The WORD today (See http://usccb.org/bible/readings/021815.cfm) makes me think what to give up for Lent
Ash Wednesday is a day where Catholics do fasting and abstinence. The readings show us how God values fasting. It is one of the spiritual disciplines we do in order to get closer to God and show him how much we love him, as well as how much we are sorry for our sins.
When we fast, we detach ourselves from the comforts of this world and take time to be one with God in his suffering for our sins. We reject the pleasures of this world, even the food we need, and depend fully on God to get us through the day. We offer the pain and suffering, from food, and allow God to give us strength. We try to show God that our love for him and the desire to be one with him and to be more like him is greater than our desire to be comfortable.
The gospel is pretty straightforward. It reminds us that we should not fast for others to see. It will either be God, or others, who will reward us for fasting. This is true for prayer and almsgiving. We should fast, pray, give alms and abstain for the right intentions.
Pope Francis, in his Lenten message this year, suggests what we can give up: Indifference. We sometimes get so busy with life that we just focus on ourselves and our loved ones, and forget about others. Or when life is good, we just enjoy and stay in our comfort zones and ignore the needs and pains of others. Manila Archbishop Chito Tagle also encourages the people to give to the church the money they will be saving from fasting , which the church will use to feed the poor. This is real fasting – focusing on others and giving to others.
As we usher in the season of Lent, may we be inspired to fast, abstain, pray more, partake the sacraments, and focus to help others.
Am I ready to fast and abstain today? This holy week, what am I ready to give up for Christ?
Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for your love that is always ready to welcome me back into your arms. Thank you for sending Godly people to remind me of your love and your message. Lord, as we usher in the season of lent, help me be ready and willing to fast and abstain. Lead me Lord and tell me what you want me to give up this lent. Help me also to become extra sensitive to the needs of others, and spend more time in prayer and partake in the sacraments. This season, may I be one with you in suffering and detachment from this world, and may I grow even more closer to you, and more in love with you, just like Jesus and Mary. Amen.
Blessed day!
In Christ,
-g-
Ps
See related readings:
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February 18, 2015
Ash Wednesday
Lectionary: 219
Reading 1 Jl 2:12-18
Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the LORD, your God.
For gracious and merciful is he,
slow to anger, rich in kindness,
and relenting in punishment.
Perhaps he will again relent
and leave behind him a blessing,
Offerings and libations
for the LORD, your God.
Blow the trumpet in Zion!
proclaim a fast,
call an assembly;
Gather the people,
notify the congregation;
Assemble the elders,
gather the children
and the infants at the breast;
Let the bridegroom quit his room
and the bride her chamber.
Between the porch and the altar
let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep,
And say, “Spare, O LORD, your people,
and make not your heritage a reproach,
with the nations ruling over them!
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’”
Then the LORD was stirred to concern for his land
and took pity on his people.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 and 17
R. (see 3a) Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
“Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight.”
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Reading 2 2 Cor 5:20—6:2
Brothers and sisters:
We are ambassadors for Christ,
as if God were appealing through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
Working together, then,
we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
For he says:
In an acceptable time I heard you,
and on the day of salvation I helped you.
Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.
Verse Before the Gospel See Ps 95:8
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
Gospel Mt 6:1-6, 16-18
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms,
do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you pray,
do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room,
close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you fast,
do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast,
anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you"
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