Most of the time, we approach Lent from a highly personal, even private, perspective.

We see it as a season of renewal and spiritual reawakening, a six-week boot camp of sorts. Our hope is to emerge from this season of preparation with deeper devotion to Christ, more consistent habits of prayer, and a better rein on our desires and passions. And while all of this is right and good, if it is the whole of our vision for this season, we may have failed to grasp one of its foundational purposes.

If Lent doesn’t deepen in us a greater love for God and our neighbor, we have entirely missed the point.

If we want to grow in our life with Christ, we must learn to love what he loves. When we serve others, we are close to the heart of Jesus. We are invited to follow his example of service and turn outwards, away from self-interest and towards a world in need.

Christian service takes many forms, including care for the poor, opening your table or home to someone in need of a bed or a meal, or offering a listening ear and compassionate heart to a troubled soul. Yet whatever form it may take, love must be our guiding light.

To love is to will the good of another. Service is love in action, concretely applying our belief in Christ to the decisions we make and ways we spend our time, money, and relationships. In the name of Christ, may we love others as we have been loved (John 13:34).

Prayer of the Week

Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Prayer for the Fourth Sunday in Lent

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