Lent Day 10 | 40 to Life

A. Pace Lenten Reflection

Saturday 12 March 2022
Ember Days 

Hello Redeemer Family! I’m Allison Pace, your Director of Children & Youth Ministries. Welcome back to our Lenten Reflection series, 40 to Life.

Today, Saturday March 12th, the last day in the first week of Lent, is also one of the Episcopal Church’s Ember Days. 

Ember Days happen on four occasions throughout the Liturgical Year, and refers to three days that are intentionally set aside for fasting, abstinence and prayer. 

I think it’s rather timely that an Ember Day falls after Ash Wednesday, towards the beginning of each Lenten Season because these 3 disciplines: fasting, abstinence and prayer are all ways in which we can live more deeply into this season. 

Fasting and Abstinence: and I don’t mean not eating from sunrise to sunset; and I don’t mean simply giving up your favorite food, or speeding, or swearing (those things are great), but rather, consider giving up the hate or frustration that sometimes fills our hearts–fast and abstain from those things that strays you from God’s loving embrace.

Prayer: setting aside intentional prayer–alone time with God, to have a beautiful, private conversation. You might also consider your daily movements: the way you walk, talk to others, the work in which you engage in, give that up to God as a form of prayer, also. Consider prayer in all that you do–the way we live and move and have our being.

These 3 disciplines of fasting, abstinence and prayer are ways in which we can truly live into what Jesus is asking of us in today’s Gospel according to Matthew. 

The Gospel text reads, 

Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

And, so I invite you to reflect on how you are strengthening your relationship with God, your neighbors and even your enemies, through means of fasting, abstinence and prayer during this Lenten Season.