From Noon to 3:00 pm. Those sacred hours that Jesus hung upon the cross.
Today on this Lenten Friday, we pray.
St. Paul of the Cross repeatedly teaches that fasting and bodily penance have value only insofar as they foster humility, charity, and conformity to the Divine Will, and that excessive austerity can nourish self love rather than mortify it.
God of mercy, in this season of Lent teach us a fasting that is honest, hidden, and shaped by love.
Free us from practices that feed self focus or quiet pride, and draw us instead into humility of heart.
As we let go of what comforts or controls us, open our lives to deeper dependence on your grace and greater attentiveness to others.
Let our fasting soften us rather than harden us, making room for compassion, restraint, and shared responsibility.
Through this Lenten discipline, conform our wills more closely to yours and renew us for the work of love in the world.
