A Different Kind of Lenten Fast

(Prayer offered on the Public Address system for the entire La Salle Academy educational community on Thursday, 7 March 2019)

Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of a loving God…

When I was praying about what to share with you this morning, I just kept thinking about the words: Love, Acceptance, Respect and Tolerance.

There seems to be a shortage of all of those these days.

As we begin our season of Lent in the Church and we try to decide what it is we are going to give up this Lent, I would challenge you to take a different approach.

What if we decide to take on something instead of giving up something. Oh yes! we should fast and pray and give alms, but what if we also try to do something good that we ordinarily would not do?

I recently saw a sign that was outside a church that read: “ Love one another. Do not judge each other. I will sort them all out in the End! God.”

I really like this because it says that our only job is to accept each other and take care of each other. It is not our job to judge. It’s not up to us if someone is not living up to our standards. Even worse, it is not up to us to judge who should receive help and assistance and who shouldn’t. Think of the last time you passed a homeless person on the street and made a judgement as to why he/she was there but did nothing about it.

Our Holy Father Pope Francis challenges us to be more tolerant of and more loving to each other. God knows we need more of that!

My challenge this Lent is to think of the places in your life that you can be more tolerant and less judgemental. Where can you do something good for someone else? Where can you possibly forgive someone who hurt you? Where can you ask for forgiveness from someone whom you have hurt?

Can we fast this Lent from hatred, jealousy, intolerance, being judgemental, and unforgiving?

Even Jesus associated with sinners and the marginalized in society.

Let’s make this a good Lent this year. Let us work to build up the Kingdom of God and our community here at La Salle Academy

St. John Baptist de La Salle……pray for us.

Live Jesus in our hearts……forever.

Patricia Ducharme–Religion Teacher

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