Lent, Day Thirty-Six, Fifth Wednesday of Lent-

Lent, Day Thirty-Six, Fifth Wednesday of Lent-
You are Christian only
   so long as you look forward to a new world,
   so long as you constantly pose critical questions to the society you live in,
   so long as you emphasize the need of conversion both for yourself and for the world,
   so long as you in no way let yourself become established in a situation of seeming calm,
   so long as you stay unsatisfied with the status quo and keep saying that a new world is yet to come. 
You are Christian only when you believe that you have a role to play in the realization of this new kingdom, and when you urge everyone you meet with a holy unrest to make haste so that the promise might soon be fulfilled.

Henri J.M. Nouwen
With Open hands, pg 72

Scripture:
 ²² News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. ²³ When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. ²⁴ He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
²⁵ Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, ²⁶ and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
Acts 11:22-26

PRAYER
Giving and forgiving God, I have called myself your disciple but perhaps this title is truly undeserved. I want to live in comfort even though a life of sacrifice is needed for the world's renewal. I too easily turn a blind eye to injustice and put the oppressed and forgotten into the category of "someday."I hide behind the presumed safety of the status quo, even though you have asked that I work for a new kingdom. Even so, I ask your help to be converted from a member of the present secular society to a willing worker for a new order, and new life, and a new truth. Amen.

LENTEN ACTION
In preparation for Easter, plan to celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation.