The Fifth Sunday of Lent

Welcome, young history buffs and curious minds, to My Daily Saint, the podcast that digs deep into the incredible lives of the saints, those remarkable people who shaped history and continue to inspire us today. Forget dusty old portraits and boring stories. Today, imagine walking into your parish church. It's the place you go every week. You know the smell of the wax candles. You know which pew creaks when you kneel. But today, something is different. Something is wrong.

You look up to the front, expecting to see the familiar face of Mary or Joseph, or the large crucifix hanging above the altar. But they're gone. They haven't been stolen. They haven't been broken. They have been veiled. Wrapped in purple cloth, the holy images have been hidden from your eyes. The church has entered a time of visual silence.

Welcome to the fifth Sunday of Lent. Welcome to Passion Tide. The fifth Sunday of Lent is the specific marker where we shift gears. It is the last Sunday before Holy Week, and marks the beginning of Passion Tide. This is that dramatic moment when statues and holy images are veiled in anticipation of the solemn liturgies to come. It's like the church is holding its breath, preparing for the intensity of Good Friday.

But amidst all this purple cloth and mystery, there is a challenge. Ideally, we'd been working on these the last five weeks. Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Prayer? We can handle that. Fasting? Giving up chocolate or video games is hard, but we get the concept.

But then there is the third one. Some would say the most intimidating of the three. Almsgiving. It comes with a lot of questions. Who do you give alms to? Do you make donations tax-deductible? And the big one, what if you have no money to spare? Matthew chapter 6, verses 3 and 4 says, But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret, and your father who sees in secret will reward you.

Giving alms is not simply monetary, and it's not mere philanthropy. Philanthropy is when a billionaire puts their name on a building. Almsgiving is giving to God through his people. Here are two strategies to conquer the intimidation. Strategy number one, the cleanse. We cannot serve both God and mammon, which is an old word for money or material wealth. Even if you don't have cash, you probably have stuff. Too much stuff. Maybe it's that hoodie you have five of, or the games you never play.

Giving them away isn't just cleaning your room. It's a spiritual act of drawing closer to God. Strategy number two, the gift of time. This is the ultimate currency. Sometimes the greatest gift we can give God and others is the gift of our time.

Did you know that acts of service can also be a kind of almsgiving? That means when you help your sibling with homework without being asked, or you stay behind to stack chairs at the youth group, you are actually fulfilling the third part of the Lenten trifecta.

This week, pick one act of service to do for someone in your house or at school. But here is the catch. You have to do it like the scripture says, in secret. Do the dishes when no one is looking. Fix a problem before anyone asks. Don't post it on Instagram. Don't tell your mom so you can get credit. Just do it. Why? Because as Acts 2035 reminds us, it is more blessed to give than to receive. Let's make these final days of Lent count.

Cleanse the excess, give your time, and embrace the mystery of Passion Tide. Thank you for joining us on My Daily Saint. We look forward to sharing another incredible story of faith and courage with you tomorrow.