Friday after Ash Wednesday Isaiah 58:1-9a Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 18-19 Matthew 9:14-15

Praying Lent Daily Lent Prayer Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer

We are three days into Lent, and today's readings take us right into the very heart of what this penitential season is all about! Most of us who are older grew up in a Church that emphasized fasting and penance, perhaps a bit at the expense of the other two dimensions of Lent: prayer and charity.  For the question was usually (for us), What am I going to give up this Lent?  Often we decided on cutting back on eating or drinking favorite foods and/or beverages. Heroic Catholics who liked booze and cigarettes often made the determination to give up both,and some even succeeded!  Our first reading today tells us what God thinks of such religious works of sacrifice and/or penance!  "Thus says the Lord God...you call this a fast...you think this is acceptable to the Lord?"  You think afflicting yourself, doing penance, bowing your heads in acknowledgement of your sinfulness, pleases God and gets God to answer your prayers? In no way!  In no way at all!

So, for our prayer today, let us rather look heedfully, carefully, sharply at what Isaiah tells "is the fasting that God wishes: releasing those bound unjustly, setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke, sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless, clothing the naked, and not turning your back on your own."  Then give thought to the consequences of such acting justly and mercifully: you yourself shall be swiftly healed, totally enlightened and justified, surrounded by the glory of God.  And all your prayers will be heard and answered!

That for religious folks even before the Coming of Christ, the Bridegroom!  How much more now that we have Him (or, rather, He has us) will this be true!  So, together, as God's guests already called to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, let us give  God the only thing God wants: our hearts, contrite and humbled,  meek and peaceful, kind and just. Then will the glory of the Lord be fully revealed as, fully alive, we give true thanks to God, Who announces to each one of us, "Here I am!"