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March 25, 2024In the early days of Lent, we heard a lot about the kinds of fasting the Lord asks of us: to release those bound unjustly, to share bread with the hungry, to clothe the naked. Today’s charge from the prophet Isaiah reminds us of that: he urges us “to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.” If this is the sort of fasting God calls us to, it seems odd that the Gospel’s mention of caring for the poor comes, not from the lips of Christ, but from those of Judas. The evangelist, aware of this difficulty, is quick to explain the problem – Judas, rather than speaking from a genuine concern for the poor, hoped to take some of the money for himself.
As Lent draws to a close, we are challenged to see if we’ve ever been in a similar position. Is our generosity towards different charities tainted by the need for a tax write-off? Is our fervent prayer stained by the desire to appear pious before others? Does our strength in fasting give us a sense of pride? Each of these moments becomes a chance for us to die to ourselves – to our greed, our vainglory, our pride.
Holy Week gives us an opportunity to look back on the past few weeks of almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. Have we practiced our Lenten observances for the sake of growing closer to God and shining his light before all nations? Can we take this time before the celebration of the Passion as a time to refocus our efforts on Christ, rather than ourselves? If so, we will be able to more fully enter into his death with him, and be brought with him to the Resurrection.
[click here for the readings of the day]
