Friday 10 March
Friday of the 2nd week of Lent First reading - Genesis 37:3-4,12-13,17-28 Here we read how the brothers out of jealousy sold Joseph? Jealousy is dangerous because it makes you do anything to destroy the other person. It takes out God from your life. Once jealousy starts to form in our heart against a person, we don’t want him or her in our world. We find mistakes in what this person speaks, in what this person does. We feel irritated in his or her presence. We are ready to do anything to avoid this person. All these because I am jealous. We become jealous when we forget the plan of God for each person. We become jealous when we forget that God is our Father. We become jealous when we feel threatened by others because we don’t feel protected by God. Let’s reflect: Lent is the time to purify ourselves from jealousy by believing in the plan of God for me.
Thursday 9 March
Thursday of the 2nd week of Lent Saint Frances of Rome, Religious First reading - Jeremiah 17:5-10 The reading from the book of Jeremiah continues. He clearly tells us the difference between a person who puts his trust in man and a person who puts his trust in God. This is especially true when it comes to a difficult situation. For many of us, when we are in a crisis or in a hard situation, the first complaint is that there is no one to help us. But when we read this passage, this complaint has no value because we have the Lord to put our trust. When we turn to Lord the help is assured. When we turn to others, it depends upon different situations. This must become a habit. This must become automatic. We must understand the difference in trusting the Lord and trusting man or trusting in oneself. A curse on the man who puts his trust in man, who relies on things of flesh, whose heart turns from the Lord. He is like dry scrub in the wastelands: if good comes, he has no eyes for it, he settles in the parched places of the wilderness, a salt land, uninhabited. ‘A blessing on the man who puts his trust in the Lord, with the Lord for his hope. He is like a tree by the waterside that thrusts its roots to the stream: when the heat comes it feels no alarm, its foliage stays green; it has no worries in a year of drought, and never ceases to bear fruit. Let’s reflect: Lent is the time to reaffirm our trust in the Lord knowing the difference from trusting in oneself or others around.A warm welcome
Every year - during Lent - I hold a contemplative hour for our residents in our senior center. This time I took the opportunity to welcome our new facility manager Mr. Felix Angsten, who starts on February 1, 2023 and our new nursing service manager Mrs. Maureen Nuppeney who took over her duties on March 1, 2023, as the person responsible for our facility - under God's blessing in prayer. Many residents came to the chapel and so we prayed and sang for them and for each other - so that we can strengthen each other on our way. Because together we are strong. At a subsequent meeting in our refectory, we sisters greeted them once again and welcomed them. Prayer God, You have given us different gifts. To no one did You give everything and to no one did You give nothing. To each one you give a part. Help us that we on our common way, serve one another with that with what You give to each one for the benefit of all. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. We look forward to the common way into the future. Sister M. Felicitas with all the Sisters from the Klosterberg in Cochem