Scripture Reading
Isaiah 58:6-7
"Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?"
Reflection
God through Isaiah delivers a radical reframing of fasting: the most meaningful abstinence is not from food but from indifference. Real fasting breaks chains, feeds the hungry, houses the poor, and refuses to look away from suffering. Lenten practice that turns inward only and never outward misses this prophetic dimension. Almsgiving is not an add-on — it is the natural outflow of a genuinely fasting heart.
Prayer for Today
Grant us, Lord God, a vision of your world as your love would have it:
a world where the weak are protected, and none go hungry or poor;
a world where the riches of creation are shared, and everyone can enjoy them;
a world where different races and cultures live in harmony and mutual respect;
a world where peace is built with justice, and justice is guided by love.
Give us the inspiration and courage to build it, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
a world where the weak are protected, and none go hungry or poor;
a world where the riches of creation are shared, and everyone can enjoy them;
a world where different races and cultures live in harmony and mutual respect;
a world where peace is built with justice, and justice is guided by love.
Give us the inspiration and courage to build it, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.