When? not If?

Homily for Ash Wednesday

So Lent is here once again. Whether we come today with no idea of what we’ll do for Lent this year or whether we come with a clear place, we have the opportunity to think about what Jesus asks of us in the spiritual disciples of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

We are expected to actually practice these disciplines. Notice that Jesus does not say IF you pray, but WHEN you pray; not IF you give alms, but WHEN you give alms; not IF you fast, but when you fast. Clearly, Jesus expects his followers to practice these disciplines.

The true motivation for our prayer, our almsgiving, our fasting should be our love and devotion to God. From that love naturally flow prayer, fasting and almsgiving for the sake of purifying ourselves before God, and for the sake of extending the mercy he has given to us, to others. This is our starting point.

What we do for Lent does not have to be flashy, it doesn’t have to be grand. Grace comes through nature. So our Lenten discipline should be natural, flowing naturally from our daily life. Heaping prayer upon prayer is far less effective than simply carving out a special time when we can simply be with God. Don’t multiply words as the Pharisees multiply them. Engaging in drastic measures of fasting is not as effective as simply foregoing something that we have come to take for granted. Finally, the most effective almsgiving can be a matter of simply spending time with someone who needs a little company, or sending them a greeting, or a little conversation with someone we might often avoid.

Let the Lord help us to identify what specifically we should do this Lent. Look to Jesus rather than to our own notions. The Preface for Lent tells us that this is a joyful season. So above all, let us approach our Lenten practices with joy as we draw near to the Lord.

Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator