From the Desk of the D.R.E – 4th Sunday of Lent

From the desk of our DRE,

“Its like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn’t want to know the end because how could the end be happy?... I know now folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going because they were holding on to something.” “That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for.”
–Samwise Gamgee, The Two Towers

We know that we are meant to be part of a great story, one that really matters. Jesus Christ’s story is THE great rescue story, the story of friendship triumphing over darkness. We enter this story at Baptism. After His baptism, the Holy Spirit compelled Jesus Christ into the desert (Mt. 4:1) to fight the Prince of Darkness with the weapons of prayer and fasting. Jesus Christ IS the Word of God in His Divinity. But His humanity shows the fruit of time spent in prayer – He knows the Scriptures by heart. He can draw God’s Word out of its scabbard and wield it (Mt. 4:4, 4:6, & 4:7). (Heb. 4:12) Jesus wins the battle fasting (Mt. 4:2), like the Maccabees before him (1 Mc. 3:13-26). In Mark 9: 14-29, the Apostles cannot cast out a demon, even though they have before with Jesus’ authority (Mk. 6:7-13). Jesus explains, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting.”

Fasting strengthens our wills. It disciplines our bodies. It makes us more aware of the life of our spirit. The Fourth Precept of the Church is “Observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church. These are the minimum requirements for Roman Catholics:

1) ages 18-59, on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, eat no more than one meatless meal and two meatless snacks that do not together equal a meal.

2) ages 14+, Fridays year-round (except solemnities and octaves) are days of penance. On Lenten Fridays you must abstain from meat (fish and eggs are ok). On non-Lenten Fridays, you get to pick your penance.

St. Francis de Sales writes: “If you can endure fasting, you will do well to fast for a few days in addition to those instructed by the Church.” “...the enemy fears us when he sees that we know how to fast.” “Continual, habitual self-discipline is to be preferred to violent abstinences observed at irregular intervals alternating with great self-indulgence.” “...we should not undertake bodily austerities except with the advice of our spiritual director.” Aragorn the King says, “if by my life or death I can protect you, I will.

You have my sword.” Jesus Our King, by His death and Risen life protects us, if we accept His protection. Take up the weapons He gives you and fight! “There’s some good in this world... and it’s worth fighting for.”

Elizabeth Alonzo