Thursday of the Second Week of Lent
Reading 1 Jer 17:5-10 Gospel Lk 16:19-31 "When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment," Meditation: There are times when we read this passage from scripture and come to an 'ah-ha' moment for the wrong reason; we say 'yeah the rich are gonna get theirs', but it is erroneous to believe that this man was condemned to the netherworld simply because he was rich; no, he was condemned because he was selfish and uncaring. The poor man was neither invisible nor unknown to him; he knew him well, he knew him by NAME, as we read: "And he 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'..." In this age of instant communication via T.V, internet or other media, the poor, the starving, the refugee, the victims of wars and natural disasters are not invisible to us. We know who they are and where they are. In our nation,our states, our counties, municipalities, parishes and neighborhoods Lazarus still calls, still reaches out, still yearns to be satisfied with even our scraps. How do we respond, by pretending he is invisible or with compassion? As individuals and as a nation we will be judged on our treatment of Lazarus. Yes the rich can give more but we are all required to give even of our little 'scraps'. Over and over the Holy Scriptures remind us of this: the 1st reading from Jeremiah ends with such a warning: "the LORD, alone probe the mind and test the heart, To reward everyone according to his ways,according to the merit of his deeds" Lents calls us to see Lazarus and to care for him. How will we respond? Peace.
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Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent
Gospel Mt 20:17-28 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the Twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day." Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something. He said to her, "What do you wish?" She answered him, "Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom." 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." When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus summoned them and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." Meditation: Too many conversations at home go like this: "Are you listening?" "Of course" (with my head still buried in my phone, laptop, tv) "What did I say?" "Eh...umm, (puts device down) continue..." "Sigh..." Lets roll back 2000 years to today's Gospel: Jesus is headed to Jerusalem for a last time and makes the solemn declaration of his impending passion and death. It was not the first time but on that occasion Peter interrupted him with an objection. Now he is being interrupted again by James and John and their mom with an astonishing request to have them sit on his right and left (places of honor) In the coming kingdom. "Are you listening?" "Of course" "What was I saying?" "Eh...umm...continue" "Sigh..." Jesus is talking about suffering, death and random and they are thinking 'right' and 'left', and per other gospel accounts "who is the greatest?" I guess we try to blot out what we don't want to hear: Suffering, death. Say, Jesus,...can you repeat the beatitudes again? I like those 'blesseds'. "Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave." This is hard for people with a 'greatest' mentality, who can only think about rising to the top in order to get, rather than give. This is counter to our drives and our ambitions but it is the only way to the places of honor in the kingdom of heaven. Lent calls us to the humility of a servant just as our Lord, "the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." Lent calls for transformation. May our hearts be humble May His cup be ours May His cross be ours Peace. Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent Reading 1 IS 1:10, 16-20 Hear the word of the LORD, princes of Sodom! Listen to the instruction of our God, people of Gomorrah! Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan's plea, defend the widow. Come now, let us set things right, says the LORD: Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; Though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool. If you are willing, and obey, you shall eat the good things of the land; But if you refuse and resist, the sword shall consume you: for the mouth of the LORD has spoken! Meditation: Throughout the Scriptures, both in the Old and New Testaments, is the appeal to justice both in the tangible and intangible practice. Isaiah gives us the Lord's command: "cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan's plea, defend the widow." The orphan and the widow both literally and figuratively represent the marginalized, the weak, the powerless in our society. How does a people who call themselves 'christian' or a nation that spouts slogans such as 'one nation under God' or ' in God we trust' repeatedly fail to concentrate on the Godly work of promoting justice and not turning the back on the poor, the sick, the lame, the widow and the orphan? Again these are not just individual groups and classes; in the eyes of God they represent the weak and the powerless. It is not too late to return to the God of Mercy. "Come now, let us set things right, says the LORD: Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; Though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool. If you are willing, and obey, you shall eat the good things of the land; But if you refuse and resist, the sword shall consume you: for the mouth of the LORD has spoken!" This is for the individual and the society alike. Lent calls but how will we respond? Peace. Monday of the Second Week of Lent
Gospel 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." Meditation: Everyone knows the expressions 'karma is a b....', 'what goes around comes around' or 'you reap what you sow'. They all support in some way the lesson that Jesus teaches in today's gospel: "For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you." This Lent is a time when we need to become more welcoming to the poor, the oppressed and the needy. We need to open our hearts and arms to those who lately have been cast adrift to seek refuge, who are fleeing war, and famine and death; This is a time to have mercy; to forgive; and not to judge. Brother against sister and sister against brother only weakens the family and all suffer. In the opening address for the Second Vatican Council Pope (now saint) John XXIII said on the nature of the Council "Today, however, Christ's Bride prefers the balm of mercy to the arm of severity." And our current Pope Francis in opening the Year of Mercy said also: "May the balm of mercy reach everyone, both believers and those far away, as a sign that the kingdom of God is already present in our midst." This is the challenge of Lent. Yet it is necessary for our salvation. Be the balm of mercy. I know I have work to do. “The measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you." Peace. Second Sunday of Lent
Reading 1 GN 12:1-4A Reading 2 2 TM 1:8B-10 Gospel MT 17:1-9 Meditation: I remember a high school teacher, Mr. Millette, using a phrase 'cheap immortality' to define our attempts to gain long term recognition for little effort. He gave an example of carving initials in trees or in wet concrete and encouraged us rather to do something meaningful with our lives that we will be remembered for. 'Cheap immortality'...it stuck with me. Today's Scriptures speak to us on true immortality that can come only by listening to the word of God. In the first reading the covenant is being established between God and Abraham: The LORD said to Abram: "Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father's house to a land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing...All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you." It is promise of posterity, immortality in the sense that Abraham's name will never be forgotten. But it is not 'cheap immortality' for it required sacrifice: "Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father's house to a land that I will show you..." In other words get out of your comfort zone, give up all that you are familiar and feel safe with, trust me and follow. The second Sunday of Lent also always focuses on the Transfiguration of Christ. It is a turning point in his ministry: from here he will turn his eyes toward Jerusalem for one last visit to fulfill the mission. The Gospel account we hear today does not tell us the nature of the conversation between Jesus, Moses and Elijah but, to the witnesses, Peter, Andrew, James and John, it revealed his glory . However it also came with a steep price: his passion and death. The Tranfiguration also gives us a glimpse of our own destined glory if we "listen to him". Like Abraham we are called to give up everything for the sake of the kingdom. It requires sacrifice. St. Paul tells us in the second reading: "Beloved: Bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God." Brothers and sisters, immortality awaits us but does glory? Lent calls to "listen" and follow. Peace. Saturday of the First Week of Lent
Reading 1 Dt 26:16-19 Moses spoke to the people, saying: "This day the LORD, your God, commands you to observe these statutes and decrees. Be careful, then, to observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. Today you are making this agreement with the LORD: he is to be your God and you are to walk in his ways and observe his statutes, commandments and decrees, and to hearken to his voice. And today the LORD is making this agreement with you: you are to be a people peculiarly his own, as he promised you; and provided you keep all his commandments, he will then raise you high in praise and renown and glory above all other nations he has made, and you will be a people sacred to the LORD, your God, as he promised." Meditation: Back in the early 90s I was speaking with a Jewish co-worker, Lynn, and while I can't remember the topic of discussion I do remember her expression when she said "but remember we are the "Chosen People". There was neither arrogance, nor presumption in it just pride and confidence that comes rooted in their understanding of covenant. It was exactly that covenant that Moses was addressing to his people as they neared the Promised Land: "Today you are making this agreement with the LORD...And today the LORD is making this agreement with you..." Yes Lynn walked as a covenant person. What of us then? At every Mass we hear these words taken from the New Testament: Mt. 26:26-28 26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, “Take and eat; this is my body.” 27 Then he took a cup, gave thanks,* and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins." We are a covenant people the words of Moses apply as much to us: ""Today you are making this agreement with the LORD...And today the LORD is making this agreement with you..." we respond "amen". Another good friend of mine named St. Peter likes to remind me: "But you are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises” of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Pet 2:9) Lent calls us to live as such. Peace. Friday of the First Week of Lent
Ezekiel 18:21-28 You say, "The LORD's way is not fair!" Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair? When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die. But if the wicked, turning from the wickedness he has committed, does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life; since he has turned away from all the sins that he committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. Meditation: There was a children's game that we played called Chutes and Ladders. In that game you moved spaces forward, according to the roll of a dice, in order to get to the finish first. If you landed on a ladder then you would go up to another level and closer to the finish but if you landed on a chute you would slide down and be further away from the finish. I enjoyed many hours of fun playing that game with companions (it was such a simpler time then). I thought about that game as I read today's 1st reading taken from Ezekiel. As we go on our life's journey there are pitfalls: times when we give in to temptations and our baser desires. That's called sin and it is where we land on a chute and slide down but there is always the opportunity to land on a ladder and go up again as we continue. That is called repentance and grace. But I have good news for you that I heard from a well connected friend, St. Paul. He told me that with the Lord, there are more ladders than chutes. He said the Rom 5:20 "where sin is grace abounds even more". It seems our God wants everybody to win! A just God will condemn the sinner who dies in his iniquity or who turns from virtue to iniquity but a merciful God will raise the one who walks in virtue or turns away from iniquity. The last verse in that chapter in Ezekiel is this: "32 For I find no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies—oracle of the Lord GOD. Turn back and live!" It's what we choose to do that determines the consequence. Chute or ladder? Repentance and reconciliation are the major themes of today's readings. Why not take the opportunity to make things right with God again. Take advantage of the gift of the sacrament of reconciliation, pray for the grace of metanoia and make a U-turn back to God. Hit a ladder this Lent and rise. Peace. Thursday of the First Week in Lent
Gospel Mt 7:7-12 Jesus said to his disciples: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asked for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asked for a fish? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him. "Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets." Meditation: Ask, seek, knock. We've heard the Gospel message so many times and I've used it secularly quite often: "ask and you shall receive" or "seek and you shall find" I tell co-workers. It just rolls off the tongue. Beautiful in its simplicity, it is extremely difficult in its praxis. I mean, haven't we asked, begged, pleaded but did not receive, sought high and low but did not find; still felt lost, knocked, banged and a door refused to open? I've felt that way more times than I care to admit. But consider this dialogue: 'Dad, can I have chocolate cake for breakfast?' 'No, but I'm giving you cereal. Its good for you to start the day'. 'No' is an answer too, as much as we don't like to hear it. So going back to the Gospel "how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him." "Aye, there's the rub" if I remember my Shakespeare: give GOOD things to those who ask him. Maybe what I'm asking, seeking, knocking for is not a good thing or in fact God has something better. So here's a prayer that I found myself saying at a time when I was struggling with 'ask, seek, knock'. My prayer: Lord, I know you only have good for me so I claim that good even if I can't see it or feel it right now. Amen. It helps me and I hope it helps you. And finally the Gospel ends with a seemingly unconnected proverb that is equally simple and as difficult, if not moreso, in its praxis: "Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets." Ah...the famous 'Golden Rule'. What would the world be like if we could adhere to this one, simple rule? Lent calls us to at least try. Peace. Wednesday of the First Week in Lent
Reading 1 JON 3:1-10 Gospel LK 11:29-32 While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here. At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here." Meditation: What would Jesus say about this generation? Would he label us "an evil generation"? I fear so; war, murders, abortion, cruelty, greed and many more evils are so pervasive today, so against the 'life in full' that Jesus came to bring. In both scriptures today we hear about Jonah. I like Jonah, I identify a lot with him. For instance, I fear that if God told me to go to D.C. and call all our Gov't leaders to repentance or face destruction I may very well end up in the belly of a whale. I can be obstinate, narrow minded and tunnel visioned like that. But God has a much wider vision than I. Yes, God calls D.C to repentance but he also calls you to repentance and he calls me to repentance. We are all sinners who need to repent so he sent his Son to us all. We have a sign that is greater than Solomon, greater than Jonah in Jesus. We deserve destruction but receive mercy...if we repent. Lent calls us to heed his word. Peace. Tuesday of the First Week of Lent
Reading 1 Is 55:10-11 Thus says the LORD: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down And do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, Giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; It shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it. Meditation: What is God's word for us? What is its purpose so that it does not return void to Him? Indeed in today's Gospel, Jesus teaches us to pray by giving the Lord's Prayer. It begins with, as we should all know..."Our Father". Immediately we should see or sense it is a setting of intimacy, comfort, protection or at least it should be. Sadly many of us don't have warm fuzzy relationships with our fathers and so our vision is obscured but nevertheless the addressee of the prayer, God the Father does indeed love us with the deepest love that can ever be known. So in order to discern what is God's word for us and its purpose we have to know who God is. And that brothers and sisters is revealed in the Son, Jesus, the eternal word of God who says: Jn 6:38-44 "because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. 39 And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it [on] the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him [on] the last day.” Eternal life that comes through faith; this is God's word and purpose for us that "shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it." Lent calls us to ponder the word that will not return to heaven void, to an intimate relationship with Abba. Peace. |
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