On the Fourth Sunday of Lent, also known as Laetare Sunday, the Church marks the half-way point through the season of Lent. In this podcast, Fr. Peter Armenio renews in us a desire to grow in almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. Lent revolves around the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, which is the greatest form of self-emptying and self-love. We, as followers of Christ, must embrace the cross and come to know Christ through sharing in His self-emptying.
We come to know Christ more deeply through almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. Although all three components go hand in hand, Fr. Armenio explains that without almsgiving, prayer and fasting will not work as almsgiving is the animating force behind prayer and fasting. We must live out the works of mercy and seek to love those around us, beginning first with our family and expanding to our friends and those we encounter each day. We must always be able to give a witness to the love of Christ.
Fr. Armenio also explains the importance of prayer and fasting, drawing upon the time Christ spent in the desert. Following in this example, we must create a time for silence with our Lord which allows us the opportunity to be refueled in the love of Christ. By spending time receiving the love of Christ, we are then able to go out and share the love of Christ with others. Similarly, we must look inward at our life and ask: how can we deny ourselves to draw closer to the Lord? By taking up fasting, we receive the grace to fight temptation and turn our attention toward the heart of Christ.
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