Friday, February 23 : Saint John-Mary Vianney

Why, is it, my brothers, that the church established the holy time of Lent? It is, you will say, to prepare us to celebrate holy Easter with dignity, which is a time when the good Lord seems to redouble his graces, and excites the remorse of our consciences to bring us out of sin. (…) Let’s examine the question more closely. To make a good confession, which can reconcile us with God, we must hate our sins with all our heart, not because we would like to be able to hide them from ourselves; rather we must repent of having offended such a good God, of having stayed so long in sin, of having despised all his graces by which he called us out of this sin. Behold my brothers, this should cause our tears to flow and break open our hearts. Tell me, my friend, if you had a real pain, would you not have to repair the evil that caused it and to return to God’s graces? How about a man who through insensitivity had a misunderstanding with his friend, but who, recognizing his fault, repented immediately; wouldn’t he not seek to reconcile? If his friend moves toward reconciliation, will he not take advantage of the occasion? But on the contrary, if he rejected the chance, wouldn’t you not say that it is equally just for the friend to be good or bad with this person? The comparison is pertinent. Anyone who had the misfortune to fall into sin, either by weakness or surprise, or even by malice, if he is truly sorry, will he be able to stay in this state for a long time? Will it not be used for the sacrament of penance? (…) Let us constantly sigh after our true homeland which is heaven, our glory, our reward and our bliss. This is what I wish you … ​

Roman Catholic Ordinary Calendar – rosary,team