Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I send you greetings of peace as we begin the
holy season of Lent. Like many of you, I
have been challenged and profoundly impressed by the honesty and common-sense
nature of Pope Francis’ wisdom. In a
way, he “tells it like it is,” or, like it needs to be. If you are like me, perhaps you’ve wondered
about the meaning of Lenten practices and sacrifices. Let Pope Francis shake you up a little:
“Lent is a fitting
time for self-denial; we would do well to ask ourselves what we can give up in
order to help and enrich others by our own poverty. Let us not forget that real poverty hurts: No
self-denial is real without this dimension of penance. I distrust a charity that costs nothing and
does not hurt.”
Consider both the trust that Pope Francis has
in our ability to recognize what we can give up and the significance of our
poverty. Our “poverty” will enrich
others by its value, both material and spiritual. As a result, we will get a taste of blessings
now that reveals a richness of Divine mercy that is eternal.
Undoubtedly, “real poverty hurts,” but our
self-denial is temporary. During this
Lent, Jesus invites us to open ourselves to those whose poverty seems life-long
or never-ending.
God Bless,
Fr. Charlie
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