We are entering into the most vibrant season of the liturgical year of the Syro-Malabar Church — the Great Lent. In our ecclesial tradition, Lent is not merely a period of certain external renunciations; rather, it is a spiritual pilgrimage in which we actively participate in the salvific mysteries of Christ, passing through His sufferings and entering into the glory of His Resurrection. That the Church sets apart nearly one hundred days in the liturgical year for fasting proclaims the undeniable importance of this sacred season in our spiritual life. This holy time is the arena of a spiritual struggle to regain the divine glory and likeness lost through original sin. Through repentance at the foot of the Cross and prayer in the desert, this Lent invites each one of us to be transformed into a new creation.
Fasting calls us into the desert of solitude. The forty days of solitude observed by Christ in the wilderness is the model for our spiritual life. Solitude does not mean an escape from the world, but rather silencing the worldly noises that hinder us from hearing the voice of God. As the Scripture says, “I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her” (Hosea 2:14), it is in the desert of our hearts that we encounter the Lord.
The Eastern Fathers describe this state as “rest in silence.” Isaac of Nineveh teaches: “If you make yourself silent, your silence will become a chariot for you; it will carry you to God.” Likewise, Ephrem the Syrian describes the desert and solitude as the place where the soul, the bride, meets Christ, the Bridegroom. The solitude of this Lenten season is the space where our soul is purified in the fire of divine love.
The forty days of Christ in the desert teach us that solitude is necessary to overcome the temptations of the evil one and to discern the will of the Father. During this Lent, we must learn to create a “desert” of the heart in our homes and workplaces. There, we are not alone, but in communion with the Lord of the universe.
In the tradition of our Church, fasting is purification through tears. Three Gospel figures guide us on this path of transformation: The Good Thief:Standing at the foot of the Cross, the Good Thief recognized the divinity of Christ. A single moment of sincere repentance opened for him the gates of Paradise. In the prayers of the Church, he is remembered as the one who received the “key of Paradise.” Through repentance, he teaches us to crucify the old self within us and to rise with Christ.Mary Magdalene:She journeyed from the darkness of sin into the light of love. By weeping at the feet of the Lord, she shows us that what God desires is not sacrifices, but a broken and contrite heart. Nicodemus:Hesitant to confess Christ openly in the light of day, Nicodemus represents spiritual growth during Lent. From the secrecy of night, he gradually moved toward the light that is Christ. Like Nicodemus who came to the Crucified One bearing precious spices, our Lenten observance becomes meaningful when we share the fruits of our labor with the poor and the needy. Fasting awakens the hunger of the soul through the hunger of the body — and this hunger must lead us to our brother and sister.
This Great Lenten season must not remain confined to rituals and external practices. Rather, by identifying ourselves with the Passion and Death of Christ, it becomes a process of divinization (Theosis), enabling us to share in His glorious Resurrection.Our fasting awakens the soul through the hunger of the body. Our prayer raises our hearts into heavenly silence. Our almsgiving teaches us to see Christ in the wounds of our brothers and sisters. Like Nicodemus, may we move from the nights of fear into the light of truth. Like the Good Thief, may we approach the Cross in repentance. Like Mary Magdalene, may we follow the Lord with the fragrant oil of love. When we empty ourselves in the solitude of the desert, the Risen Christ will be born within us as a New Creation. May the abundant grace of Christ guide each one of us on this pilgrimage — from the way of the Cross to the radiance of the Resurrection!
Major Archbishop Mar Raphael Thattil
