Today's Readings for Ash Wednesday, March 9, 2011 (text) (audio) & reflections.
Basic Rules for Lent
Lent is a time for more prayer and almsgiving. Fasting and abstinence. Fasting obliges all Catholics, age 18 through 59, to refrain from eating between meals and to limit their eating to one full meal and two lighter meals a day. And abstinence, which obliges those 14 years of age and older not to eat meat. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday include both fasting and abstinence. And every Friday in Lent is a day without meat. (with Good Friday being both abstaining from meat and fasting).
Many people also give up things like chocolate, alcohol, watching a favorite TV show, or in other cases, Facebook. Some use the time as a way to make good on New Year's resolutions - like go to the gym 3 times a week. While these ideas are all good to increase one's discipline - the focus should really be, the things or habits or practices that keep you from loving God with all your heart, mind and soul. Spending more time to grow in your relationship with God is the sweet spot.
Put aside some time prayer and reflection. Read the Bible. Go to daily mass or confession when offered. Visit the sick in a hospital or a nursing home. It is somewhat ironic, because these acts will really bring you closer to God, and they are not a burden once you try and actually do these things. The irony? These little acts of kindness will make you feel better, and allow Jesus to accomplish what He wanted to for all of us. He wants to make our joy complete. Trust Him, He loves you.
Showing posts with label Ash Wednesday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ash Wednesday. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Ash Wednesday Feb. 17, 2010
Today's readings: February 17, 2010
Reading One: Joel 2:12-18;
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11 ;
Second Reading: 2 Cor 5:20—6:2 ;
Gospel: Mt 28:8-15;
go to this page (for all three sections listed above on one page).
And here's an audio file; and a video of a priest offering reflections.
First Reading
Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the LORD, your God.
For gracious and merciful is he,
slow to anger, rich in kindness,
and relenting in punishment.
Perhaps he will again relent
and leave behind him a blessing,
Offerings and libations
for the LORD, your God.
Blow the trumpet in Zion!
proclaim a fast,
call an assembly;
Gather the people,
notify the congregation;
Assemble the elders,
gather the children
and the infants at the breast;
Let the bridegroom quit his room
and the bride her chamber.
Between the porch and the altar
let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep,
And say, “Spare, O LORD, your people,
and make not your heritage a reproach,
with the nations ruling over them!
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’”
Then the LORD was stirred to concern for his land
and took pity on his people.
Responsorial Psalm
51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 and 17
R. (see 3a) Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
“Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight.”
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Second Reading
2 Cor 5:20—6:2
We are ambassadors for Christ,
as if God were appealing through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
Working together, then,
we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
For he says:
In an acceptable time I heard you,
and on the day of salvation I helped you.
Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.
Gospel:
Mt 6:1-6, 16-18
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms,
do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you pray,
do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room,
close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you fast,
do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast,
anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”
This year, I regret I do not enter Lent with the same sense of excitement as last year, when I was planning to go on an actual journey - like travels. But the time of reflection is still important to me. Going to keep it simple today - for Lent, we are asked to focus on 3 things 1) Pray 2) Give Alms 3) Fast. In addition, we are supposed to do these things quietly - not to show how wonderful we are, or to impress anyone.
The last year for me has been a wonderful year of prayer time. It has born much fruit and I am thankful. It was time well spent. I will pass on a great quote from Søren Kierkegaard - Prayer does not change God, but it changes those who pray. In my own walk through life, I have found this to be a true statement.
Giving Alms - If you are a kid, maybe that means picking up your clothes and being more helpful to your parents, quietly and without fanfare. For adults - it might mean that you smile at the homeless person on your way to work in lieu of turning your head. Better still, break bread with the person and share a meal.
As for fasting - try and give up those things in the earthly realm that are holding you back from loving God and man with all your heart. And if possible, perhaps it involves a cost ... why not give some of those savings to the poor. Usually it can be done by just going to church and putting some in the basket. again, quietly.
Reading One: Joel 2:12-18;
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11 ;
Second Reading: 2 Cor 5:20—6:2 ;
Gospel: Mt 28:8-15;
go to this page (for all three sections listed above on one page).
And here's an audio file; and a video of a priest offering reflections.
First Reading
Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the LORD, your God.
For gracious and merciful is he,
slow to anger, rich in kindness,
and relenting in punishment.
Perhaps he will again relent
and leave behind him a blessing,
Offerings and libations
for the LORD, your God.
Blow the trumpet in Zion!
proclaim a fast,
call an assembly;
Gather the people,
notify the congregation;
Assemble the elders,
gather the children
and the infants at the breast;
Let the bridegroom quit his room
and the bride her chamber.
Between the porch and the altar
let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep,
And say, “Spare, O LORD, your people,
and make not your heritage a reproach,
with the nations ruling over them!
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’”
Then the LORD was stirred to concern for his land
and took pity on his people.
Responsorial Psalm
51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 and 17
R. (see 3a) Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
“Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight.”
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Second Reading
2 Cor 5:20—6:2
We are ambassadors for Christ,
as if God were appealing through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
Working together, then,
we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
For he says:
In an acceptable time I heard you,
and on the day of salvation I helped you.
Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.
Gospel:
Mt 6:1-6, 16-18
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms,
do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you pray,
do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room,
close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you fast,
do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast,
anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”
This year, I regret I do not enter Lent with the same sense of excitement as last year, when I was planning to go on an actual journey - like travels. But the time of reflection is still important to me. Going to keep it simple today - for Lent, we are asked to focus on 3 things 1) Pray 2) Give Alms 3) Fast. In addition, we are supposed to do these things quietly - not to show how wonderful we are, or to impress anyone.
The last year for me has been a wonderful year of prayer time. It has born much fruit and I am thankful. It was time well spent. I will pass on a great quote from Søren Kierkegaard - Prayer does not change God, but it changes those who pray. In my own walk through life, I have found this to be a true statement.
Giving Alms - If you are a kid, maybe that means picking up your clothes and being more helpful to your parents, quietly and without fanfare. For adults - it might mean that you smile at the homeless person on your way to work in lieu of turning your head. Better still, break bread with the person and share a meal.
As for fasting - try and give up those things in the earthly realm that are holding you back from loving God and man with all your heart. And if possible, perhaps it involves a cost ... why not give some of those savings to the poor. Usually it can be done by just going to church and putting some in the basket. again, quietly.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Lenten Journey - year Two
She'll be coming 'round the mountain when she comes... yep, it is that time of year again, and at present, it is virtually upon us - time for Lent. In case you missed last year's winding road through many states and states of spiritual discovery, start at the beginning, which last year began on February 17, 2009 - with a William Yeats' poem, a prayer for my daughter. It remains a favorite poem, and I must say thank you. My daughters have grown up so much in the last year - and yes, in ways that are very pleasing to a father who loves them. And so, thanks to God who hears all of our prayers and answers them if they are in our best interest, which is another way of saying - if it is His will. Yes indeed - I have had many prayers that went unanswered, but given the passage of time, it seems these unanswered prayers were probably in my best interest... i just didn't know it or understand it at the time.
To read through last year - start at the link above, and at the end of each post.. is a link for a newer post. This way you can go through it in the order it was written.
I am totally unprepared for this year - and still haven't decided what I am even going to do. As such, please do me a favor and pray for me. That would be very nice of you.
To read through last year - start at the link above, and at the end of each post.. is a link for a newer post. This way you can go through it in the order it was written.
I am totally unprepared for this year - and still haven't decided what I am even going to do. As such, please do me a favor and pray for me. That would be very nice of you.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Ash Wednesday
Today's readings: February 25, 2009
Reading One: Jl 2:12-18 ;
Responsorial Psalm: 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 and 17 ;
Reading Two: 2 Cor 5:20-6:2 ;
Gospel : Mt 6:1-6, 16-18 ;
go to this page(for all three sections listed above on one page)
And here's some audio file; & reflections (video)
The day began a little later than expected, waking up at 5:00 am in lieu of the usual 4:15 time, when my dog asks to go out and explore the wonderful things of the new day. Which worked out fine, as I stayed up late and took in the evening show of Slumdog Millionaire with a dear friend. Each of us had already seen it before, but it is the kind of movie you find all kinds of new things each time you watch it. Salim, a brother who is often less than a perfect brother his whole life, finds a way out of his mess in one final act of amazing sacrifice and generosity. His final words - God is Great, was a wonderful way to begin Lent (the movie ended about 12:01am).
This morning the day started with trying to do my best to figure out where and what to read in the new four volume set of the Divine Office. I have not had a chance to look over a companion book I got to help me, called The Divine Office for Dodos. Hmmm, maybe I should have done more research.
One of my greatest blessings is taking communion to the sick. If you are a Eucharist minister, by all means consider giving this ministry a try. I suspect you will have the same experience - where you find yourself blessed beyond description, and benefit from giving up just a little bit of your time, for the Love of Christ and God's children. I think for every baby step we take to get closer to Jesus, He takes 20 giant steps toward us. Why He has been so kind to one as undeserving as myself makes little sense to me, other than what scripture says about it. How He chooses the least to do wonderful things, so that you know the Glory comes from Him alone, and not from man. Since sharing my joy about this ministry is apeears to be direct opposition to what is written in the Gospel today (v. 3 & 4)... I certainly qualify as a lout. But please forgive me, my hope is that others find the joy in this service that comes with the territory. Since 99.9% of the people reading this have no clue who I am, I hope God forgives me too, and makes my intent for sharing this joy pure and full of love.
After a bit of reflection, I decided to go to the mountains on the first leg of my journey, off to Franklin, NC to St Francis of Assisi church where, God willing I will celebrate mass at 9:00am with one of my favorite priests in the Diocese of Western Carolina (I love all of you priests, don't worry :~). But Father Tien will always have a special place in my heart. The grace he received during his many years in prison in Vietnam shine like a glorious crown. His crime? Being a devout Catholic. Please find time today to pray for all priests and religious, giving thanks for the example they provide, the bread of life they assist in bringing to the faithful, and also the love they have for all us of little lambies.
Finally - I ask that you offer some prayers for George Mangan, aka Chief who died yesterday of cancer. He was my favorite teacher in high school, and passed quietly after many years of suffering. He not only taught me a lot about how to live, but also about how to die. A great man, May God welcome him home and may he rest in peace. I also ask that you say some prayers for Charlotte, still recovering from head injuries, Amanda, a nine year with brain cancer, Morgan, a five year old girl with serious digestive problems who was released from the hospital the other day, and Peter, a young teenager who became ill from too many years of being taunted by classmates for being different. And for young 33 year old man, the son of a friend who is pondering a vocation to the priesthood. Thank you, and please pray for me, that I might better serve Christ without fear, in a world that seems to take great umbrage in His words of kindness, mercy, forgiveness, generosity and love. May God bless you and keep you safe.
Reading One: Jl 2:12-18 ;
Responsorial Psalm: 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 and 17 ;
Reading Two: 2 Cor 5:20-6:2 ;
Gospel : Mt 6:1-6, 16-18 ;
go to this page(for all three sections listed above on one page)
And here's some audio file; & reflections (video)
The day began a little later than expected, waking up at 5:00 am in lieu of the usual 4:15 time, when my dog asks to go out and explore the wonderful things of the new day. Which worked out fine, as I stayed up late and took in the evening show of Slumdog Millionaire with a dear friend. Each of us had already seen it before, but it is the kind of movie you find all kinds of new things each time you watch it. Salim, a brother who is often less than a perfect brother his whole life, finds a way out of his mess in one final act of amazing sacrifice and generosity. His final words - God is Great, was a wonderful way to begin Lent (the movie ended about 12:01am).
This morning the day started with trying to do my best to figure out where and what to read in the new four volume set of the Divine Office. I have not had a chance to look over a companion book I got to help me, called The Divine Office for Dodos. Hmmm, maybe I should have done more research.
One of my greatest blessings is taking communion to the sick. If you are a Eucharist minister, by all means consider giving this ministry a try. I suspect you will have the same experience - where you find yourself blessed beyond description, and benefit from giving up just a little bit of your time, for the Love of Christ and God's children. I think for every baby step we take to get closer to Jesus, He takes 20 giant steps toward us. Why He has been so kind to one as undeserving as myself makes little sense to me, other than what scripture says about it. How He chooses the least to do wonderful things, so that you know the Glory comes from Him alone, and not from man. Since sharing my joy about this ministry is apeears to be direct opposition to what is written in the Gospel today (v. 3 & 4)... I certainly qualify as a lout. But please forgive me, my hope is that others find the joy in this service that comes with the territory. Since 99.9% of the people reading this have no clue who I am, I hope God forgives me too, and makes my intent for sharing this joy pure and full of love.
After a bit of reflection, I decided to go to the mountains on the first leg of my journey, off to Franklin, NC to St Francis of Assisi church where, God willing I will celebrate mass at 9:00am with one of my favorite priests in the Diocese of Western Carolina (I love all of you priests, don't worry :~). But Father Tien will always have a special place in my heart. The grace he received during his many years in prison in Vietnam shine like a glorious crown. His crime? Being a devout Catholic. Please find time today to pray for all priests and religious, giving thanks for the example they provide, the bread of life they assist in bringing to the faithful, and also the love they have for all us of little lambies.
Finally - I ask that you offer some prayers for George Mangan, aka Chief who died yesterday of cancer. He was my favorite teacher in high school, and passed quietly after many years of suffering. He not only taught me a lot about how to live, but also about how to die. A great man, May God welcome him home and may he rest in peace. I also ask that you say some prayers for Charlotte, still recovering from head injuries, Amanda, a nine year with brain cancer, Morgan, a five year old girl with serious digestive problems who was released from the hospital the other day, and Peter, a young teenager who became ill from too many years of being taunted by classmates for being different. And for young 33 year old man, the son of a friend who is pondering a vocation to the priesthood. Thank you, and please pray for me, that I might better serve Christ without fear, in a world that seems to take great umbrage in His words of kindness, mercy, forgiveness, generosity and love. May God bless you and keep you safe.
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