9781644135945

The Light of the World
this spirit, he becomes a co-worker with Christ in building the kingdom of God, both in
his own soul and in the Church. He contributes to the salvation of the whole race by his
example, by his prayers, and by his merits. He becomes a rugged stone upon which the rest
of the structure can be built. His good works during Lent support the other members of
the Church and furnish them with grace for enlightenment, strength, and conversion. We
are a part of the whole, and the whole depends on us.
The converse is true if we fail to bring forth good works of penance during Lent. What a
loss to ourselves and to the whole Church! In the story of salvation we must be either builders
or destroyers; either we gather or we scatter. There can be no neutrality. This is the mystery of
the body of Christ. For this reason our Holy Mother the Church takes a serious view of the
season of Lent. Would that we shared her concern!
Both the desire to perform good works and the strength necessary to complete them
comes from Christ. We are like the apostles in today’s Gospel, confronted with adverse
winds and unable to make progress in spite of our work at the oars. We shall ever have
adverse winds and shall ever find obstacles to the spiritual life within ourselves. We possess
a fallen nature, prone always toward evil and lacking an appreciation of the one thing necessary,
divine life. In addition to our fallen nature, we must face the world with its enticements,
its false principles, and its faulty reasoning. To these obstacles Satan will add the weight
of his cunning and immense power. How can we hope to overcome such great obstacles?
The Gospel of today gives us cause for hope, for “He [Christ] went up to the mountain to
pray” (Mk 6:46). He is in heaven and in our tabernacles waiting to join our prayer to His
to obtain for us the necessary help.
In the early morning Christ will come into our tiny ships in Mass and in Holy Communion.
“And the wind ceased.” Borne onward by His prayers and by those of His Church, strengthened
by His coming to us in Holy Communion, we shall complete successfully our trying journey
through the season of Lent, through the time of our earthly sojourn, and arrive one day at the
blessed shores of eternity to enjoy an eternal Easter.
“Serve ye the Lord with fear, and rejoice unto Him with trembling; embrace discipline lest
you perish from the just way” (Communion). Although we believe firmly in the merit of our
good works during Lent, we trust more in the merits of Christ and His prayers and those of
His Church. His infinite wisdom and His omnipotence are always with us. He brings them to
us daily in the Mass and in Holy Communion.
“The Lord [in Holy Communion] became my helper. I will extol Thee, O Lord, for Thou
hast upheld me” in Thy holy Church (Introit). “One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I
seek after: that I dwell in the house of the Lord” (Gradual).
Prayer
O Lord, give ear to our supplications and grant that we may keep with devout service this
solemn fast, which has been wholesomely instituted for the healing of our souls and bodies.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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