¹ Behold, dearest brothers, the holy and spiritual days of Lent are now near—days in which the losses of the body become the gains of the soul. And so, as the Apostle says, “The acceptable time and the day of salvation have come”. Let us prepare our hearts for this spiritual harvest, striving to devote ourselves to God in such a way that, in these few days, we may gather what will sustain us for the whole year.

² We believe that it is of these days that the Lord spoke through the prophet: “On the days of your solemn feasts, you shall afflict your souls”. Why did He say this? Because fasting, vigils, and holy afflictions weaken the body but purify the stained heart. They take strength away from the limbs but bring clarity to the conscience. Through the weariness of the body, the sins of the will are atoned for. Through the hardships of the cross, the pleasures of the flesh are chastised. Thus, by present mortification, the sentence of future death is appeased. As the author of sin is humbled, sin itself is consumed. And when bodily affliction is willingly undertaken through discipline, the offense of the dreadful Judge is pacified. A small effort now can wipe away great sins—sins that might otherwise be scarcely consumed by eternal fire. For if we impose discipline upon ourselves for our sins, if we scorn the excesses of the flesh through penance, we will quickly find God merciful. If you acknowledge your sin, God forgives it. How could God be willing to pardon a sin that a man himself refuses to acknowledge?

³ Therefore, as we consider the matter of our salvation, let us do for ourselves what doctors commonly do for their patients. If an injury or ailment is felt only on the surface of the skin, a mild remedy is applied. But if a wound is hidden deep in the bones or buried in the depths of the internal organs, the severity of the condition requires a harsher and more forceful treatment. The wound must be overcome by burning or cutting, so that pain may be conquered by even greater pain.

⁴ A similar approach must be taken with the sickness of the soul. If the sins are minor—such as an error in speech, a fault in one’s will, a sinful glance, or an impure thought—the stains of words and thoughts should be washed away through daily prayer and private contrition. But if, upon examining his conscience, a person finds that he has committed a grave offense—if he has attacked or abandoned his faith through false testimony, if he has profaned the sacred name of truth through perjury, if he has defiled the white garment of baptism and the precious silk of virginity with the filth of shame, if he has murdered another and thus destroyed within himself the new man, or if, by observing omens, seeking out soothsayers, diviners, or enchanters, he has given himself over to the devil—such sins, and others like them, can scarcely be cleansed through ordinary, private, or moderate acts of penance.

⁵ Great offenses require greater, harsher, and more public remedies. For the one who has brought about his own destruction along with many others must likewise redeem himself through the edification of many. A man deceives himself if, while he feels a burning disease raging deep in his marrow, he merely applies a soothing ointment to the surface of his skin.

⁶ These grave evils require great lamentation, loud cries, deep sighs, and a flood of tears. We must cry out with the prophet: “I roared with the groaning of my heart”, and again: “Every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping”. And once more: “For I have eaten ashes like bread and mingled my drink with weeping”.

⁷ Let no one despise repentance, let no one scorn this humility. For it was King David himself who spoke these words; it was the greatest of kings who acted in this way. Therefore, we must mourn over the soul extinguished by sin as if we were lamenting a dead body, crying out with loud wails. Just as a bereaved mother beats her breast and mourns the loss of her only son, so too should we grieve over our one and only soul—but with the hope of its restoration.

⁸ Of this single soul, the prophetic word speaks: “Deliver my soul from the sword, my only one from the power of the dog”. Why does he call it “only”? Perhaps because it is to be loved as though it were the only thing that matters, or because it alone, apart from all other comforts, will have to give an account before the judgment seat of Christ. Therefore, I say, it is necessary to pour out the full weight of our sorrow with groaning and weeping over this soul, slain by the sword of sin, in the hope that it may perhaps be revived by the balm of tears and the warmth of faith.

⁹ Contrition must be kindled; prayers must be strengthened by recalling the judgment to come. We must listen to the words of the prophet Daniel—not just with our ears, but with an obedient heart—when he says: “Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: redeem your sins with almsgiving to the poor”. We must also hear the example of that man in the Gospel as if it were truly written for our redemption: “Behold, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor”. And in the Gospel, we hear the Lord, in his ineffable kindness and love, saying: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me”. By these words, divine authority commends to us the merits of almsgiving.

¹⁰ But perhaps, when we speak of almsgiving, extreme poverty may take fright and say that it has nothing to give to the poor. Yet no one can excuse themselves in this matter, since the Lord has promised to repay even for a cup of cold water and praised the widow who placed two small coins into the treasury. For our God is nourished not by the abundance of the giver’s wealth, but by their goodwill.

¹¹ But, dearest ones, I believe that our Lord has allowed the poor to exist in this world so that He might test the faith of the rich through them, or that, in showing mercy to the poor, He might show mercy to the rich as well, ensuring that those with abundance never lack the opportunity to perform good works and secure their redemption. In this way, even the scarcity of another may enrich a benevolent and compassionate person, and those who are wealthy may gain immense profit from the needy. By this wondrous and supreme exchange, as they extend mercy to the destitute through temporary generosity, they store up for themselves eternal treasures. Let us direct our actions so that whatever we are able to do, whatever strength we have, we may devote it to works of goodwill, the pursuit of justice, and acts of mercy for the love of eternal life. Let us hasten while we have the light, before darkness overtakes us, for in that world to come, there will be no opportunity for amendment or redemption, as the divine word says: “For in death, there is no one who remembers You”. Just as there will no longer be any fear of losing our merits, so too will there be no forgiveness of sins granted there, nor will any opportunity be given for the exercise of good works.

¹² Therefore, brothers, reflecting on these things wisely and joyfully, let us hasten to take refuge in the remedies of repentance, and through chastity and humility, through works of justice and mercy, let us store up for ourselves eternal rewards before God, with the help of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom belong honour and dominion forever and ever. Amen.