A Mixed Metaphor: Stay in the Ring, the Dawn is coming!
Fr. Ben Hasse
Originally posted on 3/14/2010

The Collect or Opening Prayer attempts to collect up and summarize the liturgical force and theme of a Mass. This is particularly evident during the “special” liturgical seasons. You may have never really had one sink in… even as a seminarian, I think most of them just whizzed on by. The first time I really looked at them or heard them in any detail was trying to chant them in our singing class. Many of them have ancient roots and have been handed down for many centuries. Now, I often look to them to help me focus a homily, and for my own direction. We’ve had a couple JIM-DANDIES (a technical liturgical category!) these last two weeks:

Third Sunday of Lent
Father, you have taught us to overcome our sins
by prayer, fasting and works of mercy.
When we are discouraged by our weakness,
give us confidence in your love.
We ask this through our Lord…

Fourth Sunday of Lent
Father of peace, we are joyful in your Word,
your Son Jesus Christ, who reconciles us to you.
Let us hasten toward Easter with the eagerness of faith and love.
We ask this through our Lord…

I think there is some good fruit for us here. As we settle into Lent, most of us have probably struggled to stay faithful to our Lenten promises and intentions. We’ve probably had some of the things we decided not to have, and we’ve probably skipped some of the stuff we decided to do. In a funny way, this is very much in keeping with what Lent is supposed to do to us. Notice that the first prayer there just assumes that at some point we’re going to be discouraged. This isn’t an unexpected difficulty, but part of the journey. We have to die to self and rely on Christ. We realize we’re weak – that’s why we need to struggle with asceticism and prayer, with generosity. As Jesus said to Paul – “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor 12:9)

Lent isn’t a time to become spiritually muscle-bound and impressed with our own ascetical prowess. It’s a time to learn of our deep need and dependence on our Lord and Savior. HE saves US! We have to cooperate, participate, but it’s not first of all and primarily our project. It is not that we have loved God, but that He has FIRST loved us. (cf. 1 John 4:19) Our very struggle to live prayer, fasting and almsgiving signals this in a powerful way. We need Jesus’ help for conversion.

In the midst of dryness and weakness, we lift up our eyes to the Lord, our Hope. The Fourth Sunday of Lent is Laetare Sunday – Rejoice Sunday! The Introit (opening bible verse, now usually replaced by a hymn) is from Isaiah:

Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her, all you who love her; Exult, exult with her, all you who were mourning over her! Oh, that you may suck fully of the milk of her comfort, That you may nurse with delight at her abundant breasts! (Isaiah 66:11-12)

This may at first glance seem a little racy! Jerusalem is figured as our mother, nurturing us. The Fathers often read Jerusalem as an image and precursor for Holy Mother Church. We rejoice in the midst of difficulty and weakness because of the Lord’s goodness and mercy to us through His Church. The rose vestments speak of joy, of the dawn barely visible in the East. The Son has not yet risen, but we are closing in on the Paschal Mystery. Rejoice!

This is the context in which the Church has us read the parable of the Prodigal Son (and his even more Prodigal Father.) We recognize during Lent how far off we are, how we’ve been wandering around some foreign territory taking care of pigs and lusting after their slop. Yikes! But our mother the Church doesn’t say – “Look at how filthy you are, you should be ashamed of yourself!” The Church gives us the deeply hopeful parable. “While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20) Our Lenten failures can help us to see clearly how far off we are, so that when the Father runs to us with open arms, we recognize that we need His help.

So, keep at it. Keep up the discipline, the dying to self. Seek out extra prayer and generosity. And don’t be discouraged when you struggle or fail. Learn from this. Rejoice, not in your victory, but in Christ’s victory. Be confident and unafraid in His strength.