Stalin, the butcher of Russia, was a voracious reader. Apparently his library impressed everyone. We should never fool ourselves that we can educate ourselves into being moral people. The inclination to sin is part of the human condition. All of us can be selfish, petty, and violent in various ways. Lent is a suitable reminder of that human frailty. Better yet, it’s a corrective time because of the mercy and forgiveness of the Good Sheperd.