On this Ash Wednesday, we hear Jesus speak about prayer, fasting, and almsgiving – what Jesus refers to as “righteous deeds” (Matthew 6: 1 – 18).
Today, we interpret this gospel with Lenten practices in mind, but of course we know that Jesus is talking about practices that apply every day of our life, practices that are building blocks for our spiritual life. Jesus invites us to take up the very practices that allow us to get closer to him and follow him more faithfully.
Jesus talks about prayer – conversation with God – conversation that allows us to come to know and love God and to experience his loving presence in our lives. And Jesus didn’t only talk about prayer. Jesus prayed all the time. For Jesus, prayer allowed him to honor his Father and enter into communion with his Father. Prayer provided Jesus with comfort, strength and fortitude. It is the same for us, so Jesus invites us to pray.
Jesus talks about fasting. We often times think of fasting as abstaining from meat on Fridays, or giving up sweets for Lent. But maybe Jesus is taking a broader view and suggesting that we need to fast from anything that separates us from God, from anything that causes us to push God to the periphery of our lives. The fasting that Jesus is talking about is fasting from anything that interferes with our relationship with God and each other. So Jesus invites us to fast.
Jesus talks about almsgiving which is traditionally interpreted as charitable giving to the poor. But when we acknowledge that each one of us is poor in some regard, we come to realize that the almsgiving Jesus is talking about is, as Pope Francis puts it, “any gesture of love directed to anyone we meet” – an opening of our hearts to all those we encounter. The almsgiving Jesus is talking about is putting others before ourselves and serving their needs. It’s precisely what Jesus does for all of us. So Jesus invites us to give alms.
Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving – Jesus’ invitation to help us reform our lives this Lent and through the year.
As we go forward this Lent we accept Jesus’ invitation.