 From: MorningOffering Website | † Quote of the Day "Work hard every day at increasing your purity of heart, which consists in appraising things and weighing them in the balance of God's will." -St. Francis de Sales Today's Meditation "Once, while I was wondering why Our Lord so dearly loves the virtue of humility, the thought suddenly struck me, without previous reflection, that it is because God is the supreme Truth and humility is the truth, for it is the most true that we have nothing good of ourselves but only misery and nothingness: whoever ignores this, lives a life of falsehood. they that realize this fact most deeply are the most pleasing to God, the supreme Truth, for they walk in the truth." —St. Teresa of Avila, p. 175-176
An excerpt from Interior Castle Daily Verse [I pray] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of [your] hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe, in accord with the exercise of his great might. -Ephesians 1:17-19 |  EWTN Daily Saint | | St. Patrick (387-493) was born in Kilpatrick, Scotland, to Roman-British parents. He was kidnapped by Irish raiders at the age of sixteen and sold as a slave to a Druid high priest. He worked as a shepherd and spent much time in prayer as he labored in the fields. He also acquired a perfect knowledge of the Celtic language and the Druid cult, which later enabled him to evangelize the Celtic people. After six years of slavery, an angel told him to flee his oppressive master and return to his native land. Upon returning to Britain, Patrick desired to devote himself to God's service. He went to France and placed himself under the direction of St. Germain, who ordained him a priest and sent him to evangelize the pagans in Ireland. St. Patrick devoted the rest of his life to converting the island to Christianity. He was ordained a bishop and himself ordained many priests. He divided the country into dioceses, held local Church councils, founded monasteries, and urged the people to greater holiness. He suffered much opposition from the Druids and occult magicians, who, threatened by Christianity, conjured demonic power to defy Patrick. However, the prayer, faith, fearlessness, and episcopal authority of Patrick triumphed, and he was so successful in his endeavor that in the Middle Ages Ireland became known as the Land of Saints, and himself the "Apostle of Ireland." Later, the missionaries sent from Ireland to Europe were largely responsible for the Christianizing of the continent. St. Patrick's feast day is March 17th.
Find a devotional for this saint | Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent Lectionary: 245 Reading 1 Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12 The angel brought me, Ezekiel,
back to the entrance of the temple of the LORD,
and I saw water flowing out
from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east,
for the façade of the temple was toward the east;
the water flowed down from the right side of the temple,
south of the altar.
He led me outside by the north gate,
and around to the outer gate facing the east,
where I saw water trickling from the right side.
Then when he had walked off to the east
with a measuring cord in his hand,
he measured off a thousand cubits
and had me wade through the water,
which was ankle-deep.
He measured off another thousand
and once more had me wade through the water,
which was now knee-deep.
Again he measured off a thousand and had me wade;
the water was up to my waist.
Once more he measured off a thousand,
but there was now a river through which I could not wade;
for the water had risen so high it had become a river
that could not be crossed except by swimming.
He asked me, "Have you seen this, son of man?"
Then he brought me to the bank of the river, where he had me sit.
Along the bank of the river I saw very many trees on both sides.
He said to me,
"This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah,
and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh.
Wherever the river flows,
every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live,
and there shall be abundant fish,
for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh.
Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow;
their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail.
Every month they shall bear fresh fruit,
for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary.
Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine." Responsorial Psalm Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9 R. (8) The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
God is our refuge and our strength,
an ever-present help in distress.
Therefore we fear not, though the earth be shaken
and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea.
R. The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God,
the holy dwelling of the Most High.
God is in its midst; it shall not be disturbed;
God will help it at the break of dawn.
R. The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
The LORD of hosts is with us;
our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
Come! behold the deeds of the LORD,
the astounding things he has wrought on earth.
R. The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob. Verse Before the Gospel Psalm 51:12a, 14a A clean heart create for me, O God;
give me back the joy of your salvation. Gospel John 5:1-16 There was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Now there is in Jerusalem at the Sheep Gate
a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, with five porticoes.
In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled.
One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.
When Jesus saw him lying there
and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him,
"Do you want to be well?"
The sick man answered him,
"Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool
when the water is stirred up;
while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me."
Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your mat, and walk."
Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked. Now that day was a sabbath.
So the Jews said to the man who was cured,
"It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat."
He answered them, "The man who made me well told me,
'Take up your mat and walk.'"
They asked him,
"Who is the man who told you, 'Take it up and walk'?"
The man who was healed did not know who it was,
for Jesus had slipped away, since there was a crowd there.
After this Jesus found him in the temple area and said to him,
"Look, you are well; do not sin any more,
so that nothing worse may happen to you."
The man went and told the Jews
that Jesus was the one who had made him well.
Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus
because he did this on a sabbath. | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! |  From Word Among Us WAU.org | Daily Meditation: John 5:1-16 One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. (John 5:5) You've probably heard that numbers play an important role in Scripture. We're familiar with the significance of numbers like 7 and 3 and 12. But what about 38? That's the number of years the paralyzed man in today's Gospel had lain by the Pool of Bethesda. Does that number mean anything? Probably. Some commentators believe it's meant to remind us of the thirty-eight years that Moses and the Israelites spent in an oasis called Kadesh-Barnea as their "headquarters." More than once, the people tried to enter the Promised Land from there, but they could never seem to get very far. It took them thirty-eight years—and many lessons in holiness—before they finally reached their destination. Similarly, the paralyzed man in today's Gospel was also stuck. He was within reach of the pool where healing was to be found, but he could not get there. So over time he became embittered and gave up trying. But now, after thirty-eight years, the time had come for him to enter into his own "promised land"! But did you notice what happened next? The man essentially got Jesus in trouble with the authorities, so that they "began to persecute Jesus" (John 5:16). Rather than following Jesus as a new disciple, he went on to live his own life on his own terms. He may have been healed physically, but spiritually, he remained focused on himself. This man's story is a cautionary tale for all of us. Jesus wants to answer our prayers, but he also wants to change us. He wants to heal us: to tell us to take up our mat and walk (John 5:8), but he also wants us to "not sin any more" (5:14). Of course, he knows we're not perfect, but he does want to see us take up the life of discipleship and obedience to him. And for that, we need to listen to his word and try our best to live out that word. You don't have to wait a full thirty-eight years to enter the promised land that Jesus has in store for you. It's available to you right now. Will you take up your mat and walk, determined not to "sin any more"? "Jesus, thank you for setting me free! Help me to follow you wherever you lead." Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12
Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Audio of 2 Cents | From today's Holy Gospel: "..They asked him,
"Who is the man who told you, 'Take it up and walk'?"
The man who was healed did not know who it was,
for Jesus had slipped away, since there was a crowd there.
After this Jesus found him in the temple area and said to him,
"Look, you are well; do not sin any more,
so that nothing worse may happen to you."
The man went and told the Jews
that Jesus was the one who had made him well.
Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus
because he did this on a sabbath. ..." | From Roberto Juarez: "...But the story does not end there. The religious leaders notice one detail: the man carries his mat on the Sabbath. According to his interpretation of the law, that was prohibited. Instead of rejoicing over the healing, they are scandalized because a rule has been broken. Here a tension appears that runs throughout the Gospel: the difference between a religion centered on the norm and a living relationship with God. Jesus shows that God's love and human life are above any rigid interpretation of the law. Later Jesus meets the man again in the temple and says, "Look, you are healed; sin no more, lest something worse happen to you." With these words Jesus reminds us that true healing is not only physical. The deepest healing is that of the heart. Christ wants to free us from that which paralyzes us interiorly: sin, fear, selfishness, despair. This Gospel invites us to look at our own lives. We all have some form of paralysis: situations that block us, wounds that we carry, sins that weigh us down. And perhaps we too can feel like that man: alone, tired, resigned. But today Jesus also comes to us and asks us the same question: "Do you want to be healed?" If we open our hearts, his word can lift us up. It can give us back hope, freedom, new life. Let us ask the Lord for the grace to listen to his voice and to allow ourselves to be lifted up by him. May his word help us to stand up and walk with confidence. Because when Christ tells us to "arise," he is always offering us a new life." end quote.
From Bishop Barron:
"Why are they so reactive? Why don't they want this to be? We sinners don't like the ways of God. We find them troubling and threatening. Why? Because they undermine the games of oppression and exclusion that we rely upon in order to boost our own egos. Let this encounter remind us that God's ways are not our ways, and that there is one even greater than the sabbath."
The other Gospel shows our Lord healing a blind man, and this made the pharisees angry.
Today, our Lord heals a crippled man, and it made the Jews angry.
As if to say "How dare you heal somebody....on the Sabbath!".
Why did our Lord heal so much and so often on the Sabbath?
His desire is shown. He is revealing Himself. That is why.
He reveals the darkness that we begin to follow, and darkness means so many things...to be lost, yes, to lose our way, yes, and to venture against the light...the very essence of our God Himself, all things opposite.
For all new Christians, let this be a heads up: following the light will reveal darkness, and darkness will attack for you to remain away from the light. You will be persecuted, like our Lord. You will be attacked. You will be falsely accused. You will face turmoil. It is not fun. It does not feel good. But in the end...just because it doesn't feel good, does not mean it is not good at all.
Working out doesn't feel good if you are pushing yourself.
Eating right doesn't always taste good, or feel good if you still feel hungry with smaller portions.
But it is good to do what is right.
Jesus came to show the light to show what is right.
To be a discipline will mean to be a true disciple.
Thus is the purpose of lent. To become less of yourself, and more of Himself.
If this lent doesn't improve your relationship with Him, then we misspent the lent.
And we are literally spending our lives as we speak, right? Spending that oil of life, that we so much need for the light, right? What is the oil consisting of? Grace, mercy, and love. We speak much about love, but it does not compute. We cannot speak enough...about God, and His holy will!
We can spend an eternity deciphering how marvelous His works are, especially if in the next life, whole new dimensions are opened up, the complexity that makes for what seems to be a simple beauty. St. Patrick, pray for us to be the light of Christ and revolutionize the world for God's Kingdom. |  Click for Audio | Amen! Random Bible Verse 1
Colossians 3:9–10 "Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self1 with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator." . . . Word of the Lord! | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
