This, rather, is the fasting that I wish. Isaiah 58:6
As a diocesan priest, we don’t have many of the rigorous disciplines of a religious order. On the surface, our lives do not look penitential. Indeed, a priest can live as a comfortable bachelor if he decides to do so. But with an openness to serving the people, the diocesan priest is flooded with demands on his time. Any plans he might have for the day are typically upended with last-minute needs and frantic calls. His life isn’t his own. Sacrificing his time and energy in service to the people is the penance of a diocesan priest. The Scriptures in the Lenten season do not disparage traditional penitential practices. These are good. But what is better is love and service of one’s neighbor. This sort of sacrificial love every parent and spouse know as they daily sacrifice for their families. This sort of sacrifice each of us can do in our daily lives.
Msgr. Stephen J. Rossetti
Originally published February 16th, 2024
