Lent, the Spiritual Battle Against Concupiscence, and Inner Integrity – Mar 09 – Homily – Fr Alan

 

Fr. Alan B. Maria Wharton gives the homily from Our Lady's Chapel, New Bedford, MA, for the First Sunday of Lent (Mar 09, 2025), on how to understand the Lenten spiritual battle as a time of purification and establishing or restoring inner integrity. Principally, we must strive to be free of the triple concupiscence--lust of the flesh, and of the eyes, and pride of life--that plagues fallen man.

Fr. John Hardon says that integrity is "wholeness of character without duplicity or internal conflict of interests." This Lent, make strides toward this spiritual condition through concerted discipleship and conformity to Christ's admonition in Matthew 16:24-25, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” 

Father offers a few practical points on what to do to make progress toward complete inner integrity this Lent.

Ave Maria!

Mass: Sunday 1st Week of Lent - Sunday
Readings:  - http://usccb.org/bible/readings/030925.cfm
1st: deu 26:4-10
Resp: psa 91:1-2, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15
2nd: rom 10:8-13
Gsp: luk 4:1-13

More on the Readings: https://airmaria.com/r?m=1876

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