3rd Sunday of Lent

The Introit of this day's Mass, which begins with the word Oculi, is the prayer of a soul imploring deliverance from the snares of the devil: My eyes are ever towards the Lord: for He shall pluck my feet out of the snare: look thou upon me, and have mercy on me; for I am alone and poor. To Thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul: in Thee, O my God, I put my trust, let me not be ashamed. (Ps. xxiv.)

This Sunday is the 3rd Sunday of Lent. We hear about Jesus casting a devil out from a deaf and dumb man. We need to pray for Jesus to cast out the evil spirits in the deaf and dumb men of today. Their number (and name) is LEGION. According to our Blessed Abbot Gueranger, concerning the Gospel of today:


'As soon as Jesus had cast out the devil, the man recovered his speech, for the possession had made him dumb. It is an image of what happens to a sinner, who will not, or dare not, confess his sin. If he confessed it, and asked pardon, he would be delivered from the tyranny which now oppresses him. Alas! how many there are who are kept back, by a dumb devil, from making the confession that would save them! The holy season of Lent is advancing; these days of grace are passing away; let us profit by them; and if we ourselves be in the state of grace, let us offer up our earnest prayers for sinners, that they may speak, that is, may accuse themselves in confession and obtain pardon.'
Jesus ends the Gospel reading from St. Luke by saying; "...blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it."


I'd like to end with a prayer from the Mozarabic breviary for the beginning of this 3rd week.

'Having now passed the fourteenth day of this season, which forms the tithe of our year, we lift up our eyes to thee, O Lord, who dwellest in heaven. Show mercy to the miserable, and heal them that are wounded. Grant that the journey we have begun may be prosperous. Direct our hearts in the way of thy commandments. Through thee may we find the way of light; through thee, may we be inflamed with the bright burning of thy love. Grant rest to our labours, and a home to us that labour; that having gained thy good pleasure by our observance of these days, we may deserve to be partakers of thy glory.'

Let us pray for the grace to, when we hear the Word of God, keep it.


It is not enough for salvation to hear the word of God, but it must also be fulfilled in action. Because Mary, the tender Mother of Jesus, did this most perfectly, Christ praised her as more happy in it, than in having conceived, borne, and nursed Him.


O Lord Jesus! true Light of the world, enlighten the eyes of my soul, that I may never be induced by the evil one to conceal a sin, from false shame, in the confessional, that on the day of general judgment my sins may not be published to the whole world. Strengthen me, O Jesus, that I may resist the arms of the devil by a penitent life, and especially by scorning the fear of man and worldly considerations, and guard against lapsing into sin, that I may not be lost, but through Thy merits may be delivered from all dangers and obtain heaven.


By the grace of Jesus with which He inwardly enlightens the sinner, so that he becomes keenly aware, that the sins which he has concealed in confession, will one day be known to the whole world, and encourages him to overcome his false shame. "Be not ashamed to confess to one man," says St. Augustine, "that which you were not ashamed to do with one, perhaps, with many." Consider these words of the same Saint: "Sincere confession subdues vice, conquers the evil one, shuts the door of hell, and opens the gates of paradise."


ps. I hope I didn't offend any real deaf and dumb people of the world. Sorry if I did. This is NOT really pertaining to any physical afflictions people might have been blessed with. I am speaking about those who refuse to acknowledge the real Truth when It presents Itself, defend It, and pass It on to the next generation.

pps. I know you realize that I use the writings of the Abbot Gueranger a lot. This is a worthwhile set of books (15) containing the whole Liturgical year. These books have all the Sundays and Holy days, as well as the days of the real Saints. I know he has helped me a lot to know the Truth and pass it on. And, I'd bet anything that he is a real Saint now!