{"id":7347,"date":"2013-02-18T17:48:17","date_gmt":"2013-02-18T17:48:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/?p=7347"},"modified":"2014-07-11T19:47:16","modified_gmt":"2014-07-11T19:47:16","slug":"lent-40-days-of-prayer-and-fasting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/lent-40-days-of-prayer-and-fasting\/","title":{"rendered":"Lent: 40 days of Prayer and Fasting"},"content":{"rendered":"

Marhaba <\/span>(\u0645\u0631\u062d\u0628\u0627)! Last Wednesday, February 13, millions of Christians around the world marched around with a large black cross (<\/span>\u0635\u0644\u064a\u0628<\/span>) on their foreheads. What is recognized as Ash Wednesday in Western societies is called Ash Monday or Clean Monday(<\/span>\u0625\u062b\u0646\u064a\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0631\u0645\u0627\u062f<\/span>) in Levantine societies, where millions celebrated the same symbolic tradition on Monday February 11 – two days earlier. This tradition marks the beginning of the Lent Season (\u0632\u0645\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0635\u0648\u0645<\/span>) for Christians (\u0627\u0644\u0645\u0633\u064a\u062d\u064a\u0651\u0646<\/span>). It is a period of intense fasting (\u0635\u0648\u0645<\/span>) and prayer (\u0635\u0644\u0627\u0629<\/span>) to God for 40 days prior to Easter(<\/span>\u0639\u064a\u062f \u0627\u0644\u0641\u0635\u062d<\/span>) which falls on March 31 this year. Yet, Orthodox Churches (\u0627\u0644\u0643\u0646\u0627\u0626\u0633 \u0627\u0644\u0623\u0631\u062b\u0648\u0630\u0643\u0633\u064a\u0651\u0629<\/span>) in the Levant follow the Julian calendar (<\/span>\u0627\u0644\u062a\u0642\u0648\u064a\u0645 \u0627\u0644\u064a\u0648\u0644\u064a\u0648\u0633\u064a<\/span>)and their Lent Season begins on March 31 and their Easter on May 5.\u00a0 This tradition of fasting and prayer is found in other Abrahamic religions, like Islam, and specifically during Ramadan (<\/span>\u0634\u0647\u0631 \u0631\u0645\u0636\u0627\u0646<\/span>), where devout Muslims also fast and abstain from many types of food as a spiritual and physical sacrifice to God\/Allah. <\/span><\/p>\n

I have added some pictures and a video that features an old Maronite hymn in Aramaic called \u2018Son Who Fasted\u2019 (\u064a\u0627 \u0627\u0628\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0647 \u064a\u0627 \u0645\u0646 \u0635\u0645\u062a \u0643\u064a \u062a\u062d\u064a\u064a\u0646\u0627<\/span>). This hymn is very popular during the first couple of weeks of Lent. <\/span><\/p>\n

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The emphasis on 40 days (<\/span>\u0623\u0631\u0628\u0639\u064a\u0646 \u064a\u0648\u0645\u0627\u064b<\/span>) of prayer and fasting has roots in both Jewish (\u064a\u0647\u0648\u062f\u064a\u0629<\/span>) and Christian symbolic traditions and scriptures. Forty is a special number in both Jewish and Christian sacred texts. On one hand, the Jewish people journeyed for 40 years on their way to the \u2018Promised Land\u2019 (<\/span>\u0623\u0631\u0636 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0648\u0639\u062f<\/span>) .On the other hand and in Christian scriptures, Jesus spent 40 days fasting and praying in the desert (\u0627\u0644\u0635\u062d\u0631\u0627\u0621<\/span>) before he began his public ministry. To resuscitate and remember how Jesus spent his 40 days, many Christians try to emulate his practices and use this 40 day period as a time of spiritual and physical preparation (<\/span>\u062a\u062d\u0636\u064a\u0631 \u0646\u0641\u0633\u064a \u0648\u0631\u0648\u062d\u064a<\/span>) \u2013 which undoubtedly is Christianity\u2019s most important feast. <\/span><\/p>\n

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In Lebanon, many followers of the Maronite (\u0643\u0646\u0627\u0626\u0633 \u0645\u0627\u0631\u0648\u0646\u064a\u0629<\/span>) and Roman\/Greek Catholic Churches, in line with Easter Christian traditions, commonly abstain (\u0625\u0645\u062a\u0646\u0627\u0639<\/span>) from eating meat during Lent Season. The search for meat alternatives during Lent has probably led the Copts (<\/span>\u0627\u0644\u0623\u0642\u0628\u0627\u0637<\/span>) in Egypt to invent the popular falafel (\u0641\u0644\u0627\u0641\u0644<\/span>) as a dish, as they frequently claim. Some conservative worshipers even abstain from all animal products, including eggs and dairy, and others might opt for solely eating fish (\u0633\u0645\u0643<\/span>) during Lent. In Lebanon for example, many well-known restaurants and American franchises like Burger King or McDonalds introduce the fish burger for a discounted price. During this period, many Christians tend to prepare a variety of vegetarian dishes, like Pumpkin Kibbe<\/a>\u0643\u0628\u0629 \u0644\u0642\u0637\u064a\u0646<\/span><\/span>) <\/span>) <\/span>and Green Beans in oil<\/a> (\u0644\u0648\u0628\u064a\u0629 \u0628\u0627\u0644\u0632\u064a\u062a<\/span>) or the various chick pea dishes. (In the near future I will share a new vegetarian recipe, stay tuned to check it and try it!) <\/span><\/p>\n

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Some historians trace back the tradition of marking a black cross on the foreheads of Christians to the beginning of the 8th<\/sup> century CE. The significance of using ashes on Ash Monday \/Wednesday is two-fold. First and foremost, it serves as a reminder of our mortality. For instance in Christian Maronite traditions in Lebanon and the Diaspora, as the minister lay the ashes and make the symbol of the cross on the forehead he says: \u201cRemember Man\/Woman that you are dust and unto dust you shall return.\u201d (\u0644\u0627\u0646\u0651\u064e\u0643\u064e \u062a\u064f\u0631\u064e\u0627\u0628\u064c \u0648\u064e\u0627\u0644\u064e\u0649 \u062a\u064f\u0631\u064e\u0627\u0628\u064d \u062a\u064e\u0639\u064f\u0648\u062f\u064f<\/span><\/span>) <\/span><\/p>\n

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This saying compels Christians to reflect on their life and remember that they might need to repent (<\/span>\u062a\u0648\u0628\u0629<\/span>) and change some of their habits and practices. In other Levantine Christian traditions, the meaning usually entails a message of deep remorse that calls for a better spiritual life with God through going to church more and reading the Bible (\u0627\u0644\u0643\u062a\u0627\u0628 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0642\u062f\u0633<\/span>) more frequently. In other Christian Levantine traditions, Ash Monday is a day that many Christians find as a way to draw closer to God and thus rejuvenating their spiritual relationship with God through intense prayer, fasting and devotion. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

http:\/\/youtu.be\/8WtrSuQIqv4<\/a><\/p>\n

Stay tuned for upcoming posts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Have a nice day!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u0646\u0647\u0627\u0631\u0643\u0645 \u0633\u0639\u064a\u062f<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

Marhaba (\u0645\u0631\u062d\u0628\u0627)! Last Wednesday, February 13, millions of Christians around the world marched around with a large black cross (\u0635\u0644\u064a\u0628) on their foreheads. What is recognized as Ash Wednesday in Western societies is called Ash Monday or Clean Monday(\u0625\u062b\u0646\u064a\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0631\u0645\u0627\u062f) in Levantine societies, where millions celebrated the same symbolic tradition on Monday February 11 –…<\/p>\n

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