The Great Fast: Lent in Egypt
Lent is observed by Christians across the world. This week, our friends and partners in Egypt share how their churches mark this time of reflection and contemplation. Christians in Egypt predominately belong to the Coptic Church, but other denominations include Armenian Apostolic, Catholic, Maronite and Anglican.
“It is a time to break loose from worldly entanglements”
Lent is a very special time of the year for Christians in Egypt. It is seen like a journey where one walks along the life of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Master, with an objective of being changed to His likeness. It is a time of fasting, so as to break loose from worldly entanglements, and prayer to get into a deeper intimacy with God. It is also a time of giving, to think of others in need, to show mercy and to share God’s blessings with God’s special ones. There are daily Bible readings that focus on the way to the Kingdom of God. Churches consider this time a very special time for spiritual revival. Prayer meetings and retreats are organized to help Christians focus on listening to the Lord and following His footsteps.
Lent is a perfect time to search the heart, to let go of all grudges and unforgiveness and to share God’s message and His love with all. It is time for spiritual reading and contemplation. It is also time to take better life choices, pleading that the Lord’s Kingdom would come, His will be done - on earth as it is in heaven.
On the social side, families get together around very basic vegetarian meals – which they make with a lot of creativity and craft. The fast ends on Easter Day.
Mona from Life Vision, who is part of the Coptic Orthodox Church
“The churches pray two or three masses daily”
The Great Lent has a special place in our church. We say that it is “the fast of my master”, because our Lord Jesus Christ fasted it. It is one of the most important fasts in our Coptic Orthodox Church. The Church enters into a period of seclusion and liturgical repentance. It is the spring of the spiritual year and the time of seclusion and meeting with God. The Holy Forty fast consists of three fasts: the sacred forty in the middle, preceded by an introductory week and followed by Holy Week. The Church prepared for this fast with the fast of Jonah, two weeks before the Great Lent.
Rituals and prayers are held inside the churches in the first week in the form of a daily mass. As for the beginning of the second week - the beginning of the forty-day period - the churches pray two or three masses daily.
The Church divided Lent into seven weeks, each week begins on Monday and ends on Sunday. Special readings are made for the days of each week that are linked to each other and comprise one general topic, which is the topic of the week.
Hanan from BLESS, who is part of the Coptic Orthodox Church
“Traditional food is made”
Egypt is also host to many Christian refugees from Sudan, who have brought with them their own cultural traditions.
When Easter is approaching, people come together to celebrate and prepare peacefully for this time. Families gather and explain the importance of this time to the children. You must come to Easter fully cleaned and having forgiven people, so this is also a time of reflection on one’s life. At the same time, groups meet and talk together and have a good time.
Traditional food is made in the home at this time. Part of this is to remind everyone that this is a holiday that can also bring them closer to one another and to their traditions. Among refugee populations, this is a way to reground and reconnect them with all that they have left behind in Sudan.
Asida, a bread pudding made from boiled flour.
During the time of Lent, meat is only eaten a few, specific times. One of the most significant dishes they eat is Asida, a kind of boiled flour or bread pudding. It is also eaten during Ramadan, so has significance for both Christian and Muslim populations a like. It is often called “strong food”, signifying the importance that it plays in the culture.
James from Refuge Egypt, who is part of the Episcopalian Church
“We give our all to help those who need us”
Lent season is probably the holiest and most sacred time of year to a Christian in Egypt. It starts with the longest fast in the year and we all strive to fast it from the first to the last day. This fast is us trying to share some of the hardships Jesus was going through at that time, which also helps us in understanding the hardships some of our brothers and sister in Egypt and all around the world are maybe facing on a daily basis.
Lent always reminds me of how much God has tried to reach me personally and makes me think of what I can do to make God’s plan fill me and reach everyone around me. The salvation he gave me is a personal gift, but is not a keepsake that should be guarded and not given to others, it needs to be shared and made available through me for everyone to see the gift Christ gave me.
The most effective way I found to reach that goal is to directly serve people and reach them to fulfill their needs, and that’s what I do at Arkan. We analyze what sectors we can serve and aid, and we plan to achieve this end through a practical plan.
During Lent we emulate Jesus’ steps towards the cross and our salvation, and we give our all to help those who need us, and save them from being lost in a world that can’t satisfy them spiritually or financially. We pray every day that our message and mission can reach everyone and touch their hearts to do the same.
Peter from the Arkan Centre, who is part of the Anglican Church