Lent has only two weeks remaining and, speaking for myself at least, now is the time to reassess and recommit to our Lenten practices. As the days and weeks have gone by, the vigor and vim I once had for my increased prayer and sacrifices has significantly decreased and, more importantly, so has my execution of my Lenten resolutions. Even if the initial enthusiasm cannot be found again, our perseverance and discipline in following the path of sanctity must certainly can be. 

*St. Paul reminds his listeners in his letter to the Hebrews that Christ “endured the cross” “for the sake of the joy that lay before him” and that now He “has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). It is not in vain that we struggle here below—we are striving, by the grace of God, for our heavenly reward. Christ Himself set the example of perseverance in faith to the end; for most of us, we will not be called to follow Him to such extremes, but should instead use the small trials and tribulations we encounter in our lives to grow more like Christ. St. Paul reminds us of this later in Hebrews: “Consider how [Christ] endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood. You have also forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons: ‘My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges’” (Hebrews 12:3-5). God uses the struggles we come up against in our lives to discipline us, if we allow Him to. Instead of seeing ourselves as victims to the circumstances in our lives, we should thank God for the opportunities He has allowed to enter our lives that incite our growth towards holiness. It is through these trials, these opportunities for growth, that God forms us as His children: “Endure your trials as “discipline”; God treats you as sons. For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are without discipline, in which all have shared, you are not sons but bastards” (Hebrews 12:7-8). St. Paul, being attuned to the feelings of his readers, acknowledges that we may not always be immediately willing or able to see our struggles as a blessing, but encourages us to train ourselves to see with eyes fixed towards eternity: “[God] does so for our benefit, in order that we may share his holiness. At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it” (Hebrews 12:10-11). With this perspective, we are more easily able to see and accept our earthly burdens with grace and strength. 

Practically, what does this look like for Catholics wishing to recommit themselves to the pursuit of holiness in these final few weeks of Lent? In this, St. Paul is not silent. He gives encouragement to carry on in our spiritual life (which, of course, includes our Lenten exercises!) by keeping Christ as our model and the saints as our inspiration: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2). The lack of particular parameters in this exhortation implies that St. Paul does not have a “one size fits all” prayer or sacrifice schedule. Instead, he leaves the specifics of our prayer lives up to each of us and exhorts us only to be disciplined in our efforts in our striving for holiness. We should look to the great cloud of witnesses that we are surrounded by—there is, doubtless, a saint who lived in the season we are in who we can look to for guidance and an example of what that discipline might look like for each of us right now. This is the gift of the variety of saints that the Church has given to Her children. 

This is the universal call to holiness: that in all vocations, in all times, in all places, there is a path to sanctity. We must see our daily struggles and life circumstances with eyes fixed on eternity so that we can find our path to sainthood. If we ask God for the grace to persevere in our journeys back to Him, these paths will be as unique as the saints themselves but each will place Christ as the center.  

*There is no complete consensus among theologians on who the author of Hebrews is. It has traditionally attributed to St. Paul, some have posited other theories of authorship.