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Message from Benedict XVI for Lent 2012
Brothers and sisters,
Lent once again offers us the opportunity to reflect on what lies at the heart of Christian life: charity. Indeed, it is a favourable time to renew, with the help of the Word of God and the Sacraments, our journey of faith, both personal and communal. It is a journey marked by prayer and sharing, by silence and fasting, as we look forward to experiencing the joy of Easter.
This year, I would like to offer some reflections in the light of a brief biblical passage from the Letter to the Hebrews: ‘Let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds’ (10:24). This phrase forms part of a passage in which the sacred writer urges us to place our trust in Jesus Christ as High Priest, who has secured for us forgiveness and access to God. The fruit of our acceptance of Christ is a life lived according to the three theological virtues: this means drawing near to the Lord ‘with a sincere heart and in the fullness of faith ’ (v. 22), to maintain unwavering ‘the confession of our hope’ (v. 23) whilst constantly striving to practise ‘love and good deeds’ with our brothers and sisters (v. 24). To underpin this evangelical conduct – as is also affirmed – it is important to take part in the community’s liturgical and prayer gatherings, bearing in mind the eschatological goal: full communion with God (v. 25). I would like to focus on verse 24, which, in just a few words, offers a valuable and ever-relevant teaching on three aspects of Christian life: concern for others, reciprocity and personal holiness.
1. ‘Let us be mindful’: responsibility towards our brothers and sisters.
The first element is the invitation to ‘pay attention’: the Greek verb used is katanoein, which means to observe closely, to be attentive, to look with awareness, to take note of a reality. We find it in the Gospel, when Jesus invites the disciples to ‘observe’ the birds of the air which, although they do not worry, are the object of divine Providence’s care and attention (cf. Lk 12:24), and to ‘take note’ of the plank in their own eye before looking at the speck in their brother’s eye (cf. Lk 6:41). We also find this theme in another passage from the same Letter to the Hebrews, as an invitation to ‘fix our eyes on Jesus’ (3:1), the apostle and high priest of our faith. Furthermore, the verb that opens our exhortation invites us to fix our gaze on others, first and foremost on Jesus, and to be attentive to one another, so as not to act as strangers, indifferent to the fate of our brothers and sisters. Often, however, the opposite attitude prevails: indifference and disinterest, which stem from selfishness concealed behind a pretence of respect for ‘privacy’. Today, too, the Lord’s voice resounds powerfully, calling each of us to care for one another. Today, too, God asks us to be ‘guardians’ of our brothers and sisters (cf. Gen 4:9), to foster relationships characterised by mutual concern, by attention to the good of the other and to their whole well-being. The great commandment of love for one’s neighbour demands and calls upon us to be aware that we have a responsibility towards those who, like myself, are creatures and children of God: the fact that we are brothers and sisters in humanity and, in many cases, also in faith, must lead us to see in the other a true alter ego, loved infinitely by the Lord. If we cultivate this fraternal outlook, solidarity, justice, as well as mercy and compassion, will spring naturally from our hearts. The Servant of God Paul VI affirmed that today the world suffers above all from a lack of fraternity: ‘The world is sick. Its illness lies not so much in the depletion of resources or their hoarding by a few, as in the lack of fraternity amongst people and amongst nations’ (Encyclical Letter *Populorum progressio* [26 March 1967], n. 66).
Caring for others entails desiring their good in every respect: physical, moral and spiritual. Contemporary culture seems to have lost the sense of good and evil, whilst it is necessary to emphasise forcefully that good exists and triumphs, because God is ‘the Good, the Benefactor’ (Ps 119:68). Good is that which fosters, protects and promotes life, brotherhood and communion. Responsibility towards one’s neighbour therefore means wishing and doing what is good for the other person, desiring that they too may open themselves to the logic of the good; taking an interest in one’s brother or sister means being attentive to their needs. Holy Scripture warns against the danger of having one’s heart hardened by a kind of ‘spiritual anaesthesia’ that renders one blind to the sufferings of others. The evangelist Luke recounts two parables of Jesus which illustrate two examples of this situation that can arise in the human heart. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the priest and the Levite ‘pass by’ indifferently, ignoring the man who has been stripped and beaten by robbers (cf. Lk 10: 30–32), and in the parable of the rich man, this man, sated with riches, fails to notice the plight of poor Lazarus, who is starving at his gate (cf. Lk 16:19). In both cases, what is required is the opposite of ‘paying no attention’—namely, looking upon others with love and compassion. What prevents us from casting this humane and affectionate gaze upon our neighbour? It is often material wealth and satiety, but it is also the fact that we put our own interests and concerns above all else. We must never show ourselves incapable of ‘showing mercy’ towards those who suffer; nor must our hearts ever be so consumed by our own interests and problems that we become deaf to the cry of the poor. On the contrary, it is humility of heart and personal experience of suffering that can prove to be the source of an inner awakening to compassion and empathy: ‘The righteous know the cause of the weak, but the wicked have no understanding of it’ (Prov 29:7). We thus understand the beatitude of ‘those who mourn ’ (Mt 5:4), that is to say, those who are able to step outside themselves and be moved to compassion by the suffering of others. Encountering the other and opening one’s heart to their needs is an opportunity for salvation and blessedness.
‘Paying attention’ to our brother or sister also involves concern for their spiritual well-being. I wish to recall here an aspect of Christian life which seems to me to have fallen into disuse: fraternal correction with a view to eternal salvation. Generally speaking, today we are very sensitive to the issue of care and charity to be shown for the physical and material well-being of others, but we hardly ever speak of our spiritual responsibility towards our brothers and sisters. This was not the case in the early Church, nor in communities that are truly mature in their faith, where concern is shown not only for a brother’s physical health, but also for that of his soul with a view to his ultimate destiny. In Holy Scripture, we read: ‘Rebuke the wise, and he will love you; give instruction to the wise, and he will become wiser still; instruct the righteous, and he will increase his learning’ (Prov 9:8ff). Christ himself commands us to rebuke a brother who commits a sin (cf. Mt 18:15). The verb used to define fraternal correction – elenchein – is the same as that which denotes the prophetic mission of denunciation proper to Christians towards a generation given over to evil (cf. Eph 5:11). Church tradition has counted ‘admonishing sinners’ amongst the works of spiritual mercy. It is important to restore this dimension of Christian charity. We must not remain silent in the face of evil. I am thinking here of the attitude of those Christians who, out of human deference or mere convenience, conform to the prevailing mindset rather than warning their brothers and sisters against ways of thinking and acting that are contrary to the truth and do not follow the path of goodness. However, Christian reproach is never offered in a spirit of condemnation or recrimination. It is always motivated by love and mercy, and arises from genuine concern for the brother’s welfare. The Apostle Paul states: ‘If anyone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness, keeping an eye on yourself, for you too might be tempted’ (Gal 6:1). In our world steeped in individualism, we need to rediscover the importance of fraternal correction, so that we may walk together towards holiness. Even ‘the righteous fall seven times’ (Prov 24:16), as Scripture says, and we are all weak and imperfect (cf. 1 John 1:8). It is therefore very helpful to help others and to allow ourselves to be helped in taking a true look at ourselves, so as to improve our own lives and walk more uprightly on the Lord’s path. We always need a gaze that loves and corrects, that knows and recognises, that discerns and forgives (cf. Lk 22:61), just as God has done and continues to do with each one of us.
2. ‘One another’: the gift of reciprocity.
This ‘care’ for others stands in contrast to a mindset which, by reducing life to its purely earthly dimension, fails to view it from an eschatological perspective and accepts any moral choice in the name of individual freedom. A society such as our own today can become deaf to both physical suffering and the spiritual and moral demands of life. This must not be the case in the Christian community! The Apostle Paul urges us to seek what ‘promotes peace and mutual edification ’ (Rom 14:19), by ‘pleasing one’s neighbour for the good, with a view to building them up’ (ibid. 15:2), not seeking one’s own interest, ‘but that of the greater number, so that they may be saved ’ (1 Cor 10:33). This mutual correction and exhortation, in a spirit of humility and charity, must form part of the life of the Christian community.
The Lord’s disciples, united to Christ through the Eucharist, live in a communion that binds them to one another as members of one body. This means that the other person is united to me in a special way; their life and their salvation concern my own life and salvation. Here we are touching upon a very profound aspect of communion: our existence is linked to that of others, for better or for worse; both sin and works of love also have a social dimension. In the Church, the mystical Body of Christ, this reciprocity is evident: the community ceaselessly does penance and implores forgiveness for the sins of its children, yet it also constantly rejoices and exults at the examples of virtue and charity that arise within it. ‘Let the members show mutual concern for one another’ (cf. 1 Cor 12:25), says Saint Paul, so that they may be one body. Charity towards one’s brothers and sisters—of which almsgiving, a practice characteristic of Lent alongside prayer and fasting, is an expression—is rooted in this shared belonging. By showing practical concern for the poorest, Christians can express their participation in the one body that is the Church. Showing care for others in a spirit of reciprocity also means recognising the good that the Lord accomplishes in them and giving thanks with them for the wonders of grace that the good and almighty God continues to work in his children. When a Christian perceives the work of the Holy Spirit in another person, they cannot help but rejoice and give glory to the heavenly Father (cf. Mt 5:16).
3. ‘to spur one another on to love and good deeds’: walking together in holiness.
This expression from the Letter to the Hebrews (10:24), urges us to consider the universal call to holiness, the constant journey in the spiritual life, and to aspire to the greatest charisms and to a love that is ever more elevated and fruitful (cf. 1 Cor 12:31–13:13). The purpose of mutual care is to encourage one another towards an ever-greater love in action, ‘like the light of dawn, which grows brighter until full day’ (Pr 4:18), as we look forward to living the endless day in God. The time granted to us during our lives is precious for discovering and carrying out good works, in the love of God. In this way, the Church herself grows and develops to reach the full maturity of Christ (cf. Eph 4:13). It is within this dynamic perspective of growth that we are urged to encourage one another to attain the fullness of love and good works.
Unfortunately, the temptation to lukewarmness, to stifling the Spirit, and to refusing to ‘put to use the talents’ given to us for our own good and that of others (cf. Mt 25:25ff) remains. We have all received spiritual or material riches that are useful for the fulfilment of the divine plan, for the good of the Church and for our personal salvation (cf. Lk 12:21b; 1 Tim 6:18). Spiritual masters remind us that in the life of faith, whoever does not move forward is moving backwards. Dear brothers and sisters, let us accept the ever-timely invitation to strive for the ‘highest degree of Christian life’ (John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Novo millennio ineunte [6 January 2001], n. 31). By recognising and proclaiming the blessedness and holiness of certain exemplary Christians, the wisdom of the Church also aims to stir up a desire to imitate their virtues. Saint Paul exhorts us: ‘Outdo one another in showing honour’ (Romans 12:10).
Faced with a world that demands of Christians a renewed witness of love and fidelity to the Lord, everyone feels the urgency to do everything possible to excel in charity, service and good works (cf. Heb 6:10). This reminder is particularly powerful during the holy season of preparation for Easter. Wishing you a holy and fruitful Lent, I entrust you to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and, with all my heart, I bestow upon you all the Apostolic Blessing.
From the Vatican, 3 November 2011.
BENEDICT XVI
