Card. Gracias: Lent, a propitious time for prayer and mercy
The cardinal recalls the beginning of the period of penance, a 40-day "journey" in solitude and prayer. And he adds: "Be generous with the poor, go in search of the needy, we are one family". Christ, he adds, "gives us a small space to be part of his work of redemption".
Mumbai (AsiaNews) - Lent is a time of prayer and mercy, a time of almsgiving that should not be flaunted but done as Jesus says "for more noble reasons," writes Card. Oswald Gracias. The Archbishop of Mumbai and president of the Indian Bishops' Conference celebrated early Lent mass this morning in the archbishop’s chapel which was streamed online to encourage the participation of the faithful in a period of pandemic. The cardinal also invited to help those in need, so that none of us "go to bed hungry" and to give up "alcohol, films, electronic devices, coal to save energy".
Here is Card. Gracias' homily:
Today we being a 40 days of penance, 40 days with the Lord, , 40 day of a journey in Holiness.
Reflecting on the readings, Joel is a prophet, who tells us to return to the Lord, with weeping ,mourning, rend your garments…Rend your hearts with interior mourning with interior penance, interior fasting.
Giving the context of the reading, Cardinal explained, “There was a swarm of locust which came completely destroyed, devastated everything, and completely became barren. This was seen by the prophet, as a sign of a punishment from God for their sinfulness. And he said, Repent, Pray Fast, and God with forgive you, and everything will be normal again. In the Old Testament, we have several instances of such sack clothes and ashes.
In the Old Testament, the period of 40 days is often, mentioned. In Noah’s days of flood, there was 40 days of consistent rain. The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years
Jesus went into the desert and prayed and fasted for 40 days.
In the Old Testament, the number 40 is often used, it is therefore the Church prescribes for us 40 days, a journey, like the Israelites going to the promised land, us going to our home, going to holiness, going to our end point, target point which is Jesus. The church recommends these 40 days, penance, pray and charity.
In the Old Testament, whenever they sinned, the whole community was told to do penance and fasting publically, but here Jesus tells us, Don’t do it to show others, Jesus invites us to do it with pure motives.
Prayer. Go to your room, lock the door and pray in private.
Almsgiving, don’t do it to show others, do almsgiving in private and fasting do it in private between you and God
Choose for yourselves, something to do, I have given different alternatives, I encourage you, not to do only one of those, but do everything. Do something extra of prayer, of fasting, of almsgiving.
Every disciple of Jesus needs to pray, start praying more, read the scriptures,
In Almsgiving, give generously to the poor, seek out the needy, we are all one family. We cannot have a situation where one member of the family has plenty while another is starving. We cannot have a situation where one member is a pauper, white another has huge balances in the Bank and elsewhere. Be personal in your almsgiving- pay tuition fees of needy youth and children. Pay electricity bills of some family in difficulty, give food to a poor family, be practical and personal in almsgiving.
I would like in the Archdiocese of Bombay, that none of our people go to bed hungry, none of our people are living in poverty. Lent is a time, where none of our people are we want, we must go out to help them, our priests and religious must help them This is time to Live our Christian life of Charity.
Penance, see what you can give up— alcohol, films, electronic devices, CARBON fasting to save energy.
There are many advantages of this, it shows self-mastery, it gives us freedom. But above all we are participating in our Lords Passion. Christ gives us a little to participate in HIS Redemptive work, so each one of us is participating in his Redemption, in His Cross, when we do one of these things.
The second reading is an invitation to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, our priests will be available for Confession. NOW is time to be reconciled with the Lord, you and I (we) need to be reconciled with the Lord
These 40 days, do these practices. decide today and start immediately. This is the favourable time; Now is the Appropriate time
Have a Grace Filled Lent
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