Some Encouraging Words on This Third Sunday of Lent to Start the Week Off Right
The Third Sunday of Lent brings us into what we might call the "belly" of Lent. Ash Wednesday gobbled us up and now we're ready to be digested and nourish the Body of Christ with our special prayers, fasting, and almsgiving.
The thing is, it can get pretty dark here in the belly as we begin to feel how long forty days can really be: "What was I thinking? I can't possibly keep this up until Easter." If you're getting that feeling and finding your efforts flagging, that's OK. We're all in this together. If saying the rosary faithfully every day, or abstaining from some favorite food, or keeping your temper and being patient with that irritating neighbor or co-worker is starting to wear thin, don't give it another thought. Join the club.
Now, two suggestions:
First, persevere. The virtue of perseverance serves us on both the natural and supernatural level. But it comes with a warning. What I mean by that is that, while perseverance can result in accomplishing a particularly difficult objective or result, it can also feed our ego. It's tempting, especially on the natural level to revel in our accomplishments. It's by no means irrational to do so. Recently at work we spent almost a full year on a devilishly difficult project. Despite obstacles and the weariness of the length of time involved, we accomplished our objectives. To say it "felt good" would be an understatement. And yet as a Catholic I understand that all good comes from God. Not some: all. By His grace, I realized in the midst of my joy at finishing our project that, despite my role in the end result - which was indeed a good one - the thanks goes to God.
Such is even more important on the supernatural level. For example, let's say you remain faithful in your prayer, fasting, and charitable acts, without exception, from Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday. (I know: unlikely. But let's stick with the example.) You might easily be tempted to accept credit for your extraordinary efforts. Don't. To do so would simply feed your ego. Just remember that you succeeded for one reason and only one: God's grace.
So our second suggestion would be to give all the credit to God. In his "Rule" St. Benedict puts it this way:
(We'll have more to say about St. Benedict's teaching in our weekly posts)
Lent comes once every year. We have the God-given opportunity to conquer ourselves and grow closer to God. That's the point of our discipline. It's not about what we can do or might accomplish. Please, let's all try to keep this front and center in our hearts and minds as we continue to persevere throughout this Holy Season.
The thing is, it can get pretty dark here in the belly as we begin to feel how long forty days can really be: "What was I thinking? I can't possibly keep this up until Easter." If you're getting that feeling and finding your efforts flagging, that's OK. We're all in this together. If saying the rosary faithfully every day, or abstaining from some favorite food, or keeping your temper and being patient with that irritating neighbor or co-worker is starting to wear thin, don't give it another thought. Join the club.
Now, two suggestions:
First, persevere. The virtue of perseverance serves us on both the natural and supernatural level. But it comes with a warning. What I mean by that is that, while perseverance can result in accomplishing a particularly difficult objective or result, it can also feed our ego. It's tempting, especially on the natural level to revel in our accomplishments. It's by no means irrational to do so. Recently at work we spent almost a full year on a devilishly difficult project. Despite obstacles and the weariness of the length of time involved, we accomplished our objectives. To say it "felt good" would be an understatement. And yet as a Catholic I understand that all good comes from God. Not some: all. By His grace, I realized in the midst of my joy at finishing our project that, despite my role in the end result - which was indeed a good one - the thanks goes to God.
Such is even more important on the supernatural level. For example, let's say you remain faithful in your prayer, fasting, and charitable acts, without exception, from Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday. (I know: unlikely. But let's stick with the example.) You might easily be tempted to accept credit for your extraordinary efforts. Don't. To do so would simply feed your ego. Just remember that you succeeded for one reason and only one: God's grace.
So our second suggestion would be to give all the credit to God. In his "Rule" St. Benedict puts it this way:
To attribute to God, and not to self, whatever good one sees in oneself.
But to recognize always that the evil is one's own doing,
But to recognize always that the evil is one's own doing,
and to impute it to oneself.
Lent comes once every year. We have the God-given opportunity to conquer ourselves and grow closer to God. That's the point of our discipline. It's not about what we can do or might accomplish. Please, let's all try to keep this front and center in our hearts and minds as we continue to persevere throughout this Holy Season.
We adore Thee O Christ and we bless Thee,
Because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
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