As the Church stands at the threshold of Lent, Quinquagesima Sunday pairs Saint Paul's hymn to charity with the story of a blind man who refused to be silenced. This reflection explores what these readings ask of us as we prepare for the Lenten season — an honest reckoning with our need for God's mercy and a deeper understanding of what love actually costs. Drawing on the wisdom of Saints Augustine, Thérèse of Lisieux, Gregory the Great, and Francis de Sales, we consider how the disciplines of Lent are meant to clear away everything that keeps us from receiving the grace already being offered to us.

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