Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from Your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Matthew 6: 1-4
Great Lent begins on Monday, March 3 this year. So it is five days away. Great Lent is supposed to be a period spiritual reflection and growth. In our society, Great Lent is generally marked in a few different ways. For many people, there is no difference. The period of Lent comes and goes and nothing of consequence happens.
Many people associate Lent with the idea of “giving up something” for Lent. What is the motive for doing that? Is it to see if they can actually give up a specific something, like chocolate for a whole forty days? Is it some form of deprivation, suffering to mirror the suffering of Christ? That sounds silly even writing it. Nothing can mirror the suffering of Christ. It doesn’t sound right to say “Christ suffered on the cross, so I’ll ‘suffer’ without chocolate.” Is it about punishment? i.e. I’m bad and I should be punished by going without something I really want. The problem with giving up something is that we become impatient to get it back. Easter might come as a relief, i.e. “thank God I get my chocolate back.” And when Lent is over and Pascha comes, we’re right back at the same place we were before it all began.
Even in the Orthodox world, we focus on the deprivation associated with fasting. Many of us are familiar with “Apokreas” or the leave-taking from meat. We have apokreatiko glendis (parties) where we have one last round of meat before we have to deprive ourselves of it. A new occasion is being celebrated now with more gusto, Tsiknopempti, which literally means “Charred Thursday,” a day which centers on the consumption of large amounts of grilled and roasted meats.
There are all kinds of excuses for not fasting, and because fasting has become for many the centerpiece of Lent, sadly for many there is not much of a Lenten journey at all.
As we approach the start of Great Lent, this year, we will focus three reflections on three things spoken about in Matthew 6—almsgiving, fasting and prayer. It is important that each of us makes a plan for Lent. The old saying goes, if you fail to plan, it’s like you plan to fail.
The first aspect of the Lenten plan is one many of us probably don’t even think of—almsgiving. Many people don’t even know what this word means. Many people think that almsgiving is putting a coin in front of a homeless person on the street. It’s actually a lot more than this. Almsgiving refers to the act of giving food, money or another form of assistance to those in need. Many people focus their Lenten journey of fasting, prayer and worship and these are all good things. However, all of these look inwardly. The two great commandments are for us to love God AND love our neighbor. Prayer, fasting and worship are all good, but they are all inwardly focused. There needs to be an outward focus, a focus on others outside of ourselves and our close circle. This is why almsgiving is so important.
Christ warns His followers to not make a big deal out of almsgiving, not to sound a trumpet or to give alms in the hopes of receiving some kind of praise for it. Rather, what we do should be done in secret, without fanfare or recognition. The word “sustenance” refers to “what sustains us.” Our assets are part of our sustenance. Thus, it is an act of faith to give from our sustenance, whether it is a little or a lot. It is an act of faith in God that in giving away something, we will still have enough. Giving also recognizes that what we have is a blessing from God, and some should be offered back to God in the form of charity, whether that charitable cause is a church, another non-profit, or giving specifically to someone in need. To never share anything of what we have, or to share very little and to do so begrudgingly shows a posture of entitlement—everything I have is mine, all good things come through my own effort without collaboration from God. James 1:17 reads “Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from Above, coming down from the Father of lights.” This means that everything we have that is good, including our sustenance, our income, has God as its source. God is the one who blesses us with talents that allow us to earn a living. What percentage of what He has blessed us with is a worthy offering back to Him (in the form of charity to others) in gratitude for that with which He has first blessed us?
In our Lenten plan, there should be a component of charity, which can come in the form of time or money. Here are two suggestions: Take the time you’d spend going out one night (i.e. 2-3 hours) and do some volunteer work this Lent. Or take the time you’d spend going out one night (i.e. $100 or whatever you spend on a night out, many people spend much more) and donate it to a church or charity. Don’t pass the Lenten period without offering something extra.
Lord, thank You for the many blessings You have bestowed on my life, including the ability and the opportunity to provide for myself and my family. Help me to always see what I earn not only as a personal accomplishment but as a blessing from a talent You first gave me. Help me to have a generous and charitable heart, to be a cheerful giver, to give back joyfully from that which You first gave to me. Remember those who are in need of charity—churches, charitable organizations, and people who are in need. And guide whatever it is I offer to be of the best help to those who need it most. Amen.
Here are some questions to ponder:
1. What can I give financially to the church or charity?
2. Where I can I volunteer some time?
