Today’s first reading is from Isaiah.   Yahweh explains what kind of whole-hearted response He wants from His followers. They have misunderstood His instructions about fasting and he is correcting their misperceptions. Like us, they followed rules and became self-satisfied with their response.  I think this reading and Lenten practices are about a difference between external versus internal sharing.

As Fr. Greg Boyle says in Barking to the Choir, helping others is not so much about to giving things like toys, food, or clothing to those in need.  Purchasing toys for the Giving Tree, serving at the soup kitchen, and writing checks for good causes are all good things to do.  But, that is not enough. We are not to relate as a donor and recipient.  When we reach out, as God asks, it is when we sit side by side and realize that, under the skin, we are both the same. God’s love embraces us equally.  We are not able to imagine the stress and grief others have endured, but we can connect.

I volunteer weekly in the Help Center at the New London Homeless Hospitality Center.  Guests enter the small office with two computers and a phone to pick up mail because homeless people have no address. They may need help writing a resume or with the tedious task of an on-line application to Wendy’s, Panera or Electric Boat. Last week an older lady, Nettie, needed help creating an email account from Google to access Amazon which requires an email address.  She had paid for a stick to allow her to watch TV.  She had been without TV for more than a month. Her nephew was going to help when she could access Amazon.  After several feeble attempts on my part to obtain an intelligible user name, we opted for the randomly generated Gmail user-name suggested.  After our success, I needed to text this information to her nephew.  However, I couldn’t figure out how to do it on her phone. Therefore, I delivered the info from my cellphone and closed with a thanks from Aunt Nettie.  He replied, “Thanks u.”  As we completed the project, Nettie called out, “Thank you Jesus!”  I replied with a hearty laugh, "You don’t need to thank Jesus. This was a job which we could manage together."  We both laughed and she answered, “I always thank Jesus.”

We meet each other as Jesus wants when we get under the skin of someone else. This is when pretentions and judgements wash away. Lent is not about giving up stuff but about growing our hearts.

Isaiah 58:1-9