Lent
The Call to Lenten Obedience and Humility
The poet welcomes Lent as a feast of temperance and authority, urging obedience to the Church's fast and a humble heart that takes personal responsibility rather than scandal.
Welcome, dear feast of Lent: whoever doesn't love you doesn't love temperance or authority, but is made of passion. The Scriptures bid us fast; the Church says, now: Give your Mother what you would grant to every corporation.1 The humble soul, composed of love and fear, begins at home and lays the burden there when doctrines disagree. He says, in things that custom has justly established: I am a scandal to the Church, and not the Church a scandal to me.2
The Benefits and Proper Use of Lenten Discipline
True Christians rejoice in the chance to practice temperance, enjoying the physical and spiritual benefits of abstinence, and they do not let others' misuse of Lent diminish its value.
True Christians should welcome the chance to practice their temperance, not seeking to avoid it when that good is in season—unless Authority, which should increase our obligation, makes it less, and Power itself disables it. Besides the cleanness of pleasant abstinence — quick thoughts and movements at little cost, a face unafraid of the light — while in fullness there are foul fumes, sour exhalations, and shameful discharges, taking revenge for the delight.3 The attendant benefits that spring and Easter point to then enlarge the act itself and the goodness of the deed.4 Nor should other people's abuse of Lent spoil its good use; otherwise, by that same logic, we'd forfeit our whole Creed.
Imitating Christ and Seeking Grace
Though we cannot match Christ's forty-day fast, we strive to follow his path, hoping for his strengthening grace, and we pray that our fasting starves sin and feeds the poor.
It's true, we can't reach Christ's fortieth day. Yet to go part of that religious way is better than to rest. We can't reach our Savior's purity; yet we're commanded, Be holy even as he is.5 In both, let's do our best. Whoever goes the way Christ has gone is far more certain to meet him than someone who travels by side roads. Perhaps, my God, though he is far ahead, may turn and take me by the hand, and even more may strengthen my failing strength.6 Yet, Lord, teach us to improve our fast by starving sin and by taking nourishment that can control our faults—so that everyone may feast at their door, not in their parlor; providing a feast for the poor, and among them, their own soul.7
Read the original English
WElcome deare feast of Lent: who loves not thee, He loves not Temperance, or Authoritie, But is compos'd of passion. The Scriptures bid us fast; the Church sayes, now: Give to thy Mother, what thou wouldst allow To ev'ry Corporation.
The humble soul compos'd of love and fear Begins at home, and layes the burden there, When doctrines disagree. He sayes, in things which use hath justly got, I am a scandall to the Church, and not The Church is so to me.
True Christians should be glad of an occasion To use their temperance, seeking no evasion, When good is seasonable; Unlesse Authoritie, which should increase The obligation in us, make it lesse, And Power it self disable.
Besides the cleannesse of sweet abstinence, Quick thoughts and motions at a small expense, A face not fearing light: Whereas in fulnesse there are sluttish fumes, Sowre exhalations, and dishonest rheumes, Revenging the delight.
Then those same pendant profits, which the spring And Easter intimate, enlarge the thing, And goodnesse of the deed. Neither ought other mens abuse of Lent Spoil the good use; lest by that argument We forfeit all our Creed.
It's true, we cannot reach Christs fortieth day; Yet to go part of that religious way, Is better then to rest: We cannot reach our Saviours puritie; Yet are we bid, Be holy ev'n as he. In both let's do our best.
Who goeth in the way which Christ hath gone, Is much more sure to meet with him, then one That travelleth by-wayes. Perhaps my God, though he be farre before, May turn, and take me by the hand, and more May strengthen my decayes.
Yet Lord instruct us to improve our fast By starving sinne, and taking such repast As may our faults controll: That ev'ry man may revell at his doore, Not in his parlour; banquetting the poore, And among those his soul.
Notes
- 1 ↩Mother means the Church (Holy Mother Church). Corporation here is a civic body or guild whose public rules and fasting days people willingly honor; Herbert argues that the Church deserves at least the same deference.
- 2 ↩Early modern 'use' here means settled custom/usage, not mere personal habit; 'hath justly got' means has rightfully secured or won standing.
- 3 ↩Early modern 'sluttish' means dirty/slovenly, not primarily sexual; 'dishonest' means unseemly or shameful; 'rheumes' are watery discharges (eyes, nose, phlegm). Rendered as foul fumes and shameful discharges to keep the bodily-aftereffect sense without archaic medical diction.
- 4 ↩pendant profits: attendant/hanging benefits that go with the Lenten practice; intimate: suggest or give a hint of.
- 5 ↩Early modern 'then' is the comparative 'than' ('better than to rest'), not a temporal 'then'.
- 6 ↩Source 'decayes' rendered as 'failing strength'—Herbert's plural for bodily/spiritual decline and weakness, not mere rot.
- 7 ↩Herbert's closing line makes the soul a guest among the poor being banquetted: hospitality to the poor is also the soul's true feast. 'Repast' is rendered as nourishment to carry both ordinary food and the moral/spiritual fare that restrains fault.
The Temple: Sacred Poems and Private Ejaculations companion
A prayer for every moment, already on your phone
Chosen Portion puts a curated historic prayer in front of you each day — so the words are there before the moment arrives.
Chosen Portion is the digital descendant of the carried prayer book: the short daily prayers this collection preserves, delivered one a day to your pocket.
- One short, memorable prayer delivered daily — build your repertoire a card at a time
- Prayers matched to real situations: fear, gratitude, decisions, grief, sleep
- Save favourites into your personal pocket collection you can open anywhere