To paraphrase the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
(CCC 1438)
To clarify, the actual text (which is clearly more thought out, but admittedly not nearly as good of a slogan) is this: “The seasons and days of penance in the course of the liturgical year (Lent, and each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord) are intense moments of the Church’s penitential practice. These times are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and fraternal sharing (charitable and missionary works).”
The 40 days of Lent are reminiscent of both the 40 years of the Israelites wandering in the desert and Jesus’ 40 days in the desert. The Israelites’ wandering in the desert was a consequence of not listening to God’s command. That time was spent in longing for all that God had promised them. Jesus spent time in the desert battling with the devil and resisting the temptation of sin.
These past events guide what we should strive to achieve in the season of Lent. We strengthen our spiritual longing to be in communion with God by denying the desires of the flesh and focusing more on the Eternal; we seek forgiveness from God for when we have failed to follow Him; we recommit ourselves to living a life of servitude.
Ideally, we will emerge from the penitential season of Lent with a renewed desire to follow God and a more disciplined spirituality to allow us to do so. Such discipline will help lead us to a stronger faith and will to follow the Church and her teachings. This will lead us to a state of holiness.
Until we have reached that state, stay thirsty my friends and stay thirsting for the joy and perfection of Heaven.
Written by: Brian Boomer
The 40 days of Lent are reminiscent of both the 40 years of the Israelites wandering in the desert and Jesus’ 40 days in the desert. The Israelites’ wandering in the desert was a consequence of not listening to God’s command. That time was spent in longing for all that God had promised them. Jesus spent time in the desert battling with the devil and resisting the temptation of sin.
These past events guide what we should strive to achieve in the season of Lent. We strengthen our spiritual longing to be in communion with God by denying the desires of the flesh and focusing more on the Eternal; we seek forgiveness from God for when we have failed to follow Him; we recommit ourselves to living a life of servitude.
Ideally, we will emerge from the penitential season of Lent with a renewed desire to follow God and a more disciplined spirituality to allow us to do so. Such discipline will help lead us to a stronger faith and will to follow the Church and her teachings. This will lead us to a state of holiness.
Until we have reached that state, stay thirsty my friends and stay thirsting for the joy and perfection of Heaven.
Written by: Brian Boomer
