Catholic Transcript Online

The crack of the baseball bat against the ball, the anticipation of "March Madness" in the N.C.A.A., the migration of birds swarming above, and the mounds of snow melting below all signal that spring is near.

Ashes on foreheads, purple banners and vestments in churches, the hymns, "At the Cross Her Station Keeping" (Stabat Mater Dolorosa), from the 13^th century, and "O Sacred Head Surrounded," from the year 1601, already have welcomed in the springtime of the soul, the sacred season of Lent.

Pope Benedict XVI and the members of the Papal household again have edified us with their seasonal example, devoting a week at the beginning of Lent to a spiritual retreat.

Whether it is major league ballplayers in spring training, virtuoso musicians rehearsing scales before a concert performance, or the Holy Father in his Lenten Address and Lenten retreat, the emphasis is on fundamentals.

Lent is the time for the more intense practice of the three fundamental exercises of the spiritual life: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. We pray in the Second Preface for Lenten Masses: "This great season of grace is your gift to your family to renew us in spirit. You give us strength to purify our hearts, to control our desires, and so to serve you in freedom. You teach us how to live in this passing world with our heart set on the world that will never end."

T.S. Eliot’s poem, "Ash Wednesday," provides a theme with its refrain, "Teach us to sit still." It echoes Psalm 46:11, "Be still, and know that I am God." There is a stillness at the heart of worship, in the silence of the heart.

Among the challenges of the artist is the responsibility to intuit and to intimate unity, harmony, and communion in the midst of a broken world. Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving provide opportunities for us to be artists of life. They direct us in God’s grace to the desire beneath all desires, the love beneath all loves.

Once again this year, we celebrated on the First Sunday of Lent in the Cathedral of St. Joseph the Rite of Election (for catechumens preparing to enter the Church through the reception of baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist) and the Rite of Continuing Conversion (for candidates preparing to become full members of the Catholic Church through the Profession of Faith and the reception of confirmation and the Eucharist). It is an emotional and heartwarming experience, preparing hundreds of people to be received into the Church at the Easter Vigil celebrations in parishes throughout the Archdiocese. Particularly moving for me is the moment when the catechumens step out from their pews into the aisles with their sponsors to process up to the sanctuary and enroll their names in the Books of the Elect. The cathedral is alive and the Holy Spirit is clearly in action.

As you know, this is all part of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). As we proceed through the weeks of Lent, the pace of preparation accelerates. The catechumens (now the elect) are presented at intervals with special gifts: the creed, the Our Father, the Commandments, and the sacred Scriptures. They are the fundamentals of our faith. Sometimes we take them for granted. Lent is the season for rekindling our appreciation for their priceless value.

At the same time, I take this opportunity to iterate my continuing esteem for the edifying ways you strengthen your practice of the faith during Lent: heightened participation at Mass, increased attention to the sacrament of reconciliation, inspiring attendance at spiritual conferences and the Stations of the Cross, enhanced focus on spiritual reading, generous involvement in Lenten suppers where the monies saved by fasting are given to the poor, energetic activity in community development, etc.

Speaking of almsgiving, I cannot let this occasion go by without underscoring my profound gratitude for your most impressive support of the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. The total for the Appeal 2007 was $9,715,585, approximately $711,000 higher than the Appeal 2006. As I write this column, the total for the Appeal 2008 is already $2,180,820, some $254,919 higher than the Appeal at this time last year.

The totals are more than encouraging, but we all know that the services they enable are the fundamentally important factors. It is generally recognized that the needs are increasing, but your sensitive awareness of them and your effective generosity are compelling evidence of the power of your faith. You are meeting real needs and making us a healthier, better Church.

When friends met in medieval times, a typical greeting was, "How goes your soul?" Through the centuries, saints have included in their observance of Lent an examination of the shadows, blind spots, mistakes, and sins of their lives. So must we. We are reminded of St. Paul’s exhortation in his Epistle to the Romans (13:12), "Let us cast off deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light."

Thank you for all the light you bring to the world. You understand not only that the Cross stands on the roof of every Catholic church but also that the Cross of Jesus Christ is fundamental to our bone marrow. The hymn for Daytime Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours carries the verse:

"Take up your cross and follow Christ,

Nor think till death to lay it down;

For only the one who bears the cross

May hope to wear the glorious crown."

We know the sadness of Good Friday. We know the surprise of Easter Sunday. Yet Easter is always new. Thank you so very much for the fundamental and manifold ways you exercise new life and resurrection. Happy Easter!