Are you still stuck looking for a way to grow in intimacy with Christ this Lenten season? Pick up a copy of Fr. William Casey’s books Making a Holy Lent: 40 Meditations to Prepare You for the Church’s Holiest Season.
Father Casey used to give Lenten retreats for EWTN. This book is a collection of his talks, and is divided into 7 topics in 7 chapters to read over the 40 days – which makes it easy to catch up if you start late or miss a day!
Father Casey covers many topics in the book. Here are a few:
The Real Presence
The Passover lamb foreshadowed of Christ and His sacrifice, but also in how we are saved and nourished by Him in the Eucharist. “God’s chosen people, therefore, were saved by the blood of the lamb and they were nourished by eating the flesh of the lamb as they began their march toward the Promised Land,” Father Casey writes. We must partake of the Eucharist not only for our salvation but so our entire selves are nourished by and live because of Christ the Lord.
The Virtues of Charity and Chastity
In this chapter, Fr. Casey gives a stunning explanation of what these two virtues actually are. He also talks about how to live them, and why they’re so important. “The truth is that God does love us just the way we are– but He loves us too much to let us stay that way. God has created us to be saints. He is calling us to grow in holiness and virtue and wisdom and knowledge and understanding of our Faith. He is calling us to draw closer to Him at every moment, in everything that we do, every day of our lives.”
The Danger of Pride and the Power of Humility
Fr. Casey reminds readers of how St. Teresa of Avila, the great Doctor of the Church, defined humility. “Humility is truth.” Humility helps us see ourselves as God sees us and restrains our desire for personal glory. “True humility,” Fr. Casey writes, “does not deny the gifts, talents, and abilities that God has given us. But it does mean that we don’t claim those gifts as our own. Rather, we recognize them as having come from God, knowing that He wants and expects and demands that we use those gifts to build up the Body of Christ, the Church, on earth for His greater honor and glory and for the salvation of souls.”
The Blessed Virgin Mary
Echoing the Church, Fr. Casey holds Mary up as the perfect disciple and model of virtue. He reminds us to go to her as she comes to us, saying: “She leads the way; She clears the way; She lights the way; She guides us on the way to Her Son. That is why we love Mary and honor Her the way we do!” Everything in the book culminates in Mary. She is full of grace and is the perfect model and mother for us who strive on the path to sainthood. When in doubt, look to Mary and she will show you her son.
For more on these topics and others, pick up a copy of Making a Holy Lent: 40 Meditations to Prepare You for the Church’s Holiest Season by Father William Casey, C.P.M. today!
