Prayer, Almsgiving, and Fasting!

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Ash Wednesday

Jl 2:12-18; 2 Cor 5: 20-6:2; Mt 6: 1-6, 16-18

Today, we begin another season of Lent.

This season is meant to prepare ourselves to meaningfully celebrate the Paschal Mystery of Christ. 

Since COVID-19, we are familiar with the term ‘medical emergency.’ But the season of Lent is a period of ‘spiritual emergency’ to purify ourselves through the contrition of hearts.  

Although the three spiritual practices, namely, prayer, almsgiving, and fasting, have their relevance throughout the year, they receive a special emphasis and significance during the season of Lent, wherein we are called to practice them in a concentrated manner. 

The triple duties assume greater theological significance when we see them through the lens of Lent. 

During this holy season, we may try to redefine our Lenten obligations, taking insights from the life of Jesus himself. We can then learn and appreciate how Jesus changed them into radical practices of neighborliness. 

Prayer: For Jesus, prayer was not just an individual act of communion with God. It was rather a conclusion in praxis, which is the other side of Jesus’ prayer. Whenever he prayed, he directed his spiritual energy into the service of others. His vertical relationship with God culminated in his horizontal union with the people. Moreover, as John’s Gospel shows, Jesus prayed for others (Jn 17:6-26) and represented their needs in his prayer. In essence, Jesus’ spirituality was radically other-oriented, and Jesus wants us to imitate him. 

Almsgiving: For Jesus, almsgiving was not just about being charitable. It should transcend ‘help-giving’ to bloom into ‘life-giving.’ The healing narratives reveal Jesus’ charity toward people in need. But whenever Jesus healed someone, he restored their dignity and life. Jesus ensured that his ‘charity’ was always life-transforming. Moreover, the supreme act of Jesus’ charity toward humanity came from the cross. Only through his charity do we have life, and we have it abundantly. For Jesus, charity is done ‘with life itself’ and not with material goods. Jesus wants us to understand this truth. 

Fasting: For Jesus, fasting was not just a practice of personal purification. It was a transformative praxis. How else could we explain the fact that Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem after spending forty days in the desert? Jesus was ever moving toward Jerusalem, not to become famous but to embrace the cross and death. His fasting in the wilderness helped his discernment. The beneficiaries of Jesus’ fasting and discernment were people, and that is the fasting that Jesus requires of us. The benefit of our fasting should reach people, be it material or spiritual. If not for this, our fasting shrinks into a selfish practice of mortification. 

By giving a different explanation to conventional practices of prayer, almsgiving, and fasting, Jesus means that for Christians, no spiritual practice can be self-centered.

We carry others in our prayers. 

We make our charity count by giving life, not just alms. 

The result of our fasting benefits others.

The season of Lent reminds us that our love of God and love of neighbors proceed from an authentic love of self that finds joy and comfort in being neighborly.

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar