MARCH52025

The way of Lent is the way of JOY. Joy is probably not the first word you think of when pondering the meaning of Lent but look at the gospel for Ash Wednesday. It is taken from the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus describes the three spiritual activities which characterize the season: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Prayer is about our relationship with God. During Lent we are called to a conversion of heart which places God at the center of our desires. In the Prayer for a Spiritual Communion which recite at Mass for those participating via Zoom there is the line: “My Jesus, I love you above all things.” Lent is the time when we make the statement a little closer to reaching fulfillment. The second Lenten practice of fasting challenges us to look at who we are and how we behave. When we fast we are acknowledging that we cannot satisfy ourselves, that all those things which we rely on to make us happy will fail in the end. When we fast we give up the attempt to fill ourselves up and instead trust that God will fill us with exactly what we need, grace and mercy. Almsgiving invites us to shift the focus off of ourselves and onto others. Giving alms demonstrates that it’s not all about me, that my circle of care includes others, particularly those who are hurting. Giving alms (which for many of us is not primarily monetary but giving of our time) is a way of letting the love God has give us overflow. The three Lenten practices are then about our relationship with Jesus, our care for others and our conversion of ourselves: Jesus, Others, You, JOY. Your Lenten practice should make some aspect of JOY more apparent in your own spiritual journey.