Preparing for Lent On This Quinquagesima Sunday

On this Quinquagesima Sunday, we pick up on last Sunday's initial stab at preparing for Lent. As noted last time, any serious Catholic likely has some awareness of the coming of Lent. And with that, the next logical step would be to make a plan: What will I do this Lent that incorporates the Three Pillars of Lent: Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving?

Rather than wait for Ash Wednesday and hurriedly make something up, give it some consideration now. Maybe make a list of items that would qualify in each category.

A quick reminder for those of us who follow the newfangled rather than the traditional Liturgical Calendar: Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquagesima Sunday are exclusive to the traditional. For centuries we Catholics were given the benefit of these Sundays to spur us on in our preparation for Lent before it arrives, rather than waking up on Ash Wednesday and finding ourselves smack dab in that Holy Season.

And so we turn again to the Rule of St. Benedict for some wise words to guide us here. Our reference is the Prologue to the Rule. We'll find these words will help us to take seriously the spiritual discipline that will help us to cooperate with the special graces God provides in this most special Holy Season.

Today, St. Benedict's will conclude his previous remarks. We have been told what we must attend to if we are to grow in holiness, grow closer to God. Now it is time to get down to business.

"So, brethren, we have asked the Lord about the dwellers in his tabernacle and have heard what is the duty of him who would dwell therein; it remains for us to fulfill this duty. Therefore our hearts and bodies must be made ready to fight under the holy obedience of his commands; and let us ask God that he be pleased, where our nature is powerless, to give us the help of his grace. And if we would escape the pains of hell and reach eternal life, then must we - while there is still time, while we are in this body and can fulfill all these things by the light of this life, hasten to do now what may profit us for eternity."

We are all called to obedience of God's commands. While monks subject themselves to a unique form of obedience, it's not all that different from our own. The duties of of our state of life require attention every day. We cannot ignore them; indeed we ought to perform them diligently in a timely manner. We are assaulted with various temptations, many (if not most) of which entail some disobedience to one of God's Commandments, some of which entail a vice or vices that would lead us - if not confronted - to a life of perdition.

The least we can all do during these days of preparation is to make ourselves aware of our shortcomings, confront our faults, our sins, and determine to apply ourselves to prayer, fasting and works of charity (almsgiving) that can strengthen us to more fully, even urgently, follow God's commandments. In that sense, we are similar to monks.

The Prologue concludes with words to aspiring monks. But if we read these words in the light of the coming of Lent, and our desire to adhere to some plan of special spiritual discipline, they can apply to us non-monks as well:

"Therefore we must establish a school of the Lord's service; in founding which we hope to ordain nothing that is harsh or burdensome. But if, for good reason, for the amendment of evil habit, or the preservation of charity, there be some strictness of discipline, do not be at once dismayed and run away from the way of salvation, of which the entrance must needs be narrow. But as we progress,...our hearts shall be enlarged, and we shall run with unspeakable sweetness of love in the way of God's commandments..."

Now is the time to fashion a simple but robust plan for Lent. We don't need a laundry list of items here. Indeed, if we have a good spiritual director we should discuss these and seek approval. But for those of us who do not have access these days to authentic Catholic priests who provide spiritual direction, we must make do with what we have learned in our daily study of Scripture, the teachings of our Holy Religions, and our spiritual reason. From these we can glean a solid plan that will provide the outline a spiritual discipline we will pursue during the Holy Season of Lent.

There's no time to waste. Ash Wednesday arrives this week!

 

Happy Quinquagesima Sunday!