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Opening Prayer:
Grant us, we pray, O Lord,
The Readings: (alternate) In His Steps - A Lenten Series
Today:
Daily Meditation:
May we be lifted up with you.
In the gospel, like a trial scene, Jesus is defending himself.
When we look at a crucifix, we look at the image of
Let us give him thanks, from the bottom of our hearts.
"When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself."
Put your hope in the Lord. Take courage and be strong. - Ps. 26:14
O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you. Ps. 102:2
Today's Reflection/Meditation
by Laurence Freeman OSB
There are black and white days and days of full glorious colour. Weather. The
one thing we can say about weather is that it is always there. Basically there
is nothing we can do about it; it has to be accepted. Oscar Wilde said everyone
in England complains about the weather but no one does anything about it.
Drizzly days, halcyon days.. also tsunamis and hurricanes.
Meteorological weather affects our mood.
But our moods, or mental states, themselves are a form of weather. For no
obvious reason sometimes our mood can mutate from sunny to drizzly, from
peaceful sunset to raging storm.
Some people actually prefer the cloudy, understated kind of weather and find
that continuous Californian sunshine becomes tedious after a while. They like
the change of seasons. Others move home and family to get as many hours of
sunshine as possible. Some people prefer full colour action epic movies, others
film noir.
There is however an undeniable truth that, whatever our personal temperament,
sunlight brings out the colour in the world as a black and white overcast day
does not. The most pure white light is itself a concentration of the spectrum of
colour, some bands of which are beyond the capacity of our physical vision to
see which make up what we call light.
We could not even see or like the cosy drizzly day we spend in front of the fire
at home were it not for light.
I am the Light of the World.
We meditate because we have seen enough, whatever our temperament or the stage
of the journey we have reached, to know that this essential, unconditioned pure
light of consciousness is within us. It is also beyond and behind all forms of
weather. It is the distillation and expression of the only “I” that can
authentically be named.
Source: The World Community for Christian Meditation (http://www.wccm.org)
perseverance in obeying your will,
that in our days the people dedicated to your service
may grow in both merit and number.
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.
Numbers 21:4-9; Psalm 102:2-3, 16-21; John 8:21-30
In the first reading, lifting up the image of a serpent
healed and protected the people during their
journey of liberation in the desert.
They want to know who he is.
They want to know him - but they resist knowing him.
He tells them that they'll really know him
when he is "lifted up."
They will lift him up on the cross, to be put to death.
God transformed that tragedy, by letting his death
"pay the price" for all of our sins.
the one who is "lifted up" in Glory.
He is lifted up for our liberation from sin and death.
Our celebration of our glorious salvation is near.
Preface for Meditation
The anointing at Bethany is a truly beautiful and remarkable incident. A woman
pours expensive ointment on Jesus' body. The ointment was so expensive it cost
300 denarii or almost a year's worth of wages. The disciples are shocked and
appalled by this extravagant "waste" of money, and go so far as to scold the
woman. Jesus rebukes the disciples saying:
"But Jesus said, ‘Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a
good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, and you can show
kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me. She has
done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial. Truly I
tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has
done will be told in remembrance of her." Mark 14:6-9
Jesus reminds the disciples that while caring for the poor and meeting people's
basic needs are vitally important, his primary mission is the cross. The woman
provides care for Jesus and helps prepare his body "beforehand for its burial"
(spices were used to anoint a body for burial). So what seemed like wasteful
exuberance is affirmed as an important act of service which recognized the
primary importance of Jesus' journey to the cross.
Jesus was being prepared for his journey to the cross, burial, and resurrection.
There was nothing more important to Jesus, the disciples, and the world than
Jesus' mission. The woman spent time and considerable resources in an act of
loving service to prepare Jesus.
Therefore, We need to spend our time and our considerable resources in an act of
loving service to prepare Jesus' for his journey to the cross, burial, and
resurrection.
Bible Reading Passages:
Fifty-Day Gospel Planner
Evening
Morning
Gospel Readings: Luke 9:18-27 (KJV)
And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him:
and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am?
They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say,
that one of the old prophets is risen again.
He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The
Christ of God.
And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing;
Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the
elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third
day.
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his
life for my sake, the same shall save it.
For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself,
or be cast away?
For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son
of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's,
and of the holy angels.
But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not
taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.
And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them:
and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took
again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him,
Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered
unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to
death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles:
And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and
shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.
And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we
would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.
And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you?
They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand,
and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.
But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup
that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed
drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized
withal shall ye be baptized:
But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it
shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.
And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and
John.
But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which
are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and
their great ones exercise authority upon them.
But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you,
shall be your minister:
And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.
For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and
to give his life a ransom for many.
Bible Verse of the Day:
"If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the
Father and of the holy angels." - St. Luke 9:26
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:
Loving God,
Thank you for the many blessings in my life
May the Lord bless us,
Source: Portions from: Creighton University Praying Lent
by Prince Mathew
Tuesday before Hosanna
(Read all Gospels during the Great Lent)
Mark 10:32-45 (KJV)
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.
You have heard my complaints, my impatience.
Sometimes I become frightened when I move away from you.
Guide my heart back to you.
Help me to think beyond my own wants
and to desire only to do you will.
and for the ways I feel your presence.
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.
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