Pope Francis proposes these 15 simple acts of charity as concrete manifestations of love:
1. SMILE. A Christian is always cheerful
2. Say THANK YOU for little things (even if you don’t have to).
3. Remind others how much you LOVE them.
4. GREET with joy the persons you see every day.
5. LISTEN to other people’s stories without prejudice, and with love.
6. STOP to help. Pay attention to whoever needs you.
7. Try to RAISE the spirits of people around you.
8. CELEBRATE the qualities or success of others, thus avoiding envy or jealousy.
9. SORT OUT the things you no longer use or need, and give them to those in need.
10. Be ready to HELP when you are needed so that others may rest.
11. GIVE CORRECTIONS with love, do not keep quiet out of fear.
12. Maintain good relations with those around you.
13. Keep clean the things you use in the house.
14. HELP others overcome obstacles.
15. CALL, and call on, your parents more often.
THE BEST FASTING:
I recommend the following as better fasting during this Lent.
• Fast on offensive words and transmit only sweet and tender words
• Fast on dissatisfaction and fill yourself with gratitude.
• Fast on anger and fill yourself with meekness and patience.
• Fast on pessimism and be filled with optimism
• Fast on worries and be filled with confidence in God
• Fast on laments and take pleasure in the simple things of life.
• Fast on stress and fill yourself with prayer.
• Fast on sadness and bitterness, and fill your heart with joy.
• Fast on selfishness, and be filled with compassion for others.
• Fast on unforgivingness and vendetta, and be filled with acts of reconciliation and forgiveness.
• Fast on words and fill yourself with silence and readiness to listen to others.
If we all practice this style of fasting, our everyday will be filled with peace, joy trust in each other, and life.
