The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-02-18
Lent.

all their worldly possessions, eueu "S '"'S
focks and fruits Of the earth. The payment OF
these titbes constituted an act of worship and
was q public acknowledgement Of that ProVi-
dental care which, bestoWing al things In
abundance exacted bat u small portion in re.
turn.
The holy season Of Lent is that tithe of the
year which we pay 10 Him who gives ns ail bne
wears of our existence; and as time is the great
means by which we acquire wealth, land ana
luxuries il becomes as obligatory upon the
Christian to return a portion of this priceless
gift, as it was upon the Israe'ites of od to SGT
aside the firstlings of their fruits and hocks.
| Ia the early ages of the Church, IL was Gus
tomary to reconcile sinners about the tltus OF
Easter, and as this naturally followed long
period of preparation in the way OF prayer anu
penance, the custpm of Lent came to be oh.
served during the days preceding the nnnlyer-
sary OF our Lord's>resurrection; but from the
most ancient times it has always been cele-
brated and commanded as universal custom
and holy precept.
The Lenten season is moreover q figure of
our earthly life--a time of labor and sorrow
to be followed by the Easter season of eternal
rest and gladness and hence these two periods
have been brought together by the wisdom of
the Church most conducive to her one great
obiect-the sauctifcation of her members and
the commemorston of her Lords infinite love
and sacrifice.
The solempity of the Passion of our Lord is
preceded by forty days of penance, that of His
Ascension by fifty days of rejoicing, whereby
we taught hat the cross precedes the crown,
and that by the royal way of penance we must
enter into the glorious kingdom of eternal
rest.
The practices erjoined upon the faithful
dlrins this time of salvation, are prayer, aims
aud fasting, the three strong eRpoEs by which
wa iisarm the Justice of Cod and secure for
ourselves the treasures of H grace and mercy.
The model set before rs is that Of our Divine
/. nd himself, whose lonely fast in the desert
ls the subject of all our Lenten meditations,
and tAe incentive to all our Lenten mortiiica-
tions.
Protestants accuse the Church of being fond
of idle pomp ard vain acknowledgements
is tho word they when passion overcomes
politeness-but this objection only shows how
much their reason is blinded by pref udice, and
their natural instincts perverted by Ignorance
and obstinacy.
In regard to their reason, would ask if it
is not reasonable to pay to God an homage
which includes mans whole beingf And are
not the spiritual and physical natures of man
80 intimately connected that each exerts q
direct inf lence upon the otherf The Church,
knowing that outward observanceo proceed
from interior feelings, does all in her power to
keep alive mans faith and hope and charity by
external acts of these same virtues. The pomp
and glitter of her ceremonial betokeu the roy
atty of Him whom she serves, and the mum
merry of bended knees and floating incense, of
purple robes and consecrated ashes, of mufile
bells and darkened a,tars. is but the outward
expression of mans remembrance of his own
nothingness and of the infinite condescension on
of his God.
Aud in regard to natural instincts, would
ask if it is not natural and just for Christiaus
| to mediate upon all the events of that Oiul
drama by which their gain of eternal life was
purchased by SaviouI's awful death 7
Human affection clings to the memory of the
dead of friends and benefactorB-aud the
spirit of the Church, which never changes
even through eighteen huudred years, still in
sists that her children remember the sacri Il cia
soene of Calvary and all tue Agony and Desc.
iation tnat accompanied il; and With Learts
rent with sorrow and, bodies bowed in adora
tion, they remind a too forgottul world of that
Supreme Friend and Benet .ctor whose loN o and
benedictions are with them yet.
1t is said that habit becomes a second nature
aud it is with this design that the Church, by
her Lenten observances and holy habit OF
humble retrospeotioD, strives to change the
nature of the proud, the lustful and the
covetous, and, while making them act virtue
for q time, win them to a permanent life OF
holiness and truth.
The one great lesson of Lent-besdes the
tender remembrances of what God has done for
man-is that we are all children of a common
Father, with the same eternal destiny before
us, and with the same means of securing ouI
eternal recompense. In truly Catholic coun
tries it was customary in Lent to lay aside al
distinctions of rank-at least during the last
days-and kings and mobiles acknowledged
their common brotherhood with the beggaI
and the slave by walking beside them in all
hn 10 oft hot