Lent is winding down to Holy Week and then we begin the Easter season. When we prepare for Lent our thoughts are hyper-focused on personal sacrifice … what can we give up or what activities can we take part in to bring our thoughts and lives closer to Christ? 

 

Part of that preparation is to think about almsgiving — meaning our acts of charity or service to those in poverty or need, however great or small. Sometimes when we think about all that needs to be done in this world to alleviate spiritual and physical poverty, it can overwhelm us. 

 

The subject of poverty and its causes and effects personally, locally and world-wide was even discussed during the most recent Diocesan Pastoral Council meeting on March 3. It was a big conversation for a mere three hours. And of course, the discussion brought me back to some of the reflections and reading I looked at before Lent began. 

 

And then I thought about the Gospels which explain that the poor will always be with us. So all this made me think, what’s good for Lent can be good in all seasons. Why don’t we use the tips and advice we load up on in Lent all the time? 

 

So I am going to share with you a little advice from both Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis that I found on several social media sites prior to Lent. It includes suggestions for simple acts of charity to practice in our daily lives that can condition us for a better friendship with Christ and hopefully, in whatever small way, make our world a little better and kinder beyond Lent. Let’s call it our “conditioning practices.” After all, athletes and scholars will tell you that winning the race or acing the test is important, but what happens in between events is what really matters. 

 

All our acts of faith are surely like that. So to finish up my Lent I’ve decided to condition. You can too. Try this. Every evening, when you get the lunches ready, clothes laid out, calendar updated and say your prayers, add these words of wisdom on charity and practical tips to your preparation for a smooth tomorrow. The simple tips:

 

♦ Smile! A Christian should always be full of laughter and happiness! 

♦ Listen to someone else’s story with love, not judgment. (The key word is to listen. Even at times when we just can’t help someone; in poverty, illness, addiction or at the end of life, just listening can be the greatest gift.)

♦ Remember to tell others how much you love them. 

♦ Greet people you see every day with a smile. 

♦ Help out when it’s needed so others can rest. 

♦ Always be thankful (even when you don’t “have to”). 

♦ Clean up after yourself at home. 

♦ Correct others using love, rather than fear. 

♦ Lift someone’s spirits. 

♦ Celebrate other people’s success. 

♦ Pick out what you don’t use and give it away to someone in need.

♦ Notice details. (Is someone feeling down? Do they have something in need of repair or no lunch? Sometimes the little details tell the biggest story of what another may need.) 

♦ Speak to your parents over the phone or through other means. 

♦ Help others overcome obstacles. 

♦ Stop to help. Be aware of who needs your help

 

And from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI: “To put into practice this witness of charity, the encounter with the Lord who transforms man’s heart and outlook is therefore indispensable. Indeed, it is the witness of God’s love for each one of our brothers and sisters in humanity which gives true meaning to Christian charity. Charity cannot be reduced to mere humanism or to a project for human advancement. Material aid, however necessary it may be, is not the be-all and end-all of charity, which is participation in Christ’s love, received and shared. Every authentic charitable action is thus a tangible manifestation of God’s love for men and women and thereby becomes a proclamation of the Gospel.”

 

Then from Pope Francis: “Some think that holiness is closing your eyes and making the face of a plastic statue, but that’s not holiness. Holiness is something much greater, much more profound than looking like an image on a holy card. It is living with love and offering your own Christian witness in your daily tasks. Be bearers of holiness. Always, in your home, on the streets, at work and in church. Don’t be discouraged in following this path. God Himself will give you grace.”