April 2, 2011

Read It:
Jesus addressed this parable
to those who were convinced of their own righteousness
and despised everyone else.
“Two people went up to the temple area to pray;
one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.
The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself,
‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity —
greedy, dishonest, adulterous — or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week,
and I pay tithes on my whole income.’
But the tax collector stood off at a distance
and would not even raise his eyes to heaven
but beat his breast and prayed,
‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’
I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former;
for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Reflect about It: "Be Merciful to me a sinner" is what the tax collector says to God. The tax collector knew that he was not worthy to be forgiven, but had hope that God would be merciful to him. He had a heart that was humble and contrite, he knew he did not deserve mercy, but that he would be forgiven because he knew he was a sinner. He is unlike the Pharisee, who seemed to do all the right stuff, but not with the right heart. We are all sinners, Do we truly admit that?

Pray about It: O God, be merciful to me a sinner.

Live It! Challenge: Ponder the attitudes behind the things that you do. Change one that is not so good.

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Wednesday, March 23

Read It:
As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem,
he took the Twelve disciples aside by themselves,
and said to them on the way,
“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem,
and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests
and the scribes,
and they will condemn him to death,
and hand him over to the Gentiles
to be mocked and scourged and crucified,
and he will be raised on the third day.”

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons
and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.
He said to her, “What do you wish?”
She answered him,
“Command that these two sons of mine sit,
one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.”
Jesus said in reply,
“You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”
They said to him, “We can.”
He replied,
“My chalice you will indeed drink,
but to sit at my right and at my left,
this is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
When the ten heard this,
they became indignant at the two brothers.
But Jesus summoned them and said,
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and the great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Reflect on It:

In today's Gospel, we see that Jesus did not come to be served but to serve. It was a radical concept even then! He gave his life as a ransom as many. Today's gospel is a great challenge for us to look at service. Not just service projects, or going to the soup kitchen, but do we truly have a servant's heart. Jesus was ALWAYS putting others before himself and he loved them with a sacrifical heart. That's what service is about: Being willing to die for another. Are we truly willing to die for our brothers and sisters in Christ? This may not mean physical death, but perhaps Christ is calling us to let our siblings choose the tv show you watch at night or for you to pray for the person at school that is so annoying. Death to yourself means little things like not taking the bigger peice of cake or choosing to have a tough conversation with someone. How can you be a servant to someone today?

Pray about it: Dear Lord, help me to know who you want me to serve today and how I can die to myself a little more each day. It is in dying that we are brought into eternal life.

Live it! Challenge: Today, choose to serve your parent (or another family member) by doing something for them today. Perhaps you can make them breakfast or do all the dishes in the sink, or do one of their chores.

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Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Read It:

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
“The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people’s shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’
As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called ‘Master’;
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

Reflect on it: Today's Gospel is all about a big, fat piece of humble pie. In the Gospel, we are told to humble ourselves, so that we might be exalted. Our society today tells us to be people who do anything for attention,to speak of our greatness and to above all, be people who are self reliant and perfect. Today's Gospel reminds us that humility and humbleness of heart is truly what has us inherit eternal life.


Pray about it: Mama Mary! Help me to be small and meek and humble just like you are! Show me the way to your son so that we too may be humbled. Sweet Jesus, help us to be close to you through our humility and to do everything for the greater glory of God.

Live it! Challenge: Today, be humble about something that you do exceedingly well.

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