Second Sunday of Lent
Lent is a time when we open ourselves to God’s transforming grace.
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Scripture
“But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 3:20 Reflection In an interview with the programWitness for Salt and Light Television, Monsignor Dario Viganò, then director of Vatican television, told of the first moments of Pope Francis’s papal ministry. Pope Francis came out of the Sistine Chapel and went to the Pauline Chapel with two cardinals accompanying him. His head was bowed down, as if the burden of the task that he had been elected to was weighing him down. In the Pauline Chapel, instead of going to a prearranged papal throne, he sat in the last pew, compelling the two cardinals to sit with him. He prayed in silence.Msgr. Viganò says that when Pope Francis got up to go to meet the people, he was a different man. His head was no longer down. He looked straight ahead and was smiling. It was as if God had said to him personally, “Don’t worry. I am here with you.” Pope Francis had an experience of God’s transforming mercy and grace. (Dario Viganò interview with Fr. Thomas Rosica. Witness, October 4, 2013) In the third chapter of his letter to the Philippians, St. Paul calls on his brothers and sisters in faith to follow his example insofar as he is following Christ. Paul is critical of those who name themselves Christian, but follow their bellies with their minds on earthly things. As long as they act this way they will be closed to the transforming grace of Jesus Christ. Paul promises that for those who follow Christ, they will begin to experience in this world the joy and happiness that will be completed in the next. Image: Lorenzo Lotto, The Transfiguration of Christ |
Pope Francis
“Jesus’ way always leads us to happiness. There will always be a cross, trials in the middle, but at the end we are always led to happiness.”
Angelus, 1 March 2015 Lenten Action
► Watch more of the interview with Msgr. Viganò.
Prayer
You, O Lord, are the light of our salvation. Whom should we fear?
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Monday, February 22, 2016
Lenten Moments of Mercy: Second Sunday of Lent
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Health Matter
祝身体永远健康，香港伊利沙伯医院临床肿瘤科唐志聪医生编写 :
Wishing you always healthy, Doctor Tang from St. Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong wrote this:
⛄}《人，只要脾、肝、大肠、肾，四个功能健康，
We, human being, as long as our spleen, liver, large intestine, kidney are healthy, we will be far away from cancer, diabetes, heart attack and high blood pressure.
..}脾，一定要健康。
Spleen must be healthy in priority.
如果有病，就先恢复脾的功能。
Once you are sick, you must recover your spleen first.
每天三餐，五谷杂粮一定要占总饮食的 50％，一定要养成这个习惯。
Our daily three meals, grains/wheat/brown rice at least must take 50%, learn to make it as an habit.
..}杂粮就是红豆、黄豆、绿豆、薏仁，这些都是杂粮类，
Grain crops are red bean, soya bean, green bean, Chinese Pearl barley. Lotus seeds are good also. Once your spleen is good, liver will automatically be healthy.
..}脾在造血，一天有两个重要的时间，就是子时24:
..现在的人，大部分都是肝不好，为什么不好？
Spleen is manufacturing blood. The important schedules for processing are 12:00 am and 12:00 pm. Thus, when you need to rest, you must rest. Nowadays, they are a lot of people who are having problems of liver. Why is it?
..晚睡、吃油炸的东西、坏脾气，这三个正是肝的三大克星。
Late sleeping, eat oily fried foods, bad mood, these are the three nemesis.
..}油包肝，你吃油的东西，油把整个肝包住，
Once oil covered up our liver. When you eat oily foods, oil will cover up your whole liver, your liver will loss its functions.
..}当我们身体感觉不适的时候，此时疾病正在纠正人的过失，
..每天早上，你上厕所感觉很困难，这个表示什么？
When we are feeling not comfortable, the sickness is coming to rectify our negligence, use pain to educate us, we must change our way of living.
Every morning, do you find difficulty to pass motion? What does it mean?
..}你身体纤维素摄取量完全不足。 Your intake of fibre foods are not enough.
..万病之源，都是从你的大肠不能正常排泄开始。
Thousands of sickness problems, their main cause is unable to perform daily passing motion through large intestine.
..如果你的大肠很好，那你早上应该不是自己醒过来，
If your large intestine is good, in the morning, you are not woke up by yourselves, the movement of large intestine is calling you. Why?
..因为五到七点就是大肠最活跃的时间，
Because 5:00 am to 7:00 am, our large intestine is most actively performing its functions. That's why we inform cancer patients must go to sleep at 9:00 pm. Because large intestine will automatically wake you up in 6:00 am to 7:00 am to sit on the toilet bowl.
..}你一天要上几次厕所才够？
How many times you must go to toilet everyday?
请记住：如果四、五天才上一次厕所，叫重度便秘；
Please remember, if 4-5 days go once to toilet, you are serious in constipation.
两三天上一次厕所，这个叫中度便秘；
2-3 days once, considered as medium level of constipation.
一天上一次厕所，叫轻度便秘。
One day once is mild constipation.
..食物进入体内十二小时，没有排出去，就会形成毒素。
Once the foods is maintained inside our stomach for 12 hours, it became poisonous particles.
因为毒素没有排出去，我们的大肠壁就会吸收这个毒素，吸收以后，
Because the poisonous particles are not passing out, it will absorbed by large intestinal wall, it will send back to liver, and damaged our liver. This will create a serious problem.
..}肝不好跟大肠有直接关联，只要大肠一通顺，肝就会好了，
There is a direct relationship between liver and large intestine. Once our large intestine is passable, liver will get recovered, and build-up our antibody. Then, blood delivery to heart will be clean, no sickness will attack you.
..当一个人感觉到每天很容易疲倦、很容易累，
When you feel that everyday you are tiring, very easy to get tired, that means you are having problems with liver, your blood is unable to return back to liver.
..}你身体健康靠的是什么？
What is your health depending?
..}睡眠的时间，脾去收集血液，送到肝脏去解毒，解毒以后，
While you are sleeping, your spleen is going to collect blood and deliver to liver for dialysis, after clean up the poisonous particles, it then delivers to heart, heart will despatch throughout your body. You then received nutrients and get healthy.
..}很不幸的是，现代很多人脾已经先出现问题，
Very unluckily, nowadays people is having problems on spleen. Spleen itself is not storing blood.
只有一个办法最养脾，五谷最养脾，可是现代身体为什么都这么差，
There is only one method to maintain spleen, grains/oat/wheat is the most effective. Why modern body is so poor, many sicknesses?
..因为都不吃五谷杂粮，吃汉堡、炸鸡、牛排、薯条，
Because they don't eat grains/oat, they eat burger, fried chicken, steak, French fries, rice. You must eat the source foods like brown rice, oat, wheat.
⛳}恢复四大功能，永远离开病苦!
Recovering back the four main organs, sickness will leave you.
..}用心多看几次！ 好好照顾自己！ 》 这周是世界好友周，如果你愿意，请把这条信息发给你所有的好朋友 。
Use your patience to read several times, properly take care yourselves. This week is "world friendship week", send this message to all of your good friends.
..}也包括我 ，看有多少人会回发给你。
Including me, and see how many people will resend you.
..当大部分人都在关注你飞得高不高时，
Most people are noticing you how high you can fly, but very few people are taking note on how tiring you are? This is called friendship.
..}再忙，也要照顾好自己， 朋友虽不常联系，却一直 惦念。
Whatsoever busy you are, you must take good care for yourselves, friends who are not always communicating you, but they are putting you in their mind.
..}天凉时记着多穿衣！
When the weather is getting cold, you must wear more shirts.
❤}世界好友快乐！
Happy world friendship!
☕}少喝奶茶、远离正在充电的电源。
Drink less milk tea, far away from charging port.
☕}白天多喝水，晚上少喝，一天不喝多于两杯的咖啡。
Day time drink more water, night time drink less. One day shouldn't drink more than 2 cups of coffee.
..}少吃油多的食物， 最佳睡眠为晚上十点至早上六点
Eat less oily foods. Best sleeping times are from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am.
..}晚上五点后少吃大餐，每天喝酒不超过一杯。
Evening time, don't eat too much after 5:00 pm. Don't drink more than one cup of alcoholic per day.
..}不用冷水服胶囊， 睡前半小时服药忌立刻躺下。
Don't eat medicines with cold water, eat medicines half hour before going to bed. Never eat medicines immediately laying down.
⛺}睡眠不足八小时人会变笨。
Sleeping less than 8 hours per day will get fool.
..}午睡习惯的人不易老。
Having snap in the noon hour will not let you old easily.
..}手机电池剩一格时不要打电话， 剩一格时辐射是平时的一千倍。
Once your handphone battery only left one bar, don't make calls anymore, because the radiation wave is one thousand times higher than fully charged battery.
..}要用左耳接电话， 用右耳会直接伤害到大脑。
Use your left ear to answer calls, right hand ear will directly hurt your brain.
..}2016新概念 一个中心：一切以健康为中心。
New Concept in 2016, one health centre, good health is the most important than any other things.
✌}两个基本点： 遇事潇洒一点， 看世事胡涂一点。
Two basic points: meet anything with elegant a bit, look at affairs of life pretend a bit silly.
..}三个忘记： 忘记年龄，忘记过去，忘记恩怨。
Three things need to forget: forgot your age, forgot your past and forgot your grievances.
..}四个拥有： 无论你有多弱或多强，一定要: 拥有真正爱你的人， 拥有知心的朋友 ， 拥有向上的事业， 拥有温暖的住所。
Four things you must have. No matter how weak or how strong you are, you must have: people who are truly loving you, have caring friends, progressive business or employment and a warm home.
✋}五个要： 要唱，要跳，要俏，要笑，要苗
Five things you do : Singing, dancing, charming, smiling and sprouting.
..}六个不能： 不能饿了才吃， 不能渴了才喝， 不能困了才睡， 不能累了才歇， 不能病了才检查， 不能老了再后悔。
Six things you don't : don't eat until you are hungry, don't thirsty then you drink, don't feel sleepy then sleep, don't feel tiring then rest, don't get sick then go for medical check-in, don't get senior then regretted.
Wishing you always healthy, Doctor Tang from St. Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong wrote this:
⛄}《人，只要脾、肝、大肠、肾，四个功能健康，
We, human being, as long as our spleen, liver, large intestine, kidney are healthy, we will be far away from cancer, diabetes, heart attack and high blood pressure.
..}脾，一定要健康。
Spleen must be healthy in priority.
如果有病，就先恢复脾的功能。
Once you are sick, you must recover your spleen first.
每天三餐，五谷杂粮一定要占总饮食的 50％，一定要养成这个习惯。
Our daily three meals, grains/wheat/brown rice at least must take 50%, learn to make it as an habit.
..}杂粮就是红豆、黄豆、绿豆、薏仁，这些都是杂粮类，
Grain crops are red bean, soya bean, green bean, Chinese Pearl barley. Lotus seeds are good also. Once your spleen is good, liver will automatically be healthy.
..}脾在造血，一天有两个重要的时间，就是子时24:
..现在的人，大部分都是肝不好，为什么不好？
Spleen is manufacturing blood. The important schedules for processing are 12:00 am and 12:00 pm. Thus, when you need to rest, you must rest. Nowadays, they are a lot of people who are having problems of liver. Why is it?
..晚睡、吃油炸的东西、坏脾气，这三个正是肝的三大克星。
Late sleeping, eat oily fried foods, bad mood, these are the three nemesis.
..}油包肝，你吃油的东西，油把整个肝包住，
Once oil covered up our liver. When you eat oily foods, oil will cover up your whole liver, your liver will loss its functions.
..}当我们身体感觉不适的时候，此时疾病正在纠正人的过失，
..每天早上，你上厕所感觉很困难，这个表示什么？
When we are feeling not comfortable, the sickness is coming to rectify our negligence, use pain to educate us, we must change our way of living.
Every morning, do you find difficulty to pass motion? What does it mean?
..}你身体纤维素摄取量完全不足。 Your intake of fibre foods are not enough.
..万病之源，都是从你的大肠不能正常排泄开始。
Thousands of sickness problems, their main cause is unable to perform daily passing motion through large intestine.
..如果你的大肠很好，那你早上应该不是自己醒过来，
If your large intestine is good, in the morning, you are not woke up by yourselves, the movement of large intestine is calling you. Why?
..因为五到七点就是大肠最活跃的时间，
Because 5:00 am to 7:00 am, our large intestine is most actively performing its functions. That's why we inform cancer patients must go to sleep at 9:00 pm. Because large intestine will automatically wake you up in 6:00 am to 7:00 am to sit on the toilet bowl.
..}你一天要上几次厕所才够？
How many times you must go to toilet everyday?
请记住：如果四、五天才上一次厕所，叫重度便秘；
Please remember, if 4-5 days go once to toilet, you are serious in constipation.
两三天上一次厕所，这个叫中度便秘；
2-3 days once, considered as medium level of constipation.
一天上一次厕所，叫轻度便秘。
One day once is mild constipation.
..食物进入体内十二小时，没有排出去，就会形成毒素。
Once the foods is maintained inside our stomach for 12 hours, it became poisonous particles.
因为毒素没有排出去，我们的大肠壁就会吸收这个毒素，吸收以后，
Because the poisonous particles are not passing out, it will absorbed by large intestinal wall, it will send back to liver, and damaged our liver. This will create a serious problem.
..}肝不好跟大肠有直接关联，只要大肠一通顺，肝就会好了，
There is a direct relationship between liver and large intestine. Once our large intestine is passable, liver will get recovered, and build-up our antibody. Then, blood delivery to heart will be clean, no sickness will attack you.
..当一个人感觉到每天很容易疲倦、很容易累，
When you feel that everyday you are tiring, very easy to get tired, that means you are having problems with liver, your blood is unable to return back to liver.
..}你身体健康靠的是什么？
What is your health depending?
..}睡眠的时间，脾去收集血液，送到肝脏去解毒，解毒以后，
While you are sleeping, your spleen is going to collect blood and deliver to liver for dialysis, after clean up the poisonous particles, it then delivers to heart, heart will despatch throughout your body. You then received nutrients and get healthy.
..}很不幸的是，现代很多人脾已经先出现问题，
Very unluckily, nowadays people is having problems on spleen. Spleen itself is not storing blood.
只有一个办法最养脾，五谷最养脾，可是现代身体为什么都这么差，
There is only one method to maintain spleen, grains/oat/wheat is the most effective. Why modern body is so poor, many sicknesses?
..因为都不吃五谷杂粮，吃汉堡、炸鸡、牛排、薯条，
Because they don't eat grains/oat, they eat burger, fried chicken, steak, French fries, rice. You must eat the source foods like brown rice, oat, wheat.
⛳}恢复四大功能，永远离开病苦!
Recovering back the four main organs, sickness will leave you.
..}用心多看几次！ 好好照顾自己！ 》 这周是世界好友周，如果你愿意，请把这条信息发给你所有的好朋友 。
Use your patience to read several times, properly take care yourselves. This week is "world friendship week", send this message to all of your good friends.
..}也包括我 ，看有多少人会回发给你。
Including me, and see how many people will resend you.
..当大部分人都在关注你飞得高不高时，
Most people are noticing you how high you can fly, but very few people are taking note on how tiring you are? This is called friendship.
..}再忙，也要照顾好自己， 朋友虽不常联系，却一直 惦念。
Whatsoever busy you are, you must take good care for yourselves, friends who are not always communicating you, but they are putting you in their mind.
..}天凉时记着多穿衣！
When the weather is getting cold, you must wear more shirts.
❤}世界好友快乐！
Happy world friendship!
☕}少喝奶茶、远离正在充电的电源。
Drink less milk tea, far away from charging port.
☕}白天多喝水，晚上少喝，一天不喝多于两杯的咖啡。
Day time drink more water, night time drink less. One day shouldn't drink more than 2 cups of coffee.
..}少吃油多的食物， 最佳睡眠为晚上十点至早上六点
Eat less oily foods. Best sleeping times are from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am.
..}晚上五点后少吃大餐，每天喝酒不超过一杯。
Evening time, don't eat too much after 5:00 pm. Don't drink more than one cup of alcoholic per day.
..}不用冷水服胶囊， 睡前半小时服药忌立刻躺下。
Don't eat medicines with cold water, eat medicines half hour before going to bed. Never eat medicines immediately laying down.
⛺}睡眠不足八小时人会变笨。
Sleeping less than 8 hours per day will get fool.
..}午睡习惯的人不易老。
Having snap in the noon hour will not let you old easily.
..}手机电池剩一格时不要打电话， 剩一格时辐射是平时的一千倍。
Once your handphone battery only left one bar, don't make calls anymore, because the radiation wave is one thousand times higher than fully charged battery.
..}要用左耳接电话， 用右耳会直接伤害到大脑。
Use your left ear to answer calls, right hand ear will directly hurt your brain.
..}2016新概念 一个中心：一切以健康为中心。
New Concept in 2016, one health centre, good health is the most important than any other things.
✌}两个基本点： 遇事潇洒一点， 看世事胡涂一点。
Two basic points: meet anything with elegant a bit, look at affairs of life pretend a bit silly.
..}三个忘记： 忘记年龄，忘记过去，忘记恩怨。
Three things need to forget: forgot your age, forgot your past and forgot your grievances.
..}四个拥有： 无论你有多弱或多强，一定要: 拥有真正爱你的人， 拥有知心的朋友 ， 拥有向上的事业， 拥有温暖的住所。
Four things you must have. No matter how weak or how strong you are, you must have: people who are truly loving you, have caring friends, progressive business or employment and a warm home.
✋}五个要： 要唱，要跳，要俏，要笑，要苗
Five things you do : Singing, dancing, charming, smiling and sprouting.
..}六个不能： 不能饿了才吃， 不能渴了才喝， 不能困了才睡， 不能累了才歇， 不能病了才检查， 不能老了再后悔。
Six things you don't : don't eat until you are hungry, don't thirsty then you drink, don't feel sleepy then sleep, don't feel tiring then rest, don't get sick then go for medical check-in, don't get senior then regretted.
知足常樂
一隻狐狸發現一雞窩，卻因為太胖攢不進柵欄。於是餓了三天，
人生何嚐不是如此啊。赤裸裸來，赤條條走，
你睡的只是一張床。
車子再好，
超速還是要吃罰單。
包包再貴，
也只比塑料袋多一個炫富的功能。
別人的老婆再美，
總有一天會變成老太太。
別人的老公再有錢，
不如一個窮光蛋老公愛你。
不要為了追求沒有的 ，
而忘了自己已有的幸福
知足常樂!
這是來自荷蘭的一個諺語：
錢可以買到棟房子，
但買不到家庭。
錢可以買到鐘錶，
但買不到時間。
錢可以買到床，
但買不到睡眠。
錢可以買到書，
但買不到知識。
錢可以買到醫療服務，
但買不到健康。
錢可以買到地位，
但買不到尊重。
錢可以買到血液，
但買不到生命。
錢可以買到性，
但買不到愛。
人生何嚐不是如此啊。赤裸裸來，赤條條走，
你睡的只是一張床。
車子再好，
超速還是要吃罰單。
包包再貴，
也只比塑料袋多一個炫富的功能。
別人的老婆再美，
總有一天會變成老太太。
別人的老公再有錢，
不如一個窮光蛋老公愛你。
不要為了追求沒有的 ，
而忘了自己已有的幸福
知足常樂!
這是來自荷蘭的一個諺語：
錢可以買到棟房子，
但買不到家庭。
錢可以買到鐘錶，
但買不到時間。
錢可以買到床，
但買不到睡眠。
錢可以買到書，
但買不到知識。
錢可以買到醫療服務，
但買不到健康。
錢可以買到地位，
但買不到尊重。
錢可以買到血液，
但買不到生命。
錢可以買到性，
但買不到愛。
Life Quote- do not compare
山有山的高度，
水有水的深度，
沒必要攀比，。
每個人都有自己的長處。
風有風的自由，
雲有雲的溫柔，
沒必要模仿，
每個人都有自己的個性。
您認為快樂的，就去尋找。
您認為值得的，就去守候。
您認為幸福的，就去珍惜。
依心而行，無憾今生。
人生1條路：
走自己的路。
人生2件寶：
身體好、心情好。
人生有4苦：
看不透、捨不得、
輸不起、放不下。
人生5句話：
再難也要堅持，
再好也要淡泊，
再差也要自信，
再多也要節省，
再冷也要熱情。
人生6財富：
身體, 知識
夢想, 信念
自信, 骨氣。
水有水的深度，
沒必要攀比，。
每個人都有自己的長處。
風有風的自由，
雲有雲的溫柔，
沒必要模仿，
每個人都有自己的個性。
您認為快樂的，就去尋找。
您認為值得的，就去守候。
您認為幸福的，就去珍惜。
依心而行，無憾今生。
人生1條路：
走自己的路。
人生2件寶：
身體好、心情好。
人生有4苦：
看不透、捨不得、
輸不起、放不下。
人生5句話：
再難也要堅持，
再好也要淡泊，
再差也要自信，
再多也要節省，
再冷也要熱情。
人生6財富：
身體, 知識
夢想, 信念
自信, 骨氣。
Lenten Moments of Mercy: Saturday of the First Week of Lent
Saturday of the First Week of Lent
Lent is a time to break the cycles of violence—
physical, mental, and emotional—that plague us. | |
Scripture
“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Matthew 5:48 ReflectionOne of the most moving stories in the Old Testament is found in Exodus chapters 1 and 2. Pharaoh had condemned newly born Hebrew boys to death, officially making them enemies of the state. But two Egyptian midwives refused to follow Pharaoh’s orders. After Moses was born, his mother put him in a basket covered with tar to enable it to float. Pharaoh’s daughter found the basket, and also disobeying her father’s command, adopted Moses, thus breaking the cycle of violence that would have killed him.Jesus calls us to break similar cycles of violence that plague us every day. He teaches us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew5:44). The decision to love our enemies means letting go of our prejudices for the sake of love. Pope Francis teaches: “With forgiveness, with love for our enemy, we become poorer. But this poverty is a seed bearing fruit for others, as Jesus’ poverty became grace for us all, salvation” (Morning Meditation, 18 June 2013). Finally, Jesus calls us to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew5:48). To be “perfect” in this context means to do all things wholeheartedly committed to God. Not to forgive or to hate our enemies leaves a great emptiness which makes us incomplete. We can only become completely human accepting Jesus’ teaching and the grace of love and forgiveness. | |
Pope Francis
“Christ came to save us, to show us the way, the only way out of the quicksand of sin, and this way of holiness is mercy . . . To be a saint is not a luxury. It is necessary for the salvation of the world.”
Homily, 23 February 2014 Lenten Action
► Explore the USCCB website for resources on justice and peace.
► View this Lent through the lens of grace.
► Go back and reflect on something that particularly touched you this first week of Lent.
Prayer
Help us with your grace, O Lord, that our way may be blameless as we walk in the law of the Lord.
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Friday, February 19, 2016
Lenten Moments of Mercy: Friday of the First Week of Lent
Friday of the First Week of Lent
During Lent, let us fast from the things that fill the heart with bitterness.
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Scripture
“If you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire.”
Matthew 5:22 ReflectionWhen St. Thomas Aquinas was a young Dominican student he was so quiet and seemingly naïve that his classmates called him “the dumb ox.” One day a group of students at the window called to Thomas, telling him to come and see a cart and a horse flying down the road. When Thomas came to look, they laughed that he would be so foolish to believe them. Thomas responded saying he would sooner believe that a cart and horse could fly than a Dominican could lie. The Dominicans learned soon enough that the quiet “dumb ox” would bellow loud enough that the world would hear his voice.The behavior of Thomas’s classmates in stereotyping, insulting, and ridiculing him reflects behaviors that are all too common in families, neighborhoods, and parishes. Pope Francis reminds us that words can kill. Speaking ill of others, slandering them, and especially, spreading gossip are at the root of separation and alienation within families. It may begin with remarks that may be easily dismissed—“I was just kidding”—but in the end it fills the heart with bitterness and poisons relationships. Gossip is most serious as it can kill the reputation of a person. A wonderful Lenten practice would be to make a daily decision not to make disparaging remarks towards others, not to share a scandalous story, and to give one another the benefit of the doubt. These can be moments that take us on the path of holiness. |
Pope Francis
“Jesus offers the perfection of love to those who follow him: love is the only measure that has no measure, to move past judgements.”
Angelus, 16 February 2014 Lenten Action
► Make a commitment not to read or watch the gossip shows and websites for the season of Lent.
► Be inspired by Living Lent Daily.
Prayer
Give us the courage, O Lord, to turn away from the temptation to gossip or disparage others so that we all may live in peace.
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Thursday, February 18, 2016
Lenten Moments of Mercy: Thursday of the First Week of Lent
Thursday of the First Week of Lent
Take time during Lent to discern God’s dream for you.
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Scripture
“Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone?”
Matthew 7:9 ReflectionA young man was discussing with his parents what he planned to do with his life. He mapped out a number of career paths to his parents. After he finished his father said, “We support you in following your dreams. But have you ever considered giving your life to Jesus Christ in a religious vocation?” The young man burst into tears; he had a religious vocation in his heart, but he was afraid to mention it. One week later he entered a Catholic community of brothers.All who are parents or mentors for young people have dreams for them. They usually revolve around the hope that they would lead better lives than we did. All of these dreams can be good and have the potential to help them flourish as individuals and contribute to their communities. But these dreams can be like giving stones instead of bread if they are done without discernment, that is, if they are not considered in the light of God’s will. All of us are called to live holy lives in whatever vocation we follow, whether that is religious life, matrimony and parenthood, or the single life. We can best help others by helping them discern what God’s dream for them is. Pope Francis tells us that God is always generous, giving more and more: “Perhaps in prayer we ask for this and that, and He always gives us more! Always, always more.” Our greatest contribution to others is to help them discern what this “more” is. |
Pope Francis
“Jesus is the companion on the journey who gives us what we ask; the Father who cares for us and loves us; and the Holy Spirit who is the gift, is that ‘more’ that the Father gives, for which our conscience does not dare to hope.”
Morning Meditation, 9 October 2014 Lenten Action
► Explore your diocesan vocation pages to familiarize yourself with the opportunities for serving God.
► Learn about discernment with the article “Discernment in a Nutshell” by Joseph A. Tetlow, SJ.
Prayer
Fulfill your purpose in me, O Lord, with your steadfast love which endures forever.
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