A Lenten Challenge
Reflection
for St. Vincent de Paul Meeting, February 8, 2016
Dcn. Bob
Bonomi
Lent is
upon us, and the first thing we usually associate with Lent is fasting. As a kid, I remember having to
“give up” something for Lent, and it usually was candy. Once I became a responsible adult (more-or-less)
, I added alcohol and soft drinks to the list.
Of course, there’s always the ban on meat on Fridays, but fish sticks and
macaroni and cheese were quickly replaced with salmon or other fancy fish
meals. The toughest fasting came when I
began to give up television.
But as
tough as giving up these things might be (depending on how old I was) I always
knew that once Easter came I could return to the things I loved most.
The last
several years, however, the Church has emphasized a more comprehensive approach,
focusing on all three three pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
First,
prayer. During Lent one is encouraged to
spend time in prayer, meditation and reflection. To aid in these endeavors, parishes often
offer Lenten missions, provide Lenten prayer books, or some other type of
opportunity for spiritual growth. You
might find presentations on the Stations of the Cross and opportunities for
Eucharistic Adoration. All are meant to
help you grow spiritually.
Second,
fasting. Fasting was the primary focus
of Lent for many centuries, based upon Jesus in the desert. Often it became an excuse to lose weight or
to try and break a bad habit, but more and more it has come to help us identify
with those who do not have the luxuries of life that we do, and serve as a
reminder to us to think of God and His Son’s sacrifices for us.
Finally,
Almsgiving. This is more than just
putting money into the Rice Bowl for Catholic Relief Services, although that is
indeed a worthy cause. But in addition
to money, almsgiving includes the participation in charitable acts, especially
addressing those needs defined in the Corporal and Spiritual Works of
Mercy. It is as important to give of
ourselves as it is to give of our resources.
As Vincentians, you are intimately familiar with the first four of the
Corporal Works: Feed the Hungry, Give Drink to the Thirsty, Clothe the Naked,
Shelter the Homeless. But almsgiving includes the other works as well.
Although we often look at these three pillars as being independent of each other, for this
Lent I’m going to suggest a change in emphasis in your approach to
all three, combining them into a personal program for a lasting
change in your life.
First, instead of
fasting from food or drink, I would suggest that you fast from something
related to the time you spend somewhere.
It may be from television or the computer, or it may be from one of your
other favorite activities. But rather than fasting 100% of your time from that
activity, pick a specific time every day and give up whatever it is that you
might be doing at that time. One day it
might be TV, the next day it might be gardening – or it might be sleep. But it should be for at least an hour every
day.
Then, spend that time in prayer. You might consider spending
that time every day in front of the Blessed Sacrament or in front of a home
shrine or even a religious statue or icon. As
part of your prayers, use that time to pray that God reveal to you His special
mission for you. As Vincentians, you already
have a mission, but if you are not feeling joy in your calling, ask God to show
you why. You might find there is
something more you can or should do.
Finally, once
you begin to feel a deeper sense of calling, then as part of your almsgiving,
spend your resources in pursuing that call.
It might require attending a class, or going somewhere to see something
being done, or investing in reading materials – or it may be in giving directly
to assist someone else to do it.
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