Friday of the Third Week of Lent
I've said it before, and I'll say it again now: the "Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones, But Words Will Never Hurt Me" rhyme is wrong, wrong, wrong. Words are important and we know this. People have anxiety about public speaking in part, I think, because we know the power of words to hurt, heal, unify, divide, and so on.
Thursday of the Third Week of Lent
In today's first reading I am drawn to the statement, "This is what I commanded my people: Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people." The Lord tells us to listen to his voice. While this sounds easy, it is often challenging to hear God's voice, in order to listen. Amid all of the noise of our lives, we must discern the Lord's voice. We can not expect to naturally and organically just hear his voice. We need to carve out time and space in which we are intentionally listening for the Lord's voice. We can hear his voice when we engage in daily prayer, when we spend time with the scriptures and when we create daily, intentional times of silence.
Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent
A few weeks ago I was having a discussion with a family who were very aware of the fragility of life. While we were talking about God’s will, we waded into a discussion with one of the family who was unsure of their salvation. Their fear centered on being good enough to be loved by God. I nodded in the direction of their children and asked if they were perfect. Between the children and their parents they all agreed that they were flawed. The question then became did this parent love their children in spite of their faults. Of course the answer was “yes.” If our love is unconditional for our children, even more so is God’s love for us.
Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent
We’re now in the very middle of Lent. We find ourselves in the middle of the desert, where it is not possible to turn back but reaching the end seems so far away. For those of us who gave something up, perhaps it’s getting really hard now: We crave the food we gave up or the TV show we let go for a time. But one of the beautiful things about Scripture, especially in the Old Testament, is the way in which it present honest human emotions. My students, many of whom were raised in Catholic schools, are often surprised to read passages in Scripture that show raw human emotions. They expect the Bible to contain only stilted and precious language. But so much of it is about the human response to both God and the troubles of the world. Today’s readings are meant to sustain us in the middle of our Lenten journeys.
Solemnity of Saint Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Today we celebrate the feast day of St. Joseph. There are so many things about the life of St. Joseph that are inspiring. As the husband of Mary and the foster father of Jesus, he plays a critical role in the upbringing of Jesus. But what I find most amazing is the way that he lives out his role in salvation history with quiet, simple steadfast faith in God and complete obedience to God’s will for his life.
Third Sunday of Lent
(My homily today i a little different. It is an exercise in imaginative prayer. I have tried to enter into the mind of the Samaritan woman and narrate her experience first person).
You know what the worse thing is? They treat you like a piece of furniture - the cheap ones. The expensive ones… they got handled better than I did. I married five of them. Not one of them did it for love. I gave it my all. I cooked, I cleaned, I served, but was never loved. I even drew water from the well by myself. Chivalry is extinct! Neither was there any gratitude or appreciation. The man I live with now is no better. I was hoping that sixth time was the charm. I am the kind of girl whose dreams never come true. You think I would learn.
Saturday of the Second Week of Lent
There are three main characters in the Parable of the prodigal son. They are the father, the younger son and the elder son. Usually as I read this parable I find myself asking if I’m like the younger or the elder Son right now. Am I returning to the father with my tail between my legs or am I indignantly refusing to celebrate another’s return to the Lord? Today, though, I was drawn to a different character; the father.
Friday of the Second Week of Lent
Today's gospel reading (Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46) has some similarity to the show "Undercover Boss." The CEO or manager of a company goes undercover and does several of the grunt jobs available in his or her company. At the end of the show, the CEOs reveal themselves to the workers they've met, and either reward them (in really big ways) for their good work, or fire them for the poor work they did. The CEO is a bit like the vineyard owner, granting rewards or punishments for the tenants and laborers. Audiences find the show compelling, and sometimes even funny. After all, they're in on the joke: they know who the boss is!
Thursday of the Second Week of Lent
You’ve probably heard the saying something like, “people see what they want to see and hear what they want to hear.” I think there’s some truth to that, at least when we are in a closed or resistant frame of mind, or maybe in denial about something. Our perceptions can be influenced by what we believe to be true (or not true). Unfortunately, this can result in “blind spots” or a sort of selective hearing. This can be true in our spiritual lives as well. Today’s gospel reading (Luke 16:19-31), the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, provides us with a good example of just this sort of thing on two different levels.
Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent
In Lumen Gentium, a document from Vatican II, we learn that the people of God by virtue of their Baptism share in Christ’s office of priest, prophet and king. This sharing means we too are called through grace to be faithful disciples who imitate Christ. In thinking of these three roles, do we see ourselves as priest, prophet and king? Would I dare think of myself as a prophet? Do I embrace my ministry as priest or prophet with joy, or is it more like resentment? Often our response is like Jeremiah, “Oh Lord, I am too young to do that.” Or like Jonah, “No Lord, your crazy if you think I’ll do that,” and then we run the other way. Sometimes we are like today’s disciples, “Sure we can drink the same cup Lord;” all the while failing to realize that Jesus means to lay down his life.
Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent
Today’s readings seem very appropriately aligned with the fact that this evening every parish in the Archdiocese is offering the Sacrament of Reconciliation as part of the “The Light is on for You.” I’ll admit that it has been quite some time since I have received this Sacrament and I recognize that as an opportunity I need to take advantage of more fully in order to enhance my relationship with God and those around me. I made a point to put tonight’s opportunity on my calendar in hopes to take advantage of this Lenten season as best I can. Today’s readings encourage me even more to pursue this Sacrament.
Monday of the Second Week in Lent
What do I do when I know I have sinned? Sometimes, I realize it is a repetitive weakness and other times it is an aberrancy. It doesn't matter. The fact is I know have sinned…again. Someone once told me I will never be any more than 'human'; no matter how hard I try, I will still find I sin. At some point, I accepted the truth of this. What I realize now is that the very fact I know my sin, is a precious gift. It is a gift from God. The question before me now is what do I do with this 'gift'?
Second Sunday of Lent
Some Catholics are facing a huge conundrum this Lent. St Patricks day falls on a Friday. “How can we not eat bangers and mash?” “Can I have green beer, even if I have given beer for Lent? “OMG! What are we going to do?” Someone sent me an e-mail asking if the archbishop was going to give a general dispensation this year. What do I say? I could say, “Jesus did not transform stones into bread in the desert!” Generally my answer has been, “Its up to you. What does your Lenten abstinence mean for you? What are you trying to accomplish through your Lenten abstinence?”
Saturday of the First Week of Lent
Today’s Gospel contains a recognizable phrase in it. We are reminded of Jesus’ words, “You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.” These well-known words are easy to remember despite the difficulty of the challenge they set before us. However, while that challenge is real there is a lesson we can take from today’s Gospel as well as some encouragement.
Friday of the First Week of Lent
How does fasting help us live better in other parts of our lives? That's a question many of us have this time of year, when the stomach/soul connection doesn't particularly seem self-evident. I am reminded, though, of a Friday in Lent at the parish I attended when I lived in Virginia. I remember getting into a long, drawn-out argument about Catholic social teaching, money and poverty with a fellow member of the Body of Christ. Oh, we made each other angry, time and time again.
Thursday of the First Week in Lent
While driving in the car yesterday my 5 year old son Owen, who was still pondering Sunday's readings (he's a thinker!), asked me "But Mommy, why did God put the tree of knowledge in the garden if Adam and Eve couldn't eat the fruit?" While my immediate reaction was to stall with something like, "uhh, good question" while I prayed to God for Him to give me the right words, I eventually was able to talk through free will and the ability we have to choose to love God and listen to Him or to not (as best I could in preschool terms).
Wednesday of the First Week in Lent
How often in making a decision do we seek a sign? Discerning a choice, especially between two seemingly good things, can be difficult. Sometimes we get a push toward the choice by the word of a friend, or a verse of Scripture that keeps appearing in our prayer. At other times we seek a sign, and fail to recognize the one that we have been given.
Tuesday of the First Week of Lent
Everything has a purpose. Everything has an end for which it was made. The purpose of the rain is to water the earth and it does not return until it has achieved this end. If the rain fails in its purpose, it causes a chain reaction. Rain allows things to grow, such as wheat and corn. Without this we couldn’t produce things such as bread or, well, I’ll let Luke Bryan carry on the corn analogy. All in all, rain is a good thing, but only if it achieves its end for which it was sent.
Monday of the First Week of Lent
Every morning as part of my daily routine, I read an excerpt from Robert Ellsberg’s book “Blessed Among Us.” These writings describe the lives of the saints, soon to be saints, or people who have lived “holy” lives. I enjoy reading these stories, since many of the people he describes are contemporary (living in the 1800’s-2000) and they demonstrate that even in more modern times people can and do live holy lives. Although most people do not believe they can be holy, today’s readings specifically tell us that every one of us is called to be holy- wherever we are and in whatever we do. When we live and act as God commands, we allow others to see the holiness of God in us. By our example of holiness we not only reflect God’s goodness, but we glorify Him with our lives.
First Sunday of Lent
Each year, we keep aside fourty days out of 352, for fasting, abstinence, penance, and prayer. If we really think about it, it seems strange that an entire people would put themselves through artificial hardships. The rest of the year, we try to make life easier. The rest of the year we strive to avoid hardships, inconveniences and pain. And yet, for fourty days, we freely and willfully submit ourselves to the Lenten penances. Why? Why are we putting ourselves through these hardships? Merely because of tradition? Or is it guilt? Is there a deeper meaning to our personal Lenten penances?