An excellent exhortation for Lent from Saint Leo the Great, Pope
and Doctor of the Church.
Now is the time in which the souls
of all men should be stirred with greater fervor towards spiritual perfection,
and inspired with greater confidence: now when the return of that day on which
we were redeemed invites us once more to the fulfillment of all our sacred
duties, so that purified in body and soul we may celebrate the supreme Mystery
of the Passion of Our Lord . . . Accordingly, with great solicitude has this
divine means been given us, so that these forty days of reflection may assist
us to restore the purity of our souls, and so that during them we may, by good
works, make satisfaction for our past sins, and by devout mortification, purge
ourselves of them.
As we are therefore beginning this
sacred season, dedicated to the purification of the soul, let us be careful to
fulfill the Apostolic command that “we cleanse ourselves from all defilements
of the flesh and of the spirit,” (2 Cor 7:2) so that restraining the conflict
that exists between the one and the other substance, the soul, which in the
Providence of God is meant to be the ruler of the body, may regain the dignity
of its rightful authority.
We must then so moderate our
rightful use of food that our other desires may be subject to the same
rule. For this is also a time for
gentleness and patience, a time of peace and serenity, in which having put away
all stains of evil doing, we strive after steadfastness in what is good.
Be you certain, Dearly Beloved, that
the devil, the enemy of all virtue, will look with envy upon these pious
practices, to which we trust you freely give yourself; and he will bring
against them all the force of his malice, so that from piety itself he may
weave snares against piety: so that those he could not destroy through despair
he will seek to undo through vain glory.
Whose purpose will that most wicked enemy not dare to attack? Whose self denial does he not seek to undo,
when . . . he attempted his deceits even against the Savior of the World? Let us therefore, Dearly Beloved, be watchful
against the deceits of the devil, not alone against the enticement of gluttony,
but even in our very purpose of fasting.
Enter then with pious devotion upon
these holy days of Lent; and prepare for yourselves the works of mercy, that
you may merit the Divine Mercy.
Extinguish the fires of anger, wipe away all hate . . . give way to each
other in the simplicity of true humility.”
Let offenses be forgiven. Let
harshness be changed to mildness, disdain to gentleness, discord into peace . .
. so that our fasting may be pleasing to God.
To Him we shall offer a true sacrifice of self denial and devotion if we
keep ourselves from all iniquity; being helped in all things by Almighty God,
Who with the Son and Holy Spirit is One in Divinity, One in Majesty, unto ages
of ages. Amen.
(excerpts from a
sermon of P. St. Leo the Great)
