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padding: 0 !important;
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text-align: center;
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* {
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-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;
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/* What it does: Overrides styles added when Yahoo's auto-senses a
link. */
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*/
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a[x-apple-data-detectors] {
color:inherit !important;
text-decoration: underline !important;
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width: 100% !important;
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max-width: 100% !important;
height: auto !important;
Margin-left: auto !important;
Margin-right: auto !important;
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Margin-left: auto !important;
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/* What it does: Forces table cells into full-width rows. */
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max-width: 100% !important;
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background-color: #fff;
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font-weight:600; margin-bottom: 0px; text-decoration: none}
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Catholic Charities USA
Friday after Ash Wednesday
Readings of the Day
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For as long as I have been involved with the Society of St. Vincent de
Paul, I have taken great comfort from Isaiah's words in
today's first reading.
God does not want me to sit in ashes beating my back with a corn
stalk. The sacrifice he desires is my service. And I must confess,
this often gives me a sense of satisfaction that, maybe, I am on the
right path.
Then I reflect on the responsorial Psalm: "A heart contrite and
humbled, O God, you will not spurn."
The prophet Isaiah is relaying the words God gave him about the value
and sincerity of a sacrifice that doesn't change us. We go back
to driving (exploiting?) our laborers, quarreling, and fighting. I
read this to mean that, if my sacrifice doesn't change me in
some way, it may not be a sincere offering. It's not just the
type of penance or sacrifice we do. It's the spirit with which
we do it that matters most.
It doesn't matter how many times I visit an extended stay hotel
to keep someone from sleeping in their car that night. If I leave that
encounter feeling that people in need are gaming the system, or are
lazy, or cheats, I'm missed the point. What matters most is the
humility with which I do the work.
On the other hand, as we were reminded in Wednesday's Gospel, if
I leave that encounter feeling like I just "saved"
someone, then I have already received my "reward." If I
leave with the spirit of the widow who gave her last mite in the
offering, then, just maybe, I am working to please God.
"My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and
humbled, O God, you will not spurn."
Jack Murphy is a volunteer with The Society of St. Vincent de Paul. He
is president of the St. Thomas Aquinas conference in Alpharetta, GA
and is national chair of Systemic Change and Advocacy for The Society.
He also chairs the North Fulton Improvement Network
(ourinvisibleneighbors.org), a group of business, faith, community,
and nonprofit leaders working to help more people reach financial
stability in an affluent, and expensive, suburb.
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