Sunday, March 26, 2006

A Lenten Meditation

"Behold, now is the acceptable time..."

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...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.

Now is the time when generous Christian souls forgive past offenses, pay no heed to insults and wipe out memory of past injuries. Now let the Christian soul exercise itself in the armor of justice, on the right hand and on the left, so that amid honor and dishonor, evil report and good, the praise of men will not make proud the virtue that is well rooted, the conscience that has peace, nor dishonor cast it down. The moderation of those who worship God is not melancholy, but blameless.

- Pope St. Leo the Great

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