Lent
« Previous EntriesLent - Week Three 2010
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010Tuesday ; March 9th , 2010
Readings : Jeremiah 17:5-10; Luke 16:19-31
Scripture Verse: Blessed is the person who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is in the Lord. Jeremiah 17:
Reflection : Lotteries are part of the fabric of Canadian life. It can seem like every gas station and convenience store has some sort of lottery tickets available. A few years ago there was a report about a survey that asked people what they would do with the money if they won the lottery. The results, unsurprisingly, showed a pretty self-centred focus on the spending of the money. It centered on paying off bills, buying new homes/cars etc., quitting jobs to travel. While some said they would also “help” family members only 2% of those surveyed said they would give any money to a charity.
Over and against this survey we also know that many people are quite generous when confronted by the needs of others (the earthquake in Haiti for example).
Clearly the gospel story provides us with a stinging commentary on selfishness, especially when selfishness is characterized by indifference to the plight of the poor by the rich. It provides us with a reminder that the response we make to instances such as the plight of Haiti is the right response. It is, to say the least, somewhat sobering to listen to Jesus’ warning that if we neglect the less fortunate now, then we will be neglected in the afterlife.
The message is to share some of what we have with those who have far less than we do. The message is to recognise how much God has blessed us and to trust in God to continue to bless us as we share. Jeremiah wrote: If we trust in humans we become a desert. If we trust in God we become a fountain. In Lent we are invited to remember that “all that is in the heavens and on the earth are thine…all things come from thee” and that we are trusted to use some of what God has given us to help those who need help…”of thine own have we given thee”.
Prayer: Lord, help us to be grateful for all you have given us. Help us to use these gifts to help others. Amen
Lent - Week Three 2010
Monday, March 8th, 2010Monday : March 8, 2010
Readings : Jeremiah 18:18-20; Matthew 20:17-
Scripture Verse: Whoever wishes to be great among you must serve the needs of all Matthew 20:27
Reflection : Unfortunately our history has been marked by the murder of good people. Two of the more memorable are Mahatma Ghandi and the South American Roman Catholic Archbishop Oscar Romero. Both worked on behalf of the poor. Both worked for peace and justice. Both were killed by people who supported oppressive regimes and were threatened by the idea of change. There have been, in the centuries since Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, countless other good people who gave their lives while serving the most needy and working for a just and peaceful world. Many times these people’s good work was unrewarded. At other times they faced criticism and punishment. Sometimes they were killed.
In our readings for today, we are faced with the cost of discipleship—the cost of being a follower of Jesus in a predominately non-Christian culture and world. If we choose to follow Jesus and take our baptismal vows seriously, we will work for justice and peace and strive to help those who need help and try to respect the dignity and sacredness of every human life. We will be criticised for doing that. We will pay a price for being faithful.
Jeremiah asks God to explain to him why “good” is repaid by “evil”. Jesus tells us that his way is a way in which there will be suffering. He tells us his followers will accept this “cup” as part and parcel of life.
Prayer: Lord we struggle at times with accepting the price that comes with following you. Help us to drink the cup that you drink. Amen
Lent - Week Two 2010
Friday, March 5th, 2010Friday : March 5th, 2010
Readings : Isaiah 1:10, 16-20; Matthew 23:1-12
Scripture Verse: “Make justice your aim; redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow.” Isaiah 1:17
Reflection : Mother Teresa used to say that we should help those who suffer because it is Jesus who we discover in the midst of the suffering. Mother Teresa was a humble, very determined, woman who did not place herself above the sick and dying but considered them her equals.
The first step in recognising the Christ in others (see baptismal covenant page 159 Book of Alternative Services) is to see ourselves as their peers. In the gospel Jesus says it this way: “Whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” (23:12). Jesus condemns the Pharisees because they are so puffed up with their own clothing, position and language that they cannot see beyond themselves. In the first reading, Isaiah denounces the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah because they have ceased to care for the wronged, the orphaned and the widowed.
Lent invites us to look beyond ourselves. Perhaps we might know of someone who has been wronged or is poor, orphaned or widowed, sick or lonely etc. We might keep them in our thoughts and prayers today and reach out to them as our equals. The psalmist writes “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you…” Psalm 50:15
Lent - Week Two 2010
Thursday, March 4th, 2010Thursday : March 4th , 2010
Readings : Daniel 9:4-10 Luke 6: 36-38
Scripture Verse: “Give and it shall be given to you. Good measure pressed down, shaken together, and running over.” Luke 6:38
Reflection : It may feel like it is still quite some time away but when springtime comes, many of us will become gardeners. Many of us find something fulfilling as we dig in the earth, plant seeds and seedlings and nourish them with fertiliser and water for their growth. The plants rely on our care for their welfare. They can’t plant themselves, trim themselves or fertilize themselves. Once we accept responsibility for them, they become connected to our caring.
Our readings for today present us with a God who is compassionately connected to our growth. In the first reading from Daniel, we sense that the repentant nation of Israel stands in need of knowing itself cared for and nourished by God. The people have turned away. They have not listened. They need the compassion of God to raise them up again. Jesus tells us that we, his followers, are to be a people overflowing with care and compassion. Each person we encounter in our daily lives is to be treated with compassion and we are to the best of our ability to accept responsibility for caring for their well-being.
Lent is certainly a season in which we are invited to check on our sense of compassion. If we find that our attitude towards others has become hardened, we are invited to ask Jesus to help us to have a compassion that overflows.
The psalmist writes “May your compassion come quickly to us, for we are brought very low.” Psalm 79: 8
Lent - Week Two 2010
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010Wednesday : March 3rd, 2010
Readings : Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18 Luke 9: 28-36
Scripture Verse: “But awakening, they saw his glory” Luke 9:32
Reflection : On the Sunday before Ash Wednesday we celebrated the Feast of the Transfiguration. A reminder that occurs between Jesus’ baptism and his death and resurrection of who it is in whose name and presence we gather each Sunday. The Transfiguration is a moment that expresses the truth that while Jesus is fully human he is also fully divine. In the gospel it is not until his resurrection, not even when Jesus performs some of his most spectacular miracles, that his divinity is as expressly revealed as it is at the Transfiguration.
The Transfiguration occurs immediately after Jesus predicts his Passion and death. This was the first time that the apostles had heard him speak in this manner. Undoubtedly, his prediction caused some grumbling, a little doubting and a hint of uncertainty and confusion among his followers. So God hands three of them an experience that could inspire courage.
The voice of God, coming from the clouds, is also an indication of the purpose of the Transfiguration. “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him.” This is a clear exhortation to the apostles to listen to Jesus and not to the voices of the scribes and Pharisees and all the other “voices” that call out for attention.
The power of the witness of the Transfiguration is not limited to Jesus’ first followers. It is also meant for us. If we might be inclined to dismiss the teaching of Jesus, or to listen to the “other voices” that call out to us for our attention, the Transfiguration is a clear remedy. “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him”
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