Given a choice between war and peace, we would naturally choose peace. Yet sometimes, to maintain peace, we have to fight. Imagine what would happen if we refused to take a worldly enemy seriously and refused to fight simply because we preferred peace. Soon we would have neither peace nor freedom. Sometimes we have to fight. The same is true in the spiritual life. We have a real enemy that is going to fight against us whether we like it or not. We cannot simply sit complacent on the sidelines.

This weekend marks the 70th anniversary of the World War II battle of Iwo Jima. This fight is perhaps best known from the famous picture taken of the marines raising the American flag on the top of Mt. Suribachi. Here in Washington the picture has been made into a large sculpture which serves as the Marine Corp War Memorial. We all love to contemplate this great scene of final victory. Yet this victory came after great struggle and as the fruit of much training and discipline. Today’s homily speaks of how we can take a lesson from the marines to help each of us fight the good fight of Lent and plant our own flag of victory at Easter.