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Friday, March 16, 2012

Mid-Lent Exhortation

The following exhortation comes from the Fourth Sunday of Lent in the Mozarabic Rite.

Looking forward, dearly beloved brethren, to the hope of the Passion and Resurrection of the Son of God, as also to the manifestation of the glory of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: resume your strength and courage.  Be not daunted by the labor you have to go through, but remember the solemnity of the holy Pasch, for which you are so ardently longing.  One half of holy Lent is over: you have gone through the difficulties of the past, why should you not be courageous about the future fast?  Jesus, who deigned to suffer fatigue for our sake, will give strength to them that are fatigued.  He that granted us to begin the past, will enable us to complete the future.  Children!  He will be with us to assist us, who wishes us to hope for the glory of his Passion.  Amen!
We mustn't forget that Lent is not over.  No, our journey has only begun.  And that spiritual good that we undergo during Lent by engaging in solemn prayer, fasting, and alsmgiving, is not merely to occupy our hearts and minds for these forty days.  No!  Lent should be but a catalyst for true, lifelong conversion.  What a pity it is to see so many Christians cast aside their lives of dissipation and sin for a mere forty days, only to spend the next 325 squandering the very salvation in which we hope to attain through the Paschal Feasts for which we are preparing ourselves!

How sad it is that so many of us are willing to give up so little in order to identify more closely with Him who gave so much for our sake!

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