|
Dear Friends and Benefactors,
Lent is for all generous souls an
acceptable time, a holy time, a kind of long retreat which with its fasts and
penitential exercises will enable us to associate ourselves more closely with
the redeeming work of Christ.
To help us enter into the spirit of this season, consider
how one day Christ called Saint Peter’s attention to a condition making religion
just the opposite of what it should be. His words were strong ones: "Thou savorest not the things that are of God, but the things that are of men." These
words are like the ones in the Gospel of the Mass for the first Sunday of Lent
where the same divine lips tell us: "Man liveth not by bread alone but by every
word that proceedeth from the mouth of God." Both of these texts show us the
spirit of Lent; the Church says to us, as it were: "Not everything is food and
pleasure; the spirit must also be fed."
A man who nourishes himself
consistently, and is careful not to take in anything injurious, has hope of
remaining healthy. Such is a firm Catholic faith; only the belief in the
unchanging truths handed to the Apostles by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself can
keep us spiritually healthy.
By comparing the firmness of our holy Catholic Faith with
the unfirmness of other faiths, we shall more readily see its value. Those
outside the Church are tossed about on a sea of doubt; faith is demanded of
them, but in such a general and slip-shod way that they are often not very sure
of what they do believe, and are often very restless in soul. But the Catholic
has in his catechism a full and thorough exposition of the truths Christ taught
—nothing is doubtful; hence he is not restless, but peaceful in his possession.
In the world many run after
religious fads, trying now this, now that. All sorts of "isms’ are offered for
their selection, and they purchase what pleases them the best, at little
expense, as people do in a five-and-ten store. The next day they purchase
something else, until they have a whole collection of whimsical novelties. They
are as unstable as the wind. But a Catholic knows he has no fad, he has the
unchanging truth. His holy Faith is a most valuable jewel, which becomes more
and more beautiful the closer it is examined. How sad it is when Catholics
themselves no longer treasure this jewel; they prefer to cast it to the swine
and to go running through the muck after these same fads.
Protestants lay much stress on
reading the Bible, and like to criticize Catholics for not reading it. But we
know that Holy Mother Church wants us to read God’s holy words; they are the
words of eternal life. But she demands firmness of faith in doing so, and warns
us of reading anything into the sacred text by private interpretation. It is the
Word of God, the food for our soul; but it must be guarded against poisons and
unhealthy substances which may creep in.
Lack of firmness in Faith leads
to crime. To lose confidence in the eternal truths is bound to make the soul
yield to mere human motives, such as the heathen had; who deemed stealing not so
evil, as long as the culprit was not caught. The weaker the Faith becomes the
greater this crime becomes. How great will this crime become before we wake up
and turn back to these eternal truths?
We must convince ourselves that
there is nothing better in life, nor will there ever be, than the principles
which Christ gave us. We need no new religion; He gave us the best possible one.
It is up to us to savor it.
During this Lent let us strive to strengthen our faith by
immersing ourselves in His doctrine. "Let us" also, as Saint Leo the Great said,
"cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit; that in the
struggles which go on between our two natures, the soul which under the guidance
of God should govern the body, may uphold the dignity of its rule. Thus giving
offense to no one, we will not be exposed to the reproaches of those who revile
us. For we shall be justly blamed by unbelievers, whose wicked tongues will find
in our misdeeds a weapon of attack against religion, if the conduct of those who
keep the fast is not in accordance with the spirit of perfect continence. For
our fasting does not consist merely in abstinence from food; it will do us no
good to deprive the body of food if the mind be not recalled from wickedness."
By so doing we will associate
ourselves more closely to Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who alone is the
Redeemer of the human race.
Sincerely yours in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Fr. John D. Fullerton
|
