Attention must be paid! From the Holy Father’s Angelus address Sunday, here’s some sound advice (so to speak) about how to get more out of Lent. As an added bonus, he continues a favorite practice of his and adds some thoughts from St. Augustine:
To be sure, this is a demanding journey. There is always the risk of discouragement or of being drawn to easier paths to satisfaction, such as wealth, fame and power (cf. Mt. 4:3–8). These temptations, which Jesus himself faced, are merely poor substitutes for the joy for which we were created. Ultimately, they leave us dissatisfied, restless and empty.
For this reason, St. Paul VI taught that penance — far from impoverishing our humanity — enriches, purifies and strengthens it, as we move toward a horizon that has “as its aim love and surrender to God” (Apostolic Constitution Paenitemini, 17 February 1966, I). Indeed, while penance makes us aware of our limitations, it also grants us the strength to overcome them and to live, with God’s help, in deeper communion with him and with one another.
In this time of grace, let us therefore practice penance generously, alongside prayer and works of mercy. Let us create space for silence by turning off televisions, radios and cell phones for a while. Let us meditate on the Word of God, approach the sacraments, and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit who speaks to us in our heart. Let us also listen to one another — in our families, workplaces and communities. Let us dedicate time to those who are alone, especially the elderly, the poor and the sick. By giving up what is superfluous, we can share what we save with those in need. Then, as St. Augustine taught, our prayer offered in this way — “in humility and charity, by fasting and giving, by restraining ourselves and pardoning, by paying out good deeds and not paying back bad ones, by turning away from evil and doing good” (Sermons, 206, 3) — will reach heaven and give us peace.
We entrust our Lenten journey to the Virgin Mary, our Mother who always assists her children in times of trial.
