During Lent, the Church asks of us those signs of penance (abstinence from meat from the age of 14, and fasting between the ages of 18 and 59), which bring us closer to the Lord and give the soul a special joy; also, almsgiving which, offered with a merciful heart, wishes to bring a little comfort to those who are in need or to contribute according to our means to an apostolic work for the good of souls. "All Christians can engage in almsgiving, not only the rich and well-to-do, but also those of average position and even the poor; in this way, those who are unequal in their ability to give alms are alike in the love and affection with which they give them.
Detachment from material things, mortification and abstinence purify our sins and help us to encounter the Lord in our daily activities. For "he who seeks God while desiring to continue with his pleasures, seeks him by night, and by night he will not find him "11. The source of this mortification will be mainly in our daily work: in the order, in the punctuality in starting our work, in the intensity with which we carry it out, etc.; in living together with others we will find occasions to mortify our selfishness and to contribute to create a more pleasant climate in our environment.
"And the best mortification is the one that fights - in small details, all day long - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Mortifications that do not mortify others, that make us more delicate, more understanding, more open to everyone. You will not be mortified if you are susceptible, if you are concerned only with your own selfishness, if you are submissive to others, if you do not know how to deprive yourself of the superfluous and, at times, of the necessary; if you are saddened when things do not turn out as you had foreseen. On the other hand, you are mortified if you know how to do everything for everyone, so that you may gain everyone (1 Cor 9:22). Each one of us should make a concrete plan of mortifications to offer to the Lord daily during this Lent.
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