DISAPPOINTMENT CHIDES US ON EASTER SUNDAY

DISAPPOINTMENT CHIDES US ON EASTER SUNDAY

Disappointment might chide us on Easter Sunday, a day to celebrate, saying, “Why were you so careless to do nothing during Lent?” But today, hope and optimism answer, “There’s still time. I can make a plan.” For instance, for something to do for Lent, one could consider the three gifts to God of Lenten practice: prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
Consider the gift of prayer for Lent. For Lent, we could add one more prayer time to the day. If we pray in the morning, we could find another time, for example, at the dinner table, or before climbing into bed. Or we could add an Our Father or holy song while driving in the morning cold.
Consider the gift of fasting for Lent. Fasting can be our prayer for those who are forced to fast by their poverty. The rules for Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 are to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. In addition, all Catholics 14 years old and older must abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all the Fridays of Lent. The problem with abstinence is that we might forget. Me—I do. I’m going to make signs so I don’t forget.
Consider the gift of almsgiving for Lent, an opportunity to practice social justice. For the soup kitchen, Ruth Myers would greatly appreciate donations of noodles and spaghetti, large cans of fruit and vegetables, fresh foods such as celery, potatoes, and onions. They can be brought between 6:30 and 1:00 to the soup kitchen. Or, if you would like to help, you can call Ruth at the kitchen 234-3312 or at her home 877-4935. Or drop in to talk with her and arrange a time. For a different chance to help the poor, consider a loan to Kiva at www.kiva.org. It likely will cost you nothing. At Kiva you can lend $25.00 or more, through Pay Pal, to poor people around the world for businesses they run. For example at the time of this writing, in Cambodia Mrs. Kim Sreng, 63, who has seven children is asking for a loan. She works very hard on her plot of land growing a variety of vegetables that she sells to people in her community. She is asking for a loan to improve her water system. With various agencies to protect the lender, and with a very high likelihood—Kiva borrowers pay back the amount.
Other possibilities to consider, one can attend a wonderful Lenten program such as the “Gift Program” Sunday nights at St. Margaret Mary’s, or the Deanery Book Discussion, Mondays at 1:00, on Pope Benedict’s encyclical “Love.” Also, confession is a good part of Lenten practice, as is reading the Bible.
Whatever we endeavor, if we plan and work at our plan, on Easter, our soul will rise and rejoice with the resurrection because of the gifts we’ve wrapped for God during Lent.