Fr. Terry Dodge Parochial Vicar of the Church of St. John the Evangelist Wahpeton

This Year’s Lenten Journey

AOnce again the season of Lent is almost upon us. And the first thought that comes to mind is . . . If it’s “Ugh, not again” or “Oh no” then maybe it’s time to reevaluate the season. The Catholic Church gives this wonderful season to us so that we can take advantage of the many graces God wishes to bestow upon us. When we decide freely to sacrifice willingly on behalf of God, then He is pleased. Indeed, He is so pleased that He showers us with graces to keep on this spiritual path, since it is one that is leading to Him.

In our evaluation of Lent let us consider what is to be gained. By denying ourselves something that we like or like to do or do some good that we are not used to doing, we put ourselves in the footsteps of Christ. Sacrifice is something Jesus asked of His apostles and even today asks of us. Father Frederick Faber, in his book, “Growth in Holiness”, stresses ten benefits that come from proper mortification or denial of our bodily senses. First, it helps bring our passions under control. If we are addicted to coffee or chocolate, we may be influenced by them to such a degree that they may rule over us in certain circumstances. If the passion for chocolate is crippled or diminished, the will is easier to operate on its own. Second, it increases our spiritual sight. Our conscience, responding to the influx of grace, is easier able to determine when something is faulty or not. So if we are walking by the candy store and have the thought, “I think I’ll look inside just to see what they have”, our conscience will recognize the danger and influence the will to get out of there! Third, the suffering that mortification brings gives us power with God. It was through suffering that Jesus redeemed the world. Our prayers become more efficacious, our attempt to root out bad habits becomes easier, and our faith is increased. When the apostles could not cure a man of a demon, they asked Jesus why they couldn’t do it. He told them, “because of your little faith”. (Mt 17:20)

A fourth effect of mortification is that our love is intensified. If we really want to understand true love for God then we must recognize that nothing can stand in our way of loving God, especially disordered passions. When Jesus was starting His public ministry He was driven by the Holy Spirit into the desert to fast and pray for forty days and nights. So when Satan came after the 40 days were complete no temptation that Satan presented to Him would interfere in His love for the Father. The fifth effect of mortification is that we are able to put aside things of this world. We are not inordinately attached to something of this world. Because the world does not have a hold on us we are able to experience spiritual joy to a deeper degree. If we realize that Heaven has nothing to do with temporal things, only the everlasting joy of God, then we begin to experience that all the more now as we are detaching from material things. Another effect is that regular mortification stops us from thinking we are done from suffering. Some people are excited when starting out in this process, delighting in their spiritual progress but then lose some of their enthusiasm over time and possibly quit the process altogether. Mortification done slow and steady tempers our enthusiasm and keeps us steady on the narrow path.

The seventh effect is the increase in our prayer life. Recognizing the growing change in our spiritual growth we desire deeper communion with God. Instead of thinking who we will call or text next we meditate on God and His ways. Many saints would go out into the desert to get away from the noise of society so that they could focus on God and Him alone. An eighth effect of mortification is the increase in our sanctity. We want to be holy since our desire for union with God is increased. We are now more interested in the ways of God then in the ways of the world. Reading Sacred Scripture and pondering its mysteries helps us to want to do God’s work. During Jesus’ public ministry He would often get away from the crowds to talk with His Father so that He would know what to do next. Even the crowds would declare, “He does all things well”. The ninth effect deals with exterior mortification. While the things that have been mentioned above mostly are concerned with the interior self, the external self also needs to be mastered. How many new dresses or suits do I need to look nice? Or external cosmetics? Some saints when they died only had threadbare clothes. The final mortification hones the virtue of discretion. A person who practices mortification will not think twice about listening to gossip or slander. Discretion also aids one in becoming more obedient and humble especially because they see more clearly the truth of things. Jesus was obedient to His Father in all things, even to giving His life for us.

When we consider the value of the things mentioned above we gain a better understanding of what the church is asking of us and why this Lenten season can be so spiritually profitable for us. As in all things it is good to pray first before deciding what to do for your Lenten commitment, but when you do decide then recognize that God is there to support you even as you are struggling to get to know Him better. But don’t worry – when you finally get to Heaven you will have an eternity of discovering who God really is!

Yours in Christ,

Father Terry Dodge

			Rev. Terry Dodge Church of St. John the Evangelist 115 2nd St. North Wahpeton North Dakota 58075-4505 701-642-6982
	This Year’s Lenten Journey AOnce again the season of Lent is almost upon us. And the first thought that comes to mind is . . . If it’s “Ugh, not again” or “Oh no” then maybe it’s time to reevaluate the season. The Catholic Church gives this wonderful season to us so that we can take advantage of the many graces God wishes to bestow upon us. When we decide freely to sacrifice willingly on behalf of God, then He is pleased. Indeed, He is so pleased that He showers us with graces to keep on this spiritual path, since it is one that is leading to Him. In our evaluation of Lent let us consider what is to be gained. By denying ourselves something that we like or like to do or do some good that we are not used to doing, we put ourselves in the footsteps of Christ. Sacrifice is something Jesus asked of His apostles and even today asks of us. Father Frederick Faber, in his book, “Growth in Holiness”, stresses ten benefits that come from proper mortification or denial of our bodily senses. First, it helps bring our passions under control. If we are addicted to coffee or chocolate, we may be influenced by them to such a degree that they may rule over us in certain circumstances. If the passion for chocolate is crippled or diminished, the will is easier to operate on its own. Second, it increases our spiritual sight. Our conscience, responding to the influx of grace, is easier able to determine when something is faulty or not. So if we are walking by the candy store and have the thought, “I think I’ll look inside just to see what they have”, our conscience will recognize the danger and influence the will to get out of there! Third, the suffering that mortification brings gives us power with God. It was through suffering that Jesus redeemed the world. Our prayers become more efficacious, our attempt to root out bad habits becomes easier, and our faith is increased. When the apostles could not cure a man of a demon, they asked Jesus why they couldn’t do it. He told them, “because of your little faith”. (Mt 17:20) A fourth effect of mortification is that our love is intensified. If we really want to understand true love for God then we must recognize that nothing can stand in our way of loving God, especially disordered passions. When Jesus was starting His public ministry He was driven by the Holy Spirit into the desert to fast and pray for forty days and nights. So when Satan came after the 40 days were complete no temptation that Satan presented to Him would interfere in His love for the Father. The fifth effect of mortification is that we are able to put aside things of this world. We are not inordinately attached to something of this world. Because the world does not have a hold on us we are able to experience spiritual joy to a deeper degree. If we realize that Heaven has nothing to do with temporal things, only the everlasting joy of God, then we begin to experience that all the more now as we are detaching from material things. Another effect is that regular mortification stops us from thinking we are done from suffering. Some people are excited when starting out in this process, delighting in their spiritual progress but then lose some of their enthusiasm over time and possibly quit the process altogether. Mortification done slow and steady tempers our enthusiasm and keeps us steady on the narrow path. The seventh effect is the increase in our prayer life. Recognizing the growing change in our spiritual growth we desire deeper communion with God. Instead of thinking who we will call or text next we meditate on God and His ways. Many saints would go out into the desert to get away from the noise of society so that they could focus on God and Him alone. An eighth effect of mortification is the increase in our sanctity. We want to be holy since our desire for union with God is increased. We are now more interested in the ways of God then in the ways of the world. Reading Sacred Scripture and pondering its mysteries helps us to want to do God’s work. During Jesus’ public ministry He would often get away from the crowds to talk with His Father so that He would know what to do next. Even the crowds would declare, “He does all things well”. The ninth effect deals with exterior mortification. While the things that have been mentioned above mostly are concerned with the interior self, the external self also needs to be mastered. How many new dresses or suits do I need to look nice? Or external cosmetics? Some saints when they died only had threadbare clothes. The final mortification hones the virtue of discretion. A person who practices mortification will not think twice about listening to gossip or slander. Discretion also aids one in becoming more obedient and humble especially because they see more clearly the truth of things. Jesus was obedient to His Father in all things, even to giving His life for us. When we consider the value of the things mentioned above we gain a better understanding of what the church is asking of us and why this Lenten season can be so spiritually profitable for us. As in all things it is good to pray first before deciding what to do for your Lenten commitment, but when you do decide then recognize that God is there to support you even as you are struggling to get to know Him better. But don’t worry – when you finally get to Heaven you will have an eternity of discovering who God really is! Yours in Christ, Father Terry Dodge