Friday, February 15, 2013

The Pillars of Lent and the Christian Life


I must say that I drew great encouragement from the Second Reading from today’s Office of Readings, which is taken from a homily of Pseudo-Chrysostom and entitled “Prayer is the light of the soul”. Let me quote the parts of this passage which touched me particularly:

The highest good is prayer and conversation with God, because it means that we are in God’s company and in union with him. … I warn you, though: do not imagine that prayer is simply words. Prayer is the desire for God, an indescribable devotion, not given by man but brought about by God’s grace. As St Paul says: “For when we cannot choose words in order to pray properly, the Spirit himself intercedes on our behalf in a way that could never be put into words.” …  To begin on this path, start by adorning your house with modesty and humility. Make it shine brightly with the light of justice. Decorate it with the gold leaf of good works, with the jewels of faithfulness and greatness of heart. Finally, to make the house perfect, raise a gable above it all, a gable of prayer. Thus you will have prepared a pure and sparkling house for the Lord. Receive the Lord into this royal and splendid dwelling — in other words: receive, by his grace, his image into the temple of your soul.

Make a good confession early this Lent and never stop asking Our Dear Lord for the gift of prayer by God's grace. "Gable" or pinnacle, let God crown your house with prayer and make His dwelling there this Lent!


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