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Fr Daniel's Weekly Lent Reflection

The Holy Lent is upon us. The Church Fathers describe Lent with much fondness; some call it the spring of the Spiritual year. There are various ways we can describe the Great Fast, but all the descriptions agree that this is a time of renewal. In the Coptic Orthodox Church, the selection of readings all point to Repentance. Repentance in essence is a changing of the mind or a renewing of our spirit and reinvigorating our spiritual life.

Over this year’s Lent, I hope that I can share with you some thoughts about what might reinvigorate my own spiritual life. In so doing I hope you con along with me on this journey. Together we may become much more awakened to the presences and voice of God the Father in our lives.

I am moved by what St Paul writes to his disciple St Timothy, he says, “But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. (1 Tim 4:7-8). Here St Paul open tell us that to advance or even be Godly we need to develop or exercise our spirituality. St Paul uses the example of an athlete exercising to develop his physical strength and then tells us how much more profitable it would be to develop our spiritual strengths through spiritual exercise. Our Church fathers, the monks were renowned for developing spiritual exercises that built their spirit. Remarkable, the more they developed their spirit, through spiritual discipline, the more aware they were of the voice of the Lord in their lives and the deeper and more sincere their love for all became.

We all develop by learning and we never cease to learn. Therefore, in this season of renewal of mind and spiritual, let it be a time to learn new ways and new ways of doing things that we are used to do that will awaken us to the Glory of God that awaits us. Our precious Church, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and the time-tested traditions has kept for us boundaries to reinvigorate our spirit. Lets follow some of these ways an be renewed. Each Monday I write a small meditation on a spiritual exercise. So through the weeks of Lent we can add more and more to our spirit.

The first Spiritual Discipline we will tackle will be prayer. As St Paul writes “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;” (Col 4:2). It is not a coincidence that the readings of Preparation Sunday and The First Sunday of Lent are to do with prayer. Next week we will look at this holy state of prayer and hope to deepen our intimacy in prayer.

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