Fr. Roger J. Landry

Carmelite Monastery of Our Mother of Mercy and Saint Joseph

Alexandria, South Dakota

Thursday after Ash Wednesday, Extraordinary Form

March 3, 2022

Is 38:1-6, Mt 8:5-13

 

To listen to an audio recording of today’s homily, please click below:

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/catholicpreaching/3.3.22_EF_Homily_1.mp3

 

The following text guided the homily: 

* Today in the first reading the Prophet Isaiah tells the righteous king Hezekiah — the 10th generation grandson of David and 18th generation grandfather of St. Joseph in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus —  “Put your house in order, for you are about to die.” This is a classic Lenten theme, as we were reminded yesterday as we were marked with ashes in the sign of the Cross and reminded that we are dust and unto dust we shall return. It’s also a lapidary retreat theme, as we remember that we, too, die — memento mori! — and learn truly how to live. That’s what so many retreatants have done, like famously St. John Paul II, revising his last will and testament at the beginning of Lent each year on his annual retreat. On this second day of the Lenten season, it’s important not to miss acting on the prophet’s message.

* In Thomas à Kempis’ spiritual classic, The Imitation of Christ, he urged all believers, “Very quickly will there be an end of you here; take heed therefore how it will be with you in another world. … O the dullness and hardness of man’s heart, which thinks only of the present, and looks not forward to the future. 
You ought in every deed and thought so to order yourself, as if you were to die this day. … Happy is the man who has the hour of his death always before his eyes, and daily prepares himself to die. … When it is morning, reflect that you shall not see the evening, and at eventide dare not to boast yourself of the morrow. Always be prepared, and so live that death may never find you unprepared. Many die suddenly and unexpectedly. For at such an hour as you think not, the Son of Man will come. … Strive now to live in such a way that at the hour of death you may rather rejoice than fear. Learn now to die to the world, so shall you begin to live with Christ. Learn now to spurn all earthly things, and then you may freely go unto Christ. … Think of nothing but your salvation; care only for the things of God. Make friends for yourself by venerating the saints of God and walking in their footsteps, so that when you die, you may be received into everlasting dwellings. Keep yourself a stranger and a pilgrim upon the earth, to whom the things of the world belong not. Keep your heart free and lifted up towards God, for here we have no lasting city. To Him direct your daily prayers with cries and tears, that your spirit may be found worthy to pass happily after death to its Lord.”

* Kempis’ spiritual wisdom, which has formed many saints over the last six centuries, is based on the insight that it is only when we realize that today may be our last day, that we may not have the opportunity to put off the truly important things until tomorrow, that we begin to think clearly and put our house in order today. We act differently toward people when we realize our interaction with them might be our last. We begin to look at time differently and no longer wish to waste it. We’re not tempted in the same way toward the harsh word, or the impure thought, or the vengeful action, knowing that that might be the last thing we ever do. We begin to have a far deeper appreciation for prayer and the Sacraments. We cease to sleepwalk spiritually and become fully alert to the meaning of every moment, thought, word and deed.

* A little over ten years ago, two days before he would retire as Archbishop of Philadelphia, Cardinal Justin Rigali wrote for the priests of his archdiocese a...