Lent: Giving Wings to Prayer

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EasterJoy

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Well, Ash Wednesday is coming up. One of the things I normally give up are internet forums like this.

I heard an interesting idea last week. An Orthodox priest said that prayer isn’t complete without fasting. The idea continues that the three foundational actions of Lent need each other to complete each other: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. You don’t just “give something up.” Your giving up feeds into your prayer feeds into your doing for others. They all go together.

*Do you wish your prayer to fly toward God? Give it two wings: fasting and almsgiving.
–*Saint Augustine

I’d love to hear your thoughts on that before I leave on Tuesday!
 
I found it interesting that you “give up” internet forums…I do too…I gave CAF up last Lent, and haven’t had so much peace since getting hooked on this site! I’m planning on not posting after Tuesday myself.

Here is an interesting quote from a Pseudo-Clement homily, talking about the three legs of Lent (prayer, fasting, and almsgiving), which is entitled:

THE EXCELLENCE OF ALMSGIVING.

Wherefore, brethren, having received no small occasion for repentance, while we have the opportunity, let us turn unto God that called us, while we still have Him as One that receiveth us. For if we renounce these enjoyments and conquer our soul in not doing these its evil desires, we shall partake of the mercy of Jesus. But ye know that the day of judgment even now “cometh as a burning oven, ”and some “of the heavens shall melt,” and all the earth shall be as lead melting on the fire, and then the hidden and open works of men shall appear. Almsgiving therefore is a good thing, as repentance from sin; fasting is better than prayer, but almsgiving than both; “but love covereth a multitude of sins.” But prayer out of a good conscience delivereth from death. Blessed is every one that is found full of these; for alms-giving lighteneth the burden of sin.
 
I am curious as to why people give up CAF for Lent. I have heard of and known people that do so, but I wonder why. Can anyone explain it?
 
Irishmom2 said:
I am curious as to why people give up CAF for Lent. I have heard of and known people that do so, but I wonder why. Can anyone explain it?
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It combines quieting myself, giving more time for spiritual things, and letting the world survive without my opinions for awhile. :rolleyes:
 
EasterJoy said:
Well, Ash Wednesday is coming up. One of the things I normally give up are internet forums like this.

I heard an interesting idea last week. An Orthodox priest said that prayer isn’t complete without fasting. The idea continues that the three foundational actions of Lent need each other to complete each other: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. You don’t just “give something up.” Your giving up feeds into your prayer feeds into your doing for others. They all go together.

*Do you wish your prayer to fly toward God? Give it two wings: fasting and almsgiving.
–*Saint Augustine

I’d love to hear your thoughts on that before I leave on Tuesday!
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That’s a good topic for discussion right before Lent and a great quote from St. Augustine.

Hot air rises, so prayer might still eventually reach the heavens if is was only the words without fasting and almsgiving specifically attached. 😉 But the Church, in her infinite wisdom, includes a small amount fasting and almsgiving in our weekly Church life even when it’s not the season of Lent. We’re encouraged to give alms through the collection basket and special collections, in addition to other outreaches and opportunities to give. We’re required to make a small fast of 1 hour before Holy Communion, plus make a Friday sacrifice such as giving up meat. During Lent, the Church requires a few days of fasting and abstinence from meat of Friday, but some form of sacrifice is suppose to take place every Friday through the year. It’s part of our life in the Church that many Catholics do without realizing that we’re “adding wings” to our prayers.

Wings come in various sizes from the wings of humming birds to the wings of planes. Our fasts and alms don’t have to be huge in order to help our prayers fly. Jesus praised the widow in the temple who gave only a few coins, as her coins were a large portion of her wealth. That’s another reflection for Lent: Jesus sat in the temple and watched who was giving what. He watches.

I don’t think it’s so much that God can’t know our prayers if we don’t fast and give alms. It may be that we need to do those things, at least in part, for ourselves. Fasting and almsgiving helps not just others but helps the one who fasts and gives alms. God doesn’t need our money or our chocolate. He’s God and He doesn’t need anything, but He wants our hearts. Speaking of hearts, as Valentines Day recently reminded us, we give hearts and chocolate to the ones we love. We spend money on them. and give them nice things. We talk to them and spend time with them. Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are ways to show that we love God. We need to be reminded sometimes not just that He loves us, but that we love Him. When we make these meager gestures of love, He responds with an outpouring of His love in return, that often takes the form of answering our prayers.
 
gardenswithkids said:
That’s a good topic for discussion right before Lent and a great quote from St. Augustine.

Hot air rises, so prayer might still eventually reach the heavens if is was only the words without fasting and almsgiving specifically attached. 😉 But the Church, in her infinite wisdom, includes a small amount fasting and almsgiving in our weekly Church life even when it’s not the season of Lent. We’re encouraged to give alms through the collection basket and special collections, in addition to other outreaches and opportunities to give. We’re required to make a small fast of 1 hour before Holy Communion, plus make a Friday sacrifice such as giving up meat. During Lent, the Church requires a few days of fasting and abstinence from meat of Friday, but some form of sacrifice is suppose to take place every Friday through the year. It’s part of our life in the Church that many Catholics do without realizing that we’re “adding wings” to our prayers.

Wings come in various sizes from the wings of humming birds to the wings of planes. Our fasts and alms don’t have to be huge in order to help our prayers fly. Jesus praised the widow in the temple who gave only a few coins, as her coins were a large portion of her wealth. That’s another reflection for Lent: Jesus sat in the temple and watched who was giving what. He watches.

I don’t think it’s so much that God can’t know our prayers if we don’t fast and give alms. It may be that we need to do those things, at least in part, for ourselves. Fasting and almsgiving helps not just others but helps the one who fasts and gives alms. God doesn’t need our money or our chocolate. He’s God and He doesn’t need anything, but He wants our hearts. Speaking of hearts, as Valentines Day recently reminded us, we give hearts and chocolate to the ones we love. We spend money on them. and give them nice things. We talk to them and spend time with them. Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are ways to show that we love God. We need to be reminded sometimes not just that He loves us, but that we love Him. When we make these meager gestures of love, He responds with an outpouring of His love in return, that often takes the form of answering our prayers.
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So true! God doesn’t need us to tell him what our needs are, since God knows them far better than we do! After all, think of the story of the Prodigal Son. The father in the story had many servants who were getting plenty to eat. Obviously, he didn’t *need *to have his sons working. I think that what neither of them understood, neither the prodigal son nor the “dutiful” son, is that their father had them working in order to become like their father. The older son didn’t get this, either–“you never give me a goat to celebrate with my friends.” Were his friends not welcome to eat with him and his father? Did this son think he had some kind of a quid pro quo going, as if the father needed him, rather than the son needing the work, in order to become a certain kind of man? Likewise, I think we are guided to pray, fast, and give alms in order to form us in the likeness of God.
 
Irishmom2 said:
Oh, so we are all giving up your opinions for Lent then! 😃
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Exactly! From what I have heard, a person’s Lenten sacrifice should not impose on others. What if I need your expertise, EasterJoy, on something in the next 40 days!? I suppose I will have to wait, which would be fasting, which would be what you are talking about…

Just joking with you. Thanks for the discussion. I am going to go devise my Lenten plan now, with all this in mind.
 
Interesting thread.

I saw a book today, I can’t remember exactly what it was called but it called for a weekly sacrifice to give up. Each week something different, sometimes multiple things to give up! The very first thing was to give up looking in a mirror for an entire week. I didn’t get the book as I thought I couldn’t be true to myself and give up all the things it was asking me to do, but it did make me think about what sacrifices and good deeds I will do this Lent.
 
Well, everyone, I guess I will not be seeing you again until after Easter, at the soonest.

Be well, and have a blessed Lent and a happy Easter!! 🙂
 
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