40 day LENT Catholic Calendar 2014 March 3 Clean Monday, the firstday of Lent in Eastern Catholic and Orthodox churches Clean Monday is thefirst day of Great Lent. The first day of GreatLent is called Clean Monday because we need to begin this holy season with clean hearts and goodintentions, and because Great Lent is in a way a time of cleaning up orcleaning out in our spiritual lives. Clean Monday is a day of strict fasting--no food from midnight tonoon, and no meat. Additionally, we should devote extra time especially on this day to prayer andreading of the Holy Bible--infact, the whole time of Great Lent should be a time of increased prayer andreading the Bible. The Church especiallyrecommends reading the Book of Genesis, the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, and theBook of Proverbs during Great Lent. The Psalms are always good spiritual reading, of course. In addition to fasting and prayer, we also should concentrate on doing good worksof charity during Great Lent. As the Lord reminded us in the Gospel last Sunday, whenever wehelp someone who is needy or sick or suffering, we are helping Christ-GodHimself. March 4 Shrove Tuesday Shrove Tuesday So-calledbecause on this day people would go to Confession,and thus be shriven, and receive a penance for their sins which would be carried out duringLent. The word shrive istaken from Middle English, and has come to mean to make confession and beabsolved of ones sins. So, today let us avail ourselves of Gods mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Let us confess our sins before God, bereconciled to Him and receive His grace, and so, undergo our time of Penanceduring Lent. This stained glass detail is from the church of Our Lady and English Martyrs inCambridge. - Fr Lawrence Lew OP March 5 Ash Wednesday, the firstday of Lent for Roman Catholics and many other sects ASH WEDNESDAY At the beginning of Lent, on Ash Wednesday, ashes are blessed during Mass,after the homily. The blessed ashes are then imposed on thefaithful as a sign of conversion, penance,fasting and human mortality. The ashes are blessed at least during the first Mass of the day,but they may also be imposed during all the Masses of the day, after thehomily, and even outside the time of Mass to meet the needs of the faithful.Priests or deacons normally impart this sacramental, but instituted acolytes,other extraordinary ministers or designated lay people may be delegated toimpart ashes, if the bishop judges that this is necessary. The ashes are madefrom the palms used at the previous Passion Sunday ceremonies. — Ceremonies ofthe Liturgical Year, Msgr. Peter J. Elliott The act of putting on ashes symbolizes fragility and mortality, and theneed to be redeemed by the mercy of God. Far from being a merely external act,the Church has retained the use of ashes to symbolize that attitude of internalpenance to which all the baptized are called during Lent. — Directory onPopular Piety and the Liturgy From the very early times the commemoration of the approach of Christspassion and death was observed by a period of self-denial. St. Athanasius in the year 339 enjoined upon thepeople of Alexandria the 40days fast he saw practiced in Rome and elsewhere, to the end that while all the world isfasting, we who are in Egypt should not become a laughing stock as the onlypeople who do not fast but take our pleasure in those days. On AshWednesday in the early days, the Pope went barefoot to St. Sabinas in Rometo begin with holy fasts the exercises of Christian warfare, that as wedo battle with the spirits of evil, we may be protected by the help ofself-denial. Ash Wednesday Book ofJoel 2:12-18. Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, andweeping, and mourning; Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the LORD, your God. Forgracious and merciful is he, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting inpunishment. Perhaps he will again relent and leave behind him a blessing, Offerings andlibations 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 thechildren and the infants at the breast; Let the bridegroom quit his room, andthe 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 areproach, with the nations ruling over them! Why should they say among thepeoples, Where is their God? Then the LORD was stirred to concern for his land and took pity on hispeople. Psalms 51(50):3-4.5-6ab.12-13.14.17. Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; In the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt And of my sin cleanse me. For I acknowledge my offense, And my sin is before me always: Against you only have I sinned, And done what is evil in your sight. A clean heart create for me, O God, And a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from your presence, And your Holy Spirit take not from me. Give me back the joy of your salvation, And a willing spirit sustain in me. O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall proclaim your praise. Second Letter to the Corinthians 5:20-21.6:1-2. Brothers and sisters: We are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealingthrough 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 mightbecome the righteousness of God in him. Working together, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God invain. For he says: In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day ofsalvation I helped you. Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold,now is the day of salvation. Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to SaintMatthew 6:1-6.16-18. Jesus said to his disciples: «Take care not to perform righteous deeds in orderthat people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from yourheavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do inthe synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say toyou, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right isdoing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret willrepay you. When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in thesynagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say toyou, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to yourFather in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect theirappearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say toyou, 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. Commentary of theday SaintCyril of Jerusalem (313-350), Bishop of Jerusalem, Doctor of the Church Catechesis before baptism, no.1, 1.5 Lent leads to baptism onEaster night for the forgiveness of sins [“Repent and be baptizedevery one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of yoursins.”] Now you who are about to be baptized are already disciples of the NewCovenant and participators in Christs mysteries have already made yourselves“a new heart and a new spirit” to the joy of the inhabitants of heaven... Youhave set out on a good, a most beautiful journey...: the only Son of God is allready to redeem you. “Come, all you who struggle beneath the weight of theburden,” he says, “and I will give you rest.” You who are weighed down andafflicted by your sins, held in the bonds of your faults, listen to theprophet: “Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes”that the choir of angels may cry out to you: “Happy those whose faults aretaken away, whose sins are covered!”... This is the time for confession. Confess the sins you have committed in word ordeed, by day or by night. Confess during this “favorable time” and on “the dayof salvation”; receive heavens treasure... Rid yourself from all humanpreoccupations; attend to your soul... Leave the present behind and put yourfaith in the future...: “Be still, and know that I am God”... Purify your heartthat you may receive even greater grace: forgiveness of sins is given equallyto all but participation in the Holy Spirit is granted to each one according tothe measure of their faith. If you give yourself little trouble, you willreceive little. If you work hard, your reward will be great... If you have a grudge against anyone, forgive. You are coming to the baptisteryto receive the forgiveness of your sins: you too must be indulgent toward sinners. Biblical references : Ac 2,38; Ez 18,31; Lk 15,7; Mt 11,28; Prv5,22; Is 1,16; Ps 31[32],1; Is 49,8; 2Co 6,2; Ps 45[46],11) DEVOUT MEDITATIONS FORLENT. MEDITATION FOR ASH-WEDNESDAY. ON EXTERIOR PENANCE AND MORTIFICATION. 1st Point - There is nothing more united and less united than the soul and body. When one advances, the other recoils ; when one rises,the other descends; when one is in health, the other is sick; when one isstrong, the other is weak. It is necessary, then, in order to strengthen andgive health to the soul, to bring the body under subjection, and weaken itsevil propensities by penance and mortification. I am not a man if I obey my passions; I am not a Christian if I do not combat with and overcome mypassions; I am not a true penitent if I do not mortify mypassions. Since my body is polluted by sin, it ought to be purified by pain; and since it has part in the pleasures of the soul, it ought toglory in sharing its sorrows. 2nd Point - How do I know that my sins are forgiven? How do I know that thepain which my offences merit is remitted? How do I know that God will notpunish me in my body? How do I know that he will not chastise me in my soul?How do I know that he will not regard me with coldness, and permit me to fallinto some grievous sin? How do I know that I shall be able to rise afterfalling therein? 3rd Point - If I spare myself, God will not spare me; if I love myself, Godwill not love me; if I hate myself, God will not hate me; if I punish myself,God will not punish me ; if I excuse nothing in myself, God will pardon all; ifI excuse all things in myself, God will pardon nothing; if I am indulgent tomyself, God will be severe; if I am austere and harsh with myself, God will bemerciful. Oh, Christian soul ! Make your body a living and dying victim; mortify your passions, your senses, and yourdesires; mortify yourself atall times, and in all places; mortify yourself with zeal, mortify yourself withdiscretion. Written by an Anonymous Jesuit Priest in England in the 19th century...Please share with friends.. March 6 Thursday after AshWednesday Book ofDeuteronomy 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 youtoday, 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 astrayand adore and serve other gods, I tell you now that you will certainly perish; you will not have a long life onthe land which you are crossing the Jordan to enter and occupy. I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before youlife and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you andyour descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him. Forthat will mean life for you, a long life for you to live on the land which theLORD swore he would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Psalms 1:1-2.3.4.6. Blessed the man who follows not The counsel of the wicked Nor walks in the way of sinners, Nor sits in the company of the insolent, But delights in the law of the LORD And meditates on his law day and night. He is like a tree Planted near running water, That yields its fruit in due season, And whose leaves never fade. Whatever he does, prospers. Not so, the wicked, not so; They are like chaff which the wind drives away. For the LORD watches over the way of the just, But the way of the wicked vanishes. Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 9:22-25. Jesus said to his disciples: «The Son of Man must suffer greatly and berejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed andon the third day be raised.» Then he said to all, If anyone wishes to come after me, he must denyhimself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his lifefor my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeithimself? Commentary of theday Benedict XVI, pope from 2005 to 2013 General Audience of 17/02/2010 (trans. © copyright Libreria EditriceVaticana) Following him The “favourable moment”(2Cor 6,2) of grace in Lent also reveals its spiritual significance to us in theancient formula: Remember, man, you are dust and to dust you willreturn which the priest says as he places a little ash on our foreheads.Thus we are referred back to the dawn of human history when the Lord told Adam,after the original sin: In the sweat of your face you shall eat breadtill you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, andto dust you shall return (Gen 3,19; 2,7)... Man is dust and to dust he shall return, but dust is precious in Gods eyesbecause God created man, destining him to immortality. Hence the Liturgicalformula... finds the fullness of its meaning in reference to the new Adam,Christ. The Lord Jesus also chose freely to share with every human being thedestiny of weakness, in particular through his death on the Cross; but thisvery death, the culmination of his love for the Father and for humanity, wasthe way to the glorious Resurrection, through which Christ became a source ofgrace, given to all who believe in him, who are made to share in divine lifeitself. This life that will have no end has already begun in the earthly phase of ourexistence but it will be brought to completion after the resurrection ofthe flesh. The little action of the imposition of ashes reveals to us theunique riches of its meaning. It is an invitation to spend the Lenten Season asa more conscious and intense immersion in Christs Paschal Mystery in his deathand Resurrection, through participation in the Eucharist and in the life ofcharity, which is born from the Eucharist in which it also finds itsfulfilment. With the imposition of ashes we renew our commitment to followingJesus, to letting ourselves be transformed by his Paschal Mystery, toovercoming evil and to doing good, in order to make our former self, linked tosin die and to give birth to our new nature (Eph 4,22f.),transformed by Gods grace. DEVOUT MEDITATIONS FORLENT. MEDITATION FOR THURSDAY AFTER ASH-WEDNESDAY. ON EXTERIOR PENANCE AND MORTIFICATION - II 1st Point - Make a free offering of your body to God, and he will impart to youhis Spirit. Be watchful and careful in the discipline of your exterior, and hewill guard and provide for the interior. Do all that you can, and that whichyou cannot accomplish he will do for you. Walk while you can, and when yourstrength fails you he will bear you in his arms. Fast with Jesus, that you mayeat the Pasch with him. 2nd Point - Fasting is salutary for both soul and body; it is an efficaciousremedy for their diseases. Nothing is impossible to him who has faith; nothingis difficult to him who loves; all is possible to him who reposes his trust inGod. Fast if you can, and persuade yourself that you can do more than youimagine yourself capable of. Fasting is blessed by God, consecrated by his Son,and observed by all the faithful. God imparts strength to those who fast, anddeprives of strength those who do not. Good cheer and luxurious ease aredestructive to the health and life of all men, fasting and abstinence are saferemedies, which restore the health and prolong the lives of all who practicethem. He, who shall have lost his health and strength for Jesus Christ, shallrecover all that he thinks he has lost. He who desires to preserve his body andhealth, to the prejudice of the interests of Jesus Christ, shall lose all thathe hopes to gain. 3rd Point - I will therefore chastise my body as the Apostles did, for fear ofbeing found among the reprobates. I desire, with all my heart, to follow theexample and imitate the life of Jesus Christ, that I may be of the number ofthe predestined. I will mortify my body, in order to remedy the maladies of mysoul; I will deprive it of the power of revolting, by fasting, which willimpair its strength. I will mortify my senses, that I may have a spiritual life.I wish to die with Jesus, that I may rise with Jesus. I wish for stripes andwounds, that I might become a true member of his thorn-crowned head; and if Ihave not courage to inflict them on myself, I will at least suffer withthankfulness whatever afflictions God may see it, in his divine providence, tosend me. WORDS OF SCRIPTURE. “The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh; forthese are contrary one to another.— Galatians, v. “And they that are Christs have crucified their flesh, with its vices andconcupiscence’s. — Ibid. If you live according to the flesh, you shall die.—Romans, viii. “For the wisdom of the flesh is death; but the wisdom of the spirit is life andpeace.— Ibid. Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whoseheart departeth from the Lord.—Jeremias, xvii. Written by an Anonymous Jesuit Priest in England in the 19th century...Please share with friends.. March 7 First Friday Friday after Ash Wednesday Book of Isaiah 58:1-9a. Thus says the Lord GOD: Cry out full-throated and unsparingly, lift up yourvoice like a trumpet blast; Tell my people their wickedness, and thehouse of Jacob their sins. They seek me day after day, and desire to know my ways, Like a nation that hasdone what is just and not abandoned the law of their God; They ask me todeclare 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 nonote of it? Lo, on your fast day you carry out your own pursuits, anddrive 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 manbow his head like a reed, and lie in sackcloth and ashes? Do you call this afast, 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 everyyoke; 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 yourown. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quicklybe healed; Your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the LORDshall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer, you shall cry for help, and hewill say: Here I am! Psalms 51(50):3-4.5-6ab.18-19. Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; In the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt And of my sin cleanse me. For I acknowledge my offense, And my sin is before me always: Against you only have I sinned, And done what is evil in your sight. For you are not pleased with sacrifices; Should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn. Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 9:14-15. The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, «Why do we and the Phariseesfast much, but your disciples do not fast?» Jesus answered them, Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroomis with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,and then they will fast. Commentary of the day : Blessed John-PaulII Then they will fast Jesus answered thedisciples of John the Baptist when they asked him: Why do your disciplesnot fast? Jesus answered: Can the wedding guests mourn as long asthe bridegroom is with them? The days will come, when the bridegroom is takenaway from them, and then they will fast (Mt 9:15). In fact the time ofLent reminds us that the bridegroom has been taken away from us. Taken away,arrested, imprisoned, slapped, scourged, crowned with thorns, crucified.Fasting in the time of Lent is the expression of our solidarity withChrist... My love has been crucified and there is no longer inme the flame that desires material things, as the Bishop of Antioch,Ignatius, writes [at the end of the 1st and beginning of the 2ndcenturies]... Food and drink are indispensable for man to live, he uses them and must usethem, but he may not abuse them in any way. The traditional abstention fromfood and drink has as its purpose to introduce into mans existence not onlythe necessary balance, but also detachment from what might be defined aconsumer attitude. In our times this attitude has become one of thecharacteristics of civilization and in particular of Western civilization...Man geared to material goods... very often abuses them. It is not a question here lust of food and drink. When man is gearedexclusively to possession and use of material goods—that is, of things—thenalso the whole civilization is measured according to the quantity and thequality of the things with which it is in a position to supply man, and is notmeasured with the yardstick suitable for man. This civilization, in fact,supplies material goods not just in order that they may serve man to carry outcreative and useful activities, but more and more... to satisfy the senses, theexcitement he derives from them, momentary pleasure, an ever greatermultiplicity of sensations, [for example through] audiovisual media... It isseen from this that modern man must fast, that is, abstain not only from foodor drink, but from many other means of consumption, stimulation, satisfactionof the senses. DEVOUT MEDITATIONS FORLENT. MEDITATION FOR FRIDAY AFTER ASH-WEDNESDAY. ON THE EXCELLENCE OF MORTIFICATION. 1st Point - What is mortification? It is a death of love, which destroys thecriminal life, detaches the mind from the senses, separates the soul from thebody, and makes it live in the spirit. It is a sacrifice of love, in which the Holy Ghost is the priest, the body isthe victim, the heart is the altar, pain the knife, love the fire, glory thefruit. 2nd Point - What is mortification? It is a martyrdom of love, less bloody thana martyrdom of faith, but longer and more wearisome, more free, and (in onesense) more voluntary. What is mortification? t is a continuation of the sacrifice of the passion ofJesus, which supplies all that is wanting in his sufferings; which transformsour bodies into members of his, and animates them with his divine spirit; whichmakes us participate in his sorrows, merit his graces, and finally exalts us tothe throne of his glory. 3rd Point - Why is it that I mortify myself so little ? Alas ! it is because Ido not love Jesus Christ, and am not one of his members animated by his spirit;it is because I lead a sensual and carnal life, and despise and shrink from hissufferings; it is that I am the slave of my body, and seek only the pleasuresof the flesh, and relish not those of the spirit, being worldly, sensual, voluptuous,and the enemy of God. Oh! in order that I may die the death of the just, I willhenceforth live the life of the just; I will, from this moment, become a victimof love, that I may die in the arms of divine love. WORDS OF SCRIPTURE. I beseech you, brethren, by the mercy of God, that you present yourbodies a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing unto God.—Romans, xii. I die daily.—1 Corinthians, xv. With Christ I am nailed to the cross.— Galatians, ii Who now rejoice in my sufferings, and fill up those things that arewanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh for his body, which is theChurch.—Colossians, i. Unhappy man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?The grace of God, by Jesus Christ our Lord.—Romans, vii. Written by an Anonymous Jesuit Priest in England in the 19th century...Please share with friends. 1) Abstinence on allthe Fridays of Lent, and on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. No meat may be eaten on days of abstinence. Catholics 14 years and older are bound to abstain from meat. Invalids, pregnantand nursing mothers are exempt. 2) Fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting means having only one full meal to maintain onesstrength. Two smaller, meatless and penitential meals are permitted accordingto ones needs, but they should not together equal the one full meal. Eatingsolid foods between meals is not permitted. Catholics from age 18 through age 59 are bound to fast. Again,invalids, pregnant and nursing mothers are exempt. 3) Friday Abstinence Outside of Lent. It should be noted that Fridays throughout the year are designated daysof penance. The Code of Canon Law states that Friday is a dayof abstinence from meat throughout the year. The American Bishops haveallowed us to choose a different form of penance rather than abstaining frommeat, but there must be some form of penance, for this is the day wecommemorate Christs suffering and death. The bishops stress that [a]mongthe works of voluntary self-denial and personal penance...we give first placeto abstinence from flesh meat (Pastoral Statement on Fasting andAbstinence). First Friday- Isaiah58:6-9a Is this the manner of fasting I wish, of keeping a day of penance: That a manbow his head like a reed, and lie in sackcloth and ashes? Do you call this afast, 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 everyyoke; 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 quicklybe healed; Your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the LORDshall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer, you shall cry for help, and hewill say: Here I am! Michelangelo Buonarroti. Mosé, 1513 - c. 1515. Basilica di San Pietro inVincoli, Roma. March 8 Saturday after Ash Wednesday Book of Isaiah 58:9b-14. Thus says the LORD: If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusationand malicious speech; If you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; Then lightshall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you likemidday; Then the LORD will guide you always and give you plenty even on the parchedland. He will renew your strength, and you shall be like a watered garden, likea spring whose water never fails. The ancient ruins shall be rebuilt for your sake, and the foundations from agespast you shall raise up; Repairer of the breach, they shall callyou, Restorer of ruined homesteads. If you hold back your foot on the sabbath from following your own pursuits onmy holy day; If you call the sabbath a delight, and the LORDS holy dayhonorable; If you honor it by not following your ways, seeking your owninterests, or speaking with malice-- Then you shall delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights ofthe earth; I will nourish you with the heritage of Jacob, your father, for themouth of the LORD has spoken. Psalms 86(85):1-2.3-4.5-6. Incline your ear, O LORD; answer me, for I am afflicted and poor. Keep my life, for I am devoted to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for to you I call all the day. Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in kindness to all who call upon you. Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer and attend to the sound of my pleading. Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 5:27-32. Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post. He said tohim, «Follow me.» And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him. Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and a large crowd of taxcollectors and others were at table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying, Whydo you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners? Jesus said to them in reply, Those who are healthy do not need aphysician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners. Commentary of theday Julian of Norwich (1342-after 1416), recluse Revelations of divine love, ch. 51-52 (trans. copyright Classics of Westernspirituality) I have come tocall [sinners] to repentance God showed me a lordsitting in state, in rest and peace. The lord sends his servant to acertain place to do his will. Not only does the servant go but hedashes off and runs at great speed, loving to do his lords will. And soon hefalls into a dell and is greatly injured... And so in this servant God showedme the blindness and the hurt of Adams falling; and in the servant there wasshown the wisdom and the goodness of Gods Son. And in the lord there was shownthe compassion and the pity for Adams woe; and in the lord there was shown thegreat nobility and the endless honour that man has come to, by the power of thePassion and the death of Gods beloved Son. And therefore he greatly rejoicesin his falling, for the raising on high and the fulness of bliss which mankindhas come to, exceeding what we should have if he had not fallen... And so we have matter for mourning, because our sin is the cause of Christspains, and we have constantly matter for joy, because endless love made himsuffer... And if we through our blindness and our wretchedness at any timefall, then let us quickly rise, knowing the sweet touching of grace, andwillingly amend ourselves according to the teaching of Holy Church, as may fitthe grievousness of the sin, and go on our way with God in love, and neither onthe one side fall too low, inclining to despair, nor on the other side be tooreckless, as though we did not care; but let us meekly recognize our weakness,knowing that we cannot stand for the twinkling of an eye except with theprotection of grace... So does our good Lord want us willingly to accuse ourselves, and to see trulyand know our falling, and all the harms which come from it, seeing and knowingthat we can never repair it; and also we willingly and truly see and know theeverlasting love which he has for us, and his plentiful mercy. And so by graceto see and know both together is the meek self-accusation which our good Lordasks from us and is his work in our soul. DEVOUT MEDITATIONS FORLENT. MEDITATION FOR SATURDAY AFTER ASH-WEDNESDAY. ON THE OBLIGATIONS WE ARE UNDER TO MEDITATE ON THE PASSION OF JESUS CHRIST. 1st Point - The Son of God is well pleased when we reflect on the sorrows ofhis bitter passion ; and we owe him this consolation, since it was for usthat he suffered and yielded himself a willing victim to the justice of God,bearing in himself the punishment due for our sins. It was for this that hedescended from the throne of his splendor at the right hand of the Father, andpassed his life on earth in poverty, humiliation, and misery, Blottingout, says St. Paul, the handwriting of the decree that was againstus, fastening it to his cross, We should, then, suffer with patience andjoy, for the love of him, all pain, all distress, all injuries, which mayovertake us. But he only asks us to come hither, and, at the foot of the cross,think of the love we owe him, and the excessive griefs he has suffered for oursalvation. Is there anything more just I Notwithstanding which, we occupyourselves but little with such reflections. When they are presented to ourminds, do we not think of them with lightness and frivolity, and withoutinterest, attention, or grief ? The grandeurs, the vanities, and pleasures ofthe world, engross our thoughts, while the sorrows and pangs of Jesus areforgotten ! Can anything be more unjust. 2nd Point - There is nothing sweeter or more consoling, than to meditate on thepassion of Jesus, because it reveals to us the excess of his tender andcompassionate love, and inspires us with a lively and strong hope, that Godwill pardon our sins, and be merciful to our infirmities. For the Son of Godhas satisfied the justice of God the Father ; he has transferred to us thetreasures of his merits ; and we should glory more in the price he has givenfor us, than in all the blessings, graces, and joys, which we hope to obtainfrom his infinite goodness. These are sweet reflections, and ought to ill our souls with consolation. Whatjoy and pleasure ought we not to derive from the fountain of all grace, whichis ever opened and free for the refreshment of souls ! I have committed many and grievous sins ; my conscience: is terrified ; but whyshould I be cast down or troubled, when I remember the wounds of my Saviour,and that it was for my sins that he received them ? There are no wounds,however mortal, says St. Bernard, which may not be healed by thedeath of Jesus. 3rd Point - The remembrance of the passion of our Lord, is very useful to us inour spiritual warfare ; for it renders us victorious over our enemies, who arethe world, the flesh, and the devil. The devil tempts us by despair orpresumption : despair arises from ignorance of the mercy of God, who deliveredhis only Son to death for the salvation of sinners, and accepted his sufferingsin payment of their debt. He revealed his justice in the rigorous treatmentwhich he inflicted on his only, his most holy and innocent Son, who, wearingonly the likeness of a sinner, and being clothed in the shadow of ourtransgressions, was obliged to submit to the weight of his anger, and sufferthe penalty of our guilt. The passion of Jesus enables us to obtain the victory over the world, whichtempts us only by love and pleasure, fear and grief ; for who is there that canlove pleasure, when they behold the Saviour of the world consumed by sufferingI Who can fear grief and pain, when they reflect that Jesus preferred them toall the splendour and felicity of paradise? The flesh is our most dangerous enemy ; it is that which tempts us both by loveand fear ; but the passion of Jesus inspires us with horror for all that itloves, and with love for all that it hates and fears. When I see the body of mySaviour covered with wounds, I am constrained to cry out, with one of thesaints, in accents of tender compunction, Behold mine, without wounds! Oh, Saviour of my soul! is it surprising that I, who meditate so seldom on thysacred passion, who shrink with horror from the contemplation of thy wondroussufferings, who turn my eyes away from thy wounds, should yield to temptationswhen they assail me ? But, from henceforth, I will establish my habitation onCalvary. There do I wish to live—there do I wish to die. Not on Thabor will Ibegin my Lent, but on this hill of grief. Here I will say, It is good, 0Lord, for me to be in this place. Oh, spectacle full of profit andconsolation, to behold a God expiring on a cross for the love of sinners ! WORDS OF SCRIPTURE. Think diligently upon him that endureth such opposition from sinnersagainst himself, that you be not wearied, fainting in your minds.—Hebrews, xii. 0 all ye that pass by the way, attend, and see if there be any sorrowlike unto my sorrow.—Lamentations, i. For I judged not myself to know anything among you, but Jesus Christ andhim crucified. —1 Corinthians, ii. Forget not the kindness of thy surety, for he hath given his life forthee.—Eccles. xxix. Christ, therefore, having suffered in the flesh, be you also armed withthe same thought. —1 Peter, iv. Written by an Anonymous Jesuit Priest in England in the 19th century...Please share with friends. March 9 First Sunday of Lent -Year A Book of Genesis 2:7-9.3:1-7. The LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into hisnostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being. Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and he placed therethe man whom he had formed. Out of the ground the LORD God made various trees grow that were delightful tolook at and good for food, with the tree of life in the middle of the gardenand the tree of the knowledge of good and bad. Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that the LORD God hadmade. The serpent asked the woman, Did God really tell you not to eatfrom any of the trees in the garden? The woman answered the serpent: We may eat of the fruit of the trees inthe garden; it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that Godsaid, You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die. But the serpent said to the woman: You certainly will not die! No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened andyou will be like gods who know what is good and what is bad. The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, anddesirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and shealso gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they werenaked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths forthemselves. Psalms 51(50):3-4.5-6ab.12-13.14.17. Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; In the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt And of my sin cleanse me. For I acknowledge my offense, And my sin is before me always: Against you only have I sinned, And done what is evil in your sight. A clean heart create for me, O God, And a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from your presence, And your Holy Spirit take not from me. Give me back the joy of your salvation, And a willing spirit sustain in me. O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall proclaim your praise. Letter to the Romans 5:12-19. Brothers and sisters: Through one man sin entered the world, and through sin,death, and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned— for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world, though sin is notaccounted when there is no law. But death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin after thepattern of the trespass of Adam, who is the type of the one who was tocome. But the gift is not like the transgression. For if by that one personstransgression the many died, how much more did the grace of God and thegracious gift of the one person Jesus Christ overflow for the many. And the gift is not like the result of the one persons sinning. For after onesin there was the judgment that brought condemnation; but the gift, after manytransgressions, brought acquittal. For if, by the transgression of one person, death came to reign through thatone, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of thegift of justification come to reign in life through the one person JesusChrist. In conclusion, just as through one transgression condemnation came upon all, sothrough one righteous act acquittal and life came to all. For just as through the disobedience of one person the many were made sinners,so through the obedience of one the many will be made righteous. Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 4:1-11. At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by thedevil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him, If you are the Son of God,command that these stones become loaves of bread. He said in reply, It is written: One does not live by bread alone, butby every word that comes forth from the mouth of God. Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet ofthe temple, and said to him, If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For itis written: He will command his angels concerning you and with their handsthey will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone. Jesus answered him, Again it is written, You shall not put the Lord,your God, to the test. Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all thekingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrateyourself and worship me. At this, Jesus said to him, Get away, Satan! It is written: The Lord,your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve. Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him. Commentary of the day Saint Gregory the Great (c.540-604), Pope, Doctor of the Church Homilies on the Gospel, no. 14[16] (trans. ©Cistercian publications) « Just as through the disobedience of one person the many were made sinners, sothrough the obedience of one the many will be made righteous » (Rm 5,19) If we look at the progress of our Lords temptation, we see how great thestruggle was that set us free. from temptation. Our ancient enemy rose upagainst the first human being, our ancestor, in three temptations. He temptedhim by gluttony, by vain glory and by avarice... He tempted him by gluttonywhen he showed him the forbidden food of the tree, and told him: “Taste it.” Hetempted him by vain glory when he said, “You will be like gods” (Gn 3,5). Hetempted him by adding avarice when he said: “knowing good and evil.” Avarice isconcerned not only with money but also with high position... But the means by which the devil overcame the first Adam (1Cor 15,47) were thesame ones which caused him to yield when he tempted the second. He tempted himby gluttony when he said, “Tell these stones to become bread.” He tempted himby vain glory when he said, “If you are the son of God, cast yourself down.” Hetempted him by an avaricious desire for high position when he showed him allthe kingdoms of the world, saying: “I will give you all these if you will falldown and worship me”... As a captive the devil would depart from our hearts bythe same avenue which had given him entrance when he possessed us. But there is something else we have to consider too in this temptation of theLords...: he could have plunged his tempter into the depths. He did not revealthe power of his might, but he only brought forth the precepts of Scripture.This was to give us an example of his patience, so that as often as we suffersomething from vicious persons we should be aroused to teach rather than toexact revenge. Consider how great Gods patience is, how great our impatience!If we are provoked by injuries, or by some attack, we are influenced byrage...; the Lord endured the devils opposition, and he answered him withnothing except words of meekness. Commentary 2 The temptations of Jesusin the desert recapitulate the temptation of Adam in Paradise and thetemptations of Israel in the desert. Satan tempts Jesus in regard tohisobedience to the mission given him by the Father. Christ, the new Adam, resistsand his victory proclaims that of his passion which is the supreme obedience ofhis filial love. The Church unites herself to this mystery in a special way inthe liturgical season of Lent. DEVOUT MEDITATIONS FOR LENT. FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT. THE GOSPEL. Matt. iv. 1-11. At that time, Jesus was led by the spirit into the desert, to be temptedby the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he wasafterwards hungry. And the tempter coming, said to him : If thou be the Sonof God, command that these stones be made bread. Who answered and said : It iswritten : Not in bread alone cloth man live, but in every word that proceedethout of the mouth of God. Then the devil took him into the holy city, and sethim upon a pinnacle of the temple, and said to him : If thou be the Son of God,cast thyself down ; for it is written : He hath given his angels charge overthee ; and in their hands shall they bear thee up, lest perhaps thou dash thyfoot against a stone. Jesus said to him : It is written again : Thou shalt nottempt the Lord thy God. Again the devil took him up into a very high mountain,and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, and saidto him : All these will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and adore me. ThenJesus said to him : Begone, Satan ; for it is written : The Lord thy God shaltthou adore, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil left him ; and,behold, angels came and ministered to him. MEDITATION - ON THE CAUSES OF TEMPTATION. 1st Point - Why did our Lord suffer himself to be tempted ? It was in orderto vanquish our enemy, to teach us how to combat, to inspire us with courage,to animate us by his example, to humiliate the devil, who triumphed over Adam,to repair the sin of our first parents, and to raise them from their fallencondition, by giving their children power to triumph over the devil. 2nd Point - Why am I tempted ? It is because you are proud, because you do notguard your senses, especially your eyes and ears, because you are under thedominion of bad habits, which hold correspondence with the devil; it is,perhaps, because you are not in the order, or state, in which God desires youto be, and have not followed your vocation ; it is that your heart is attachedto creatures, or that you are not sufficiently occupied ; it is that you are aman, a sinful man and a Christian, and that you desire only happiness andconsolation. For a man, being free, is not always determined to do good ; butthe sinner, being a slave, is under the dominion of him who has conquered. TheChristian, being a soldier, should never relax his warfare, or slumber at hispost. If the righteous wish to be crowned, they must first be proved bytemptation. 3rd Point - Why has the devil tempted me ? Because he hates the image of God,which you bear in you ; because he is envious of man, and wishes him to be inhis own place ; because he seeks to make you his slave and the companion of hispains. It is for this end that he desires to enter into your heart, which isthe throne of God, to be adored therein ; strives to profane his temple andsanctuary ; wishes to drive Jesus Christ from his kingdom, which is in you ;wishes to crucify him anew, in your soul, and renew the ignominies of hispassion. Do you not assist him in his malicious designs ? Do you not satisfyhis ambitious schemes ? You do this as often as you yield assent to histemptations. 4th Point - Why does God suffer me to be tempted ? For his glory and your good.He wishes to know if you truly love him ; he wishes you to know yourself, andto make you sensible of your infirmities, and constrain you to have recourse tohim ; he wishes to prove your virtue, to hold you in dependence on him, toprepare you for combat, detach you from creatures, and render you worthy ofeternal life. Oh, Jesus, Saviour of my soul ! since thou hast been tempted, I am no longerastonished that I also suffer temptations. It is good for me to know thee andknow myself. Temptation is necessary and salutary for me, because it renders mehumble, and prevents me from being presumptuous. Let me be tempted, then, myGod, and prove me to see if there is any iniquity in me. Oh, no, my God, do nottempt me ; I know my miseries too well ! Deliver me speedily from temptation,at least strengthen me against its assaults, and give me courage to vanquishit. Satan aims at thee as well as at thy servant. Defend thyself and thyinterests, therefore, in me, against thy enemy and mine. WORDS OF SCRIPTURE. God tempted Abraham.—Genesis, xxii. Fear not ; for God is come to prove you. —Exodus, xx. Ananias, why bath Satan tempted thy heart ?—Acts, v. God hath tried them, and found them worthy of himself.— Wisdom,iii. As gold in the furnace he bath proved them. - Ibid. Written by an Anonymous Jesuit Priest in England in the 19th century...Please share with friends. March 11 Tuesday of the Firstweek of Lent Book of Isaiah 55:10-11. Thus says the LORD: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and donot return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile andfruitful, 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 mevoid, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it. Psalms 34(33):4-5.6-7.16-17.18-19. Glorify the LORD with me, Let us together extol his name. I sought the LORD, and he answered me And delivered me from all my fears. Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, And your faces may not blush with shame. When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, And from all his distress he saved him. The LORD has eyes for the just, And ears for their cry. The LORD confronts the evildoers, To destroy remembrance of them from the earth. When the just cry out, the LORD hears them, And from all their distress he rescues them. The is close to the brokenhearted; And those who are crushed in spirit he saves. Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 6:7-15. Jesus said to his disciples: «In praying, do not babble like the pagans, whothink 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 in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one. If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgiveyou. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive yourtransgressions. Commentary of the day Saint Cyprian (c.200-258), Bishop of Carthage and martyr The Lords Prayer, 11-12 (trans. ©The Fathers of the Church) Hallowed be your name Most beloved brethren, we ought to remember and to know that, when we speak ofGod, we ought to act as children of God... Let us live as if temples of God(1Cor 3,16), that it may be clear that the Lord dwells in us. Let not our actsdepart from the Spirit... The blessed Apostle Paul also, in his Epistle, haslaid down: “You are not your own, for you have been bought at a great price.Glorify God and bear him in your body” (1Cor 6,19). We say: “Hallowed be thy name” not because we wish for God to be hallowed byour prayers, but because we seek from the Lord that his name be hallowed in us.Moreover, by whom is God hallowed who himself hallows? He himself said: “Beholy, for I am holy,” (Lv 20,26) therefore we petition and ask for this, thatwe who have been sanctified in baptism may persevere in what we have begun. Andfor this we pray daily. DEVOUT MEDITATIONS FORLENT MEDITATION FOR FIRSTTUESDAY IN LENT. ON THE PASSION OF OUR LORD IN GENERAL. 1st Point - Jesus is the victim of all time and of all men ; the victim ofsinners and of the just. As he has loaded himself with allour crimes, he hascrowned himself with all our sufferings ! As there are none of his creatureswhom he has not loved, there are none for whom he has not suffered. But hesuffered principally for myself, as he bestows more graces on me than onothers, which are the fruits of his sufferings. He has ever held me inremembrance, and I never think of him 1 I do not love him, or desire to sufferfor his sake. 2nd Point - Why did Jesus die ? Why did he desire the unspeakable anguish andmisery that he endured ? Alas ! he died to return to me the life which I lostthrough sin ; he rendered himself miserable to secure for me an eternalfelicity ; he delivered himself to the power of his enemies to deliver me frommine ! He did not question the judgment of Pilate, he did not work miracles ashe might have done, to deliver himself from their hands. He was crucified throughouthis life. His heart was transfixed to the cross with his body. The greatest ofall his sufferings was in not suffering ; it was his chief desire to bebaptized in his own blood, to drain the chalice of his passion, and die. Oh, sweetest Jesus ! thou wert not displeased with thy enemies for doing thatwhich thou didst so much desire, and which enabled thee to suffer withoutmeasure. It was only their sins and malice which diminished thy satisfaction,and added to thy griefs. The torments which they inflicted on thee cannot besurpassed in cruelty, nor could they make thee suffer more. They loaded theewith opprobriums and ignominy, and treated thee as the most miserable of allslaves, and the most abandoned of all men. Couldst thou have suffered more thanthou didst suffer, or die in more cruel agonies than thou didst. 3rd Point - And I avoid all suffering and mortification, and would even escapedeath. I wish to live surrounded by delights and enjoyments, when, if justicewere awarded me, I should at this moment be suffering all the pains of hell.Where is it that I do not find examples of thy goodness ,and tender mercy ?Where is it that I do not discover my own malice and presumption ? Where is itthat my ingratitude is not apparent ? WORDS OF SCRIPTURE. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godheadcorporally.—Colossians, ii And Christ died for all.-2 Corinthians, v. Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us.-,Galatians, i. And I have a baptism, wherewith I am to be baptized : and how I amstraitened until it is accompished ?—St. Luke, xii. From the sole of his foot to the top of his head, there is no soundnesstherein : wounds and bruises and swelling sores : they are not bound up, nordressed, nor fomented with oil. —Isaias, i. Written by an Anonymous Jesuit Priest in England in the 19th century...Please share with friends.. Wednesday of the First week of Lent Book of 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 LORDS 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 days 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. Psalms 51(50):3-4.12-13.18-19. Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; In the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt And of my sin cleanse me. A clean heart create for me, O God, And a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from your presence, And your Holy Spirit take not from me. For you are not pleased with sacrifices; Should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn. Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint 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. Commentary of the day Aphrahat (?-c.345), monk and Bishop near Mosul Expositions, no.3 « On Fasting » ; SC 349 «This is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly» (Is 58,6) The Ninevites fasted with a pure fast when Jonah preached repentance to them... This is what is written: “When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of his blazing wrath” (cf Jon 3,10). It is not said that: “He saw a fast of bread and water, with sackcloth and ashes” but that: “they turned away from their evil deeds and the wickedness of their works”. For the king of Nineveh had spoken and said: Every man shall turn from his evil way and from the violence he has in hand” (v.8). It was a pure fast and it was accepted... Because, my friend, when we fast it is always the abstaining from wickedness that is best. It is better than abstaining from bread and water, better than “afflicting oneself, bowing the head like a reed and lying in sackcloth and ashes” as Isaiah says (58,5). In fact, whenever people abstain from bread, water or whatever food it might be, when they cover themselves in sackcloth and ashes and afflicts themselves, then they are loved, beautiful in the eyes of God and accepted. However, what please God most of all is: “...to release those bound unjustly and break the bonds of deceit” (cf. v.6). Where these people are concerned: “their light shall break forth like the dawn and their vindication shall go before them. They will be like a watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail” (cf. v.8-11). They will not be like the hypocrites who “neglect their appearance and put on a gloomy look” so that their fasting may be known (Mt 6,16) DEVOUT MEDITATIONS FOR LENT MEDITATION FOR FIRST WEDNESDAY IN LENT. JESUS IN THE GARDEN OF OLIVES. 1st Point - Jesus is sorrowful even unto death. What is the cause of his sadness ? Is it the fore-knowledge of all that he is to suffer ? Alas, no ! it is the sight of my sins, my ingratitude, my misery ! I laugh at those things which should cause me to weep! I take pleasure in that which ought to render me miserable ! He has compassion on me, and I have none on him. 2nd Point - He is seized with fear to prove that he is man, that he is human and infirm like myself. He has divested himself of his strength, and clothed himself with my weakness ; he has given me his courage, and taken my timidity ; he trembles to assure me, fears to encourage me, falls to raise me ! Oh, what goodness! what charity! Where can we find a physician who is willing to give his health and strength to his patients in exchange for their maladies and feebleness ? Oh ! surely, he hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows. 3rd Point - Pleasure and grief constitute the causes of the sins of men ; desire and fear their passions. Jesus has vanquished these two enemies, and imparted to us his strength, that we also may vanquish them. He has abstained from all pleasure, suffered all griefs, renounced all the desires of nature, triumphed over all fears ; sweat blood and water from all his veins, and contended even unto death. Written by an Anonymous Jesuit Priest in England in the 19th century... Please share with friends.. March 16 Second Sunday of Lent March 17 Feast of Saint Patrick March 19 Feast of Saint Joseph March 23 Third Sunday of Lent March 25 The Annunciation of the Lord March 30 Fourth Sunday of Lent, or Mothering Sunday,which started Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom April 6 Fifth Sunday of Lent, Passion Sunday, the startof Passiontide April 13 Palm Sunday, the start of the Holy Week April 17 Holy Thursday April 8 Good Friday April 19 Holy Saturday April 20 Easter
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 15:55:45 +0000
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