On day in the south of Democratic Republic of
Congo a Christian decided to go far away to work and to help the government to
arrange the road through an inhabited area. In this area there was neither church nor small Christian communities and he
knew that before. This Christian was always anxious to know how people prayed
because there is no priest and catechists. In working there one day he met a
priest who came just to visit them. So for him it was a big event and a real
surprised, he could not believe such encounter. Immediately, he asked the
priest to help him with some advices about the Lenten season more especially.
However, the priest was very happy and joyful to meet a
Christian living far away from town and far from the church. The priest gave
him a paper bag containing various signs and symbols of the Lenten season. The
priest advised him to use these signs and symbols to pray every Sunday and on
the big feast of the 40 days Lenten period. Then, the Christian began to use
the signs and symbols in his paper bag each Sunday until Easter Sunday. For him,
the use of these symbols has been helpful to understand better the 40 days
spiritual journey during the Lenten season. Dear friends, Our Christian
tradition is to make a spiritual journey of 40 days more especially in this
period called “LENTEN SEASON.”
Therefore, these signs and symbols are very
important in Christian’s life. They help us to meditate and reflect at
the same time the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ. So it is now our duty as
a Christian to make useful these symbols more especially in this period of
Lenten season. Our Lenten spiritual journey began on “Ash Wednesday”
in the middle of February. I call it spiritual journey simply because each and
everyone accepts to suffer together with Christ during
this 40 days and raise with him on Easter Sunday. The meaning of Ashes is only
the first symbol to remember penance and fasting. Let us reflect more deeply
about the following signs:
- Sand : First Sunday
of lent.
- Stones : Second Sunday of lent.
- Cord : Third Sunday of lent.
- Candle : Fourth Sunday of lent.
- Maize and Millet seeds : Fifth
Sunday of lent.
- Palm branches : Palm Sunday.
- Towel : Holy Thursday.
- Cross : Good Friday.
- Water : Holy Saturday.
- White cloths : Easter Sunday.
All these symbols are
explained in the scripture readings for the main feasts of Lenten. For example,
this white cloth symbolizes the white robe of the Angel who told the woman at
the tomb that Jesus- Christ had risen from the dead. Today we read the story of
Christ’s resurrection from St Luke’s gospel on Easter Sunday.
Lastly, these are the
symbols from our daily life, sand, seeds, water, and a cloth. So Jesus as our
brother, our healer, he was not a foreigner but one of us. Therefore, we have a
lot to think about especially in this Lenten season.