22 FRIDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY Remember that you are in the presence of the Lord: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Friday is the day of the week when Christians remember the death of Jesus on the cross. Even though this event is especially celebrated on the last Friday of Lent, which is Good Friday, every single Friday is an opportunity to thank the Lord for this unique sacrifice in history: the sacrifice of the Son of God who gave his life for the love of us. Friday After Ash Wednesday A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah: [T hus says the Lord God :] Is this the manner of fasting I wish, of keeping a day of penance: That a man bow his head like a reed and lie in sackcloth and ashes? Do you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: … Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed. (Isaiah 58:5-8) Penance calls for almsgiving, generosity, and justice, which bring us closer to God. Penance is not an attitude in which we remain centered on ourselves: I am a sinner, I am bad, I deserve to cover my head with ashes…. On the contrary: by turning to others, concerned about sharing and justice, we forget to look in the mirror and to put ourselves first. And then we can give this priority to the Lord, through those people who need our help.
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