By Colleen O’Sullivan
Is this the manner of fasting I wish, of
keeping a day of penance: That a man bow
his head like a reed and lie in sackcloth and ashes? Do you call this a fast, a day acceptable to
the Lord? This, rather, is the fasting
that I wish, releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; Sharing your bread with the
hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you
see them; and not turning your back on your own. Then your light shall break forth like the
dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed. (Isaiah 58:5-8a)
Piety
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not
accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not
spurn.
(Psalm 51:18-19)
Study
In today’s first reading, we find the Israelites
returned from exile. In fact, they’ve
been back for several generations.
They’re growing apathetic, maybe even cynical. Life is hard, not what they expected when God
led them home. They wonder why God
doesn’t reward them for their days of fasting, but God says they’re just going
through the motions. Even on a day of
fasting, they work and they make their hired hands work as well. Frequently, they end the day by fighting and
quarreling with one another.
How much has really changed throughout the
centuries? It’s Lent. Many of us are observing the days of fasting,
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Many of
us will abstain from meat today and on the other Fridays of Lent. But for some of us, it’s an empty attempt at
piety. We complain about it. Maybe we go to Red Lobster for a big seafood
dinner and come home and then notice the rice bowl waiting on the kitchen table. We reach into our pockets and throw in some
loose change. Then we turn the TV on and
forget all about Lent and anybody’s needs but our own.
God is no more interested in empty gestures today
than he was in Isaiah’s day. What God
desires of us is not a meaningless show of religious observance but our very
hearts. What good is a rice bowl if we
don’t care about the hungry families throughout the world that Catholic Relief
Services will be able to feed with our contributions? As long as our hearts aren’t engaged, we’ll
always be throwing in just a few coins while going on our merry way to Red
Lobster or some other restaurant.
As the psalmist points out, what God really wants
is contrite and humble hearts. Hearts so
disposed quickly realize how much we have and how much we can share with God’s
poor and hungry children, whether right here in northern Virginia or in some
far away spot half way around the globe.
Action
Lent is just beginning. With a
view to today’s Scripture readings, take a few minutes to reflect on what you
are doing for Lent, whether it be in the form of giving something up or doing
something more. As you walk the long,
dusty road to Jerusalem these forty days, the important thing to consider is
whether or not your heart is fully engaged.
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