Lent Community Chapter Sermon

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Fr. Nivard . . .
Sent: Sunday, 26 February 2012, 8:00
Subject: Lent Sermon.

Pope's Lenten Message Focuses on Fraternal Correction.

By Kathleen Naab,

Adapted.

Introd: Scripture says that even the upright fall seven times. (It’s unlikely that we will ever all be down at the same time). Every-one is weak and imperfect. To help others and allow them to help us see the whole truth about ourselves is a great service. We must not remain silent before evil."

   The Pope reflected on three elements of Christian life: 1. concern for others, 2. reciprocity (and 3. Personal holiness.

   Concern for others

Benedict suggests that we look at others with the eyes of Jesus. We are to be concerned for one another. We should not remain isolated and indifferent to the fate of our brothers and sisters."  "All too often, however, our attitude is just the opposite. Our indifference and disinterest is born of selfishness and masked as a respect for 'privacy.'  This concern for others means desiring what is good for them from every point of view: physical, moral and spiritual."

   We are indifferent to the material needs of others because we do not look on our brothers and sisters with a humane and loving gaze. Often it is the possession of material riches and a sense of sufficiency. But it can also be the tendency to put our own interests and problems above all else."

   Turning then to the need to look out for the spiritual well-being of others, the Holy Father continued: "Here I would like to mention an aspect of the Christian life, which I believe has been quite forgotten: fraternal correction in view of eternal salvation. Today, in general, we are very sensitive to the idea of charity and caring about the physical and material well-being of others, but almost completely silent about our spiritual responsibility towards our brothers and sisters.

   (The old chapter of faults had the right idea behind it. But we are glad it has disappeared. It could be good, hurtful or farcical. As a novice I once solemnly confessed, in that awesome assembly, “Rev Father, I accuse myself of not keeping custody of the eyes.” I was surprised and delighted at the light-hearted response.)

   "The Scriptures tell us: 'Rebuke the wise and he will love you for it.' Christ himself commands us to admonish a brother who is committing a sin. It is important to recover this dimension of Christian charity. We must not remain silent before evil. We must warn our brothers and sisters against ways of thinking and acting that are contrary to the truth and goodness. Christian admonishment is never motivated by a spirit of accusation or recrimination. It is always moved by love and mercy. It springs from genuine concern for the good of the other.

   "In a world pervaded by individualism, it is essential to rediscover the importance of fraternal correction, so that together we may journey towards holiness. It is a great service to help others and allow them to help us. In this way we can be open to the whole truth about ourselves, improve our lives and walk more uprightly in the Lord's ways. There will always be a need for a gaze which loves and admonishes, which knows and understands, which discerns and forgives. God has done so and continues to do so with each of us."

   Regarding Reciprocity we recall that the Lord's disciples, united with him through the Eucharist, live in a fellowship that binds them one to another as members of a single body. This means that the other is part of me, and that his or her life, his or her salvation, concern my own life and salvation. Here we touch upon a profound aspect of communion: our existence is related to that of others, for better or for worse. Both our sins and our acts of love have a social dimension."

   3. And regarding the last point, Personal holiness. The Holy Father recalled that there is always "the temptation to become lukewarm, to quench the Spirit, to refuse to invest the talents we have received, for our own good and for the good of others."

   The spiritual masters remind us that in the life of faith those who do not advance inevitably regress. Dear brothers and sisters let us accept the invitation to aim for the high standard of ordinary Christian living.