† Quote of the Day "We should take as a maxim never to be surprised at current difficulties, no more than at a passing breeze, because with a little patience we shall see them disappear. Time changes everything." — St. Vincent de Paul Today's Meditation "It is necessary to have an absolutely sure intention in all our actions, so that the generous fulfillment of our daily duties may be directed toward the highest supernatural ideal. Thus, our life, apart from moments of prayer, will be a prayerful life. It is clear that the habit of giving an upward glance to God at the moment of action is a great assistance in aiding us to behave always with a pure intention and in freeing us from our natural impulses and fancies, so, that, retaining our self-mastery, or rather, God becoming the sole Master, all our movements become dependent upon the Holy Spirit. We see in the Gospel that whenever our Lord was about to undertake some important step, He always paused for a moment to raise His eyes to Heaven, and only after this moment of recollection did He take up the work He had to do. 'He lifted up His eyes to Heaven' is a phrase that recurs with significant frequency. And doubtless, when there was no outward sign of this prayer, there was the inward offering. The ideal is the same for us. The constant subjection of self to the guidance of the Holy Spirit is made easier from the fact of His presence in the soul, where He is asked explicitly to preside over all our doings . . . We shall not submit wholeheartedly to the invisible Guest unless He is kept in close proximity to us." —Raoul Plus, S.J., p. 37-38
An excerpt from How to Pray Always Daily Verse "For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, "Fear not, I will help you."" — Isaiah 41:13 | St. Cuthbert Of Lindisfarne St. Cuthbert of Lindisfarne (634-687 A.D.) was born in present-day Scotland to a lowly family, and worked as a shepherd near the Melrose Abbey monastery. A child playmate prophesied that he would one day become a bishop. And one day, while tending to his sheep, St. Cuthbert saw in a vision the soul of St. Aidan, the Bishop of Lindisfarne, carried to heaven by angels. This mystical experience inspired in him a desire to become a monk. After spending time as a soldier defending his home region of Northumbria against attack, he arrived on horseback, armed with a spear, seeking entrance at the monastery. He was received and became a monk in the Celtic Christian tradition. He grew in holiness and learning, and after serving as prior he withdrew from the community into the lifestyle of a solitary hermit. After several years of a quiet life of prayer and penance, he was persuaded to return to active life as the Bishop of Lindisfarne. A year later he became sick and died. Miracles were reported at his grave; in fact, so numerous were the reported miracles that Cuthbert was called the "Wonder-worker of England." Throughout the Middle Ages the shrine of Cuthbert remained one of the most popular places of pilgrimage in northern England. His feast day is March 20th. | Thursday of the Second Week of Lent Reading 1 Jeremiah 17:5-10 Thus says the LORD:
Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings,
who seeks his strength in flesh,
whose heart turns away from the LORD.
He is like a barren bush in the desert
that enjoys no change of season,
But stands in a lava waste,
a salt and empty earth.
Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose hope is the LORD.
He is like a tree planted beside the waters
that stretches out its roots to the stream:
It fears not the heat when it comes,
its leaves stay green;
In the year of drought it shows no distress,
but still bears fruit.
More tortuous than all else is the human heart,
beyond remedy; who can understand it?
I, the LORD, alone probe the mind
and test the heart,
To reward everyone according to his ways,
according to the merit of his deeds. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6 R. (40:5a)Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night. R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers. R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Not so, the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes. R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord. Verse Before the Gospel Luke 8:15 Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart
and yield a harvest through perseverance. Gospel Luke 16:19-31 Jesus said to the Pharisees:
"There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen
and dined sumptuously each day.
And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps
that fell from the rich man's table.
Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.
When the poor man died,
he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried,
and from the netherworld, where he was in torment,
he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off
and Lazarus at his side.
And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me.
Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
for I am suffering torment in these flames.'
Abraham replied, 'My child,
remember that you received what was good during your lifetime
while Lazarus likewise received what was bad;
but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.
Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established
to prevent anyone from crossing
who might wish to go from our side to yours
or from your side to ours.'
He said, 'Then I beg you, father, send him
to my father's house,
for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them,
lest they too come to this place of torment.'
But Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets.
Let them listen to them.'
He said, 'Oh no, father Abraham,
but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
Then Abraham said,
'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded
if someone should rise from the dead.'" | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Jeremiah 17:5-10 Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is the Lord. (Jeremiah 17:7) We've all experienced the blessings that come from placing our trust in God. As the prophet Jeremiah tells us in today's first reading, when we trust in the Lord, we resemble a tree with deep roots that can thrive even through heat and drought (17:8). And yet we know that sometimes we are more like the one "who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh" (Jeremiah 17:5). Reflecting on this passage, Pope Francis noted, "We all have this weakness, this frail tendency to place our hopes in ourselves or in our friends or in human possibilities alone, and we forget the Lord" (Morning Meditation, March 20, 2014). This is especially true when we face a crisis. Perhaps someone we love receives a worrisome diagnosis or faces a sudden financial loss. Or a family member begins to struggle with depression or anxiety. We may feel like the situation is spinning out of control, and we may even begin to panic. That makes us even more likely to react too quickly by taking matters into our own hands and coming up with our own "solution." And as we all know, that can often make things worse, not better! We need to fight this instinct. Instead, our first step in a crisis, or in any challenge, should be to come before the Lord. As we quiet our hearts and rest in God's presence, he will calm us down, encourage us, and pour out the wisdom and assurance of the Holy Spirit that we need to handle our difficulties. As we patiently listen for his voice, he may give us a new perspective or an unexpected insight. The more we are able to trust in the Lord, especially in difficult times, the more we will be rooted in his life, just like that tree in today's reading. Not only will we survive in times of heat and drought, but we will also be able to bear fruit for him and his kingdom (Jeremiah 17:8). That's because we are drawing on God's abundant grace rather than relying on our own meager resources—and what a blessing that is! "Lord Jesus, help me to quiet my soul and turn to you first in every challenge I face." Psalm 1:1-4, 6
Luke 16:19-31 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: | From today's Holy Gospel: "He said, 'Oh no, father Abraham,
but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
Then Abraham said,
'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded
if someone should rise from the dead.'"....." - Word of the Lord! | From Roberto Juarez:
"The rich man asks Lazarus to warn his brothers not to make the same mistake, but Abraham replies, "They have Moses and the prophets; let them listen to them."
This reminds us that God speaks to us through Scripture and the teaching of the Church. We don't need extraordinary signs to change; it is enough to open our hearts to his Word. Am I really listening to and living the gospel? • Am I aware of the suffering of others, or do I live locked in my well-being? • How do I use the goods God has given me? Do I share them generously? • Do I listen to and apply God's Word in my life? 'Lord
Open my eyes to see the needs of others.
Give me a generous heart,
capable of sharing and loving as You teach us.
That he hears your Word and puts it into practice,
so that I do not harden my heart like the rich man in the parable.'
Amen....." end quote Roberto.
From Bishop Robert Barron:
"St. Thomas Aquinas says that we must distinguish between ownership and use of private property. We have a right to ownership through our hard work, through our inheritance. Fair enough. But with regard to the use of those things—how we use them, why we use them—then, says Thomas, we must always be concerned first for the common good and not our own. This especially includes Lazarus at our gate: those who are suffering and most in need.." end quote from Bishop Barron.
A reflection by a Fernando Torres said:
"It is to be aware that it is only with others, in solidarity, sharing, that we can come to live to the fullest this life that has been given to us.
Today, without a doubt, the parable invites us to open our eyes, here and now, to the needs of others and to make them our needs, to make fraternity and solidarity the center of our Christian life."
A good lent, is to live a life well spent. Today, our Lord speaks about Lazarus.
His friend was also named Lazarus.
In today's Gospel, Lazarus was a suffering man at the gate of the rich man's house.
Most of us would not let someone die at their doorstep, right?
Jesus raised His friend from the dead.
What can a rich man do when all the poor man needed was some tender loving care?
Like a portion of his meal, or some bandages for his wounds.
I don't know many people that would completely ignore someone like that here in my part of the world. But, let's dig a little deeper.
I once invited someone to come help feed the homeless in a nearby city. I was going to drive 40 miles to look how to help the poor. I invited groups, and different people once a month.
This guy I invited caught me off with his reply to my invitation saying "ahh, just give them lazy bums a McDonald's application" and he never went. I was astounded by the foolish answer to the call. I said "you can't say that, you don't know these people, you need to come see for yourself who you are talking about! Some cannot physically work at all!". Most cannot help mentally, and some are so far into drugs it is not possible to even try to work. And the list goes on and on.
And it gets worse, the more we look for Lazarus.
Have you looked out for Lazarus lately? To help the poor this Lent?
Sometimes they knock at your door, of your cellphone in messages, sometimes they won't knock, they are too shy, don't want to bother anybody, and so they live day by day starving...for tender, loving, care.
Tend the sheep. Look for the lost. Look for Lazarus, and in Him, you will find Jesus.
Lent is calling us out to the places we have not gone, to connect with our Lord, and make it the way of life, seeking to love Him where He is at... | Random Bible Verse 1
1 John 4:12–13 "No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit." Word of the Lord! | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
