Lenten Practices & Social Justice, part 4

The three disciplines of Lent are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. In this final part of the series, we look at almsgiving. 
       Almsgiving is a religious practice dating back prior to Christianity. For example, Proverbs 28:27 (NAB) says: "He who gives to the poor suffers no want, but he who ignores them gets many a curse." In the Christian era, the gospels (particularly Luke) are full of lines where Jesus urges his followers to attend to the needs of the poor. This was further refined in the last century as Catholic social teaching has been developed, into what we now call "the preferential option for the poor."
       Almsgiving has a practical result, to be sure — those who are the beneficiaries of our alms are helped in meeting their needs. There is also a spiritual result, not only for the recipient, but also for the giver. (Look again at that verse from Proverbs, above.) Especially when one gives to organizations that work for justice, the spiritual result will extend out beyond even those two parties, since the work of justice is transformational — unjust systems are dismantled and are replaced by just systems. Charity will help a few people; justice will transform the world.
       This is the weekend that many parishes and dioceses take up an annual collection for Catholic Relief Services (www.crs.org). CRS works both in the charity and social justice arenas, and is one of the most effective organizations throughout the world in reaching into areas of great human need, whether that need is caused by natural disaster or human sinfulness. It seeks to transform injustice and has a good track record of success in doing so. Please be generous.
Copyright © 2010, Deacon Carl D. Smith. All rights reserved. Reprint permission granted to parishes for use in Sunday bulletins. 
   

Lenten Practices & Social Justice, part 3

Operation Rice Bowl (ORB) is used by many parishes each year during Lent as a means of focusing on the Catholic Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting, and giving alms. The ORB web site had a great reflection on fasting this past week:

"As you plan your week, make some time to pray as the prophets did. Set aside everything — time, physical comfort, food — to listen carefully to what God is saying to you. You might consider skipping a meal and spending the time by yourself in prayer. While a mountaintop might not be handy, a chapel, winter path, or bedroom might be the place to escape distractions. Let the inevitable complaint of your stomach remind you of your reliance on God for your daily bread. Let it put you in solidarity with all who experience hunger, whether if be for food, for justice or for a brighter future."
Copyright © 2010, Deacon Carl D. Smith. All rights reserved. Reprint permission granted to parishes for use in Sunday bulletins. 
   

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. 
   
 

Lenten Practices & Social Justice, part 1

The three Catholic disciplines of Lent are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These were given biblically in the gospel reading that we hear each year on Ash Wednesday (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18). A person can use these three practices for any number of spiritual ends relating to his or her own personal ongoing conversion, but why not use them as a means of deepening one's sense of Catholic social teaching? Pray for changes to unjust structures that keep people in poverty or otherwise oppressed; fast so as to train the body to not over-consume the world's resources; and give alms so that those with less may be raised up.

       For a similar take on this, see the recent editorial published by Our Sunday Visitor at http://bit.ly/d2vQR2.
Copyright © 2010, Deacon Carl D. Smith. All rights reserved. Reprint permission granted to parishes for use in Sunday bulletins.