A season of wonder and joy

In this country, in times not-so-long gone by, there was a clear distinction between Carnival and Lent. As Ash Wednesday dawned, all Carnival activity came to a complete stop and the Lenten season came into force.

Children, perhaps with a certain self-satisfied smugness, would look scandalised if any other child dared to even whisper the words of a Calypso. The remnants of Carnival costumes were the only visible evidence of the festivities of the season just passed. Radio stations, by and large, respected the Christian Lenten tradition and generally the country took on a sober aspect.

The lines between Carnival and Lent have become blurred in our time and there are advertisements galore for post-Carnival parties, shows and beach ‘limes’.  There is a clear reluctance to put away ‘the things of the flesh’ and to attend to the vital business of self-examination and to move resolutely along the path that heals our relationship with our God and ultimately with our neighbour and our environment.

Self-denial, repentance, and penance have become old-fashioned concepts that we struggle to accept and even more, to embrace.

The world around us has fed and continually reinforces the idea that we must live for and in the moment and that the teaching of the Church regarding the immortality of the soul is an irrelevant and suppressive imposition.

Perhaps this explains some of the behaviour and the ‘costumes’ that were so blatant on our streets a few days ago. Even some deejays at children’s pre-Carnival events encourage the belief that Carnival is a justification to “wine dong to de groun” and to ignore the consequences of soul-destructive antics in the name of self-gratification.

This is not to deny the positive aspects of Carnival. The creativity and beauty, the incredible sense of freedom from the everyday cares and worries of our world and the sense of national identity are wholesome, rejuvenating and refreshing and create a sense of stability in a very fragile, global environment.

The Church teaches that during this sacred period of Lent, we should increase and enrich our prayer life and practise the virtues of penance and almsgiving. Contrary to the idea that this will, in some way, decrease our quality of life, these three tenets of our faith enhance our spiritual and social lives and allow us to be active participants in the glory of the Risen Lord and lead eventually to eternal joy with Him.

It is our duty to ensure that we participate, with faith and sincerity, in the life-giving opportunities that Lent presents to us. It is equally important that we teach our children the true value of this season and ensure that they are placed on the path that leads to the One, True and Living God, the only source of eternal joy and life.

Our Catholic schools and First Communion and Confirmation classes bear a special responsibility in this respect. If our children are being bombarded with false and negative teachings, the salvation of their souls becomes an even more onerous duty to the parents, teachers, priests, and religious groups that form an actual or peripheral part of their lives.

Prayer must not be taught, presented, or practised as repetitive ritual but rather as an open, sustainable, real-life, and lifelong relationship with the God who made us.  Penance should teach self-examination and increase our hunger to know and please Him. Almsgiving must encompass the giving of one’s time, energy, and compassion, especially to our most vulnerable and needy family members and members of our immediate and wider community.

What a wonderful season this is to serve and praise the Lord!

This is our time to seek and embrace joy beyond compare!