MARCH 24, 2006
FRIDAY 3RD WEEK OF LENT - YEAR II

HOSEA 14:2-10
Thus says the LORD: Return, O Israel, to the LORD, your God; you
have collapsed through your guilt. Take with you words, and return
to the LORD; Say to him, "Forgive all iniquity, and receive what is
good, that we may render as offerings the bullocks from our stalls.
Assyria will not save us, nor shall we have horses to mount; We
shall say no more, `Our god,' to the work of our hands; for in you
the orphan finds compassion." I will heal their defection, says the
LORD, I will love them freely; for my wrath is turned away from
them. I will be like the dew for Israel: he shall blossom like the
lily; He shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar, and put forth his
shoots. His splendor shall be like the olive tree and his fragrance
like the Lebanon cedar. Again they shall dwell in his shade and
raise grain; They shall blossom like the vine, and his fame shall be
like the wine of Lebanon. Ephraim! What more has he to do with
idols? I have humbled him, but I will prosper him. "I am like a
verdant cypress tree"- Because of me you bear fruit! Let him who is
wise understand these things; let him who is prudent know them.
Straight are the paths of the LORD, in them the just walk, but
sinners stumble in them.

MARK 12:28-34
One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, "Which is the first
of all the commandments?" Jesus replied, "The first is this: Hear, O
Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your
God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and
with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your
neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than
these." The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher. You are right
in saying, He is One and there is no other than he. And to love him
with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your
strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is worth more than
all burnt offerings and sacrifices." And when Jesus saw that he
answered with understanding, he said to him, "You are not far from
the Kingdom of God." And no one dared to ask him any more
questions.

REFLECTION
Jesus and the scribes and priests of the Temple have been debating
furiously and heatedly over issue after issue (Mk 11:27-12:27).
However, they seemed to agree with Jesus' declaration of the
greatest commandments. One of the scribes even praised Jesus for
it, for which Jesus returns the favor by saying that the scribe
is "not far from the Kingdom of God."

Jesus' agreement with the scribes would be short-lived however and
we know later that these scribes and priests would put Christ to
death. So much for that bright spot as the Pharisees and Temple
officials return to their hatred of Jesus and what He stands for.

Unfortunately, many of us fall into that same trap. We would agree
on the major concept of Christianity but we would show a different
side of ourselves when real world issues confront us. Perhaps the
most common example is our behavior during Sunday Mass and the rest
of the week. We may find ourselves nodding in agreement to the
readings and the Sunday homily but find ourselves acting the
opposite during the rest of the week.

The commandments we read today are indeed the bases of our faith.
But our Christian character is not complete just because we have the
commandments as our foundation. The commandments can only have
meaning when we motivate ourselves to learn and practice the ways
and teachings of Jesus. Loving God with all our heart and soul
starts with listening to God with all our heart and soul. Loving
our neighbor starts with building our Christian character to be
better people so that we can do more for others.

 

March 23, 2006
Thursday 3rd week of Lent - Yr II

JEREMIAH 7:23-28
Thus says the LORD: This is what I commanded my people: Listen to my
voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people. Walk in all
the ways that I command you, so that you may prosper. But they obeyed
not, nor did they pay heed. They walked in the hardness of their evil
hearts and turned their backs, not their faces, to me. From the day
that your fathers left the land of Egypt even to this day, I have sent
you untiringly all my servants the prophets. Yet they have not obeyed
me nor paid heed; they have stiffened their necks and done worse than
their fathers. When you speak all these words to them, they will not
listen to you either; when you call to them, they will not answer you.
Say to them: This is the nation that does not listen to the voice of
the LORD, its God, or take correction. Faithfulness has disappeared;
the word itself is banished from their speech.

LUKE 11:14-23
Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute, and when the demon had
gone out, the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed. Some of them
said, "By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out
demons." Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven. But he
knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against
itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house. And if
Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you
say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. If I, then, drive
out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out?
Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God
that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are
safe. But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes
away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils. Whoever
is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me
scatters."

REFLECTION
Prophecy has nothing to do with telling the future. Nor is it about
changing people's lives. Prophesy is about making the word of the Lord
known even in the most hostile and dangerous situations. You can see
the truth of this in Jeremiah's experience as a prophet.

God uses very harsh language in accusing the Israelites of abandoning
the covenant. "They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts and
turned their backs to me ... [from the very beginning when] I sent my
servants the prophets ... they stiffened their necks and did worse than
their fathers." God, with no attempt to soften his words for Jeremiah's
sake, bluntly warns the prophet, "When you speak all these words to
them, they will not listen to you either; when you call to them they
will not answer you." Nonetheless God commands Jeremiah to speak out to
the people in harsh reprimand, even though there is no real hope that
the people will change. The essential is to be accomplished: the word
will be made present to men. Because of Jeremiah's preaching, he has
become the target of ruthless ridicule and bitter mockery. He has been
imprisoned and a mob seeks his death. Yet God urges him to make his
word known to his persecutors.

Jesus, the last and the greatest of the prophets, experienced this same
treatment at the hands of those he came to save. He whose life was an
open book inviting all to reconcile with the Father, is accused in
today's Gospel of being a demon who casts out devils by the power of
the prince of devils. In Jesus' case those who seek his death would be
successful.

Are we called to be prophets? Yes, through our actions rather than with
our words: to stand for Christian values, to take counter-cultural
Christian positions, to be uncompromisingly honest, to be
compassionate, to be on the side of the weak, the marginalized, the
rejected.

 

March 22, 2006
Wednesday 3rd week of Lent - Yr II

DEUTERONOMY 4:1, 5-9
Moses spoke to the people and said: "Now, Israel, hear the statutes and
decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live, and may
enter in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of
your fathers, is giving you. Therefore, I teach you the statutes and
decrees as the LORD, my God, has commanded me, that you may observe
them in the land you are entering to occupy. Observe them carefully,
for thus will you give evidence of your wisdom and intelligence to the
nations, who will hear of all these statutes and say, 'This great
nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.' For what great nation
is there that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us
whenever we call upon him? Or what great nation has statutes and
decrees that are as just as this whole law which I am setting before
you today? "However, take care and be earnestly on your guard not to
forget the things which your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from
your memory as long as you live, but teach them to your children and to
your children's children."

MATTHEW 5:17-19
Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not think that I have come to abolish
the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest
letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until
all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least
of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least
in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these
commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven."

REFLECTION
It's clear in the first reading that Moses wanted the people to honor
and revere the Law. God himself, Moses insists, is the source of the
statutes and decrees he is about to give them. Observance of these
statutes and decrees will assure them that they will take possession of
the land God had promised them. Continued observance thereafter will
also manifest to the nations surrounding Israel how wise and
intelligent a people they are. The nations will recognize that the God
of Israel is much closer to his people than the gods of other nations.
God's people must revere and honor the Law God has given them and must
hold it in great esteem.

Jesus had a similar attitude towards the Law. In the Sermon on the
Mount he manifests the same respect for the Law as did Moses. He denies
that he has any intention of abolishing the Law or any small part of
it. The statutes and decrees of the Law as they existed in Jesus' day
would be brought to fulfillment, that is, he would bring out their full
meaning.

Jesus' assertion that he respected the Law, however, may sound somewhat
hollow to anyone who is reading the Gospels. The scribes and the
Pharisees constantly faulted him for violating the Law. Jesus never
denied these accusations. Jesus openly and purposely violated laws, and
openly defended his behavior.

Jesus violated laws because he respected the spirit behind the Law:
love and reverence for God and love and respect for the human person.
On those occasions when he recognized that the letter of the law would
violate the law's spirit - the law of love. Jesus followed the law of
love. This should not be surprising. God, after all, is love.

 

March 21, 2006
Tuesday 3rd week of Lent - Yr II

DANIEL 3:25, 34-43B
Azariah stood up in the fire and prayed aloud: "For your name's sake, O
Lord, do not deliver us up forever, or make void your covenant. Do not
take away your mercy from us, for the sake of Abraham, your beloved,
Isaac your servant, and Israel your holy one, To whom you promised to
multiply their offspring like the stars of heaven, or the sand on the
shore of the sea. For we are reduced, O Lord, beyond any other nation,
brought low everywhere in the world this day because of our sins. We
have in our day no prince, prophet, or leader, no burnt offering,
sacrifice, oblation, or incense, no place to offer first fruits, to
find favor with you. But with contrite heart and humble spirit let us
be received; As though it were burnt offerings of rams and bullocks, or
thousands of fat lambs, So let our sacrifice be in your presence today
as we follow you unreservedly; for those who trust in you cannot be put
to shame. And now we follow you with our whole heart, we fear you and
we pray to you. Do not let us be put to shame, but deal with us in your
kindness and great mercy. Deliver us by your wonders, and bring glory
to your name, O Lord."

MATTHEW 18:21-35
Peter approached Jesus and asked him, "Lord, if my brother sins against
me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus
answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That
is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to
settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a
debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had
no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with
his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt.
At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, 'Be patient
with me, and I will pay you back in full.' Moved with compassion the
master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. When that
servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a
much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding,
'Pay back what you owe.' Falling to his knees, his fellow servant
begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' But he
refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt.
Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply
disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. His
master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you
your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity
on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?' Then in anger his master
handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole
debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives
your brother from your heart."

REFLECTION
Human experience has repeatedly taught us that forgiveness is never
easy. Reflecting on today's Gospel reading may provide the grace of
change of heart that will remove any ill feelings harbored against
someone who inflicted the pain some time in the past. Consider first
the infinite mercy of God.

In the parable, the servant who owed his master was only asking for
some time to repay his debt. Instead, the master completely wrote off
what the servant owed him. That is how much love and mercy our Father
has for us. "Merciful and gracious is the Lord, slow to anger and
abounding in kindness ... As far as the east is from the west, so far
has he put our transgressions from us." (Ps 103: 8, 12).

But there is a second point in the parable. Divine mercy cannot flow
freely to a sinner who refuses to forgive one who has wronged him.
Indeed, in the same parable, the king revoked the forgiveness he
granted to the unforgiving servant. When we consider the enormity of
the distance between ourselves as ones being forgiven by God, how can
we remain unforgiving?

 

March 20, 2006
Solemnity of Joseph, husband of Mary

2 SAMUEL 7:4-5A, 12-14A, 16
The Lord spoke to Nathan and said: "Go, tell my servant David, 'When
your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your
heir after you, sprung rom your loins, and I will make his kingdom
firm. It is he who shall build a house for my name. And I will make his
royal throne firm forever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a
son to me. Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever.'"

ROMANS 4:13, 16-18, 22
Brothers and sisters: It was not through the law that the promise was
made to Abraham and his descendants that he would inherit the world,
but through the righteousness that comes from faith. For this reason,
it depends on faith, so that it may be a gift, and the promise may be
guaranteed to all his descendants, not to those who only adhere to the
law but to those who follow the faith of Abraham, who is the father of
all of us, as it is written, I have made you father of many nations. He
is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed, who gives life
to the dead and calls into being what does not exist. He believed,
hoping against hope, that he would become the father of many nations,
according to what was said, Thus shall your descendants be. That is why
it was credited to him as righteousness.

MATTHEW 1:16, 18-21, 24
Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born
Jesus who is called the Christ. Now this is how the birth of Jesus
Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but
before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy
Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling
to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his
intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a
dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary
your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this
child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to
name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." When
Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and
took his wife into his home.

REFLECTION
Someone once suggested that St. Joseph might well be named the patron
saint of forcibly changed plans. There's no question, we could use such
a patron saint. God knows often enough our carefully laid plans are
wiped out by forces beyond our control, and new situations are created
that we never expected. We plan and then illness or job loss or natural
disaster or something similar blocks the fulfillment of what we
planned.

Joseph chose a lovely young fellow townswoman as his spouse, but before
he was to marry her he learned she was pregnant. He concluded that
given this new situation he had best alter his plans: he decided to
divorce Mary quietly. Then God spoke to him in a dream, and he changed
his plans again. He would wed Mary.

Undoubtedly Joseph had planned well for Mary's comfort when the birth
of the child would come in Nazareth. The Roman Emperor changed all that
with his decree establishing the census. So Joseph and Mary journeyed
to Bethlehem where he had to be satisfied with a cave used for
sheltering animals as a birthing room for his wife. Before it was time
for the family's return trip to Nazareth, God warned him about the
designs Herod had on the child, so once again he shifted gears and
instead of returning home, he fled to Egypt where he and his family
stayed for several years.

The patron saint of forcibly changed plans! Whether or not the Church
ever bestows this title on Joseph, there is much to admire in his
behavior. For one thing, he seems to have enjoyed a natural ability to
adapt easily in new situations. God is the God of surprises. Often
enough he leads us into surprising situations that we never could have
foreseen. Happy the person who, when God springs a surprise on him,
doesn't panic but moves smoothly along with the word of the Lord.

St. Joseph, patron of people on whom God springs surprises, patron of
those whom he leads into surprising situations, pray for us.

 

March 19, 2006
3rd Sunday of Lent - B

EXODUS 20:1-17
In those days, God delivered all these commandments: "I, the LORD, am
your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of
slavery. You shall not have other gods besides me. You shall not carve
idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on
the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow
down before them or worship them. For I, the LORD, your God, am a
jealous God, inflicting punishment for their fathers' wickedness on the
children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation;
but bestowing mercy down to the thousandth generation on the children
of those who love me and keep my commandments. "You shall not take the
name of the LORD, your God, in vain. For the LORD will not leave
unpunished the one who takes his name in vain. "Remember to keep holy
the sabbath day. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the
seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD, your God. No work may be done
then either by you, or your son or daughter, or your male or female
slave, or your beast, or by the alien who lives with you. In six days
the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in
them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD has
blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. "Honor your father and your
mother, that you may have a long life in the land which the LORD, your
God, is giving you. You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your
neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not
covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or
ass, nor anything else that belongs to him."

1 CORINTHIANS 1:22-25
Brothers and sisters: Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but
we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness
to Gentiles, but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ
the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is
wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human
strength.

JOHN 2:13-25
Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He
found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well
as the moneychangers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and
drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and
spilled the coins of the moneychangers and overturned their tables, and
to those who sold doves he said, "Take these out of here, and stop
making my Father's house a marketplace." His disciples recalled the
words of Scripture, Zeal for your house will consume me. At this the
Jews answered and said to him, "What sign can you show us for doing
this?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple and in
three days I will raise it up." The Jews said, "This temple has been
under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in
three days?" But he was speaking about the temple of his body.
Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered
that he had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture and the
word Jesus had spoken. While he was in Jerusalem for the feast of
Passover, many began to believe in his name when they saw the signs he
was doing. But Jesus would not trust himself to them because he knew
them all, and did not need anyone to testify about human nature. He
himself understood it well.

REFLECTION
In general, the Gospels reveal to us the mild gentle, caring and
compassionate Jesus, to whom the children would flock, and whom the
sick, even the lepers are not afraid to approach. Then why the violent
outburst in today's Gospel? The gentle Jesus says: "Come to me, you who
are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest...for I am gentle of
heart." Why did Jesus angrily drive out the vendors, from the Temple in
today's Gospel? Somehow the sore spot of Jesus has been touched. What
is it?

The whole life's concern of Jesus was to do the will of the Father. And
for the Jews, the Temple is the symbol and center of worship. It is the
most sacred place for the people. When Jesus saw the chaos going on in
the House of God, he was upset.

But what incensed him most were the exploitation of the people and the
immoral use of power and authority. Why did he drive out the
moneychangers? The coins acceptable in the temple offering must be the
temple coins, not just any currency. Therefore, people coming from the
different regions must exchange their money to temple coins. And this
is where the moneychangers made a killing. The profit from the
exorbitant exchange rate goes to the pockets of the moneychangers and
the temple authorities.

Jesus came to teach us to love God and one another. The whole setup
going on in the temple turned this vision upside down. Authority was
used not to serve God and people but to exploit. This abuse of power
could not sit well with Jesus.

We are meant by our baptism to be the Dwelling Place of the Blessed
Trinity. Do we try to make ourselves pleasing to God? Have we
appreciated the blessings and gifts that God has given us in our
bodies, the health, the talents and potentials. Or have we misused them
for our selfish gratification, even offending God?

Instead of expecting us to go to the Temple of Jerusalem for worship,
God has made it so easy for us to worship him in the Holy Eucharist.
Throughout our lives, we accumulate so many things that bog us down on
our journey to God. Not only the things themselves, but also the
pursuit of those things distract us from the real joys and meaning of
life and distort our vision of the world as God created it to be.

Lent (which comes from the old English word for "spring") is the season
for a "spring cleaning" of our spirits and souls - driving out of our
lives whatever distracts us from the things and values of God and
restoring a sense of perspective in order to realize the joy and hope
of God's presence in our lives.

During this season of Lent, let us pray to Jesus, and let him clean and
drive out from us and from our midst all the sellers in the temple in
us and in our midst.

 

March 18, 2006
Saturday 2nd week of Lent - Yr II

MICAH 7:14-15, 18-20
Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance,
That dwells apart in a woodland, in the midst of Carmel. Let them feed
in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old; As in the days when you
came from the land of Egypt, show us wonderful signs. Who is there like
you, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his
inheritance; Who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather
in clemency, And will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot
our guilt? You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins; You
will show faithfulness to Jacob, and grace to Abraham, As you have
sworn to our fathers from days of old.

LUKE 15:1-3, 11-32
Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, "This man
welcomes sinners and eats with them." So to them Jesus addressed this
parable. "A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father,
'Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.' So
the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the
younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant
country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.
When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that
country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to
one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.
And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but
nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, 'How many of my
father's hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am
I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall
say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no
longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one
of your hired workers."' So he got up and went back to his father.
While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and
was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed
him. His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and
against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.' But his father
ordered his servants, 'Quickly, bring the finest robe and put it on
him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the
fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast,
because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was
lost, and has been found.' Then the celebration began. Now the older
son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the
house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the
servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, 'Your
brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf
because he has him back safe and sound.' He became angry, and when he
refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him.
He said to his father in reply, 'Look, all these years I served you and
not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young
goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who
swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the
fattened calf.' He said to him, 'My son, you are here with me always;
everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice,
because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost
and has been found.'"

REFLECTION
We have often used "shepherd" as a description of the leaders in our
church. We go to these "shepherds" for consultation and advice
especially when we need guidance. These "shepherds" provide us with
direction and guide us on our path to God.

Today's story of the prodigal son reminds us that whether we are like
the younger son who decides to venture out on his own, or the older son
who remains with the Father, we must keep in mind to do whatever we can
to follow God's will for us. For as we do our part, we reflect God's
forgiveness when we forgive others, and reflect God's love when we show
love for others. In doing so, we fulfill part of God's plan for us and
we become better disciples of Christ.

 

March 17, 2006
Friday 2nd week of Lent - Yr II

GENESIS 37:3-4, 12-13A, 17B-28A
Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons, for he was the child of his
old age; and he had made him a long tunic. When his brothers saw that
their father loved him best of all his sons, they hated him so much
that they would not even greet him. One day, when his brothers had gone
to pasture their father's flocks at Shechem, Israel said to Joseph,
"Your brothers, you know, are tending our flocks at Shechem. Get ready;
I will send you to them." So Joseph went after his brothers and caught
up with them in Dothan. They noticed him from a distance, and before he
came up to them, they plotted to kill him. They said to one another:
"Here comes that master dreamer! Come on, let us kill him and throw him
into one of the cisterns here; we could say that a wild beast devoured
him. We shall then see what comes of his dreams." When Reuben heard
this, he tried to save him from their hands, saying, "We must not take
his life. Instead of shedding blood," he continued, "just throw him
into that cistern there in the desert; but do not kill him outright."
His purpose was to rescue him from their hands and return him to his
father. So when Joseph came up to them, they stripped him of the long
tunic he had on; then they took him and threw him into the cistern,
which was empty and dry. They then sat down to their meal. Looking up,
they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, their camels
laden with gum, balm and resin to be taken down to Egypt. Judah said to
his brothers: "What is to be gained by killing our brother and
concealing his blood? Rather, let us sell him to these Ishmaelites,
instead of doing away with him ourselves. After all, he is our brother,
our own flesh." His brothers agreed. They sold Joseph to the
Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver.

MATTHEW 21:33-43, 45-46
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: "Hear
another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a
hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he
leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew
near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But
the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed,
and a third they stoned. Again he sent other servants, more numerous
than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he
sent his son to them, thinking, 'They will respect my son.' But when
the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, 'This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.' They seized him,
threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What will the owner of
the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?" They answered him, "He
will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard
to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times."
Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures: The stone
that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has
this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes? Therefore, I say to
you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a
people that will produce its fruit." When the chief priests and the
Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking about
them. And although they were attempting to arrest him, they feared the
crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.

REFLECTION
In Joseph's relationship with his family, especially with his father,
what touches you most deeply? Is it the special love the father had for
his youngest son? It was, however, Abraham's favoritism that fostered
the hatred and envy his brothers felt for Joseph. If we were to put
ourselves in the position of the brothers, would we have reacted as
they did? If we were the family therapist, what advice would we give,
hoping to smooth out the relationships within the family? Can I follow
this advice when tensions rise in our own family?

In the Gospel, we see a tenant abuse the trust of the landowner, going
so far as to kill the landowner's son who was sent to collect what was
due to his father.

We are tenants to whom the Lord entrusts the care of his vineyard. How
seriously do we take this responsibility? Do we really believe the Lord
has given us this task? How do we respond? The time is long past when
we should have accepted fully the task entrusted to us by the Lord and
when we should have begun working feverishly for its accomplishment.

 

March 16, 2006
Thursday 2nd week of Lent - Yr II

JEREMIAH 17:5-10
Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who
seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the LORD. He
is like a barren bush in the desert that enjoys no change of season,
But stands in a lava waste, a salt and empty earth. Blessed is the man
who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD. He is like a tree
planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream:
It fears not the heat when it comes, its leaves stay green; In the year
of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit. More tortuous
than all else is the human heart, beyond remedy; who can understand it?
I, the LORD, alone probe the mind and test the heart, To reward
everyone according to his ways, according to the merit of his deeds.

LUKE 16:19-31
Jesus said to the Pharisees: "There was a rich man who dressed in
purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And
lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who
would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich
man's table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor
man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The
rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he
was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus
at his side. And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send
Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I
am suffering torment in these flames.' Abraham replied, 'My child,
remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while
Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here,
whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm
is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go
from our side to yours or from your side to ours.' He said, 'Then I beg
you, father, send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers,
so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.'
But Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen
to them.' He said, 'Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead
goes to them, they will repent.' Then Abraham said, 'If they will not
listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if
someone should rise from the dead.'"

REFLECTION
The parable of the rich man and Lazarus the poor man gives our Lord's
teaching on the blessedness of the poor in spirit and the danger of
riches. Riches can become the master of humankind. People can be so
absorbed in acquiring wealth that they sacrifice their souls. They are
willing to violate God's commandments to get wealth. Riches tend to
make a person believe that he does not need God, so riches become his
"god."

Jesus calls the poor or poor in spirit "blessed." These poor are those
who lack worldly possessions, who are looked down upon and often
exploited. In their need, they turn to God and put their trust in God,
not in this world. Lazarus belongs to this kind of poor. Lazarus rests
in "Abraham's bosom", is "in consolation" because he trusted in and
depended on God. Lazarus was not rewarded in the next life for merely
being without material possessions. Trust in and dependence on God is a
virtue. It is also understood that the poor man observes God's
commandments according to his circumstances. Our Lord himself in his
description of the Last Judgment promises eternal reward and
blessedness to those who help him in the least of his brothers and
sisters. "Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least
brothers of mine, you did for me."

 

March 15, 2006
Wednesday 2nd week of Lent - Yr II

JEREMIAH 18:18-20
The people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem said, "Come, let us
contrive a plot against Jeremiah. It will not mean the loss of
instruction from the priests, nor of counsel from the wise, nor of
messages from the prophets. And so, let us destroy him by his own
tongue; let us carefully note his every word." Heed me, O LORD, and
listen to what my adversaries say. Must good be repaid with evil that
they should dig a pit to take my life? Remember that I stood before you
to speak in their behalf, to turn away your wrath from them.

MATTHEW 20:17-28
As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the Twelve disciples aside
by themselves, and said to them on the way, "Behold, we are going up to
Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests
and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and hand him over
to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be
raised on the third day." Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee
approached Jesus with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him
for something. He said to her, "What do you wish?" She answered him,
"Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the
other at your left, in your kingdom." Jesus said in reply, "You do not
know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to
drink?" They said to him, "We can." He replied, "My chalice you will
indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine
to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers. But
Jesus summoned them and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles
lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them
felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be
great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among
you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be
served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

REFLECTION
We react to stimulus by accepting those that are pleasant and rejecting
those that are unpleasant. So when we get reprimanded for certain
actions, our usual tendency is to defend our position and to justify
our hurt pride. This stubbornness is oftentimes the root cause of many
hostilities. The people during Jeremiah's time reacted similarly to
Jeremiah's warnings. Instead of heeding his prophetic counsel, they
plotted to do him away. The same thing happened to Jesus. If unchecked,
this behavior will run wild in a vicious cycle seeking only to destroy
rather than to build. That is why in building God's kingdom, Jesus
warned his disciples about seeking power wherein the rulers lord it
over the pagans, and their great men make their authority felt with the
use of force and intimidation. Jesus was teaching them a greater, more
effective and empowering approach. The way of God's love is not just
mysterious; it is mind-boggling as well. Since God's ways are not man's
ways, it would be wise to examine ourselves to conform to his ways. We
could never go wrong by doing this because it is written that against
love among other virtues, there is no law against it.

Jesus gave us God's love and now that we have received this freely as a
gift, we should also give it to others as a gesture of our gratitude
and love for him.

 

March 14, 2006
Tuesday 2nd week of Lent - Yr II

ISAIAH 1:10, 16-20
Hear the word of the LORD, princes of Sodom! Listen to the instruction
of our God, people of Gomorrah! Wash yourselves clean! Put away your
misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make
justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan's plea, defend
the widow. Come now, let us set things right, says the LORD: Though
your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; Though they
be crimson red, they may become white as wool. If you are willing, and
obey, you shall eat the good things of the land; But if you refuse and
resist, the sword shall consume you: for the mouth of the LORD has
spoken!

MATTHEW 23:1-12
Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, "The scribes
and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do
not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people's
shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. All their
works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and
lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of
honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation
'Rabbi.' As for you, do not be called 'Rabbi.' You have but one
teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called 'Master'; you have
but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your
servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles
himself will be exalted."

REFLECTION
In the first reading, Isaiah, in a satiric mode, calls the nation's
leaders, "Princes of Sodom," and its citizens, "people of Gomorrah."
The reference is to the two cities, which were notorious in the Bible
for the most licentious kinds of sexual perversion. One commentator
suggests that Isaiah was not accusing the Israelites of reviving the
Sodom and Gomorrah life-style. Rather, he was suggesting that the
people of Judah were very like the people of the two cities in their
"rabidly individualistic gluttonies." Judah's great gluttony, however,
was not sexual, but avaricious and this led to massive social
injustices, which denied the covenant relationship the people of Judah
had formed with God. Isaiah pleaded with this people, "Make justice
your aim; redress the wronged, hear the orphan's plea, defend the
widow."

A religion from which true covenant living is absent is no religion at
all. One commentator calls it a "religion that has lost its soul" and
which gives importance only to externals. The people of Judah worshiped
God only with their lips; their hearts were not rooted in covenant of
love, but in the love of material success.

In the Gospel, Jesus offers a similar critique to the scribes and
Pharisees. Their interest was not centered in covenant living, or in
covenant love. They gloried in the hundreds of rules and regulations,
which they imposed on the people and on themselves, making religion for
the people an impossible obstacle course. Meanwhile they delighted in
distinctive clothing, in tokens of personal esteem, in honorific
titles.

Today's readings demand that we ask ourselves some very hard questions:
To what extent is our living of the Catholic faith rooted in the
Christian covenant, in Christian covenant love?

 

March 13, 2006
Monday 2nd week of Lent - Yr II

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."

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."

REFLECTION
Today's first reading gives us an insight into how Daniel prayed to the
Lord. Daniel praised God for his love, then he acknowledged his own
sinfulness especially when he turned away from his commands and laws.
He confessed and regretted those actions that filled him with shame and
finally declared that the Lord our God is merciful and forgiving.

In our own lives, can we reflect on the aspects that lead us to prayer?
Perhaps we pray for a loved one who is sick or troubled, for ourselves
to ease our burdens and anxiety, for the people in our community, our
country or even to offer prayers to bring peace to our troubled world.
Whatever or whomever we pray for, we must always remember the Lord our
God from whom we have learned forgiveness, mercy and love.

In our daily lives, perhaps we would gather to discuss with others to
discuss what another person's misfortune or good fortune. Did we then
unwittingly judge this person, or worse still, condemn his actions?

In the Gospel today, Jesus strongly reminds us that we should not
judge, we should not condemn, and that we should be forgiving to our
fellow human beings. The consequence of this will be that we ourselves
will not be judged, condemned and unforgiven by others. Perhaps this is
what we should keep in mind the next time we are drawn to judge, gossip
about others without knowing firsthand the truth.

"For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out
to you."

 

March 12, 2006
2nd Sunday of Lent - B

GENESIS 22:1-2, 9A, 10-13, 15-18
God put Abraham to the test. He called to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am!"
he replied. Then God said: "Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom
you love, and go to the land of Moriah. There you shall offer him up as
a holocaust on a height that I will point out to you." When they came
to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there
and arranged the wood on it. Then he reached out and took the knife to
slaughter his son. But the LORD's messenger called to him from heaven,
"Abraham, Abraham!" "Here I am!" he answered. "Do not lay your hand on
the boy," said the messenger. "Do not do the least thing to him. I know
now how devoted you are to God, since you did not withhold from me your
own beloved son." As Abraham looked about, he spied a ram caught by its
horns in the thicket. So he went and took the ram and offered it up as
a holocaust in place of his son. Again the LORD's messenger called to
Abraham from heaven and said: "I swear by myself, declares the LORD,
that because you acted as you did in not withholding from me your
beloved son, I will bless you abundantly and make your descendants as
countless as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore; your
descendants shall take possession of the gates of their enemies, and in
your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing-- all
this because you obeyed my command."

ROMANS 8:31B-34
Brothers and sisters: If God is for us, who can be against us? He who
did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he
not also give us everything else along with him? Who will bring a
charge against God's chosen ones? It is God who acquits us, who will
condemn? Christ Jesus it is who died--or, rather, was raised-- who also
is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.

MARK 9:2-10
Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart
by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes
became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.
Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing
with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, "Rabbi, it is good that
we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and
one for Elijah." He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified.
Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; from the cloud came a
voice, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him." Suddenly, looking
around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them. As they
were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what
they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the
dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising
from the dead meant.

REFLECTION
We seek to avoid what is painful, stressful and traumatic. But it is in
our crosses that we find the wholeness and joy of the resurrection.
Christ calls us not to walk away from the crosses that life lays on our
shoulders, but to bear them that we might find life, to face our
crucifixions with the sure knowledge that only through those sufferings
can we hope to experience resurrection.

We may wonder why the Gospel story of the transfiguration is placed
among the heavy readings of Lent. Why not among the glorious readings
of Easter season? The answer lies in the context in which the
transfiguration takes place. It takes place right after Jesus tells his
disciples that he must go to Jerusalem to suffer and die.

When Peter heard Jesus say this, he cried out, "God forbid, Lord! No
such thing shall ever happen to you." Jesus then said to Peter, "Get
behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as
God does, but as human being do."

Peter, James, and John needed a spiritual "shot in the arm" after
Jesus' shocking revelation to them. Perhaps that's also why the Church
puts the transfiguration among the somber readings of Lent. The Church
wants to give us a "shot in the arm" before it turns our attention to
the suffering of Jesus on Good Friday. It wants to give us something to
hold on to during the hours of pain and sorrow of Jesus' suffering and
death on the cross.

Another reason why the transfiguration is placed among the Lenten
readings is because the transfiguration is closely related to the agony
in the garden.

Both these events took place on a mountain. The agony in the garden
took place on the Mount of Olives; the transfiguration, on Mount Tabor.
Both events took place at night. And in both events the Apostles fell
asleep while Jesus remained awake and praying. Finally, both events
were witnessed by the same three Apostles: Peter, James, and John.

What is the connection between these two events? On Mount Tabor the
three Apostles saw Jesus in a moment of ecstasy, when Jesus' divinity
shone through him in way that it has never done before. On Mount of
Olives, the same three Apostles saw Jesus in a moment of agony, when
his humanity shone through him in a way that it had never done before.

Jesus' ecstasy on Mount Tabor and his agony on the Mount of Olives are
complementary events. They are inseparable sides of the same coin. They
show the total Jesus in a total way: his humanity and his divinity.

This brings up an important point about faith. Our faith often has its
"up's" and "down's." It has high points and low points. It has
mountains and valleys. There are times when our faith burns bright. At
other times, it flickers and on the verge of dying.

Faith follows the rhythms of happiness and sadness, ecstasy and agony,
light and darkness. But if we trust God, he will not let us down. In
the end, God will bless us beyond our wildest dreams. The Apostle James
puts it this way:

"Happy is the person, who remains faithful under trial, because when he
succeeds in passing such a test, he will receive as his reward the
life, which God has promised to those who love him." (James 1:12)

And so, this is the good news of today's readings.

 

March 11, 2006
Saturday 1st week of Lent - Yr II

DEUTERONOMY 26:16-19
Moses spoke to the people, saying: "This day the LORD, your God,
commands you to observe these statutes and decrees. Be careful, then,
to observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. Today you
are making this agreement with the LORD: he is to be your God and you
are to walk in his ways and observe his statutes, commandments and
decrees, and to hearken to his voice. And today the LORD is making this
agreement with you: you are to be a people peculiarly his own, as he
promised you; and provided you keep all his commandments, he will then
raise you high in praise and renown and glory above all other nations
he has made, and you will be a people sacred to the LORD, your God, as
he promised."

MATTHEW 5:43-48
Jesus said to his disciples: "You have heard that it was said, You
shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love
your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be
children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad
and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For
if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not
the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers and
sisters only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the
same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."

REFLECTION
Today's first reading emphasizes on the importance of following the
Lord's commands. It reminds us to observe them with our heart and soul,
to walk in his ways, to obey him, and to be able to feel his call to us
as his people so that we can become closer to the Lord.

One aspect that we should carefully discern is our way of giving. How
do we decide how much to give, to whom and why? What are our priorities
when we give? Are our ways of giving in accordance to God's character
and commands?

In the Gospel today, Jesus reminds us on the need to love - "Love your
neighbor." If we were present when he preached this message here on
earth, we would have been quite happy if he stopped here. But Jesus
challenges us with a new commandment - love your enemies and pray for
those who persecute you - a commandment that challenges us and is most
demanding. It is easy to love your friends and hate your enemies. It's
the natural thing to do. How is it that we can love our enemies? Why
should we love them when they have hurt and offended us or our loved
ones?

Perhaps this is the Lord's way of reminding us not to continue having
grudges against others, not to hate, not to take revenge, but instead
learn to forgive those who have offended and hurt us. For it is in love
that we may regain peace of mind and peace within ourselves - thus
becoming closer to our Lord.

 

March 10, 2006
Friday 1st week of Lent - Yr II

EZEKIEL 18:21-28
Thus says the Lord GOD: If the wicked man turns away from all the sins
he committed, if he keeps all my statutes and does what is right and
just, he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of the crimes he
committed shall be remembered against him; he shall live because of the
virtue he has practiced. Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death
of the wicked? says the Lord GOD. Do I not rather rejoice when he turns
from his evil way that he may live? And if the virtuous man turns from
the path of virtue to do evil, the same kind of abominable things that
the wicked man does, can he do this and still live? None of his
virtuous deeds shall be remembered, because he has broken faith and
committed sin; because of this, he shall die. You say, "The LORD's way
is not fair!" Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair,
or rather, are not your ways unfair? When someone virtuous turns away
from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity
he committed that he must die. But if the wicked, turning from the
wickedness he has committed, does what is right and just, he shall
preserve his life; since he has turned away from all the sins that he
committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

MATTHEW 5:20-26
Jesus said to his disciples: "I tell you, unless your righteousness
surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into
the Kingdom of heaven. "You have heard that it was said to your
ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to
judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be
liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be
answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be
liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the
altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you,
leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with
your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your
opponent quickly while on the way to court. Otherwise your opponent
will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to
the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you
will not be released until you have paid the last penny."

REFLECTION
As we draw closer to Holy Week, let us remind ourselves of God's
invitation to continually change our lives for the better. But what
does this mean for us? Our Gospel today emphasizes the need to look
into our relationships with others.

There is no extraordinary merit when we are friendly with people whom
we really like or with those who are very kind to us. It's quite normal
to expect that from anyone. The challenge, it seems, lies in our
relationships with people whom we'd rather not be nice and kind to for
whatever reasons.

This doesn't really have to be a complicated or overly difficult
challenge. In simple words, Jesus invites us to look at the people we
dislike and ask ourselves if we are willing enough to let some charity
and respect come through us.

Take some time out and try to identify these people, and then ask
yourself, "Am I willing to let some of God's charity and respect pour
from me towards these people? How can I show this? What can I do, even
as this may be simple actions?"

We need to be reminded that God's challenge and invitation is built
upon the small steps that we take. Let us strive to achieve God's love
and charity more actively in our lives.

 

March 9, 2006
Thursday 1st week of Lent - Yr II

ESTER C:12, 14-16, 23-25
Queen Esther, seized with mortal anguish, had recourse to the LORD. She
lay prostrate upon the ground, together with her handmaids, from
morning until evening, and said: "God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God
of Jacob, blessed are you. Help me, who am alone and have no help but
you, for I am taking my life in my hand. As a child I used to hear from
the books of my forefathers that you, O LORD, always free those who are
pleasing to you. Now help me, who am alone and have no one but you, O
LORD, my God. "And now, come to help me, an orphan. Put in my mouth
persuasive words in the presence of the lion and turn his heart to
hatred for our enemy, so that he and those who are in league with him
may perish. Save us from the hand of our enemies; turn our mourning
into gladness and our sorrows into wholeness."

MATTHEW 7:7-12
Jesus said to his disciples: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and
you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone
who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who
knocks, the door will be opened. Which one of you would hand his son a
stone when he asked for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asked for a
fish? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to
those who ask him. "Do to others whatever you would have them do to
you. This is the law and the prophets."

REFLECTION
There are people today who discredit prayer of petition. They see
prayer of petition as a less worthy type of prayer, centered as it is
on the petitioner rather than on God and his kingdom.

Prayer of petition, however, has a long and honorable history in
Judeo-Christian religious devotion and practice. The psalms, for
instance, are for the most part prayers of petition. They ask for
protection against enemies, for help in time of crisis; they plead for
justice, for God to vindicate his people. They beg for restored health,
for mercy, for peace. The psalms frequently provide us with words that
express the most profound feelings of the human heart: pain because of
God's silence, fear because the future is dark and terrifying, anger
because the good suffer while the evil prosper.

Esther's prayer in the first reading is such a prayer of petition. The
King of Persia had chosen Esther as his queen. Some royal courtiers
hated the Jews and persuaded the King to set a date on which all the
Jews in his realm would be exterminated. Esther could plead with the
King for the lives of her people-but of course the King might be
angered by her effrontery and put her to death with the rest of the
Jews-or she could maintain silence and watch her people perished. She
decides to speak to the King. The first reading is the prayer of
petition that she addresses to the Lord, the God of Israel.

Esther is "seized with mortal anguish." She speaks from her heart out
of her helplessness. Recognizing that she may bring about her own
death, she prays that God will protect her and save her people. It's a
very beautiful prayer.

The refusal to offer prayer of petition in reality manifests pride and
a lack of love. One commentator puts it quite bluntly, "The best
attitude we can have toward God is that of a beggar who knows that he
is loved and called to Life-begging for oneself and for God."

 

March 8, 2006
Wednesday 1st week of Lent - Yr II

JONAH 3:1-10
The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: "Set out for the
great city of Nineveh, and announce to it the message that I will tell
you." So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh, according to the LORD's
bidding. Now Nineveh was an enormously large city; it took three days
to go through it. Jonah began his journey through the city, and had
gone but a single day's walk announcing, "Forty days more and Nineveh
shall be destroyed," when the people of Nineveh believed God; they
proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.
When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne,
laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the
ashes. Then he had this proclaimed throughout Nineveh, by decree of the
king and his nobles: "Neither man nor beast, neither cattle nor sheep,
shall taste anything; they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water.
Man and beast shall be covered with sackcloth and call loudly to God;
every man shall turn from his evil way and from the violence he has in
hand. Who knows, God may relent and forgive, and withhold his blazing
wrath, so that we shall not perish." When God saw by their actions how
they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil that he had
threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out.

LUKE 11:29-32
While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,
"This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign
will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign
to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. At the
judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this
generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of
the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater
than Solomon here. At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with
this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they
repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here."

REFLECTION
It is always helpful if someone, especially a very close friend, would
come up to us and tell us that what we are doing is wrong. A friend
could have an opinion, which may be totally different from what we have
about how we are behaving and living our lives. They tend see things
differently; they see things that we ourselves sometimes do not see.
This would be similar to having a mirror placed in front of us; perhaps
we would be surprised to find out how wrong we have imagined things to
be. How can we reject what really appears before us?

God, in his mercy, acted as that close and loving friend who saw it
right to tell the Ninevites by sending Jonah. He did the same to the
Jews with Jesus as the sign. The Ninevites realized their evil ways and
repented while the Jews of Jesus' time responded with hardened hearts
to the message that was brought before them.

How often do we fall victim to our own whims and desires that our
actions and behavior would betray and trample what is just, right and
morally good? Pride, selfishness, greed, lust and a whole lot of sinful
tendencies blind us to the message of truth, which serves as a mirror
that reflects our fallen nature. Blaming temptation for our actions
will do no good. God expects us to overcome this struggle within
ourselves so that like his triumph on the cross, we may also be with
him in his victory.

On the other hand, if we were in the shoes of Jonah, would we have
behaved as he did? We also have tendencies to secure our own salvation
and ignore others'. We would have desired to see all the evil people
destroyed instantly. However, this is not God's way. He intended that
the death of his Son might bring life to all, so that all peoples may
be saved. Without love, we would never understand this. What if we are
on the other end of the judgment table, wouldn't we plead for life? It
is a good thing that we have a merciful God as our judge otherwise we
may have been destroyed long ago.

 

March 7, 2006
Tuesday 1st week of Lent - Yr II

ISAIAH 55:10-11
Thus says the LORD: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come
down And do not return there till they have watered the earth, making
it fertile and fruitful, Giving seed to the one who sows and bread to
the one who eats, So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; It
shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end
for which I sent it.

MATTHEW 6:7-15
Jesus said to his disciples: "In praying, do not babble like the
pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask
him. "This is how you are to pray: Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as
it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our
trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us
not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. "If you forgive men
their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you
do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive your
transgressions."

REFLECTION
The Lord's prayer, taught by Jesus to his disciples in today's Gospel,
is the only prayer Jesus left to us. It is precious, therefore, and we
ought to pray over it and meditate on it, in order that we might draw
from it, in full measure, the wisdom that went into composing it.

One truth in the prayer that cries out for recognition is that the
church is a social institution, that prayer is a social exercise.

In the Lord's Prayer we do not pray, "My Father in heaven," nor "give
me today my daily bread." It is not for ourselves alone that we are to
ask not to be led into temptation, to be delivered from evil. Even in
such a personal matter as our own sins-and surely our sins are ours
alone, they are not of others-even in this totally personal matter we
are not to ask forgiveness only for ourselves, nor others for
themselves. We are together to ask forgiveness for all of us. "Forgive
us our sins ..."

There is always the danger that we will look on religion as merely a
relationship between God and ourselves. We are, however, a sinful
community, supporting one another in our search for salvation.

Let us ask ourselves as we share in the worship experience of the Mass,
"Am I consciously aware, as I live my religion, that as I am one with
all Christians in our common sinfulness, so together with them I reach
out for and grasp salvation?"

 

March 6, 2006
Monday 1st week of Lent - Yr II
 
 
LEVITICUS 19:1-2, 11-18
The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the whole assembly of the children of Israel and tell them: Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy. "You shall not steal. You shall not lie or speak falsely to one another. You shall not swear falsely by my name, thus profaning the name of your God. I am the LORD. "You shall not defraud or rob your neighbor. You shall not withhold overnight the wages of your day laborer. You shall not curse the deaf, or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but you shall fear your God. I am the LORD. "You shall not act dishonestly in rendering judgment. Show neither partiality to the weak nor deference to the mighty, but judge your fellow men justly. You shall not go about spreading slander among your kin; nor shall you stand by idly when your neighbor's life is at stake. I am the LORD. "You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. Though you may have to reprove him, do not incur sin because of him. Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD."

MATTHEW 25:31-46
Jesus said to his disciples: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ' Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?' And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.' Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.' Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?' He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.' And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

REFLECTION
The readings today get down to the basics of the spiritual life. As a matter of fact, however, the basics appear to be quite advanced: "Be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy." The measure of our holiness is to be the holiness of God. Holiness in the Old Testament connotes not piety but difference or separation. God is all holy. He is totally other. We are to be holy because he is holy. The values we live by are to be totally other; they are to be the antithesis of the values that our world cherishes: materialism and capitalism.

Read through today's first reading and notice the thrust of the prohibitions. They are all concerned with justice and charity. Do not steal, defraud or rob your neighbor. Do not withhold overnight the wages of your day laborer. Do not curse the deaf. Do not put a stumbling block in the way of the blind. Do not render judgment dishonest ly. Do not hate your brother. Take no revenge. Hold no grudges against your countrymen. The readings today remind us not to stand by idly when our neighbor's life is at stake. The basis for divine judgment is not simply the good and the evil we have done. According to Christ there is another basis for judgment: the good we could have done but failed to do.

MARCH 5, 2006
1ST SUNDAY OF LENT - B

GENESIS 9:8-15
God said to Noah and to his sons with him: "See, I am now
establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you and
with every living creature that was with you: all the birds, and the
various tame and wild animals that were with you and came out of the
ark. I will establish my covenant with you, that never again shall
all bodily creatures be destroyed by the waters of a flood; there
shall not be another flood to devastate the earth." God added: "This
is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come, of the covenant
between me and you and every living creature with you: I set my bow
in the clouds to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the
earth. When I bring clouds over the earth, and the bow appears in
the clouds, I will recall the covenant I have made between me and
you and all living beings, so that the waters shall never again
become a flood to destroy all mortal beings."

1 PETER 3:18-22
Beloved: Christ suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake
of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. Put to death in
the flesh, he was brought to life in the Spirit. In it he also went
to preach to the spirits in prison, who had once been disobedient
while God patiently waited in the days of Noah during the building
of the ark, in which a few persons, eight in all, were saved through
water. This prefigured baptism, which saves you now. It is not a
removal of dirt from the body but an appeal to God for a clear
conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone
into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels,
authorities, and powers subject to him.

MARK 1:12-15
The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the
desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts,
and the angels ministered to him. After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: "This is the
time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and
believe in the gospel."

REFLECTION
Where do we find sources of information that provide us with fresh
visions of life without making us feel that we'll never fully
measure up to it? It is embodied in a simple message from Jesus
that we hear today, "Believe in the good news."

What is this good news? We know that it is ultimately the fact that
Jesus himself, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity has come to
be one of us to redeem all of God's creation. It is God's ultimate
promise that has already been fulfilled in Jesus' death and
resurrection. It presents us with an ideal of happiness, which is
both true and attainable. It does so by presenting us with who we
really are, and ought to become. It is available to all who are
ready to partake in his community of discipleship.

And what is the image of who we truly are to become? It is really
becoming like Jesus himself. Jesus is the word of God. He himself
is the way to the Father - the way, the truth, and the life. So,
how do we partake in his life, his way? Today's Gospel gives us
some hints.

Jesus was announced by his cousin John. John's sole purpose was to
prepare the way for Jesus; John rejected any glory for himself. He
preached a conversion in preparation for Jesus. And he preached
humility; of him it could be said, "Like a bridegroom's friend, who
wants all eyes focused on the bridegroom." As disciples, we fix our
attention on Jesus.

But after his baptism by John, Jesus had to face temptations. The
longer accounts in Luke and Matthew tell us that he was tempted in
three ways. First, to ignore spiritual longing by feeding only his
bodily hunger. Second, to take on the power for its own sake, to be
independent from God and honored by others. Third, to be freed from
all vulnerability, symbolized by having the angels support him as he
fell from the parapet of the temple.

In refusing to give in to these temptations, Jesus reveals what our
true humanity is. We are to look beyond the present need to act for
the greater good.

The call to resist temptation goes hand in hand with our Lenten call
to penance. On Ash Wednesday we heard Jesus' instruction on the
penitential practices of prayer and fasting. But in some ways it's
not clear why we should do penance. Why would we want to deny
ourselves good things that contribute to our well-being? Things
that we rightfully enjoy without going to excess?

Our meditation on Jesus' temptations can help us to see that penance
is not denial for denial's sake, but a kind of discipline. Penance
makes us more open to God's word. By disciplining our bodies and
spirits, we can draw in God's power to transform us in new ways
beyond the ordinary.

The purpose of Lenten practices, ultimately, is to deepen our belief
in the good news. It often seems that the command to "believe in
the good news" is easy to follow. Anyone can simply believe in
something. It is often thought that the "good works" part of our
faith is more difficult. But in many ways, belief is the more
difficult challenge.

What concretely do we have to believe in order to believe in the
good news? St. Augustine tells us that our God can bring good out
of any evil we might face. He can bring good even out of the
most "ordinary forms of evil," such as our tendency to give up on
our spiritual goals, to strive only for wealth and worldly success,
or to despair that God is not with us as we feel the bodily and
spiritual weakness of aging or sickness. To believe in the good news
is to believe that God is Father to every person - and that he
created each person in his image and likeness. To believe in the
good news is to believe that we have an eternal destiny.

But we must always realize that this radical capacity to believe is
itself a gift. We can pray for it, but ultimately, it is God's
gift. We can rejoice in it, because as God's gift it reveals much
of who he is. And it reveals his love for us. We share in God's
life, then, when we share in the many grace-filled gifts he bestows
upon us: our life, our commitments, our marriages, our families, our
jobs, and our friendships. All of these small communities of human
love mirror God's love for us.

This Lent we take up the penance by which we can both appreciate and
deepen the good news even more. And we can begin or continue that
transformation of ourselves and of others that has Jesus as its
model.

 

March 3, 2006
Friday after Ash Wednesday - Yr II

ISAIAH 58:1-9A
Thus says the Lord GOD: Cry out full-throated and unsparingly, lift up
your voice like a trumpet blast; Tell my people their wickedness, and
the house of Jacob their sins. They seek me day after day, and desire
to know my ways, Like a nation that has done what is just and not
abandoned the law of their God; They ask me to declare what is due
them, pleased to gain access to God. "Why do we fast, and you do not
see it? afflict ourselves, and you take no note of it?" Lo, on your
fast day you carry out your own pursuits, and drive all your laborers.
Yes, your fast ends in quarreling and fighting, striking with wicked
claw. Would that today you might fast so as to make your voice heard on
high! Is this the manner of fasting I wish, of keeping a day of
penance: That a man bow his head like a reed and lie in sackcloth and
ashes? Do you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD? This,
rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke; Setting free the oppressed, breaking
every yoke; Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the
oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them, and
not turning your back on your own. Then your light shall break forth
like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed; Your vindication
shall go before you, and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear
guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer, you shall cry for
help, and he will say: Here I am!

MATTHEW 9:14-15
The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, "Why do we and the
Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?" Jesus answered
them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with
them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast."

REFLECTION
Today's very brief Gospel tells us that there is a reason for fasting.
Jesus uses the image of the wedding banquet, which in their culture
lasts for a whole week! There is feasting and merrymaking for a week or
for as long as the newly married couple is with them. Jesus likens
himself to the groom and his disciples to the wedding guests. There was
joy for as long as they were still around, but fasting begins when the
newlyweds have left. Lent is the time for us to fast because we recall
the way Jesus was taken away from us, and we await his future rising
and coming again.

In our time, fasting has gained a wider meaning. Fasting from food is
required of us only on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and even then
many Catholics do not observe it. It is very difficult to promote
self-denial in a consumer society that encourages consumption, vanity,
and pleasure-seeking. Why do we have to fast? There can be a variety of
reasons: to gain freedom from the grip of our bad habits or vices, to
be in solidarity with those who are suffering, or to create a space
within ourselves for more spiritual things. In other words, to
concretely experience our need and hunger for God.

We do not make things difficult for ourselves for our own sake.
Whatever form of fasting we choose, we must do it with joy, or else it
is pointless. The prophet Isaiah admonishes those who fast only to
fight and quarrel with one another. Further, fasting must be done with
a higher value in mind. Each Lent, we are invited to purify ourselves
and emerge as better Christians on Easter Sunday. So, what kind of
fasting will you observe this Lent?

 

March 2, 2006
Thursday after Ash Wednesday - Yr II

DEUTERONOMY 30:15-20
Moses said to the people: "Today I have set before you life and
prosperity, death and doom. If you obey the commandments of the LORD,
your God, which I enjoin on you today, loving him, and walking in his
ways, and keeping his commandments, statutes and decrees, you will live
and grow numerous, and the LORD, your God, will bless you in the land
you are entering to occupy. If, however, you turn away your hearts and
will not listen, but are led astray and adore and serve other gods, I
tell you now that you will certainly perish; you will not have a long
life on the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and occupy.
I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before
you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that
you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God,
heeding his voice, and holding fast to him. For that will mean life for
you, a long life for you to live on the land that the LORD swore he
would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."

LUKE 9:22-25
Jesus said to his disciples: "The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be
rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be
killed and on the third day be raised." Then he said to all, "If anyone
wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross
daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is
there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?"

REFLECTION
Yesterday we began the season of Lent by having ashes placed on our
foreheads as a sign of repentance. The call to turn away from sin and
to be faithful to the Gospel still rings out as a reminder of what Lent
is all about. Each day we are given the option to choose God's ways and
to do good or to be led astray by the devil. It is not always easy to
follow God's laws. There are many influences around us that can
separate us from the love of Christ. Spiritual growth is attained only
when we are willing to choose good at all times, not just when we feel
like it. There is a saying among athletes when training: "No pain, no
gain." Sacrifice is necessary when we want to attain a particular
spiritual goal.

Moses set before the people a choice: the covenant of life with God or
certain death without God. God had promised the people that if they
obeyed his laws, he would bring them to the land, which he had set
aside for them, where they would enjoy life to the fullest. But there
was a price to pay. They had to be willing to give themselves
completely over to God. The choice was theirs.

In today's Gospel reading, Jesus invites us to take up our cross and
follow in his steps to eternal life. Choosing life is not always easy.
It means sacrificing certain desires. We make choices every day which
represent our values, what is important to us. What does it mean to
choose life? It means that we desire life with God both now and in the
heavenly kingdom when our time on earth is over.

We all stumble and fall in our desire to follow the Lord. Lent is an
opportunity for us to recommit our lives to Jesus. It is a chance to
rededicate our lives to the Lord. Jesus always desires that we follow
him more closely, and love him more dearly. Let us recommit our lives
to Jesus, taking to heart the words that Moses spoke so long ago:
"Choose life then ... that you may live in the love of the Lord your
God, obeying his voice, clinging to him; for in this your life
consists."

 

March 1, 2006
Ash Wednesday

JOEL 2:12-18
Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart, with
fasting, and weeping, and mourning; Rend your hearts, not your
garments, and return to the Lord, your God. For gracious and merciful
is he, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment.
Perhaps he will again relent and leave behind him a blessing, Offerings
and libations for the Lord, your God. Blow the trumpet in Zion!
proclaim a fast, call an assembly; Gather the people, notify the
congregation; Assemble the elders, gather the children and the infants
at the breast; Let the bridegroom quit his room and the bride her
chamber. Between the porch and the altar let the priests, the ministers
of the Lord, weep, And say, "Spare, O Lord, your people, and make not
your heritage a reproach, with the nations ruling over them! Why should
they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'" Then the Lord was
stirred to concern for his land and took pity on his people.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:20-6:2
Brothers and sisters: We are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were
appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled
to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so
that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Working together,
then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he
says: In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I
helped you. Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the
day of salvation.

MATTHEW 6:1-6, 16-18
Jesus said to his disciples: "Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no
recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a
trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the
streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have
received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left
hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be
secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. "When you
pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the
synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I
say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to
your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And
your Father who sees in secret will repay you. "When you fast, do not
look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that
they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have
received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash
your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your
Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will
repay you."

REFLECTION
Both the first reading and the Gospel in today's liturgy speak of
fasting. Fasting has a long and honored history in Judeo-Christian
religious practice. From its earliest days fasting has always been seen
as a means of providing food for the hungry.

Fr. Joseph Donders in his reflection on Ash Wednesday quotes St.
Augustine on fasting and mortification: "Don't believe that fasting
suffices. Fasting punishes you, but it does not restore your brother.
How many poor people could be nourished by the meal you did not take
today?" Donders points out how Augustine reflects the words Isaiah
wrote centuries earlier: "Is not this the sort of fasting that pleases
me-to share your bread with the hungry?"

It is the practice in some schools during Lent to have a "mite" box on
the teacher's desk. Children would put the money that they saved in the
box; money they saved by not taking a soft drink or buying candy. The
Far East Mission Society would use the money to buy unwanted babies in
China. Fasting would buy these unwanted babies life.

The Church encourages this sort of fasting-for-others during the season
of Lent. In a country where poverty holds the vast majority in its
grip, fasting-that-others-might-eat can satisfy the faster's spiritual
hunger as well as the physical, and perhaps also the spiritual, hunger
of the poor.