Priest: Be Christ-like after Lent

A Roman Catholic priest has lamented the culture of people temporarily relinquishing their self-indulgent lifestyles during Lent, only to continue it when the 40-day period is over.

Fr Leslie Tang Kai, delivering the homily at an Ash Wednesday mass at Scarborough RC Church, Bacolet, challenged worshippers to develop Christ-like qualities, which he said transcends self-indulgence.

“I strongly believe that God is asking us to look into ourselves and to be reconciled with him,” he said.

“Forget the Coca Cola, forget the alcohol, forget the cigarette, forget the coffee and the chocolate – the things we often like to give up in Lent just to pick them up again when it is over.”

Tang Kai added: “Stop giving up to pick back up. But pick up an attitude, my brothers and sisters, that can transform your life and society, that we might see the grace of God in our time.”

Ash Wednesday marks the official start of Lent, a 40-day Christian observance of prayer, fasting and repentance.

Tang Kai told a packed congregation they must adopt a new way of life – one that incorporates kindness and compassion – in order to become Christ-like.

“We must take on a new discipline, a new way of life, a new way of relating with God... to be kind, to be loving or to be compassionate. I want to add, to be like Christ, taking on that discipline that will make us become more and more Christ-like in the world today.”

The priest said in seeking to be kind, loving and compassionate “we must not forget our own feelings unto others.

“Yes, we might be upset. Yes, people might do things or say things to upset you. But we must still try to be kind. It not easy, right?” he asked the congregation.

Tang Kai said he asked students of Scarborough RC, earlier in the day, to respond to the same question, “Why do we get upset with others?”

He said a young boy responded: “Because they offend us.”

Tang Kai wondered if God became upset and angry with people every time they offended him “where would we be, my brothers and sisters?”

He said: “That is why God is calling the church, in our time, to be like him. Very often, we react to others out of our own angry situations but can we be kind and charitable to people, instead of bad-talking and gossiping about people behind their backs?”

“If all of us, as sons and daughters, for the next 40 days took on the discipline to be kind to each-other, oh, what a wonderful world it will be. There will be nobody bad-talking you behind yuh back; there will be no gossiping; there will be no wrangling in the workplaces. When people upset you, show them love,” the priest added.

Tang Kai said Lent was about becoming “transformed, renewed, empowered” in Christ Jesus.

“What does a community of believers look like when we are reconciled, one with the other. Oh my God, we will be loving each other like that. Our Christian brother or Christian sister, they would be recognised in each other.”

As such, Tang Kai said achieving a Christ-like state was not impossible.

“I honestly believe if each one of us for the next 40 days took on the discipline of being kind, loving and compassionate and Christ-like, wherever you go after that 40 days, your life, your environment, the persons you effect and affect will never be the same again,” he said.