1st Week of Lent 2018 - Monday - Compunction and Conversion

After receiving our Ashes on Ash Wednesday, and after receiving Holy Communion, the priest extended his hands over the congregation and prayed, “Pour out a spirit of compunction, O God, on those who bow before your majesty…” The readings and prayers of the first half of Lent are aimed at arousing in us the spirit--the disposition of compunction. What is compunction?

Compunction is a knowledge of our sinfulness, sorrow for our sins, repentance, the desire for God’s mercy, the desire for deeper conversion.

Compunction comes from the latin “compungere”, to severely prick, as with a needle or a thorn. So the readings, the prayers, the time spent in prayerful reflection, during Lent “severely prick” our consciences, to lead us to repentance and amendment of our lives.

The Old Testament reading today was from the book of Leviticus. From the base of Mt. Sinai, Moses expands upon the 10 commandments with hundreds of laws that were to help Israel to become the chosen race, the royal priesthood, the holy nation set apart, who would live righteously, charitably, and in right worship.

The Levitical law spells out how Israel was to relate to God and how the people of God should relate to one another. Reading through these laws should bring us to compunction: “Have I stolen, have I defrauded another, have I acted dishonestly in rendering judgment.”  If, I have, it is a good thing to be brought to sorrow for failing to be as holy as God calls us to be.

Likewise, the reading from Matthew’s Gospel should help us examine our conscience.  In the parable of the Great Judgment, the Lord teaches that what we fail to do for the least of his people, the poorest, the most downtrodden, we fail to do for him. And there are eternal consequences for our failure to be charitable and merciful.

So we take very seriously this call to examine our lives—have I cared for those in need—the hungry, the naked, those in prison, the stranger, as I should?

If we are honest, the answer is probably no.  Many of us have never visited a prisoner or given more than a token offering to the starving. Even the sick we've visited have been relatives and friends and not the least of the brethren. And that should prick our consciences a bit, a lead us to consider ways the Lord is calling us to grow in charity

Compunction leads to conversion. And conversion, as Pope Benedict wrote, “opens the heart to God’s infinite goodness.”

May our Lenten journey continue to bring us purification from our sins, enlightenment in the ways of goodness, and conformity to the self-sacrifice of Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That the season of Lent may bring the most hardened hearts to repentance and bring purification from sin and selfishness to all people.
For those preparing for baptism and the Easter sacraments, that they may continue to conform themselves to Christ through fervent prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
That we may generously respond to all those in need: the sick, the suffering, the homeless, the imprisoned, and victims of violence.
For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.
Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy.