Lent
week 1 - Monday
And the King will say to them in reply, whatever you did
for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for
me.
[Matt 25:40]
Jesus is speaking to the people
about the last judgment. When we see or hear of someone in need
whether it be for food , education or shelter we should
recognize His presence in that person and respond generously
just as He would if Jesus himself appeared as the needy person.
The lesson we might learn is that the Lord is among us now
asking us to see and meet the needs of those here and now just
as Jesus reached out to sick, the lonely and poor during his
earthly life. Then as he promised, we will enter our eternal
home to rejoice with Him forever.
Leviticus
19:1-2, 11-18
Psalm
19:8,9 10, 15
Matthew
25:31-46
Lent week 1 Tuesday
But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true
worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth
John 7:23
A person came into my life by
way of an introduction with a warm smile and a friendly
greeting. It was so well received that it turned the friendship
into a gift likened to that of a pearl. As the days passed I
started to notice the morning sunrise, the setting of the sun
in the west and the beautiful birds flying around the blue sky.
I see the face of God in the blooming flowers everywhere. Then
I feel the warmth of his love all around me. I listen to
beautiful music played and songs so meaningful sun, you hear
his voice. What a wonderful gift of friendship that can touch
the soul. I feel my Lord's arms around me and his eternal
friendship is mine.
Isaiah:
10-11
Psalm
34:3-4,6-7,16-17,18-19
Matthew
6:7-15
Lent week 1 Wednesday
There are several important
things to note in today's first reading from the prophet Jonah.
This is the second time that God gave specific directions to
Jonah, the prophet who tried to sail away from the mission to
announce the need for the citizens of Nineveh to repent.
According to the story, Jonah is an Israelite prophet preaching
to a pagan people, who actually listen to what he has to say
after but a single day's walk through the city. Everyone,
including the king and his nobles and all the animals, fast,
put on sackcloth and repent of their evil ways! And God shows
mercy on a pagan city.
Here are the lessons to be
learned: First, each of us has a call from God who is
relentless until we answer. Second, sometimes we are sent by
God to foreigners, those with whom we do not socialize. Third,
God's word is effective; it changes people's minds. And fourth,
God is interested in all people-no matter what their religion,
race or sex may be. During Lent, we learn from Jonah that when
we cooperate with God, the Holy One makes our work fruitful.
Both Jonah and the people of Nineveh repent or change their
minds.
Jonah
3:1-10
Psalm
51:3-4,12-14,18-19
Luke
11:29-32
Lent week 1 Thursday
We are amazed at the confidence
with which Jesus speaks. Ask and you will receive; knock and
the door will be opened; seek and you will find! I am sure all
of us have had enough experiences of asking the Lord for
something and not receiving what we really asked for, or
knocking at the door of something and not being opened for us,
or seeking something and not finding. These experiences can
disappoint and discourage us. Jesus is giving us an insight as
to the spirit with which we may pray or ask or seek.
In fact Jesus gives us two
important attitudes for our life of prayer. First of all we
need to trust that God knows what we truly need. Will he not
give us then? Can we believe this? Secondly, God also reminds
us what we need to be really praying for. We need to pray to
help us do His will. True happiness is doing God's Will and
being faithful to Him. God is faithful even when we are
unfaithful.
Seek ye first the kingdom of
God and His righteousness, and all else will be added to
you.
Esther:
C:12, 14-16, 23-25
Psalm
138:1-2, 2-3, 7-8
Matthew
7:7-12
Lent week 1 -- Friday
Matthew 5:24: A call to reconciliation
Would you be able to travel 300
miles in a lawn mower to put things right with a brother you
have not spoken in many years? That's what Alvin Straight, a
73- year-old man, does in the movie The Straight Story. Having
lost his driver's license and detesting bus trips, he rides his
lawn mower to Wisconsin to mend things with his dying brother.
He decides to end hatred and choose reconciliation.
As I watched the movie, I
thought of the many broken relationships that are so common
among people and how important it is to break down the walls of
anger that separate us from another human beings. This is
exactly what Jesus addresses when he said: "First go and be
reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift." (Mt
5:24). He is calls us to reflect on the importance of
reconciliation, especially those with whom we hold grudges.
Jesus urges us to become good and humble reconcilers and help
to build the great family of the children of God. Do you have a
friend, a relative, a neighbor, a co-worker, a brother or
sister in Christ with whom you need to make things right? This
time of Lent is the appropriate moment to go straight to that
person and look for reconciliation.
Ezekiel
18:21-28
Psalm
130:1-2, 3-4, 5-7a, 7bc-8
Matthew
5:20-26
Lent Week 1 -- Saturday
God's First offer of Love
Be careful to observe the
statutes and decrees of the law; observe these with all your
heart and all your soul and you will be a people sacred to the
Lord, your God, as he promised.
[Deuteronomy]
We were created by God and given
a free will. However he does want us to keep the commandments.
We may be bewildered at times, but we do have a choice and God
wants us to accept His will. God asks us to love our enemies as
well as our friends for we are all his children and he makes
the sun shine on the evil and the good. He likewise, sends rain
on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Deuteronomy
26:16-19
Psalm
119:1-2, 4-8
Matthew
5:43-48
Lent Week 2 - Sunday
"...and led them up a high mountain"
[Matt:17:1]
I'll never forget my visit to
the Holy Land. Our group of priests left the Jordan River area
and slowly the mountain came into view. The bus came to the
spot where we huddled into vintage Mercedes station wagons and
up we went for the final assent. Right away it was clear the
drivers were in a hurry and knew the curves and just how close
to the side they were supposed to go. No ride for the faint of
heart ! Coming out of the car at the top began to place myself
with Jesus and his disciples on this mountain. Near the church,
I could see the verdant plains below, the quietness, the breeze
and the late morning sun were preparing me to celebrate the
Mass together around the altar of the Transfiguration with the
beautiful mosaics of it in the background. What a difference a
little distance can make to see things in a new way. Just a
little distance is what I needed to catch a glimpse of myself,
my God and all of life around me. Coming down the mountain was
a jolt back into the everyday world, but the transfiguration
brought a new appreciation of "how good it was to be
there."
Open my eyes, O God, to see you in new ways !
Genesis
12:1-4a
Psalm
33:4-5,18-19,20, 22
2
Timothy 1:8b-10
Matthew17:1-9
Lent Week 2 - Monday
God Himself is the Judge! Come let us adore!
Do not judge, and you will not be judged? [Luke
6:36]
The Church has always recognized
that we are called to avoid judgment of other persons and names
certain actions wrong.
As I look back, and even now, I
find myself judging others by their faults, which I may think
are wrong. Or I don't like something about the person. Who am I
to judge?
I especially remember one time
when I judged a person I didn't know but heard rumors about her
and because of what I heard ignored her when I saw her. One day
I found I had to work with her in a group. I did, and as I got
to know her we became good friends. She is a wonderful person
and I learned from her. During this time I also realized that I
committed the same act she did and had completely forgotten
about it and here I judged a person wrongly for the same thing
I did. How often do we do this ?
God asks us not to judge or
condemn but to forgive offenses and to give without counting
the cost, as God himself has done.
Daniel 9:4b-10
Psalm 79:8,9,11& 13
Luke 6:36-38
Lent Week 2 - Tuesday
Isaiah portrays God giving
specific instructions in today's first reading. Isaiah's
directions are especially appropriate for us during this second
week of Lent as we continue our preparation to renew our
baptismal promises during the Easter Vigil and on Easter Sunday
and be washed clean. We scarlet-colored sinners are commanded
to make biblical justice our aim. Those we have wronged through
gossip, anger, stealing, etc., need to be redressed; we owe
that to them. We owe prayer for and help to the children in
orphanages, in rehabilitation houses and state-run foster care
programs. The poor, especially widows, deserve our concern in
their loneliness, old age and nursing homes. According to
Isaiah, through our practice of biblical justice, God will turn
our red-face embarrassment into white-as-snow or white-as-wool
joy. Throughout the Bible, God has a special concern for those
who are left behind.
Lent offers us the opportunity
to be sure that we are doing our part to leave no one behind.
We have received God's commands; now let us enact them through
our practice of biblical justice.
Isaiah 1:10,16-20
Psalm 50:8-9,16-17,121,23
Matthew 23:1-12
Lent Week 2 - Wednesday
Jesus said Whoever wants to be
more important in your group shall make themselves your
servant.
Mark says that it was James and
John who asked Jesus for important posts in his kingdom
[10:37]. But Matthew puts the blame on the mother. But the
cover-up is transparent in the text when you check the
original, "Jesus said to the brothers, you (plural) do not know
what you are asking. Can you (plural) drink the cup that I am
about to drink?' They answered, "We can." Jesus was speaking to
them not their mother. Furthermore, the others were angry with
the two brothers. Jesus measures greatness differently from the
way modern society does. Society measures greatness in terms of
wealth, influence and position. Jesus considers such things as
irrelevant. Jesus measures greatness in terms of quality of
one's service to others. Whose measure of greatness do I tend
to follow - Society's or Jesus'? How comfortable am I measuring
another's greatness in this manner? Why?
Jeremiah 18:18-20
Psalm 31:5-6, 14, 15-16
Matthew 20:17-28
Lent Week 2 - Thursday
"There was a rich man dressed in purple garments and
there was a poor man "(Lazarus) Luke 16:19-20
Here we are again listening to
the word of God telling us of the importance of reaching out to
our fellow man with mercy and forgiveness. The rich man had all
the food shelter and physical needs anyone could need or want.
He selfishly guarded his possessions and failed to share with
those in need -- in the person of Lazarus.
God so lavishly gives us himself
and provides us with more than we can use. When we share is
love, his concern for others we are blessed. When we lack
concern and care for others we are not Christian in the true
meaning of that calling. During Lent, let us decide to become
more of the needs of others.
Jeremiah 17:5-10
Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
Luke 16:19-31
Lent Week 2 - Friday
It seems to me people today
aren't very much different than the folks in today's Readings.
Greed, jealousy, envy and materialism weaves its nasty threads
through them. Whether it be plotting against one's brother as
in the story of Joseph (Genesis) or the horror of murder to
attain treasures and wealth in the parable Jesus told in
Matthew's Gospel.
Even in the midst of all this
messiness, God is present and promises to be with us. My hope
then becomes my Faith in action. Human nature may seem the
same, but God's Son, Jesus, took on this same nature for human
redemption. Am I ready to follow Him, even if it means to die
to what the world continues to perpetuate, to walk the road to
Calvary? Are you?
Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13a,
17b-28a
Psalm 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21
Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46
Lent Week 2 - Saturday
Justice - Ethics -
Righteousness: great life-themes these, but we'll completely
miss the point if we try to read them into today's Liturgy of
the Word, especially Luke's Gospel, the parable of the Prodigal
Son. I know from first-hand experience. For much of my life I
was perplexed by this parable, having been taught to strive for
and cherish justice, ethics, and righteousness in my life. I
identified with the older son in the parable, and missed the
point. It's not about justice, it's about mercy, God's
relentless mercy and forgiveness. Now, I look back at my life
and see both the countless blessings from God, and missed
opportunities on my part, so it's easy to identify with the
prodigal son in the parable. God, the Alpha and the Omega,
extends boundless mercy to us repentant sinners, chooses to
have short term memory of our sins, and like the Prophet Micah
points out "persists not in anger forever but delights in
clemency." The season of Lent is a good time for reflection,
repentance, conversion, and reconciliation with God and with
each other.
Micah 7:14-15, 18-20
Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10,
11-12
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
Lent Week 3 - Sunday
For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we
proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and
foolishness to Gentiles ...1 Corinthians 1:22-23
Which one of us does not have
trials? Perhaps we feel sorry for ourselves or complain to God
about our lot in life? Which one of us doesn't want a miracle
to take away all our troubles, worries and sleepless nights?
And who among us doesn't wish God would just send us instant
solutions to all the problems and dilemmas we face? We just
want all of the "bad stuff" to go away, right away.
To add to our frustration and
impatience, the world tricks us into believing we have all the
answers, control, power and wisdom we need, but Christ's
message is clear. He is to be our model. We are to unite our
"crosses" to His and trust in Him to lead us straight to our
Heavenly Father.
The question really is---What
will we chose, the deception and false hope of this world or
Jesus Christ, our model and Savior?
Lord Jesus, may we realize our
dependence on you and humbly ask for Your power and wisdom to
rule our lives.
Exodus 17:3-7
Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
Romans 5:1-2, 5-8
John 4:5-42
Lent Week 3 - Monday
The story of Naaman, the Syrian
strikes me as one of those very human encounters. My prayer is
often like that. I have been taught that God can fix anything.
He can solve all of my problems. He will do something dramatic
and everything will be alright. I'm going to leave it in God's
hands. What?... He wants me to do something something so
ordinary as taking a bath? or fasting or alms giving or taking
time to be alone with Him? Is it possible that I missed
something?
Lord there are so many people I
see every day, how often I miss seeing your presence in them.
It would be so much easier if you rang a bell, or let the light
flicker so that I would know that it is you. But would I always
accept the fact that you are speaking to me when you challenge
me to change my way of life. The people of your own day had
trouble when you told them the truth. It was hard coming from
someone they knew, especially when it didnt exactly fit into
their plan. Lord help me to take off the blinders that keep
from accepting your direction. And help me also to be grateful
for so many things that you do to take care of me, but I miss
them because I thing they are so ordinary.
2 Kings 5:1-15
Psalm 42:2,3: 43:3,4
Luke 4:24-30
Lent Week 3 - Tuesday
Forgiveness is at the core of Faith
Jesus has asked us to forgive
those who have sinned against us no matter what. If one is hurt
it can become hatred so deep and revenge seems to be the answer
but the only way to be at peace is to forgive whoever hurt us
and we will find peace.
We must think of what Jesus
suffered for us and he was innocent so who are we to hold so
much hatred.
We must pray to overcome the
hatred and the sins committed against us and we will have peace
in our hearts
Daniel 3:25, 34-43
Psalm 25:4-9
Matthew 18:21-35
Lent Week 3 - Wednesday
You must be very careful not to forget the things you
have seen God do for you. Keep reminding yourselves, and tell
your children and grandchildren as well. (Deuteronomy
4:9)
Our God is a faithful arid
loving God. A God whose covenant "I will be your God and you
will be my people" remains intact, even when Israel didn't
remain all that faithful.
As a parent, I have
unconditional love for my children. God Is love, agape (1 John
4:8), pure self gift. Self gift in giving His Son Jesus to be
crucified and die on a cross for my redemption and yours. How
could I not want to know, love and serve God!
Staying in this intimate
relationship, not rupturing it requires obedience. Jesus says
in Mt. 5: 17-19 he has not come to "remove (the Law), but to
fulfill them". He invites me to go deeper into their meaning,
He challenges me to transformation, to find freedom and peace,
through loving obedience and discipleship.
Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9
Psalm 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20
Mt 5:17-19
Lent Week 3 - Thursday
"Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be
my people; and walk only in the way that I command you, so that
it may be well with you." (Jeremiah 7:23)
Lent is the season when the
Church will ask the faithful to reflect on the condition of
their souls. This is the time to review our life and see if we
have allowed our hearts to become hardened to the word of the
Lord, or if we have been open to listen to Him, and do his
will. Lent is a special time for repentance and conversion.
As Christians who are seeking
God's will in this season of Lent, our sacrifices, reflections,
prayers and repentance are our answers to His call.
May this time of Lent be one
where we experience the presence of God in a deep and
meaningful way.
Jeremiah 7:23-28
Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
Luke 11:14-23
Lent Week 3 - Friday
We are called from our birth to
live in love with our Creator. We are called to be partners in
a relationship with Jesus, who calls us to take care of each
other. We have each been given many gifts in our lives. At
different times in our life, we seem to be more appreciative
than others. Lord, forgive me for those times when I seem to
sleep through life, unaware of Your Presence.
In today's readings, we are
called to return, to make a change, to journey down the road
with a loving and grateful heart. As I flounder and am easily
enticed down the wrong paths, the readings keep calling me
back. I ask myself, Am I getting stronger? Over the years, am I
learning anything? Or am I still riding on the fence rather
that truly committing myself to follow the paths of the Lord?
The years are going by. God is constant in His call for me to
change. I have always thought I will do it tomorrow, but
tomorrow is not a certainty.
Hosea 14:2-10
Psalm 81:6-17
Mark 12:28-34
Lent Week 3 - Saturday
May all Know God's Tenderness In their affliction, they
shall look for me: come let us return to the Lord. For it he
who has rent, but he will heal us; he has struck us, but he
will bind our wounds. Hosea 6:1
We know God is tender and loving
and we experience these qualities in numerous ways. If we tell
his honestly that we are sorry for our sins, He forgives us and
we again are a t peace. If we pray for people who are in need,
the dear Lord answers our prayers and they receive help which
changes their lives in a positive way.
God loves each one of us so much
it is extremely sad to realize that not everyone is aware of
His tenderness and goodness. So, since, we are starting the
season of Lent, let us pray that the unbelievers will see the
light and turn to God so He will heal them.
Also what an excellent time for
each of us to pray for spirituality, do kind things and reach
out to help others know the tenderness of God through the
healing care for others.
Hosea 6:1-6
Psalm 51:3-4, 18-21
Luke 18:9-14
Lent Week 4 - Sunday
During the Sunday readings this
Lent, we hear of conversions. Conversion is centered on a
personal encounter with Jesus.
In today's Gospel we hear of the
curing of the man born blind. His personal encounter with Jesus
teaches us that when we bring our inability to deal with a
handicap whether it is physical, mental, social or spiritual,
we can turn to the Lord and ask for healing and light. Jesus is
the Light of the world. He wants us to come to him with our
requests for healing, for understanding of Scripture because He
loves us so much. He loves to be asked for whatever we need.
Let us bring our needs to him for ourselves and those we love.
Trust and confidence in God will be rewarded one
hundredfold.
1 Samuel 16:1,6-7,10-13
Psalm 23:1-3,3-4,5,6
Ephesians 5:8-14
John 9:1-41
Lent Week 4 - Monday
Wiping Away, Unnecessary Tears
Lo, I am about to create new heavens and a new
earth.
[Isaiah 65.17]
We aren't meant to have "heaven
on earth". Life is full of ups and downs but nowhere near
comparable to Christ's dying on the cross for us miserable
sinners.
Tears can be a source of
cleansing from healthy sorrows. Having lost a husband and a son
within two years and four months, crying was an everyday
occurrence in my life.
The statement is made that "time
heals all wounds." I don't believe this. It's like an arrow to
the heart that never goes away. It is hard for me to understand
how Mary could follow Jesus on the way of the cross. To see Her
Son humiliated and spit upon must have broken her heart, but
she was filled with many graces and God the Father most surely
helped her along. However, it was still Her Son who she had for
33 years and to ever give Him up in that fashion was so unfair.
But where would we be today without the love of Jesus?
Sometimes I lie there at night
and try to find solutions to problems and end up giving it all
to Him. We just can't get along without our faith in God. We
must persevere with love and sincerity in our hearts, and give
glory and praise to our Lord Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 65: 17-21,
Psalm 30:2, 4,6, 11-13
John 4:43-54
Lent Week 4 Tuesday
Water, fresh and life giving!
"Lord, I don't have anyone to put me in the pool when
the water is stirred up. I try to get in, but someone else
always gets there first." (John 5:7)
Each time I walk to my room I
pass a number of plants that I have lined near the window in
the hallway. Sometimes I see them drooping, especially the
tallest one. I know then it's time to bring on the water. Just
a simple watering perks them right up!
I imagine God frequently sees
our drooping spirits. Things have not gone all that well today,
we are sapped of energy and strength, the day has been long.
Sometimes I am like that crippled man lying near the pool
waiting for someone to walk by and give me a refreshing drink.
Will you notice my need and reach out to me like Jesus? Will
you be the aqueduct that extends God's grace to my failing
spirit? Just a smile might do it or perhaps an encouraging
word.
Prayer and fasting are meant to
get us in tune with the Lord but then there is almsgiving too
that's meant to be a Lenten practice. Could it be that this is
not just giving money but giving of oneself? God's Grace, like
the water flowing from the temple reaches us through human
hands.
Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12
Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9
John 5:1-16
Lent Week 4 - Wednesday
Even should a mother forget, I will never forget
you. Isaiah 49:15
Recently a mother stopped me
after Mass to know that her son was dying of cancer. Letting go
of her son was difficult enough, but she was also having a
crisis of faith and belief. How could she believe in that God,
who loves her so much, and who says I will never for get you
and yet when from all human response it feels like God has
abandoned her and her son. Where is God in this moment?
As difficult as it is, God is
asking us to go deeper in faith. There are times when the
mystery and immensity of God clash with our human perspectives.
God as infinite, immense, incomprehensible (as St. Vincent
Pallotti wrote) hits our finite, sequentially ordered and human
world. It doesn't seem to make sense. In our pain we look to
Jesus and the scene in the garden of Gethsemane stops us Jesus
is comforted by and angel as He experiences His agony of faith
in the garden. God has not spared His only begotten Son even as
His human mind reached the edge of its final searching. He
concluded that He must uphold His Father's will.
Pray the Lord's Prayer
slowly and devoutly.
Isaiah 49:8-15
Psalm 145:8-9, 13-14, 17-18
John 5:17-30
Lent Week 4 - Thursday
In today's first reading from
Exodus and the verses from Psalm 106, the Israelites abandon
their faithful God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the
One who led them out of bondage in Egypt, and turn to an idol
made in the image of, as the psalmist says, a "grass-eating
bull."
God's attitude is one of 'Enough! I don't need this!'
and tells Moses to leave so that God's wrath may consume this
stiff-necked people. But Moses intercedes for the people and
implores God to relent, calling God's attention to the
faithfulness of the Patriarchs, and the promises God made to
them, so God relented in the threatened punishment on the
people.
In today's Gospel, Jesus is exasperated with the unbelief of
those who have heard the testimony of John the Baptist, and the
teaching of Jesus. In our daily lives, sometimes we may reach a
similar point of frustration and say "I don't need
this"! Then, if we take some time to count our blessings,
and realize that God sent Jesus, the Suffering Servant, to die
for our sins that we may forgo the punishment we deserve, we
know God's great love for each of us
Ex 32:7-14
Psalm 106:19-20, 21-22, 23
John 5:31-47
Lent Week 4 - Friday
Let us beset the just one because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings. (Wis. 2: 12a)
The Book of Wisdom was probably
written about one hundred years before the coming of Christ.
Yet today's first reading sounds amazingly close to a
description of Jesus. It reminds us of the salvation that God
had been planning for us from the beginning of time. The
reading not only points to Jesus. It can also describe the life
of anyone who follows Jesus. There are times that we may have
to pay a price for our witness to Jesus. We are reminded today
of the opposition that our faith in Jesus may bring us. Yes, we
may find opposition when we follow Christ. Jesus himself did
and if Ho did, so may we. As we follow Christ, even when it is
difficult and challenging, well find that He works in us in
many, perhaps even unexpected ways.
The gospel tells of the Jews who
plot Jesus downfall. Today, as well, many reject Jesus. When we
are the ones rejected because of our faith in Jesus, we may
find ourselves resenting Jesus or resisting his influence or
presence. We may find ourselves wishing Jesus would just go
away and leave us alone. We lose touch, momentarily, with God's
plan for us. Jesus has given us the potential, the possibility
of being filled with His love and power. Let us remember our
call and the goodness of God. We can carry on the good fight of
faith confident that Jesus is still with us.
We are roughly midway in our
journey through Lent. What is it that keeps us from giving
greater witness to our faith in our daily lives?
Wisdom 2:la, 12-22
Psalm 34: 17-18,19-2021,23
John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30
Lent Week 4 - Saturday
Prayer in time of Confusion
Confusion very often is mind
blowing as we all know. We often believe we are alone in our
confusion; however Jeremiah was confronted with much confusion
even in his time. He was upset with God for letting arrogant
people oppress their neighbors.
God warned him that his
neighbors were plotting against him. Jeremiah angrily demanded
that God bring them to justice. The dialogue between Jeremiah
was confusing because Jeremiah was confused. He was very
disturbed that his prayers were not effective, but God
conversed with him regardless as he does with each of us.
So may I suggest that we offer
our prayers to the Lord, our God with sincerity and love and we
sill be rewarded because God is good, kind and loves each of us
so very much.
Jeremiah 11:18-20
Psalm 7:2-3, 9bc-10, 11-12
John 7:40-53
Lent Week 5 - Sunday
Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your
graves and have you rise from them, O my people. [Ezekiel
37:13]
Does the Lord have to prove to
us that he can open our graves? I think not. If we just have
faith in God, who will need proof. Let's face it we are all
going to die someday. Our Lord was ready to leave this earth
and be in God's glory. I hope so! I know in my own family it
was hard to say goodbye to a loved one. We must remember that
God has a plan for all of us whether young or old, rich or
poor. That day will come when we meet our Lord face to face.
That will be the best time in our heavenly life.
Ezekiel 37: 12-14
Romans 8: 8-11
John 11: 1-45
Lent Week 5 - Monday
This story of the woman caught
in adultery is one of the most powerful stories in the entire
New Testament. Imagine the humiliation to which this woman was
subjected to! She was surrounded by the accusing finger of the
authorities, and a jeering crowd ready to cast the stones at
her. And Jesus at the background! The truth is that the stones
have already been cast at her soul, at her heart, at her
dignity and respect! She was already dead morally if not
physically!
But Jesus brought her hack to
life and dignity. Neither do I condemn you, go, and sin no more
These were words of new life to her. Jesus can bring us back to
life and dignity. Do we have the courage and humility to face
Jesus and acknowledge our sinfulness? We will hear him say as
well, Son, daughter, neither do I condemn you, go, sin no more.
This story also brings to light the death we bring about in
people's lives by our accusations and condemnations. We have
the power to bring life and death to people. What do we
choose?
Judge
not, and you will not be judged
condemn not,
and you will not be condemned.
Be merciful
as your heavenly father is merciful
Daniel:13:1-9. 15-17
John:8:1-11
Lent Week 5 Tuesday
"When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will
know that I am He" [John 8:28]
Jesus had told the Pharisees
that He was going away -- to a place they could not go -
because of their sin. He was completing the work His Father had
given Him. He had taught the people of the Father's Love for
all of the people, but not everyone believed Jesus. How
important is our faith!
When things go well it's easy to
trust, but when trials and troubles come our way, perhaps we
fail to ask God's help and pray with trust that God will hear
us as we persevere in childlike dependence on our heavenly
Father.
Jesus death on the cross won for
us all we will ever need. He was "lifted up" for each and all
of us.
Numbers 21:4-9
Psalm 102:2-3, 16-18, 19-21
John 8:21-30
Lent Week 5 - Wednesday
Truth sets us free from fear
the truth will set you free. [John 8:32]
In the world we live in,
everyone seems to believe he or she has the ultimate truth.
Individuals, nations, religions, and secular movements fight
for the truth they think they possess, often refusing even to
listen to the truth the other side stands for. This results in
meaningless bickering. Bickering, however, is a sign of someone
who is not yet free within himself or herself. We bicker
because we are afraid. But why are we afraid?
The root of our fear is the
possibility that the truth we believe in might be rejected by
others. That is frightening because what gives us a sense of
security is a greater number of people than ourselves
acknowledging what we believe to be true. When others seem to
deny the truth we believe in, our personal worlds come tumbling
down. This means that the truth we believe in has,
unfortunately, not made us truly free. The truth we believe in
had been fabricated by ourselves to give us a sense of meaning
and purpose. But truth is not something to be fabricated for
our convenience. Truth is God, the ultimate reality. That is
why Jesus confidently claimed that he is the way, the truth and
the life. A person set free from the untruth by the Word of God
is free from fear. A true disciple of Christ is free in this
manner.
When the truth we believe in
exhorts us to be hateful, violent, selfish, and divisive, we
can be sure what we hold is not the truth. When the rejection
of the truth we believe in makes us unhappy, it is time for us
to turn towards Christ and obey his teaching. When we do that,
we will know the truth. When we accept that truth, we become
free. As free people, we no more live in kingdoms we have built
for ourselves, rather we live in the Kingdom of God where truth
reigns supreme. As members of this kingdom, we are truly free.
We do not take it as a personal affront when others reject the
truth that has set us free, because we know that whether others
accept this truth or not, this is the only truth there is.
Lead us from the unreal to the
real
Lead us from darkness into
light
Lead us from death to
immortality
Upanishad
Dn
3:14-20, 91-92, 95
Daniel
3:52- 56
John
8:31-42
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