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Thoughts for Lent from St. Augustine

Comments on the Gospel Readings for Catholic Liturgies - Year C

Lent is a liturgical season dedicated to encouraging a renewal of our baptismal commitment. It is a time of conversion. Christian conversion is necessarily a turning toward God and toward one another. This theme fits in well with the ongoing Augustinian Hunger Campaign.

During this season of Lent, it is important for us Augustinian friars, and indeed, for all Christians, as persons and as a community, to walk along the path to conversion.

The Gospel readings selected for proclamation at Mass in Roman Catholic churches around the world guide us on our Lenten journey of conversion. The message of Jesus calls us to practice mercy.

We offer from the preaching of St. Augustine a brief comment on the Gospel selections for the first through the fifth Sundays of Lent (Year C).

First Sunday of Lent (February 21, 2010)

Luke 4: 1-13
Jesus was hungry after fasting 40 days in the desert (Opens new window)

If it's shameless of a farmer to look for a crop where he knows he hasn't sown any seed, how much more shameless must it be to look to God to be rich in giving, when you have declined to listen to a poor man asking? It's in the poor person, after all, that the one who is never hungry has wished to be fed. Let us not, then, spurn our God when he is needy in the poor, so that we in our need may be satisfied by him in his riches. We have needy people, and we are needy ourselves; so let us give, in order to receive.
--Sermon 206, 2

Second Sunday of Lent (February 28, 2010)

Luke 9: 28-36
Jesus is transfigured (Opens new window)

But meanwhile, here and now, until we get to that place of rest, during this time in which we are toiling away, while trials and temptations never cease, let us do good. There is always a medicine available, to be applied to what are practically daily wounds; the medicine consists of the good works of mercy. I mean, if you want to obtain God's mercy, be merciful yourself. If you refuse to show humanity to a human being, though human yourself, God will refuse you divinity; that is to say, the imperishable immortality by which he makes us gods. After all, God doesn't need anything from you; you, though, need everything from God.
--Sermon 259, 3

Third Sunday of Lent (March 7, 2010)

Luke 13: 1-9
Jesus calls all to repentance and conversion (Opens new window)

This is indeed the time for fruitful sadness, for us to grieve over the condition of our mortality, over temptations sweeping over us, sins creeping up on us, greed of all sorts lining up against us, lusts always quarreling and agitating against good thoughts; these are the things we should be sad about.
--Sermon 254, 4

Fourth Sunday of Lent (March 14, 2010)

Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32
Jesus tells the parable of the prodigal son (Opens new window)

How many hired servants, he said, of my father have bread enough and to spare, but I am perishing here of hunger? How can this thought have occurred to him, if he wasn't already hearing the name of God preached? Some people did have bread, who didn't indeed keep it well, but were looking for some other advantage. They are the sort, I mean, who are to be regarded as hired servants, not as sons. He wants us to understand certain people, you see, who in looking for their own advantage are hired servants, while in proclaiming Christ they have bread and to spare.
--Sermon 112 A, 4

Fifth Sunday of Lent (March 21, 2010)

John 8: 1-11
Jesus questions the adulteress and her accusers (Opens new window)

Mark [Jesus'] reply. It contains justice, clemency, and truth in full measure. Let the sinner be punished, yes but not by sinners. This, unquestionably, is the voice of justice, justice that pierced those men like a javelin. Looking into themselves, they realized their guilt, and one by one they all went out. Two remained behind: the miserable woman, and mercy.
--Homilies on the Gospel of John 33, 6

      » See also Fasting, Hunger and the Poor
             More Lenten Reflections from St. Augustine

More about the Augustinian Hunger Campaign

      » Hunger x Half
             Hunger facts and steps you can take to cut hunger in half

      » Augustinians Promote Hunger Campaign
             International initiative to halve world hunger - Millennium Development Goal

      » A Three-Minute Activity to Fight Hunger
             How you can write a brief, effective letter to government officials

      » Toward a World Without Hunger
             Reflections from Saint Augustine on fighting hunger