AFRICA/BENIN - “Smile it's Lent!” : a Letter from Bishop of Natitingou

Natitingou (Agenzia Fides) - “The word Lent does not mean sadness, aridity… instead it is a special 40 days given to us by the Church. In the Bible the number 40 evokes a special time in which God calls us to live closer to Him. To be with God, what happiness! Can we be happy and not smile?”. This question was posed by Bishop Pascal N’Koue of Natitingou diocese (Benin), in the periodical “Vie diocésaine de Natitingou” February 2008. Replying to the question “Why smile?”, the Bishop explains “a sincere and frank smile expresses the substance of our being Christians. People who have no faith and no hope in God Love are unhappy and dejected. On the contrary, those who love, realise they are loved by God and they live in the joy of God. Everything about God is joy. This joy increases our dynamism and become contagious”. People who never smile easily become sad, have bad thoughts and their hearts make war on everyone. Those who smile, even in moments of trial, know that after the rain the sun will shine again. “To the person who smiles even obstacles are steps to holiness” says the Bishop and he continues: “Lent is given to us to return to God, to turn our hearts to God. If our spiritual and moral environment is polluted, we must take the necessary measures”.
The Bishop of Natitingou urges his people to put a sincere smile at the heart of all their relations: “the less we smile, the more we are tempted, so smile!... Offer a smile to those who refuse you a smile, a neighbour or a family member whom you find difficult, a superior who may have become a heavy cross for you, your parish priest, your bishop … from our smile we can tell if our Lent is a good one”. The Bible does not speak of smiles, it does not say whether Jesus smiled, but “if the children ran after him it must have been because he smiled at them often and warmly. Children run from people who never smile. A smile is more attractive than gold or silver, especially the pure, innocent, disinterested smile of a child, the poor or the simple person. Remember the warm smiles of John Paul II and Mother Teresa! Yes, when the heart rests in God, the smile is captivating, celestial, divine”. Bishop N’Koue urges his people: “pray, fast, do many good works, but never forget to smile, especially at your enemies. It is Lent, help one another, love one another, be reconciled, forgive one another, stop hurting one another; in a word, smile willingly, because a smile makes all the difference”. After offering various practical tips for living Lent, the Bishop urges the people to put God at the centre of everything, life, family and community and concludes: “In the joy of the Holy Spirit may each of us turn our heart to God every day of Lent”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 6/2/2008; righe 32, parole 474)