For many of us, our years primarily consist of immersing ourselves in the distractions of work, school, family, and politics. We have little time for self-reflection, no emphasis on self-improvement. But Lent forces us to sacrifice, calling us higher and challenging our normalcy for the better. Through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we can become Christlike. We reorient our lives to point back to God, not to ourselves or selfish desires. We are made for Jesus. We are made for heaven.
“Fasting is the soul of prayer, and almsgiving or mercy is the lifeblood of fasting” - St. Peter Chrysologus
Fasting reveals our dependence on God and not the resources of this world. It is a means of saving resources to give to the poor, and ways of self-discipline, chastity, and the restraining of appetites.
Giving is an exercise in detachment and a reminder that possessions are not the ultimate good. It’s about making a sacrifice for others that echo the self-giving love of God.