Every day of Lent, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook and Instagram.
Click HERE for the readings.
One of the disciplines of Lent is increased almsgiving—giving to the poor. While this certainly includes financial support, almsgiving can also take other forms: offering our time, sharing our talents, or extending personal care. But true Lenten almsgiving always involves sacrifice. It costs us something for the sake of someone else.
Today’s readings give us the reason for this discipline. God calls us to be attentive to those who are less fortunate. In the reading from Leviticus God tells us not to steal, defame another, withhold the wages of laborers, or speak ill of those in need, saying, “Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.” Holiness, then, looking to the Gospel for today, is not abstract. It means recognizing God in the hungry and feeding them, in the thirsty and giving them drink, in those in need and responding with compassion, and seeing Christ present in the stranger and welcoming them (see Matthew 25:31-46). Holiness, is faith put into action, having the heart and mind of God, with hands and feet ready to serve.
In the end, God will not judge us by how many prayers we have recited, but by how deeply our prayers have shaped our hearts and informed our actions. True prayer transforms us into people who love, serve, and do good. In the end, reflecting on the Gospel, we want to be counted as sheep and not as goats. It doesn’t go well for the goats!