Dorotheus of Gaza, Directions on the Spiritual Life, XV, 160 

Introduction  

Hope entered the world with the incarnation of Christ: that hope which "does not disappoint" (Rm 5:5), which turns the gravest sin into an occasion for repentance and redemption, which gives us the daily and constant opportunity for salvation in the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist, and which during Lent yearly renews our desire to participate anew in the Resurrection so that we can celebrate in the Father's house. 

So it is, brothers, that he who preserves himself rightly during these holy days is blessed; indeed, even if it should happen - given the human condition - that a man sin out of weakness or negligence, behold that God has granted him these holy days: if he endeavours to reflect on himself with vigilance and humility and to repent during this period; he is purified of the entire year's sins; he draws closer to the blessed day of the resurrection and can participate, without incurring judgment, in the whole mysteries. Through the penance of these holy days, he has become a new man and continues to celebrate with God in spiritual joy and delight.

From Mozart’s Great Mass in C Major, the "Coronation Mass," here is Et Incarnatus Est, words from the Credo – the Word was made Flesh – and beautifully sung by Regula Mühlemann.