Lent - Give (in Charity) | St. Anthony Faith Formation

April 8, 2019

“Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.”
(John the Baptist preaching, Lk. 3:11)

Most of us in America are pretty generous. And our parishioners are some of the most generous people I’ve ever met. They give time, talent, and treasure right and left. Anything I’ve ever asked for the Faith Formation program, there’s been someone to step up and give. Volunteers give even more. And Catechists dig even deeper to give not only class time, but preparation time, prayer, and not to mention the level of relationship that goes into accompanying students along the journey of faith.

During Lent we are called to give, in particular to give alms. Alms are material goods, money, clothing, food, really anything, given to the poor and needy. This is different from our monthly tithe, our volunteer time, or prayer. Giving alms to the poor or outcast is one of the ways we join with Christ in His ministry. Jesus calls us many times to take care of the poor or helpless. His parables of Lazarus the beggar, the master who gave a banquet, the Good Samaritan, and others illustrate how we should treat others. He also taught that we should give from our need, not our abundance (see Mk 12:41-44). But, Jesus was only teaching what the Old Law said about caring for widows and orphans, aliens, and those who fell on hard times. The stories of Israel’s family coming to Egypt to secure food during the famine, Ruth and Naomi asking to glean in Obed’s fields, times when the persecuted needed help and succor and found it from an individual who was generous.

“Those who are generous are blessed, for they share their bread with the poor.” (Proverbs 22:9)

The Gospel message, indeed the message of all of Scripture is “Love God, and love neighbor”. This love is translated as “caritas” in Greek, from which we get the word “charity”. It is the “theological virtue by which we love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God.” That is the definition from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Charity has come to mean giving to the poor or needy. But it’s not just a thoughtless or social act: clean out the closet, donate the clothes, and feel good about yourself; hand a dollar to the homeless person at the intersection; put a check in the envelope at work because everyone can see that you contributed. Any almsgiving or charitable gift should be thoughtful, prayerful, and meaningful: clean out the closet, making sure the clothes being given are free of holes or stains, praying that the person who will receive the clothes will be blessed by them, maybe put in a piece that you still like, or that is a little fancier than you would normally give away; give anonymously to an organization you trust to use your money to actually help those in need.
Charity is the sacrificial love that Christ showed us on the Cross. This is why Lenten almsgiving is prescribed, to join in Christ’s act of sacrificial love for the salvation of all. When we are charitable in almsgiving, it helps us to be charitable in other ways like our thoughts and words, actions, and self-restraint. We can look at the saints for examples of concrete charity: St. Vincent de Paul, St. John Bosco, Mother Teresa, and many others. Their legacies are means by which we can continue the work of Christ. And may we all live up to the name “Christian” as the hymn says, “And they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”