“Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4b)
On this Friday of the fourth week of Lent the mass readings call to mind how Our Lord suffered at the hands of his enemies even before His crucifixion. Fridays throughout the year, and especially during Lent, are a day when we specially call to mind Our Lord’s suffering, like how on Sundays we recall His resurrection and eternal glory. We can keep this day special by not eating meat, by making the Stations of the Cross, by making an extra effort to come to mass, or by some other suitable act of charity or penance. As we draw closer to Good Friday these little sacrifices will help us to appreciate even more clearly the greatness of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for our sake. If Christ’s suffering was not in vain, then neither is our penance in vain when we offer it to Him and unite it with His sacrifice.
Friday penance is not about trying to earn our salvation; it’s a loving response of gratitude. Friday penance is not about punishing ourselves; it’s about learning how to give up our self-will. Friday penance is not about over-burdening ourselves; it’s about letting go of the sin that’s already weighing us down. Sometimes there is a temptation to “go big or go home” when it comes to penance – once you give up trying to sleep on a bed of nails, what does it matter if you have a cheese sandwich or a ham sandwich? It doesn’t matter any other day of the week, it’s not sinful in itself, it seems too little to make a difference… But think of it this way instead: just do what you can, offer it to God, and see what happens.