As the season of Lent begins, many people spend time wondering what they should “give up” or sacrifice in order to make these 40 days as spiritually fruitful as possible. The other day while I was visiting a nursing home, a rather elderly woman recalled how very many years ago she gave up chocolate during Lent. And after 40 years, she still recalls the difficulty of that season.
But as a person grows in faith, one may begin to consider how their lenten sacrifice will help them after lent.
Recently, Pope Benedict XVI spoke of “justice” in his Lenten message and how “the meaning of the term ‘justice,’ in common usage implies ‘to render to every man his due.’” But he was not speaking of merely material things.
The indifference that today forces hundreds of millions into death through lack of food, water and medicine is deplorable, the Pope stated, “yet ‘distributive’ justice does not render to the human being the totality of his ‘due.’ Just as man needs bread, so does man have even more need of God.”
May yours be a blessed and fruitful Lent.
But as a person grows in faith, one may begin to consider how their lenten sacrifice will help them after lent.
Recently, Pope Benedict XVI spoke of “justice” in his Lenten message and how “the meaning of the term ‘justice,’ in common usage implies ‘to render to every man his due.’” But he was not speaking of merely material things.
The indifference that today forces hundreds of millions into death through lack of food, water and medicine is deplorable, the Pope stated, “yet ‘distributive’ justice does not render to the human being the totality of his ‘due.’ Just as man needs bread, so does man have even more need of God.”
May yours be a blessed and fruitful Lent.
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