The words of today’s Introit are the cry of fallen man—man wounded by sin and surrounded by death: “The groans of death surrounded me, the sorrows of hell encompassed me.” The Church places this cry on our lips as we begin the solemn descent toward Lent, because she wants us to face a hard truth: without God, we are lost. And yet at the same time, she wants us to hear an even greater truth: with God, we can still be saved.

The state of fallen human nature—due to original sin and our personal sins—is hopeless when man is left to himself. It is the life of despair, a despair that mirrors eternal damnation. The souls in hell are without even the smallest sliver of hope, because their punishment is not simply fire—it is the eternal absence of God. To be forever shut out from His light, His love, His presence… this is the true terror of hell. Oh, what a horror. The very thought should make us tremble.

Imagine, if you will, the first moments of a soul condemned to hell. What must it be like to know—with full clarity—what one has done to merit such a punishment? To see the justice of God and the ugliness of one’s own sin without any escape? That despair quickly turns into hatred. And because a soul in hell will never accept personal responsibility, that hatred will not be directed inward in repentance, but outward in rebellion—blaming God for the consequences of its own choices. This is the dreadful truth: in hell there is no sorrow for sin—only rage at being punished for it.

But the Introit does not leave us trapped in despair. It is also filled with hope. The Church makes us hear the words: “In my affliction, I called upon the Lord, and He heard my voice.” He heard my voice. God does not abandon the repentant soul. He is always near to those who call upon Him in this life. As long as we have life and breath, there is hope—there is still time—there is still the possibility of reconciliation. He waits at every door. He stands beside every soul, waiting for an invitation to enter.

And that is why the Church urges us today to “run so as to win.” We must do our part in this journey. We must cooperate with grace. Septuagesima is a great opportunity; it is the portal to Lent. It is the Church’s way of shaking us awake and saying: now is the time to prepare. Now is the time to begin turning away from sin. Now is the time to train for the season of repentance. We are only about two and a half weeks away from the beginning of Lent, so take time now to make a battle plan. How will you use Lent? What will you do to grow closer to the Lord in the spiritual desert? What will you give up, what will you take on, what must be confessed and brought into the light? Because the desert is coming—and the Church, like a loving Mother, is giving us time to prepare.