Magyar Egyház, 1955 (34. évfolyam, 1-10. szám)
1955-03-01 / 3. szám
12 MAGYAR EGYHÁZ THE SEASON OF LENT -WHAT IT MEANS TO US The Significance of Lent “Lent,” derived from an old English word meaning “spring,” is the Christian parallel of the renewall of life and beauty in the natural world. It is a period of frequent reflection upon high and holy things. It invites us to search our hearts and to seek for purification from any evil inclinations. In the fourth century, A.D., length of this season of intensified spiritual meditation was fixed as the forty week-days before Easter. The Biblical background for this action was the record that Moses, Elijah, and Jesus had fasted forty days, each at a critical period in his life. It covers the closing weeks of our Saviour’s life, culminating in His betrayal, the bitter accusations of His enemies, the mockery of a trial before Pilate, the cross and the crown of thorns, the crucifixion on Calvary hill. The chief purpose of these forty days is to deepen and enlarge the spiritual life of those who believe in the ever-present Christ and who have taken vows to live as His faithful followers. There should be resolution to abandon harmful habits and sensual pleasures and to pray for better and richer experiences in life. The object is to draw nearer to God day by day, to shake off the power of “presumptuous sins,” to become more like the Master in all of one’s activities. To keep such an aspiration in mind will require struggle and sacrifice. Daily the compulsions of selfishness will have to be overcome. Temptations must be resisted. We should strive to live in firm fidelity to a sublime faith and a devout dedication to our Lord and His church. The Lenten season should bring a rich measure of spiritual blessing. He who was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities invites us to come ever nearer to Him. In that closeness to Him our inner resources for righteous living become greater. He is our never-failing source of joy in this and our hope of a blessed immortality. These days leading up to Easter are fraught with sacred memories. They are twined about with associations which exert a subtle power over the Christian heart. In no other time of the year do so many special services of the Church inspire people to strive for greater growth and power in Christian living. Let us all experience the blessing of these days of preparation for Easter, the great festival of the Church. --------------o-------------Large asking and large expectation on our part honors God. * * * There are moments when, whatever be the attitude of the body, the soul is on its knees. * * * To solve one’s spiritual problems one must remain spiritually solvent. * * * Contentment often serves as a brake on the wheels of progress. * * * He doeth much that loveth much. MAN IN HIS ORIGINAL STATE In this article we try to describe the first man whom God created when all other creatures were already existing. The Bible gives us a very detailed record of the creation of man of his original life. On the sixth day of creation God made a human body out of the dust of the earth. Then He made this earthly body alive by giving into him a living soul. This way the first man, Adam, came into existence. However, God also decided to make a woman, too, to be the companion, more correctly, the wife of the man. In creating the first woman, Eve, God used a rib of the body of Adam. The Bible also teaches that God prepared a place of habitation on earth for the first pair of men, the Garden of Eden. Now let us visit this Garden of Eden and let us try to describe the life of Adam and Eve, with the guidance of the Bible. In order to be able to imagine the life of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden we should know the meaning of this remark of the Bible: God created the man in His own image or likeness. So Adam and Eve were similar to their Creator. This similarity means that the first pair of men were holy and righteous persons. What should we understand by the holiness and righteousness of the first pair of men? We should understand that their life was a perfect human life. God blessed them with a perfectly intelligent mind. They clearly knew and understand their Creator. Doubts and unbeliefs did not torture their minds concerning God. They lived in an intimate relationship with God. Also, they were perfectly free. They had the Liberty of will to do what they pleased to do. They were entirely sinless. They did not think, nor say nor do anything that would have been against the will of God. And since they were such holy and righteous persons in their souls, they did not know any kind of sufferings, sickness, either in their bodies or souls. Death was unknown to them. God created them for eternal life. Moreover, all the other creatures on earth were ordered by God to serve and cherish the happiness of man. When we realize this original, innocent, holy, righteous and blessed life of the first pair of men we understand why says David in the 8th psalm these words: “Thou hast made man a little lower than God and hast crowned him with glory and honor, Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands. Thou hast put all things under his feet.” As to the purpose of the life of man on earth we can say that God wanted them to have children, to be parents of the whole human race and to declare and magnify the glory of God through their holy and righteous life forever. If God is a perfect and all-wise and all-loving Father He would not have created but that kind of a human being of whom we find the record in the Bible. Stephen Kovács. --------O-------In the sight of Christ the widow’s mite was the window’s might. * * * Some people never think of religion until they come in sight of a cemetery.
