The Word Among Us Canadian Lent 2015

Fasting

Almsgiving

Prayer

Breaking Free and Breaking through this Lent

n The Story of a Slow but Steady Conversion

n Lessons from a Holy Alcoholic

Complete Catholic Mass Readings for Canada

DAILY MEDITATIONS: FEBRUARY 18 – APRIL 5

LENT 2015WAU.ORG

Lent 2015 | • Volume 34, Number 3

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A Daily Approach to Prayer & Scripture

Inside this issue. . .

The Spirit of Catholic Living

Online at wau.org, or call us at 1-800-775-WORD (9673).www.facebook.com/wordamongus

A Daily Approach to Prayer & Scripture

Inside this issue. . .


Daily MeditationsFebruary 18–April 5

page 23

This Issue’s Special FeaturesSeize the Grace! 70 Lenten lessons from Matt Talbot, the holy alcoholic.Baby Steps to the Altar 76 The story of a slow but steady conversion.Penance behind Bars 81 How my murder confession saved my life.Grace in the Wilderness 87 The Sacrament of Reconciliation in Lent.

Fasting, Prayer, & AlmsgivingWhen You Fast . . . 4 Lent is a time for breakthroughs.Draw Near to God 10 Fasting doesn’t just change our hearts; it can change the world.Your Father Will Reward You 16 The blessings that come through fasting, prayer, and almsgiving.Let Works of Mercy Be Our Delight Lenten wisdom from St. Leo the Great. 21

The Wings of Prayer

2 | The Word Among Us

we’ll decide to go to Confession or get back to Mass. Some of us may need to become less angry, less resentful, or less moody. Or maybe we need to let go of past failures and the guilt and shame associated with them.

Your list may seem endless, but that’s okay, because God’s grace really is endless. He wants to help you break through whatever issues or habits have a grip on you. He has just the right amount of grace stored up for you, the grace to change and to take one step closer to becoming like his Son in all things.

No Better Way. Fasting, alms-giving, and prayer: these three traditional Lenten practices strengthen us for our journey. They protect us from temptation. They help us resist the devil. They open us up to God’s wisdom. They pave the way for the breakthroughs that Jesus longs to give us.

More than once, Pope Francis has told us that he wants a poor Church that serves the poor. “I want and I pray and I hope for a more austere Church,” he said, “a Church which prefers humility and simplicity over pomp and grandeur; a Church that cares for every human being.” Is there a better way for us to live out

St. Augustine once said that fasting and almsgiv-ing are the two wings that we need for our prayer to rise up to God. It makes sense, doesn’t it? Both of

these practices help us distance our-selves from a consumerist mind-set that claims that we need “things” to make us happy. They also help con-nect those of us who have with those of us who have not. In a way, fasting and almsgiving are forces that can help bring us all together as the one body of Christ.

As we begin the season of Lent this year, let’s try to make a break with all the “stuff” that takes up so much of our time, all the stuff that we think we need or that we think we have to do. Let’s break away from it so that we can experience a true breakthrough during this time of grace.

What kind of breakthroughs can we look for? Maybe we’ll become more consistent in keeping our prayer time. Maybe we’ll become more gen-erous, kind, or compassionate. Maybe

God wants to give all of us breakthroughs as we pray, fast, and give alms this Lent.

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these words than through prayer, fast-ing, and almsgiving? I can’t think of any!

So let’s all commit ourselves to these three vital spiritual practices this Lent. Remember, it matters less how we pray or what we give up or what we give away. It matters more that we take up these practices in a

way that will help us all fly closer to the Lord. If we can just try to do the best we can in each area, we can be sure that God will bless us beyond our expectations.

Joe DifatoPublisher([email protected])


When You Fast . . .

Lent 2015 | 5

“Next week is Ash Wednes-day,” said the mother to her three young boys. “This year, we’re going to give up candy and ice cream for Lent.”

“Aw, Mom,” the youngest one replied, “we already give these up every day between bedtime and breakfast. Isn’t that enough?”

Deep inside, most of us can relate to this little boy. We don’t really like to fast, and we often wonder what the real value of fasting is. What good will it do us if we deny our-selves a specific kind of food or some other form of pleasure? How will that make us holier?

But think about how hard athletes train. They push their bodies to the limits. They follow very restrictive diets. All to win a game! For them, the benefit of winning is well worth the cost of preparation. And that’s how it is with fasting. If we can get a better glimpse of its benefits, we’ll be more willing to take it up. Let’s begin by taking a look at some scriptural stories about fasting and self-denial.

A Holy Wilderness. The Bible often presents the wilderness as a sacred place, a place of testing where people encounter the Lord and come out renewed and strengthened. After their escape from Egypt, the Israelites

Lent Is a Time forBreakthroughs

When You Fast . . .

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spent forty years wandering in the wilderness. It was a time of purifi-cation and preparation before they entered the Promised Land (Deuter-onomy 8:2). Moses spent forty days in prayer and fasting on Mount Sinai in order to prepare to meet the Lord and receive the Ten Commandments (Exodus 24:18). After being fed by the Lord, Elijah found the strength for a forty-day march through the wilderness toward Mount Horeb. There, after his fast had been com-pleted, he too had a deep encounter with the Lord in the form of a still, small voice (1 Kings 19:12).

And of course, Jesus himself spent forty days in the wilderness fasting and praying (Mark 1:13). During this time, Jesus experienced not only extreme hunger but also intense temptation from the devil. Coming just after his baptism, this time in the wilderness was a prepa-ration for Jesus’ ministry—but it was also a foreshadowing of his Passion, when he would give up his life for our sakes.

These stories show us how closely connected fasting and the wilderness are, especially during Lent. During this season of grace, God invites us into our own personal wilderness. He asks us to separate ourselves from the world to a certain extent,

to deny ourselves some of our usual pleasures, so that we can meet the Lord more deeply. If we can com-bine our Lenten fast with this sense of promise in the wilderness, we’ll find so many blessings, just as Eli-jah, Moses, and Jesus did. We’ll hear God’s voice. We’ll learn his ways. We’ll find new power to do God’s will and reflect his goodness to the people around us.

Lenten Breakthroughs.When you fast . . . your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you. (Matthew 6:16, 18)

Notice how in this passage, Jesus didn’t say “if you fast.” He said “when you fast.” He really wants us to take on this spiritual practice because he knows how deeply we will be blessed by it. Yes, fasting is about dying to ourselves, but it’s so much more than that. When we link it to prayer, fasting is also about expe-riencing spiritual breakthroughs, just as past heroes of the faith did. Moses received the Ten Command-ments. Elijah’s faith was rejuvenated. Jesus left his fast “in the power of the Spirit” and began preaching and per-forming miracles (Luke 4:14).

We can experience breakthroughs if we spend these next forty days denying ourselves and placing more

Lent 2015 | 7

of our focus on Jesus. Our Father will reward us with gifts of peace, joy, and healing—not because we have convined God to bless us, but because we have emptied ourselves of distractions so that God can fill us with his grace.

Fasting also brings about break-throughs because it helps us clear our minds. Remember that the wil-derness is a place of quiet, a stark place with very few distractions. If we can keep a sense of the wilderness during our fast, we may be able to recognize areas in our lives where we are weak or where we have fallen into sin. The quiet and self-denial that are an integral part of fasting can help lead us to repentance. It can help us

become more humble, more open to Jesus’ presence in our lives.

Finally, fasting can help us build a place of quiet and reflection in our hearts. For many of us, life is busy, demanding, and filled with distrac-tions. Even when it’s not too bad, we can find ourselves falling into a false sense of busyness. We can feel as if there are not enough hours in a day to do all that we have to do, and we end up feeling trapped by our responsibilites. But if we want to experience breakthroughs this Lent, we have to carve out time for the Lord. We have to learn how to “seek first the kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33). Fasting can help us focus the next forty days on quieting

If we can keep a sense of the wilderness during our fast, we may be able to recognize areas in our lives where we are weak or where we have fallen into sin.


our hearts in God’s presence—to the point where it becomes a regular, habitual part of our lives!

A word of caution: it’s not all about what we do. Dying to our-selves, giving up treats, repenting, reordering our schedules, seeking God first—it can make Lent sound like a completely human-driven time. Of course, what we do counts. It makes a big difference, in fact. But what God does in us is even more important. It’s what all the fasting and self-denial is for!

Fasting and Repentance. Some-time around the year 400 B.C., the prophet Joel called the people of Judah to return to the Lord “with fasting, weeping, and mourning” (Joel 2:12). It was during a time of crisis, when Judah was suffering from a massive locust infestation. All the crops were being destroyed, and the nation was on the brink of disaster.

Joel linked the invasion to the people’s sins, and so he urged everyone to turn back to the Lord in repentance. The people took his word seriously and called a fast. They repented of their sins. They pro-claimed that they would treat each other differently.

What happened next? “The LORD was stirred to concern for his land

and took pity on his people” (Joel 2:18). He promised that their grain, wine, and oil would flow abun-dantly once more. “I will repay you for the years which the locust has eaten,” he said. “You shall eat and be filled, and shall praise the name of the LORD, your God” (2:25, 26).

When we turn to the Lord with fasting and humble repentance, God responds powerfully. He comes to “the aid of our weakness” (Romans 8:26). He guides us through our temptations (1 Corinthians 10:13). He promises to “exalt” us (James 4:10). He gives us real, discernible breakthroughs!

So look for changes as you fast this Lent. Maybe you will find prayer

Lent 2015 | 9

coming more easily. Maybe you will have a greater sense of God’s per-sonal love for you, or find it easier to love your family. Are you becom-ing more patient? Are you becoming less prone to judge people or to hold resentments? Maybe you are becoming less argumentative or more generous. The possibilities are endless. Never underestimate what God can do with a humble, repen-tant heart!

Proclaim a Fast. Lent can be a powerful time of renewal. If we adopt the right approach to fast-ing, prayer, and repentance, we’ll find God inspiring us and empow-ering us to make real changes in our

lives. We may even find God giving us a deeper sense of calling—to a parish ministry, to a local homeless shelter, or to something completely unexpected.

So try to “proclaim a fast” in your home this Lent (Joel 2:15). Try to live more simply over the next forty days. Deny yourself so that you can focus on the Lord. Go ahead and join Jesus in the desert so that on Easter, you can emerge with a heart more like his: more loving, more dedicated, and more able to resist temptation.

Let’s all pray together for Lenten breakthroughs not only for ourselves but also for our family members, our friends, the Church, and the entire world. n

Join Jesus in the desert so that on Easter, you can emerge with a heart more like his.

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18 Wednesday, February 18 Ash Wednesday Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. (Matthew 6:6)

Can you imagine a worm turn-ing into a bird? This is essentially what happens inside the chrysalis of a monarch butterfly. Scientists still don’t understand how, within two weeks, a caterpillar can turn into a completely different creature. Inside that magical chrysalis, the major organs and structures of the cater-pillar are all completely dissolved, and new ones are formed. A new heart! New lungs! Wings grow out of nowhere!

It’s no wonder that many par-ishes use the image of a caterpillar in a cocoon to illustrate the season of Lent. If only we could enter a magi-cal chrysalis and emerge six weeks later as a reflection of God’s beauty and grace!

Of course, we know it’s not magic. It’s a combination of God’s grace

and our effort. And while we have no control over the grace, we have a lot of control over our effort. So here are some things we can try to do this season so that we can find our lives changed come Easter Sunday.

First, prayerfully consider what you want to become. What “old organs” do you need to let go of? What kind of “wings” are you looking for?

Secondly, find a chrysalis. This doesn’t mean isolating yourself for forty days. Rather, set aside time each day for prayer. Ponder the Mass read-ings. Talk to the Lord. Use a journal to record your thoughts. Just fifteen minutes every day can make a huge difference.

Finally, start living your new life. Rearrange your priorities as if you already were that butterfly. Make yourself available to God’s grace through prayer, and you’ll find your-self changing!

If you do your part, you can be confident that God will do his. If he can turn a caterpillar into a butterfly, imagine what he has in store for you!

“Here I am, Lord, ready for your grace. Come and help me become the person you want me to be.”

! Joel 2:12-18 Psalm 51:3-6, 12-14, 17 2 Corinthians 5:20–6:2

MEDITATIONSFEBRUARY 18–21


M E D I T A T I O N S

19 Thursday, February 19 Luke 9:22-25. . . and on the third day be

raised. (Luke 9:22)Have you ever received a party

invitation with only vague informa-tion about the location? You have the date and time and even the rea-son for the party, but you aren’t sure how to get there. That’s probably how the apostles felt when Jesus first called them. All he said was, “Follow me.” But in today’s passage, Jesus gives the destination as well: “Who-ever loses his life for my sake will save it” (Luke 9:24).

Don’t you sometimes feel like the disciples when Jesus first called them, focusing mostly on the call to deny yourself and losing sight of the goal? That’s usually not a great moti-vator. When we “give up” something for Lent, it’s supposed to be so that we can make more room for Jesus, not just make our lives more chal-lenging! It’s only as we keep our eyes on the goal that we get a more hope-ful, inspiring perspective.

So what is the goal? For the disciples, it was the hope of the res-urrection. It was the promise that those who follow Jesus will be raised to new life—not just in some far-off heaven but right here, right now. It was the promise of freedom from the burdens of guilt and sin. It was

the promise of an ever deepening experience of God’s love and power in their lives. It was the promise of belonging to a community of believ-ers who treat one another with the love and mercy of God.

These promises apply to us just as much as they did to Peter, John, Martha, and all of Jesus’ original fol-lowers. Jesus is inviting us to follow him along the road to discipleship this Lent. He is asking us to deny ourselves and take up our crosses, not because he wants to make our lives miserable but because he wants to set us free.

So what are you focusing on? The sacrifices you have decided to make? Or the destination you hope to reach on Easter Sunday? Take a look at your Lenten resolutions today, and ask yourself where they are leading you. If the goal is not too clear, think about readjusting them. Let Jesus set you free this Lent so that you can rejoice with him on Easter!

“Thank you, Lord, for the promise of the resurrection!”

! Deuteronomy 30:15-20 Psalm 1:1-4, 6

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20 Friday, February 20 Matthew 9:14-15Then your light shall break

forth like the dawn. (Isaiah 58:8)A frail, elderly widow living alone

was visited by her son, who had been traveling for a long time. Open-ing the front door, he was shocked by the disrepair her home had fallen into. Over the years she had accu-mulated a lot: furniture, clothing, books, toys her children had played with. Since she was no longer able to keep it all tidy, it was piled in every room in boxes and bundles. But worse than the clutter was the dark-ness. The windows, where he could see them, were covered in layers of dust.

So the man set to work. He orga-nized the clutter, storing much of it in the attic. Then he cleaned the win-dows and aired out the house until it was once more filled with light.

Like the widow’s home, we also house two potential blockages to the light of Christ: clutter and dust. Clutter is what happens when your human treasures—material posses-sions, habits, hopes and dreams, old memories—take priority over the Lord. They aren’t necessar-ily bad things, but they need to be reorganized and put in their proper place. The dust is the sin that can build up on the windows of our

hearts, keeping us in shadows and darkness.

We can consider fasting as a way of dealing with the clutter and repen-tance as a way to clean off the dust. By fasting, we reorder our lives so that Jesus gets top priority, and in repentance we let his light shine in us—and through us—more brightly. Fasting is like spring cleaning, as we spruce up our spiritual lives and put away some unnecessary baggage. Often, as we take up the call to fast, we get a better view of the sins that have been blocking the light in the first place.

So try to put aside a few things—time on the computer, a favorite food, a fun activity that is swallow-ing up too much time—so that you can focus better on window washing. Make it your goal to let in as much sunlight as possible. As you do, you’ll discover how much joy there is in choosing a simple, clutter-free life.

“Lord you are my light! Come and break forth like the dawn in my heart.”

! Isaiah 58:1-9 Psalm 51:3-6, 18-19



21 Saturday, February 21 Luke 5:27-32Levi gave a great banquet.

(Luke 5:29)Levi didn’t have a very fulfilling

life as a tax collector. An employee of the Roman occupation force, he was ostracized by his own people. His only “friends” were the kind who were attracted to his wealth. He knew deep down that his life did not match the dreams God had for him. But when Jesus called him, his life fell into place. He saw a way out of his restlessness and sin, and he happily embraced it. He even threw a huge party to celebrate!

Levi’s story is a striking illustra-tion of the prophet Isaiah’s words in the first reading: “If you remove from your midst oppression. . . . light shall rise for you” (Isaiah 58:9, 10). Levi’s life finally aligned with God’s desires for him, and he was over-joyed. He was experiencing the thrill of conversion.

But there’s another aspect to the first reading. Isaiah also speaks to those of us who are in the middle of our faith journey. Once we have removed oppression and the like from our lives—through repentance, con-fession, and conversion—we still face the challenge of following God’s way in our everyday lives. This includes caring for the hungry and afflicted,

honoring the Sabbath, and treat-ing everyone around us with the love and compassion of Christ. As chal-lenging as this can be at times, God still promises us the joy of knowing we are coming into alignment with his plans. What’s more, he promises to strengthen us at every step of this journey.

You may be in a “Levi” phase right now, experiencing the wonder of your newfound faith in the Lord. That’s wonderful! God is bringing light to your darkness and giving you the peace you have been longing for.

Or you may be in more of an “Isaiah” phase, where the initial excitement of your faith has worn off, and God is asking you to put your faith into action more fully. That’s wonderful, too! You are experiencing a different kind of blessing. You are developing a foundation of peace and joy that can weather any storm.

No matter where you are in your journey, God sees your heart. He knows your joys and your struggles. And he is committed to pouring out deep blessings on you.

“Lord, keep me close to you! Give me the joy of knowing that my life is coming into alignment with yours.”

! Isaiah 58:9-14 Psalm 86:1-6

LENT 2015 | M1

Mass Readings Supplement $10 per year.

Wednesday, February 18

Ash Wednesday

You are merciful to all, O Lord,and despise nothing that you have made.You overlook people’s sins, to bring them to repentance, and you spare them, for you are the Lord our God. Wis 11.24, 25, 27

Grant, O Lord, that we may begin with holy fastingthis campaign of Christian service,so that, as we take up battle against spiritual evils,we may be armed with weapons of self-restraint.Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Joel 2.12-18Even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart,with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing.Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful,slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.Who knows whether the Lord will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him:a grain offering and a drink offering to be presented to the Lord, your God?

Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast;call a solemn assembly; gather the people.Sanctify the congregation;

Entrance Antiphon

Collect

First Reading

Daily Mass Readings February 18 – April 5, 2015

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M2 | MASS READINGS SUPPLEMENT

assemble the aged;gather the children, even infants at the breast.Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her canopy.

Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep.Let them say, “Spare your people, O Lord, and do not make your heritage a mockery, a byword among the nations.Why should it be said among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”

Then the Lord became jealous for his land, and had pity on his people.

Psalm 51R. Have mercy, O Lord, for we have sinned.Have mercy on me, O God,according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercyblot out my transgressions.Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. R.

For I know my transgressions,and my sin is ever before me.Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight. R.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. R.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.O Lord, open my lips,and my mouth will declare your praise. R.

Responsorial Psalm


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2 Corinthians 5.20–6.2Brothers and sisters: We are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake God made Christ to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Christ we might become the righteousness of God. As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For the Lord says,

“At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you.”

See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory!If today you hear God’s voice,harden not your hearts. Ps 95.7-8Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory!

Matthew 6.1-6, 16-18JESUS SAID TO THE DISCIPLES: “Beware of practising your piety before people in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so

Second Reading

Gospel Acclamation

Gospel Reading



that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Dear brethren (brothers and sisters), let us humbly ask God our Fatherthat he be pleased to bless with the abundance of his gracethese ashes, which we will put on our heads in penitence.

O God, who are moved by acts of humilityand respond with forgiveness to works of penance,lend your merciful ear to our prayersand in your kindness pour out the grace of your blessingon your servants who are marked with these ashes,that, as they follow the Lenten observances,they may be worthy to come with minds made pureto celebrate the Paschal Mystery of your Son.Through Christ our Lord. Amen. ORO God, who desire not the death of sinners,but their conversion,mercifully hear our prayersand in your kindness be pleased to bless these ashes,which we intend to receive upon our heads,that we, who acknowledge we are but ashesand shall return to dust,may, through a steadfast observance of Lent,gain pardon for sins and newness of lifeafter the likeness of your Risen Son.Who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

Repent, and believe in the Gospel.ORRemember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

As we solemnly offerthe annual sacrifice for the beginning of Lent,we entreat you, O Lord,that, through works of penance and charity,we may turn away from harmful pleasures

Blessing of Ashes

Distribution of Ashes

Prayer over the Offerings


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and, cleansed from our sins, may become worthyto celebrate devoutly the Passion of your Son.Who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

He who ponders the law of the Lord day and nightwill yield fruit in due season. Cf. Ps 1.2-3

May the Sacrament we have received sustain us, O Lord,that our Lenten fast may be pleasing to youand be for us a healing remedy.Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thursday, February 19

Thursday after Ash Wednesday

When I cried to the Lord, he heard my voice;he rescued me from those who attack me.Entrust your cares to the Lord, and he will support you.Cf. Ps 55 (54).17-20, 23

Prompt our actions with your inspiration, we pray, O Lord,and further them with your constant help,that all we do may always begin from youand by you be brought to completion.Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Deuteronomy 30.15-20Moses spoke to the whole people of Israel, saying: See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

Communion Antiphon

Prayer after Communion

Entrance Antiphon

Collect

First Reading


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I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

Psalm 1R. Happy are they who hope in the Lord.Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread,or sit in the seat of scoffers;but their delight is in the law of the Lord,and on his law they meditate day and night. R.

They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season,and their leaves do not wither.In all that they do, they prosper. R.

The wicked are not so,but are like chaff that the wind drives away.The Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. R.

Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!Repent, says the Lord;the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Mt 4.17Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!

Luke 9.22-25JESUS SPOKE TO HIS DISCIPLES and sternly ordered them not to tell anyone: “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” Then he said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. What does it profit

Responsorial Psalm

Gospel Acclamation

Gospel Reading


LENT 2015 | M7

them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves?”Regard with favour, O Lord, we pray,the offerings we set upon this sacred altar,that, bestowing on us your pardon,our oblations may give honour to your name.Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Create a pure heart for me, O God;renew a steadfast spirit within me. Cf. Ps 51 (50).12

Having received the blessing of your heavenly gifts,we humbly beseech you, almighty God,that they may always be for usa source both of pardon and of salvation.Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Friday, February 20

Friday after Ash Wednesday

The Lord heard and had mercy on me; the Lord became my helper. Ps 30 (29).11

Show gracious favour, O Lord, we pray,to the works of penance we have begun,that we may have strength to accomplish with sinceritythe bodily observances we undertake.Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Isaiah 58.1-9aShout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins.Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways,as if they were a nation that practised righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments,


Communion Antiphon

Prayer after Communion

Entrance Antiphon

Collect

First Reading

Friday, February 20

20

The Order of Mass

LENT 2015 | L1

INTRODUCTORY RITES

(See each day.)

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,and the love of God,and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And with your spirit.

(Other forms of the Greeting can be found in the Missal.)

Brethren (brothers and sisters), let us acknowledge our sins,and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.

I confess to almighty Godand to you, my brothers and sisters,that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words,in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,

(The people strike their breast, saying:)through my fault, through my fault,through my most grievous fault;

therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin,all the Angels and Saints,and you, my brothers and sisters,to pray for me to the Lord our God.

Entrance Antiphon

Greeting

Penitential Act

L2 | LITURGY

Kyrie

Gloria

May almighty God have mercy on us,forgive us our sins,and bring us to everlasting life.Amen.

(Other forms of the Penitential Act can be found in the Missal.)

(The Kyrie is omitted if it has already been used in one of the forms of the Penitential Act.)

V. Lord, have mercy. R. Lord, have mercy.V. Christ, have mercy. R. Christ, have mercy.V. Lord, have mercy. R. Lord, have mercy.Or:V. Kyrie, eleison. R. Kyrie, eleison.V. Christe, eleison. R. Christe, eleison.V. Kyrie, eleison. R. Kyrie, eleison.

(When it is prescribed, this hymn is either said or sung:)

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.

We praise you,we bless you,we adore you,we glorify you,we give you thanks for your great glory,Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father.

Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us;you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer;

LENT 2015 | L3

Collect

Readings

Profession of Faith

you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.

For you alone are the Holy One,you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

(See each day.)

LITURGY OF THE WORD

(See each day.)

I believe in one God,the Father almighty,maker of heaven and earth,of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,the Only Begotten Son of God,born of the Father before all ages.God from God, Light from Light,true God from true God,begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;through him all things were made.For us men and for our salvationhe came down from heaven,

(At the words that follow, up to and including and became man, all bow.)and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.

L4 | LITURGY

Prayer of the Faithful

Presentation and Preparation of the Gifts

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,he suffered death and was buried,and rose again on the third dayin accordance with the Scriptures.He ascended into heavenand is seated at the right hand of the Father.He will come again in glory to judge the living and the deadand his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sinsand I look forward to the resurrection of the deadand the life of the world to come. Amen.

(The Apostles’ Creed may be used instead of the Nicene Creed.)

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,for through your goodness we have receivedthe bread we offer you:fruit of the earth and work of human hands,it will become for us the bread of life. Blessed be God for ever.

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the wine we offer you:fruit of the vine and work of human hands,

LENT 2015 | L5

Invitation to Prayer


Preface Dialogue

Preface

Preface Acclamation

it will become our spiritual drink.Blessed be God for ever.

Pray, brethren (brothers and sisters), that my sacrifice and yoursmay be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your handsfor the praise and glory of his name,for our goodand the good of all his holy Church.

(See each day.)

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER I

V. The Lord be with you.R. And with your spirit.V. Lift up your hearts.R. We lift them up to the Lord.V. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.R. It is right and just.

(Then follows the Preface to be used in accord with the rubrics, which concludes:)

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.Heaven and earth are full of your glory.Hosanna in the highest.Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.Hosanna in the highest.

(Words within brackets may be omitted.)To you, therefore, most merciful Father,we make humble prayer and petitionthrough Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord:that you accept

L6 | LITURGY

and bless Xthese gifts, these offerings,these holy and unblemished sacrifices,which we offer you firstlyfor your holy catholic Church.Be pleased to grant her peace,to guard, unite and govern herthroughout the whole world,together with your servant N. our Popeand N. our Bishop,and all those who, holding to the truth,hand on the catholic and apostolic faith.

Remember, Lord, your servants N. and N.and all gathered here,whose faith and devotion are known to you.For them, we offer you this sacrifice of praiseor they offer it for themselvesand all who are dear to them:for the redemption of their souls,in hope of health and well-being,and paying their homage to you,the eternal God, living and true.

* For the Mass of the Last Supper on Holy Thursday:Celebrating the most sacred dayon which our Lord Jesus Christ was handed over for our sake, and * in communion . . .

* For the Mass of the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday:Celebrating the most sacred night (day)of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh,and * in communion . . .

* In communion with those whose memory we venerate,especially the glorious ever-Virgin Mary,Mother of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ,and blessed Joseph, her Spouse,

LENT 2015 | L7

your blessed Apostles and Martyrs,Peter and Paul, Andrew,(James, John,Thomas, James, Philip,Bartholomew, Matthew,Simon and Jude:Linus, Cletus, Clement, Sixtus,Cornelius, Cyprian,Lawrence, Chrysogonus,John and Paul,Cosmas and Damian)and all your Saints;we ask that through their merits and prayers,in all things we may be defendedby your protecting help.(Through Christ our Lord. Amen.)

✝ For the Mass of the Last Supper on Holy Thursday:Therefore, Lord, we pray:graciously accept this oblation of our service,that of your whole family,which we make to youas we observe this dayon which our Lord Jesus Christhanded on the mysteries of his Body and Bloodfor his disciples to celebrate;order our days in your peace, . . .

✝ For the Mass of the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday:Therefore, Lord, we pray:graciously accept this oblation of our service,that of your whole family,which we make to youalso for those to whom you have been pleased to givethe new birth of water and the Holy Spirit,granting them forgiveness of all their sins;order our days in your peace, . . .


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Lent 2015 | 71

But consider, for a moment, the “I do” at the altar, the cry of a newborn, or the words “You are a priest forever.” In a split second, lives are changed. Never again can the couple not have been married, the woman not have been a mother, or the man not have been a priest. Everything is different from that point forward. Or think of Confession: our sins are erased in much less time than it takes to com-mit them!

In one sense, then, change is very fast, even instantaneous. But living it out? Now that’s a different story. So the question is: once we receive the grace to get serious about overcom-ing some compulsion, addiction, or bad habit, how can we keep acting

on this decision over the long haul? While there

are no easy answers, it can help to look at people who have experienced this “fast change, slow change” dynamic.

One exceptional model is Matthew Tal-

bot, the Irish workman whom Pope Paul VI declared vener-able in 1975.

Seize the Grace! Born in Dublin in 1856, Matt Talbot was an alco-holic. Not a nice “society drinker,” but a down-and-out drunk from a family of heavy drinkers. The Talbots were poor, and Matt attended school for only a year before leaving at age twelve to work in a wine shop. He began to drink

Woodeene Koenig-BrickerSometimes it seems like changing bad habits takes forever. But is that an illusion? Is change fast, or is it slow?

I think most of us would be inclined to say that change comes slowly, especially when it involves deeply entrenched patterns of behavior. We think of long hours at the gym to lose weight or months of struggle to overcome an addiction like smoking. Change feels like a long, grueling process, which is why so many of us fail to even attempt it. Except, perhaps, when we make resolutions for Lent or the New Year.

Lenten

Lessons from

Matt Talbot,

the Holy

Alcoholic


on the grace to make a decision. Often we “want to want” to change, but when it comes right down to it, we aren’t all that keen on actually making an irrevocable decision to change. However, that’s where it all starts. And as with Matt, it can hap-pen in an instant.

When we are brutally honest with ourselves, we know when we have really decided and when we are just playing games. A real decision comes from deep within the soul; we know for certain that we have crossed a line, and there’s no turning back. It’s like Jesus, when he “resolutely determined to journey to Jerusa-lem” (Luke 9:51). When Matt Talbot took the pledge, there was no look-ing back.

there, and before long was a full-blown alcoholic.

To support his habit, he went on to work in a warehouse and a con-struction company. All of his wages he spent in the pubs, often with his father and brothers. He was known to pawn his clothes and boots to get money for drink; once he even stole a fiddle from a blind street musician.

For sixteen years, Matt lived only for booze, careening from work to pub and back again, falling further and further into the grip of addiction. Then one day, when he was broke and none of his buddies would buy him a drink, Matt suddenly realized what a mess he was making of his life. In a grace-filled flash, he deter-mined to “take the pledge” to stop drinking for three months. He went home and told his mother, who had been praying for his conversion but advised him not to make the promise unless he truly intended to change. “God give you the strength to keep the pledge,” she said, as Matt went off to seek his first Confession in many years.

Decide and Tell. Matt’s mom was on to something: the first key to changing is to decide. Not to just think about it, but to seize and act

A real decision comes from deep within the soul; we know for certain that we have crossed a line, and there’s no turning back.

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Lent 2015 | 73

But that’s just the beginning. Along with making a decision, it’s essential to tell someone about it. Life coaches call this “accountabil-ity.” A decision made in private and kept secret is all too easy to dismiss. In Matt’s case, his mother was a wit-ness and reminder of his decision to give up drinking. When we change, we too must let someone know. After all, that’s one reason weddings and ordinations are public events: everyone attending is a witness to the change.

It is also one of the reasons that we confess to a priest. As part of the sacrament, we say that we resolve to sin no more. The priest is witness to our decision to change, and the penance he gives us is our reminder

that we have made that decision before God.

Cultivate Self-Discipline. While Matt Talbot’s instantaneous deci-sion set him on a course of holiness, it took the rest of his life to live out the change. He did it by learning self- discipline, by living out his resolu-tion over and over, day by day. This is the slow part of change—the part that isn’t as much fun.

“Never look down on a man who cannot give up the drink. It is eas-ier to get out of hell!” Matt once wrote his sister. But he kept at it. After three months, he extended his pledge to six months. Eventually, with the help of a priest friend, his sobriety became lifelong.


The morning after he took the pledge, fearful and anxious about not being able to keep it, Matt went to Mass and received Communion. He did this every day for the rest of his life. He was on his way to Mass, in fact, when he died of heart fail-ure on June 7, 1925.

Especially in his first three months of sobriety, Matt learned to throw himself on God’s mercy. One day, plagued by an inner voice that kept saying, “It’s no use. You’ll never stop drinking,” he knelt with outstretched arms on the cathedral steps and prayed, “Jesus, mercy! Mary, help!” Another time, after going into a pub and almost order-ing a drink, Matt spent the rest of the day in church, praying for help against temptation; he also decided never to carry money again.

If we’re making a change, we too can draw strength from fre-quent reception of the Eucharist and Confession. We can turn to the Lord in prayer. Devotions like the rosary are a great aid, as is spir-itual reading—beginning with the Bible. Spending even ten minutes a day reading something uplifting can help us both rely on God and grow in resolve to face the chal-lenges that come with living out real change.

Matt did more than just resist the urge to drink. Some of his additional self-discipline came in the form of physical mortification: he slept on a plank, ate very little, and even wore hidden chains around his waist, arm and leg (a physical discipline recom-mended by his spiritual advisor). He also maintained a cheerful attitude, gave most of his money to the poor, and put in a honest day’s labor for his wages.

Although some of Matt’s asceti-cal practices were extreme, most of us would also benefit from cultivat-ing self-discipline. We too can learn to control our attitude, work dili-gently at our occupations, and put the needs of others before our own wants.

“Jesus, Mercy!” So is the “fast” part of change mostly God’s work, and the “slow” part mostly a matter of our own striving? Not at all! No amount of resolve and discipline can guarantee success. This is another lesson from Matt Talbot’s life: the whole process of changing requires the grace of God. Right away, Matt realized that he couldn’t overcome his addiction on his own; he had to surrender to God and allow the Holy Spirit to provide the strength he lacked.

Lent 2015 | 75

Seek the Change that Matters. To his friends and even his family, Matt Talbot looked like an ordinary, hard-working man with a strong reli-gious bent. On the inside, though, he was a warrior waging a spiritual battle that lasted forty years and made him a hero of the faith. His story shows us that the deepest and longest-lasting changes aren’t the showy, splashy announcements. They are the inner decisions that may only take a second to make but require a lifetime to live out.

This Lent, let’s ask the Holy Spirit for his guidance and power

to help us address the areas in our own lives that need changing for the good. And as we do, let’s remem-ber Venerable Matt Talbot, who stopped drinking in a moment—and spent the rest of his life making good on that change. n

Woodeene Koenig-Bricker writes often about various aspects of the Christian life. For more reflections on Venera-ble Matt Talbot, see her book Facing Adversity with Grace: Lessons from the Saints (available from The Word Among Us: 1-800-775-9673. www.wau.org).

Matt Talbot was a warrior waging a spiritual battle that lasted forty years and made him a hero of the faith.

Statue of Matt Talbot near Dublin's Matt Talbot Bridge

Documents

The Word Among Us Canadian Lent 2015