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I’m not sure if you’re Christian or not, but for most Christians this is the period of the year known as Lent. And if you know nothing else about Lent, you probably know that people give things up. And in general, that’s a noble practice. In ancient times, people would give things up not only to live healthier lives, and prepare themselves spiritually for Easter, but also for another reason: to give money to the poor. The idea was that if you spent less money on things like meat you could give what you saved to those who need it. That’s why fasting and almsgiving and prayer, the three pillars of Lent, are all connected. So as you pray the examen, and think about the ways that God is at work in your life, you might ask yourself another question: How is what I’m doing helping the poor?

 

 

 

The Rev. James Martin, S.J., is a Jesuit priest, author, editor at large at America and founder of Outreach.