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But seriousness in our Lenten prayer, fasting <strong>and</strong> works of charity is <strong>not</strong> sombreness that excludes joy. Rather,<br />
we are joyful during the days of Lent because baptism is our way of sharing in Christ’s dying <strong>and</strong> rising, his<br />
paschal mystery. If we didn’t live each day of Lent in the power of our baptism, it would be a <strong>very</strong> dreary <strong>and</strong><br />
gloomy time, but our Lenten preparation <strong>for</strong> the liturgical renewal of our baptism at Easter is a source of joy<br />
during the Forty Days.<br />
Part of our Lenten renewal of heart <strong>and</strong> mind is honest confession of our sinfulness. “There will be rejoicing<br />
among the angels of God over one sinner who repents,” Jesus assures us (Luke 15:10).<br />
Some of that angelic joy becomes ours as we admit that we are that sinner. Some of heaven’s joy becomes<br />
ours on earth as we set ourselves once more to accept the dignity of discipleship, the responsibility of<br />
servanthood, the paschal mystery of salvation, as our Christian ancestors did. Joy fills our hearts when we turn<br />
away from sin <strong>and</strong> commit ourselves once again to living in the “Jesus-is-Lord” universe that we entered at our<br />
baptism.<br />
As we listen to the Mass readings <strong>for</strong> Monday of the fourth week of Lent, we find that the new heavens <strong>and</strong><br />
the new earth promised by God through the prophet Isaiah come only after the sorrowful things of the past<br />
(Isaiah 65:17-21). But our hope <strong>for</strong> those new <strong>and</strong> good things of God makes e<strong>very</strong> Lent, as e<strong>very</strong> life, a joyful<br />
season, even a glorious season.<br />
“The glory of these 40 days we celebrate with songs of praise,” sings Maurice F. Bell’s translation of a sixthcentury<br />
Latin hymn. “For Christ, through whom all things were made, himself has fasted <strong>and</strong> has prayed.”<br />
It is our Lenten prayer <strong>and</strong> fasting in spirit with the ascetical Jesus that prepare us <strong>for</strong> Easter glory in company<br />
with Christ. And so we pray: “Our spirits strengthen with thy grace, <strong>and</strong> give us joy to see thy face.” With the<br />
psalmist we know that “the Lord is just <strong>and</strong> loves justice; the upright shall see his face” (Psalms 11:7). They will<br />
see his face in glory because they have seen it now in his least <strong>and</strong> needy ones <strong>and</strong> have shared their Lenten<br />
sacrifices with them.<br />
Looking <strong>for</strong>ward to a holy Easter “with joy <strong>and</strong> spiritual longing” is to mark the Lenten observance of monks<br />
<strong>for</strong> whom St. Benedict wrote his Rule in the sixth century. He encourages them to add more private prayer <strong>and</strong><br />
give up some food or drink, “so that each of us will have<br />
something above the assigned measure to offer God of his<br />
own will with the joy of the Holy Spirit”.<br />
There is joy <strong>for</strong> e<strong>very</strong>one in such works of penance when they<br />
are directed to renewing our hearts in love <strong>for</strong> God <strong>and</strong><br />
others. Let us be joyful in our Lenten practices <strong>and</strong><br />
disciplines!<br />
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