Forty days and forty nights,
Thou wast fasting in the wild;
Forty days and forty nights
tempted, and yet undefiled.

The Lenten Fast is upon us. It is a most solemn occasion where Holy Mother Church takes us by the hand to lead us along the narrow road that leads to Heaven. By following Her on this path, we are guided to behold the spiritual demands placed upon all Christians, and are thereafter given a foreshadowing of the joy of Christ’s Victory over death.

For several weeks now, since the traditional Septuagesima Sunday, Holy Mother Church has been calling to us: “Prepare the way, my children, for the Lord will be calling for you soon.” That “soon” is now here. Christ, the Head of the Mystical Body, of whom we are treasured members, is beckoning us onward to join Him in prayer and penitence.

As Holy Mother Church leads us, She points further up along the way, where Christ our Head has gone before us. There He is, in the desert, doing battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil on our behalf, and in our name, and in our very nature. The forces of spiritual destruction are arrayed against Him, and He abides there for forty days, undaunted and courageous. He looks to us, calls to us, and invites us to take our places beside Him, to suffer with Him for the salvation of the world.

Every Christian is “born for combat,” as Pope Leo XIII said (Sapientiae Christianae, 1890), and, when consecrated by Baptism, each Christian has infused into his soul many graces and virtues, the beginnings of a divine life which is commanded to grow until it reaches its full maturity in Christ. These virtues and these graces form a sword which the Christian is then called to wield in this world of combat. Too often, Christians do not even acknowledge this sword, and it lies dull and unused, destined to be buried and to rust in the grave at the end of their lives, there to receive its reward.

However, the latter must not be allowed to happen: this sword is a required provision for the journey down the narrow road, a provision which Holy Mother Church seeks to ensure, by Her solemn call on Ash Wednesday, that we have strapped to our belt before we place our feet upon this path. This sword, as dull as it may currently be, is what Christ our Head looks for when He sees us coming along to join Him. Without this sword, we will not be able to persevere. The trials, tribulations, fasting, extended prayer, almsgiving, acts of piety and devotion, thoughtful Confessions and devout Communions, mortifications and renunciations – all the spiritual deeds that accompany us these forty days in the wilderness – become the fuel that fires the forge in which Christ directs us to place our swords. There, for forty days, He forges that dull and rusty blade into one of great power and merit.

The hymn quoted above was written by George Hunt Smyttan in 1856. It is very popular during Lent and is one that many can sing without seeing the words – at least for the first verse! And that is where I noticed something interesting recently. The original hymn had a second verse that is often skipped in today’s hymnals.

Sunbeams scorching all the day;
Chilly dew-drops nightly shed;
Prowling beasts about Your way;
Stones Your pillow; earth Your bed.

The time in the wilderness, in which we renounce sin, is one harsh to our coddled and weak nature. Lent is a most serious time in the life of every Christian, in particular those of the modern era in which indulgence, materialism, and worldly-mindedness have replaced the penitential inclinations typical of followers of Christ. For many Christians, Lent is the only time they embrace the spiritual disciplines of dedicated prayer, fasting and penitence, and focused almsgiving. The rest of the year, understandably due to human weakness, is swept away in the ubiquitous distractions and stresses of the modern world – leaving too many attached to the passing pleasures of this world, and unattached to the love of God and the pursuit of eternal glory with Christ.

We must not let this happen to us this Lenten season. Many graces abound and Christ is most attentive to the spiritual work we offer Him, to the sword we present to Him. He is ready to raise us up to be spiritual warriors well-suited to be counted as the members of His Body, the Church.

If Lent starts and you realize you have forgotten your sword, go back and get it.

Two books to highlight for your Lenten reading:
Slaying Dragons
Considerations on the Passion of Jesus Christ