Every Sunday before communion we pray: “Our Father . . .Thy will be done on earth as It Is in heaven.” This line in the Lord’s Prayer is foundational for our outreach efforts at St. John’s. We are called to bring God’s kingdom to Washington, DC. We are directed to feed the hungry, clothe the needy, and welcome the stranger.
During Lent, we typically try to deepen our relationship with God through prayer, and we concentrate on discipline and self-development through fasting of food or habits; but the third, sometimes overlooked, practice of Lent is almsgiving. Almsgiving is more than physical or monetary charity, it is an act inspired by compassion, a work of justice pleasing to God.
Almsgiving is sitting down at Grace’s Table with our neighbors who are unhoused to share a hot meal and talk about the weather. It is advocating on behalf of refugees to ensure that those fleeing violence and persecution have a path to safety. It is tutoring at-risk kids in your neighborhood through Communities in Schools. It is letting yourself consider how it would feel to not know when you can next afford to buy diapers for your baby; and from that place of compassion and empathy, it is contributing to St. John’s ongoing diaper drive in support of the one in five families in the DC area that live below the poverty level.
Most days it feels as if we have an insurmountable task ahead to bring God’s will to fruition here on earth; but what better time to honestly self-evaluate and increase our own efforts in that mission than Lent. St. John’s has many opportunities to help others.
May your final weeks leading up to Easter be filled with a renewed energy to seek ways to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
Jess Sanchez
Outreach Committee
Links to the appointed readings and prayer for today:
