If you’re like me, you’re probably thinking about what to “give up” for Lent. That’s what we were taught – to sacrifice by doing without dessert, candy, alcohol, television, movies, and so on.
For some, Lent has been a wonderful season of growth in years past. For others, it’s been a more difficult journey at times. I suspect for most of us it has been both.
What if we changed our thinking a little bit this year? What if we thought not so much about what to give up but what to give? More specifically, what if we give of our time and ourselves to serve others?
At first, this might not seem like a spiritual exercise or a prayerful experience, but I believe it most certainly is. Serving others is one of the best ways to move your heart and get more in touch with the Lord by seeing Him present in those who need our help.
Just making the time to serve is a sacrifice. Most of us are caught up in busy schedules, actively trying to do great things for our families, our workplaces, and our neighborhoods. I promise it will be worth the effort. One of the miracles of charity is that those who serve find God as much as or even more than those they help.
Imagine if we all looked for ways this Lent to give some of our time to those most in need, those who are by themselves, or those struggling to meet the demands of daily life. What a difference we could make to them and to ourselves.
I’ve thought about this in recent months looking at our own agency, Catholic Charities. We have 7,000 amazing volunteers who do so much good every single day. We have opportunities to get involved in food programs, mentoring, working with children and families, reaching out to those who are homeless and vulnerable, and so much more.
I’m convinced that many more people would like to volunteer and serve but don’t quite know how to start. I like to tell people just to stick their toe in the water. Try something and see if it’s for you. If it is, your commitment will naturally grow. If it’s not, you can try something else.
They say charity begins at home, so you might think about asking your parish about service opportunities. They could be part of an organized ministry or simply driving someone to church who would not otherwise be able to come. Ask your school or religious education director about working with children. Perhaps you could get involved with a Lenten food drive or a Rice Bowl program. You could also stop in at a local nursing home to see about ways to help senior citizens.
There are so many ways to engage personally in living the Gospel, making our community a better place, and helping our Church be one of the leading places in the world where people find love and support.
I would like to mention one particular possibility today for your consideration. It’s a new effort to bring together the young and the aging to grow, strengthen, and support one another. I think it’s a fantastic idea.
The aging population is among the fastest growing in our community, what some people now call the “silver tsunami.” Many are aging in place, and sadly they are often lonely and in need of services that we didn’t think as much about previously.
On the other hand, research shows that many of our young people feel adrift and are struggling to find their places in life. Younger generations are increasingly disenfranchised and uninvolved. I saw a statistic the other day that is rather frightening: 46 percent of people ages 18 to 29 say that they have no religion.
This doesn’t mean they are bad people. It doesn’t even mean that they are not spiritual or don’t believe in God. It means they are not involved in any organized practice of their beliefs, like attending church, getting involved with the community, and sharing their faith with those around them.
This new effort to create faith-driven relationships across generations will kick off on Saturday, March 21, with a workshop at the Montgomery County Executive Office Building (101 Monroe Street, Rockville, MD 20850). Please consider this my personal invitation to join us.
We will have refreshments and registration from 8:15 to 9:00, at which time we’ll talk about ways that individuals and parishes can get involved to bring generations together, helping both young and old find love, support, and a place in our community. I can promise you that anyone who attends will be introduced to ways you can make a difference in your own parish and neighborhood. You can register online at https://tinyurl.com/skaleyo.
As we begin Lent, Jesus reminds us in the Gospel on Ash Wednesday about the three spiritual pillars of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18). I would suggest that giving of your time and yourself touches on all three. Your service is a living prayer, and you can also offer your service up to God. You are fasting by giving up time you could use to do something else. And you are giving alms through your acts of charity.
May God bless your Lent. It is a spiritual journey filled with many opportunities for growth. Perhaps one could be giving of yourself by volunteering in service to others. I think you will find yourself drawing closer to God as Jesus comes alive in you and those you serve.
