Fourth Sermon for Lent: On Fasting and Prayer

“The trayer of the just man pierceth the heavens.” —Ecclus, xxxv. 21.

Now that we are about to enter upon the Lenten fast—which I exhort your charity to observe with all devotion—I think it will be well to explain shortly with what fruit and in what manner this fast should be kept. In the first place, then, by abstaining now even from lawful gratifications, we merit the forgiveness of the unlawful gratifications we have been guilty of in the past. But what is it to obtain the pardon of our sins if not that an eternal fast is avoided by the voluntary endurance of a temporal ? For we have deserved hell, where there is never any food, never any consolation, never any termination ; where the rich man asks for one drop of water and is deemed unworthy to obtain it (Luke xvi. 24-26). Good, therefore, and very wholesome are these temporal fasts which, by obtaining for us the pardon of our offences, deliver us from everlasting fasts and everlasting torments. And not only do they cancel our sins, but they also extinguish our vices; not only do they obtain forgiveness, but they also merit grace ; not only do they repair our falls in the past, but they also prevent future falls which we should not otherwise perhaps have the grace to avoid.

I will say something more which you will readily

= understand, as having often, unless I mistake, experienced it in yourselves. Let me tell you, then, that fasting gives us devotion and confidence at prayer. And notice how prayer and fasting assist each other like two allies, according to what is written, ““ When a brother helps a brother, both shall be comforted ” (Prov. xviii. 19).* Prayer obtains the strength for fasting and fasting merits the grace to pray. Fasting renders prayer more powerful, and prayer responds by sanctifying the fast and presenting it to the Lord. What would our fast profit us ifi—which God forbid— it were allowed to remain upon the earth? Let it therefore be lifted up on the wing of prayer. But lest this wing alone should not be sufficient, it is necessary to add a second. ‘“ The prayer of the just man,” says the Holy Scripture, “ pierceth the heavens ” (Ecclus. XXXV. 2I). Consequently, in order that our fast may be easily lifted up to heaven, let it be provided with the two wings of prayer and justice. Now what is justice but the virtue which inclines us to render everyone his due? Cease, therefore, to have regard solely to God. Thou art also a debtor to thy human superiors, yea, and a debtor to thine equals. It certainly is not the will of God that thou shouldst despise those whom He is so far from despising. It is not without reason that the Apostle tells thee to “ provide good things not only in the sight of God, but also in the sight of all men ” (Rom. xii. 17). Thou perchance wast saying to thyself, “ It is enough for me if I have the approval of God alone for my conduct: why should I be confirma ’’—“‘a brother that is helped by his brother is like a strong city ’’—which translates the Greek.—(Translator.)

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ON FASTING AND PRAYER oI cerned about the judgment of men ? ” But be assured of this: that the Lord is pleased with no action of thine which either gives scandal to His children or which is done against the will of him whom thou art bound to obey as His vicar. “ Sanctify the fast,” says the Prophet, “call a solemn assembly ” (Joel ii. 15). What is it to “call a solemn assembly” but to preserve unity, to foster peace, to “love the brotherhood ” (x Peter ii. 17) ? The proud Pharisee fasted ; he also sanctified his fast, inasmuch as he not only fasted twice in the week, but also returned thanks to God. But he did not call the assembly, since he rather isolated himself by saying, “I am not as the rest of men” (Luke xviii. 11). And therefore his fast, upborne by only one wing, was unable to ascend to heaven. Do you accordingly, dearest brethren, ‘‘ wash your hands in the blood of the sinner’ * (Ps. lvii. I), and see to it carefully that your fast shall have two wings, “peace, namely, and holiness, without which no man shall see God” (Heb. xii. 14). “ Sanctify the fast,” that is to say, let a pure intention and devout prayer offer it to the Divine Majesty; and “call a solemn assembly,” that is to say, your fast should not be singular or detrimental to unity. “Praise the Lord with timbrel and choir” (Ps. cl. 4) by making concord accompany your bodily mortification.

Since I have spoken about justice and fasting, it is right that I should say something now concerning prayer. Now, the more efficacious this holy exercise is when discharged as it ought to be, with so much the more craft does the adversary endeavour to hinder it. Sometimes he gravely obstructs it by inspiring “ pusillanimity of spirit” (Ps. liv. 9) and immoderate fear. This is wont to happen when a man allows himself to be so taken up with the consideration of his own unworthiness that he loses sight altogether of the goodness of God. “ Abyss calleth on abyss ” (Ps. xli. 8): the abyss of light on the abyss of darkness, the abyss of mercy on the abyss of misery. For the heart of man is deep and unfathomable. But although my iniquity is great, much greater, O Lord, is Thy goodness. And consequently, whenever my soul shall “ disquiet me” (Ps. xli. 6-12) I shall be “ mindful of the multitude of Thy mercies’ (Ps. cv. 7) and so shall be comforted. And when I shall enter into my own weaknesses, I will not be mindful of Thy justice alone (Ps. Ixx. 16). But if diffidence in prayer is a source of danger, no less, yea, rather greater is the danger to be apprehended from prayer that is presumptuous. Listen to what the Lord said to His Prophet concerning such as pray with presumption, “ Cry, cease not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet. For they seek Me from day to day and desire to know My ways, as a nation that hath done justice and hath not forsaken the judgment of their God” (Is. lviii. 1, 2). “Lift up thy voice like a trumpet,” said He, because the presumptuous ought to be reproved “‘in a vehement spirit ” (Ps. xlvii. 9). “ For they seek Me,” He added, ‘‘ who have not yet found themselves.” My brethren, it is not with any design to make sinners pray with less confidence that I speak thus: I only want them to pray not “as a nation that had done justice,” but as a nation that hath sinned. Let them pray for the pardon of their offences with a contrite heart and a

ON FASTING AND PRAYER 93 spirit of humility, after the example of the Publican who “struck his breast, saying, O God be merciful to me, a sinner ” (Luke xviii. 13). I call it presumption when a man, in whose conscience sin or vice still reigns undisturbed, walks nevertheless “in great matters and in wonderful things above him” (Ps. CXXX. 2), with little concern for the danger of his soul. There is danger also when our prayer is lukewarm and does not proceed from a fervent heart. The prayer that is diffident cannot pierce the clouds, because excessive fear paralyses the soul, so that she is powerless even to send forth her prayer, not to speak of making itascend. The prayer of tepidity grows weary and fails in the ascent, because it is wanting in vigour. As for the presumptuous prayer, it ascends indeed, but only to fall back again, because it encounters opposition: not only does it not obtain pardon but it even merits punishment. But the prayer that is faithful, and humble, and devout, shall certainly pierce the clouds and enter heaven, whence, with equal certainty, it shall not return empty-handed.