. . . bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; Then light shall rise for you in the darkness . . . (Is 58:9b-14)
It is very clear from the readings we have in early Lent, that God is indeed inviting us to put our following of Christ to the Cross and Resurrection into action. I can write pages of explanation of the importance of being a disciple and never lift a finger to help anyone. I can decide to look out only for myself with the excuses, "I'm too tired . . . I can't do everything . . ." The bottom line is that I am to seek out those who are in need and do what I can to help.
When one first becomes a Christian, this invitation sets one's heart on fire. As the years pass, it gets "old" and "familiar" and I find myself resisting God's grace to move and respond to all others, especially those who are in need. This is normal. This is what it means to be human. Few of us are "there" yet. Even the greatest of saints needed to push themselves to die to self so that others may live more fully. It takes effort. It takes a love which the world does not understand.
So it is clear that Lent is not a touchy-good-feeling time for me. It is a time to push myself to deny simple pleasures and offer that effort as a prayer for someone who has less. It is a time to push myself to be cheerful even in the midst of an inconvenience, disappointment, injustice to myself, or "whatever." I may not be confronted with a starving human being at my doorstep, but there are poor in my own city who I can help. I may choose to deny a dinner out so that the money saved will go to help those who rely on local soup kitchens to just have a meal on their home table. I may set aside one day, perhaps Fridays during Lent, to fast and pray for those who are in need. Let us pray for each other, dear reader, that we may die to self in the ways God asks of us so that others may rise to a more humane way of life.
It is very clear from the readings we have in early Lent, that God is indeed inviting us to put our following of Christ to the Cross and Resurrection into action. I can write pages of explanation of the importance of being a disciple and never lift a finger to help anyone. I can decide to look out only for myself with the excuses, "I'm too tired . . . I can't do everything . . ." The bottom line is that I am to seek out those who are in need and do what I can to help.
When one first becomes a Christian, this invitation sets one's heart on fire. As the years pass, it gets "old" and "familiar" and I find myself resisting God's grace to move and respond to all others, especially those who are in need. This is normal. This is what it means to be human. Few of us are "there" yet. Even the greatest of saints needed to push themselves to die to self so that others may live more fully. It takes effort. It takes a love which the world does not understand.
So it is clear that Lent is not a touchy-good-feeling time for me. It is a time to push myself to deny simple pleasures and offer that effort as a prayer for someone who has less. It is a time to push myself to be cheerful even in the midst of an inconvenience, disappointment, injustice to myself, or "whatever." I may not be confronted with a starving human being at my doorstep, but there are poor in my own city who I can help. I may choose to deny a dinner out so that the money saved will go to help those who rely on local soup kitchens to just have a meal on their home table. I may set aside one day, perhaps Fridays during Lent, to fast and pray for those who are in need. Let us pray for each other, dear reader, that we may die to self in the ways God asks of us so that others may rise to a more humane way of life.
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