9781644135945

The Light of the World
membership in the true Church, is no guarantee against infidelity or apostasy. “He that thinketh
himself to stand, let him take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor 10:12). The enemy, the impure spirit, never
sleeps. “Your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour”
(1 Pt 5:8). “And when the unclean spirit is gone out of a man [at the time of baptism or after a
good confession], he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith:
I will return into my house from whence I came out; and coming he findeth it empty, swept,
and garnished [by grace and the beginning of virtue]. Then he goeth and taketh with him seven
other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there; and the last state of
that man is made worse than the first. So shall it be also to this wicked generation” (Gospel).
We, too, can prove unfaithful to our vocation, lose our faith, and fall away. How many
examples of apostasy do we not have in the history of the Church, in the annals of religious
houses, and even among the clergy! For this reason the Church presses upon us the urgency
of self-examination, penance, and meditation during the holy season of Lent. In the lessons
of Matins, two excellent examples are presented for our imitation. They are Moses and Elias.
Moses withdraws from the world to the heights of Sinai. There amid the clouds, high above
the lowly plains where other men idle away their time, he gives himself to fasting for forty
days. In quiet communion with God he receives the Ten Commandments. Elias also fasts
for forty days, and then food is given to him that enables him to make a pilgrimage to the
mountain of God. During Lent we should, like Moses, withdraw from the world to spend our
time in conversation with God. Like Elias, strengthened by the divine food of the Eucharist,
we should abstain from the pleasures and vanities of secular life, and make our way steadfastly
and courageously to the Mountain, which is Christ.
Our hearts are filled with gratitude for the great grace that has been given to us in baptism.
We should renew our desire and our resolution to accomplish the will of the Father. “I will
meditate on Thy commandments which I have loved exceedingly; and I will lift up my hands
to Thy commandments, which I have loved” (Offertory). Let God’s will be done in all things
and before all things. Then we shall truly be the brothers and sisters of Christ, one in spirit with
Him. In our prayers today we include all of our brethren, that God may give them the grace to
prove faithful to their vocation and to remain faithful children of the Church, unflinching in
their devotion to her.
“He that thinketh himself to stand, let him take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor 10:12). “Be sober
and watch; because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he
may devour. Whom resist ye, strong in faith. . . . But the God of all graces, who hath called us
to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little will Himself perfect you and
confirm you and establish you” (1 Pt 5:8–10). Give us the strength, O God, to resist all temptation,
to escape all sin, and to embrace every grace.
Prayer
Mercifully hear our prayers, we beseech Thee, O Lord, and stretch forth the right hand of Thy
majesty against all things that work against us.
Enlighten our minds, we beseech Thee, O Lord, with the light of Thy brightness, that we
may be able to see what we ought to do and have the strength to do what is right. Through
Christ our Lord. Amen.
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