'At the favourable time, I have listened to you; Well now is the favourable time, this is the time of salvation' 2 Corinthians 5: 20-6:2
“Your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you” #Matthew6: 1-6,16-18
A Fresh Start
Today God wants us to come back to him with all our heart. Lent is a wonderful time of renewal and hope. It give us the opportunity to wipe the slate clean with the Lord and walk anew on our Christian journey. Jesus asks three things of us in today's Gospel; to give alms, to pray and to fast. But He asks us to do these things with little or no fanfare, emphasising that God sees all things. While we are called to give alms to the poor, at a time where church numbers are diminishing in small local parishes, it is also important to remember to support the church where we can. Giving alms can also include giving time and other resources to good and worthy causes or individuals who may need our help. Giving alms includes our words, thoughts and actions, saying a kind word, providing encouragement, communicating love.
Prayer is our primary connection to God and is the basis of our conversation with Jesus. We are all called to pray. Only through prayer can we discern our path in life and hear the voice of God in our hearts. Only through prayer can we find the strength to push on when obstacles appear large on our path. Prayer aligns us to the will of God in our lives and increases Love in our hearts.
The gift of fasting allows us to make room for the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. When we are full of ourselves, our appetites, our habits, it can be difficult to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and even more difficult to allow the Holy Spirit the internal space to operate in our lives for the good of ourselves and others. Fasting empties the old, to make room for the new.
Today on this first day of Lent, let us make a commitment to give alms, pray and fast, asking for the guidance of the Holy Spirit to discern the best ways for us to renew ourselves on this Lenten journey. No matter how small our steps Lord, let them be worthy in your eyes. #givealmsprayfast #Lent
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