LENT: A GYM OF THE SPIRIT ROBERTO MENA, ST March-2006             Every significant achievement requires great efforts. St. Paul, when talking to the Corinthians, uses an image from the world of athletes to explain that the spiritual life demands a wrestling and robust struggling. He knows that the Greeks understand his image from their hosting the Olympics.             Lift the bar during Lent! “Haven’t we learned anything from the stadium? Don’t we know that all runners run the race but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to win the prize! Every one who competes in the games must go into a regimented training. They do it to obtain a crown that wilts; but we do it to gain the crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like one running aimlessly. I do not fight like one beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” (1 Cor 9:24-27)             The goal of the Christian is eternal life. To achieve that goal requires intense daily effort. The liturgical season of Lent provides us a special field in which the daily efforts intensify. When we demand of ourselves more and lift bar during lent, we grow in the spirit. Our personal efforts, mixed in with the grace of God, affords us a better level of personal improvement and intimacy with God.             Living in the Spirit is not easy because our wounded nature. Baptism cleanses us from original sinfulness but we don’t have absolute control of ourselves. St Paul describes this continuing struggle as an internal fight (Rom 7:14-25), a treasure in jars of clay (2 Cor 4:7-18) or a thorn in the flesh (2 Cor 12:7-10).            The spiritual battle is oftentimes like swimming in a river, against the current.             Lent gives us an excellent opportunity to strengthen us to continue swimming against the current. “Because man is a composite being, spirit and body, there already exists a certain tension in him. A certain struggle of tendencies between Spirit and flesh develops. But in fact, this struggle belongs to the heritage of sin. It is the consequence of sin and at the same time a confirmation of it.” (#2416, Catechism of the Catholic Church).             We all grow in a culture that denies everything. All is acceptable. The discipline of self-control and virtue are seen as repression. The icons of the modern culture know exactly what buttons to push. Since our failing world turns out to be attractive to the fallen nature of humans, it is easy to fall into the trap of sinfulness.             A successful Lent requires thus that we develop a serious action plan, one that includes the general practices of the Catholic Church in addition to our own personal program.             As a general Catholic practice, we fast during Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. We are also encouraged to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and every Friday of Lent. Also, we are asked to come up with our personal regimen for spiritual growth. I have always encouraged parishioners to come up with “positive” and “negative” projects.             By “negative,” I mean, one has to leave something out. This has to be something serious and demanding.  By “positive,” I mean one has to do something good that s/he does not normally practice. Self-control is the only training for authentic freedom. A serious commitment towards reconciliation purifies the heart and leaves us with interior freedom.             St Paul assures us that “God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power, love and self-discipline (2 Tim1:7). A disciplined regimen of daily prayer, reading of the scriptures and a sacramental life give us channels of grace for the Spirit to fortify us in conquering basic tendencies. “Chastity includes an apprenticeship in self mastery which is training in human freedom. The alternative is clear: either man governs his passions and finds peace, or he lets himself be dominated by them and becomes unhappy.” (Catechism, #2339).             When we confront the threats of our modern culture face to face with our spiritual life, we some times feel like throwing the towel. Christianity is hard to live and demands radical decisions. Yet, the Word assures us:             “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart I have overcome the world.” (Jn 16:33). “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Phil 4:13).             Lent is another opportunity for spiritual growth. We can change..