Septuagesima Sunday 12 February 2017

• In the ancient calendar of the Church, today is known as Septuagesima Sunday, which is the day that marks the beginning of preparations for Lent for traditional Catholics. • The name Septuagesima literally means “seventieth,” a reference to the number of days before Easter. However, this is a symbolic reference, not a literal one. Next week is Sexagesima Sunday (“sixtieth”) and the following is Quinquagesima Sunday (“fiftieth”). • And of course on Ash Wednesday we will formally enter into Lent, which in Latin is called: Quadragesima, which means “Fortieth” – referring to the 40 days of Lent. • These pre-Lenten Sundays that we begin today are to prepare us for the discipline of Lent, and they also mark a period of transition from the glories of the Christmas Season and the Season after the Epiphany to the more solemn and yet so very necessary penitential season of Lent. • This is a time for us to humble ourselves, examine our hearts, and confess our sins. • The basic message communicated by the prayers and readings of this Mass is that we must recognize our sinfulness and then root out said sins so that we might be made worthy of the promises of Christ. • Indeed, sin is an affliction; sin sullies our hearts and souls. Of course by God’s mercy we may be cleansed and delivered of our sins. But all the same, we must cooperate with God’s healing work within our souls. • And the stakes are high for doing so. Indeed, Heaven is never something any of us can ever presume upon. We are reminded of this in very sobering fashion by the last line in our Gospel today. • Today’s Gospel is the parable of the workers in the vineyard, in which all of those who came to work in the vineyard are given the same pay – even those who came at the very end of the day and worked only a short amount of time. • The beautiful and consoling part about this parable is that it reminds us that God’s mercy is available to us throughout our lives. Even if we repent of our sins at the very last moment of our lives, God will forgive us, and His salvation will be ours. • As your pastor, I – of course – don’t recommend waiting until the last moment of your life to repent! I heartily encourage you to do it now…and to keep doing it throughout your life! That’s the surest path to salvation. • To live as you will with the belief that you can simply repent of all your sins in your dying days and go straight to Heaven is really a terrible act of presumption. • And we are cautioned by such presumption by that curious line at the very end of the parable today in which our Lord says, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” • Many are called, but few are chosen. • These words are reminiscent of the words used in the consecration of the chalice: “qui pro vobis et pro multis effundétur in remissiónem peccatórum,” which means: “which shall be shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.” • Notice that the words of consecration do not say that our Lord’s blood will be shed for all people, only many. While we know that Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection made salvation possible for all men, not all are saved. • This is something that should give us pause. • Note as well the last line of today’s epistle. In speaking about the Israelites, St. Paul tells us that “with most of them God was not well pleased.” Again, words that should give us pause! • The point here is that while Christ suffered and died to redeem us all, not all are saved. Even amongst the baptized, there are those who fail to run the race so as to win. As St. Paul tell us, God is not pleased with everyone. • This is why St. Paul speaks of the effort we must put in to get to Heaven. • What this means is that we must strive to be pleasing in God’s sight, which is not merely a matter of avoiding sin and correctly observing all the Commandments. Doing these things is important, but our hearts must also be true. • There must be integrity in our love for God and for one another. Our hearts must be clean – clean of sin, clean of any presumption and pride, clean of anything that is an impediment to our union with God. • For as our Lord tells us in the Beatitudes, “blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.” • My brothers and sisters, as we begin preparing for the Holy Season of Lent, may we examine ourselves well, being cognizant of any presumption of God’s mercy that may lurk in our hearts. • May we be willing to run the race of this life with humility and complete trust in God’s mercy, working diligently in our Lord’s vineyard so as to receive our proper payment when we see Him face to face. • May we truly be clean of heart, so that we may be among that number who are chosen to see God for all eternity.