Thursday of the Second Week of Lent - March 17, 2022

-

Jeremiah 17:5-10        Luke 16:19-31

Lent is a time of self-reflection and conversion. And so, I examine my life….

I am like the rich man in the gospel. I am abundantly blessed in all things, yet I do not share enough of what I have. I am callous like the rich man when I ignore and dismiss opportunities to right wrongs. I am arrogant like the rich man; too self-important to look beyond my comforts to hear cries for help. I am foolish like the rich man in assuming I will have tomorrow to change my ways.

I do not want to be like the rich man.

God reminds us during these 40 days of Lent that we can live in the hope that it is never too late to change our ways. It is not too late for me. It is not too late for any of us. But now is the time. Today is the day to do something radical that demonstrates my trust and hope in the path God is calling me to follow.

God is asking me to do something more; not necessarily something extravagant and most definitely not something beyond my abilities. He is asking me to do the ordinary with radical love and generosity. He wants me to ask the crying woman her name and offer to pray with her. He urges me to forgive the friend who does not take responsibility for the hurt they caused. Whatever it is He is asking of me, I just need to answer the call. He will take care of the rest.

God truly does not want me to have the fate of the rich man. God wants me to extend my hand and my heart to the Lazarus’ in my life. And therein lies the hope of a different fate: that one day Lazarus will be holding my hand in the Kingdom of Heaven instead of me begging him to extend his fingertip dipped in water to cool my lips.

Q: What distracts me from remaining with Jesus and staying in the moment throughout my day? Without shame, how can I turn my attention back to my life in Christ?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Monday of the First Week of Lent - March 11, 2019

-
Leviticus19:1-2, 11-18  Matthew 25:31-46 As I read my assignment for today, I felt relief. I knew these readings; I could relate to them. I had heard them multiple times and thought that I understood them well. The first reading from Leviticus tells me to love my neighbor as myself and to judge my neighbor justly. I know this! I believe this in my head! I often find it difficult to carry out, but I do believe it. Today’s gospel, Matthew 25, many of us know well through readings, songs, and social concerns committees, "Whatever you do for one of the least of …mine, you do to me." Feed the hungry; give drink to the thirsty; welcome the stranger; clothe the naked; comfort the sick; visit the prisoner. We try to do these things in our life. I decided to read our parish book, Stranger God by Richard Beck, to see how it could expand my understanding of Matthew 25 – and expand it did! After I read the book, I realized that I had been reading Matthew 25 literally. ...
Read more

Fifth Sunday of Lent - March 26, 2023

-
Isaiah 43:16-21 Philippians 3:8-14 John 8:1-11 Unfortunately, I am able to easily say that death is the most significant image that is present in my life at this time. My wife of 50+ years died approximately 2½ years ago. My wife was a seriously  committed Catholic and she was able to accept her death after an illness of less than 2 years. She said, “Jim, I am ready.” I think a lot about what “ready” means and what it meant to Kathy! Clearly, Kathy thought that she had accomplished a full life of being a mother to our children, being a loving and faithful wife to me, and being an active and meaningful friend to the people she met and the organizations she assisted and contributed to. She was at her best when assisting “others.” Probably the biggest contribution Kathy made to me and our children was that she has made it easy for us to face our own deaths because she was “at peace” with her imminent death; and yet she showed us a graceful way to handle the process and demonstrate tha...
Read more

Annunciation of the Lord - March 25, 2021

-
Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10 Psalm 40:7-8a,8b-9,10,11 Hebrews 10:4-10 Luke 1:26-38 In the Responsorial Psalm, I hear these words, “Here I am Lord, I come to do your will,” and I immediately begin to hum the song we hear so often during mass: “Here I am Lord, here I am, I come to do your will.“ As I begin each day at my kitchen table reading the daily scriptures, a reflective app on my phone, and the daily devotional Jesus Calling, I sit in joyful hope, waiting to hear what God has to say to me. Although I don’t believe I will ever hear the enormous call that our mother Mary heard in the Annunciation of our Lord, I do try every day to listen and hear what God is calling me to do as a humble daughter, sister, wife, mother, and friend. I feel all are called according to God’s plan in small and large ways; the trick is recognizing the signs when God is calling us. It is easy to get lost in all the “have to-dos of the day” in our crazy busy world. Today, let us start by asking Him to guide us to re...
Read more