Remember Your Mercies, O Lord
Third Tuesday of Lent
We are already half way through this incredible journey of Lent. Through our efforts of sacrifice in fasting and almsgiving, God brings to the surface of our lives, the areas of weakness we face.
We are already half way through this incredible journey of Lent. Through our efforts of sacrifice in fasting and almsgiving, God brings to the surface of our lives, the areas of weakness we face.
The first reading today tells us that Naaman goes to Elisha seeking healing. Naaman goes away angry when told to go and wash seven times in the Jordan. He didn’t think his healing would come that way.
Moses had fled into the wilderness. When he was a prince in Egypt he had murdered a man who was mistreating one of the Hebrew slaves. Governed by his rage he had tried to solve the situation, but made things much worse. He was now a shepherd looking after sheep, having much time for personal reflection. Now God comes to him.
It’s St Joseph’s Feast day today!!! As we reflect on The Word today we pray for St Joesph’s humble guidance and prayers to bring us closer to our beloved Christ.
Second Thursday of Lent
“I have made you a light for the nations so that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth” – Isaiah 49:6/Acts 13:47
Everything in today’s three scripture readings and psalm, and the fact that it is feast of a great evangelist, St Patrick, is pointing to our important and non-negotiable role as Christians to share the Gospel.
Second Wednesday of Lent
“They will condemn him to death…and on the third day he will rise again” (Matthew 20:17-19)
On multiple occasions, Jesus tried to share with his disciples what lay ahead when they arrived at Jerusalem – his passion, death and resurrection. Early on in his ministry, he mentions this fact with some detail (Matthew 16:21-28, Luke 9:22-27) but the Apostles don’t understand.
Second Tuesday of Lent
In today’s reading, the pharisees seems to get everything right according to the law and despise those who don’t live up to their standard. They very much focus and centred on themselves but God. Pursuit of own perfection but love.
“Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate”.
This verse rolls off the tongue easily and it can even be one that we convince ourselves we’ve got down pat. However, as we unpack this a little more in prayer today, I want to suggest that perhaps our idea of compassion is a little different to what Jesus is calling us to here.
The bible is full of mountain top experiences where people encounter the Lord. We think of Moses on Mt Sinai in the midst of lightning and thunder receiving the tablets of the commandments, which spelt out the response the people needed to make in the covenant God has established with them.
It is easy to underestimate the challenge of “Love your enemies”. This does not mean we have a vague sense of tolerance for our enemies so that we treat them superficially the same as the people that we like.