† Quote of the Day "I know well that the greater and more beautiful the work is, the more terrible will be the storms that rage against it." — St. Faustina Today's Meditation "Love is a strong force — a great good in every way; it alone can make our burdens light, and alone it bears in equal balance what is pleasing and displeasing. It carries a burden and does not feel it; it makes all that is bitter taste sweet. ... Nothing is sweeter than love, nothing higher, nothing stronger, nothing larger, nothing more joyful, nothing fuller, nothing better in heaven or on earth; for love is born of God and can find its rest only in God above all He has created. Such lovers fly high, run swiftly and rejoice. Their souls are free; they give all for all and have all in all. For they rest in One supreme Goodness above all things, from Whom all other good flows and proceeds. They look not only at the gifts, but at the Giver, Who is above all gifts." —Thomas à Kempis, p. 108 An excerpt from Imitation of Christ Daily Verse "But as it is written: "What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him," this God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God." — 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 | St. Perpetua St. Felicity St. Perpetua and St. Felicity (d. 203 A.D.) were friends who lived in Carthage, North Africa. They were both catechumens preparing to receive the Church's sacraments: Perpetua was a married noblewoman nursing her first child, and Felicity was a pregnant Christian slave who worked as a household servant. Because Christianity was forbidden, they were seized along with two companions, one of them being their catechist. Perpetua's baptism was hastened after her arrest, and God told her to pray for strength to withstand her coming trials. While in prison she kept a detailed diary of her sufferings and mystical visions, one of the oldest and most treasured of early Christian writings. Her father, a pagan, pleaded with her to deny her faith, even bringing her infant, for whom she was anxious, to the prison in order to persuade her to apostatize. She refused. Felicity also remained steadfast in her faith, giving birth to a daughter while in prison a few days before her execution. Perpetua, Felicity, and their companions were condemned to be torn by wild animals in the arena. Perpetua understood that their contest was not with animals, but with the devil. She walked into the arena and met her fate with a joy and bravery that astonished many onlookers. Perpetua, Felicity, and their companions were mauled and then beheaded on March 7, 203. St. Perpetua and St. Felicity share a feast day on March 7th. | Friday after Ash Wednesday Lectionary: 221
Reading 1 Isaiah 58:1-9a Thus says the Lord GOD:
Cry out full-throated and unsparingly,
lift up your voice like a trumpet blast;
Tell my people their wickedness,
and the house of Jacob their sins.
They seek me day after day,
and desire to know my ways,
Like a nation that has done what is just
and not abandoned the law of their God;
They ask me to declare what is due them,
pleased to gain access to God.
"Why do we fast, and you do not see it?
afflict ourselves, and you take no note of it?" Lo, on your fast day you carry out your own pursuits,
and drive all your laborers.
Yes, your fast ends in quarreling and fighting,
striking with wicked claw.
Would that today you might fast
so as to make your voice heard on high!
Is this the manner of fasting I wish,
of keeping a day of penance:
That a man bow his head like a reed
and lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Do you call this a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD?
This, rather, is the fasting that I wish:
releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
breaking every yoke;
Sharing your bread with the hungry,
sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am! Responsorial Psalm Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 18-19 R. (19b) A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me. R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
"Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight." R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn. Verse Before the Gospel Amos 5:14 Seek good and not evil so that you may live,
and the Lord will be with you. Gospel Matthew 9:14-15 The disciples of John approached Jesus and said,
"Why do we and the Pharisees fast much,
but your disciples do not fast?"
Jesus answered them, "Can the wedding guests mourn
as long as the bridegroom is with them?
The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast." | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Isaiah 58:1-9 Why do we fast? (Isaiah 58:3) Frustrated because they couldn't see God's blessings among them, the people of Israel cried out, "Why do we fast?" (Isaiah 58:3). They were doing all the right things—fasting, offering sacrifices, performing their religious duties—but God wasn't giving them the "return on investment" they were hoping for. So why bother trying? Do you ever catch yourself thinking like that? On a human level, it's tempting to approach fasting as a way of getting God's attention or his favor. We might think that if we "afflict ourselves," God will take "note of it" and reward us in proportion to the amount we are fasting (Isaiah 58:3). But fasting is not a bargaining chip! And it certainly isn't going to convince God to love us more. He already loves us beyond what we can imagine. Our fasting is not meant to change God. He never changes anyway! Rather, it's meant to change us. And it does that by helping us experience a small measure of Jesus' suffering. If we undertake a fast—or any other kind of self-denial—with the intention of drawing closer to the Lord, we'll come to a deeper appreciation of what he endured on the cross for our sake. We'll see that, just as we can break our fast any time we want, Jesus could have ended his suffering at any point. But he didn't. He loved us too much to throw in the towel. He was too committed to saving us from sin. In today's Gospel, Jesus himself associates fasting with his coming death. He points to a time when he, the Bridegroom, will be "taken away from" the people around him (Matthew 9:15). When that happens, he says, his followers will feel moved to fast. They will see the toll that their sin and the sins of the world took on him, and they will be moved to fasting and repentance in response. They will try to imitate him by their own self-denial so that they can travel the same road that he traveled—and experience his presence as they do. As you take up the call to fasting this Lent, fix your eyes on Jesus, the crucified Bridegroom. Tell him that you want your acts of self-denial to make you more like him. "Jesus, help me to follow you to the cross!" Psalm 51:3-6, 18-19
Matthew 9:14-15 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: "The disciples of John approached Jesus and said,
"Why do we and the Pharisees fast much,
but your disciples do not fast?"
Jesus answered them, "Can the wedding guests mourn
as long as the bridegroom is with them?
The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast......" - Word of the Lord! | From Roberto Juarez:
"Jesus also announces that there will come a time of absence and pain, when He will be "caught up" (His passion and death). Then, fasting will make sense as an expression of expectation and preparation for His return. • How do I live my relationship with Jesus? Do I feel the joy of his presence, or do I live faith as a burden? • What is the meaning of fasting for me? Do I practice it as a simple external sacrifice, or as a way to get closer to God? • How do I prepare myself spiritually this Lent? Am I willing to fast, not only from food, but from everything that distances me from God? Lord Jesus,
Make my heart rejoice when I am in your presence.
May my fasting not just be an outward practice,
but a way to seek yourself with more intensity.
Give me the grace to prepare my life to meet you,
and to live this Lent with a renewed heart.
Amen." end quote.
Bishop Robert Barron said today: "Thomas Merton once observed that our desires for food and drink are something like little children in their persistence and tendency to dominate. Unless and until they are disciplined, they will skew the functions of the soul according to their purposes.
And fasting is a way of disciplining the hunger for food and drink. It is a way of quieting those desires by not responding to them immediately, so that the deepest desires emerge. Unless you fast, you might never realize how hungry you are for God.
....." end quote.
John's disciples asked our Lord about fasting. Why? Because, they were hardcore followers and puritans of the Jewish faith, most probably like Saint John the Baptist, of the purifiers of the faith called, a group of Jewish called the "Essene". They had every good motive in asking about fasting, as is known to be the most powerful way to strengthen our prayer life. Our Lord knew this, looked at them with love, and responded that fasting is for all who need God to be with them and for them to be with God more intimately. But, like in Heaven, once you are with Him intimately, there is no fasting necessary. I can't wait for that day! A place of no more suffering. A place of no more wars! Can you imagine? On earth there is always going to be wars, I hate to break it to you, but we are in a world of wars from the beginning of time until the world ends. Why? Because evil exists. Simple as that. Why does evil exist? Sit down for this....to give God greater glory. Say what? That don't seem right!
The only thing that seems to bring me down to my knees is this everlasting battle. Lent is meant to strengthen us, to humble us, to makes us realize our pride and tear it down inside. The fasting our Lord desires is aimed to unify with Him to the core of our very being. I am hungry. I am fasting. All I can think of is why the self torture... to master myself, to be master of my body and its desires, and this is called discipline, with the root word of that being "disciple".
"My Lord, My Master, I want to be a good servant, a good disciple, a good follower of the Word and make the Word flesh in us all...I pray for this, help us with Your grace in all we do for You, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done!" |  audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Psalm 86:4–5 " Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you." Word of the Lord. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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