Homily 13 February 2005 By Fr. Hathaway FSSP Mater Dei Latin Mass Community
First Sunday of Lent
On Austerities of Lent
“Unless you do penance, you shall likewise perish.”
Almighty God has obliged all men to do penance. The Church, conscious
of
her grave duty to bring souls to heaven, has arranged that the season
of Lent fill much of that obligation.
Ash Wednesday commenced the liturgical season of Lent, the season of
spiritual combat. On that day, many of us received the badge of
the Christian warfare. The priest signed our foreheads with the
cross of our Lord saying, “Memento, homo, quia pulvis es, et in
pulverem reverteris.” (Remember, man, that thou art dust and unto
dust thou shalt return.)
The concluding prayer of this sacramental rite reads,
“Grant us, O Lord, the grace to begin the Christian’s war of defense
with holy fasts: so that, as we do battle with the spirits of evil, we
may be protected by the help of self-denial. Through Christ our
Lord."
Lent is the season of spiritual combat. We have just read to you
our Savior’s 40 days fast in the desert. It is more than a fast
from food. “Where did He sleep?” “How did He bath and preen
Himself?” “What did He listen to?” The whole episode hints at a
total mortification.
But let us first of all know what the Church requires of us this
Lent. The Church’s current discipline of penance only lists Ash
Wednesday and Good Friday as days of fast and abstinence; and all
Fridays of the year as days of penance, but only the Fridays of Lent as
days of abstinence (on the other Fridays of the year other penance may
be done e.g., Stations of the Cross.)
The law of fasting (eating one full meal and two other meals not to
equal one full meal) binds those between the ages of 18 and 60 years
old. The law of abstinence (not eating meat) binds those who are
fourteen years old and older.
Again, only Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are currently days of fast
and abstinence; and all Fridays of Lent are days of abstinence; other
Fridays of the year you may choose your penance.
These are the only penitential disciplines the Church requires in
common for all her members. So please don’t confess you ate two
full meals on Monday, unless you did not pay for them.
All Catholics are free to fast all 40 days of Lent (from Ash Wednesday
to Holy Saturday, excluding Sundays); they must fast on Ash Wednesday
and Good Friday; they must abstain from meat on the Friday’s of Lent…
that is the minimum… everything else is left to personal whim.
What penances, besides those which involve food, may be done beyond the
minimum?
We know well how we love creatures too much whether food, sleep, money,
time, pleasures and entertainments; how difficult it is to go without a
hot shower! Penances should temper our love of these
things.
I will rise at the first alarm and say my morning offering on my knees
before my crucified Savior… recalling that hitting the snooze button
begins my day with an act of self-indulgence.
I will make a daily Stations of the Cross (whether at a church or at
home using my missal).
I will pray a daily 5 decade Rosary; if I do so already, I will commit
myself to the full Rosary.
I will deny myself music or a favorite TV program so as to free more
time for spiritual reading.
I will, while driving to work, deny myself the radio talk show and
listen to an audio tape on the Four Last Things (ask to borrow Mater
Dei’s copy).
I will take a cold shower for the space of a Hail Mary (to atone for
sins of impurity).
I will spend a holy hour every Thursday in church; if I do that perhaps
I can go on Tuesdays also.
These are a few suggestions regarding added penances this Lent.
Finally, whatever we should do let us keep two concerns in mind.
First, let us know that the best penances are those of circumstance or
vocation. Other penances we choose, but the hardships we face in
our daily grind are the ones which directly or indirectly come from our
loving God. These should be preferred before all else. We
should more embrace the troubles of the day with joy and cheer, praise
and thanksgiving, patience and perseverance, than labor to avoid
snacking between meals.
Second, let us know that every penance has one objective, to draw us
closer to God. Every penance, whether man made or divinely
given, should help us advance in divine charity.
Penance is not an end in itself, but only a means to advance in divine
love. So if in our elected fast we should momentarily lose our
peace of soul and disturb everyone around us, we should, momentarily,
put down our fast, eat a hearty meal, and, when our calm has returned,
resume our fast.
Now someone may ask, “what if I am visiting a home and am offered a
snack, should I eat it or not.” We will do well to take a sample
– not fill up our bowels - for charity sake. There once was a
priest who was invited to a family home on some Friday outside of
Lent. As that Friday also happened to be a first class solemnity
(when penance is dismissed), so the hostess thought it fine to serve
meat. Seeing the meat on his plate, however, the priest would
have none of it, “I never eat meat on Friday!” And so it
happened, the priest got his way, a meatless meal, and the hostess got
something she didn’t want, a needless embarrassment.
I say needless, because we should see here whose will was more
followed, the will of man or of Providence? I would have happily
savored the meat myself.
May whatever added penance we choose this Lent be truly ordered to
charity. And should we become a grouch to others, let us listen
to our music, drink our wine, smoke our camels… and, having restored
our peace, let us resume the battle refreshed but also more resolute to
put all our trust in God.