Wednesday 1 March
Wednesday of the 1st week of Lent First reading - Jonah 3:1-10 The entire story of Jonah shows how much God wants to take care of us even when we are going away from Him. He sends His messenger to invite us to change our way of behaviour. He does not abandon and not only just words. God is concrete in His love. Jonah is real. God wants that we repent and get back to Him. And the people of Nineveh responded to that call. And the Word of God says, “God saw their efforts to renounce their evil behaviour, and God relented: he did not inflict on them the disaster which he had threatened.” God saw their efforts and God accepted it. Our efforts are enough for God. So, we continue with our efforts to get back to God. First, we have to find out the ways God is reaching out to us. And then we must make our efforts to make a change. Let’s reflect: During this Lent, am I aware of the ways God is reaching out to me asking to get back to Him?
Tuesday 28 February
Tuesday of the 1st week of Lent First reading - Isaiah 55:10-11 How much consoling is this Word of God! The desired effect is assured. We find lot of disappointing facts around us and even in us. Then we must remember this Word of God. “the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do”. The will of God will be carried out by His Word. So whatever happens around you and in you, stay subject to the Word of God which will bring the effect desired by God. It’s also interesting the comparison used in this Word of God. The Word of God is compared to the rain and snow coming down from the heavens to water the earth, making it yield and giving growth to provide the seed for the sower, and bread for the eating. By accepting the Word of God into our life, we are letting the grace of God shower upon us to make fruitful our talents, our gifts and our opportunities. The grace makes us fruitful for the benefit of others. So, through the Word of God we become the channels of grace to others as the rain makes the seeds to become bread for the eating. Let’s reflect: How much close am I to the Word of God during this Lent so that I become fruitful for others?
Monday 27 February
Monday of the 1st week of Lent Saint Gregory of Narek, Abbot and Doctor of the Church It’s very interesting to notice the connection between the who the Lord is and how we must behave each. These prescriptions begin with the sentence, “Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy”. We are called to be holy because the Lord is holy. To deal with Lord who is Holy, we must be holy. And we can become holy by acting according to the instructions of the Lord. These instructions are for us to become holy like the Lord. The key is to make the other person part of you. Treat him or her as he or she is part of you. “You must love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord”. We can welcome others to us as ourselves only when you recognize the Lordship of the Lord over me and over others in the same way. We often discriminate the other because we forget that the other and us, we have the same Lord, and we all are equally important for Him. Accepting the Lordship of the Lord over the other person is welcoming the other person as myself. Because the Lord is Lord over me too. It’s loving the other person as myself. Let’s reflect: In my Lent, how much I accept the Lordship of the Lord over others as that of mine?
Sunday 26 February
1st Sunday of Lent First reading - Genesis 2:7-9,3:1-7 “Did God really say you were not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?” This is the question of Satan. “Do you want to follow God with your life, or do you want to become like gods?” It is the fundamental question which lies in the heart of every man and woman. The choice to be with God or to pretend be gods. To be close to the source of light or to pretend to be light. The temptation comes with the feeling that the ways to be with God, to be close to God are meaningless or even not necessary. It comes with the temptation of extreme self-empowerment which is very much appealing to our reason. We want to fully ourselves. We don’t want to depend on anything. I decide my life. I decide what to do. This extreme independent is hollow and senseless, as you can never be independent even one side. You are dependent on so many things around you, starting with air, created by God. Moreover our togetherness with God is not a dependency. It’s part of our being. We belong to Him. We are part of His plan. Once we realize this, all norms about following the Lord seem a help and not a restriction, a path and not a wall, a grace and not a law. Let’s reflect: In my Lent how much I see the precepts of the Lord as a grace to be with Him?