Focus For Lent

 

 Mt 6:1-6, 16-18

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 NIV

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Lent is not a time to be dreaded,but a time of challenge to deepen our relationship with Jesus through  three concrete ways: prayer, fasting and almsgiving.  We begin with fasting (small meals) and abstinence, (no meat) today and we receive our ashes to remind us that our life on this earth is only temporary. Meatless Fridays will follow during the course of these next six weeks. These are the bare minimal requirements. Almsgiving, giving money food, clothing, etc. to the poor is also strongly suggested.  Anything beyond these is up to us. In the spirit of Lent, that is purification, removing of bad habits, drawing closer to Jesus in prayer or shaking some bad habit or time-waster in order to give more time to him or service to the "least favored" are encouraged. What am I going to do so that in six weeks I can be a better person, a closer disciple of Jesus, to rise with him at Easter?

Bro. Rene

Dear Jesus, I being my Lenten journey today. Help me to use these days to clean out the ugly from my life and replace it with the good that will bring me closer to you and my neighbor, especially the least favored. Amen.