Our friend and “Vincentian of Wherever,” Mike Jordan Laskey has a new article at National Catholic Reporter.

I wonder how the country might change if we Christians doubled down on our Lenten observance this year — not just as individuals focusing on our own spiritual growth in preparation for Easter, but as whole faith communities inspired by the radical, self-giving love poured out on the cross.

For instance, what if our congregations wrapped the traditional Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving around a vulnerable population targeted by the powers that be? In particular, what if we devoted the season to caring for immigrants and refugees, who find themselves in the crosshairs here? Maybe we could practice some righteous subversion in honor of the one who was crucified for challenging the status quo.

He gives four great examples of faith communities leading with boldness and creativity in this season. Read on…

Mike Jordan Laskey (@mikelaskey) is the director of Life & Justice Ministries for the Diocese of Camden, NJ. Before moving to the diocese, Mike was a program coordinator for the Center for FaithJustice (its key programs developed at the Vincentian Youth and Young Adult Center in New Jersey), a Catholic nonprofit that runs service immersion trips near Trenton, NJ. Mike completed an MA in theology from the University of Notre Dame through the university’s Echo: Faith Formation Leadership Program, and he has a BA in English, also from Notre Dame. Mike lives with his wife Genevieve, executive director of Camden’s Romero Center Ministries, in Haddon Township, NJ. He blogs for the Camden diocese at http://camdenlifejustice.wordpress.com.