Tuesday 5th Week of Lent

Where are you from? Jn. 8:21-30

When people ask you, where are you from?

People usually respond by saying where they were born. 

As Jesus tells the Pharisees that He is from Above!

Since He is from above, He speaks of the things of heaven and not of the things of earth. 

And since the Pharisees are from below,

They do not understand Him, for they are concerned only with the things of earth. 

Where are we from and what concerns us?

Are we from above?

Are we concerned with the things of heaven?

Or are our roots in this world?

And are we  more concerned with the things below?

St. Paul tells us, "Set your hearts on the things that are above, where Christ is seated at God's right hand!"

St. Paul said this, because he knew where he was from and where he was going. 

Monday 5th Week of Lent

 The Light of the world

Whenever there is a Tornado warning,

A person has to be prepared for the lights to go out. 

So they do not stumble around in the darkness. 

Life is filled with storms

That threaten to cast us into physical, emotional and spiritual darkness. 

Jesus came into the world so that we might not remain in darkness. 

Yet some people prefer the dark to the light. 

And it is not Jesus but they themselves who will condemn themselves to darkness

Because they refused to follow the Light. 

5th Sunday of Lent

Throwing Stones Jn. 8:1-8

If only we can get rid of THOSE people.

You know the ones I am talking about   

THOSE PEOPLE

The ones who cause all the problems. 

We all have a list of the people we would like to get rid of. 

Who would make our world, our city, our neighborhood and our church a better place if they were gone. 

There are even people who think what this world needs is an old fashioned chastisement. 

That will clean the place up and turn people around. 

Talk about “Throwing Stones!”

That was what the Pharisees thought. 

If they could just get rid of THOSE people 

The world and the Temple would be a better place. 

Get rid of The people who break the laws;

The people who are immoral.

The woman was caught in adultery. 

She was not innocent.  

She broke up a marriage. 

And possibly a family as well. 

Can you blame the Pharisees for wanting to stone her. 

Wouldn’t the Temple and society be better off without THOSE 

Kind of people. 

One could argue yes it would. 

Jesus certainly did not condone her actions 

but neither did He condemn her. Jn. 8:8

He let her go and He told her to sin no more. 

Jesus reminds us that we are not really THAT different from 

THOSE kind of people. 

Throwing stones is only for those without sin. 

Yet Jesus who was innocent did not throw a stone. 

If Jesus did not throw a stone at THOSE kind of people 

Maybe we shouldn’t either. 

Friday 4th Week of Lent

 The Innocent are Condemned Wis. 2:12-22

In our legal system we believe that the innocent are set free and the guilty are condemned. 

Is this always true?

Jesus was innocent but condemned to death. 

So Do not be surprised when the innocent are 

tested, treated unfairly and condemned. 

For this is the way of the world and godless. 

When Jesus was unjustly condemned. 

He entrusted Himself to His Father

For God is the Just Judge Who will set things straight

And will vindicate the Innocent and condemn the guilty. 

Thursday 4th week of Lent

 Intercede for sinners Ex. 32:7-14

After Moses saw that Israel had worshipped a golden calf instead of the Living God

He had one of two choices. 

He could have let God wipe Israel out and start over with another people,

Or he could have interceded that God be merciful. 

When we see someone who has sinned or done something wrong. 

We too have one of two choices to make. 

That God punish them,

Or intercede for them that God be merciful. 

Wednesday 4th Week of Lent

My Father is at work. Jn. 5:17-30

Jesus tells us that His Father is at work. 

And what is His work?

God the Father's work is never done. 

He is always creating. 

Creating new life from the smallest creature to the infant in the womb. 

Creating new planets, stars and galaxies. 

Creating plants and flowers and trees; 

Creating rain in the heavens to water them. 

It is a lot of work to keep the earth going let alone the universe!

God the Father is constantly watching and working. 

He watches over His children. 

He creates the world for them to live in and explore and grow. 

God the Father is actually very busy at work. 

And all He does is for us, His children!

Tuesday 4th Week of Lent

 O Healing River

Water is necessary for life. 

That is why astronomers and astronauts are looking for water on other planets. 

Without Water there is no life. 

Ezekiel the prophet speaks of the living water that comes from the Temple in Jerusalem. 

Not just a spring but a river that transforms the salty sea barren desert 

Into banks flourishing with life. 

Jesus is the Temple from Whom Living water flows. 

It is no longer necessary to bathe in the waters at the pool of Bethesda to be be healed.  

Jesus is the source of Healing Waters. 

He is the Healing River,

From which not just healing,

But abundant Life comes. 

This land is parching, this land is thirsting. 

No seed is growing on the baren ground

Oh healing river send down your water

Oh healing river send your water down

Monday 4th Week of Lent

Signs or Faith ? Jn. 4:43-54

There are those who seek signs

And then there are those who do not,

Because they have Faith.  

Those who seek signs are never satisfied. 

They are always seeking after another. 

Filled with doubts about the sign they saw. 

Whether it was real or not. 

The royal official had Faith. 

And because he did, Jesus healed his son who was dying. 

Signs are like the weather always changing;

But Faith can weather any storm. 

4th Sunday of Lent

 The Prodigal Son Lk. 15:1-32

Many people nowadays do not go to church. 

They say “I am a good person.”

“Why do I have to go to church?”

Well if everyone is good, then why is the world in such a mess?

Why is there division, war, violence, crime and rioting?

And I do not mean just the things happening half way around the world,

These same things are happening in our own back yard;

In Our cities and our homes as well. 

Even in our families. 

Maybe just a different degree,

But happening still the same. 

Maybe we are not as good as we think we are?

Maybe there is a little or a lot of the Prodigal Son in all of us. 

In the parable, There were two sons. 

One who left and one who stayed.

Neither however were really good. 

They were more concerned about themselves. 

One wanting his inheritance 

while the other stayed home ,

but his heart was just as far away from his father as was his prodigal brother’s.

Both never really understanding that everything the father had was theirs. 

Never really understanding their father who never cared about his own possessions which he so freely gave to his sons. 

All the father cared about was his sons!

Everything our Heavenly Father has is ours and yet we run off and chase after things in this world like the prodigal son.

Or like the other brother we stay home and appear to do everything we are obligated to do but our hearts are not really in it either. 

Neither son was as good as they thought, 

but they had a father who loved them anyways and so do we.

No matter how far we stray we always have a home to come to, and a father who will welcome us with open arms. 

Friday 3rd Week of Lent

 Love the Lord Mk. 12:28-34

The Great Commandment is that we should love the Lord,

With all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind and with all our strength. 

Lent is a good time to make a list of how we love the Lord,

With all our heart, all our soul and with all our mind and strength. 

So find time to sit down,

get out a piece of paper and write down,

All the ways that you show how much you love the Lord. 

And then make a list of all the ways that God loves us;

And compare!

Thursday 3rd. Week of Lent

 Divided Kingdoms Lk. 11:14-23

Where do wars and insurrections and revolutions come from?

The human heart. 

They all come from a divided heart. 

When a heart is divided

Then no family, no house, no nation, no church can stand. 

And what divides the human heart?

Bitterness, greed, jealousy, anger and lust. 

Only when these are cast out of our won hearts first;

Can the human heart be at Peace

And the human race!

Wednesday 3rd. Week of Lent

 The Law and the Prophets Mt. 5:17-19

God may be Love

But that does not mean we can do whatever we want.  

Love involves sacrifice, commitment and responsibility. 

If we Love God then we will keep His commandments and listen to His prophets. 

For Jesus did not come to abolish the Law and Prophets but to fulfill them. Mt. 5:17-19

And when we fullfill them then we too will Love others as God loves us. 

The Annunciation

 

The Annunciation

The Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and asked her if she would bear God’s only Son. 

When Mary said “Yes” to God,

the Word became flesh and dwelt within her 

and it bore fruit 

and she gave birth to Jesus. 

When we go to communion, 

our “Amen” is our “Yes”, 

and through the Eucharist we receive,

the Word becomes flesh and dwells within us. 

Does it bear fruit in our lives?

Do we give birth to Jesus in the world as Mary did?

Only when we say “Yes” as Mary did,

Without hesitation or question or counting the cost;

Will the life of Jesus within us bear fruit. 

Monday 3rd Week of Lent

 God likes Surprises.  Lk 4:24-30

We Will never box God in. 

Because sometimes God likes to think outside the box. 

As when He healed Naaman the Syrian and the widow of Sidon. 

They did not belong to the Chosen People. 

They did not make sacrifices in the Temple in Jerusalem

Nor did they keep the Sabbath. 

Yet God healed Naaman and fed the Widow. 

This is because God’s Mercy knows no boundaries 

And surprises us when and where we least expect it.