Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving – the Pillars of Lent
The “Great Fast”
As we prepare for the “Great Fast,” the Lenten journey of 40 days that leads us to the foot of the cross our hearts are moved to remember the importance of this annual journey. Not only did Our Lord walk the way of the cross to his brutal and excruciating death, but by that event He opened the gates of heaven for us who believe. With this belief in our hearts we can reflect on the pillars of Lent that call us deeper into the mind of Christ, that call us deeper into how we are walking our way of the cross, our path to holiness so that we can enter those gates opened to us by Our Lord.
Prayer
Prayer is the first and most important pillar of Lent. During this penitential time we spend time in contemplation of Our Lord, our state in life and the journey that lies ahead. These are times that can be uncomfortable as the Holy Spirit may enlighten some areas of our life that need reform. These times in prayer are times of great fruit in that whatever may come to light it is leading us closer to Christ, closer to his Most Sacred Heart. A heart that loves and pours out his mercy upon us as we make our journey through this life toward our heavenly homeland. I invite you to take time to pray, in silence, listening to what Our Lord may be saying to you.
Fasting
Fasting is an essential piece that goes right along with prayer. It seems Holy Church knows just what we need and when we need it. After celebrating the Incarnation of Our Lord at Christmas and all the celebrations that happen during that time, we now enter a time of cleansing. A time to reassess and a time to let go of some of those habits we may have picked up over the past year that Our Lord will want us to be free from. This takes effort and work to yield fruit. Fasting is not only limiting your food intake, which is important! Fasting allows us to let go and let God. If we cling to habits that lead us away from God, those are the ones He is calling us to fast from. Put the phone down a little earlier in the evening or turn off the TV a couple times a week, I assure you, if you ask, God will fill your heart with what you need during these times and you will find great fruit because of it.
Almsgiving
Almsgiving is the third pillar of Lent and sometimes is the most neglected. Giving alms is not a onetime event. It is a state of mind that see everything we have as GIFT from God. What we then give as alms is a small return of what God has blessed us with in this life. We must remember that we cannot take any of this with us when Our Lord calls us to himself. All we will have is ourselves and the life we lived as we stand before God at the moment of our death. Are we ready for that moment? Giving alms will help us prepare. We will start to see others as more important than ourselves. Jesus teaches us to love others as we love ourselves. Take time over this journey of Lent to lift our heads and see whether there are things that come to light that need our attention and our money. When you do this the gift you make takes on much more significance because it came through the power of prayer and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Your life will be forever changed.
The Three Pillars Work in Unison
All three pillars; Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving work together as a spiritual recipe for holiness. This is the goal of our faith! We believe and we will relive the events that brought us our salvation during these days of Lent. Let that belief radiate through your heart, mind and soul so that the fruits Our Lord wishes to nourish you with during this time will be received with grace, with joy and with a firm resolve to live according to His will in all that you do.
Our Lady’s Role
One last item to remember. Our Lady is here, waiting for you to call out to her during this time. She stands at the throne of grace in the heavenly kingdom and wants nothing more than to bring souls to her Son, Jesus Christ. She was there at His birth, she was there at the foot of the cross, she watched Him ascend into heaven and received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. She knows the story and wants us ALL to know the story and live it out in each of our lives. Trust in her intercession, especially now during Lent, call on her to walk your way of the cross, your way to the gates of heaven.
We Invite You
You are invited to join us in prayer, fasting and almsgiving here at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. A place for contemplative prayer, a place to come and let go of the world around you, even if for a brief period in time, a place that is sustained by those that give alms. If your heart is moved, please reach out to us so we can assist you in making the most of your Lenten journey in 2025 and beyond.
God Bless You!
