The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1955-02-25

Last Sunday on the eve OF the opening oil Lent
season Of prayer and penance the Church read
to her children the Gospel narrative telling how
Christ summoned the twelve chosen disciples TO
set out with him on journey of which Lent Is
TO be in effect, A c0mmemoratlon. Behold, he
said I'VE are going up to Jerusalem. and all thlh9s
that have been written through the prophets con
cerninp the Son of Man will be accomplished. FOR
He will be mocked and scourged and spit upon;
and after they have scourged Him they VIII put
him 10 death and on the third day He Will rise
again These words are now addressed to us,
Christ's followers of today for we are called upon
to accompany Him. Just the disciples did, as the
events by which the Redemption was wrought are
re-enacted.
The disciples the Gospel says did not under
stand the things Christ described; they knew, Of
course of the prophecies and they knew, too,
that their fulfillmeni was certain, but how c0uld
their finite minds grasp this working out OF the eter-
nal design of God, for which the centuries had
been waiting2 And how can we amid the distrac-
tions and cares that fiji our lives, keep clear
realization Of the overwhelming fact that Christ
died for mans Redemption. unless We take part,
step by step. in the annual commemoration OF that
journey to Jerusalem FOR Christs suffering, and
death and burial, and Resurrection?
So on Wednesday Catholics throughout the world
had their heads marked with ashes to identity
them as humble, pentent followers of the Savior
setting out to re-ive and mediate upon the events
nv which they we're redeemed We have come
pretense the ashes symbolic our abandonment OF
worldness and self indulgence, in favor of self
denial and spiritual living During the six weeks
Of Lent we are TO keep especially close to Christ
and in His presence shall find the grace we need
to preserve in righteousness and to deepen our
spirituality.
Lent u.s. indeed time of grace, and st. Paul
urges us, In Sundays Episte, mot TO receive the
Grace of God in vain" Behold" he continues,
now is the acceptable time; behold now is the
Ii JKsaf ola in
much patience in hastings in kindness,
in the Holy Spirit, in unaffected love with
The armor of Justice the right hand and on
the left = This acceptable time is not to be
marked by any grudgng, complaining obedience
10 the formal restrictions placed upon appetites
but by willing Jealous determination to con
uuer our weaknesses
The Gospel of the first Sunday of Lent reminds
us that Christ set US example by Withdrawing
from the world; He tasted forty days and forty
nights in the desert and il is in imitation of Him
that we are expected to devote period of the same
length Of training ourselves in self-control and
sel-denia And if find the battle is hard, be-
cause the temptations strong, we need not be
surprised, for the Gospel tells us that the devil
dared TO tempt Christ Himself with cunning appeals
10 pride such often lure men into sin. "Ail
these things will | give thee, If thou wilt fall down
and worship me-" said Satan, and how many men
and women have yielded TO this evil promise. en-
danpering their faith and their eternal salvation,
because they eager for worldly possessions
and worldly power and worldly honor! But Chrst's
replies TO the tempter tell us how our temptations
are TO be overcome Not by bread alone does
man live. but by every word that comes forth from
the mouth Of God D.. Thou shalt not tempt the
Lord thy God Bepone, Satan, for il is written
The Lord Thy God shalt thou worship, and Him only
shalt thou serve"
Meditation upon these truths will sustain us
as We move along the road of our Lenten journey
for this is the word OF God. providing the solution
for our trials and cares and providing the solution
too, from all the errors that have the world con-
fused and frightened today