Last weekend, our gospel helped to prepare us for the season of Lent. In it, we find the commandment to love, not just our families, relatives, and friends, but to love those who might be seen as “enemies.”   After hearing those words, we are probably asking ourselves how? Jesus gave us three action items –pray, do good, and bless. Don’t they sound like the three disciplines of Lent, namely, prayer, almsgiving, and fasting? 

As we begin Lent on Wednesday, I echo Jesus’s words from last week’s gospel. Give alms – do good. This does not mean helping only those in need financially. It also means doing good to and for others. We are invited to evaluate our relationships with family, friends, neighbors, co-workers; in fact, with everyone we meet. 

Almsgiving - is all about charity. Living how Jesus lived His life, by being radically hospitable to all - loving as He loved, welcoming as He welcomed, understanding as He understood, and forgiving as He forgave. 

Fasting - When we hear of fasting, we typically think of food. But it goes deeper than that. Fasting is about blessing ourselves with time for God and others. It is about refraining from the things that inhibit us from growing in our relationship with God and others. We can name a few obstacles, like busyness or social activities. Let us face it, we struggle with the demands of daily life. It is difficult to set aside time – time to pray and quality time with family and friends. Living a balanced life is challenging. Lent invites us to re-evaluate what is important and fasting helps us to set our priorities. Then we begin to realize how we become a blessing to others. 

Prayer - This I believe is the most important of the three. The first two – fasting and almsgiving are rooted in prayer. This is where we find the courage to do good and the wisdom to be a blessing to others. Prayer must be at the center of our Lenten journey - coming to mass regularly, being faithful to our daily prayer, reflecting on God’s word, participating in our Lenten soup suppers, praying the stations of the cross and celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation. 

In response to our Pastoral Plan regarding Prayer Pal, this Lent let us do something radical: 

1. Remember someone you want to pray for and with. This may be someone you struggle with or maybe someone who is ill or going through a rough time. Whoever that person might be, intentionally pray for that person daily for 40 days.
2. As a reminder of that prayer, take a pocket prayer shawl which will be given out this weekend. Write the name of the person on the card.  Remember that person.
3. At Easter, if possible, give that pocket prayer shawl to the person for whom you have been praying. 
4.  It will be your Easter gift to that person – the gift of prayer. 

I believe in the power of prayer. It can change not just others, but us, as well. Prayer is a fearless conversation with God. And as Henri Nouwen says: “Prayer is the presentation of our thoughts—reflective, as well as daydreams, and night dreams—to the One who receives them, sees them in the light of unconditional love, and responds to them with divine compassion.” 

Blessed and Happy Lent everyone!