A Spiritual Trifecta

“Prayer is good when accompanied by fasting, almsgiving and righteousness.” Tobit 12:8

Going into lent, it is good to refocus spiritually and physically, to remind ourselves to bind prayer with fasting and almsgiving. We are a dual being, made up of body and soul. This dual unification must manifest itself in our daily spiritual lives. Our body must SHOW what our soul longs for- hopefully that is to be with Christ.

Prayer doesn’t have to be some elaborate sonnet or epic poem. Prayer is us responding to God. It can be as simple as a plea or the first word of praise that comes to our mind. However, there must be results from our prayer, an outward sign of our inward growth in our relationship with God. We cannot take and never give, we cannot hear and never respond, for what kind of relationship is that?

“It will do me little good to be deeply recollected when alone, making acts of the virtues, planning and promising to do wonders in God’s service, if afterwards, when occasion offers, I do just the opposite.” (St. Teresa of Avila, Interior Castle, Seventh Mansion, Chapter 4)

 
An outward sign of an inward reality.

This is why fasting and almsgiving need to be coupled with prayer. They are inseparable for they are the outward practicing of prayer, the demonstration that our soul is indeed getting stronger from our encounters with God. Prayer is ordered toward action because our goal isn’t prayer itself, but love.

“If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23

 
We must encounter Christ daily, suffer daily and give of our life daily to have the “daily bread”-the nourishment our souls need- to successfully make it through each day. We don’t just want to survive, but to THRIVE.

 
Jesus, in the gospel of Matthew, lines out this trifecta, framing the Prayer He taught us with fasting (Mt 6:16-18) and almsgiving (Mt 6:1-4). The three go hand in hand. If any of the three suffers, they all suffer. They are each only as strong as the weakest link.

Fasting is to the body, denying the flesh, keeping it in check, that it doesn’t rule the mind or spirit. Almsgiving is to the mind, releasing things of this life to gain for the body and soul what matters in the next. Prayer is to the soul, offering God freely all that we have and all that we are, rejoicing in His infinite majesty and glory with all of our mind, body and soul.

 
We must deny our body of its wants to be fully open to giving our spirit to God. We must release from our minds the things we think we need or want so that our spirit may be free to run to God, unchained to this life, free to soar to the heights of heaven without the weights of the world pulling it back down. Then can you remain in soulful ecstasy in the presence of God, offering praise, thanksgiving and petition without the restraint of the things of earth.

 
Pray.

Fast.

Give Alms.