South African Jesuits link Lent to Liberation

(Vatican Radio) “A Revolution of the Spirit” is the title of a just published book of daily reflections for Lent that delve into the South African experience of oppression, liberation, reconciliation and democracy. It comes at a particularly meaningful time as the nation prepares for upcoming general elections.

Written by South African Jesuit, Anthony Egan who works at the Jesuit Institute in South Africa, the book reflects on the experience of journeying from darkness to light both from an individual and a national perspective.

Lent – says Fr Anthony – is a profoundly important period for Christians – as they remember the journey of the Israelites from slavery to freedom and prepare for the suffering, death and Resurrection of Jesus.

Lent 2014 – he points out – is an especially important period for South Africans – remembering the 20^th anniversary of democracy and preparing for the upcoming election.

Vatican Radio’s Linda Bordoni spoke to Fr Anthony about the book which was launched in February at the Archdiocese of Durban…

Listen to the interview…

Fr Anthony says the title “A Revolution of the Spirit” is a play on words. It’s a reference to Aung San Su Kyi, the great Burmese Nobel laureate, who talks about the need that any kind of social change also be rooted in the spiritual.

He says that what this book is trying to do is to link together – primarily for South African readers – the experience of 20 years of democracy, and the upcoming election on May 7, with the whole question of Lent and how we celebrate it.

Effectively, what this book is – Fr Anthony explains – “is a collection of meditations based on the readings of the day, read against or read with other texts: South African political thinkers, other religious sources (like Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim Scriptures)”. “What I am trying to do is get people to reflect on how the whole journey that we make through lent this year, has particular relevance to their process of living though a democracy for 20 years and coming up to an election in 2014”.

In many ways – he says – it is the Jesuit Institute’s attempt to encourage fellow South Africans to get out there and vote because “democracy was hard won and we need to encourage ourselves to not get complacent and just let other people run things for us, but we need to take initiative for ourselves as South Africans and participate in South African democracy”.

Fr Anthony points out that there is a quote by Pope Francis on the cover of the book. It reads “Responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation”. “It is important to see that within Catholic tradition we recognize that elections and democratic government is – in a sense – a faith issue and that we have to approach things from the perspective of faith as Catholics and as Christians” he said.

Regarding the structure of the book itself Fr Anthony points out that underlying the selection of texts that accompany the reader every day, there is a pattern to be looked at carefully. “You achieve the sense of where it is going serendipitously because what I have tried to b suggest at the end of the book – that by the way goes all the way up to Easter Sunday – is to get people at themes of Resurrection, sin, death and life, hope and despair and all the kinds of things we go through during Lent, a season of preparation which is both joyful and penitent, strongly emphasizing the call to faith” he said.

He says that one of the images he was struck by about Lent is that in a sense it is a bit like the journey of the Israelites in the desert in Exodus: “I think for me and for man South Africans there is that sense that South Africa’s last 20 years is a journey – a journey from slavery to freedom – and although we are now a democracy there are still so many things to achieve”.

In a sense – he says – “the whole process of Lent is calling us back onto the journey”.

Father Anthony speaks about how – in his choice of reflections – he has also looked back to the terrible days of South African history before 1994. But, he says, as he has tried to set the questions raised into perspective, he has also looked moments of celebration like the 2010 World Cup.

He says it is fundamental to remember where we have come from so that we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past.

“A Revolution of the Spirit” was launched as part of the events to mark the 10^th anniversary of the death of Archbishop Dennis Hurley. Fr Anthony explains that he has actually dedicated the book to Archbishop Hurley because he says “Archbishop Hurley was one of the great South Africans who contributed to liberation, he was always present and even after 1994 he kept going and his voice was always to be heard helping us to take seriously the relationship between religion and politics”.

The 110-page book also includes colour photographs that “bring together the images and themes of the Church alive and engaging in questions of democracy” he said.

Wrapping up the conversation, Father Anthony says that “in a sense it is a kind of looking forward/looking backwards and celebrating as well as noting with concern things that we see that need to be changed in our country and that as Church we are trying to do”.

“A Revolution of the Spirit” can be obtained by post from the Jesuit Institute that also offers an e-version of the book and a Smartphone app. For information www.jesuitinstitute.org.za/lentapp