A Three-Legged Stool
During Lent, one of the things our church emphasizes is the need to do penance. Penance is the way of turning ourselves back to God. The Gospel on Ash Wednesday (at the beginning of Lent) focuses on the three traditional penances that can help us in our fight against sin. They are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Many people choose to add prayer to their life during this time. Perhaps it will be a devotion like the rosary or chaplet of Divine Mercy. It might also be reading and meditating on scripture. Prayer is a powerful way to focus on God and develop our relationship with the Lord. Others might choose to fast. The idea behind fasting is to deny ourselves something we normally have in order to increase our awareness and appreciation of God in our lives. It is usually fasting from food; although it doesn’t have to be. Some give up candy, computer games, Saturday night movies, etc. Denying oneself reminds us physically (not just mentally) that Jesus denied himself for us. It can draw us closer to the Lord. The third penance is almsgiving. It is about letting go of what is “mine” and sharing with others the gifts God has given. It could be a gift of time, treasure, or talent. One cannot love God and ignore their neighbor. Jesus makes it clear that our love must be shown in concrete acts of charity.
All of these penances are good and beneficial in turning away from sin. However, we must be careful. A truly balanced spiritual life demands all three. We must keep focused on Christ, appreciate his gifts, and be faithful to his teachings. Too often a person will focus on only one or two of these penances. They may spend time praying to God, but never give alms; or they may do for others, but fails to connect these deeds with acts of self-denial. An older priest once explained it this way to me. It is like a three-legged stool. Unless all three legs are the same length, the stool will wobble and be of no use. Our penance must also be balanced. All three legs are necessary. Please use this Lenten season to practice all three penances. They are the tried and tested way to fight sin, turn ourselves to God, and deepen our faith in the Lord.