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Written by Fr. John Nolan
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Wednesday, 17 February 2010 |
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 As a help to understanding the true character of Lent, I would like you to read two sentences from St. Augustine. In his Tract on the First Letter of John he stated:
"The entire life of a good Christian is in fact an exercise of holy desire. You do not see what you long for, but the very act of desiring prepares you, so that when he comes you may see and be utterly satisfied."
Let me conclude with his description of the cleansing necessary for the exercise of holy desire:
"This exercise will be effective only to the extent we free ourselves from desires leading to infatuation with this world. Let me return to the example I have already used, of filling an empty container. God means to fill each of you with what is good; so cast out what is bad! If he wishes to fill you with honey and you are full of sour wine, where is the honey to go? The vessel must be emptied of its contents and then be cleansed."Welcome to Lent. May it be a time of emptying and cleansing--discover our heart's true desire.
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