Lent is five days old. Have you made a plan yet? When will you go to Confession? Have you already? Do you plan to go every two weeks as part of your Lenten journey? If you do, you will have one of the requirements for gaining a plenary indulgence every day. Do you know what the requirements are?
- a particular work that carries the indulgence, for example saying the rosary before the Blessed Sacrament or in company with at least one other person
- Communion and Confession within eight days of the work
- detachment from sin, even venial sin
Wouldn't it be wonderful if your almsgiving included a plenary indulgence every day for someone other than yourself? Think of how grateful a relative in Purgatory would be if you freed him in time to celebrate Easter in Heaven. Think how eager that soul would be to solicit your own quick exit from Purgatory when the time comes.
We'd all like to think we'll go straight to heaven when we die, but how many of us will really be ready to see Christ? Our salvation is secured by Him, of course, but will we have made full reparation in atonement for our sins? Protestants say Jesus does it all, but St. Paul says we need to make up what's lacking in the suffering of Christ. What's lacking but our own act of the will to offer our sufferings in union with him and in atonement for sin, our own sins and those of others?
As Catholics we know that forgiveness isn't all that's needed. We need to repair the damage from sin. Like a child who breaks a window there's still something to be done even if the owner forgives the transgression. The window is still broken. Perfect contrition for our sins is a perfect repair, but many of us won't have it when we die. That's what the mercy of Purgatory is for - the opportunity to repair the brokenness of our cold hearts. Joining our prayers to the sufferings of those in Purgatory is an act of communion with the Church Suffering and an act of charity. It's like the dad who picks up his tools and helps his child fix the window.
This Lent why not pick up the tools for those who can no longer do it for themselves. Now the only really hard part is to eliminate the love for our vices that keeps us from being detached from sin. Ultimately, that's what Lent is all about.
Tomorrow is the first Thursday of the month and a special day in this year of the priests. The Holy Father has made every first Thursday through June of 2010 an opportunity to secure a plenary indulgence. Let us pray often for priests. As St. Jean Vianney said, "Without the Sacrament of Holy Orders, we would not have the Lord. Who put him there in that tabernacle? The priest. Who welcomed your soul at the beginning of your life? the priest. Who feeds your soul and gives it strength for its journey? The priest. Who will prepare it to appear before God, bathing it one last time in the blood of Jesus Christ? The priest, always the priest. And if this soul should happen to die [as a result of sin], who will raise it up, who will restore its calm and peace? Again, the priest...After God, the priest is everything!...Only in heaven will he fully realize what he is."
