Tuesday 2nd Week of Lent

 Religion is not a burden. Mt. 23:1-12

The Pharisees were the religious guides and had lost their way. 

They put burdens on other people’s shoulders. 

Telling them what they should do and not do. 

What one could eat and not eat. 

What was clean and unclean. 

All these things were burdens they put on other people’s shoulders that they themselves could not practice. 

The practice of religion is not meant to be a burden of things we must carry or a list of things we must do. 

Rather merely humble oneself before the Lord

And God will do the rest. 

Feast of St. Patrick

When People think of St. Patrick they think of shamrocks, green beer, parades and snakes. 

But the real St. Patrick 

Was a slave captured by Irish raiders;

And became a shepherd on a cold and windswept hill in Ireland. 

How does one go from being a slave who herds sheep;

On a forgotten hill,

On an island

On the farthest edge of the known world,

To one of the most famous people on the planet?

Well when the God who took the form of a slave,

And died on a hill

In the backwaters of the Roman Empire 

Calls you in a dream to come. 

Anything is possible. 

Patrick faced slavery;

Cold and isolation;

Betrayal by his best friend;

Went back to the land of his slavery;

And Risked imprisonment and death;

And converted an entire country. 

How did he do it?

Because he had Christ. 

As he wrote:

Christ was on his left and on his right. 

Christ was above him and below him. 

Christ was within him and all around him. 

Christ was in the face of every person he met. 

Christ was his Shield. 

He was surrounded by Christ. 

And when we surround ourselves with Christ

There is nothing we can’t do!

2nd Sunday of Lent

 A sunny day Lk 9:28-36

There is nothing like a sunny day!

It puts a smile on our face;

The birds sing;

Flowers bloom;

Everything comes to life. 

A sunny day can change everything!

It was a sunny day on Mount Tabor

Because the Son of God shone brighter than the sun.

As Jesus revealed His glory to His disciples. 

He did this because the disciples were going to face the greatest darkness of their lives. Jesus was going to suffer and die and be buried. 

The Light of their eyes and the Light of their life was going out soon. 

so Jesus revealed the Light of His Glory to them so that they might not be overcome by the darkness of Good Friday.

Who of us would not like a sunny day?

Especially when the clouds of Suffering and sorrow;

Loss and death;

Stress and anxiety

Are overhead. 

On those days,

Come to the True Light. 

Come to Jesus who is the Light of the World. 

And Let the Light of His Face scatter the darkness;

And shine in your heart;

For when the Light of His Peace, His Love, His Forgiveness and Mercy shine on us. 

It is always a sunny day!

Friday 1st Week of Lent

 Reconciliation Mt. 5:20-26

Before walking in to Church;

Before kneeling down in prayer;

Before coming up for Communion. 

There is one thing we must do. 

And that is to be reconciled with one another. 

If a brother or sister, or friend or neighbor has anything against us,

Or we against them,

We should strive to reconciled with them. 

Now maybe that reconciliation might not work,

But the attempt must be made. 

For only then will what we do here at Mass,

Bear fruit in our hearts. 

Thursday 1st week of Lent

Do unto others. Mt. 7:12

We all know what we want when we have done sinned;

We want to be forgiven. 

We all know what we want when we are hungry 

We want to be fed. 

We all know what we want when we are lonely

We want a friend. 

We all know what we want when we sick;

We want to be cared for. 

So now we know what to give to others when they have sinned, or are hungry, or lonely or sick. 

Just “do unto to others what we would have them do to us!”

Wednesday 1st. Week of Lent

 The Prayer of King David. Ps. 51

After King David committed adultery and killed Bathsheba’s husband Uriah he repented. 

In Psaml 51 David  prayed that God would wipe out his offense. 

And wash him from his guilt. 

And give him a new heart and a new spirit

And not cast him away from His presence. 

For rather than slaughtering bulls and goats to offer for his sins,

Which was the custom

David knew that what God wanted from him was a humble and contrite heart. 

When we sin, how do we pray?

Do we pray with a humble and contrite heart. 

If so then God will certainly not spurn us. 

Tuesday 1st Week of Lent

 The Lord’s Prayer. Mt. 6:7-15

Jesus tells us not to babble like the pagans who think that their many words will be heard. 

So when we pray the Lord’s Prayer,

Do not Babble!

Pray the prayer slowly. 

Meditate upon the words. 

Put them into practice. 

Seek first the Kingdom of God

Desire to do God’s Will and not your own. 

Forgive as you want others to forgive you. 

Then your Heavenly Father who knows what you need  even before you ask,

Will know that you are praying from your heart and not from you r lips.