February 17, 2010
Practicing Eco-Penance during Lent: Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving
(from www.franciscanaction.org)
Francis understood that creation is a self-expression of God’s fruitful and self-giving love. As the Trinity is a loving Communion of Persons, so we are called to relate to God and all creatures in loving communion. Whereas sin tears at relationships, penance brings us to a new familial relatedness. As Francis expressed in his exhortation to the brothers and sisters in penance:
Oh, how happy and blessed are these men and women when they do these things and persevere in doing them, because “the spirit of the Lord will rest upon them” (cf. Is 11:2) and he will make “his home and dwelling among them” (cf. Jn 14:23), and they are the sons of the heavenly Father (cf. Mt 5:45), whose works they do, and they are the spouses, brothers, and mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Mt 12:50).
To read these weekly Lenten reflections, starting with Ash Wednesday, please visit the Franciscan Action Network website.