Quote: "You will not see anyone who is truly striving after his spiritual advancement who is not given to spiritual reading." -St. Athanasius of Alexandria Today's Meditation "Christianity asserts that every individual human being is going to live forever, and this must be either true or false. Now there are a good many things which would not be worth bothering about if I were going to live only seventy years, but which I had better bother about very seriously if I am going to live for ever." —C.S. Lewis, p. 74
An excerpt from Mere Christianity Daily Verse "For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace." -James 3:16-18 |  EWTN Daily Saint | | Blessed Fra Angelico Bl. Fra Angelico (1387-1455) was born Guido di Pietro in Tuscany, Italy. Little is known of his early life, but he became a famous early Italian Renaissance master painter. Fra Angelico would pray earnestly before he painted, being convinced that in order to paint Christ perfectly, one must also be Christlike. His paintings then became tools for contemplating the theological mysteries hidden in the biblical events he depicted. He joined the Dominican Order in 1407 and was given the name Brother John, often called "Angelic Brother John", or Fra Angelico (Angelic Friar) because of his holiness. He lived and worked in several friaries until moving to the Friary of San Marco in Florence. While in Florence he was surrounded by an artistic community, and, due to his great talent, gained the patronage of the famous Medici family. In 1445 he was summoned to Rome to work on St. Peter's Basilica in various chapels. From 1449 until shortly before his death, Fra Angelico was also prior of the convent in Fiesole. He passed away while working again in Rome and is buried in the Dominican church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. Fra Angelico was beatified by Pope St. John Paul II and is the patron saint of Catholic artists. His feast day is February 18. | Ash Wednesday Entrance Antiphon You are merciful to all, O Lord,
and despise nothing that you have made.
You overlook people's sins, to bring them to repentance,
and you spare them, for you are the Lord our God. Wis 11:24, 25, 27 Collect Grant, O Lord, that we may begin with holy fasting
this campaign of Christian service,
so that, as we take up battle against spiritual evils,
we may be armed with weapons of self-restraint.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen. Joel 2:12-18 Even now, says the Lord,
return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the Lord, your God.
For gracious and merciful is he,
slow to anger, rich in kindness,
and relenting in punishment.
Perhaps he will again relent
and leave behind him a blessing,
Offerings and libations
for the Lord, your God. Blow the trumpet in Zion!
proclaim a fast,
call an assembly;
Gather the people,
notify the congregation;
Assemble the elders,
gather the children
and the infants at the breast;
Let the bridegroom quit his room
and the bride her chamber.
Between the porch and the altar
let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep,
And say, "Spare, O Lord, your people,
and make not your heritage a reproach,
with the nations ruling over them!
Why should they say among the peoples,
'Where is their God?'" Then the Lord was stirred to concern for his land
and took pity on his people. Psalm 51:3-6, 12-14, 17 R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
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. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
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. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned. 2 Corinthians 5:20–6:2 Brothers and sisters: We are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Working together, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says: In an acceptable time I heard you,
and on the day of salvation I helped you.
Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. Gospel Acclamation Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory!
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts. Cf. Ps 95:8
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory! Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 Jesus said to his disciples: "Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. "When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you." | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! |  wau.org | Daily Meditation: Joel 2:12-18 Even now, says the Lord, return to me. (Joel 2:12) Here we are at the beginning of Lent! We often look at this season with an eye toward the future: as a time of preparation for Easter, perhaps, or as an extended time of repentance, fasting, and almsgiving in the hope of a change of heart somewhere down the line. Of course, there's some truth to that view. But looking only to the future can cause some anxiety. What if I start strong but give up halfway through Lent? Or What if I succeed, but still don't feel any different by Easter? So let's focus on the present as well. Let's follow God's call from today's first reading and turn to the Lord . . . even now (Joel 2:12). Even now. You don't have to wait, no matter what obstacles seem to stand between you and God. You don't have to wait until you feel enough sorrow for your sins or until you've fasted or given away enough. If you turn to the Lord right now, he will turn to you. Even now. It's an invitation, not a threat. Your heavenly Father is ready to help you—even now. That's the wonder of his love! He has already decided to forgive you and welcome you. In Christ, he has already provided cleansing for every one of your sins. He is ready—even now—to shower you with his mercy and his love. Even now. You don't have to get everything exactly right or deny yourself for forty days before he answers you. Just "rend your heart" before the Lord (Joel 2:13). Reach out your arms to him. Cry out to him, even wordlessly. If all you can muster is a heartfelt "Father! Forgive!" he'll come running to you and gather you into his embrace. If we only knew how much our Father loves us, we would never hesitate to come to him. So turn to the Lord this Lent and ask him to change your heart. Even now. "Here I am, Lord! I need your mercy today!" | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Audio of 2 Cents | From today's Holy Gospel: "..."When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."...." Word of the Lord.
| From Roberto Juarez: "Lent is not religious theater. It is an inner process. Perhaps this year the Lord asks us for less noise and more depth. Less appearance and more truth. Less activism and more heart.
We can translate the Gospel into three very concrete decisions: 1. A real and concrete charity: not generic, not abstract. With a name and a face.
2. A daily time of prayer: even if it is brief, but faithful.
3. A fast that questions me: not only from food, but from what distracts me from God.
| 1. | A real and concrete charity: not generic, not abstract. With a name and a face. | | 2. | A daily time of prayer: even if it is brief, but faithful. | | 3. | A fast that questions me: not only from food, but from what distracts me from God. | If these practices are lived from sincerity of heart, Lent will be fruitful.
Let us not forget that this path has a goal. We are not walking towards sadness, but towards the Resurrection. The ash is not the end; it is the beginning. The desert is not the goal; it is the necessary step towards the promised land.
Lent is a training of the heart to love better, to believe more deeply, to live more freely.
Today the Lord does not ask us for a religious spectacle. He asks us for truth. He does not ask us for appearance. He asks us for conversion. It does not ask us for noise. It asks us for interiority.
When the Father looks at us – in secret – he will find a humble, sincere and available heart. And may these forty days truly be a time of grace." end quote.
From Bishop Barron: "Friends, in today's Gospel, Jesus prescribes the essential disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Let's focus on fasting and almsgiving. The appetites for food and drink are so pressing, so elemental, that, unless they are quelled and disciplined, they will simply take over the soul. They are like children who clamor constantly for attention and who, if indulged, will in short order run the house. Therefore, if the passion for God is to be awakened, the more immediately pressing desires must be muted, and this is the purpose of fasting. We go hungry and thirsty so that the deepest hunger and thirst might be felt. In a way, fasting is like the "calming of the monkey mind" effected by the Rosary: Both are means of settling the superficial mind that darts from preoccupation to preoccupation. But food and drink are not the only objects of concupiscent desire. Material things and wealth are also ready substitutes for the passion for God. Thus, a kind of fasting from what money can buy is an important practice. How often Jesus recommends that his disciples give to the poor, and how often throughout the Christian tradition has almsgiving been emphasized." end quote.
The worldly year has started, and now the liturgical season of Lent is upon us. And our Lord teaches us about Fasting. Today, all the world should fast, and abstain from meat or the alternative. Our Lord asks us to look to the interior for prayer. And for the third part...giving, almsgiving, and for some of us, this hits can hit hard. Can you give time...in prayer?
Can you give your food...fasting...to someone else?
Can you give time from work (your money earned per hour for example). My wife had a list of lent ideas for all kids and ourselves to give up and fast. Some examples were given to abstain from using the phones, in front of others, or during lunch or turn off the colors to black and white mode... Our 5 year old daughter was sitting on my lap at our dinner table discussion and she was circling things she didn't even know, for she can't read properly yet. She circled "I'll give up cursing". LOL.
But do you know why you are being asked to give up something anyways? The purpose? Do you really want to know? Do you really want to....care?
We aren't really supposed to tell people what we are doing for Lent, but sometimes you have to let people know a few biggies, like say, you will not be available during private prayer, or other such things.
But what is the purpose again? We begin to follow the Master into the desert...The Master will show us discipline. The root word of discipline is disciple. We are learning a discipline. We must master our bodies, our desires, our thoughts, everything that makes us who we are, otherwise, those desires and thoughts will master us! Amen?
Truly, the aim is to empty ourselves of self, selfishness, and ego, and in the outpouring of prayer, fasting, and alsmsgiving, we will allow God to flow in us more fully.
For example, you give up watching something you love that is worldly, and instead, read a book about God and prayer. Or if you have to watch something, let it be Godly things, Catholic Godly things! Learn your faith. Why am I fasting? How can I stop sinning? How can I master myself to be a true child of God? How can I learn discipline, the following of Jesus?
And food? I remember an Abbot told us men at the footstep of the front gates of his monastery, "if you men can't control your lust, then STOP EATING". Eyes opened wide. See what happens when you fast? Fasting puts prayers on blast. Fast to blast! It makes the spiritual more powerful, and especially for purity. Soon the body will learn to reign in like a horse does with the reigns.
And give. Learn to give my child. Give money as much as you can sacrifice to Jesus. And then, learn to give people a break. For lent, give to Jesus the gift of mercy. Be merciful to others. Be patient. They messed up? Talk gently. They made fun of you? Forgive immediately and love them. But giving to the needy, at first, it is hard. But after a while...it feels right. Because the money you kept will churn at your consciousness.
We can learn the easy way, or the hard way.
In the end it is about trusting in the Lord, with all your heart, mind, body, and soul. How much can you trust Him with?
With your time, your money, your family....your precious heart? |  Click for Audio | Random Bible Verse 1
1 Peter 5:10 "And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish 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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