This section of the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount sets the tone for Lenten season—giving the Church her marching orders for the forty days. And what does those marching orders consist of? Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, that is, the importance of doing penance, and the manner in which it is to be done, not for outward show, but with a genuine spirit—out of love and worship for God.
We fittingly reflect upon the Lord’s precept to pray, fast, and give alms not just at the beginning of Lent, but also, now, during Ordinary Time, because these penitential practices are to be part of the ordinary life of the Christian.
Doing penance for sins is an importance dimension of the Christian life. Our Lady of Fatima repeatedly called for penance – penance for our own sins and for the sins of others—especially for blasphemies against her Son. “Penance, Penance, Penance” the Angel told the three shepherd children at Fatima.
By penance we make atonement for offenses against God. Additionally, Penance is medicine for the wounds caused by sin: wounds in our human relationships, wounds in our minds and souls, wounds in our relationship with God. Penance brings about personal and interior conversion.
Pope Francis echoed the ancient call to prayer and penance saying, “penance and prayer will help us to open our eyes and our hearts to other people’s sufferings and to overcome the thirst for power and possessions that are so often the root of those evils.”
Penance also strengthens our fortitude, our ability to suffer for the sake of goodness. Willingly undertaking penance out of love for God strengthens us against temptation and strengthens us for the mission of the Church.
So many Christians are pushovers against temptation, they fall to the slightest temptations, especially temptations of the flesh, because they have not mortified their senses, appetites, and passions through penance. And many Christians recoil at expending any effort for the spread of the Gospel, again, because they have no fortitude built up from intentional acts of penance.
The Lord doesn’t say, “if you pray…if you fast…if you give alms”, but “when you pray, when you fast, when you give alms” implying that these penitential practices are to be part of the ordinary life of the Christian.
Today is a good day for examining our attitude toward penance and mortification, and asking the Holy Spirit to guide us to all truth concerning the penances that should be part of our every day life, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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That all Christians will commit to fervent prayer so as to grow in greater love and holiness.
For the faithfulness to fasting and to all the ways that the Lord wishes to sanctify us.
For greater generosity for the needs of the poor, the hungry, the homeless, those who are sick, unemployed, or suffering from addiction, mental, or physical illness, and those most in need: that the Lord in his goodness will be close to them in their trials.
That the Lord will rescue all those who live at a distance from Him because of self-absorption or sin.
For all those who have died, for all the poor souls in purgatory, for those who have fought and died for our country’s freedom, and for [intention below], for whom this Mass is offered.
Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.
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