Fr Ben Garren

Dear Siblings in Christ,

We are at the eve of Lent and with that the continual debate about what exactly are we supposed to do with penitence, fasting, asceticism, etc... I am generally reminded this time every year of an instruction manual I was given as a youth to prepare for confession. The entry for sloth worked the same way as every one of the deadly sins. It first noted that it was indeed a sin to sleep in late and not go about one’s work and obligations. The next line then said it was indeed a sin to not set aside enough time for rest and to tire oneself out from overwork and too many obligations. My young mind had this thought of a sinless life being one of ever perilously walking on a tightrope stretched out between my last confession and my next one.

This seems to be the quandary of Peter Damian, the Doctor of the Church whose feast we celebrate today. He was invited to join a rather posh monastery filled with all variety of comforts, and instead went to the most austere one he could find. Only there he brought himself to the edge of death by placing ever stricter ascetic measures on himself. He recovered, became a teacher and abbot… and was determined everyone must be up before dawn to recite long stretches of the psalter. This made everyone so exhausted that he had to instigate a requirement for a daily siesta so the monks could sleep. He also brought the problematic practice of self-flagellation into the monastery for Lent and then had to put all variety of conditions in place to stop the monks from severely hurting themselves. A process of ever chasing some ideal reality, ever walking that tightrope of perfection.

This Lent I would suggest that we take ourselves off whatever tightrope of sin and perfection that penitential seasons might bring us to remember… but only so that we can check our balance in a healthier way. Because we do need to check and ask are we letting ourselves sleep in late when there is work to be done or are we are not getting enough sleep, etc.. Each of us has some space where we need to come to a point of better balance in our life… where something is in excess and needs to be curbed so that we can be more balanced. Take the time today to reflect on what that is, it probably is neither giving up chocolate nor taking up self-flagellation, but something specific to where your life has placed you right now at the start of Lent. Finding that point of balance is what will prepare you for the Easter Feast.

Pax,

—Ben