Friday after Ash Wednesday

Readings of the Day

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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