March 10, 2014

Read It:
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.”


Reflect on It: How are we seeing Jesus in our day to day interactions? Today's gospel is about serving Christ all day and to serve those in need around us. Sometimes, I think we are quick to say, well, the poor aren't around me. If we really, really look though, we can see those who are in need around us. Who really needs you to love them today? Lent is about making ourselves poor so that others lives can be enriched. It's a good thing.

Pray about It: Holy Spirit, help me to serve those around me most in need.

Live It! Challenge: Today, serve someone else, but make sure no one knows about it...unload the dishwasher without being asked. Sit at the table at school where people might judge you.

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Sunday, March 9: The First Sunday of Lent

Read It:
At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert
to be tempted by the devil.
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 on bread alone,
but on 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 of the temple,
and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.
For it is written: He will command his angels concerning you
and with their hands they 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 the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence,
and he said to him, "All these I shall give to you,
if you will prostrate yourself 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.

Reflect on It: Even Jesus is tempted. I think sometimes we make Jesus out to be this divine person who in his perfection doesn’t know what it’s really like to be human. Sometimes in my mind it seems hard to picture him experiencing the challenges of daily life just like we do. Today, we see that even Jesus is tempted. The devil tries to tempt Jesus after he spends forty days in the desert. He’s hungry and probably tired. Satan tries to prey on his weakness. Jesus is triumphant and tells Satan to back off. Today’s gospel reveals the perfect example of Christ always winning. It’s not that he wasn’t tempted, it was that his heart and mind were clear and he knew that God had his back. Today, let’s bask in the humanity of Sweet Jesus and trust that we too can triumph over our temptations.

Pray about It: Sweet Jesus, you fought temptation like a boss, Please help me to resist temptation like you did. I love you Lord.

 

Live It! Challenge: Today, do an examination of conscience to see where you were tempted.

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March 8, 2014

Read It:

Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, “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 tax collectors
and others were at table with them.
The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying,
“Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do.
I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.”

Reflect on It:
"Follow me". The words in Scripture that are so simple, but so hard. Today, we are called to follow Christ without fear, in total confidence, knowing that he will provide everything to us. Come and follow him. I think about all the times I've been afraid to follow Jesus. Why? He promises us a life with him. We have nothing to fear.

Pray about It:
Lord, help me to follow you without fear. Help me to not be afraid.

Live It! Challenge: Today, come and follow Christ to the tabernacle. Stop by your local parish and pray for a few minutes in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

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Friday, March 5, 2014

Read It:

A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
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.
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
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.”
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
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.
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

Reflect on It: Today, I chose the Psalm, because it is so very good. A humble and contrite heart is all that God asks of us. He sees our hearts, he knows what's important. So, maybe you've already messed up on your Lenten sacrifice, maybe you haven't, but what is important is what's in your heart. Are you humble and contrite? Humility is all about knowing that there is a God and we're not him! Thank goodness. Where is your heart this Friday of Lent?

Pray about It: Father in heaven, you never spurn us when our hearts are humble and contrite. Please help us to be men and women who's hearts are full of love for you. Give us clean hearts that know of how good you are.

Live it! Challenge: At the end of today, make a good examination of conscience. When did you love God today? When did you fail to love him? Did you give him a humble heart?

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March 6, 2014

Read It:
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?”

Reflect on It: Lately, in the readings at mass, we have heard the importance of following Christ. Well before Twitter, Jesus was calling men and women to follow him. Unlike Twitter, this following required his disciples to give everything that had. See, love will always cost you something. It will always cost you your life. To come and follow Christ means denying yourself and the comfort of this world and follow him. The pay off is eternal life with Christ. This is a daily choice. Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that the "world offers us comfort. You were not made for comfort. You were made for Greatness". Following Christ, carrying our cross, reaching that greatness is never about what makes us comfortable, but instead what makes uncomfortable. Today, may we have the strength to carry our cross alongside of Christ who carries a much heavier cross than ours and to ask for help when we need it.

Pray about It: Sweet Jesus, you carried your cross and never settled for mediocrity. Help me to carry my cross with great love for you.

Live It! Challenge: Today, identify what cross Christ is asking for you to carry and how you can do that.

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58 Things you can give up or add for Lent

Sure, it's Ash Wednesday already, but here's a list of 58 things you can give up or add on in case you're stumped.

58 Things you can give up or add for Lent:
1. Get up on first ring of alarm (no snoozing)
2. Be kind to siblings
3. No texting week
4. No texting for all of Lent
5. No facebook for all of Lent
6. No meat for all of Lent
7. No slacking at school
8. Additional Daily mass per week
9. No sweets for all of Lent
10. Fasting every Friday of Lent
11. Attend Friday Stations of the Cross
12. Go to confession
13. Pray a Rosary
14. Holy Hour
15. Pray a Divine Mercy Chaplet
16. Being on time to Sunday Night Sessions
17. Read the Readings BEFORE mass
18. 10 minutes of prayer Daily
19. No buying sweets/candy
20. No fun until Homework is done each day.
21. Read the passion narratives in the Gospels.
22. Read this blog
23. Not watching any TV
24. Give up your favorite show for Lent
25. Morning prayer
26. Participate in Operation Rice Bowl
27. Early mass on Wednesdays
28. Donate to a charity
29. Give money at mass each week
30. Sell possession, give money to the Church
31. Donate some clothing that you like
32. Raise money for Super Dance
33. Pilgrimage to a Catholic Shrine
34. Pray with a friend at school
35. Do things that your parents ask of you without being asked more than once.
36. Eat only simple lunches during the week at school.
37. Give away the possession that means the most to you.
38. Babysit for free.
39. Attend all three masses/services during the Triduum
40. Attend the Easter Vigil

41. No loungy pants
42. No starbucks
43. Don't take the best spot available in the parking lot
44. Take the worst parking spot you can find 
45. Make the bed everyday before you leave the bedroom
46. Don't use the dishwasher
47. Don't buy anything (except maybe food)
48. Don't eat out at restaurants
49. Say one decade of the Rosary as a family each day

50. Turn off the radio in the car

51. Get up at a specific time each morning

52. Go to bed at a specific time each night

53. Read a book aloud as a family

54. Give up caffeine 
55. Turn the lights off in empty rooms
56. Have lights turned on in only one room at a time
57. Don't use electricity
58. Do an Examination of Conscience and say the Act of Contrition at night

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March 5, 2014: Ash Wednesday

Read It:

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.”

Reflect on It: In today's gospel, we hear about prayer, fasting and almsgiving. What's most important with these three things in the reading is the thought that they are to be done in secret and in private. Typically, for me, Ash Wednesday feels like the hardest day of the year. Times when I would never be hungry, I feel like I'm famished or it feels like the LONGEST day known to man kind. It doesn't seem to make sense. So, I get a little whiny about how much this sacrifice costs me: my comfort. Today, we're called to get uncomfortable as we journey with Jesus. Our Hearts are ready oh God, our hearts are ready.

Pray about It: My Heart is ready and willing Father. Let me carry my cross and die with you this Lent.

Live it! Challenge: Whenever you feel like prayer, fasting or almsgiving is too much today, offer the prayers for someone who doesn't know God.

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