Easter Reflections With Prince Charles Akano :LESSONS OF LENTEN PERIOD

The feast of the Passion and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, otherwise known *PASCAL PERIOD* as the most important part of Christianity world over; is the oldest and extensive feast of the Christendom,  that changes date every year (always taking place in either March or April) because it is tied to the major Jewish calendar or feast. Passover, which is celebrated on the evening of 14 Nissan (the first month of the Jewish Calendar during the spring equinox)and which commemorates God’s deliverance of the Jews people from Egyptian bondage, that is to say; the passage from slavery to total freedom. In actual fact, the English term, *PASSOVER* is derives from  the Hebrew *PESAH* (which occurs in Exodus 12:13) and means *PASSAGE*.

Therefore, Lenten period simply means; that is, if you totally observed all the intricate of *PENITENTIAL ACTS*, will bring you from *the passage of slavery to Christ like freedom, passage from death to eternal divine life, from economic battles to baton of graceful dances, from hardship to a sound rescued life in Christ, from failure to super success, from sadness to the joy of the Lord, from doubt to certainty, from degradation to dignity, from hardships to rescued life, and from shame to fame*

Borrowing a leaf from *PRESIDENT THEODORE ROOSEVELT of AMERICA*; his words, “it is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where doer of feeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again ; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievements, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while *DARING GREATLY* so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who know neither victory of defeat”

After the excruciating forty days of general abstinence asceticism of *FASTING/PRAYING*; giving *alms to the needy which is the most important aspect of it all; the batons of victory can now be exchanged and assured.

On Thursday, Christians all over the world celebrates *HOLY THURSDAY* HOLY THURSDAY, is too much a feast for one day. It is so rich a feast in the *CANONICAL ORDER* that it overflows, as it were, it’s spot on the *LITURGICAL CALENDAR* It forms part of the HOLY WEEK and indeed the *LAST SUPER*. The *THE SUPER INCLUDES THREE PRINCIPAL ELEMEMTS*.

(1)  There is the institution of the. *EUCHARIST*, (2) the concurrent institution of the ministerial of  *PRIESTHOOD*, and the *NEW COMMANDMENT TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER*, these powerfully symbolized in the *WASHING* of the *APOSTLES* feet by *JESUS CHRIST* Himself. At the evening Mass of the the Lord’s last supper, these elements where demonstrated and are highlighted. The *ENGLISH NAME  ‘MAUNDY THURSDAY’*, in fact is derived from the Latin antiphon  *MANDATUM NOVUM*(New Commandment) which became corrupted in translation to Maundy.

So Holy Thursday is for our *PRIESTS* (Reverend Fathers) what wedding anniversaries for married couples (even as l celebrated mine on the forth of April this year 4/4/2023), a time to celebrate promises kept and to be acquainted with ones *fidelity*, a time to meditate in retrospect our vows and interest in Christ. It is a day of reflections; a day to showcase humility, to be humbled in all facets of our transactions with our fellow human beings. It is also a day to replicate in a serious retrospect once more, our past mistakes, evils done to our neighbors and make immediate amendments to our fellow Christians.

As a true lover of God and a true Christian, businessman, politicians, civil servants who gamble and embezzled the tax payers money, have you made your restitution to God?

Have you for once called on that your siblings suffering to place bread on their table? Have your asked God to forgive you for your atrocities of killings as a politician? Have you after cheating your kinsmen to call yourself to order?

Then, why not draw your memories to those of old, like *VERONICA and SIMON OF SERIA* who wiped our Lord’s face in pity and carried His Cross as a help.

What of our present day *missionaries* in the person of the District Superintendent  of *ASSEMBLIES OF GOD, INTERNATIONAL WORSHIP CENTRE, GWARIMPA, ABUJA*, *REV. Dr. EMEKA EZE* who God has used effectively to evangelize the universe through his every *Sunday Sermon of the Sunday Sun Newspaper

It is apparent that the Lessons of Lentan period will be for us Christians to learn humility. Let the lesson begin with our perceptive that divinely God in His infinite mercies has blessed our country and States with abundant rich human and material resources. But how do we tap from these divine blessings? Is it by being our brothers keepers or by being our brothers killers and the numerous or countless assassinations and sharp corrupt practices inherent in our body politics of the day and in our various callings in our nation .

God loves mankind and the only creature He created saying, ” let us create man according to Ourself or image” we are image of God should behave like Christ. He is very much ready to give us more than we ask Him. He that has promised to carry our burdens, why not follow His ordinances and commandments?

God assured us; “for l know the thoughts l think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give us and expected end”,  Jeremiah 29:11. Acrimony and bitterness can lead us nowhere rather it draws us back to hatred and other criminally motivated vices.

Let the lessons of Lent teach us moral behaviours and how best to lead and leave a good Christian life.

PRINCE CHARLES AKANO

Ugegbe Isu,

is of St. Mary’s Catholic Parish,

Isu, Nwangele Council Area, Imo State.