Lent – Page 2 – Saint Vincent Ferrer Foundation

Three Pillars of Penance

DVRodriguez2021-02-27T06:38:57-05:00

Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are at the very foundation of our spiritual life as Catholics. We must practice them in order to grow in God’s grace. All three require a profound interior disposition. Prayer grows our love for God, almsgiving increases our love of neighbor and detachment from the world, and fasting requires our death to self. These pillars of penance are the most important ways to store up treasures in Heaven and combat the obstacles to receiving God’s grace. This Lent, I exhort you to pray the Rosary more devoutly, meditate upon the Stations of the Cross, grow in your [...]

Three Pillars of PenanceDVRodriguez2021-02-27T06:38:57-05:00

God Loves the Cheerful Alms Giver

DVRodriguez2021-03-02T04:53:28-05:00

A perfect Lent requires prayer, fasting and giving alms. Our Lady at Lourdes and the Angel at Fatima insisted upon a three-fold ‘Penance! Penance! Penance!’ The Archangel Raphael reminds Tobias, “Prayer is good with fasting and alms more than to lay up treasures of gold: For alms delivereth from death, and the same is that which purgeth away sins, and maketh to find mercy and life everlasting” (12:8-9). The world undergoes terrible temptations towards materialism. In fact, the grave crisis we face is due in no small part to men failing to piously use their wealth to combat evil and support [...]

God Loves the Cheerful Alms GiverDVRodriguez2021-03-02T04:53:28-05:00

Lenten Spirituality of St Francis de Paola

DVRodriguez2021-02-16T07:37:37-05:00

St Francis Paola (1416-1507), an extraordinary miracle worker, founded an order of Franciscan hermits: The Minims. They were to be ‘minimal’ in their possessions and diet and in the eyes of the world. They also took a fourth vow: to perpetually live in accordance with the Church’s ancient Lenten discipline. Theirs was a lifelong fast and abstinence from meat and all animal products. St. Francis required this rigor as a heroic act of mortification and to make reparation for the laxity that had entered into Christians’ lenten practices — in the 15th century! He knew that any austerity can be embraced [...]

Lenten Spirituality of St Francis de PaolaDVRodriguez2021-02-16T07:37:37-05:00

Love Your Cross

DVRodriguez2021-02-15T06:36:45-05:00

What if this was your last Lent? It may be, so make it count! Love Lent and deepen your appreciation for it. Lent is a time to practice loving God more than self; a time to place neighbor before self; a time to love soul more than body. Man has the ability to merit by his sufferings because he has a body. Thus, Lent is a time to voluntarily embrace all our crosses, that we not be caught off guard by anything the world, flesh and the devil might throw in our path. If we flee from the cross, then we [...]

Love Your CrossDVRodriguez2021-02-15T06:36:45-05:00

To Love Fasting

DVRodriguez2021-03-30T07:22:20-04:00

When it comes to fasting, one’s internal disposition is of key importance. Let us therefore keep its benefits in mind. By fasting we obey God and please Him. This penance, greatly advocated in Scripture, gains the forgiveness of sins and averts divine punishment. Fasting is cleansing, lends clarity to the mind, and bridles the tongue. It disciplines us to say no to our self-will. Fasting helps us avoid sin and strengthens us against the devil’s temptations. It even prepares us to fulfill our vocation and enables us to help other members of the Mystical Body of Christ. So pray to love [...]

To Love FastingDVRodriguez2021-03-30T07:22:20-04:00

Purity of Heart and the Commandments

DVRodriguez2020-03-15T08:29:50-04:00

Lent is a time to turn away from sin (convert!) and to turn to God. Christ asks of us our heart and that we follow Him. Now is a time to strive after a clean heart, that we may see God! Many people mistakenly think the Ten Commandments are merely a list of "thou shalt nots" and they fail to see how the Commandments also call us to practice virtue, to do good, to love our neighbor, and to love God. In fact, the Commandments are a wondrous expression of God's love and the most basic means by which we can [...]

Purity of Heart and the CommandmentsDVRodriguez2020-03-15T08:29:50-04:00

We Must Conquer Temptation

DVRodriguez2020-03-07T05:44:24-05:00

If you are already struggling this Lent - that is good! If its going along with ease, you probably aren't doing the penances you need. Lent is a time to fight temptation. God permits temptations to enable us to grow in virtue and holiness. The Devil's ultimate temptation against Christ was to come down from the Cross. This lies at the root of every temptation - to flee from the Cross. This is because it is through the Cross that God chooses to conquer. Christ allowed Himself to be tempted to: [1] Undo them temptation of our first parents; [2] Strengthen us against temptation; [...]

We Must Conquer TemptationDVRodriguez2020-03-07T05:44:24-05:00

Not for Destruction but for Ammendment

DVRodriguez2020-02-26T10:49:32-05:00

Are we not in a similar situation as the Israelites of old even who faced the seemingly invincible army of Holofernes? There are truly many forces arrayed about against us. For those with eyes to see, it is truly harrowing, and yet we have the weapons for victory: such as the prayer, fasting, the Holy Sacrifice and the priesthood, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. As Judith indicated, this is not for our destruction but for our amendment. These things are less than we deserve! Lent is now here. Let’s do our part, so she can do hers.

Not for Destruction but for AmmendmentDVRodriguez2020-02-26T10:49:32-05:00

Chair of St. Peter

DVRodriguez2020-02-26T08:28:52-05:00

Two brief daily sermons. * The teaching office of St. Peter and his successors points us to Christ, for it is Christ who entrusted the Church with the mission of preserving, preaching and transmitting, until the end of time, His teaching - integrally and faithfully. By virtue of baptism, each one of us has the responsibility of persevering in this saving doctrine. Many Catholics are confused regarding the Church's dogma on the pope's teaching authority, so here we briefly review it. * Blessed ashes are a holy symbol of three spiritual exercises: [1] Sorrow and contrition for one's sins; [2] Penance and mortification; and [3] [...]

Chair of St. PeterDVRodriguez2020-02-26T08:28:52-05:00

Idolatry of Technology

DVRodriguez2020-02-18T06:23:05-05:00

Our lack of mortification prevents us from receiving grace and drawing sufficiently near to God. Too often, our appetites, passions and desires are unruly and out of control. We can only rein them in by dying to our selves. Lent is a privileged time for us to grow spiritually by practicing such penance. Perhaps the most pervasive manner in which we indulge our passions, seeking ease and entertainment, is through technological gadgets. Through technology, man easily avoids his duties of state and can escape from reality into a virtual world. Why not take the challenge of giving our 'tech rewards' for [...]

Idolatry of TechnologyDVRodriguez2020-02-18T06:23:05-05:00