Fr Sirju prays for nation’s leaders

The Mass marked the official start of 40 days of the Lent. “We pray that they (leaders) would put themselves in communion of people so they will not be perceived as living a life of luxury but rather walking the talk.” Yesterday, all around the world Catholics and Anglicans began the first day of Lent, a period when Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline. There was standing room only as hundreds packed into the church to be marked with ashes on their forehead.

Fr Sirju gave a few pointers on how to fast during this period urging patience during this time. He explained that fasting engenders discipline of the body mind and spirit but asked the congregation not to make a mockery of it. According to Sirju, when one denies themselves food, one can identify with the millions across the world who go hungry on a daily basis.

“You deliberately make yourself hungry so you may feel the hunger of others. Millions of people, many of them children, go without food on a regular basis, many of them on a daily basis. So you cannot fast and when somebody gives you a bad drive, you cuss that person. No! You can’t fast like that. Fasting must be in the service of the internal discipline.” Fr Sirju continued, “You cannot be fasting on one hand and then reaching 15 minutes or half an hour late for work everyday. That is a reckless fast.

If you are fasting, it is to engender a virtue and live a certain kind of life not so much in the church but in the world.” He said it is not right to fast only during Lent but it should be done at specific times throughout the year.

“If we begin the Lenten Season by thinking it is okay to pray, fast and give alms and not do it outside of Lent then we are misunderstanding our tradition. Our efforts must be intensified in this season of Lent.”