Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Lent moves swiftly and we do not want to be surprised that it has passed and we did not take advantage of the purifying grace of the season. As we hear in the Gospel for today Jesus knew human nature well, that is, He knows us!  And what he knows about us is that if we do not put our mind to something it will slip by and grace-filled opportunities will be lost.  

    From Exodus we are re-acquainted with  the very foundation of the moral law, The Ten Commandments.  Though originally inscribed upon stone the Law was meant to be inscribed upon our hearts.  Perhaps a good Lenten discipline would be to memorize the Commandments and even to do it has a family devotion, testing each other on how well they have been implanted in our memory.  These, after all, are the Code by which we conduct our lives.  Some have wrongly thought that our Lord abrogated the Commandments.  Certainly not!  He did however raise the bar to a greater perfection in the giving of the Eight Beatitudes.  In many ways, these show us how to put the Commandments into practice.  Together they are the pathway to life showing us how to imitate our Lord.  

    So why not ratchet up your Lenten discipline.  Memorize both the Commandments and the Beatitudes and let them be the guide for your evening examination of conscience and your preparation for a good Confession in this season of purification.

With Blessings

Father Langan