4th Week of Lent 2018 - Monday - Lent in Two Parts - Conversion and Encounter

Lent has been described as the Church’s annual retreat. We shut away many of the distractions of worldly living in order to get back down to basics, the practices which enable us to remain rooted in the Gospel of Christ.

In her wisdom, the Church has very carefully laid out the prayers and readings for her annual Lenten retreat. Day 1 of Lent, really set the tone for the retreat. The prayers of Ash Wednesday spoke of being armed with weapons of self-retraint in doing battle against spiritual evils. The Gospel spoke of the need to pray, fast, and give alms, not merely as a show, but to bring about interior conversion.

During the first few weeks of Lent, we read from the Synoptic Gospels and Old Testament passages echoing those Gospels’ themes. Specifically, over and over that first half of Lent, we heard of the need to embrace conversion. They Scriptures and prayers stressed the need to turn away from sin and live the Gospel, to open our hearts to be renewed by God through prayer and fasting, to live a life of unselfish love of God and others through charity and the forgiveness of our enemies.

The virtuous life is lifted up before us as a reminder by contrast that we have often fallen and have a long way to go to reach perfection. Acknowledging our sinfulness, we recognized our need for God’s mercy and grace, that without Him, we cannot be the people He made us to be.

Now in Lent: Part II, our Gospel texts up until Holy Week are taken from John’s Gospel. Though we must continually strive for conversion, our Scriptures in the second half of Lent, focus less on our living the ethical and moral life, and more on encountering Christ who embraces suffering for us. Christ is revealed as the obedient Son of the Father, who reconciles and heals the wounds of sin and death, and gives life to all who believe in him.

He is the One who raises the dead to new life, as we heard in the Gospel today; He is the One to usher in a new era for mankind, as we heard in Isaiah: a new era where mourning for sin is transformed into rejoicing on account of God’s mercy, an era of abundant grace. This is the era of the Church, which will reach its fulfillment when the victorious and glorious Christ returns in glory.

During this last half of Lent, we do well to meditate all the more on Christ, particularly in the Stations of the Cross and the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary. We do well to seek him in moments of silence, and in charity towards those who suffer.

May we encounter Christ throughout this last leg of the Lenten journey, who reveals the merciful heart of the Father; Christ, who goes to the cross for us, to heal us from sin and selfishness and to bring us eternal life, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That God may be pleased to increase faith and understanding in the catechumens and candidates who approach the sacraments of initiation in the coming Paschal Solemnity.

That those in need may find assist in the charity of faithful Christians and that peace and security may be firmly established in all places.

For strength to resist temptation, and the humility to sincerely repent of sin.

That through fasting and self-denial, we may be ever more conformed to Christ.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.