Blessed Schuster’s Daily Thoughts on the Rule: First Sunday of Lent
First Sunday of Lent
Station at the Lateran
The Hour of Salvation
1.Today the Sacred Liturgy presents to us this time of Lent as that which is most acceptable to God and most opportune for us to attend to our eternal salvation.
Ecce nunc tempus acceptabile, ecce nunc dies salutis. In omnibus commendemus nosmetipsos sicut Dei ministros. (2 Cor 6:2-4: ‘Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now are the days of salvation. In everything let us give example as worthy ministers of God.’)
The Holy Patriarch of Cassino [Saint Benedict] echoes the Sacred Liturgy, and writes: Let us wake up once and for all, while the Scripture rouses us and tells us: ‘Now it is the hour to arise from sleep; and with our eyes open to the divine light, let us listen attentively to the voice of the Lord which makes itself heard to us every day: today, if His voice reaches you, do not desire to be stubborn in your hearts.’ (Rule, Prologue)
Not every time is equal. There is a time of scarcity and a time of abundance; a time of expansion and a time of austerity. For this reason Saint Augustine said: timeo Jesum transeuntem [I fear Jesus passing by].
When the Divine Bridegroom—as He is described in the Canticles—knocks at the door of the Bride, if she is slow in opening to Him, then when she finally goes to the door, she finds that the Beloved has already passed by. Like the sun, so also grace which is offered does not turn back.
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2. Beyond the responsibility which is implied when the offer of divine grace is not accepted, there is another grave motive which binds us to begin generously this Lenten course. It could be the last great occasion which divine mercy presents to us to prepare ourselves well for the great passage. It is precisely this which the Liturgy made us meditate on during the past day of the holy Ashes: Ne subito preoccupati die mortis, quaeramus spatium poenitentiae et invenire non possimus. (Roman Missal: ‘So that the day of death does not overtake us, and we seek still a period of time to be able to do penance, without being able to obtain it.’)
How many began Lent with us last year, and today are no longer among the living!
How many began it with us last Wednesday in full health and with the most florid plans, and will not arrive at Easter!
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3. The Lenten liturgy, too, reveals this very same preoccupation. Thus we sing:
Dans tempus acceptabile / Et poenitens cor tribue,
Convertat ut benignitas / Quos longa suffert pietas.
(From the Hymn of Lauds, Season of Lent: ‘While Thou concedest to us an acceptable time, grant us also a contrite heart, so that mercy may convert those whom for a long time Thy compassion has tolerated.’)
The time that He concedes to us, in preference to so many who have already preceded us to the tomb, is already a gift of God. Dans tempus acceptabile.
Nonetheless, it is not said how long this time should be prolonged; hence, last Wednesday we considered the case of an unforeseen death—ne subito praeoccupati die mortis. (Roman Missal: ‘So that death may not seize us unforeseen.’)
In vain, we would seek then a space of time for penance, without being able to obtain it any more—Et invenire non possimus.
Let us conclude, repeating with the Church:
Attende, Domine, et miserere / Quia peccavimus tibi.
(Roman Missal: ‘Be patient [lit. ‘attend’], O Lord, and have pity, because we have sinned against Thee.’)
So that God may attend, it is necessary however that we too should attend, that is, that we give serious attention and meditation to these eternal truths.
