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Opening Prayer:
O God, who reward the merits of the just
The Readings (alternate) In His Steps - A Lenten Series
Today: A Solitary
Place: Give Them Something to Eat
Daily Meditation:
Grant us your forgiveness.
In the marvelous discourse that follows his sign of healing,
I tell you for certain that everyone who hears my message
Today's Daily Reflection
by Diane Jorgensen
Today's readings are full of:
As I prayed with these readings, I found myself also praying for students that I
encounter in my ministry, especially those who describe themselves as "atheist"
or "agnostic". Although many students name the religious faith of their
upbringing when asked to fill in the blank on a questionnaire, there are many
among them who are full of skepticism or even hostility towards organized
religion. I can understand this. They were still children, or just coming into
their teens on 9/11 and have grown up with terrorism and fear of terrorism. They
have seen widespread scandalous behavior of those claiming to be religious. Some
had parents who passed on belief and rule without an experience of the living
God. After thousands of years, they see a world that is still full of poverty,
famine, war, violence, a lack of health care. Where is this God of promise and
comfort? Why do so many suffer at the hands of others? I can understand that
their growing inquisitive and rational minds reject the images and promises of
today's readings in their honest search for meaning and truth.
Our Lenten journey is a time to remember the "desert" times of our lives – the
times when we suffered, nothing made sense, and God seemed distant and uncaring.
Who were the people that helped you find sustenance? What circumstances forced
you to dig deeply into the well of your experience to find the refreshing spring
waters of life? When did you start noticing the green shoots of hope in the
small deeds of love and care of those around you?
During this Lenten journey, God, help me understand each situation and event of
my life from your vantage point; Jesus, help me see you in each person, and
Blessed Holy Spirit, may I recognize you in each breath I take, and trust that
you are as present and active in our world as ever before, and as you ever will
be.
and offer pardon to sinners who do penance,
have mercy, we pray, on those who call upon you,
that the admission of our guilt
may serve to obtain your pardon for our sins.
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.
Isaiah 49:8-15; Psalm 145; John 5:17-30
We know that this whole journey is about our reconciliation.
We know that God wants to forgive us.
We know we are preparing to renew our Baptismal promises,
and "refuse to be mastered by sin."
Today we hear the invitation and ask more earnestly.
Jesus says, "I am not seeking my own will but the will of him who sent me."
I am filled with a sense of sorrow and gratitude,
as I see what he did for me.
and has faith in the one who sent me has eternal life and will never be
condemned.
They have already gone from death to life.
John 5:24
SPAHP/School of Pharmacy, Creighton University
hope… for the Lord comforts his people and shows mercy to his afflicted...
provision… he leads them and guides them beside springs of water…
care and sustenance….can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for
the child of her womb?...
promise…even should she forget, I will never forget you…
judgment….those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those
who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation…
and images of a father who is a protective provider, both wise and just, and of
an attentive and tender mother.
Preface for Meditation:
The way of greatness in God's kingdom is the way of servant hood and humility,
putting others first in our care and concern. Jesus willing laid down his life
for our sake because he loved us first (John 3:16). He calls us to love as he
did, by laying down our lives in sacrificial service for the good of others. An
early church father summed up Jesus' teaching with the expression: to serve is
to reign with Christ. We share in God's reign by laying down our lives in humble
service of one another as Jesus did for our sake.
The passion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the hope of glory and a
lesson in patience. ..He loved us so much that, sinless himself, he suffered for
us sinners the punishment we deserved for our sins. How then can he fail to
give us the reward we deserve for our righteousness, for he is the source of
righteousness? How can he, whose promises are true, fail to reward the saints
when he bore the punishment of sinners, though without sin himself? Let us then
fearlessly acknowledge, and even openly proclaim, that Christ was crucified for
us; let us confess it, not in fear but in joy, not in shame but in glory. The
way to glory and victory for us is through the cross of Jesus Christ. We have
to be ready to take up our cross and follow Christ in his way of victory.
Bible Reading Passages:
Fifty-Day Gospel Planner
Evening
Morning
Gospel Readings: Mark 6:30-46 (KJV)
And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all
things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.
And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and
rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure
so much as to eat.
And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.
And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither
out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him.
And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion
toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began
to teach them many things.
And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said,
This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:
Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the
villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.
He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him,
Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?
He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew,
they say, Five, and two fishes.
And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green
grass.
And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.
And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to
heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to
set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
And they did all eat, and were filled.
And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.
And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.
And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go
to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.
And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.
And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with
compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.
And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert
place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go
into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.
But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.
And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.
He said, Bring them hither to me.
And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five
loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake,
and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments
that remained twelve baskets full.
And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and
children.
And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to
go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.
And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart
to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
Bible Verse of the Day: Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks
and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the
people. He also divided the two fish among them all. - St. Mark 6:41
Intercessions:
Let us give thanks to God, our Father:
Help us to receive good things from your bounty with a deep sense of gratitude;
Closing Prayer:
Loving and merciful God,
May the Lord bless us,
Source: Portions from: Creighton University Praying Lent
by Prince Mathew
Fifth Wednesday of Great Lent
(Read all Gospels during the Great Lent)
Matthew 14:14-23 (KJV)
through the power of the Spirit he purifies our heart and strengthens us in
love.
Let us humbly ask him:
Lord, give us your Holy Spirit.
-and to accept with patience the evil that comes to us.
Teach us to be loving not only in great and exceptional moments,
-but above all in the ordinary events of daily life.
May we abstain from what we do not really need,
-and help our brothers and sisters in distress.
May we bear the wounds of your Son,
-for through his body he gave us life.
I am so aware of my sins and weaknesses.
But as painfully aware of my faults as I am,
Let me also remember your tender love,
your gentle and limitless forgiveness.
I come before you filled with pain and guilt
but look into your eyes and see the forgiving love
I so long for in my life.
Help me to forgive the same way.
Teach me to love as you love.
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.
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