Anything Changed Now That Lent is Over?
Well, that was a bit strange wasn't it? Holy Week without any Holy Week Liturgies; Easter without Easter Mass. It's all part and parcel of our "C-virus World" - a world that continues now into these solemn days of Easter Week.
But we're all here nevertheless, some of us back to work after a break, some of us laid off or furloughed from our jobs. Whatever our individual situation, we've all just gone through the 40 days of Lent together. And despite our strange circumstances this year, we can still ask ourselves: Has anything changed?
After our special acts of penance, fasting and almsgiving during Lent, have we noticed any difference? Are we the same self-centered lugs we were before Lent started? Did we notice a slight softening of our often rock-hard hearts? If so, give praise to God! The slightest change for the better would be all we could hope for. A conversion such as St. Paul experienced is simply not the usual course for most of us. He was turned left to right in a flash. We, on the other hand, crawl and scrape to gain an inch here, a millimeter there when it comes to spiritual progress.
Whatever the state of your soul, however much or little spiritual progress you may have noticed, remember this: Even if unnoticed, you may have progressed. The typical course of spiritual progress has been compared to a voyage at sea. All we can see for most of our voyage is water and horizon. It's only at the end of the voyage that we can see land. So don't focus too much on what progress you may or may not have made. Sufficient for us should be the Prayer in our Mass in the Extraordianry Form for Monday of Holy Week: "Grant, we beseech You, almighty God, that we, who through our weakness in so many difficulties, may be relieved through the pleading of Your Only-begotten Son."
Remember this too: Every day this week is a "solemnity." The name of each day is prefaced with "Easter":Easter Monday, Easter Tuesday, Easter Wednesday, Easter Thursday, Easter Friday, Easter Saturday." These are solemn feasts, in a sense extending the liturgical celebration begun on Easter Sunday.
During this time, let's not jettison the spiritual "exertions" of Lent and more or less collapse back into our old selves. Special graces flow to us during these solemn feast days. Consider how you will cooperate with these graces in order to derive the copious benefits that come with them. Grace enlivens our souls. It gets us in shape, in a sense, for our entry into eternal life.
We're taught that the most important moment of our lives will be the moment of our death: in that moment, if we are in the state of grace, our salvation will be assured. So, given that being in the state of grace will critical for our salvation, when grace is offered we would do well to respond to the offer. Imagine being offered a generous raise: Would you ignore or reject it? So too with grace.
As we're active in our work today, be active too in our desire to accept God's graces: Dear Lord, grant me the graces I need to work this day for the greater glory of God, the welfare of my family, the benefit of my clients and customers and the common good.
If we have lost our jobs, we can still turn to Our Risen Lord and seek His grace by a simple act of our will: Dear Lord, grant me the graces I need to provide a modest sufficiency for myself and my family.
Whatever our situation, whatever our current mental or emotional state in the midst of Coronavirus "shut-down," we can still turn to our Risen Lord. In His Passion and Death he ransomed us. In His Resurrection, He gives us hope.
So stay "in the moment" on this Easter Tuesday, remain open to the graces flowing to us during these special solemn feast days.
But we're all here nevertheless, some of us back to work after a break, some of us laid off or furloughed from our jobs. Whatever our individual situation, we've all just gone through the 40 days of Lent together. And despite our strange circumstances this year, we can still ask ourselves: Has anything changed?
After our special acts of penance, fasting and almsgiving during Lent, have we noticed any difference? Are we the same self-centered lugs we were before Lent started? Did we notice a slight softening of our often rock-hard hearts? If so, give praise to God! The slightest change for the better would be all we could hope for. A conversion such as St. Paul experienced is simply not the usual course for most of us. He was turned left to right in a flash. We, on the other hand, crawl and scrape to gain an inch here, a millimeter there when it comes to spiritual progress.
Whatever the state of your soul, however much or little spiritual progress you may have noticed, remember this: Even if unnoticed, you may have progressed. The typical course of spiritual progress has been compared to a voyage at sea. All we can see for most of our voyage is water and horizon. It's only at the end of the voyage that we can see land. So don't focus too much on what progress you may or may not have made. Sufficient for us should be the Prayer in our Mass in the Extraordianry Form for Monday of Holy Week: "Grant, we beseech You, almighty God, that we, who through our weakness in so many difficulties, may be relieved through the pleading of Your Only-begotten Son."
Remember this too: Every day this week is a "solemnity." The name of each day is prefaced with "Easter":Easter Monday, Easter Tuesday, Easter Wednesday, Easter Thursday, Easter Friday, Easter Saturday." These are solemn feasts, in a sense extending the liturgical celebration begun on Easter Sunday.
During this time, let's not jettison the spiritual "exertions" of Lent and more or less collapse back into our old selves. Special graces flow to us during these solemn feast days. Consider how you will cooperate with these graces in order to derive the copious benefits that come with them. Grace enlivens our souls. It gets us in shape, in a sense, for our entry into eternal life.
We're taught that the most important moment of our lives will be the moment of our death: in that moment, if we are in the state of grace, our salvation will be assured. So, given that being in the state of grace will critical for our salvation, when grace is offered we would do well to respond to the offer. Imagine being offered a generous raise: Would you ignore or reject it? So too with grace.
As we're active in our work today, be active too in our desire to accept God's graces: Dear Lord, grant me the graces I need to work this day for the greater glory of God, the welfare of my family, the benefit of my clients and customers and the common good.
If we have lost our jobs, we can still turn to Our Risen Lord and seek His grace by a simple act of our will: Dear Lord, grant me the graces I need to provide a modest sufficiency for myself and my family.
Whatever our situation, whatever our current mental or emotional state in the midst of Coronavirus "shut-down," we can still turn to our Risen Lord. In His Passion and Death he ransomed us. In His Resurrection, He gives us hope.
So stay "in the moment" on this Easter Tuesday, remain open to the graces flowing to us during these special solemn feast days.
Happy Easter!
Comments