Next Wednesday is the beginning of the holy season, the penitential season of Lent. The Church, our spiritual mother, says to us: "Remember, O Man, that thou art dust and unto dust thou shalt return." Ashes, the symbol of our death and mortality are placed on our foreheads. It is a very practical way of reminding us that we must think less about this life and a little more about the next life. In the Gospel of the Mass on Ash Wednesday, our Lord warns us in very pointed words: "Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth: where the rust, and moth consume, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven: where neither the rust nor moth doth consume, and where the thieves do not break through, nor steal. (Matthew, 19 & 20).

Now is the acceptable time to begin. Don't say to yourselves: "Well, I am young. I have many temptations and it is so hard to say "no" all the time. When I am older I won't have so many temptations and it will be easy to live a good life, and I will make up for lost time." In answer to that let me say this: all the masters of the spiritual life are emphatic in telling us that a person seems to have as many temptations when he is sixty as when he is twenty.

Take the case of St. Jerome. He left home in order to get away from the temptations of a great city and fled into the desert near Jerusalem. But he complained bitterly in a letter that has come down to us that sinful desires still burned as fiercely in his mind as before, and his soul was in feverish torment. Whether men or women are in a great city, or in the vast solitude of a desert, they complain that they are still bothered by the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil.

The holy season of Lent is a penitential season. Surely all of us realize that we need to do penance for our sins and the sins of the world. Our Lord has told us: "Unless you do penance, you shall likewise perish."

All men are apprehensive about the future because of atom and hydrogen bombs and the possibility of another world war. If enough people will pray, do penance and lead good lives, these dangers can be averted. It is difficult for me to tell you what penance to perform because what is penance for one is not for another. If you like candy, give it up. If you like amusements, give them up. Cut down on smoking and drinking or give them up completely. Go to week-day Mass as often as possible. Resolve to give up forever the monstrous habit of cursing and foul language. What you save in giving up worldly amusements, place into your Lenten Sacrifice holder which you may obtain from an usher after Mass. Everyone can also practice more patience and more kindness.

Go to the sacraments as often as possible. Take seriously the words of Our Blessed Lord Who commands us: Take ye and eat, this is My Body. Ask God to give you a deep and holy faith in Our Lord's Real Presence. Say with the Apostle: "I believe; help my unbelief."

BE SURE TO DO ALL OF THIS CHEERFULLY. GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER!