04-10-2007, 03:15 AM
All for the greater glory of God.
May the peace of Christ be with you!
Wael, the biblical references I provided pertain to fasting & abstinence. I quoted the O/T because time in the wilderness is connected to the time in the desert.
Like I said, Lent calls for interior penance. In other words: mortification, ascetical practice, self-denial, self-control, self-mastery, etc.
Christians don't literally travel to the Sahara desert & hope that Satan tempts them 3 times so they can relive Jesus' experience. It all takes place on the inside, within the depth of our hearts.
The Holy Bible is not to be approached in the same way as the Holy Quran. It's not an instruction book or manual. I like to refer to it as a "Love Letter" from God to His people. When we fast & abstain during Lent it's our way of reciprocating love. We were created with a mind, body & soul to know, love & serve God. We can work things out for ourselves. When the Church sets precepts for Lent, she's saying, "do this, it's good for you." We abstain from meat on Friday's to honor Jesus' death on the Cross - when Jesus sacrificed His flesh for the salvation of mankind. It helps us understand & appreciate the meaning of Good Friday.
As for re-enacting Christ's passion (carrying the Cross in the streets), this is to visualize what actually happened with external senses. There's nothing wrong with it. If it brings people closer to the event then I support it. At my Church we do something similar by praying the Stations of the Cross & meditating on Scripture. I miss Easter already!
God bless.