Welcome to Lent and Hopefulness, the fourth episode of our Lent 2025 podcast series, ‘The Joys of Lent.’

Can Lent be a season of profound hope?

This week, we welcome Fr Stanley Njoka, vicar of St Catherine’s in Hatcham and tutor in Pastoral Ministry at St Augustine’s. 

In this episode, we explore how Lent isn’t just about sacrifice, fasting, and self-denial - it’s a time of hope. 

Stanley reflects on how prayer, fasting, and almsgiving can be powerful acts of hope, inviting us to trust that God is at work, even in times of struggle. 

Join us as we reflect on the hope that Easter brings and how Lent can help us experience that hope in the present moment. 

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Welcome, dear listeners, to

our Lenten Reflection series.

This is episode four,

and today we are diving in

deep into the theme of Lent

and hopefulness.

If you have been journeying

with us, you know

that in our previous episodes

we have explored some profound

themes; rejoicing, immortality, the joy

of forgetting oneself,

the joy of saying sorry.

And today we're going to

look at Lent and hopefulness.

I grew up knowing that Lent is

time for self denial. A time

for sacrifice, fasting,

and maybe even a literal bit of suffering.

It is the season where we are

reminded of our mortality.

You know, remember you are dust

and to dust you shall return.

But here's the thing,

Lent is not just about giving up things

or feeling sombre.

It's also about hope. Yes, hope.

Because Lent is a journey.

A journey to want Easter, to want renewal,

to want transformation.

And today we are going to explore

how hope is woven into the very

fabric of this season.

So dear friends, grab your favourite drink

or sit somewhere

comfortably or as you walk.

Let us talk about Lent.

Can it be a season

of our profound hope?

In this podcast

I have looked at this

reflection in three sections. Lent

as the season of active

hope; the wilderness

and the promise; the cross as a symbol

of suffering and hope.

I would like to start by

exploring Lent as a season

of active hope.

Lent gives us three classic practises

to help us captivate hope: prayer,

fasting, and almsgiving

When we pray we are connecting with God,

we are reminding ourselves

that we are not alone.

That there is a bigger story at work.

Prayer is an act of trust.

A way of saying, I don't

have all the answers,

but I believe that God does.

And here he has us, even

when he feels distance.

Fasting is not just about

giving up chocolate or coffee

or Facebook, though

that can be hard enough.

It is about creating space in our lives.

For God and longing for renewal.

It's a way of saying, I am

hungry for something more than

what this world can offer

and give act of service.

It's an of hopeful love. When

we give to others, we are,

we are participating in

God's work of renewal.

It's a way of saying, I believe

that love can change the world.

This is where we take

the space we have created

through fasting, and use

it to help others.

Almsgiving is about repairing brokenness,

not just in our own lives,

but in the world around us.

It's a reminder that we are connected

and that God calls us

to care for one another.

I have found that when we give to others,

we become instruments

of hope in the world.

Our small acts of love reflect

God, justice and mercy.

And that gives us hope.

Hope that we can make difference, hope

that God is working through us.

These practises are not

just about self denial.

They're about active hope.

Hope that God is at work.

Hope that things can be different.

Hope that we can be part of that change.

Just pause for a moment if you are able,

and just ask ourselves,

how can our Lenten practices

reflect hope in action?

Lent is modeled

after Jesus' 40 days in the

wilderness, a time of testing,

temptation and preparation.

But here is the thing

about the wilderness.

It's not just a place of

struggle, it is also a place

of transformation

and renewal. Think about it.

The wilderness is where

the Israelites wandered

for 40 years.

They faced hunger, doubt and fear.

But it was also in the wilderness

that they experienced God's

provision, Manna from heaven,

water from a rock.

The wilderness was where they learned

to trust. Even when they could

not see the promised land,

they trusted.

And Jesus, he went into the wilderness

to face his own temptation, hunger,

power, isolation.

But he emerged stronger

ready to begin his mission.

The wilderness wasn't

the end of the story

for him, it was the

beginning. So what about us?

Are we in a wilderness season right now?

Maybe it's a season of uncertainty

or struggle or waiting.

But here is the good news.

The wilderness is also where hope is born.

It is where we learn to trust

that even in the barren

places, God is at work.

Let's pause again and reflect.

What does your wilderness

look like right now?

Where do you see glimpses of hope

in the midst of it?

At the heart

of Lent

is the cross a symbol that's both painful

and hopeful. On the surface,

the cross is about suffering and death.

But for Christians, it is

also the ultimate symbol of hope.

In my past conversations with my friends,

some they have seen the cross like defeat.

But for me, and I believe all Christians,

it is the greatest, greatest sign of hope.

It tells us that suffering is not the end

of the story. Easter is coming.

Why? Because the cross

reminds us the suffering

is not the end.

Yes, there is pain, yes, there is loss,

but beyond that cross is the resurrection.

Beyond the darkness is the

light. Think about it this way.

When we are going through hard times,

it can feel like the

suffering will never end.

But the cross tells us that

there's more to the story.

It's a reminder that even

in the darkest moment,

hope is still possible.

Think of the hymn: 'When I

survey the wondrous cross',

captures the tension. Forbid it Lord,

that I should boast, save it to the death

of the cross of Christ,

my God. The cross reminds us

that even in darkest,

redemption is coming.

The resurrection means that

death never has the final word.

In the face of this divine love,

hope gives us the confidence, freedom,

and joy to live anchored in God.

Our eyes are fixed on

eternity as we desire

to live in friendship with him forever.

The one who has hope lives differently

because their lives are anchored in God,

and they do indeed yarn

for the kingdom of heaven.

Well, I'm encouraged to know

that Lent is not a season of despair.

It's not a season of pain and struggles.

It is the church's greatest

season of hope, reminding us

that even in the

wilderness, God is making all things new.

The hope of Lent is

that we are already being transformed.

Lent is not just about

preparing for Easter.

It is about experiencing

the resurrection in the

here and now.

And as St. Paul reminds us,

we rejoice in our suffering

knowing that

suffering produces perseverance.

Perseverance produces

character, and character

produces hope.

And hope does not put us to shame.

So let's pause again and reflect.

How can the cross remind you

that suffering is not

the end of the story?

In this podcast, I've also realised that

Lent is not just a personal journey.

It's something we do together

as a community of faith.

When we first pray

and give alms, we are not

just doing aid for oneself,

we are doing aid for each other.

We are strengthening our

bonds as a community of hope.

I cannot just wake up one day

and say, today I'm going

to have Lent the whole

of the next 40 days.

No, it's a part of the church's season.

Think about it. When we

give to those in need,

we are not just helping them materially.

We are reminding them

that they are not alone.

That they are part of our

community that cares for them.

When we pray together, we

are lifting each other up,

supporting one another in

our struggles and our hopes.

Hope is found in a community.

Pope Francis once said Lent

is a time to open our eyes

to the suffering of others.

The true purpose of

alms giving is not just

to help the poor, but to

enter into deep solidarity

with them, to build

relationships of justice.

So Lent is a time to come

together as community,

to support one another

and to work for justice.

It is a time to remind ourselves

that we are all in this together

and that God is with us

every step of the way.

These of the way. As we near the end

of our conversation today,

let us hold firm that

Lent is a season of preparation.

And what we are preparing

for is the joy of Easter.

The resurrection of Jesus is

the ultimate sign of hope.

It is the promise that death

does not have the final word,

that new life is possible.

During the remaining days of

Lent, we're invited to embrace

that hope, to let it transform us.

We're invited to trust

that God is doing

something new in our lives,

even if we cannot see it yet.

And we are invited to

share the hope with others,

to be a light in the world.

So as we continue our Lenten journey,

let us hold on that hope.

Let us trust that God is with us,

that He is working in our lives,

and that he is leading us

to want something greater.

And let us look forward to

Easter with joy, knowing that

that the resurrection s the

ultimate sign of God's love

and mercy and hope

As we wrap up, here is the big takeaway.

Lent is not just a season

of loss or sacrifice.

It's a season of radical hope.

Hope that God is at work

even when we cannot see it.

Hope that Easter is coming

even in the midst

of our darkest times.

Hope that we are being renewed

and transformed even in the wilderness.

Easter is the fulfilment of Lenten hope.

It is the sure that our

sacrifices, struggles

and sufferings are not in vain,

and it is an invitation to carry

that hope into our daily lives,

Long after Lent is over.

So as we continue this Lenten journey,

let's hold onto that hope.

Let's fast, pray, and give, not

just as acts of self denial,

but as acts of hope.

Let us pray. God of hope.

Work with us in this season.

Help us to trust in your

promises, to endure in faith,

and to look forward to the joy of Easter.

Amen. Thank you for joining

me this episode on Lent

and hopefulness.

If this Lent spoke to you,

share it with a friend

and join us to the next

time for our final episode,

Lent and Loving. Thank you.