Lent, Day Twenty-Eighth, Fourth Tuesday of Lent

Lent, Day Twenty-Eighth, Fourth Tuesday of Lent
Jesus can be called Teacher in the fullest sense of the word precisely because He did not cling to His prerogatives but became one of the many who have to learn. His life makes it clear to us that we do not need weapons, that we do not need to hide ourselves or play competitive games with each other. Only he who is not afraid to show his weaknesses and who allows himself to be touched by the tender hand of the Teacher will be able to be a real student.

Henri J.M. Nouwen
Creative Ministry, pg 56

Scripture:
¹⁷ As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
¹⁸ “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’^[a]”
²⁰ “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
²¹ Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
²² At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Mark 10:17-22

PRAYER
Teacher God, touch my heart with understanding so that I may discern your perfect ways and follow them. Many times your challenges seem overwhelming to me, and I slink silently away from them. Develop my capabilities so that I can follow you in spite of the sacrifices that you demand. Give me the grace to become a wise learner, one who is not a fiercely competitive game player but one who can humbly value and follow your truth. Amen.
 

LENTEN ACTION
Saint Antony, father of the monastic way of living, heard Jesus' words to "sell what you have, give the money to the poor, and come follow me" and did exactly that. He ended up alone in the desert. While we may be more like the young man than Saint Antony, at least make one significant contribution this Lent to aid the poor.

Lent, Day Twenty-Seven, FourthMonday of Lent

Lent, Day Twenty-Seven, Fourth Monday of Lent 
My second suggestion for claiming your blessedness is the cultivation of presence. By presence I mean attentiveness to the blessings that come to you day after day, year after year. The problem of modern living is that we are too busy... to notice that we are being blessed. Often, people say good things about us, but we brush them aside with remarks such as, "Oh, don't mention it." These remarks may seem to be expressions of humility, but they are in fact, signs that we are not truly present to receive the blessings that are given. It is not easy for us, busy people, to receive a blessing... to stop, listen, pay attention and receive gracefully what is offered to us.

Henri J.M. Nouwen
Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World, pg 54

Scripture:
¹⁷ “Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. ¹⁸ But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. ¹⁹ Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, ²⁰ and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. ²¹ Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.
Acts 3:17-21

PRAYER
All-powerful God, help me to recognize your glory in every blessing you have bestowed on me, in all that you have created, and especially in other human beings, no matter what their state or circumstance. When I find myself failing to notice the beauty of a moonlit night, the abundance of harvest fruits and vegetables, the perfection of clouds against a blue sky,slow me down and give me gratitude and reverence for all your gifts. Amen.

LENTEN ACTION
Slowdown today and savor every moment God has given you.

Lent, Day Twenty-Six, Fourth Sunday of Lent

Lent, Day Twenty-Six, Fourth Sunday of Lent
Nicodemus admired Jesus, but was afraid to lose the respect of his own colleagues. I am becoming more and more aware of the importance of looking at these fearful sympathizers because that is the group I find myself mostly gravitating toward.

I love Jesus but want to hold on to my own friends even when they do not lead me closer to Jesus. I love Jesus but want to hold on to my own independence even when that independence brings me no real freedom... I love Jesus but do not want to give up my writing plans, travel plans, and speaking plans, even when these plans are often more to my glory than to the glory of God.

So I am like Nicodemus, who came by night, said safe things about Jesus to his colleagues, and expressed his guilt by bringing to the grave more myrrh and aloes (John 19:39) than needed or desired.

Henri J.M. Nouwen
The Road to Daybreak: A Spiritual Journey, pg 52

Scripture:
⁴⁰ On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.”
⁴¹ Others said, “He is the Messiah.”
Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee? ⁴² Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?” ⁴³ Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. ⁴⁴ Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.
⁴⁵ Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”
⁴⁶ “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied.
⁴⁷ “You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. ⁴⁸ “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? ⁴⁹ No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.”
⁵⁰ Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, ⁵¹ “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?”
⁵² They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”John 7:40-52

PRAYER
Dearest God, help me to evaluate my motivations and actions in the light of your purposes and not be held sway by the advice of friends and opinion makers. Let me look to you rather than to others for guidance, for in setting that priority I learn to renounce my own will and keep peace with you. Amen.

LENTEN ACTION
Make a list of those things and people who most influence you, for example, friends, family, media, public opinion, and so on. Weed out one of those influences that are most unhealthy. In addition, this Lent make it a point to stand up for one unpopular but morally sound point of view.

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The Fourth Sunday in Lent
The Collect.
GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Epistle. Galatians iv. 21. TELL me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not: break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.


The Gospel. St. John vi. 1. JESUS went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.

 

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Hymn Suggestions

Kind maker of the world (office hymn) - Jesu dulcis memoria 56
O food to men wayfaring - O esca viatorum 192
My God, thy table now is spread - Rockingham 203
Humbly I adore thee - Adoro Devote 204
Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness - Schmuecke Dich 210
How wondrous and great thy works - Old Hundred Fourth 260
How wondrous and great thy works - Lyons 260
When all thy mercies, O my God - Durham 297
The King of love my shepherd is - St. Columba 345
The King of love my shepherd is - Dominus regit me 345
O very God of very God - Bangor 442
Lord dismiss us with thy blessing - Sicilian mariners 489
Lord dismiss us with thy blessing - Dismissal 489
O mother dear, Jerusalem - Southwell 584
O mother dear, Jerusalem - Materna 584
Jerusalem, my happy home - Land of Rest 585
Jerusalem, my happy home - Diana 585
O what their joy and their glory must be - O Quanta Qualia 589
There is a blessed home - Beulah 591

 

Lent, Day Twenty-Five, Third Saturday of Lent

Lent, Day Twenty-Five, Third Saturday of Lent
Jesus presents to us the great mystery of the descending way. It is the way of suffering, but also the way to healing. It is the way of humiliation, but also the way to resurrection. It is the way of tears, but of tears that turn into tears of joy...

The descending way of love, the way to the poor, the broken, and oppressed becomes the ascending way of love, the way of joy, peace and new life. The cross is transformed from a sign of defeat into a sign of victory, from a sign of despair into a sign of hope, from a sign of death into a sign of life...

Each one of us has to seek out his or her own descending way of love... The descending way is a way that is concealed in each person's heart. But because it is so seldom walked on, it is often overgrown with weeds. Slowly but surely we have to clear the weeds, open the way, and set out on it unafraid.

Henri J.M. Nouwen
Letters to Marc About Jesus, pg 50

Scripture:

 ^4:12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.

 ^5:1To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: ² Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; ³ not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. ⁴ And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

⁵ In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud
    but shows favor to the humble.”

1 Peter 4:12, 5:1-5

PRAYER
God of many mercies, help me find the way of descent the way of humility, of tears, of suffering, of hiddenness. I am often the one who wants to be the "center of attention," the "star of the show,"the "leader of the band;' the "first in line." In a world that values winning above all, I have trouble knowing that you changed the rules, that as the cross is transformed from a sign of death into an emblem of life, I must seek the lowly path in order to reach the heights of eternal happiness. Keep your light  before me always.Amen.

LENTEN ACTION
Give up the upper hand today. Let someone ahead of you in the, checkout line, give someone else the right of way in traffic, give credit to someone else.

Lent, Day Twenty-Four, Third Friday of Lent

Lent, Day Twenty-Four, Third Friday of Lent
ACKNOWLEDGE GOD'S LOVE

The most important  thing you can say about God's love i that God loves us not because of anything we've done to earn that love, but because God, in total freedom, has decided to love us. At first sight, this doesn't seem to be very inspiring; but if you reflect on it more deeply, this thought can affect and influence your life greatly. We're inclined to see our whole existence in terms of quid pro quo. We assume that people will be nice to us if we are nice to them; that they will help us if we help them;... that they will love us if we love the,. And so the conviction is deeply rooted in us that being loved is something you have to earn.... We can scarcely conceive of getting something for nothing.

Henri J.M. Nouwen
Letters to Marc About Jesus, pg 48

Scripture:

²⁷ “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. ²⁹ If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. ³⁰ Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. ³¹ Do to others as you would have them do to you.

 Luke 6:27-31

PRAYER
God most high, please take me back again into your love that I can never earn. I confess that I have failed, and that your forgiveness is wholly undeserved. I am mired in the human belief that love is something I earn, that others will only love me if Lact as if I love them. What can I do with a love that is not rationed, that is boundless, that cannot be withdrawn. I am truly awed. Grant me the grace to accept this gift. Amen.

LENTEN ACTION
Today pray for any who have abused you, pray for your enemies, and return good for evil.

Lent, Day Twenty-Three, Third Thursday of Lent

Lent, Day Twenty-Three,  Third Thursday of Lent 
Jesus challenges us to move in a totally new direction. He asks for a conversion--that is to say, a complete interior turn-around, a transformation... Everything within us seems set against this way. And yet--everytime we take a few steps along it we become aware that something new is happening within us and experience a desire to try another step forward. And so step by step, we come closer to the heart of God, which is the heart of an undiscriminating, always-forgiving, inexhaustible love.

Henri J.M. Nouwen
Letters to Marc About Jesus, pg 46

Scripture:
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them.
¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Matthew 5:1-2; 7:13-14, 21-23

PRAYER
God of the Narrow Gate, I am often a creature of convenience: convenience foods, convenient access to roads, convenient TV remote controls, convenient drive-up windows, and convenience stores. I know that these and many other aspects of modern life make it easier for me. Even still,I want things and people to change and adapt for my benefit. Help me to remember that the hard and steep way is the path to your house and that I must practice "give and take" rather than the "take and take" of a world revolving around my needs, and wants, my pleasures, my way.Amen.

LENTEN ACTION
Make a list of life's conveniences and "fast" from one or several of them for a day (watching TV without using the remote control or walking up the steps instead of taking the elevator).

Lent, Day Twenty-Two, Third Wednesday of Lent

Lent, Day Twenty-Two, Third Wednesday of Lent
SEEK YOUR TRUE HOME

One emotion was very strong--that was homecoming. Jesus opened his home to me and seemed to say, "Here is where you belong." The words he spoke to his disciples, "In my Father's house there are many places to live in... I am going to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2), became very real. The risen Jesus, who now dwells with his Father, was welcoming me home after a long journey.

 This experience was the realization of my oldest and deepest desires. Since the first moment of consciousness, I have had to desire to be with Jesus. Now I felt his presence in a most tangible way, as if my whose life had come together and I was being enfolded in love. The homecoming had a real quality of return, a return to the womb of God.

Henri J.M. Nouwen
Beyond the Mirror: Reflections on Death and Life, pg 44

Scripture:
  You have searched me, Lord,
    and you know me.
² You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.
³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.

  Psalm 139:1-4, 13-16

PRAYER
Indwelling God, you know the truth of me even before I was formed in my mother's womb, you know my thoughts even before I apprehend them, you welcome me home into the warmth of your love even when I do not realize that I am lost. I know myself so little even as you know me so well. I cannot fathom the future, but grant me the grace to appreciate the present in that place where I most belong-in your heart. Amen.

LENTEN ACTION
Practice"letting go" of one aspect of the future which is not in your hands.Spend this dayin mindfulness of eachpresent moment rather than letting your thoughts and plans race ahead of yourself.