In the time of the Holy lent we celebrate a new chapter of our relationship with God. We tend to release our spirits high and high toward the divine presence, we taste a glimpse of the light of Jesus as he draws near into our heart. Our encounter with Him sometimes is hindered by the busy life we live in, the habits we accustomed to, which pulls us away from His presence, so we fast.
Fasting is not about our bodies at all, it’s all about our spirits. We say to our bodies: will you stop bothering me? will you stop shouting for your needs? it’s a time dedicated to the spirit, to be fed on the divine food.
During Lent we take this journey with Jesus over the mountains of surrender to the will of the father. We stop thinking for ourselves as we enter in realm of Christ-thought to renew our own thoughts about ourselves, the world, the after world and even God. When we force our bodies to stop asking for food we proclaim that we are not from this world, and it will not control us by any means. We proclaim our existence in Christ as sons, and that we get our life not from food but from words of life that shapes us according to the original wonderful image of Him.
In the time of lent we dig deeper in our heart to discover what happened there over days, weeks, months and years. We enter that microcosms, as St. Gregory the theologian named it, to face our real being.
Over there the Holy Spirit takes our hands in tenderness so that we don’t get horrified with ugliness that we may find. He whispers in our ears that all what you see of serpents and scorpions and ruins is not the real “you”, it’s the fake image grown over years by disobedience and rejection of truth. The spirit in these moments gives us hope that He can clean all this mess if you just let Him. If you kneeled before Him to give Him the wheel of your boat to sail through wind and storm. If you can just believe.
Your new belief then, needs to be in a body that strengthen you, here comes the role of Eucharist. You go there with your longing and doubts as well and say, Help me O’Lord, a sinner. In Eucharist you taste strength and hope and life while you eat the body of Life. Your inner man will be cleaned with the blood of Jesus.
Then you go out in the world to testify for what you have seen and tasted. You will testify for the kingdom of God that dwelt in the heart of those who believe.
The life appeared
we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life
which was with the Father and has appeared to us
(1Jo 1:2 NIV)
