My reflection is from Living Faith:
This, rather is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound undustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; setting free the oppressed breaking every yoke. Isaiah 58:6
“Every Lent I face the same question: what should I give up? In earnest moments of introspection and prayer, I search my soul for some meaningful way of practicing self sacrifice. And what do I land on? Chocolate, alcohol, meat on Fridays…
Sure fasting might draw my attention to God for short periods as I fight urges to have a beer or open a candy bar, but it hardly seems enough. For the fasting to which God calls us should never just be about taming our desires. Instead, we are called to also look outward and see others who desire freedom and cannot seem to find it without help.
What can we do today to extend the freedom we receive in Christ to those in need? How can we move from self-centered fasting to action that will improve the lives of others?” Steve Givens
A number of years ago after the Easter vigil I had my stash of things that I gave up. At that point I realized, I missed the whole point of Lent. It’s not give something up for forty days and run back to it.  so whatever we give up take the money that we saved and give it to CRS or I saw on the news the Knights of Columbus have a group in Ukraine that are giving out supplies.
