A 3rd Sunday of Lent Thought From Pope PIus XII

This 3rd Sunday of Lent brings us close to the mid-point of this Holy Season with some words from Pius XII. His papacy extended from the years before World War II until October 9, 1958, the date of his death. We who are of a certain age may remember him, although our memories may be sharper of those popes who followed him. We'll find his words encouraging; but first let's attend to our Lenten discipline on this Sunday way-station in our Lenten journey.

If we bothered to establish some sort of plan to pursue those "Three Pillars" - prayer, fasting, almsgiving - we might take a step back and assess how things are going. Have we been diligent in attending to each of these in our own way?

If things have gone well, we can take some time today to thank God for the graces he has given us to make it so. Remember, without His grace we can do nothing. It's always good to remind ourselves of this regularly. The point of that isn't to denigrate our efforts. But if it's the case that all the good that might come from us comes from God - and that is the case - then we're simply acknowledging reality. And that's always a good thing, isn't it?

Besides, if we start taking credit for any good that comes from us, we should be smart enough to know where that leads. Self, or ego, becomes inflated. We puff up and in our puffy state, we elbow God out of the picture. Maybe not consciously. But that's typically the effect. And with an inflated ego comes a twisted, outsized view of our true self. We become fertile field for the devil and his minions. We're like a sizzling steak thrown onto their plates, waiting to be devoured.

Not a pretty picture. Much better that we turn to Our Lord with overflowing gratitude that He has given us the grace to succeed - so far.

What if our Lenten discipline has been less than stellar? The mere fact that we're thinking of this, that we've admitted our efforts could have been better, is a good step in the right direction. Again, we're facing reality. But with that, what to do?

Well, the answer that stares us in the face does so because we have bothered to study our Holy Religion throughout the year as a matter of course. We will know that we have a Just and Merciful God. We will know that He loves us more than we love ourselves, cares about us more than we care about ourselves. And so we will turn to Him with some mix of sorrow and confidence in His Mercy. 

This turning to Him need not be done in fear or anxiety of His Justice. Remember that God's Justice includes both punishment for sin, but also reward for righteousness. So what's to fear? We've recognized our short-comings here. We go to Him seeking Mercy. That's pretty righteous, isn't it?

Besides, we've not made an oath of some sort, under penalty of mortal sin, to pursue our Lenten discipline. This has been a voluntary decision. And if done out of love - the best motivation - there's no question of being punished. We've simply fallen short of our ideal.

Embarrassed? Maybe. But even embarrassment may be too strong a reaction. God knows us better than we know ourselves. Any time we turn to Him to express our thoughts, especially when they includes sorrow for sin, He already knows what's up.

Which brings us now to Pope Pius XII's remarks about Confession. Lent and Confession seem a natural fit, especially for those of us who don't have the habit of regular Confession. Our Diocese offers a special day of "Reconciliation" to encourage and accommodate regulars as well as those who have been lax in confession throughout the year. Whichever camp we fall into, let's all read Pope Pius XII's words carefully. If we did not already understand the benefits of Confession - above and beyond the forgiveness of our sins - this will succinctly lay these out for our consideration. 

When we find something that offers such benefits, it makes a lot of sense to take advantage of the chance to obtain these benefits, doesn't it?

“As you well know, Venerable Brethren, it is true that venial sins may be expiated in many ways which are to be highly commended. But to ensure more rapid progress day by day in the path of virtue, we will that the pious practice of frequent confession, which was introduced into the Church by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, should be earnestly advocated. By it, genuine self-knowledge is increased, Christian humility grows, bad habits are corrected, spiritual neglect and tepidity are resisted, the conscience is purified, the will strengthened, a salutary self-control is attained, and grace is increased by virtue of the Sacrament itself.” (Pope Pius XII)
 

We adore Thee O Christ and we bless Thee

Because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world