It is necessary that at the beginning of this fast, the Lord should show Himself to us in His mercy. The purpose of Lent is not only expiation, to satisfy the divine justice, but above all a preparation to rejoice in His love. And this preparation consists in receiving the gift of His mercy — a gift which we receive in so far as we open our hearts to it, casting out what cannot remain in the same room with mercy.
Now one of the things we must cast out first of all is fear. Fear narrows the little entrance of our heart. It shrinks up our capacity to love. It freezes up our power to give ourselves. If we were terrified of God as an inexorable judge, we would not confidently await His mercy, or approach Him trustfully in prayer. Our peace, our joy in Lent are a guarantee of grace.
In laying upon us the light cross of ashes, the Church desires to take off our shoulders all other heavy burdens — the crushing load of worry and obsessive guilt, the dead weight of our own self-love. We should not take upon ourselves a 'burden' of penance and stagger into Lent as if we were Atlas, carrying the whole world on his shoulders.
Perhaps there is a small likelihood of our doing so. But in any case, penance is conceived by the Church less as a burden than as a liberation. It is only a burden to those who take it up unwillingly. Love makes it light and happy. And that is another reason why Ash Wednesday is filled with the lightness of love.
Thomas Merton
I don't know what the lectionary for Ash Wednesday was when Merton wrote this, I would note that for today it starts with a far rougher statement of the same from the prophet Joel.
While I can't say that I'd expect most of the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops, the so-called Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the neo-fascist "traditional Catholic" cardinals, bishops, priests and lay crack pots would agree with any of the above, nor would enormous parts of the record of words and deeds of the Catholic Church, I like what Merton said and I'm going with it.
In the past I might have looked for a motet or chant specific to the day but I'm 100% refusing to do anything that is friendly to the fascist, billionaire-millionaire Mother Angelica pushed, astro-turf "traditional Catholic" cult so this is going to be a Latin-free zone for now, at least. I really, really wish I could talk some of my composer friends into composing new music either on vernacular texts or in the "Latin of democracy," Esperanto. Here's a bit of the Joel text that could make a good a little motet, who knows it might inspire someone.
Returnu vin al Mi per via tuta koro, kun fastado, plorado, kaj ĝemegado; disŝiru vian koron, ne viajn vestojn, kaj returnu vin al la Eternulo, via Dio.
Joel 2: 12-13
Update: I suppose that condemnation of Catholic-fascism might seem out of place but I can explain that while I was finishing this post I'd just read this review of Catholic-fascists supporting the Putin line and even his preparations and attack on democratic Ukraine.
Ingraham, Ahmari et al. were only too willing to swallow the Kremlin's talking points, and repeat them, at least until it became obvious that the entire world expressed its revulsion at Putin's assault on Ukraine. Phlegmatic European diplomats, who know a thousand ways to say "patience" but have difficulty with moral clarity, sounded positively prophetic in their jeremiads against the war and the authoritarian dictator who started it. The Swiss — the Swiss! — froze Russian assets. The Swiss never freeze assets.
I watched Ingraham's entire show Monday night. She had changed her tune, but she did not correct anything she had said previously. Mostly she tried to refocus the conversation on the threat to American security posed by China. I suppose that is a kind of progress. Still, let no one forget the slavish apologies for Putin's fascist regime these Catholic scoundrels were only too ready to make their own. Let that moral stain be indelible.
The entire Catholic-fascist movement should start practicing what Joel and Jesus said in today's Catholic readings, their sins, their complicity and support of the murders of babies and children and other entirely innocent people living in Ukraine on behalf of a Republican-fascist, British Tory connected fascist dictator, are the kind that should lead to a life of penance not making millions on cabloid TV.
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