As part of the opening prayer of the Mass for Ash Wednesday we pray that, “... as we take up battle against spiritual evils, we may be armed with weapons of self-restraint.”

 

The image is of course one of combat. The description makes of all of us — men and women, children and senior citizens — part of the fight. Every one of us takes part in the struggle. And each of us needs the best weapons not only to survive but also to prevail.

 

As sad as war is in the human experience, it is shared by every time and culture. War always has devastating consequences, especially for the individuals who engage in it. It has a false allure as well. 

 

That confusion was manifested in the famous comment of General Robert E. Lee who during the horrible bloodshed at the Battle of Fredericksburg. He is said to have remarked, “It is well that war is so terrible — we would grow too fond of it!”

 

During Lent, as we ponder our sins, our participation in the battle between good and evil is at the center of our thoughts. And one of the first dangers is exactly the same. Confusion. We too can “grow too fond” of our sins. In so doing, we lose that spiritual sense of the horror of offending God in any way.

 

We might ask, what are signs of “growing too fond” of our sins? One might be that what once bothered my conscience no longer does so. Conscience is a great gift of God, built into each of us. It whispers to us, “do this” and “avoid that.” But conscience is not magic. It is formed and reinforced by prayer, sacrifice and faith in Christ and His Church.

 

A well-formed conscience will make us rejoice even in suffering or deprivation, if what we are doing is truly good. By the same token, if we are separating ourselves from God, the Church, and especially the moral life, we will experience the signs of a nagging conscience.

 

We can, however, deaden our conscience. We can ignore that deep sense of moral unease and simply grab the moment for pleasure, for gain, for anger or violence. And the more we do that, the more the voice of conscience fades away. Lent is a moment to ask ourselves if we have stifled or smothered the voice of conscience.

 

A second sign of being too fond of our sins is our relation to the Catholic Church and her teachings, especially her moral teachings. The moral law, the Ten Commandments, the Church’s teaching on, for example, chastity, birth control, immigration and social justice, are not limitations on our freedom. They are the expression of how to live as Jesus wants His followers to do so. 

 

If we find ourselves living in contradiction to the teaching of the Church, especially in a fundamental area, we need to ask ourselves, “Why?” Jesus guides His Church in every age. We simply cannot live apart from her teaching.

 

A third sign of growing too fond of our sins is rationalization. It is that internal conversation with ourselves when we say, “Yes, I accept the Church’s teaching, but I’m a special circumstance.” Or, “Here’s why that doesn’t apply in my case.” The fondness of our sins makes us reluctant to break through and accuse ourselves before God as we must in order to repent.

 

Please don’t forget. The great antidote to our sins is the Sacrament of Confession. If it has been a while, make sure to go this Lenten season. 

 

And please remember our annual Diocesan Be Reconciled Day on Wednesday, April 10. Confessions will be heard from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. in every parish throughout the diocese. Check your parish for precise times and details.

 

We need repentance and confession so that we do not “grow too fond” of our sinfulness.