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Opening Prayer:
May your grace not forsake us, O Lord, we pray,
The Readings In His Steps - A Lenten Series
Today: Pool of Bethesda:
Do You Want to Get Well?
Daily Meditation:
Do not let us be put to shame,
Azariah asks God to remember his mercies.
The challenge of the Gospel is to forgive
"So will my heavenly Father do to you,
Today's Daily Reflection
by Edward Morse, School of Law, Creighton University
"Azariah stood up in the midst of the fire and prayed aloud…" Daniel 3:25.
Sometimes we find ourselves in the midst of fire. These verses in Daniel, which
are part of the Catholic canon of scripture, provide an astonishing example of a
faith in the midst of a trial, which is inspired by an encounter with God. It
has much to offer us in our Lenten journey.
I have always loved this story of Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego (aka Azariah).
When presented with demands from unjust laws, they stood up to mighty King
Nebuchadnezzar and calmly resolved to resist. They told the king that God could
save them if He wished, but if He did not, it would not affect their decision to
refuse to worship a false god. The king is angry and offended, so he has them
thrown into a fiery furnace. That decision kills some other people, but not our
three friends. They were joined in the furnace by what the king described as a
"fourth man". (Country music fans of a certain age may recall the Statler
Brothers singing this story, "they didn't bend, they didn't bow, they didn't
burn".)
Following God makes a lot of sense when you are in the fire and need to get out,
but then there is always the question: what are you going to do next, after the
crisis? Sometimes deliverance is not sufficiently transformative of our attitude
and way of life. The Gospel today provides a severe object lesson about
deliverance and the requirement of something from us -- forgiveness. In the
parable, the debtor who was forgiven much fails to forgive another debtor – and
his own deliverance was therefore withdrawn. Yikes!
As we sit comfortably at a distance, we can wonder what this debtor was thinking
and why he was so dense. But if we had been in the midst of that adventure,
could we be so sure of ourselves? If we were the debtor who had been mistreated
over our small debt, would we be glad that the other fellow was getting his due
for bullying us? What about our dignity, which has been offended by this brute?
Would we want justice more than mercy?
Sometimes cycles of affliction and injury are hard to stop. We get hurt, then we
hurt others, and then they hurt others, etc. But we must stop them. This seems
to be a supernatural quest, which is not so easily achieved on our own terms.
While we may know that "[love] does not brood over injury" (1 Cor. 13:5),
practicing that kind of love is asking quite a lot, when the hurt is real and we
do not feel fine at all!
During this Lenten season, how can we find the kind of prayer that arose in
Azariah's heart – and the transforming change in attitude that accompanied it?
Perhaps we may find such prayer by spending more time with our Lord than we
spend brooding over our injuries and our neighbor's faults (though indeed they
are real and many). May God help us to perform this supernatural work. And I
suspect we will be astonished at the results if we try. Thanks be to God.
but make us dedicated to your holy service
and at all times obtain for us your help.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Daniel 3:25, 34-43, Psalm 25:4-5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8-9, Matthew 18:21-35
but deal with us in your kindness and great mercy.
He places his complete trust in God.
These days, we place our lives in God's hands,
and we let God forgive us.
as we have been forgiven.
How often we are so very much harder on others
than our God is on us!
An important Lenten examination of conscience.
unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart."
When you consider this context, the prayer offered by Azariah (Abednego) is
really astonishing. He does not call for divine retribution on the Babylonian
oppressors, who surely had some serious sins to their account. Instead, Azariah
focuses on the faults of his own people and their corporate need for divine
mercy. The faults of others (as grievous as they were, indeed) apparently did
not seem so important when Azariah encountered the "fourth man" -- a theophany –
in the midst of this fiery trial.
Preface for Meditation:
At the end of their long sojourn through the desert—only a stone’s throw away
from the Promised Land but not quite there yet, Prophet Moses calls on his
people to affirm with him their joint commitment to God and his promises. “The
blessings of God”, Moses says, “will be abundant, if you keep faith: you will
only truly live when you choose to continue to walk with God”. For Moses, this
is made all the more urgent since he has been told that he will not cross the
Jordan with his people. For him the end of the journey of life, and his
pilgrimage has come. As he faces death, he speaks passionately of life—in this
short passage he mentions the word ‘life’ or ‘live’ six times.
Like the people of Israel on the banks of the river Jordan, we too are invited
to reject all that denies life and choose instead what is life-giving, life
enhancing. This is a choice we make not only for ourselves, but for all
generations. Fifty-Day Gospel Planner Morning Gospel Readings: Matthew 20:1-16 (KJV)
For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which
went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them
into his vineyard.
And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the
marketplace,
And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I
will give you. And they went their way.
Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and
saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye
also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call
the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the
first.
And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received
every man a penny.
But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more;
and they likewise received every man a penny.
And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the
house,
Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal
unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not
thou agree with me for a penny?
Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto
thee.
Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil,
because I am good?
So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few
chosen. Matthew 11:25-12:8 (KJV)
At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven
and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and
hast revealed them unto babes.
Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.
All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son,
but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to
whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart:
and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Matthew 12
At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his
disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat.
But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do
that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an
hungred, and they that were with him;
How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was
not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only
for the priests?
Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in
the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice,
ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. Bible Verse of the day: "Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as
I gave you." St. Matthew 20:14
Intercessions:
Praise to Christ, who has given us himself as the bread from heaven. Let us pray
to him, saying:
Lord, feed us at the banquet of the Eucharist,
Closing Prayer:
God of infinite love,
May the Lord bless us,
Source: Portions from: Creighton University Praying Lent
by Prince Mathew
See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. If
you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today,
by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his
commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous,
and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to
possess. But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to
bow down to other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall
perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to
enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I
have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that
you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and
holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you
may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham,
to Isaac, and to Jacob. Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Fourth Tuesday of Great Lent
(Read all Gospels during the Great Lent)
Jesus, you feed and heal our souls; come to strengthen us.
- with all the gifts of your paschal sacrifice.
Give us a perfect heart to receive your word,
- that we may bring forth fruit in patience.
Make us eager to work with you in building a better world,
- so that it may listen to your Church and its gospel of peace.
We confess, Lord, that we have sinned,
- wash us clean by your gift of salvation.
I thank you for this reminder of your love
and your call that we be more patient,
gentle and compassionate with others.
Here in the middle of Lent,
I turn to you to beg for your help.
Please soften my heart.
Help me to let go of judging others.
I ask you this, in Jesus' name.
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.
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