We hear a very profound message from Isaiah today, telling us where we find true observance of our religion and our faith. God sees a people whose inward spirit does not match their outward observance.
The people of Ancient Israel want God to come near them. They want laws that are just. They want God to see their fasting and penance and to give his approval. The people of Israel are proud of the devout religious appearance they portray to God. Yet, perhaps they do not realize that in their interior life, they are neglecting their spirituality and what is really important to God. They wonder: Why do we fast and God not see it? Through the prophet Isaiah, God gives the people a harsh response to their questions and misgivings in their relationship with God, giving them condemnation rather that praise and affirmation. They fast, but they do not respect the holy days and they mistreat their workers; they quarrel, they argue, and they do not help the poor. God wants them to do works of justice, to live out the values of their faith, not just to fast and to superficially act holy. It is good to balance the Lenten disciplines we are called to by the Church: prayer, fasting, and acts of charity. In our faith, it is good for us to pay attention to our interior life, but also our words and actions as well. This is a great message for us to hear during these first days of Lent.
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