Lent
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Thursday, April 7th, 2011Thursday - April 7, 2011
Readings: Exodus 32:7-14 Psalm 106:19-23, John 5:31-47
Scripture Verse: If I bear witness to myself, my testimony is not true;… These very works which I am doing, bear me witness that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness to me. John 5: 31,36-37
Reflection: Jesus’ opponents refused to accept his divine authority as the only begotten Son from the Father. They demanded evidence for his Messianic claim and equality with God.
Jesus answers their charges with the supporting evidence of witnesses. The law of Moses had laid down the principle that the unsupported evidence of one person shall not prevail against a man for any crime or wrong in connection with any offence he committed (see Deuteronomy 17:6). At least two or three witnesses were needed.
Jesus begins by citing John the Baptist as a witness, since John publicly pointed to Jesus as the Messiah(see John 1:19, 20, 26, 29, 35, 36). Jesus also asserts that the signs and miracles he performed are a witness to his identity. He says his works, do not to point to himself but point to the power of God working in and through him. He cites God the Father as his supreme witness. Jesus asserts that the scriptures themselves point to him as the Messiah, the promised Saviour.
The problem with the scribes and Pharisees was that they were so preoccupied with their own position as authorities on the scriptures that they became unable to hear what God was saying to them through their Scripture.
Scripture tells us that God reveals himself to the lowly, to those who trust not in themselves, but who trust God and listen to God’s word with an
eagerness to learn and to obey.
Jesus reveals to us the mind and heart of God. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit he opens our ears so that we may hear his voice and he fills our hearts and minds with the love and knowledge of God.
Saint Augustine of Hippo wrote: “As Christians, our task is to make daily progress toward God. Our pilgrimage on earth is a school in which God is the only teacher, and it demands good students, not ones who play truant. In this school we learn something every day. We learn something from commandments, something from examples, and something from sacraments. These things are remedies for our wounds and materials for study.”
Prayer: “Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may listen to your word attentively and obey it joyfully.”
Fourth Week of Lent
Wednesday, April 6th, 2011Wednesday - April 6, 2011
Readings: Isaiah 49:8-15 Psalm 145:14-21 John 5:17-30
Scripture Verse: “But Jesus answered them, My Father is working still, and I am working.” John 5:17
Reflection. The Jewish authorities sought to kill Jesus because he claimed an authority and equality with God which they could not accept. They did not recognize that Jesus was God’s answer to the prayers of his people: “In a time of favour I have answered you…in a day of salvation I have helped you” (Isaiah 49:8).
Jesus was sent by the Father as “a covenant to the people” to reconcile them with God. Jesus fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah when he brings healing, restoration, and forgiveness to those who accept him.
The religious authorities charged Jesus as a Sabbath-breaker and a blasphemer. Jesus answered their charge of breaking the Sabbath law by demonstrating that God’s love and mercy is offered at all times, Jesus acts as an instrument of God’s forgiving love as he heals, forgives and restores people, even on the Sabbath.
When the religious leaders charged that Jesus was making himself equal with God, Jesus replied that he was not acting independently of God because he and the Father are united in heart, mind, and will. The mind of Jesus is the mind of God, and the words of Jesus are the words of God.
Jesus’ identity with the Father is based on trust and obedience and his obedience was based on love. Jesus obeyed his Father because he loved his Father. The unity between Jesus and the Father is a unity of love…perfect and complete.
Jesus came to free us from slavery to sin and to restore our relationship with God. If we choose to follow Jesus we will experience a meaningful life of abundant peace with God. But if we reject him, then we choose for death – a separation from an all-loving and merciful God.
The abundant life which Jesus offers is offered to all who believe in him, the living Word of God, who became human for our salvation.
Prayer: “Lord Jesus, increase my love for you and unite my heart and will with yours, that I may only seek and desire what is pleasing to you.”
Fourth Week of Lent
Tuesday, April 5th, 2011Tuesday - April 5, 2011
Readings: Ezekiel 47:1-9,12 Psalm 46:2-9 John 5:1-16
Scripture Verses: Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your pallet, and walk.” Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you John 5: 8, 14
Reflection: Ezekiel proclaimed that a “river of life” will flow from God’s throne in the Temple transforming everything it touches, bringing life, healing, and restoration. Jesus offers himself as the source of this living water which he will pour out upon his disciples in the gift of the Holy Spirit. The signs and miracles which Jesus performed manifest the power and presence of God’s kingdom and the love and mercy God has for people.
In the pool at Bethzatha we see Jesus single out an incurable invalid, helpless and hopeless for almost forty years. Jesus awakens hope when he puts a probing question to the man, “Do you really want to be healed?” And he then orders him to “get up and walk!”
God wants to free us from the power of sin and make us whole. But God will not force our hand against our will. The first essential step towards healing is the desire for change. If we are content to stay as we are, then no amount of coaxing will change us. The Lord approaches us with the same question: “Do we want to be changed, to be set free from the power of sin, and to live the new life that comes with following Jesus?”
Prayer: “Lord Jesus, give me the faith to trust you and allow your presence in my life to help me accept the healing you offer and the new life given me in baptism .May the Holy Spirit renew me in your love and righteousness.
The Fourth Week of Lent
Monday, April 4th, 2011Monday - April 4,2011
Readings: Isaiah 65:17-21 Psalm 30:2-12 John 4:43-54
Scripture Verse: “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe”. John 4:48
Reflection: When the official, who was likely from King Herod’s court, heard the reports of Jesus’ preaching and miracles, he decided to seek Jesus out for a favour. The media headlines today might be: “High ranking official leaves capital in search of miracle cure from a small town carpenter.”
It took courage for a court official to search out Jesus, the Galilean carpenter. He had to swallow his pride and probably put up with ridicule from his cronies. And when he found the carpenter, Jesus seemed to put him off with the blunt statement that people would not believe unless they saw some kind of miracle or sign from heaven. Jesus may have said this to see if the man’s faith was in earnest.
Jesus, perceiving his faith, sent him home with the assurance that his prayer had been heard. It was probably not easy for this man to leave Jesus and go back home only with the assuring word that his son would be healed. Couldn’t Jesus have come to this man’s home and touched his dying child? The court official believed in Jesus and took him at his word. He was ready to return home and face possible ridicule because he trusted Jesus’ word.
God’s mercy shows his generous love – a love that reaches out to us in response to our needs, concerns and worries. In Lent we reflect on those areas in our life where we need healing, pardon, change, and restoration, If we approach the Lord with trust and expectant faith, he will not disappoint.. He will meet us more than half way and give us what we need. Jesus never refused anyone who put their trust in him. We can surrender our doubts and fears, our pride and guilt and trust in his saving word and healing love.
Prayer: “Lord Jesus, your love never fails and your care is unceasing. Give me the courage to surrender my pride, fear and doubts to your love, wisdom and knowledge. Help me become strong in faith, persevering in hope, and constant in love.”
Third Week of Lent- 2011
Friday, April 1st, 2011Friday - April 1, 2011
Readings: Hosea 14:2-9 Psalm 81:6-16 Mark 12:28-34
Scripture Verse: “You shall love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength”. Mark 12:30
Reflection: The Pharisees prided themselves in the knowledge of the law and their ritual requirements. They made it a life-time practice to study the six hundred and thirteen precepts of the Old Testament. They tested Jesus to see if he correctly understood the law as they did. Jesus startled them with his mastery of the law of God and its purpose. What does God require of us? Simply that we love as he loves! God is love and everything he does flows from his love for us. God loved us first and our love for him is a response to his forgiving love for us and his kindness towards us. The love of God comes first and the love of neighbour is firmly grounded in the love of God.
The more we know of God’s love, the more we love God and can love our neighbour. In our baptism, God, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, gives us a new freedom to love as he loves (Galatians 5:13). As St. Paul reminds us: God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us (Romans 5:5). Love God…love neighbour…on these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. Simple…challenging….
Prayer: “We love you, O our God; and we desire to love you more and more. Grant to us that we may love you as much as we desire, and as much as we ought. O dearest friend, who has so loved and saved us, the thought of whom is so sweet and always growing sweeter, come with Christ and dwell in our hearts; that you keep a watch over our lips, our steps, our deeds, and we shall not need to be anxious either for our souls or our bodies. Give us love, sweetest of all gifts, which knows no enemy. Give us in our hearts pure love, born of your love to us, that we may love others as you love us. O most loving Father of Jesus Christ, from whom flows all love, let our hearts, frozen in sin, cold to you and cold to others, be warmed by this divine fire. So help and bless us in your Son.” (Prayer of Anselm, 12th century)
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