Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Getting Ready for Lent and Catholic Charities

The last two weeks I wrote and preached on the basic approach we want to take toward Lent. I encourage checking our website where you can read those columns and listen to those homilies because it is a good set up for this weekend.  In a nutshell I encourage us all to look forward to being changed through the season of Lent. This change should not be my excuse for something else like losing weight so I feel better about myself. Nor is Lent about me flexing my spiritual muscles so others can see. Lent needs to be God focused: serving Him better is the goal; that’s the change we want to see happen. 

This is the context for any prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, the three traditional practices which are not relegated to Lent. We should do them all year round, but in Lent we intensify them. Today we will focus on almsgiving. 
Almsgiving is not “throwing money at the poor.” As we have been doing in our preparations, let’s take a step back rather than jump to what we think is just the bottom line of people or an organization asking for money. Our focus is God, and God is love.  Jesus Christ says in order to love God we must keep His commandments, which means loving our neighbor. The Lord teaches us that anyone who is truly in need is my neighbor (the Good Samaritan).  Giving alms is a way to love my neighbor, but like all virtues it must be prudently discerned and enacted aided by God’s grace.
As a society we tend to ignore those who are poor. Maybe we feel sorry for them, maybe we blame the state or expect the government to take care of “the problem.” Let’s not miss the truth by abstracting the details.  The truth is first we are all poor in some way.  St Theresa of Calcutta spoke of the materially rich can be spiritually poor and how it is the worst poverty and the most difficult to overcome. So, we can start by recognizing that “the poor” are not just “those people.” We must realize we are all in need. In need first of God and his grace.  His grace then moves us beyond ourselves and our selfishness. This is then enacted through sharing my gifts in love with other human persons. Not some abstract data point, or some mere stranger, but a person made in God’s image who needs help.

But the question always is, How? How do I help others who are in financial need? This is the more specific purpose of almsgiving. Like all virtues, this must be applied using our reason and prudence.  This is not an excuse for me to be suspicious of others or to be stingy, but to share my gifts in an ordered way for the common good of all involved.  As always go to God in prayer. How is He calling you to give alms this Lent.  Perhaps examine your attitude when you see a person in need.  What do you do when you see the person begging on the street corner? What are your finances like?  Are you tithing an appropriate amount that does not endanger your family’s reasonable security, but is still generous?  What issues do you care about (not political or ideological) where people are in need?  Perhaps money but also volunteering of time at the pregnancy center? Helping out with our Parish St. Vincent de Paul Society?  Are there other trusted groups or institutions where you donate? Do these groups (catholic or non-catholic) actually align with the Church’s Social Teaching?  There are many factors to discern but also many opportunities the Lord offers for us to be generous if we are willing to see them.

This weekend is the Annual Diocesan Catholic Charities Appeal.  Perhaps you have already given in the mail, but we will hear a brief message from the bishop at Mass.  I know times are tough. Everything is more expensive, supply chain issues have even interrupted our parish envelops getting out. Our parish bills are going up just like everyone’s.  Many are still giving to the Heart of the Shepherd Campaign, and here we are again.  So, let’s take a breath. I invite everyone to take the step back and discern how God is calling you to give alms.  Don’t be afraid to bring Catholic Charities into that discernment as well.

Ash Wednesday and Lent
The beautiful penitential season of Lent begins this Wednesday.  Take these last few days of preparation to discern well how you can open your heart to more graces through the practices of this holy season.  Remember the focus of our penances is to help us prioritize rightly service of God and neighbor.  The discipline trains us so we can love better.  This can be a time also of reparation as well as reconciliation with God and others.  It is like a six-week long retreat for the whole church. 
Ash Wednesday schedule:
7am - Distribution of Blessed Ashes (Mass is NOT celebrated). 
8:30am - Mass in Ordinary Form with the distribution of Blessed Ashes.
6pm - Mass in the Extraordinary Form with the distribution of Blessed Ashes before Mass
 
Confession Opportunities
Lent is a word that means spring.  It is a time then for spring cleaning.  That means spiritual spring cleaning of the soul.  Here are the extra opportunities coming up:
Here at St. Paul Thursdays of Lent  6-7pm

Diocesan wide reconciliation night at all parishes March 8th  5pm-8pm
 
Cluster Parish confessions: 5-6pm on:
February 28 St. Francis de Sales Parish
March 14 St. Paul Parish
March 21 Nativity of the Lord Jesus Parish
March 28  Queen of Heaven Parish
 
This year let’s not do the same old thing. Take time to pray on how God is calling us to celebrate the season of Lent this year. 

St. Paul, Pray for us!

Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Pfr