And what is this work? For each and every one of us, it is a work of growing in the knowledge and love of God. Be we young or old, rich or poor, raised to public station or living hidden lives, we have each been called by Christ to “be perfect” (Matthew 5:48). And the standard of that perfection is the Christ who declared himself to be “the way” (John 14:6).

In our work of teaching and sharing the faith, my colleagues and I at the Augustine Institute strive to imitate St. Paul’s service to Christ, which he once characterized in these terms: “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ” (Colossians 1:28). It is a daunting task. Yet we realize, with St. Paul, that our contribution is a very minor one: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:6). And this growth in maturity in Christ that God gives to us—especially in and through our observance of Lent—is often as not a gift that we receive through suffering. Again, Newman explains:

Nothing short of suffering, except in rare cases, makes us what we should be: gentle instead of harsh, meek instead of violent, conceding instead of arrogant, lowly instead of proud, pure-hearted instead of sensual, sensitive of sin instead of carnal. This is the object which is set before us: to become holy as he who has called us is holy.