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from 
THE CROWN OF THE YEAR
Weekly Paragraphs for the Holy Sacrament
By Austin Farrer
Dacre Press, Westminster
SEPTUAGESIMA

We are, says the collect, not we shall be, punished for our offences: the world by boredom and fear of war, the Church by impotence and self-reproach, and we by separation from the life of God.  Punished, says the collect, and justly punished; for if we are separated from God, is it not that we have cut ourselves off, by laziness in praying, and faithlessness in obeying?  But, says the collect, we may yet pray with confidence to be relieved of punishment by God's mercy through Jesus Christ.  Our punishment lasts no longer than our will to live without God.  We throw ourselves into Christ’s sacrifice, we are offered, presented by him to God along with his own flesh and blood; for we are his flesh and blood, he does not disown us.