Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Votive collect of Saint John the Baptist

 Lectionary: 327

With his every deed he offered thanks to God Most High, in words of praise.
With his whole being he loved his Maker and daily had his praises sung;
He set singers before the altar and by their voices he made sweet melodies,
He added beauty to the feasts and solemnized the seasons of each year
So that when the Holy Name was praised, before daybreak the sanctuary would resound.
The Lord forgave him his sins 
and exalted his strength forever;
He conferred on him the rights of royalty
and established his throne in Israel.

Today's readings celebrate two of the greatest heroes in our Bible, King David and John the Baptist. Although their fates were quite different -- one died in his royal bed surrounded by grief and the other was murdered by order of a royal sot -- they shared an unwavering faith in God. 

Their stories remind us of sin and forgiveness. David pioneered the path of salvation as his remorse and penances placated an offended God and won his favor. Saint John's fasting and living in the wilderness modeled penance even as thousands of Jews came to him for a baptism of penance. He also gave practical advice to the crowds, tax collectors, and soldiers when they asked, "What should we do?" (Luke 3:10-14) 

When the world around us celebrates the heroism of front line workers against the pandemic, we can admire their generosity and courage even as we turn to our religious heroes and ask the same question, "What should we do?" Although the world scoffs at our religious reading of current events, we can regard this relentless disease as an invitation to turn away from sin and live by the Gospel.  

Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving: these are the practical directives we will hear on Ash Wednesday. They're found in Saint Matthew's gospel but have their roots in ancient Jewish tradition. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph certainly pondered the same commands as they observed the penitential seasons with their friends and neighbors. 

Catholics have an enormous library of tried and true, memorized prayers to guide our minds and hearts in the way of penance. The Liturgy of the Hours gathers the Church throughout the world to recite the psalms together. Many people attend daily Mass during Lent where it's available. 

Penitential "fasting" among an aging population is practiced by the maintenance of our health; which includes daily exercise, careful diet, and sufficient sleep. We do these things as servants of God and for the love of God. "Almsgiving" may be volunteering time, treasure, and talent for the needs of others. The enterprise we call America would collapse overnight without millions of volunteers contributing in every conceivable way.  

Christians, by definition, atone for their own sins and the sins of the world. Our life is penance. If it's not, we can expect to be tossed out and trampled underfoot.