humanity.
Conclusion:
I want to reiterate that our society needs a new kind of leadership based on service rather than lording over people, and finding greatness in humble service rather than arrogance. This is what Pope Francis is advocating when he exhorts Christians and men and women of good will to imitate the poverty of Christ.
Jesus’ leadership and greatness is based on poverty, which comes from the prompting of his Father to love and do good to others as against the lure of power, fame and riches. This new outlook on leadership and greatness can come about only when we also follow the dictates of conscience, the voice of God, inviting us to do good and to shun evil. In following conscience human beings act in dignity and promote long term good to the society. This time the General Election gives an opportunity to exercise our franchise based on the dictates of conscience rather than money, food and empty promises. Elect people who are genuine, who fear God, who make sacrifices for common good and not selfish, Godless, lawless, haughty or criminals as your leader. Let everyone exercise the right of franchise freely enlightened by the voice of conscience. Let conscience be our guide, and not the enticement of money, not party affiliation, not selfish ambition or the threat of violence. Let genuine leadership and true greatness flourish in our society.
Family is the basic unit of the society, the small church or temple. The seeds of service and greatness are first sowed and nurtured in the family. The primary teachers and architects of sacrificial service in the family are parents who find greatness in service rather than in being served. Traditional marriage which implies service to the partner no matter the circumstance prepares a fertile atmosphere where true greatness and leadership is nurtured. In a family where parents practice poverty, which implies lovingly giving up personal rights in order to serve the needs of the other; children grow up to become leaders who can sacrifice so that others could benefit. The future of our society will depend on what kind of parents we make of and what kind of family we raise/nurture. As John Paul II said, “The world passes by the family”, which means the society comes from and is the reflection of the family. Obviously, a society produces many great leaders when parents practice and nurture poverty of self-sacrifice and service in the family. In a society where there is exaggerated emphasis on personal rights, legalistic justice and individualism, the Lenten spirit of poverty is an anti-dote. Families, especially Christian families, who imitate the poverty of their Leader (Master) Jesus Christ, can contribute much to the transformation of our society.
I wish all the readers, a fruitful Lenten season and a joyful Easter!
Archbishop Dominic Lumon
