March 19, 2023, 12:00 PM

It is Rejoice Sunday! We rejoice because we are at the midpoint of Lent. So how well are we doing with our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving? Do we need a deeper focus? A spiritual tune up? In his Message for Lent 2018, Pope Francis gives us great insight. He says, “By devoting more time to prayer, we enable our hearts to root out our secret lies and forms of self-deception, and then to find the consolation God offers. He is our Father and He wants us to live life well.” The Pope goes on to say, “Fasting weakens our tendency to violence; it disarms us and becomes an important opportunity for growth. Fasting wakes us up. It revives our desire to obey God, who alone is capable of satisfying our hunger.” He also tells us, “Almsgiving sets us free from greed and helps us to regard our neighbor as a brother or sister. How I would like almsgiving to become a genuine style of life for each of us! How I would like us, as Christians, to follow the example of the Apostles and see in the sharing of our possessions a tangible witness of the communion that is ours in the Church! When we give alms, we share in God’s providential care for each of His children. For no one is more generous than God.” We repent so we can be forgiven so we can love. We love when we sacrifice through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving for others. Now you know!