Lenten Practices & Social Justice, part 2

Last week, we introduced the three Catholic disciplines of Lent — prayer, fasting, and almsgiving — and suggested that these be used to make your Lenten journey one that takes you deeper into the Church's social teaching. This week, let's look at prayer.
       St. Thérèse de Lisieux defined prayer as "a surge of the heart." When we are moved to compassion over an injustice, our heart surges toward finding a solution that only God can provide; we are moved to prayer. What should we pray for? We should pray that we are become the tangible presence of God's love and mercy in the world. As the Operation Rice Bowl prayer puts it: "May [God's] generous love for [God's] people be our guide as we reach out to all who live with hunger and poverty."
       This Lent, search your heart and discern what social justice issue you are moved by. Then, plan to pray at least five minutes every day for that issue. If you can't find your own words, here are a two web resources that may be of help: 

• Prayer services for a variety of causes: www.usccb.org/sdwp/prayerresources.shtml 
• Prayers and services for Haiti: http://education.crs.org/

Copyright © 2010, Deacon Carl D. Smith. All rights reserved. Reprint permission granted to parishes for use in Sunday bulletins.