Archbishop of Sydney

His Eminence,
Cardinal George Pell
Cardinal Priest of the Title of S. Maria Domenica Mazzarello

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Home > Our Archbishop > Homilies 2003 > Article	Printable Version

8th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Self Discipline

Clifton Gardens - 1st March & St Mary's Cathedral - 2nd March 2003
Hosea 2:16-7; 21-2; 2 Cor 3:1-6; Mk 2:18-22

By + Cardinal George Pell
Archbishop of Sydney
2 March 2003

Next Wednesday is the start of Lent, the Christian time of preparation for the feast of Easter, when the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are celebrated.

Ash Wednesday itself is a Catholic day of penance, fasting and abstinence from meat and this year Pope John Paul II has asked Catholics to pray and do penance so that war and terrorism will be avoided and there will be peace. In a gesture deeply appreciated by the Catholic community the Supreme Islamic Council of New South Wales has also asked its members to pray and fast on that day. Christians, Moslems and Jews, we are all monotheists, who worship the one true God and Moslems have a special reverence for Jesus and His mother Mary. We are also fellow Australians.

Lent in particular is a season for us to practise self-discipline, where every disciple is his own teacher, trainer or disciplinarian. The word disciple implies discipline.

Most of us are happy to claim that we have sufficient common sense to get through life, but few of us claim that we have enough self-discipline. Sometimes we seem irresistibly driven to have another chocolate or cigarette or to pass on the interesting piece of gossip we have just heard, even when we have no idea whether it is true. There is a good deal of unnecessary suffering because of the failure to control tempers, appetites and passions.

If we are to live a good life, there has to be a proper balance and order in our soul. St. Augustine the great Christian writer from nearly 1600 years ago, who was bishop of a small North African town called Hippo, pointed out to his people that there had to be a proper ranking in the different forms of love; of God, for our neighbours, for our selves and only then for material goods and money.

As someone who has rarely been enthusiastic about fasting, this gospel passage gave me consolation for many years. While Christ (the bridegroom) was with the apostles they were not called to fast. But Jesus did not rule out fasting completely. There has always been a place in the Christian and Catholic tradition for fasting, so that we leave space in our hearts for God and his Son, Jesus. One season in particular is designated for this, the season of Lent.

It has been remarked that many people fast today, but they do not do so for religious reasons and they do not call it fasting. They are dieting for the sake of their physical health.

This is part of the deepening influence of secularism and superstition; of pushing God from center-stage to be replaced by the idols of good health, or wealth or longevity or simply pleasure and thousands of petty superstitions like reading the stars or fortune telling or some other New Age escapism; pseudo-religion without personal effort or cost. Many more Australians talk about planning for a happy retirement than preparing for a good Christian death. Some of you, like me, would remember the old prayer to be saved from a sudden and unexpected death. For all of us who take death and judgement, heaven and hell seriously, this is still a good prayer.

It is easier to talk about the proper dispositions of our heart, the purity of our soul than to practise what we preach. But successful daily living needs self-discipline, controlling our tempers, our appetites, our inclinations. From an early age we learn to purify our souls, bring order to our lives just as we learn to read and write, or play the piano or master some sport - through regular practice. Moderate and sensible fasting, which our doctors would approve, is good practice for many other good habits. Fierce fasting, which brings headaches, should not be practised.

Practice brings self-control. Every time we have a win over our fat relentless egos, even in little things like getting out of bed on time, it is a bit easier next time. Every time we lose, the chains of bad habit are drawn tighter. Practice might not make us perfect at self-control, but brings us closer to this virtue.

We all learn from our mistakes and one important skill of parenting is to give growing children increasing amounts of freedom so they can make their own decisions and learn from their mistakes. It does not hurt children to give up sweets, or chocolates or soft drink for Lent, anymore than it hurts us adults to give up alcohol, or sweets or ???. But an ancient Church council instructs us not to fast on Sundays. I have been happy to obey this.

Both children and adults can use the money saved to donate to the poor, especially Project Compassion, sponsored by Caritas, the Catholic agency for overseas aid and development.

Many of us should rethink our ideas about fasting and all of us should get serious about Lent as a preparation for Easter, the great feast of death and resurrection of Christ.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.