Penance without Charity is Dead
February 16, 2024 | By Jason Lan Cornell ‘25
image description:a beggar on the steps of a temple
Every year, the Catholic Church celebrates the life of St. Francis de Sales on January 24th. St. Francis de Sales, former Bishop of Geneva, entered the priesthood young and quickly became renowned for his gentleness and patience with his Protestant neighbors. His heart was always oriented towards serving God by serving his neighbor, and accordingly, he played an essential role in reforming the Church to better teach and support its lay members. His writings often focused on promoting charity and mercy, so much so that he would emphasize charity as being of greater importance than penance.
In today’s reading from the Book of Isaiah, we see what seems to be a pious Israel: “day after day they seek [God] and delight to know [His] ways.” The people fast and humble themselves, but God takes no notice. This is because “[they] serve [their] own interest on [their] fast day and oppress all [their] workers.” [1] The Israelites’ sin is against their neighbor, a sin that their fasting and penance does not atone for. In today’s reading of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus furthers this rebuke of penance before charity, telling the Pharisees to “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’” [2] It’s clear to me that St. Francis’ words reflect the theme of our readings: charity and mercy is greater than penance and sacrifice.
So, what are we to make of these readings for the Lenten season, and for our daily lives year-round? I believe that these readings ought to shape not only how we correct our wrongs, but to challenge us to recognize where our wrongs lie in the first place. We cannot divorce our offenses against God and our offenses against neighbors.
When we shoo a beggar away, demean the emotionally vulnerable, or even ghost an old friend over text, we not only commit a sin against them, but one against God. Jesus warns us Himself, stating “just as [we do] it to one of the least of these who are members of [His] family, [we do] it to [Him].” [3] For why do we, as God’s creation, get to judge others made in His likeness and image? Why do we get to decide who is worthy of our time? When we commit such sins against our neighbor, we implicitly tell God that His creation isn’t good enough for us, that we are somehow better. So, when we go to confess our sin, we cannot merely think of the Friday night where we drank a little too much or the impure thoughts we had about a crush. And, when we go to make amends for our sins, it must come from charity. Without it, we fail to understand the gravity of our sins.
When we fast instead of feeding the homeless, we fail to see that what hurts most is not the lack of food, but the lack of community love. When we add a thirty second petition for a bitter enemy at the end of a nightly prayer instead of making amends with them, we fail to see that our severance of communion with them is akin to murder because we refuse to see them as one made in God’s image and likeness. Without knowing what the invisibility and isolation of poverty feels like, we fail to understand Jesus’ isolation in the days leading up to His death. Without understanding humanity’s true worth, we can never comprehend how much we mean to God.
Without understanding all of these things, can we understand God’s love for us? And if we cannot understand God’s love, do we truly have faith? This is the meaning behind the words of St. James: “faith without works is dead.” [4] In the same vein, penance without charity is dead. So, this Lenten season, instead of an empty fast, draw near to the bridegroom, and while He is here, do not mourn, but make charity your fast instead. Visit your local nursing home, and be a friend for ten minutes to a lonely grandma. Reach out to that emotionally vulnerable person you “dropped” four years ago, and say that you love them.
Love God by loving your neighbor as yourself.
St. Francis de Sales, ora pro nobis!
References:
[1] Isaiah 58: 1-9 [NRSV-CE]
[2] Matthew 9:10-17 [NRSV-CE]
[3] Matthew 25:40 [NRSV-CE]
[4] James 2:26 [NABRE]