First Friday of Lent

Fridays during Lent have traditionally meant stations of the cross.  This year, the church I attend regularly has decided to join forces with another church and the other church is hosting stations.  Interesting changes in times.  

I won't make mass today or stations tonight, but I have looked at today's readings.  The first reading is of great interest to me (Isaiah 58:1-9A).  Of course, much of Isaiah is interesting to me, so perhaps this is no surprise.  In any case, it talks about the kind of "fasting" that God wishes.  Verses 6 and 7 in particular:

Is this not, rather, the fast that I choose:
releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
breaking off every yoke? 

Is it not sharing your bread with the hungry,
bringing the afflicted and the homeless into your house;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own flesh?

After this, the next verse goes on to talk about a person's light shining forth.  The key to me is that this is a wonderful message of what Lent should really be about when it comes to sacrifice.  For so long we focused on denying ourselves.  That is fine.  However, that is not all there is to it.  This emphasizes good things we should anyway, but reminds of me the modern Lenten focus within the church of making more effort to do good things.  The right balance between self-denial and more good things for more people is tough to manage sometimes, but that is what I see myself needing to focus on.  

So far the readings this year have given me a lot to think about and provided a lot of insight into where I am in my own faith. It just goes to show how much of the wisdom of the Bible truly is eternal.