With the help of the excavator: prayer, fasting, penance, abstinence, and almsgiving.
A brief reflection on Lent 2025.
Context!
We all know and are familiar with SEATOU (Secretary of State for Toponymic Affairs) and its work. Of course, friends in the capital, Dili, know it better than we do in the mountains. Sometimes, when people mention SEATOU, they immediately associate it with being the owner of the city of Dili. Yes, the government, through SEATOU, wants to organize and reorganize the city; Dili and across East Timor. They are simply trying to restore order in the city, ensuring everything is in its rightful place. The goal of organizing, reorganizing, and restoring order is to beautify the city and protect it from future problems that might arise from its disorder. It brings hope to our city: a beautiful city for Timor. When there is order in the city, we feel safe, the place is clean, and we feel more spacious and at peace.
For us Christians, the time of Lent, which begins with Ash Wednesday, is a time for us to organize, reorganize, and put order in our lives. In this way, we can celebrate the central mystery of our faith, Easter, well and with dignity. Thus, Lent is a time for us to make a transformative journey through conversion and the renewal of our lives. Just as SEATOU uses machines to “clear away” everything that creates disorder and occupies space, the tools we use during Lent to cleanse our hearts and bring order to our faith are prayer, fasting, penance, abstinence, and almsgiving. Therefore, Lent is a time and an opportunity the Church offers to Christians, as a “favorable” time for each Christian to align their life with God’s dream for all humanity. It is a reality of bringing our lives closer to God.
Points for reflection:
1. Prayer: Strengthen your personal relationship with God!
Prayer is an essential part of our Lenten journey. It helps us strengthen our relationship and friendship with God. Prayer, almsgiving, and fasting are ways we express our conversion in relation to ourselves, to God, and to others. Through prayer, our hearts are open to divine grace, and we seek God’s help to strengthen our spiritual lives. Pope Francis encourages us to use this time to reflect on our openness to God’s call for change in our lives. He calls us to deepen our relationship and connection with God.
2. Fasting: Self-control and solidarity with others!
Fasting during Lent is not simply about not eating or reducing food. Rather, it is an exercise in self-discipline and an expression of solidarity with those who suffer. The Catechism teaches us that fasting helps us control our instincts and purify our hearts. By willingly enduring hunger, we reaffirm our dependence on God and are called to respond with compassion to those most in need. This practice, in line with Pope Francis’ invitation to consider the daily lives of migrants and travelers, encourages us to sympathize with their struggles and discern how we can move forward in alignment with God the Father.
Jesus understood fasting as an exercise of self-control, where the strength (laham) to control one’s desires leads to a life of service to others. When we control our hunger, thirst, and other desires, we also learn to control our words, passions, evil deeds, selfishness, hatred, and bitterness—emotions that prevent us from forming friendships and becoming people of solidarity. Therefore, fasting not only helps us overcome physical hunger but also enables us to overcome selfishness and be more open to others.
3. Almsgiving: Charity to brothers and sisters.
Almsgiving means giving what we have as an act of fraternal charity. It is not always easy, but it challenges us to see others in a new light, to see the good in them, to be more human, to give courage, console, and accompany others. Almsgiving is about being open and welcoming, especially to those in need. However, almsgiving must be done with clear intentions and the right motives (Matthew 6:1-4). Almsgiving alone is not enough; we come from the same root, and as “children of His Son,” we have an obligation to maintain our relationship with the Lord through prayer. The prayer recorded in Matthew 6:5–13 reminds us of this. We must also continue to practice penance and abstinence with love and faith during this Lenten season. In doing so, we purify our body, mind, and spirit in an integrated way, always seeking to serve alongside the Holy Spirit, who strengthens us during this time of Lent. We must continually allow room for the Holy Spirit to work in us.
In summary, the readings present us with the practices of Lent—prayer, fasting, penance, abstinence, and almsgiving. These practices enlighten and provoke our relationships with God and others, inspired by the life and mission of Jesus. Prayer, fasting, penance, abstinence, and almsgiving are five small gestures that “reveal our humanity,” making us more authentic and giving deeper meaning to our lives, especially our Christian lives.
Let us become SEATOU during this Lenten season, purifying our motivations for fasting, elevating our awareness of charity, and engaging in prayerful conversation with our Creator. Only in this way can we make Lent a project of life, a way of proceeding for those who wish to open themselves to receive the true light of the Lord Jesus. Amen.
AMDG!
By: Fr. Luis Pereira, SJ (luper.sj)