18: Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving During Quarantine

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Ruffly Speaking

Religion & Spirituality


In this episode, Fr. Ruff reminds us of the Lenten disciplines of Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving. Alongside Fr. Ruff's message, producer Aaron Lemma shares about how the coronavirus pandemic is changing the podcast and how it should, in reality, be a changing moment for us. Aaron put's Fr. Ruff's message in perspective. May we use this moment as an opportunity to adapt and deepen our Lenten practices instead of forget them altogether. After all, the world needs prayer now more than even.Key Quotes:"And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and grew gardens full of fresh food, and learned some new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently."And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal."And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed.” - Kitty O’Meara“A good Lenten Abstinence may be to give up technology that doesn’t aide prayer or alsmgiving. Maybe this means giving up some things alltogether: abstaining from TV during Lent, abstaining from video games on your iPad, or maybe even giving it up alltogether for Lent, unless of course it somehow is helping you to pray or give alms. Giving up surfing the internet might entail real sacrifice and conversion, especially if it sometimes leads us to sites that are not good for our vocation as baptized Christians. "Maybe fasting means tuning off the radio and praying on the way to work, or listening to a CD of the rosary, or a lecture. It might even mean calling someone you love and praying together over the phone. I warn though that our inclination is to run from silence. And maybe this Lent could be a great opportunity to foster silence in our lives, at least at some point in our day. ” - Fr. Michael Denk, Our Sunday Visitor“Because you have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” - Saint Augustine, Confessions 1.1.1Connect with Fr. Ruff:Please send your comments, questions, and feedback to rufflyspeakingpodcast@gmail.com.  We would greatly appreciate any thoughts you have about this podcast project!