Homily of Fr James McCarthy for Friday after Ash Wednesday (8am) on 4 March 2022

in the old testament there was an expectation of what a person was going to be like when they were fasting and even in the gospel here we have the pharisees and john's apostles who were john's disciples who were known for their fasting and people knew they were fasting we heard on ash wednesday in our gospel reminding us that when we do fasting others shouldn't know that we're fasting it shouldn't bring out a somber look in our face we shouldn't look gaunt and we shouldn't be losing our temper it should be bringing out the best in us and that's what this first reading is reminding us i think it's one of the the challenges of lent in one sense lent is a very dark season focusing on sin we're focusing on suffering our own brokenness on the the reality of what jesus christ has done for us through his death and sometimes it can very easily get into the situation that we become so somber that it almost becomes a dark season for us as well but what we're being reminded by these readings here is that really people should be seeing the best of us at this moment that when we fast it should bring out sanctity in us a desire to help the poor a desire to be joyful to assist others to pray more to be more fervent in our faith not to be dark and gloomy and say oh things are bad or i'm not feeling so good and so on that's not what fasting's meant to to do but that was perhaps the way many people did fast and even at the time of jesus that was what they were expecting jesus apostles to be doing they would look at the apostles of jesus and say you guys aren't fasting we don't see you being a bit a bit grumpy we don't see you whinging about the fact that you've you only had one meal today but they're not seeing this and i think that's what jesus wants from us people shouldn't be seeing that we're fasting yes we should be fasting we're told over and over again in the old and the new testament it's an important thing to fast and to pray but it should bring out the best in us this season is a time for all of us to commit to being saints right now to living the life of the saint in our local community be inspired by people like saint therese of lazier who lived ordinary things and did them extraordinarily well she responded in joy to those around her she prayed in joy for those around her she prayed for those in other parts of the world who were in difficulties and she lifted people up by her joy and her christian witness during this season of lent yes let us commit to being people of prayer and fasting let us live out the life of the saint let us recommit today to doing all we can to be saints within our community in our world right now

Channel: Cronulla Catholic

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Keywords: Catholic Mass, Catholic Mass at Home, Sunday of Lent, Sunday of Advent, Weekday Livestream, Mass at Home, Live Streamed Church, Youth Mass, Catholic Parish, Catholic Worship, Catholic Mass today, Live Catholic Mass today, Live Catholic Mass Sydney

Id: 7oTvprRbuB8

Length: 3min 25sec (205 seconds)

Published: Thu Mar 03 2022