Friday of the First Week in Lent

In the course of His temptation the whole world wait offered to the Lord Jesus Christ, with the one condition attached-that He should do something that was wrong in order to obtain the great gift. He was the rightful King of the world, and was about to regain His kingdom through suffering; but it was now offered to Him freely as a gift, with only this one condition attached to the offer.

The same offer, though on a much smaller scale, is continually being made to men, both old and young, now. The tempter whispers, “Get on in life, no matter how, only get on.” Of course, the world is very attractive. Its wealth, its splendor, its pleasures, are very alluring; and some are so enraptured with the thought of possessing these, and with the delighted excitement of success, that they are led away from truth and righteousness in order to gain them.

There is no harm in desiring to prosper in life; on the contrary, it is natural to do so, and this desire supplies a wholesome and proper stimulus to young people in their work. But when it becomes the chief, if not the sole, object of life, there is, to say the least of it, great danger that those who are thus urged on by this desire will fall down and worship Satan-that is, will accept his suggestions, and do that which is in a greater or less degree wrong, in order to realize their wishes and their hopes.

What can all that is in the world do for me without the blessing of God? If I should gain it all, would it not in that case be a burden rather than a blessing? Peace, cheerfulness, friendliness, are better than fame or riches, and. the ambitious schemer knows not peace.

Yet, success is to be aimed at and worked for, but in submission to the will and guidance of God. To seek it otherwise is to place myself in danger; and what shall it profit a man even if he shall gain the whole world, and yet lose his own soul?

Prayer

So then, O Lord Jesu Christ, help me also to over-come the world, that I may abide in Thy love, and have a place in Thy glorious and everlasting kingdom, through Thy mercy. Amen.
From Lent for Busy People © 2017 Fr. Charles H. Nalls

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Thursday of the First Week in Lent-Lenten Feria

When our Lord spent forty days in the wilderness He was tempted of the devil, who had tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden. The outward circumstances of the two temptations were as different as possible. In Eden, Adam enjoyed everything that could minister to his comfort and happiness. He had so much that he ought not to have desired that which was forbidden him. By contrast, the Lord Jesus was faint through hunger, and the wilderness produced nothing that could satisfy that natural, and therefore innocent, craving for food.

In the one case Adam had every advantage that could have been given him; but in the other case the advantages were all on the side of the tempter. Yet, in the case of Jesus the tempter was repeatedly overcome, that He who overcame him might conquer on our behalf, and also teach us that in Him and through His grace we, though we are weak through the flesh, may also overcome, if we will.

Temptation comes to me sometimes as it does to all. How do I meet it? It is easy for the moment to get rid of temptations by yielding to them, especially when I may do so without anyone knowing it at the time, even if pursuing such a course must be fatal to my happiness and well-being.

Perhaps the sin I am at any time tempted to commit may be a little sin. I may allow myself to think, therefore, that I may commit it with impunity. But I must remember that all sin has naturally an unfortunate tendency to grow and enlarge itself, and that little sins, if indulged in, become great sins, which often lead to very serious results.

A young person may be tempted, for example, to take some small sum of money, or something else that is not his own; or to commit some sin of impurity; or to spend a Sunday foolishly and improperly; but he or she little knows whereunto this may grow. It may cost him much to resist the temptation: it will certainly cost him more if he yields to it.

Prayer

O Lord Jesus, who didst Thyself overcome temptation, help me, I pray Thee, that I, too, may always overcome. “By Thy fasting and temptation, good Lord, deliver me.” Amen.

From Lent for Busy People © 2017 Fr. Charles H. Nalls

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Wednesday of the First Week in Lent

We can do nothing to make atonement for our misdoings, or to deserve forgiveness. But God has provided a ransom, He has made the needful atonement, He has rendered the perfect obedience. And in Him who has thus redeemed us we are called to put our trust. The purpose which He had in view in His Incarnation, Temptation, Passion, and Resurrection, was to redeem us from all iniquity. His name, Jesus, testifies that He came to save us from our sins, and not merely from the bitter consequences of them. He cannot save us from these unless He saves us from our sins themselves. The impure must become pure; the ill-tempered, patient and forbearing; the proud, humble and gentle towards all; the selfish, generous, kind, and charitable, or they have little reason to think that they have as yet any part in His salvation.

So, then, real repentance must issue in amendment of life. Plainly our sorrow has not been real, and our confession has not been honest, if we go away and willingly do as we have done before.

Even the most perfect reformation of ourselves would not, however, make full amends to God for any wrong that we have done in disobedience to His commandments; but the perfect obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ has made full amends. In His atonement we can have no part, neither can we make adequate amends to God for the wrong we have done to Him. But if we have done any injury or unkindness to anyone else, we must ask his pardon, and seek to be reconciled to him, as also we must be willing to forgive any that have injured us, if we desire to be forgiven by God.

We must also, if we are the wrong-doers, do anything we can do to make reparation for the wrong done, if that is at all possible. If we are really sorry for it, we shall wish to make good the wrong we have done. And if we desire God’s pardon we shall wish to do His will; and His commandment is, that if we have done any wrong to another, then, for love’s sake, we should endeavour to make it good.

Prayer

O Lord Jesu Christ, I humbly beseech Thee to save me from all my sins, and to help me to forgive that I may be forgiven. Amen.

From Lent for Busy People © 2017 Fr. Charles H. Nalls

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Tuesday in the First Week of Lent-Martyrs of Africa

“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but he whose confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” God naturally desires and expects that if we are sorry for our sins we shall tell Him that this is so, and also confess to Him the sins and misdoings which have thus made us sorry. He knows what our faults are better than we know ourselves; but nevertheless it is only reasonable that He should require us to acknowledge them before Him if we would obtain forgiveness from Him.

A father asks no less of his child who has disobeyed him: “Only tell me what you have done,” he is likely to say, “and I will forgive you; “and a master expects no less of a servant who has failed in his service. Any one of us, indeed, who has been wronged expects him who did the wrong to acknowledge it if he desires to be reconciled. And shall we treat God with less respect than we demand from one another? He does not wish to worry us if He asks us thus to make confession to Him; it is for our profit no less than for the satisfaction of His honor. “Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou halt transgressed against the Lord.”

To do this is a great advantage to ourselves also. For our sins are thus made to pass before our own eyes also, and we also are brought face to face with our faults so that we must thenceforward be aware of them, and know what they are. Again, by confession we also unburden ourselves of our sins before God, and lay them down at the foot of the cross of our Savior, that His blood may wash them all away.

It may be humbling to do this, but that, again, is just what we need. When we have been thoroughly humbled we are spiritually safer. When we have honestly confessed any sin with a true, penitent heart we shall be the less likely to repeat it, and the better able to resist all temptations to yield to it again.

Prayer

Grant me grace, O God, I beseech Thee, with all humility and earnestness to confess my sins unto Thee, that Thou mayest forgive me all my sins, and cleanse me from all unrighteousness, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

From Lent for Busy People © 2017 Fr. Charles H. Nalls

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Monday of the First Week in Lent-Lenten Feria

After self-examination naturally comes repentance, which is not merely sorrow for sin, nor merely confession of sin, nor merely the amendment of our lives; but all these three taken together.

Self-examination has shown me that I need forgiveness. That I may obtain it I must be sorry for my sins, but why should I thus be sorry? If we have sinned, we have sinned against God the Father, who made us, and gave us all that we have.  We have sinned against God the Son.  We have sinned against Christ ho so loved mankind that He humbled Himself to be made man, that as man He might share in our labours, sorrows, and temptations.  This is the One who, having perfectly obeyed in all things so that He did not deserve to die, laid down His life in weakness, agony, and shame for us. Despite our sins and betrayals, H rose triumphant over death, and ascended into Heaven, there to prepare a place for us also, and to plead on our behalf until His coming again.

As well, we have sinned against God the Holy Ghost, who regenerated us in baptism, and is grieved when we sin, and so constrain Him to withdraw from us. So, then, if God is grieved by my sins surely I should feel sorry for it. If He offered Himself a sacrifice in tears and blood that my sin might be blotted out, shall I not also weep

Moreover, sin, whether great or small, is always a source of unhappiness. If I do anything that spoils my happiness I naturally regret it. And if I have any regard for my happiness and peace should I not, then, be sorry for the wrong things I have thought, or said, or done, inasmuch as they will most surely sooner or later have this effect? I have dared to disregard God’s Law, and to disobey His Word; and now, instead of punishing me, He desires to forgive me. But this Ho cannot do unless I am sorry. “The sacrifices of God are a troubled spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”  Psalm 11.17.

Prayer

Almighty God, I beseech Thee by Thy Holy Spirit to fill me with godly sorrow that I may offer unto Thee the acceptable sacrifice of a broken spirit; and so obtain forgiveness from Thee, through Him Who by His perfect sacrifice of Himself taketh away the sin of the world, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

From Lent for Busy People © 2017 Fr. Charles H. Nalls

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Saturday After Ash Wednesday-Lenten Feria

Why should I take self-examination in hand now? Because that which may be done at any time is often not done at all, and it is well, therefore, to have a time for everything. If our self-examination be sincere and thorough it ought to lead to our having a share in the sorrow of our blessed Lord in the wilderness, who sorrowed on account of our sins, and because of the ruin and unhappiness which sin inevitably produces.

1. If He asks us to put away our sins it is for our own good that He does so, that, purifying ourselves even as He is pure, we may have a share in His peace now and a place in His everlasting kingdom hereafter.

2. There is no real difficulty in self-examination if we are honest with ourselves. All we have to do is to open our eyes and endeavor to see things as they are, not to deceive ourselves, nor to blind ourselves to the truth, but to endeavour to make out clearly whether we are in all things striving to live according to God’s will or not. “Know thyself,” was one of the maxims of ancient wisdom. To have self-knowledge is to be forearmed.

3. If anything is worth doing at all it is worth doing well; but no one can do his work well who does not examine it from time to time as he goes on, that he may be sure that he is making no mistake in doing it. In our service of God, to which we were pledged in our baptism, we may, in like manner, make many mistakes if we do not seek guidance and advice from others, and if we do not now and then look at our lives that we may see what the course of them may be, and examine our consciences that we may take note of what they have to say with regard to our daily lives. “Examine yourselves,” wrote St. Paul to the Corinthians, “examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.” II Corinthians xiii. 5.

Prayer

Teach me, O God, I beseech Thee, and show me all my faults; and then make me to be truly sorry for them, and help me to put them from me, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Friday After Ash Wednesday-Lenten Feria

I have thought of self-examination as a duty to be performed in Lent. Now let’s consider what self-examination is. As its name implies, it is a taking of ourselves to task at set seasons. We take stock of ourselves so that we may see whether we are going backward or forward in our love and obedience towards God.

A merchant at certain intervals takes stock of his goods that he may see how his temporal affairs stand; whether his business is prospering and whether he is able to pay his way. He knows that, if he did not do this, his loss might be very great. If he did not sometimes put his receipts and stock side by side with his expenses, and see on which side the balance lies, he might find some day that his expenses had outrun his receipts.

Then, his own great loss and confusion he was not able to pay his debts. It is something like this when we endeavor to see from time to time how we are going on, and how we stand towards God, lest when it is too late we find that we have been neglecting or disobeying Him, perhaps without thinking about it, or deliberately intending it.

Prayer

Direct us, O Lord, in all our doings, with thy most gracious favour, and further us with thy continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in thee, we may glorify thy holy Name, and finally, by thy mercy, obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

This, then, must be my endeavor. I need not worry myself, but quietly, and with all simplicity, ask myself what is my aim m life; and whether my aim, like that of the Lord Jesus Christ, is to do the will of God. But if I am not careful, I may think that I am doing God’s will when I am not; or I may be failing to obey His word, and yet perhaps not troubling myself much on account of it. Or I may be giving way to some fault which God calls me to renounce and overcome; or I may be leading myself astray by allowing myself to think that I have nothing to repent of when I have; or that sins and follies indulged in earlier life are forgiven because I have forgotten them; when I have no real reason to suppose that they are pardoned, since I have never confessed them to God, nor asked Him to forgive me through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer

Help me, then, O God, for. His sake, to look well ‘into my heart and life, that, Confessing and forsaking my sins, I may obtain forgiveness through Him. Amen.

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