Sirach 29:1-13; 30:14-16; 21-26; 31:5-11(Second Friday of Lent)
The merciful lend to their neighbours; by holding out a helping hand they keep the commandments. Lend to your neighbour in his time of need; repay your neighbour when a loan falls due. Keep your promise and be honest with him, and on every occasion you will find what you need. Many regard a loan as a windfall, and cause trouble to those who help them. One kisses another’s hands until he gets a loan, and is deferential in speaking of his neighbour’s money; but at the time for repayment he delays, and pays back with empty promises, and finds fault with the time. If he can pay, his creditor will hardly get back half, and will regard that as a windfall. If he cannot pay, the borrower has robbed the other of his money, and he has needlessly made him an enemy; he will repay him with curses and reproaches, and instead of glory will repay him with dishonour. Many refuse to lend, not because of meanness, but from fear of being defrauded needlessly.
Nevertheless, be patient with someone in humble circumstances, and do not keep him waiting for your alms. Help the poor for the commandment’s sake, and in their need do not send them away empty-handed. Lose your silver for the sake of a brother or a friend, and do not let it rust under a stone and be lost. Lay up your treasure according to the commandments of the Most High, and it will profit you more than gold. Store up almsgiving in your treasury, and it will rescue you from every disaster; better than a stout shield and a sturdy spear, it will fight for you against the enemy.
Better off poor, healthy, and fit than rich and afflicted in body.
Health and fitness are better than any gold, and a robust body than countless riches.
There is no wealth better than health of body, and no gladness above joy of heart.
Do not give yourself over to sorrow, and do not distress yourself deliberately.
A joyful heart is life itself, and rejoicing lengthens one’s life span.
Indulge yourself and take comfort, and remove sorrow far from you,
for sorrow has destroyed many, and no advantage ever comes from it.
Jealousy and anger shorten life, and anxiety brings on premature old age.
Those who are cheerful and merry at table will benefit from their food.
One who loves gold will not be justified; one who pursues money will be led astray by it.
Many have come to ruin because of gold, and their destruction has met them face to face.
It is a stumbling-block to those who are avid for it, and every fool will be taken captive by it.
Blessed is the rich person who is found blameless, and who does not go after gold.
Who is he, that we may praise him? For he has done wonders among his people.
Who has been tested by it and been found perfect? Let it be for him a ground for boasting.
Who has had the power to transgress and did not transgress, and to do evil and did not do it?
His prosperity will be established, and the assembly will proclaim his acts of charity.
Commentary
Truly I tell you, that whatever you did for one of the least of these my brothers or sisters, you did for me. What greater command could Christ have given us? How could he have given us greater incitement toward works of our own mercy and justice, than by saying that anything we gave to the poor and needy we gave to him, and that we offended him if we gave them nothing? It was in the hope that one who is unmoved by the thought of his brother in the Church would at least be moved at the thought of Christ, and one who has no consideration for the distress and poverty of his fellow servant would at least have consideration for the Lord in the person of the one he despises. And therefore, dearest brothers, you who are prepared to fear the Lord, and have already rejected and spurned the world, raised your minds to celestial and divine matters, and made yourselves deserving through complete faith, a devout mind, and continuous good works, let us offer our worship to God. Let us give Christ earthly clothes to receive celestial ones; let us give him earthly food and drink, to join Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the heavenly feast. Let us sow abundantly so that our harvest will not be small. Let us look to our eternal safety and well-being while there is time, as the Apostle Paul urges us to do, saying: Therefore while we have time let us do whatever is for the good of all, but especially for the members of the faith. But let us not grow weary of doing good; for in its own time we shall reap our reward. And the glory and the joy of those who do good works, dearest brothers, will be very great, when the Lord begins to examine his people, and gives us the promised rewards for our merits and our good works, celestial rewards for earthly efforts, eternal for temporal, great for small. He will offer us to the Father to whom he has returned us by his own sanctification, and give us the eternity and immortality to which he returned us by his life-giving blood. He will bring us back to paradise again, and true to his promise he will open the kingdom of heaven to us! To win this palm for good works, let us enter the contest gladly and promptly, and all run in the fight for justice, with God and Christ as spectators. And when we are already well ahead of the world, let no worldly desires slow us down. If the day of retribution or of persecution falls upon us while we are running freely and swiftly in this context of good works, the Lord will in no way fail to reward us for our merits. In time of peace he will give the victorious a white crown for their good works; in time of persecution it will be a double purple one for their suffering.(St. Cyprian of Carthage)
Musical Selection
I ask not for ease and riches
Nor earth’s jewels for my part
But I have the best of wishes
For a pure and honest heart.
Oh, pure heart so true and tender
Fairer than the lilies white
The pure heart alone can render
Songs of joy both day and night.
Should I cherish earthly treasure
It would fly on speedy wings
The pure heart a plenteous measure
Of true pleasure daily brings.
Eve and morn my prayers ascending
To God’s heaven on wings of song
Seek the joy that knows no ending
The pure heart that knows no wrong.
Collect
Purify us, almighty God, by this holy practice of penance, that with hearts made fresh and whole we may advance toward the solemn feast of our redemption. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.