In this weekend’s readings from Sirach and the Gospel of Matthew, we are reminded that God’s commandments are not burdens placed upon us, but invitations to life. Sirach tells us plainly: before us are life and death, good and evil; whichever we choose shall be given us. God does not force our hand. He dignifies us with freedom. At St. Francis Solanus, we know well that freedom is a gift-but it is also a responsibility. The Lord sets before us the path of trust, honesty, fidelity, and reverence for one another. When we choose His ways, we choose life-not only eternal life, but a deeper, fuller life even now.
In the Gospel, Jesus makes it clear that He has not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. He calls us beyond the minimum. It is not enough to avoid murder; we must root out anger. It is not enough to avoid adultery; we must guard our hearts. The Lord desires integrity-an alignment between what we profess and how we live. “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.'” In a world that often settles for half-measures, Christ calls us to wholehearted discipleship. May we, as a parish family, choose each day the narrow road that leads to life, trusting that God’s grace always strengthens us to live what He asks.
Lent begins Wednesday. Pray about what God is asking of you this Lent to make your yes mean yes and your no mean no. How can we use Lent to give our whole heart to the Lord? Take the time to look at how you can give alms, fast, and pray this Lent. Don’t just “give up” something random. Do something challenging in all three aspects of Lent: almsgiving, fasting, and praying. Make all three a part of your Lent.
Lastly, as many of you know, Justin Haubrich from our community here in Quincy died this last week at 37 years old and left behind a wife and four children. Parish council and I discussed a suggestion to give our Wednesday Soup Supper donations to this family in need. Justin and his family have been very good to our community here at St. Francis. They have provided our bulletins and Pray Together missalettes for years. They have always done this work to benefit the Church in the most affordable way. We need to do our part to take care of a family that has taken care of us for many years. Our Wednesday Soup Suppers will benefit this family. Please be generous.
May you have a blessed Lent.
Father Arisman