KARACHI:
Christians across Karachi have begun observing Lent, the period of fasting that leads up to Easter, to purge themselves of the sins accumulated in the past year.
It started with prayers and services across churches on ‘Ash Wednesday’, which fell on March 9. Priests smeared palm ashes on the foreheads of people as a mark of repentence. Lent lasts for about 40 days.
Unlike in Ramadan, the Lenten fasts are not obligatory for all Christians. Each fast is 24 hours long and usually lasts from one sunset to another. It requires abstinence from good food, like meat, and soups or gravies made of meat, as well as the misdeeds of the five senses, explained Bishop Ijaz Inayat of the Holy Trinity Church.
At a private gathering at St Michael’s Church, Eliza Allison, 17, who hasn’t started fasting, came as a choir member to seek her own spirituality. Besides singing hymns with the small crowd, she also fervently concentrated on the bishop’s sermon on how we must become better human beings instead of becoming judges on earth.
This year Jacob Daniel is observing Lent for the sole purpose of becoming more forebearing. “Being a member of a minority, I will have to accept that I am a second class citizen in the country,” he said, describing the abstinence as practice to prepare him to face hardships on earth.
Marina, a Catholic, who plans to fast all 40 days, said that the customs and practices vary with culture. “While some people believe they can drink water and liquids during the fast, there are those influenced by the local culture and dont,” she said.
On the other hand, Dr Mehmood Sotra, 38, explained that he has never fasted as he feels he has no control over his five senses. “My friends criticise me for not fasting, but I believe one has to be strong enough to control one’s conscious as well as the subconscious, otherwise there is no point.”
A pamphlet distributed among Catholic followers this year urges people to avoid anger and hatred, judging others, discouragement, complaining, resentment or bitterness, and spending too much money.
Each church publishes its own schedule for the programmes as holy hour, night of worship, holy Thursday, holy Friday and sermons. The worship will continue till April 23, concluding at Easter on the 24th.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 11th, 2011.
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