Wednesday, March 21, 2018
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
Commemoration of Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury,1556
Reading: Isaiah 58:5
"Is not this the fast
that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?"
It is not out of
character during Lent to talk about almsgiving, or acts of justice, or acts of compassion, one of the
disciplines of Lent. Mary's great hymn of praise, the Magnificat (pronounced not at the Annunciation, but, rather, at the
Visitation to Elizabeth…), has at its center the raising up of those of low
degree. "Those of low degree" can include any one of us at any time
as well as the stranger. Those who are in poverty as well as those who are in a
state of spiritual impoverishment. Those who are homeless as well as those who
are seeking, seeking, seeking. Those on the brink of despair as well as those
of "low degree" known only to God. There is no "they". During Lent,
may the taking on of these disciplines of fasting, prayer, and acts of
compassion awaken us to the Christs we meet each day and all those in need of
assistance, both friend and stranger.
Loving God, may our hearts be
open to all whom we encounter in life. Amen
- • Speak to someone at church you’ve never spoken to before.
- • If you have fasted for some meals during Lent, decide what to do with the money saved.
