Kano Priest Urges Christians To Embrace Fasting For Real Transformation
In a season often crowded with devotions but short on deep reflection, a Catholic priest in Kano is urging Christians to rediscover Lent as a time of honest self-examination, fasting and true conversion, not just a religious routine.
In a Lenten reflection titled “Embracing Fasting This Lent,” Very Revd Fr Michael Adefemi Adegbola of the Catholic Diocese of Kano reminded believers that Lent mirrors Jesus Christ’s 40 days in the desert, a period of prayer, fasting and victory over temptation.
Quoting Joel 2:12-13, he called on Christians to return to God with “fasting, weeping and mourning”, stressing that genuine repentance must come from a broken heart, not outward displays.
Fr Adegbola described Lent as a “spiritual check-up”, likening it to medical examinations that uncover hidden problems before they worsen.
He warned that many people pass through Lent distracted by social activities and material pursuits, without confronting the deeper issues that weaken their relationship with God and others.
True Lenten discipline, he said, involves facing the “desert” experience, dying to old habits, selfish desires and fear of the Cross.
Beyond abstaining from food, the priest encouraged practical fasting that touches daily life: letting go of toxic relationships or unhealthy work environments, watching one’s tongue, dropping harmful habits, praying for enemies, and reducing media consumption to make time for Scripture and prayer.
While traditional fasting from meat and dairy remains meaningful, he noted that the spirit behind the sacrifice matters more than the item given up.
According to Fr Adegbola, embracing fasting brings lasting spiritual rewards: deeper intimacy with God, growth in Christlikeness and holiness, renewed energy, freedom from resentment and fear, clearer discernment of God’s will, and a greater concern for the poor and marginalised.
He added that fasting helps believers resist false “gods” such as power, pleasure and materialism, while restoring joy in following and serving God.
He concluded by calling on Christians to approach this Lent with repentance, prayer and anticipation of Easter, trusting that God’s Word and the Holy Spirit would strengthen them to overcome temptation, just as Christ did in the wilderness.
Follow the Savinews Africa channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VawgaEL5vKA9Y5XTFg0n
