Monday 18
February 2013
First reading
Leviticus
19:1-2,11-18
The Lord spoke to Moses. He said:
‘Speak
to the whole community of the sons of Israel and say to them:
‘“Be
holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.
‘“You
must not steal nor deal deceitfully or fraudulently with your neighbour. You
must not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God. I am the
Lord. You must not exploit or rob your neighbour. You must not keep back the
labourer’s wage until next morning. You must not curse the dumb, nor put an
obstacle in the blind man’s way, but you must fear your God. I am the Lord.
‘“You
must not be guilty of unjust verdicts. You must neither be partial to the
little man nor overawed by the great; you must pass judgement on your neighbour
according to justice. You must not slander your own people, and you must not
jeopardise your neighbour’s life. I am the Lord. You must not bear hatred for
your brother in your heart. You must openly tell him, your neighbour, of his
offence; this way you will not take a sin upon yourself. You must not exact
vengeance, nor must you bear a grudge against the children of your people. You
must love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord.”’
In the first weeks of Lent, the
Church through the Readings teaches us what it means to be a Christian. The
best Lenten practice is to read, pray and with the Holy Spirit’s help put into
practice the instructions the Spirit gives us. The aim of Lent and of our life
is “Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy”. We are to share the life of
God and so have the mind of God. The readings explain what his mind is. If we
learn how to love, then we will have the mind of God and our life will reflect
this.
Psalm
Psalm
18:8-10,15
Your words are spirit, Lord, and they
are life.
The law of the Lord is perfect,
it revives the soul.
The rule of the Lord is to be trusted,
it gives wisdom to the simple.
Your words are spirit, Lord, and they
are life.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
they gladden the heart.
The command of the Lord is clear,
it gives light to the eyes.
Your words are spirit, Lord, and they
are life.
The fear of the Lord is holy,
abiding for ever.
The decrees of the Lord are truth
and all of them just.
Your words are spirit, Lord, and they
are life.
May the spoken words of my mouth,
the thoughts of my heart,
win favour in your sight, O Lord,
my rescuer, my rock!
Your words are spirit, Lord, and they
are life.
____________________
Gospel
Acclamation
Ezk18:31
Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal
glory!
Shake off all your sins – it is the
Lord who speaks –
and make yourselves a new heart and a
new spirit.
Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal
glory!
Or
2Co6:2
Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal
glory!
Now is the favourable time:
this is the day of salvation.
Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal
glory!
____________________
Gospel
Matthew
25:31-46
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘When the
Son of Man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take
his seat on his throne of glory. All the nations will be assembled before him
and he will separate men one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from
goats. He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.
‘Then
the King will say to those on his right hand, “Come, you whom my Father has
blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the
foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty
and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you
clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.” Then
the virtuous will say to him in reply, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and
feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and
make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?”
And the King will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to
one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.”
‘Next
he will say to those on his left hand, “Go away from me, with your curse upon
you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was
hungry and you never gave me food; I was thirsty and you never gave me anything
to drink; I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, naked and you never
clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me.” Then it will be their
turn to ask, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or naked,
sick or in prison, and did not come to your help?” Then he will answer, “I tell
you solemnly, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of
these, you neglected to do it to me.”
‘And
they will go away to eternal punishment, and the virtuous to eternal life.’
Love in deeds
In the first weeks of Lent the Church
through the readings gives us instruction on living the Christian life. Today
is the first and so most important aspect of Christian living. It is the
fulfilment of the Lord’s command to love but now put in the concrete situation
of daily life. The world is full of people in grave physical need – the deprived,
the marginalised, the lonely, the asylum seeker, the sick, those in prison, the
poverty stricken who are hungry, without clothes and homes. Jesus tells us. If
you love me, then love them because they are precious to me. If you want to
serve me, then serve them. How you love me is reflected in how you love them.
Your love for me is reflected in how much you give them, of your love, of your
time, of your material means. How much then do you love Jesus?
Tuesday 19
February 2013
First reading
Isaiah
55:10-11
Thus says the Lord: ‘As the rain and the
snow come down from the heavens and do not return without watering the earth,
making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for
the eating, so the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty,
without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.’
Is God talking about the words in
a book or is he talking about the Word. “In the beginning was the Word and the
Word was with God and the Word was God…the Word became flesh”. The Word has
become a human being and lived in the world along with us. Let him come into
your life and then he will transform you. He will carry out God’s will for you
and that is that you too share in the life of God now in faith and then in
vision. You are with the Word the son/daughter of God. He is by nature and you
by sharing.
Psalm
Psalm
33:4-7,16-19
The Lord rescues the just in all their
distress.
Glorify the Lord with me.
Together let us praise his name.
I sought the Lord and he answered me;
from all my terrors he set me free.
The Lord rescues the just in all their
distress.
Look towards him and be radiant;
let your faces not be abashed.
This poor man called, the Lord heard him
and rescued him from all his distress.
The Lord rescues the just in all their
distress.
The Lord turns his face against the
wicked
to destroy their remembrance from the
earth.
The Lord turns his eyes to the just
and his ears to their appeal.
The Lord rescues the just in all their
distress.
They call and the Lord hears
and rescues them in all their distress.
The Lord is close to the broken-hearted;
those whose spirit is crushed he will
save.
The Lord rescues the just in all their
distress.
____________________
Gospel
Acclamation
Mt4:4
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the
mouth of God.
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
____________________
Gospel
Matthew
6:7-15
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘In your
prayers do not babble as the pagans do, for they think that by using many words
they will make themselves heard. Do not be like them; your Father knows what
you need before you ask him. So you should pray like this:
‘Our Father in heaven,
may your name be held holy,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we have
forgiven those who are in debt to us.
And do not put us to the test,
but save us from the evil one.
‘Yes, if you forgive others their
failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours; but if you do not
forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failings either.’
Love
forgives and prays
Jesus demands that we show love for
him not only by reaching out to those in physical need but also to those in
spiritual need. We must approach God with a pure heart, a heart not only
forgiven but forgiving. Jesus forgives because he loves. If we love him, we
also will forgive. He tells us to forgive everyone and everything. There is no
insult or injury, which we are not to forgive. Then we can turn to God in
prayer as his children. Jesus tells us not to babble in prayer, using many
words. The perfect form of personal prayer is to sit quietly in the conscious
awareness of God’s presence as a loving Father and pray through, in and with
Jesus using his prayer as our model. Jesus prayed alone and from the heart and
at times “with loud cries and tears.” Do you pray as he did?
Wednesday 20
February 2013
First reading
Jonah
3:1-10
The word of the Lord was addressed a
second time to Jonah: ‘Up!’ he said ‘Go to Nineveh, the great city, and preach
to them as I told you to.’ Jonah set out and went to Nineveh in obedience to
the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was a city great beyond compare: it took
three days to cross it. Jonah went on into the city, making a day’s journey. He
preached in these words, ‘Only forty days more and Nineveh is going to be
destroyed.’ And the people of Nineveh believed in God; they proclaimed a fast
and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least. The news reached the king
of Nineveh, who rose from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth and
sat down in ashes. A proclamation was then promulgated throughout Nineveh, by
decree of the king and his ministers, as follows: ‘Men and beasts, herds and
flocks, are to taste nothing; they must not eat, they must not drink water. All
are to put on sackcloth and call on God with all their might; and let everyone
renounce his evil behaviour and the wicked things he has done. Who knows if God
will not change his mind and relent, if he will not renounce his burning wrath,
so that we do not perish?’ God saw their efforts to renounce their evil
behaviour, and God relented: he did not inflict on them the disaster which he
had threatened.
Let us realise what kind of
literature we are dealing with here. This is a story with a religious message
telling of God’s desire to forgive and save all peoples if only they will come
to him. He is a God of love for everyone. If we turn to him then we will experience
that love, now in faith, later in vision. We should learn to love in return.
Psalm
Psalm
50:3-4,12-13,18-19
A humbled, contrite heart, O God, you
will not spurn.
Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.
In your compassion blot out my offence.
O wash me more and more from my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.
A humbled, contrite heart, O God, you
will not spurn.
A pure heart create for me, O God,
put a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
nor deprive me of your holy spirit.
A humbled, contrite heart, O God, you
will not spurn.
For in sacrifice you take no delight,
burnt offering from me you would refuse,
my sacrifice, a contrite spirit.
A humbled, contrite heart you will not
spurn.
A humbled, contrite heart, O God, you
will not spurn.
____________________
Gospel
Acclamation
Ezk33:11
Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
I take pleasure, not in the death of a
wicked man
– it is the Lord who speaks –
but in the turning back of a wicked man
who changes his ways to win life.
Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
Or
Joel2:12-13
Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
Now, now – it is the Lord who
speaks –
come back to me with all your heart,
for I am all tenderness and compassion.
Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
____________________
Gospel
Luke
11:29-32
The crowds got even bigger and Jesus
addressed them, ‘This is a wicked generation; it is asking for a sign The only
sign it will be given is the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to
the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. On Judgement day
the Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation and 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. On Judgement day the
men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when
Jonah preached they repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here.’
Repent and believe
the Gospel
Lent is a time of repentance for our sins. It is not the
externals of religion that are important but our change of heart. As the
Ninevites gave up sin and evil habits because Jonah preached to them so must
we. It is not a flawed prophet who preaches but Jesus himself. We are to leave
sin and open ourselves to him. As the queen of the South came all the way from
her kingdom to listen to Solomon so must we this Lent leave behind our own desires
and comfort, and listen to the Word of God spoken by Jesus. Through meditating
on the Word of God, we will learn a wisdom, which far surpasses the Wisdom of
Solomon. His Word must become the light for our life. Are you ready to repent
and live your life according to the Word of God spoken by Jesus in the Gospels?
A Father’s Care
In Lent, we must learn to trust in God’s
goodness towards us. This trust should be something that gives us peace and
confidence. God is our Father and as such wants to care for us in every way. He
cannot do this unless we allow him. He will also let us struggle. This too is
out of love, so that we can grow and become strong. However, he will never
allow us to suffer evil. He will turn everything to our good. Jesus today tells
us to ask, to seek and to knock. This is something then that we must do and
with the confidence that our Father will hear us. As loving parents desire to
do the best for their children so does God, - infinitely more so. He will then
always answer our prayer though often not in the way we expect. Can you relax
thinking of God?
Thursday 21
February 2013
Readings at Mass
____________________
First reading
Esther
4:17
Queen Esther took refuge with the Lord
in the mortal peril which had overtaken her. She besought the Lord God of
Israel in these words:
‘My Lord, our King, the only one,
come to my help, for I am alone
and have no helper but you
and am about to take my life in my
hands.
‘I have been taught from my earliest
years, in the bosom of my family,
that you, Lord, chose
Israel out of all the nations
and our ancestors out of all the people
of old times
to be your heritage for ever;
and that you have treated them as you
promised.
‘Remember, Lord; reveal yourself
in the time of our distress.
‘As for me, give me courage,
King of gods and master of all power.
Put persuasive words into my mouth
when I face the lion;
change his feeling into hatred for our
enemy,
that the latter and all like him may be
brought to their end.
‘As for ourselves, save us by your hand,
and come to my help, for I am alone
and have no one but you, Lord.’
We are to learn during Lent that
without God we are nothing. Basically, we are dust but through the love of God
we have become even naturally wonderful in our being (see Psalm 139) and
supernaturally we share in the very life of God and are indeed his children. However,
we live in a hostile and alien world and without God’s help we will sin and
fall away. We need to pray constantly in order to be faithful and saved from
the schemes of Satan.
Psalm
Psalm
137:1-3,7-8
On the day I called, you answered me, O
Lord.
I thank you, Lord, with all my heart:
you have heard the words of my mouth.
In the presence of the angels I will
bless you.
I will adore before your holy temple.
On the day I called, you answered me, O
Lord.
I thank you for your faithfulness and
love,
which excel all we ever knew of you.
On the day I called, you answered;
you increased the strength of my soul.
On the day I called, you answered me, O
Lord.
You stretch out your hand and save me,
your hand will do all things for me.
Your love, O Lord, is eternal,
discard not the work of your hands.
On the day I called, you answered me, O
Lord.
____________________
Gospel
Acclamation
Joel2:12-13
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word
of God!
Now, now – it is the Lord who
speaks –
come back to me with all your heart,
for I am all tenderness and compassion.
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word
of God!
Or
Ps50:12,14
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word
of God!
A pure heart create for me, O God,
and give me again the joy of your help.
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word
of God!
____________________
Gospel
Matthew
7:7-12
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Ask, and
it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be
opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches
always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him. Is
there a man among you who would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread?
Or would hand him a snake when he asked for a fish? If you, then, who are evil,
know how to give your children what is good, how much more will your Father in
heaven give good things to those who ask him!
‘So
always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of
the Law and the Prophets.’
Friday 22
February 2013
Readings at Mass
____________________
First reading
1
Peter 5:1-4
Now I have something to tell your
elders: I am an elder myself, and a witness to the sufferings of Christ, and
with you I have a share in the glory that is to be revealed. Be the shepherds
of the flock of God that is entrusted to you: watch over it, not simply as a
duty but gladly, because God wants it; not for sordid money, but because you
are eager to do it. Never be a dictator over any group that is put in your
charge, but be an example that the whole flock can follow. When the chief
shepherd appears, you will be given the crown of unfading glory.
Good example is not everything, but it
is certainly one of the most powerful ways of influencing people. It gives our
words a force for good. It is not that we should set out to give good example.
Rather we should live good lives and they automatically become good example to
those who see them. The shepherd is concerned and so should we be for the
spiritual welfare of others.
Psalm
Psalm
22:1-6
The Lord is my shepherd: there is
nothing I shall want.
The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me,
to revive my drooping spirit.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is
nothing I shall want.
He guides me along the right path;
he is true to his name.
If I should walk in the valley of
darkness
no evil would I fear.
You are there with your crook and your
staff;
with these you give me comfort.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is
nothing I shall want.
You have prepared a banquet for me
in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil;
my cup is overflowing.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is
nothing I shall want.
Surely goodness and kindness shall
follow me
all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
for ever and ever.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is
nothing I shall want.
____________________
Gospel
Acclamation
Mt16:18
Alleluia, alleluia!
You are Peter,
and on this rock I will build my Church.
Ahe gates of the netherworld undl can
never hold out it.
Alleluia!
____________________
Gospel
Matthew
16:13-19
When Jesus came to the region of
Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say the
Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah,
and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say
I am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’ he said ‘the Son of the
living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because
it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven.
So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And
the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the
keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered
bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in
heaven.’
The Rock is Jesus
The disciples tell Jesus what others
think. Is all you know about Jesus what others have told you? Alternatively, do
you know him yourself? The people have misunderstood Jesus but Peter has lived
with him and come to know him. He can proclaim, "You are the Christ, the
Son of the living God." Peter is hardly solid rock. He will prove himself
weak and unreliable but when he surrenders to Jesus, he can say with St. Paul
Saturday 23
February 2013
Readings at Mass
____________________
First reading
Deuteronomy
26:16-19
Moses said to the people: ‘The Lord your
God today commands you to observe these laws and customs; you must keep and
observe them with all your heart and with all your soul.
‘You
have today made this declaration about the Lord: that he will be your God, but
only if you follow his ways, keep his statutes, his commandments, his
ordinances, and listen to his voice. And the Lord has today made this
declaration about you: that you will be his very own people as he promised you,
but only if you keep all his commandments; then for praise and renown and
honour he will set you high above all the nations he has made, and you will be
a people consecrated to the Lord, as he promised.’
Let us realise what we are in
ourselves. We are no more than dust and yet God in his love and goodness has
made us into what we are now and has given us the Holy Spirit by which we have
become his children. Jesus is the only begotten Son of God who in his human
nature has shown us how we are to be the sons of God. Through the Holy Spirit
we should experience the relationship we have with God. He is our Father whom
we call Abba. Let us strive through
the Spirit to be true sons of our Father.
Psalm
Psalm
118:1-2,4-5,7-8
They are happy who follow God’s law!
They are happy whose life is blameless,
who follow God’s law!
They are happy who do his will,
seeking him with all their hearts.
They are happy who follow God’s law!
You have laid down your precepts
to be obeyed with care.
May my footsteps be firm
to obey your statutes.
They are happy who follow God’s law!
I will thank you with an upright heart
as I learn your decrees.
I will obey your statutes;
do not forsake me.
They are happy who follow God’s law!
____________________
Gospel
Acclamation
cf.Lk8:15
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
Blessed are those who,
with a noble and generous heart,
take the word of God to themselves
and yield a harvest through their
perseverance.
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
Or
2Co6:2
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
Now is the favourable time:
this is the day of salvation.
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
____________________
Gospel
Matthew
5:43-48
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘You have
learnt how it was said: You must love your neighbour and hate your enemy.
But I say this to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you;
in this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to
rise on bad men as well as good, and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest
men alike. For if you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any
credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do they not? And if you save your
greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Even the
pagans do as much, do they not? You must therefore be perfect just as your
heavenly Father is perfect.’
To
forgive as God forgives
The proof that we are the children of
God is that we love everyone including those who have done us harm. This is the
distinctive mark of God’s children. We must be willing to forgive any injury or
any person. To love is to do good. As God makes his sun rise on the evil and on
the good, so are we to do good to all. Jesus will show us this by his own
example. In him, God reveals himself as a compassionate and forgiving God. In
his last moments, he will forgive the sins of the good thief and pray for the
forgiveness of those who are crucifying him. This is to be the Son of God and
to be perfect like the Father in heaven. Are there those you have not yet been
able to forgive? Do you pray earnestly for the grace to forgive?
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