Praying and Fasting
You will not like me saying this, but Ash Wednesday is just over a month away – 5 March 2025. Having just celebrated Christmas and the opening of the Jubilee Year in our Archdiocese (Year of Hope), this Sunday we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation – which offers us some good guidance as we start to prepare for Lent.
The reference to Anna in our Gospel, brings back memories of a trip to the Holy Land and the sight of a lady at the Holy Sepulchre who spent most of her day praying and wiping the stone of unction (slab upon which the body of Jesus was laid). I saw her arriving first thing in the morning and again leaving when the doors closed at night. I was struck by her faith, the amount of time she spent praying and her content look. I imagine Anna to be the same.
Anna is of course not the only interesting person in our Gospel today. There is Mary and Joseph, who obeyed the law and presented their first born, along with their offering. Simeon who gave praise to God and foretold Mary’s suffering and then there is Jesus himself, the symbol of hope.
His conception was contrary to the laws of life, he was not rich, never travelled internationally, except for the short time when his family was in exile, he defied the laws of nature and was never formally trained to be a preacher or wrote a book or song.
Despite all of this, he came into the world and 2000 years later we still celebrate his birth, despite not been rich, millions call him their King, his words have reached every corner of the world, he walked on water, raised the dead and more books and songs have been written about him than any other person who has walked this earth. Jesus’s life is our hope.
So how does the Presentation of the Lord relate to Lent. While Jesus is the absolute focus of the Presentation – Simeon and Anna provide us with a good example of the benefits of prayer and fasting that we can take into Lent. Through their prayers and fasting as well as hope, they were able to recognise our Lord and give him praise. So as we head towards Ash Wednesday, let’s use the time to reflect on how we can make prayer and fasting part of our daily lives during Lent and everyday thereafter.
Clint Ramoo – Finance Chair
