 From: MorningOffering Website | Quote: ""Act as if everything depended on you; trust as if everything depended on God."" -St. Ignatius of Loyola Today's Meditation "Our Blessed Lord, bound like a thief, is conducted through the public streets of Jerusalem accompanied by a large body of soldiers who indulge their rage and hatred by ill-treating Him in every possible way, and surrounded by a multitude of people who overwhelm Him with insults and maledictions, and rejoice over His misfortunes. Jesus advances, His feet bare, and His strength utterly exhausted by all His mental and bodily sufferings, offering up the ignominy and tortures He is now enduring, to His Eternal Father, for the salvation of my soul. The soldiers render His position still more painful, by inviting people to approach and see their renowned prisoner, while Jesus proceeds on His way in the midst of them, with a humble demeanor and with downcast eyes, to teach us what value we should set on the esteem and honor of the world, and the applause of men. But a few days previously Jesus had passed through these same streets, applauded and honored by the crowd as the Messiah, and now, abandoned even by His disciples, He is followed only by perfidious enemies who seek His death, and unite in deriding and insulting Him as a malefactor, and the last of men. Such is the duration of the honors and praises of the world! Learn hence to seek the good pleasure of God alone, to labor for the acquisition of a right to the immortal honors of Paradise, and to practice patience under humiliation, from the example of Jesus." —Fr. Ignatius of the Side of Jesus, p. 79-80
An excerpt from The School of Jesus Crucified Daily Verse Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings. The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ [Jesus] will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little. To him be dominion forever. Amen. -1 Peter 5:8-11 |  EWTN Daily Saint | | Blessed Charles the Good Blessed Charles the Good (1083–1127), also known as Charles I and the Count of Flanders, was born in Denmark, the only son of King Canute IV (St. Canute) and Adela of Flanders. He was five years old when his father was assassinated in the Odense Cathedral, after which he and his mother fled for their lives to Flanders. He grew up in the royal court in that country and accompanied his maternal grandfather, a Count, on a crusade to the Holy Land. After his grandfather's death, Blessed Charles became an advisor to the next Count, his uncle; after his uncle's death, Charles became Count. He was highly regarded by the people for his holiness and virtue. He was outspoken against the common practice of hoarding grain and selling it at inflated prices, and opposed the prominent Erembald family who gained their financial prosperity through this unjust practice. On March 2, 1127, while Charles was in church praying, he was slain by soldiers loyal to the Erembald family, in the same manner his father was killed. His death sparked a public outcry and uprising against the Erembald family, while Charles was immediately looked upon as a martyr and saint. His feast day is March 2nd. | Monday of the Second Week of Lent Lectionary: 230 Reading 1 Daniel 9:4b-10 "Lord, great and awesome God,
you who keep your merciful covenant toward those who love you
and observe your commandments!
We have sinned, been wicked and done evil;
we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws.
We have not obeyed your servants the prophets,
who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes,
our fathers, and all the people of the land.
Justice, O Lord, is on your side;
we are shamefaced even to this day:
we, the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem,
and all Israel, near and far,
in all the countries to which you have scattered them
because of their treachery toward you.
O LORD, we are shamefaced, like our kings, our princes, and our fathers,
for having sinned against you.
But yours, O Lord, our God, are compassion and forgiveness!
Yet we rebelled against you
and paid no heed to your command, O LORD, our God,
to live by the law you gave us through your servants the prophets." Responsorial Psalm Psalm 79:8, 9, 11 and 13 R. (see 103:10a) Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.
Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
may your compassion quickly come to us,
for we are brought very low.
R. Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.
Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name's sake.
R. Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.
Let the prisoners' sighing come before you;
with your great power free those doomed to death.
Then we, your people and the sheep of your pasture,
will give thanks to you forever;
through all generations we will declare your praise.
R. Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins. Verse Before the Gospel See John 6:63c, 68c Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;
you have the words of everlasting life. Gospel Luke 6:36-38 Jesus said to his disciples:
"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. "Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you." | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! |  From Word Among Us WAU.org | Daily Meditation: Luke 6:36-38 Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. (Luke 6:37) Imagine the following scenario: you are the judge at your local district court. You walk into your courtroom one morning and see someone sitting in your chair. Not only that, but they have already tried someone and are about to issue them a harsh sentence. What would you do? If you were that judge, you'd probably have the impostor arrested and put on trial. This is essentially what happens when we allow ourselves to become "judge" and condemn another person—the very thing that Jesus warns us against in today's Gospel. It happens when we assess someone's value based on how sinful we think they are and when we condemn them because of their sins. We are putting ourselves in God's place—the only One who can judge the heart. Jesus tells us that when we issue condemnations like this, we're exposing ourselves to being condemned as well. He warns us, "The measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you" (Luke 6:38). He would much rather have us treat one another with mercy, even to the point where he promises, "Forgive and you will be forgiven" (6:37). These are challenging words, aren't they? So how do we get to a place where our fallen tendency to condemn people gives way to mercy? It's a lifelong journey, to be sure, but one of the surest ways is to fix our eyes on Jesus. Think of how patient he was with his disciples. Think about his encounter with a woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). Think about how he forgave Peter for denying him (21:15-19). Above all, think about the way he forgave those who condemned him to death, those who nailed his hands and feet to the cross, and those who stood by and jeered and taunted him while he hung there (Luke 23:34). Jesus' persecutors were acting cruelly, no doubt, but they were blinded by their ignorance and their inability to see in Jesus the mercy that could set them free. And so many times, this is true of us—we condemn because we cannot see. We cannot see the whole person we are condemning, and we cannot see the image of God in them. May the Lord open our eyes and teach us to see through his eyes of mercy! "Jesus, teach me to be merciful as you are merciful!" Daniel 9:4-10
Psalm 79:8-9, 11, 13 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Audio of 2 Cents | From today's Holy Gospel: "... Jesus said to his disciples:
"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. "Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you; ..." Word of the Lord.
| From Roberto Juarez: "This Gospel does not remain in abstract ideas. It challenges us directly: How do I talk about others when they are not present? Do I hold old grudges? Do I take pleasure in pointing out other people's mistakes? Am I generous with my time and my assets? Mercy begins in everyday life: at home, in the community, at work, in the parish. These are not great heroic gestures, but a constant style. If we look at the life of Jesus in the Gospel according to Luke, we see this teaching made flesh: Forgive the sinner. He welcomes Zacchaeus. He promises paradise to the good thief. Mercy is not a speech; is a person. And that person invites us to reproduce his or her same attitude. Today's world needs justice, yes; but above all, it needs mercy. In a context of polarization, constant judgment and swift condemnation, the Christian is called to be a sign of a different logic. "Be merciful as your Father is merciful." It is not a secondary option; it is the heart of the Gospel. Let us ask the Lord to grant us a heart similar to his: capable of understanding, quick to forgive, generous to give, and humble to recognize that he is always in need of mercy." end quote.
Our Lord said to end today's Gospel: "For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you."
Guys... we should honor the mercy of our Lord Jesus who is God.
Without His mercy, I don't know where we'd be. Because none of us are perfect.
Without His mercy we would be totally lost. HIS light shown from the cross. Mercy pouring itself out on the cross. This is what the centurion must've experienced when he pierced the heart of Jesus...with his sin. What sin did the centurion commit ? Who knows how many. The piercing with a lance was just a sign...of the atrocity of our sin.
Jesus came, to be pierced...and this piercing became a revelation...a light unto the dark world.
Have you ever experienced mercy? Was it transformative? Did it make you want to be merciful? Taste and see.
Be merciful...therefore...as Your Father is merciful.
Mercy is complicated though. It does not impose itself.
Our Lord does not impose Himself on you either.
That's why there are so many people who fail to see and fail to believe in Him. They have not sought Him whom wishes to be found.
After daily mass this morning, we were traveling away from Mass around the block, and I told my son "look, there is that homeless guy walking again", he was walking right on our road almost on my pathway. I just received the Lord, how could I not stop, was my thought. I pulled over by him. He walked as if to pass by us...afraid to impose. I've known and helped this guy so many times in the last few years. I know what his life is about. But, I was doing this to teach my son a lesson. I asked the man "have you ate?" he said "I just ate a burrito at the restaurant". I said "so you got money?". He said "no, the owner let me have it". I said "come closer, I got some change here for you". He came, like a beaten creature, frail, and humble. I gave him a twenty, "here's for your next meal". He said thanks and we drove away. I said to my 11 year old "he's walking toward the church, probably going to stop by and pray". But I told my son "here's what you got to learn; the poor aren't going to flag you down usually. The poor aren't coming to your front door normally. The poor have to be sought, you have to look for them."
Sometimes you have to search...for mercy.
Jesus is in that poor person you have not sought.
I said "when we helped the nearby city homeless in ministry, I had to look for them and sign up with the "Jesus House" to help, see how we could help".
So many times we want to act like the poor so people come to help us and look for us.
But how many times do we do the opposite?
The prisoners can't call you without paying for it. The prisoners can't come see you. You have to seek them, and go through a whole process just to catch a glimpse of them.
And if you still cannot or will not do this type of mercy, then, how about the times someone slaps your face? What about the times someone stabs you in the back? What about the times someone just broke your heart? Ahh. There is a chance to suffer for Christ. There is a chance to be merciful. Mind you, we know there must be righteousness, but, with mercy...and love.
I am getting weary, tired of how things operate on earth, and in this world, and in our country and more. There seems to be this negativity against one another. If a president is voted in, a group turns into a hate group of that president. The same happens for a new priest in a parish; a new priest comes and a group forms to hate him. The same happens in many levels of organizations. There isn't even common dignity and respect. There is no mercy. There is no love. Yeah, we don't agree, but that shouldn't be the cause for animosity and division.
Here is where Jesus is needed, the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The solution? You...and Him. Who is Jesus? The Son of God. Yes. The Holy Spirit? Yes. The Father??? YES. I'm getting mesmerized by His Sacred Heart. Jesus IS the Sacred Heart of the Father. His Love. His will, made manifest on earth...as it should be, as it shall be in Heaven. This is what God wants.
And I tell my students, adults, that there is so little I can do to attain my salvation, only grace, right? But, I am banking on two things...Love, and Mercy. By those two things we can go much further than all devotions of the faith.
I'm relying heavily on those two, and in the scripture that says if you save a soul, you can save your own. And since I have no idea who is being saved...we've got much work to do ... together, being the merciful and loving body of Christ. |  Click for Audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Luke 12:29–31 " And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, seek his1 kingdom, and these things will be added to 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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