FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT, MARCH 15, 2026
We are well into Lent by now. On Ash Wednesday, the Gospel we read that day laid out for us the program for Lent. Jesus speaks of prayer, fasting and almsgiving as the path to conversion. So how are you doing this Lent?
Prayer
Are you praying more this Lent? Do you have a routine or a goal? Daily Mass is the best way to observe Lenten prayer. I recommend reading the four Gospels and meditating on them. Even though Easter is only a few weeks away, there is still time to read at least one of the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. How about coming to Saint John's and sitting quietly in the lower church for a few minutes several times each week? Or a daily rosary? If you have not done any Lenten prayer, there is time to start now. Perhaps your prayer regimen can continue into the Easter season.
Fasting
At a minimum, none of us should be eating meat on Lenten Fridays. But that is a minimum. It is OK that what we give up for Lent is also good for our health. We eat too many sugary foods and we often eat too much food in general. Fasting for both our spiritual and physical health is a good way to observe Lent. Our bodies and our health are gifts from God and it is a holy thing to honor and care for our health. There are other things to fast from that would be good for our emotional and spiritual health. Excessive news watching, online gaming, hours of TV watching--all of these time wasting and mind numbing activities are prime things to give up for God.
Almsgiving
Love is at the heart of the Christian life. Since Lent is ultimately about turning away from selfishness and choosing love, helping those in need is the best way to observe Lent. Helping to keep a poor parish church (like Saint John's!) open and vibrant is a good and generous thing to do for God and others. During Lent, we have the Catholic Charities collection, the Rice Bowl collection and a few other second collections which help the poor. Our church collections-the first for the parish and the second for very good causes outside of our parish--are excellent ways to share our blessings with others. Many people fool themselves into thinking that they are generous, when they are not. If we can easily spend $100 or more in a restaurant or bar, why can we not spend an equal amount on helping others? The heart of almsgiving is that we share our money when there is nothing in it for ourselves. Giving away money is not easy because we can buy things and experiences for ourselves with money. Money given away helps others, but not ourselves. That's why it pleases God!
Time is as valuable as money so giving away time is also a form of almsgiving. Visiting lonely people, helping to clean the church, donating blood--these are all great ways to share time with others.
This bulletin column is a reminder that it is still Lent.
