Bishop's Schedule: Bishop Robert C. Morlino Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008 1:30 p.m. -- Speak at Diocesan Catechetical Workshop, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Friday, Feb. 15, 2008 5:00 p.m. -- Preside at Mass with Serra Club followed by dinner and talk, Edgewood College, Madison Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008 11:30 a.m. -- Preside at Mass and offer conference for the Men's Lenten Retreat, Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, Madison Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008 11:00 a.m. -- Preside and Preach at Stational Mass, St. Patrick Church, Madison 4:30 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Bernard Parish, Middleton Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2008 1:00 p.m. -- Preside at Mass and visit with students, faculty, and staff of St. Joseph School, Fort Atkinson 6:30 p.m. -- Speak at Diocesan Catechetical Workshop, St. Joseph Parish, Fort Atkinson Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008 Attend Wisconsin Catholic Conference Board Meeting, Milwaukee Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008 1:00 p.m. -- Preside at Mass and visit with students, faculty, and staff of St. Mary School, Platteville 6:30 p.m. -- Speak at Diocesan Catechetical Workshop, St. Mary Parish, Platteville

Beginning Lent - it's more than just ashes

		Under the Gospel Book + Bishop Robert C. Morlino

(printable version)
(en Español)

Editor's note: This column was adapted from a homily offered by Bishop Morlino on the First Sunday of Lent, Feb. 10, at St. Patrick Church, Madison.

We began our days of Lent last Wednesday - and there were few who could get to a church on Wednesday. I was one of those who could not get to a church myself - I was stranded in an airport Tuesday and Wednesday. I was not snowed in, I was snowed out - of Madison. And it was a deeply moving experience for me to see the many, many other people who were snowed out who came to me asking, "Father, can you please give me ashes." And I had to reply, "I don't have any ashes." I said to them, "I feel terrible, almost as if I'm not Catholic." And they replied, saying, "that's how we feel, as if we're not Catholic, because we just can't get to Mass today."

One gentleman even brought me three newspapers, suggesting that I go into the bathroom and burn them so that I could give them ashes. "This is an airport, they'll think I'm a terrorist!" I replied with a laugh, "I can't start a fire in the bathroom - I'll do more harm than good!" But, it was a sign of how much he saw ashes as an important expression of his faith, and how badly he felt. And I have to ask, but how much was he planning to repent? I don't know that. I don't know his heart. But it's a question each of us must ask ourselves - especially those who were unable to receive ashes on Wednesday. We focus outwardly upon the ashes we did not (or did) receive on Ash Wednesday, but in truth we should seriously look at our interior disposition. Are we ready to repent, to begin again?

A difficult beginning for the journey

It's been a difficult start to Lent for many of us this year, in terms of weather. Yet, we have still begun our journey to Easter. We have begun our journey to that moment when we celebrate the Easter Eucharist and once again proclaim "Alleluia!" and when we renew our Baptismal promises - which begin, "Do you reject Satan, and all his works, and all his empty promises?"

Isn't it interesting that as we begin Lent, we start with an awareness of Satan and we end with renouncing Satan, and all his works, and all his empty promises. On the First Sunday of Lent Jesus gives us the example of what we are supposed to be like at the end of our Lenten journey. Jesus renounces Satan, and all his works, and all his empty promises, and all his lies. It's interesting because you would think that after 40 days of fasting and prayer Satan wouldn't dare to come near Jesus, because of the holiness in which Jesus found himself caught up. But even after 40 days of fasting and prayer, and even though He is the Son of God, Satan dares to make an attack.

Jesus had fasted for 40 days and nights and he was hungry and Satan said to him, "command these stones to be made into loaves of bread. Let everyone see what a miracle worker you are, take control of earthly power." And it just gets worse. At the end Satan says, "all the kingdoms of the world I will give you if you fall down and worship me."

But Satan doesn't get stronger; he gets weaker. Satan doesn't own the kingdoms of the world; Jesus Christ does. So he can't get Jesus to turn stones into bread because he's hungry; he can't get Jesus to perform a spectacular miracle, casting himself down so that he'll be saved by angels and everyone in the world will look at him and marvel. Those temptations don't work so, in the end, Satan shows his real weakness, "I'll give you something that is not mine to give if you will worship me!" In the end he treats the Son of God as if he's stupid. So, the more you and I resist Satan, the more his power over us is weakened.

Spiritual battle against Satan

Lent, Pope Benedict XVI said last Sunday, is all about our spiritual battle against Satan. We see Jesus renouncing Satan in the Gospel and we arrive at our Easter destination by renouncing Satan at the Easter vigil and on Easter Day. And how do we renounce Satan? We look to the First Reading of this past Sunday's Mass for that. Adam and Eve were tempted and they gave in, in order to be like God.

The main thrust of our battle against Satan is to know that we are not God! Adam and Eve messed up for themselves and for the rest of us by thinking that they could be like God. The greatest weapon against Satan is the awareness, right to the core of our being, that we can never be God.

How do we live out that awareness? How do we practice that awareness? Jesus was attacked by the Devil after 40 days and nights of fasting and prayer. Jesus was at his strongest and the Devil wouldn't give up. So, year after year, Lent after Lent, the Devil never gives up. We grow in Grace, but the Devil never gives up. So how do we express from the heart our conviction that we're not God? The Church gives us the answer: through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

Focus on almsgiving

Interestingly, Pope Benedict is focusing this year on almsgiving. He's not doing that because he knows that we need a cathedral in Madison. In fact he does know that, but I didn't somehow persuade him to focus on almsgiving! He's made this emphasis already three times since Lent began because he wants to express the truth that the genuineness of prayer and that genuineness of fasting are confirmed by almsgiving. The Pope has said now three times that it is easy to deceive oneself in prayer. In prayer I can tell myself, "well, the Lord is speaking to me," but I might be talking to myself - who knows how honest my prayer is? (Which is why spiritual direction is so important.) The Devil can use prayer to deceive us. And even more so, Pope Benedict says, Satan can use fasting to deceive me. Fasting by itself can be dangerous. People can fast, the Pope reminded us on Ash Wednesday, to overcome the sin of gluttony and what they wind up doing is falling into the sin of pride. They fast, then look in the mirror and say, "wow, I have six-pack abs now." It is very easy to fast for the wrong reason.

Prayer and fasting can be places where the devil deceives, but almsgiving to a point where it becomes sacrificial never lies. Different people are capable of giving alms at different levels. But especially those who are very, very wealthy have a real challenge in this regard. If they do not give sacrificially, if they don't have the attitude of, "I'm going to give it all away before I die," they are probably not converted to Christ. In order to be totally converted to Christ, one has to leave all of one's concerns about this world in the hands of the providence of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And if people who are very wealthy can give very impressive gifts, but they don't really experience the trust that comes with sacrifice, then they really have to question whether or not they are converted to Jesus Christ.

Most of us are kind of "ordinary" in our income. We have to look at our day-to-day needs, have to take care of the family, the education of the children - all of these things are very, very important. The Pope has basically said to all of us, if you're not ready to be broke by the end of your life - while taking care of your children, your grandchildren, their education, etc. - it may just be that you're not converted.

So, as we journey towards that great Easter Vigil and that great Easter Day, when we renounce Satan and all his works and all his empty promises, just as Jesus did in last Sunday's Gospel, let us remember every day in our prayer and in our fasting that we are not God, and then let us put credibility into our faith that we're not God by sacrificial almsgiving.