Tag: Lent

Monday of the Third Week of Lent

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 4:24-30)

Jesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth: “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. “

In his hometown at the synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus has just read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, proclaiming that through him the scripture is fulfilled in their hearing. But when Jesus reminds the people of the prophets Elijah and Elisha, they become angry because Jesus makes clear that God’s grace is meant for all people, including non-Israelites. They rise up to drive Jesus out of town to hurl him headlong over the edge of a hill, but his time had not come. “But he passed through the midst of them,” Luke tells us, “and went away.” The inclusive nature of God’s plan meant that even among his closest family and neighbors Jesus faced opposition and hard-heartedness even as God is so willing to pour upon his people grace and salvation.

God, open my heart today to the opportunities you present to me to receive your grace and be a means of grace to others. Just as Naaman wrestled with pride and his own expectations before being healed in the Jordan by your grace, I have to confront and renounce my own expectations about how you operate through the ministry of others, especially through the people closest to me. Help me see beyond the mundane that in my own hometown, abroad, and within my family I will find the opportunity both to bear and to hear your message—”to bring glad tidings to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free.” Give me your grace, Lord, to receive it and give it away.

From the responsorial psalm: “Send forth your light and your fidelity; they shall lead me on And bring me to your holy mountain, to your dwelling-place. Athirst is my soul for the living God.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“The temple of his body.” | Third Sunday of Lent

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (Jn 2:13-25)

The Jews said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken.

As Jesus drives out the merchants and money changers from the temple, he drives out with them what they sold: oxen, sheep, and doves. To those who sold doves, the offering of the poor, he said: “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.” In order to identify himself as the new temple, Jesus cleansed the temple of its baggage. “Destroy this temple,” he says to the Jews who look for a sign from him, “and in three days I will raise it up.” Jesus is the sign and the signified, the temple of the body, the one who points to the Father and the temple where the Father dwells. John concludes the passage by bringing the context of the Passover to Jesus’ actions in the temple. During that time, John tells us, “many began to believe in his name when they saw the signs he was doing.”

Father in heaven, help me recognize in Jesus the temple of the body. True God and true man, Jesus knows human nature and from that nature spoke the command to love you above all else and love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Teach me, Lord, to see that wherever you dwell, there is holiness unblemished by material concerns and a call for true reverence and worship. Give me the grace to comprehend what I have in the Blessed Sacrament—that the body of Christ is there in the real presence. Keep me in your care, Lord, with the conviction to keep holy what is holy and worship you in reverence with my whole heart.

From the responsorial psalm: “The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the command of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eye. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“He was lost and has been found.” | Saturday of the Second Week of Lent

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 15:1-3, 11-32)

The father said to him, “My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.”

In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Jesus responds to the Pharisees in a way that is relevant for all of us. As the passage begins, the Pharisees criticize Jesus because of the tax collectors and sinners who are drawn to him and listen to him. In the parable, the son demands his inheritance and then squanders it within days, living loosely and sinfully. After spending all he has, a severe famine strikes and the son finds employment tending swine. Far from home and at last coming to his senses, the son says to himself: “I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.'” While the son is a long way off from his house, the father sees him and runs out to meet him and embraces and kisses him. Then they begin celebrating with a feast. The older son, disturbed by what this might mean, questions his father. The mercy the father shows for both sons is just and proportional. So it is with God: his mercy is inexhaustible and available to all who humbly seek him and repent.

God, this message is meant for all; it is a universal call to repentance, not for the sake of wallowing in weakness but to see and experience the mercy you extend to all. Help me see that this story is meant for all but also your word speaking to me personally. The prodigal son recognizes wrongdoing and the need to return home to the father; the father forgives the son and celebrates his return in the joy of reconciliation. Thank you, Father, for your mercy; in your mercy restore me!

From the responsorial psalm: “He will not always chide, nor does he keep his wrath forever. Not according to our sins does he deal with us, nor does he requite us according to our crimes. The Lord is kind and merciful.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Friday of the Second Week of Lent

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 21:33-43, 45-46)

Therefore, I say to you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.” When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking about them. And although they were attempting to arrest him, they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.

The parable Jesus tells the Pharisees represents the repeated rejection and mistreatment of God’s chosen messengers throughout salvation history. The servants in the parable sent by the landowner represent the prophets who were sent to the people of Israel to reconcile them with God through repentance. Instead of responding positively to their message, though, the tenants respond with violence and disregard for their authority, just as the religious leaders rejected the landowner’s son, Jesus the Messiah. In this parable, Jesus calls us to be receptive to his word and to be faithful disciples in obedience to the Father as his people.

God, help me understand the meaning of this parable as it relates to me in the modern day. Throughout salvation history, you have spoken to your chosen people through the prophets and through your commandments. Jesus is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. Give me the grace to see the big picture: you sent your messengers first, and they were mistreated. In the fullness of time, you sent Jesus, whom they rejected and killed. Jesus paid the ultimate price for us; what greater love is there? Help me listen out for you in the scriptures and as you speak to me through the events of this day. Let me hear your voice, Lord!

Verse before the Gospel: “God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son; so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“If someone should rise from the dead.” | Thursday of the Second Week of Lent

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 16:19-31)

And [the rich man] cried out, “Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.” Abraham replied, “My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.”

In this parable directed to the Pharisees, Jesus paints a stark contrast between the lives of two men: a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. Lazarus, covered in sores, longs for the scraps discarded by the rich man. But after their deaths, their fates dramatically reverse. The rich man ends up in the netherworld, a place of torment, while Lazarus is carried by angels to the bosom of Abraham and exists in comfort and peace. The rich man, in his torment, sees Lazarus in the distance and calls out to Abraham for mercy, but Abraham explains that a great chasm separates them, making it impossible for Lazarus to help him. Abraham affirms that if the brothers of the rich man do not listen to the teachings already available to them—just as some who witnessed Christ’s resurrection are not persuaded—even a miraculous sign would not convince them. The reversal of fortune that the rich man experiences is a reminder that however great earthly wealth and status become, they count for nothing in one’s eternal destiny.

God, just as Lazarus lay at the door of the rich man unnoticed, opportunities large and small lie at my feet day after day, placed there by you, which I can choose to see or not see. The poverty that Lazarus experienced, though punishing to the body and to spirit, was nothing like the absolute state of destitution that the rich man experienced after death. Lord, give me the grace today—and whenever you present the opportunity to me—to recognize in the moment the need for compassion, justice, and attentiveness to your teachings. Teach me your mercy, Lord!

From the responsorial psalm: “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord. He is like a tree planted near running water, that yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade. Whatever he does, prospers.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“You do not know what you are asking.” | Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 20:17-28)

Jesus said in reply, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?” They said to him, “We can.” He replied, “My chalice you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

Jesus tells the disciples about his coming passion, death, and resurrection. The mother of James and John approaches Jesus and asks him, “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.” It is as if there is a misunderstanding between what she asks Jesus and what Jesus has just told the disciples. To drink the chalice that Jesus drinks and to sit at his right hand means to take on his suffering and participate in his passion. Greatness of that kind is not what a mother would ask for her sons, yet it is the same servanthood that Christ calls them to—a dying to oneself. “Just so,” Jesus says to the disciples, “the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

God, you know me better than I know myself. Give me the wisdom to know when I am in the midst of making worldly ambition—or even undue control over the course of the next hour—an end in itself. Help me discern whether my aims are selfish or whether my sole aim is to know and act on your will. Jesus speaks of greatness, what it looks like through your eyes: “whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant.” Give me clarity of mind today to stop and notice when you place in front of me an opportunity to practice humble service and selfless love. Help me see as you see.

From the responsorial psalm: “You will free me from the snare they set for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hands I commend my spirit; you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“The greatest among you must be your servant.” | Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 23:1-12)

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, “As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

Jesus presents to those who hear him a path that gives what is due to religious leaders of his time, the scribes and Pharisees. Yet, he instructs those listening not to follow their example of burdening others through their authority or showing off for the sake of honor, to be noticed. “Do not follow their example,” Jesus says, “for they preach but they do not practice.” Instead, he invites us to turn our understanding of authority upside down and follow his example of leading by serving. “You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.” In calling us to imitate him in humble service, Jesus opens up the way to perfect humility by putting the needs of others before our own and seeking to serve rather than be served.

God, help me practice my faith by doing what pleases you rather than what looks good in the eyes of others. It’s easy to point out the self-exaltation of others and the attention they seek. But when I turn to myself, what do I find through genuine self-examination? Give me the grace, God, to praise and give you glory by practicing what Jesus teaches. In seeking to do your will through humility and service, I have through Jesus the invitation to be the greatest among others by humbling myself for the sake of your glory.

From the responsorial psalm: “Help us, O God our savior, because of the glory of your name; deliver us and pardon our sins for your name’s sake. Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” | Monday of the Second Week in Lent

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 6:36-38)

Jesus said to his disciples: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”

Jesus calls the disciples—and all of us—to perfect mercy by being merciful just as his Father is merciful. He gives examples of what mercy is: not judging or condemning but rather being forgiving and giving in relationships with others. To be merciful in this way seems an impossible task, yet that is exactly the way of life that Jesus invites us to adopt. When we ourselves, undeserving of mercy, receive it from God, Father of us all, it seems natural that we adopt the Spirit of the Father and do the same when encountering his sons and daughters. The gift he gives us becomes the gift we give away.

God, help me be merciful. I am quick to judge, and draw back from judgment and criticism only when I stop to consider what I am doing. Judgment is a two-edged sword that comes back to me time after time in some form. Instead, Lord, give me the grace to stand up against the dysfunction of judgment and forgive the faults of others or past hurts, not for the sake of self-gain but simply to stop judging. When I struggle to be merciful and forgiving, help me call to mind the words of Jesus and the result of being merciful: “Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you.” Lord, open my eyes today to the opportunity to be merciful.

From the responsorial psalm: “Remember not against us the iniquities of the past; may your compassion quickly come to us, for we are brought very low. Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” | Second Sunday of Lent

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mk 9:2-10)

Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. . . . Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them.

As Peter witnesses the Transfiguration, he says to Jesus: “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Then, giving insight into Peter’s state of mind, Mark tells us, “He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified.” Next, God’s voice comes from heaven telling Peter, James, and John to listen to the words of his beloved Son. Suddenly, all was as it had been before, and Jesus stood alone with them. He tells the disciples to relate to no one what they had just witnessed. Finally, Mark leaves us with this statement, which every Christian ponders throughout life: “So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant.” In the Transfiguration, Jesus reveals in an astounding way the realization that he is the Son of the living God; even more, he unveils for a moment what one day we may become in remaining in him.

Father in heaven, help me connect the two voices I hear in today’s readings. In the first reading, you speak to Abraham, who you asked to sacrifice his own beloved son but then held him back, sparing his life. “Because you acted as you did in not withholding from me your beloved son, I will bless you abundantly and make your descendants as countless as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore.” Ages later, you gave your beloved Son as a sacrifice for all, and did not hold back his death, but he willingly accepted death in order to destroy it and rise to new life—not for himself alone but for all. As Saint Paul said, “Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Strengthen my faith, Lord, so that I stand side by side as a witness of the Transfiguration, confirmed in hope of the glory of the Resurrection.

From the responsorial psalm: “I believed, even when I said, “I am greatly afflicted.” Precious in the eyes of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.” If God is for us, who can be against us?

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“Love your enemies.” | Saturday of the First Week of Lent

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 5:43-48)

“But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.”

In teaching the disciples, Jesus leaves no doubt about his command. Love of neighbor is universal, not merely for those whose relationship is based on love. Jesus goes on to tell the disciples to love without expecting anything from others in return, and to pray for our persecutors. “For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?” Instead, he says, “be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” For all who hear this, Jesus frees us to leave judgment to the Father and opens for us through himself the way to the Father—the source and aim of love that knows no limits.

Father in heaven, help me keep in mind today that everybody I encounter is your son or daughter and created in your image. In facing scorn or recalling past hurts, give me the grace to forgive others and pray for them. “Pray for those who persecute you,” Jesus says, “that you may be children of your heavenly Father.” Give me the opportunity today to use the grace I ask for, if it is your will. In such situations, help me call to mind to let go of judgment and love the person you place before me. Teach me, Lord, to love my enemies, the people who don’t like me and show it, the ones who are difficult to love.

From the verse before the Gospel: “Blessed are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD. Blessed are they who observe his decrees, who seek him with all their heart. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.