Sunday 5 March
2nd Sunday of Lent First reading - Genesis 12:1-4 The reading is about the call of Abraham. “‘Leave your country, your family and your father’s house, for the land I will show you.”. There is no indication about the destination. The only indication about the destination that God will show him. Then at the end of the passage we read, “So, Abram went as the Lord told him”. A journey without knowing the destination. A journey without directions. But where do you go? To where the Lord will show me. The only destination is the Word of God. The only direction is the Word of God. There is a very profound meaning in this call. The destination is in the mind of God and the way to that destination is also in the mind of God. This whole call of Abraham works in a different level. A level where the life is completely entrusted to God. Designed and guided by God. This complete entrusting of Abraham makes him the father of all. In our cases, we want to know the destination first, or even we want to choose the destination. Then once we know the destination of our journey, we make the way to reach there, our own way to reach there. This is where we lose. A journey of faith is that where God choses both the destination and the way to that destination. Let’s reflect: During this Lenten season, am I growing in faith by letting God chose my destination and the way to that destination?
Saturday 4 March
Saturday of the 1st week of Lent Saint Casimir First reading - Deuteronomy 26:16-19 “The Lord your God today commands you to observe these laws and customs; you must keep and observe them with all your heart and with all your soul”. Moses is speaking to the People of God about the observance of the laws and customs. When we hear the word, “law”, it appears as someone is imposing. Someone is dictating. We live in a world of laws of the civil society. But we should confuse the law which Moses is speaking and the civil laws. The Law of the Lord is different. How is it different? It is different because Moses is asking to observe them with all our heart and with all our soul. Nothing can be done with all our heart and with all our soul except love. There we understand how the Law of the Lord is different. The Law of the Lord is the Love of the Lord. It’s the love of God which calls for a response of love from us. We are loved by God, and we must respond to that love. Only with our love to God, the love of God will become productive in us. It’s like the good seed sown into the soil. The soil must welcome the seed and let it grow. He keeps loving us but only our loving response will bring changes in us, will bring in us the effects of that consecration. Let’s reflect: Lent is the time to analyze whether I am seeing the Law of the Lord as the Love of the Lord.
Friday 3 March
First Friday of the Month - Devotion to the Sacred Heart Friday of the 1st week of Lent First reading - Ezekiel 18:21-28 Prophet Ezekiel is clearly underlining our personal responsibility in our sins. Not only regarding our sins but also about our conversion. It’s ultimately our choice that makes the difference. We can blame others and situation for ours sins but finally it is our choice. We forget this. We normally say that others made me angry, others made me do that, others provoked me, others suggested it. Yes, these are circumstances, but in the midst of these circumstances you make the choice how to react. So, at the end I am responsible for my action. Again, it is our choice to continue sinning or to give up sinning and repent for the sins. The Lord awaits our return. As soon as we renounce our sins, He welcomes us forgetting all our sins. Let’s reflect: Lent is the time to grow in our personal responsibility about the integrity of our actions.
Thursday 2 March
Thursday of the 1st week of Lent First reading - Esther 4:17 “Queen Esther took refuge with the Lord in the mortal peril which had overtaken her. She besought the Lord God of Israel in these words”. This is the example of Esther. We must be inspired by this. Taking refuge, beseeching the Lord God and empowering oneself before our challenges and crisis. Taking refuge comes from the unfailing trust in the Lord which you can see in these words, “My Lord, our King, the only one, come to my help, for I am alone and have no helper but you and am about to take my life in my hands”. The trust in the Lord which comes from our faith formation. Formation specially by the reading the Word of God and by the participation in the Sacraments. It’s a surety that God will help. And with this trust you entrust your life pouring out your anguish or agony or worries. This is followed by empowering oneself from his power, “As for me, give me courage, King of gods and master of all power. Put persuasive words into my mouth...”. The situation of agony or stress becomes a dialogue of confidence and empowerment in the Lord. Let’s reflect: Is this Lent a dialogue of empowerment from the Lord to face my challenges in life?