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   Reflection One 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.   Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday   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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