My Dear People,
Like fasting and prayer, almsgiving is a non-negotiable part of Lent. Planning ahead makes donating money part of our annual Lenten sacrifice. Christians traditionally use the Old Testament practice of tithing or giving one-tenth of their income to God – whether that means donating to our church, diocese, or giving of our talent and time. This month during Lent in the Winged Lion we feature articles of Christian service to those most in need in this time of COVID.
Christian Service begins at home, where we teach our children to give time, attention, and resources to others. But charity must not stop there, Aquilina writes, “because for Catholics ‘home’ is universal and our family is as big as the world.” Therefore, we must dig deep and give generously, recognizing the dire needs of the individuals and families in our community. Examples of this could be completing your Stewardship pledge card as a family, purchasing food for St. Vincent de Paul or Traveling Loaves and Fishes, volunteering as a family to pack food boxes, serving Habitat for Humanity, becoming a core member for our youth faith formation, collecting money to purchase a wheelchair for the Knights of Columbus or yarn for the Prayer Shawls ministry, signing up to take the sidewalk with 40 Days for Life, or simply offering prayers for the ministries of St. Mark Catholic Church. COVID has only magnified the need.
I challenge you, during what may prove to be a difficult season, to spend a few minutes during your prayer time each day to read the Gospel as part of your meditation and turn towards the hopefulness of the resurrection of Christ. As a family, how can you serve the Kingdom of God.
Peace.