The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-03-21
The Lenten Season.

PrlVation and abstinence are conStit-
uent elements of the Christian life al
all seasons. for such life implies the
practice of virtue, and virtue neces-
sarily entails sacrifice. The disorderly
affections of the heart are many, and
they must be held in subjection and
turned from their objects ever and al
ways If, however, there is one period
Of the ecclesiastical year when the
spirit of self-deniaI is especially con-
gIuous, it is the forty days that COM
memorate the holy fast of our Lord.
Christian abnegation should certainly
reach during Lent a higher plane than
1t occupies throughout the remainder
Of the year.
Now, the obligation of fasting, the
specific modification that is appropri-
ate to the Lenten season. has in our
day become so easily dispensable that
there is perhaps a danger of our mini
mizing the Importance of exterior NOR
tification altogether. We are apt to in
sist with exaggerated emphasis on the
text from the prophet Joel, "Rend your
hearts and not your garments" and to
leave in absolute allegiance the equally
Inspired words of St. Paul, "They that
are Christ's have crucified their flesh
with its vices and concupiscences." 1t
Is a very easy matter to deceive one
self as to the genuineness of the rend-
ing we give our hearts. As to the valid
ity of the modification, that is wholly
interior.
That external works of penance-
protracted vigils, fasting, castigation
of the flesh, abstinence from perfectly
legitimate comforts, control of the
senses, etc.-may be carried to ex-
tremes worthy of condemnation is of
course undeniable, but the tendency
to such excesses in the present age is
scarcely so marked that the average
pastor need deprecate very frequently
the growth Of such practices. His
time would probably be more oppor-
tunely employed in advising his flock
to signalize this time of penance by
exterior acts that manifest the actual
existence Of the self-denial incumbent
on all Christians.
1t is a truism that in the matter of
doing penance the sacrifice which costs
us most is likely to prove most accept
able to God, and five minutes refiec-
tion will disclose to any one numerous
sacrifices the making of which will in |
no way injure health or efficiency in |
the performance of necessary duties |
Rising an hour earlier than usual in |
stance, would no doubt prove a gem
uine sacrifice to many a person whose
bodily well being would not suffer and /
whose spiritual health would certainly !
benefit by the practice. The occasion
al substitution of religious reading
Tor the perusal of even great novels /
would doubtless entail a considerable
degree Of abnegation on the part of
many Others. Attendance at Vespers
and benediction on Sundays and at the
weekday evening service held in many
parishes during Lent may also rank as
an instance of self-sacrifice Going
around" the stations of the cross at
least on each Friday of the penitential
season, reading the penitential psalms
on ones knees, abstaining from some
favorite condiment at the dining table
and similar practices may all prove
meritor1ous works, and since they are
lone at the cost of our love of ease and
comfort it is hardly probable that they
merely futile exhibition of
vanity
As a matter of strict justice there
should be some parity between our
and the sins which necessi-
ate them. If the qualification of our
senses has led us to offend God, it is
just that we should strive
o appease him by Furnishing those
;enses-in other words, by exterior
Entirely to neglect such
notification is to be palpably wanting
n the true spirit of the Lenten season.
Ave Maria.