Do Good To Others

7 Mar

“No act of virtue can be great if it is not followed by advantage for others. So, no matter how much time you spend fasting, no matter how much you sleep on a hard floor and eat ashes and sigh continually, if you do no good to others, you do nothing great.”
~ John Chrysostom

Yesterday, we began the season of Lent.  We made much ado about preparing properly for the season.  We were encouraged to make plans for what we can do throughout the season, how we can draw closer to God.

Perhaps, at this point in time, it might behoove us to remember that all the plans that we make in the world will do no good if our goal is only to draw closer to God.  We also must impact the lives of others in a positive manner. Our spiritual journey cannot be a selfish one.  We must be doing for others.

That is, I daresay, the best method to determine if our journey is heading in the right direction.  If we ask ourselves how many people’s lives we have touched through our Lenten resolutions, we will be able to determine the success of our journey.  For, when we touch the lives of others in a positive manner, we also grow closer to God.

St. John Chrysostom was one of many saints who said that our fasting, prayer, and mortification must be accomplished in order to reach out to others.  As we are at the beginning of our Lenten journey, we should probably examine our resolutions once again to make sure that what we plan to do will fuel our service to others.

FAITH ACTION: Do something good for every person you encounter today.