Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12
“The Lenten fast an opportunity for restoring our purity.
In proposing to preach this most holy and important fast to you, dearly beloved, how shall I begin more fitly than by quoting the words of the Apostle, in whom Christ Himself was speaking, and by reminding you of what we have read: “Behold, now is the acceptable time, behold now is the day of salvation.”
For though there are no seasons which are not full of Divine blessings, and though access is ever open to us to God’s mercy through His grace, yet now all men’s minds should be moved with greater zeal to spiritual progress, and animated by larger confidence, when the return of the day, on which we were redeemed, invites us to all the duties of godliness: that we may keep the super-excellent mystery of the Lord’s passion with bodies and hearts purified.
These great mysteries do indeed require from us such unflagging devotion and unwearied reverence that we should remain in God’s sight always the same, as we ought to be found on the Easter feast itself. But because few have this constancy, and, because so long as the stricter observance is relaxed in consideration of the frailty of the flesh, and so long as one’s interests extend over all the various actions of this life, even pious hearts must get some soils from the dust of the world, the Divine Providence has with great beneficence taken care that the discipline of the forty days should heal us and restore the purity of our minds, during which the faults of other times might be redeemed by pious acts and removed by chaste fasting.
Lent must be used for removing all our defilements, and of good works there must be no stint.
As we are therefore, dearly-beloved, about to enter on those mystic days which are dedicated to the benefits of fasting, let us take care to obey the Apostle’s precepts, cleansing “ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit:” that by controlling the struggles that go on between our two natures, the spirit which, if it is under the guidance of God, should be the governor of the body, may uphold the dignity of its rule: so that we may give no offense to any, nor be subject to the chiding of reprovers…
Now let the faithful spirit train himself with the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, that through honor and dishonor, through ill repute and good repute, the conscience may be undisturbed in unwavering uprightness, not puffed up by praise and not wearied out by revelings. The self-restraint of the religious should not be gloomy, but sincere; no murmurs of complaint should be heard from those who are never without the consolation of holy joys. The decrease of worldly means should not be feared in the practice of works of mercy. Christian poverty is always rich, because what it has is more than what it has not.
Nor does the poor man fear to labour in this world, to whom it is given to possess all things in the Lord of all things. Therefore those who do the things which are good must have no manner of fear lest the power of doing should fail them; since in the gospel the widow’s devotion is extolled in the case of her two mites, and voluntary bounty gets its reward for a cup of cold water. or the measure of our charitableness is fixed by the sincerity of our feelings, and he that shows mercy on others will never want for mercy himself.”
Gregory the Great (540-604) in Sermon 42, On Lent 4.1-2. As I stated yesterday, I am starting Lent with the four doctors in the Western Church. We heard from Augustine, then Ambrose, and now Gregory the Great. Jerome will follow tomorrow.
So much in this sermon inspires me on my Lenten journey. Three expressions struck me personally.
The first is a pair of expressions linked to the blessing of this 40 day fast. It creates in us a sense of “unflagging devotion and unwearied reverence” as we shift from living for the flesh and live for the Spirit something happens in us.
The sacrifices of the season actually strengthen us. To be unflagging and unwearied means that we get supernatural strength. To grow in our devotion and reverence means we shift from living for ourselves to living for God.
But that is for a purpose. This brings into view Gregory’s use of the expression “the measure of our charitableness.” The growing compassion and kindness in us propels us to action. We show mercy, we do good works.
So, what will the measure of your charitableness be? That’s for you to decide willingly on your Lenten journey. Just remember that those who choose a big measure will have such a measure extended to them.
Yesterday I asked you to fast a meal. If you did not do it, please do it today. And pray about an opportunity, and as you are able, make a gift to GTP for serving God’s workers in underserved regions.
We got a $40,000 match and still need about $11,000 by 28 February 2023.
Funds will be used to deploy me and other GTP staff and volunteers bring biblical teaching and practical training to help national workers grow local giving in Benin, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Zambia, Jamaica, and other places.
We are not giving a hand out to people in need in these countries, which has been the cultural pattern for decades. Your generosity will give these disciples a hand up and help them fund local ministry without outside support.
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