Lent 2026 - Reading #4 - Prudence
Reading
C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity, offers a characteristically lucid reflection on prudence as a virtue often misunderstood: "Prudence means practical common sense, taking the trouble to think out what you are doing and what is likely to come of it. Nowadays most people hardly think of Prudence as one of the 'virtues.' In fact, because Christ said we could only get into His world by being like children, many Christians have the idea that, provided you are 'good,' it does not matter being a fool. But that is a misunderstanding of what Christ meant." Lewis continues: "He told us to be not only 'as harmless as doves,' but also 'as wise as serpents.' He wants a child's heart, but a grown-up's head. He wants us to be simple, single-minded, affectionate, and teachable, as good children are; but He also wants every bit of intelligence we have to be alert at its job, and in first-class fighting trim. The fact that you are giving money to a charity does not mean that you need not try to find out whether that charity is a fraud or not." Lewis insists that God is no fonder of intellectual slackers than of any other slackers. The proper exercise of prudence is not opposed to faith, it is demanded by it. A Christianity that asks us to check our brains at the door is a Christianity that has misunderstood its own Founder.
Reflection
We have reached the fourth day of Lent, and we remain with prudence, learning its many faces before we move on. Our journey through the virtues is like building a house: prudence is the foundation, and we dare not rush past it. Yesterday, Scripture taught us the humility of wisdom; today, Lewis reminds us of its vigor. Lewis's point is vital, especially for those of us inclined to spiritual sentimentality. Christian prudence is not naïve. Jesus himself combined radical love with razor-sharp discernment, he saw through the Pharisees, tested the rich young ruler, and told his disciples to count the cost before following him. Lent asks us to do the same kind of honest reckoning with our own lives. What are we truly committed to? What are we pretending about? Where have we substituted a vague feeling of goodness for the hard work of thinking clearly? The Lenten fast sharpens the mind as well as the spirit. When we strip away the noise of overindulgence, whether in food, entertainment, or distraction, we create conditions in which prudence can flourish. Today, take Lewis's challenge seriously: bring your full intelligence to bear on your spiritual life. God gave you a mind not to be shelved during prayer, but to be consecrated in it.