Wednesday, March 29

Read It:
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”

Reflect on It: Do you follow the commandments? Today's Gospel is about following God's law: The commandments. This law is not going to go away. Today's lesson is really simple: Follow the law of the land. If you obey the commandments, you will be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Sometimes this seems so hard to really follow God's law, but it is within this law that we truly find freedom. These rules tell us more than what not to do, they tell us how to live, how to have moral lives and this is why if we follow them, we will be the greatest in the Kingdom.

Pray about It: Holy Spirit, come into my heart today and help me to LOVE the commandments that you give to us. Help me to see how they free me up to love you more. I ask this in your name. Amen.


Live It! Challenge: One of the best ways to see how you are living the commandments is by doing an examination of conscience. Today, use and examination of conscience based on the 10 commandments (I've pasted one below) and go to confession!

An Examination of Conscience
1. You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve. (The First Commandment teaches us to put God first in our lives)
How do I spend my time each day? Do I remember that God loves me? Do I remember to give thanks to God for all that I have received? Do I try to love the people God has placed in my life? Do I have my priorities in order? Do I pray?
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. (The second commandment teaches us to speak carefully, to respect the power of of our words, and to say only what we mean to say.)
Do I pay attention to the way my words affect others? Do I misuse God's name to express anger or frustration? Do I make promises in God's name and then break them? Do I say hurtful things to others when I am angry or upset? Do I pay attention to the words I use and the impact they have on others? Do I put down other people?
3. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. (The third commandment teaches us to take time to worship God regularly and frequently.)
Do I take time each week to pray and to worship God? Do I take part in Mass on a regular basis, at least every Sunday? Do I remember that my strength comes from God, and that without God I can do nothing? Do I take time to relax and appreciate all that God has given me? Do I make time to get to know my family and my friends better?
4. Honour your father and your mother (The fourth commandment teaches us to appreciate our parents)
Do I show respect for my parents, and for all who take care of me? Am I too critical of my parents? Do I do things to upset my parents on purpose?
5. You shall not kill. (The fifth commandment teaches us to appreciate life)
Do I value all people? Do I do things to undermine the value of other people? Do I do things that harm the life I have been given? Do I take good care of myself? Do I encourage other people to take good care of themselves?
6. You shall not commit adultery (The sixth commandment teaches us to keep our promises, and to protect our sexuality)
Do I value and respect my sexuality? Do I try to develop healthy relationships and avoid relationships where people are treated like things? Do I express my sexuality in appropriate ways? Do I respect the relationship God has set up between sexual intimacy and marriage?
7. You shall not steal (The seventh commandment teaches us to respect private property and the rights of others)
Do I consider the needs and rights of others every time I take or use anything? Do I respect public property and the property of other people? Do I take more than I need? Do I share generously? Do I do the best work that I am able to give? Does my lifestyle make life harder for other people?
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (The eighth commandment teaches us always to speak the truth and never to say more than is necessary)
Am I a truthful person? Do I try to mislead other people? Do I say things just to hurt other people? Do I gossip? Do I let gossip influence my opinions of other people?
You shall not covet your neighbor's partner (The ninth commandment teaches us to avoid inappropriate relationships)
Do I think of other people as whole people, or as just a body, or just a mind? Do I let myself be convinced by some media that a person's value is based on appearance, strength, or intelligence? Do I remember that all people are created in the image of God?
10. You shall not covet your neighbor's things. (The tenth commandment teaches us to find happiness where we are)
Do I let greed or envy take over my thoughts? Do I let others suffer so I can have more? Do I think my own wants are more important than other people's? Do I remember that it is who I am, not what I own, that is really important?

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Wednesday, March 15

Read it:

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.”

Because the Gospel talks about the Old Testament directly, here is the other reading as well. Do not be daunted...it's a good read!

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 LORD’s 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 day’s 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.

Reflect on it:
Today's Gospel is all about repentance. Jonah went to Nineveh and preached repentance and all of Nineveh fasted, wore sackcloth and repented. While those in Nineveh repented, we too are called to repent, not because Jonah told us, but instead because God sent his Son to forgive! Jesus is a sign of repentance. Should we choose not to repent, then our punishment shall be worse than those of Nineveh Jesus is the sign of repentance to this generation. There's a song where the lyrics say: "Oh God let us be a generation that sees, see your face Oh God of Jacob". One of the greatest ways to see his face is through the sacraments, especially that of confession.

Pray it: Sweet Jesus, you are a sign for this generation. Help me to always know of your mercy and to trust that it is enough for me! Help me to truly repent of my sinful ways and to never sin again.

Live it! Challenge: Every Wednesday in Lent EVERY parish in the Diocese of Arlington and the Archdiocese of Washington is open for confession from 6:30-8:30 pm. Today's challenge is simple. Be someone who repents by going to confession.

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