Readings
I - Joel. 2: 12-18
II - 2 Cor. 5: 20-6:2
II - Mt. 6: 1-6, 16-18
RETURN TO THE LORD
Lent is a time of repentance for offending the loving God, a time of renewal of our covenant with God and a time of return to the Lord for we belong to God. We begin our forty days of fast from today focusing on the three ways given in the Gospel passage of the day: Prayer, Fasting and Alms giving. Pope Francis has based his message for lent 2022 on the verses from St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians, “Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up. So then, while we have the opportunity, let us do good to all” (6:9-10) and connects to the traditional Lenten practices:
• “Let us not grow tired of praying” - realising we need God and others.
• “Let us not grow tired of uprooting evil from our lives” - embracing fasting to fortify ourselves from the battle against sin
• “Let us not grow tired of doing good” - giving joyfully and generously to those in need.
The methodology is prescribed by Jesus: all in patience, silence and secrecy without much publicity unlike the hypocrites, known and noticed only by the Father in Heaven and be rewarded by Him alone. Let us all through the lent remember the words of Pope Francis in order to yield hundredfold, “the soil is prepared by fasting, watered by prayer and enriched by charity”. May our mind and heart resonate with the prayer: “Lord help me never grow tired of praying, uprooting evil from my life and doing good to others”
