First Friday of Lent

Is not this the sort of fast that pleases me: to break unjust fetters, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break all yokes? Is it not sharing your food with the hungry and sheltering the homeless poor; if you see someone lacking clothes, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own kin? - Isaiah 58:5-6

Fasting is a good thing. It can help us gain self-control and be a source of prayer and penance. Yet, this scripture passage reminds us that it is worth little if we do not care for our brothers and sisters first. The three pillars of Lent are fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. Any one without the other two is not complete. How will we show care to the needy in our midst today?