Thursday, Week Four
How do we think of God? Do we think of him as merciful and compassionate or as stern and unrelenting? It’s important that we think about God in the right way or our relationship with him will not be real and true.
In the first reading, the people have rejected God. God tells Moses that he will reject the people and make of Moses a great nation. The people have often been very difficult and ungrateful to Moses. And yet, when God places this plan before Moses, in which the people will be destroyed, and Moses will be a great nation, Moses, who knows the heart of God, asks him to have mercy, and God hears this petition and grants it.
In the Gospel, Jesus has some stern words for those who don’t believe in him. But ultimately, his words are an opportunity for repentance and salvation. He reminds them of the witness that his Father gives to his mission by the works he has done in their midst. He tells them that if they search the Scriptures, they will find him there. Finally, he talks about Moses and asks them to believe the words of Moses. He says all of this so that they can be saved.
Our Father in Heaven desires that we join him and have eternal life. He wants to show us his mercy and he does not want anyone to be lost. We can work with him by asking for his mercy and sharing his desire for the salvation of the world.
Wednesday, Week Four
What keeps people bound up? What types of fears, worries, and limitations keep us prisoner? What would it take for us to be free?
In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah tells the people that the Lord is saying to the prisoners: come out! And to those in darkness: show yourselves! He goes on to tell them all of the good things that they will have from the Lord. He even tells them that the Lord is more tender and loving than a mother is to her infant. Something that can keep us bound in fear is not trusting in the goodness and love of God. If we don’t believe that God is good, we are living in darkness.
In the Gospel, Jesus says that the hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the son of God, and those who hear will live. It is a type of death when we live bound up in fear. Fear makes people feel powerless and unable to do anything. Fear makes them feel hopeless and dead.
But Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies. He says that he is doing the same work that his Father does. The Father raises the dead and gives life and so does the Son. When we truly listen to and hear the word of God, this word calls us for from the places that are dead and dark in our lives. Because whoever hears this word and believes in it has eternal life and has passed from death to life.
When we have immersed ourselves deeply into God’s word and his promises and love, we will truly be free. Because the love of God is the truth, and the truth will make us free.
Tuesday, Week Four
We are still almost three weeks away from Easter, yet the readings for today project us ahead to Eastertime. It is almost like we can taste it in all of the references to water.
In the first reading, the prophet Ezekiel sees water flowing out from the temple into the world. The farther he goes from the temple, the greater the amount of water until at last he is sitting beside a river. Saint Paul said that where sin abounds, grace abounds the more. We can see an image of this happening here. In the places that are farther from God‘s dwelling place, he sends even more gifts and graces to draw people back to him.
In the gospel, we heard about an unusual healing. The man who has been ill for 38 years, does not call out to Jesus. Jesus approaches him and asks if he wants to be well. The man does not even answer his question but just says that it is impossible. Jesus heals him, even though he knows all about this man. After he is healed, Jesus warns him not to sin anymore. But even with this warning, the man goes and tells the Jews who had healed him. Even though this man is a sinner and even an ungrateful sinner, Jesus pours out his healing love upon him.
The mercy of God is like a torrent of water that sweeps over everything and cleanses it. But unlike inanimate objects, we have the power to say no to the healing and cleansing waters. We also have the power to accept them both for ourselves and for others. Let us open ourselves up during these last weeks to the healing and restorative water that we receive in baptism.
Monday, Week Four
The first thing we hear about God in Genesis is that he created the heavens and the Earth. And one of the last things we read about at the end of the Bible in the book of Revelation is the new Heaven and the new Earth. God’s love is creative because true love wants to bring life, joy, and newness to the beloved.
In the first reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah, the Lord says, I am about to create new heavens in a new earth. He speaks about the reason that he creates. He wants there to be rejoicing and happiness, joy, and exultation. He does not want there to be weeping or sadness. He wants his people to live their lives in fullness and integrity.
In the Gospel, we see Jesus exercising the power to create life anew. The royal official’s son is at the point of death. Jesus has compassion for the suffering, father and restores his son to life. Through this gift of life, more blessings, as the man and his whole household come to believe in Jesus.
Our Father wants to bless us with all of these gifts: joy, happiness, healing, life, and integrity. He does not want us to dwell in darkness and sadness and death. He wants us to believe in his power and his creative love. He can bring good things out of nothing and even out of evil.
Let us put our trust and confidence in our loving Lord and bring to him all that needs new life.
Fourth Sunday of Lent
Whoever is in Christ is a new creation. During Lent, we die to our old ways of acting and thinking so that we can become a new creation at Easter. We are pruning away the old and dead to make room for new life. Today is a day of rejoicing because we are getting so near to the Resurrection of Jesus and also to our own rebirth.
The parable of the prodigal son is the story of rebirth. We might wonder why the father in the story would be so foolish as to give his younger son his share of the inheritance when he probably knew what he would do with it. But our rebirth cannot happen until we ourselves realize what sins we are capable of committing. We need, in a certain sense, to plunge into our depths and realize that we are sinners. We must realize how we have squandered all of the gifts that our Father has given to us.
In the parable, the son does eventually realize that he has been foolish. He knows that there is a place where he can go and have all his material needs satisfied. But he does not yet realize who his father is and how merciful he is. The story does not record what happens when the father brushes aside his weak and imperfect apology. Does he at this moment truly realize who the father is and, in doing so, truly repent so that he can be reborn?
All the father can think about doing when his son returns is celebrating. We learn more about who the father is when he goes out to the older son. He pleads with him to repent of his uncharitable attitude. He tells him that everything he has, he shares.
What ways of thinking do we have that are dead ends? When we think about our Father in Heaven, do we realize how merciful and generous he is? When we look at our brothers and sisters, do we realize that we are all part of one family? Let us prune away what is dead to make room for new life.
Saturday, Week Three
Prayer is a conversation between two people, not just a monologue. In a good conversation, the participants reveal themselves to each other. They grow closer to each other in love and sympathy. Prayer is like this as well. In true prayer, God reveals himself to us and we open our hearts to him. In this way, we enjoy a closer union every time we pray.
It is very important to know how to pray. In the first reading, the prophet Hosea urges the people to return to the Lord. In every prayer, we need to turn ourselves toward the Lord and away from anything that keeps us from him. Hosea also tells the people to strive to know the Lord. It will take work and determination and perseverance to gain knowledge of God. But at the same time, he can reveal himself to us simply and easily like rain falling on the parched earth. For he desires that we love him and, if we do, he will come to us.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. The Pharisee had never learned to pray. He wasn’t interested in what God thought, but only in what he himself thought. He was interested in how God saw the tax collector and he probably could not imagine that God would see things differently than he saw the tax collector. The tax collector, on the other hand, realized that he needed God. He knew that he was sinful, but that God was merciful.
Our prayers have the power to touch the Heart of God. Our Father in Heaven is a God who is merciful and compassionate. He is waiting for us with the healing remedies that we need. Let us approach him with great confidence.
Friday, Week Three
Why does there have to be a commandment to love? Why do we have to be commanded to love? Shouldn’t love be something that we do naturally? We all want to receive love and that should make us ready to give love. But somehow, this is not always the case.
In the first reading, God teaches us how we should love. Even though the people had sinned him many times, God was waiting to forgive them. He longed to show them his compassion and love. He wanted to fill them with all good things.
The psalm continues this theme. He freed them from slavery and he is longing to feed them with the best of wheat and honey, even though they test him and worship false gods.
And in the Gospel Jesus tells us that the greatest thing we can do is to love God totally and love our neighbor as ourselves.
This goes beyond what comes naturally to us. As Saint Paul says, a person might even find the courage to die for a good person. But we are called to love even when we have been betrayed and rejected. We are called to love our enemies and those who hurt us.
So we need a command to know two things: That this is possible for us because God never commands anything impossible and that it is good for us since God never commands anything that is harmful. Once we realize that it is possible and that it is good, we can have the strength and courage to love like God loves.
Thursday, Week Three
The word itself is banished from their speech. After Jeremiah recounts all of the ways in which the people had turned away from God and hardened their hearts, he ends with this one. The phrase before this one says that faithfulness has disappeared. Jesus is the Word and he is also faithfulness. When we banish Jesus from our lives, we also banish faithfulness. We are no longer true to who we are, we are not faithful to our relationship with God, and we are not faithful to our relationship with his children or with his creation.
In the Gospel, Jesus drives a demon out of a mute man who then could speak. When the Word comes, he restores speech. When we see this gift restored, what is our reaction? What are we going to do? Are we going to now use our words to express and live faithfulness?
The crowds in the gospel are still not listening. Instead of seeing this miracle as a sign of the faithfulness of God, they see it as evil or they don’t trust in it and ask for more proof. Jesus tells them that by their lack of trust they will be divided and destroyed. He tells them that the faithful kingdom is here. Faithfulness is strong. It is stronger than the fractured kingdom of evil and division. Which kingdom do you want to join?
Wednesday, Week Three
If a treasure was enclosed in a treasure chest and buried, it would not do anyone any good. As we go through Lent, we might think that we are doing very well, if we’re learning lots of things and doing many practices. But if everything is just for us, it’s no more than spiritual self-improvement. We might look good and feel good, but what would be the purpose of it all?
Today’s readings both speak about teaching. In the first reading, Moses reminds the people to keep the commandments that they have learned. Then he tells them to teach them to their children and their grandchildren.
In the Gospel, Jesus says that those who teach others to break the commandments will be least in the kingdom of God whereas those who keep them and teach them will be great.
Why are those who teach the commandments considered to be great? We are called to be like God. God does not keep anything for himself. He did not even keep his only Son or his Spirit for himself. He wanted to share everything with us. If we want to be like him, we can’t be like a buried treasure or a stagnant fountain. The treasure or the water cannot be kept just for ourselves. We need to pour it out for others.
Happy Solemnity of the Annunciation!
Monday, Week Three
What is your hidden leprosy? What keeps you from being healed? We all have places and, in fact, sometimes hidden places, which need the healing touch of Jesus. But often there is something preventing us from receiving the healing he wants to give.
In the first reading, Naaman the leper Is given an amazing opportunity by God. Even though he does not live in Israel, he is able to go to Elisha the prophet to ask for healing. To do this, he has to make a long journey. He readily makes the long journey to Israel, but he becomes very angry when he is commanded to wash seven times in the Jordan. He had visible leprosy, but also invisible leprosy. The visible leprosy was not his worst problem. This was easily healed. But he almost left without a healing because what he was told to do did not match up with his own ideas. Initially, he was not willing to do this simple task because he thought it should be done differently. Fortunately, he was surrounded by good people who convinced him to do as God wanted and not as he wanted.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells the people that in the Old Testament, the prophets were sent to unlikely people who were Gentiles. He warned them that prophets are not usually accepted in their native places. The people did not want to hear this. They became angry and because of their anger, they drove him out of their town and tried to kill him. They were not able to kill him because his time had not come, but he left their town and they did not receive the healing that they needed.
What about us? Do our preconceived ideas our judgments and our closed hearts keep us from being healed? Let us ask our Lord to heal our hearts and our minds so that we would have his heart and mind.
Third Sunday of Lent
God says to Moses, “The place where you stand is holy ground.” God is holy, and in this encounter, he explains more to Moses about who he is. He says, “I am who am.“ This means that God is existence itself, and from him, everything else receives its existence. All things are meant to grow and flourish and become the things God intended them to be. They are a part of him and should return to him with their whole being. This, of course, includes every human person.
In the second reading, however, Saint Paul tells us this does not always happen. God continues to give us everything we need to live a life of integrity and holiness. But even with all these gifts, we still have our free will. We can decide if we want to cooperate with God‘s plan for our life or not. We are free to desire evil, though this is not much of a freedom. We are free to be ungrateful and complain. If we do these things, we will not be able to fulfill God’s plan for our lives.
In the Gospel, Jesus warns us not to be looking around at other people and wondering about their sins. Each one of us is responsible for our own repentance. None of us can repent for another person. We can only repent for ourselves. We should be paying attention to all of the gifts that God is giving us for us to turn back to him. Jesus is that patient gardener who does everything he can for us. He does not want us to be lost, he does not want us to die.
We are nearing the halfway point of Lent. God has given us this time to repent and to draw closer to him. He has everything we need. He can make us whole and holy.
Saturday, Second Week of Lent
Be merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful. Just what is being asked of us? To forgive seven times? To forgive when someone is truly sorry? To forgive, but to make sure not to treat the person with the same kindness as formerly?
In the first reading, the prophet Micah says that there is no one like God who removes guilt and pardons sin and who delights in clemency. He is sure that God will have compassion and free us from our guilt and bury our sins so deeply that they cannot be remembered. Our Father is someone who delights in forgiving, who longs to forgive, and who wants to restore us to our place as his children.
In the Gospel, Jesus paints a beautiful picture of a merciful father. This father has been shamefully treated by his younger son. This ungrateful son demands his share of the inheritance and then goes away from his father and uses the inheritance to lead a life of sin. He only decides to come back to his father when he has hit rock bottom and it seems like there is nothing else to do. But this father must have been watching anxiously for the return of his son. When the son is still a long way off, he sees him and runs out to meet him. He embraces him and kisses him. When the son tries to talk about his sins, the father restores him to his rightful place and calls for a celebration.
We are called to imitate these attributes of God: pardoning sin, delighting in forgiving, restoring someone to their rightful place. Too often, however, we are more like the older brother in the parable. We are ungrateful for what we have and we are determined that the sin of others should be punished. We don’t understand the beauty of forgiveness. We don’t understand how much our Father has given us and forgiven us. We don’t understand the miracle of restoring someone to life. Let us ask for an understanding of these things so that we can put them into practice. Because if we do not, we cannot truly live the Resurrection.
Friday, Second Week of Lent
Both the first reading and the Gospel speak about messengers. Unfortunately, these messengers were not received with kindness, but with violence.
In the first reading, Israel sends his son Joseph to his brothers. But when the brothers see him coming, all they can think about is their hatred towards him. They do not remember that they are brothers and that they have the same father. In fact, they use their relationship as an excuse to sell him into slavery so that they can make money.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells a parable about a landowner and a vineyard. The tenants forget about their relationship with the landowner. They want to keep everything for themselves. So when messengers arrive asking them for fruit, they don’t remember all of the good things that the landowner has done for them and desire to keep what they have even if that means violence. When the landowner’s son shows up, all they can think about is having even more. Their greed leads them to violence.
It is amazing what the desire for wealth, power, and revenge can do to us. God is constantly sending us his messengers, asking us to live with generosity, humility, and forgiveness. But what do we do when these messengers show up? Perhaps we would not kill someone or sell them into slavery. But what does our desire to be on top do to us? Maybe we aren’t quite fair in our business practices. Perhaps we dominate others by making them afraid. Or we desire bad things for someone who has hurt us.
Let us ask our Eucharistic Lord to give us a heart like his which loved those who hated him even unto death.
Thursday, Second Week of Lent
When God probes our hearts, what does he find? Why are human hearts so full of sin? Why are they so hard? What prevents us from seeing the needs and afflictions of others?
In the first reading, the prophet Jeremiah has many things to say about our human condition. He says that we should not trust in human beings and that if we do, we will turn away from the Lord and become barren. He calls our hearts, crooked and beyond remedy.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells a parable that we can all relate to. We are the rich man using everything that God gives us for ourselves and looking away from those who need not just our money, but our time, our attention, and our affection. We look away because it makes us uncomfortable to see their need and pain.
The rich man is not sent to the place of torment because he did something but because he failed to do something. He failed to notice the suffering of a fellow human being. He failed to open his heart to him. Jesus wants our hearts to be changed and become like his Sacred Heart. His heart was pierced. We need to allow our hearts to be pierced by the suffering of others so that we will feed them with our very selves.
In the Eucharist, Jesus gives us himself and feeds us. He wants us to do the same for others.
Happy St. Joseph’s Day!
We will resume posting on Thursday.
Tuesday, Second Week of Lent
What does God want? Many people ask this question. It’s a question that occurs to all of us often. In big things, and small things, in what should be done in our lives. But we can make it very complicated when, in a certain sense, it is simple.
In the first reading, Isaiah delivers a message to the people of Israel. He tells them to stop doing evil and learn to do good. He even gives them some examples. They should aim for justice and help those who are defenseless.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells us that we should not do things for show and we should not make things difficult for other people. He reminds us that we are under his teaching and should learn from him. We should also remember that we are all part of one family and we are supposed to serve each other in humility.
But even this can be a lot to remember, and perhaps hard to put into practice. The psalm for today gives us an easy way to discern what God wants. The psalmist says, “He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me.” What does it mean to offer praise as a sacrifice? Our Father wants us to live our lives in such a way that we are trying to please him at every moment. If this is our goal, we can live doing the things that God wants.
Monday, Second Week of Lent
A story often told to children is the magic porridge pot. In this story, when someone says the right word, the bowl of porridge begins to fill. And if it is not stopped, it runs all over the whole town and, in fact, the whole world. Obviously, this would not be a good thing with porridge. With material things, there is a limit to how much we want of them.
But spiritual gifts are different. We certainly do not want only so much of God‘s love or mercy or forgiveness and then no more. We want as much mercy as we can have. We want to know the word that turns on the mercy and we don’t want to use the word that stops it.
In the first reading, the prophet Daniel laments that God’s people have not observed his commandments and that they have rebelled against him. But Daniel knows the word that opens up the mercy of God. This word is sorrow. Daniel wants to call down a flood of mercy on the people by telling God that although they have sinned, they desire his mercy. Mercy reaches down to what is weak. Mercy reaches out to those who mourn.
In the Gospel, we see what blocks the mercy of God. When we fail to show mercy by judging, condemning, and failing to forgive, it is like we have turned off the tap of God’s mercy. When we fail to pour out love and mercy on others, the mercy we want to receive is dried up.
So let’s remember that we have something much better than a magic porridge pot. We can never have too much of it. It is there for the asking and the more we receive, the more we are able to give.
Second Sunday of Lent
Our citizenship is in Heaven. Saint Paul doesn’t say that our citizenship will be in heaven in the future. He says that our citizenship is in heaven right now. What would change in your life if you realized that? How does a citizen of heaven live?
In today’s second reading, Paul gives us some ideas about how not to live. He says that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ and that instead of having Jesus as their Lord, their God is their stomach and they glory in things that are shameful.
What does it mean to be an enemy of the cross of Christ? The cross of Christ is a symbol of self-emptying love. It puts the good of the other and the glory of God before anything else. If we are enemies of the cross of Christ, we have ourselves in the first place. Our god is pleasure and the things that we think are important are worthless or less than worthless to God.
It can be difficult to live the way of the cross. But in the gospel, we see that if we fix our minds on the goal and the glory that is to come, we also will have the strength to accomplish the will of God as Jesus did. The transfiguration was meant to be a sign of hope to the apostles before the scandal of the cross. If we keep the transfiguration in mind during Lent it will help us to realize that Jesus will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body and we too will take our place with him in Heaven.
So what are you going to change to start living like a citizen of heaven?
Saturday, First Week of Lent
Our Father in Heaven wants us to obey his commandments. In the Gospels, we often see people wondering, which commandment is the greatest. The rich young man wants to know what he can do besides following the Commandments.
It’s a good question to ask ourselves, “What does God want me to do and how can I do even more?”
In the first reading, Moses tells the people that they are making an agreement with the Lord. He will be their God and they will be his people. They are entering into a covenant, a family relationship. In this relationship, they both have responsibilities. Moses tells them that they should fulfill these responsibilities with all their heart and soul. They should not do them grudgingly but willingly and cheerfully.
But as we all know, in a family, there has to be more than just responsibilities. If everyone just does what they have to do and no more, that family is not really living as a family. If they are not able to go above and beyond what is required, something is lacking.
In the Gospel, Jesus shows us how to go beyond what is required, beyond what even seems sensible. The law said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But Jesus tells us to love our enemies and to pray for them and do good to them. And sometimes these enemies are our neighbors or our family members. That’s when we need to go above and beyond just our responsibilities. We need to love them and care for them, even when they don’t seem to deserve it, even when they aren’t keeping up their part of the agreement.
How can we possibly have the strength to do this? On our own, of course, we can’t. But we are children of our Heavenly Father, and he provides for us and gives us the strength to be perfect as he is perfect.
Friday, First Week of Lent
Lent isn’t a time to be gloomy. On the contrary, it’s a time to rejoice. The first reading says that God rejoices when someone turns away from evil. Lent is a special time to remind us of the importance of turning away from evil and being converted to the Lord. And as we repent and convert, we bring joy to God. And that should bring joy to us.
Another reason to be glad during Lent, is the mercy of God. We see in the first reading how much God desires to forgive us. He does not desire that we remain in sin and that we die. No matter what we have done, he is ready and, in fact, eager to forgive us and welcome us back into life.
But he wants us to truly be his children. He wants us to act like he does. We cannot be angry at others or refuse to be reconciled with them and expect that God will overlook this. He wants to draw all of us back into unity. If we are not willing to let this happen, we will be the ones who are left outside.
There is something very interesting and often unnoticed in the Gospel. Jesus says, “Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” Jesus isn’t asking us if we have anyone to forgive. Of course, forgiving others is important. But in this passage, he is asking us to remember if we have harmed anyone else. If we have, we need to do all that we can to repair the relationship and bring about reconciliation. Yet this is also a cause for rejoicing. A broken relationship is a cause for sadness. But when that relationship has been restored, it becomes a cause of joy.
Lent is all about reconciliation and therefore all about joy. Let us bring more joy into the world by our conversion and by our reconciliation.
Thursday, First Week of Lent
What is prayer? In the first reading, Queen Esther is suffering great anxiety and anguish. But she remembers the mercy of God. She knows who God is. She realizes that he is listening to her prayer. So therefore, she comes before him with great confidence and humility and opens her heart to him.
Prayer is a relationship. In any relationship, it is important to know who I am and who the other person is. What are our roles? How do we relate to each other? Do we trust each other? In our relationship with God, we need to be able to come to him as children. We need to have confidence that he hears us and that he wants to help us. Our confidence and humility are very pleasing to him. They turn his heart towards us.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells us more about prayer. He also recommends that we be confident and have great perseverance. In any relationship, perseverance and faithfulness are very important. Many times we can misunderstand a person. We can feel like they have betrayed us or haven’t done the things we thought they should do. Yet, if we persevere and stay in the relationship, we often learn that it is not the way we had thought. This is especially true with our relationship with God. If we don’t get what we want right away, we can be tempted to think that God does not love us or does not want to help us. Jesus assures us that this is not the case. If weak human parents still try to give their children what is good, how can we fail to believe that our Heavenly Father will give us good gifts?
Let us remember with gratitude all of the gifts that he has given us, especially the gift of his Son.
Wednesday, First Week of Lent
What is the sign of Jonah? In the first reading today, we hear part of the story of Jonah and the Ninevites. Jonah was a very reluctant prophet who tried to run away from his mission because he did not want the Ninevites to be converted. This is a great story of God’s mercy, not only to the Ninevites but also to Jonah. Even though Jonah had run away from God, and because of his disobedience was cast into the sea and swallowed by a whale, God had mercy on him and brought him, in a certain sense, back to life after three days. And then God used him as a messenger of repentance to the great city of Nineveh. At the end of the story, God explains to Jonah that he has compassion for everything that he has made.
In the Gospel, Jesus says that no sign will be given except the sign of Jonah. Jesus is not a reluctant prophet, but he has taken all our sins upon himself. Now, like Jonah, he will be given over to death and appear to be dead for three days. His resurrection will be a sign that God’s love and mercy are available to the whole world. But if the people do not want to receive this love and mercy, this will be the judgment against them.
God’s love and mercy are available to all of us. He does not want us to be lost and he wants us to turn to him. This season of Lent is a special time for us to receive the love and mercy of God and then to rise up from our state of death and be mercy to the world. Jesus is waiting for us in the sacrament of reconciliation, and the sacrament of the Eucharist to strengthen us, to heal us, and to send us out to fulfill our mission of bringing the good news to the world.
Tuesday, First Week of Lent
The Our Father is not only a wonderful prayer that we can pray every day of our lives. It is also a pattern of prayer that we can use as a meditation and a conversation with our Father. Here is an example:
Our Father
Since you are the Father of us all please look with mercy upon your children all over the world, on your children sleeping, working, praying, suffering. Especially grant your mercy to those in __________.
Who art in Heaven
I place myself in your arms and cling to you. I want to live with you at every moment and to see things through your eyes. (Spend some time with your Father in Heaven.)
Hallowed be thy name
We have been baptized with your name. Forgive us for the times that we have acted in ways that bring dishonor to your name and help us instead to glorify your name by our lives.
Thy Kingdom come
Jesus, when will you return? We need you. Help us to have hearts ready for your coming.
Thy will be done
What is your will, Father? How do you want me to live? What displeases you? What pleases you?
On Earth as it is in Heaven
In Heaven, your will is kept easily through love. Give me a heart like Jesus.
Give us this day our daily bread
What do I truly need today? Please, Father, give me what I truly need to live as your child. Please look with compassion on all those who do not have the basic needs of life, especially __________.
And forgive us our trespasses
Father, I have sinned. I am sorry that I have _________. Please forgive me. Grant forgiveness and the desire to repent to all.
As we forgive those who trespass against us
Father, give me a merciful heart. Help me to be a channel of your forgiveness in the world. Please send abundant blessings to all those I have harmed and all those who have harmed me especially ________.
And lead us not into temptation
Do not let me fall into temptation. Do not let me put myself at the center and harden my heart. Come to the aid of all undergoing temptations.
But deliver us from evil
Do not let anything separate us from you. Protect us from all harm and gather us all together to live with you forever.
Amen.
Monday, First Week of Lent
Sometimes people try to say that the God of the Old Testament is not the God of the New Testament. In today’s readings, we see the words of Saint Paul being spelled out in both of them. Saint Paul said that the whole law is fulfilled in these words: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love is the fulfillment of the law. Jesus has told us the same thing when quoting Deuteronomy. He said that the greatest Commandment was to love the Lord your God with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself.
So here we are at the start of Lent. Maybe you have started various practices such as attending daily Mass and perhaps you have some other things you’re trying to give up like overeating. These practices certainly can help us break bad habits or gain discipline. But if their root and fruit isn’t love, they are worthless.
In the first reading, the Lord is quite clear. He is calling us to holiness. In fact, he is calling us to his holiness. The Lord treats us with mercy and compassion. He is forgiving, tender, and understanding. He wants us to imitate him by treating each person in our life in the same way. The end of the reading sums it all up in one statement: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
In the Gospel, Jesus affirmed this. If we want to enter heaven, we have to be like God. Only those who are holy can enter eternal life. But this doesn’t have to scare us. We’re not talking about a type of perfection that would be impossible for us to reach. God doesn’t ask us to do things we are not capable of doing. And he is here to help us. All he asks is that we treat each person we meet with the same love he so freely gives us. May this Lent be a time to rediscover the beauty and simplicity of the Gospel.
First Sunday of Lent
What are your temptations? During the 40 days of Lent, we have a chance to find out in what ways we are weak. In today’s Gospel, Jesus confronts three temptations: to satisfy his hunger, to worship something other than God, and to put God to the test. None of these temptations, however, move Jesus from his purpose. And for each temptation, he answers with Scripture.
The first temptation was to satisfy his hunger. Jesus was truly hungry after fasting for 40 days. But even so, he was determined to rely on the Providence of his Father. This first temptation for us can be any time we decide to illicitly satisfy our desires. As human beings, we need proper nourishment and other things which keep us alive. Yet we have to make sure that our desires are truly promoting our eternal welfare. During Lent, we have the opportunity to find out by saying no, even to our legitimate desires, if we have the strength to resist this temptation.
The second temptation was to put something else or someone else in the place of God. A good way to find out if we are doing this is to see where we place all of our hope and spend all of our time. During Lent, we can decide to replace these activities with prayer. How hard is it for you to give up your favorite amusements or your favorite news site? How hard would it be for you to give up your opinion? The someone else that you put in the place of God could even be you.
The final temptation is to put God to the test. We put God to the test when we think that perhaps he is not good and does not have our best interest at heart. We want him to prove his love. Another way of putting God to the test is presumption. This is when we think that we can do anything we want and still be friends with God. We think that somehow we will be able to serve both God and money. To thwart this temptation, it might be a good idea to find ways to prove our love to God. We might also find ways to show that we trust him by being more generous in sharing the things that we have been given.
Usually, during these 40 days, if our plans were truly challenging, we will find that sometimes we falter and fail. This can be great for our humility and also for showing us where our dangers lie. Just as Jesus relied on the word of God and trusted in his Father so we should rely on the word of God, both in Scripture and in the person of Jesus. When we find ourselves weak, we know where to go to receive strength.
Saturday after Ash Wednesday
I wonder if before Jesus called him, Levi had ever read the passage from Isaiah that is today’s first reading? As a tax collector and someone interested in money, would this reading have meant anything to him?
We are all somewhat trapped in the attitude of Levi. Our world proclaims to us that it is far better to be rich, to have plenty of savings in the bank, to have many investments. In fact, to have much treasure stored up here on earth. We are taught to spend our time getting the best education that we can in order to have the best job which means the one that makes the most money.
Are these values of any importance to God? Isaiah tells us that what God wishes is for us to remove oppression, speak truthfully and kindly, give food to the hungry, and help the afflicted. He also tells us not to follow our own ways or to seek our own interests. Could any of us realistically say that we don’t follow our own ways or seek our own interests?
How can we break free from this way of thinking and acting? Jesus has the answer for us. He says, “Follow me. Don’t follow your own ways of thinking, instead follow the way that I think.” And how does Jesus think? He recognizes that we are sinners, but this does not cause him to look away from us. Instead, he gives his life to heal our wounds. Let us ask our Eucharistic Lord to heal us and to help us to think like he does so that we will also spend our lives for the salvation of all.
Friday after Ash Wednesday
It’s important that we get our ideas right about fasting. Since fasting is a major discipline of Lent, we want to make sure that we’re doing it in a way that bears fruit. If our fasting is all about us and how wonderful we are for fasting or, on the other hand, how horrible fasting is for us, then we have missed the point.
Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving go together. They are all aimed at the same goal which is love. In the first reading, Isaiah tells the people what type of fast pleases God. If it is simply a matter of not eating, then it is worthless. And, if while we are fasting, we sin against others, then it is worse than worthless. The fasting we do should open us up to God and the needs of our neighbor. It should show us our weakness and our common humanity. Then, recognizing our fragility, we should be moved to help the oppressed, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and clothe the naked. We also should make sure that we are attentive and aware of those around us in our own homes and communities.
In the Gospel, Jesus talks about another reason for fasting. In the Heavenly Kingdom, we will not fast because we will be forever united to the Holy Trinity. But here on earth, fasting helps us to realize that, as of yet, we do not fully possess the Beatific Vision. During Lent, we relive the time when Jesus was taken away from His followers. We also fast as a preparation both to receive Jesus in Holy Communion and for him to receive us into everlasting life.
Thursday after Ash Wednesday
Is there some sort of contradiction between the first reading of today and the Gospel? Moses tells the people to choose life and that if they do, they will have a long life on the land. But Jesus tells his followers, “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake, will save it.”
Is Jesus telling us that we should not desire life? Or that we should choose death? In the first reading, Moses is telling the people that loving the Lord and obeying his commandments brings life but disobeying his commandments and hating him brings death.
Jesus is really saying the same thing. To follow the way of Christ, we must not live for ourselves. But this will take discipline and courage. We need to know how to say no to ourselves. We need to know how not to make ourselves the center of everything. We should not be overly concerned about ourselves. In a different place, Jesus tells us not to worry about our lives. If we let ourselves be consumed by our worries and desires, we won’t be able to follow Jesus.
When we let our lives be “lost” in him, however, it is then that we will really find ourselves. We will truly begin to live. Once we have joined ourselves to him, and are looking at him rather than ourselves, we can begin to live his life, which is everlasting life.
Ash Wednesday
Another Ash Wednesday. How many have there been? Perhaps we can get discouraged and think, Does anything really change?
But this year, let’s try to see it with new eyes as a fresh start, a new invitation to reconciliation.
In the first reading of today’s Mass, when the people decide to gather together and repent, the Lord pities them. That’s real for us too and it’s happening now. We’ve taken the first step and already the Lord runs to meet us with his compassion.
Saint Paul reminds us in the second reading that God is waiting now to hear us and to help us. He wants us to be reconciled to him. Publicly acknowledging our sins Is our second step.
And in the Gospel, Jesus gives us the only other steps we need: charity, prayer, and fasting.
Charity covers a multitude of sins. Why does it? It is God‘s mercy that surrounds us and heals us when we’re weak and sinful. When we imitate him and reach out a loving hand to someone in need, our Father in his generosity does the same for us.
Prayer brings us face-to-face and heart-to-heart with our loving Father. When we come into his presence, we learn the secrets of his heart, and we tell him the secrets of ours. He can then help us to bring our hearts closer to his.
Fasting is often a dreaded word. But Jesus tells us not to be gloomy. By fasting from the good things of this world, we are strengthening ourselves to value the heavenly things. When we are advancing on our way to Heaven, how can we be sad?
Now, as we begin this Lent, how can we make it different? What if we didn’t think so much about giving things up for 40 days? What if instead, we saw it as an opportunity to increase God‘s life in us in a real and lasting way? For example:
What charitable and merciful act can you begin that will continue for the rest of your life? Perhaps you could try to gain the habit of attention or encouragement.
How can you deepen the intimacy of your prayer time? What ways can you practice in order to notice the presence of God?
Finally, what things do you need to give up forever or at least drastically lessen in your life?
Let’s make this not just a start of 40 days but the start of a new life. Jesus is here to help us because he is Mercy; he lived prayer and he gave up everything for the love of each one of us. Let us ask him to give us what we need to love as he does.