A Lenten message from Fr. Jack Bentz, S.J.
As we approached the season of Lent, I was in conversation with a couple of Gonzaga seniors; speaking about giving money at Mass. One of the young men said since he was not able to give enough to make a difference, he might as well keep the two dollars and let the collection basket pass him by.
Not an unreasonable conclusion. But to my mind, it’s a moment that illustrates how we are called to be generous in this season and often fail. Giving alms is one of the Lenten practices suggested for us to grow in these forty days leading up to Easter. Speaking for myself, I usually mean to, but then it’s Easter before I know it.
But we could reach for a deeper sort of generosity. What if we gave what we could and also gave up the need for it to make a difference? Of course, we wish it would make a difference (whatever that means), but that is out of our control. We can give something, we can be part of the giving, and so we should do it.
We can apply this same commitment to the other two practices of Lent - prayer and fasting. Do what we can and refuse to let our failure to do it all, keep us from doing something. Forty days to get the hang of this, forty days to try to be generous, forty days to do what we can.