The Life of Virtue

In the second reading for the Second Sunday of Lent , the faithful are presented with a passage from St. Paul's letter to the Philippians.  Not long after the beginning of that passage, we hear that many people in the world "conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ" (Phil. 3:18).  Throughout the lectionary readings for the remainder of the week, the characteristics of such enemies are laid out quite clearly.  It is no coincidence, though, that the sure and steadfast mercy of God is presented right alongside the traits of enemies.  The Lord and His Church are intent on revealing the fact that mercy is available to all.  Otherwise, our end would be destruction (cf. Phil. 3:19). Throughout the week, the Gospel passages present Jesus' undeniable statements about whom He considers enemies of the Cross, enemies of mercy.  In Matthew 23 , we read and hear that the enemies are those who take a Pharisaical approach to religion, the ones who "tie up hea...

The Collect for today's Mass, Monday during the First Week of Lent, asks God: "instruct our minds by heavenly teaching, that we may benefit from the works of Lent."  What, we may ask, are the works of Lent that can benefit us so greatly?  It is no coincidence that the Church provides the answer specifically through the lectionary readings for this week.  From Sunday through Saturday, there are six identifiable works by which we can be converted and grow in holiness during this noble season. The first is found in the second reading from yesterday's Mass (the First Sunday of Lent).  St. Paul writes to the ancient Roman Church, and to us, "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."  The very first work of Lent is an act of faith, which includes inward belief and outward expression.  During some particularly difficult years, this is the only work that I have been able to c...

The Year of Mercy has been going on for a month now.  In that short amount of time, I have found that I need frequent reminders about the "nitty gritty" of this Jubilee Year.  More than a couple of times, I have forgotten that the Holy Father did not initiate this special year so that I could discuss mercy on a theoretical level (even though these blog posts will be scintillating).  No, he didn't even inaugurate the year so that people could walk through special doors and receive indulgences, as wonderful as those things are.  I suspect, instead, that Pope Francis called for a Year of Mercy so that the faithful would go out to the highways and byways of life and extend mercy to their fellow humans.  This year is for us to BE merciful, to ACT mercifully. Pompeo Batoni, The Return of the Prodigal Son (1773) If we are to develop this habit of merciful action, we need a regimen.  As always, we need not look very far because the rich tradition of the Cath...