Lent is a time for prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These three virtues should characterize Christian life all year long, but they take on a special meaning during the 40 days before we observe Christ’s passion, death and resurrection.
In order to prepare for the Lord’s sacrificial gift of himself, which made possible our redemption, we need to turn our attention away from ourselves — from our own wants, needs, and achievements — to the good of others. We do this through the three Lenten virtues of prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
But it’s not enough to do these things in a superficial or halfhearted way. What the Lord expects from us is a wholehearted giving of ourselves in each of these three areas.
“Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God” (Joel 2:12–18). Lent is a time for conversion, the change of heart that allows us to open ourselves to doing God’s will without hesitation or fear.
Our prayer must be more than lip service, the rote recital of prayers; our fasting should not be gloomy, calling attention to ourselves and the sacrifices we are making; and, finally, our charitable giving should be done in secret, not broadcast to the world. In other words, we should pray, fast, and give alms quietly, invisibly, in all humility and unselfishness.
The season of Lent is a time to let go of our self-centeredness in order to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, who came among us to serve and not to be served. Lent is about letting go of our preoccupation with self, and this must be evident in our spiritual lives as well as in our temporal affairs.
Humility requires a healthy dose of anonymity. It doesn’t matter who sees us as we perform corporal and spiritual works of mercy. On the contrary, the more hidden our actions are, the more they help us to mature and grow in holiness. As Jesus says, “When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden.”
When we empty ourselves of egoism and selfishness, we make it possible for God to act in our lives. If we “rend our hearts” and “return to the Lord our God,” we can create spaces where the Lord can enter and redeem us. That’s why we pray, fast, and give alms “with eyes set on Easter” so that we can share in the humility and selflessness of Jesus.
The holy season of Lent stretches out in front of us as a road that leads to the cross of Christ, the greatest act of unselfishness ever made. We are invited to travel this road, but in quiet, hidden and self-sacrificing ways. Our Lenten journey should be a humble spiritual undertaking with eyes set on Easter.
Daniel Conway, a member of Holy Trinity Church, is a writer, consultant and stewardship educator.
