The Fasting Person’s Necessary Resolve to Consecrate Himself to God is Viewed as a Conscious Renewal of the Vows Made on Our Behalf at Baptism

Let me add one more thing. Having read all that you are called to do, do not think: “Good heavens, what a burden! How is one ever to do all of this!” Even if it were so, there is no use digging in your heels, for the matter is of the first importance. But in truth there is nothing difficult or overwhelming here. Everything is simple. Begin little by little—and you will manage to do it all as it should be done. But if you cannot manage to do everything you would wish, do what you can. The Lord is not exacting about small things. He values earnestness and intention. Your effort to examine and reshape your whole self He will accept as something already accomplished—only do not abandon it, but keep it before you to continue and continue until you bring it to completion. The main thing, however—that is, the decisive intention to consecrate your whole self to the Lord—you must without fail arouse within yourself, strengthen, and establish once and for all. This is the indispensable condition for receiving the grace given in the sacraments of Repentance and Holy Communion.

Let me bring to your mind the work of the ordering of our salvation, and you will see what the chief thing is that now stands required of you. We sinned in our ancestors. The goodness of God took pity on us and arranged our salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Who became incarnate for us human beings and for our salvation. He accomplished this salvation through His death on the cross, His resurrection, and the sending down of the Holy Spirit. Those who believe in Him, coming to Him with repentance, receive the forgiveness of sins through the merits of His death, and, through their resolve to follow Him and His teaching in their life, receive in the sacraments the grace of the Holy Spirit. All of this is accomplished in Baptism and Chrismation. The one who has received grace begins a new life, having been born of the Holy Spirit. We received this new birth in infancy. Our parents and godparents bore witness to the faith on our behalf. They also pledged that we would live according to the commandments of the Lord. For this reason, in the initial sacraments everything was given to us just as if we ourselves had consciously professed faith and made vows—but obviously on the condition that, when we grew up and came to self-awareness, we would also freely take upon ourselves the obligations that were spoken for us by others at our Baptism. When a person does this, the grace of God, which until that point had been acting alone and in hiddenness, begins to act in cooperation with freedom—and not infrequently makes itself palpably felt and clearly helps in the ordering of his salvation that person who makes such a decision. This most often takes place during the period of preparation for Communion.

And this is what you are now being called to will and to do. Previously you kept the preparatory fast and did everything that is customarily done at that time. But now you are preparing to do it more thoroughly, with a conscious understanding of the matter. Building on this, I explain to you what now stands required of you: it is required that you yourself utter the vows that were made on your behalf by others. Then, others renounced the devil on your behalf—and all his works, and all his service (the worldly life); now let you yourself renounce all of this. Then, others pledged on your behalf that you would be united to Christ and would serve and worship Him—now let you yourself declare this from your whole soul and from your whole heart.

Enter into this with conviction, and take up the corresponding resolutions. May the Lord be your helper, and the Mother of God, and your guardian angel!

May the grace of the All-Holy Spirit overshadow you in the sacraments of confession and Holy Communion, to which you will approach with such a good disposition and resolve.