ASH WEDNESDAY AND LENT … MISGIVINGS?

No one likes doing things they don't enjoy, or not doing things they like; and for many Catholics that's what seems to be involved for Lent. Why bother?

It's over the top to describe our efforts as "suffering", but underlying the whole thing are the extraordinary words of Colossians 1:24: "I make up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ for the sake of His Body, the Church".

What could possibly be "lacking" to Christ's work? Surely in His physical Body he did it all? He doesn't need input from us!

No, but His work has to be extended through space and time, and for that He uses a disguised, a "mystical' body - the Church. That's us. If we are joined to Christ our thoughts, words, works, actions and sufferings are in some sense His. We are "co-redeemers". 

So suffering of any sort is always promotion. We are not expected to enjoy it, but we should realise that when we are externally conformed to Jesus when he was being at His most useful, we could (other things being equal, and dependent always on the degree of our union with Him) also be at our most effective.

But the spiritual mechanics are simpler. The great enemy is misuse of freedom: wrong choice: putting self-will in front of God's Will. There is a "bad" self which needs to be contradicted - slain even - if the "good self" is to be free. Contradicted, un-said, denied; put to death, mortified...

So there is no avoiding those nasty old words self-denial and mortification. They are, alas, a description of the very process of repentance and of turning to God.

In a way it's making space for God to come in. Obviously nothing good that helps us to God should go, but anything bad or less helpful, or even good things if they are in the way, are fit matter for elimination. That wise Carmelite Fr. Iain Matthew likens it to clearing a space for a helicopter (God) to come in and air-lift us out of a jungle: troublesome lianas must go - but the odd orchid may get the chop too.

St. Ignatius says we should aim for our greater mortification in all things; John Of the Cross similar. It sounds awful! But Jesus says even worse: our attachment to Him might mean that our attitude to our parents might in contrast look like hatred: hand or eye might have to go; it's good to sell "all".

Of course, again, Jesus, Ignatius and John aren't talking of destroying things that help us serve God. The whole point is freedom to be with Him.

So the motive must be love. We don't get rid of self by having self as the motive. And, deep down, love will always involve joy... Even our own pathetic Lenten observances may get rewarded that way.

Fr John Edwards S.J.
From the archives. First published 6th March 2011.