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• Anthony • Catholic • Philippines • Following Jesus amidst struggles • Prayer requests are welcomed •

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Is this a Red Savina Habanera? It’s so hot...

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Tuesday of the Eighteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio    Matthew 14:22–36

Meditatio

“Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him.…”

   This moment in the life of Jesus calls to mind a painting by Sieger Köder called Stronghold. In the background, the disciples are in their little fishing boat, with the vast, tempestuous sea surrounding them. Very prominently in the foreground, Peter’s hands are visible, firmly clasping the hand of Jesus. In my life of faith, these clasped hands provide a firm and important reminder that God is our sure refuge, and that he is always in control. If I call to him in need, he has only to reach out his hand.    It is a telling moment. We know from the Gospel that it is only when Peter takes his eyes off Jesus and sees “how strong the wind was” that he begins to sink. Perhaps you, too, can relate to Peter and have experienced dark moments when sinking felt inevitable. Yet, when I look over the darker moments in my own life, it becomes clear that when I fix my gaze on Christ, I have a very different perspective than when I focus on the people, events, or circumstances around me. Fear and panic only set in if I lose my focus on that fixed point of reference—the face of Christ. If I gaze at him, I can maintain a sense of serenity and peace, even in the midst of the storm. Peace is a gift of the Holy Spirit—and no person or event can take it away from us. Growing in this awareness leaves us with a choice and a growing freedom. Nonetheless, when it is dark, it is perhaps even more important to remember another lesson from the Gospel: “Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him.” Even though Peter takes his eyes off Jesus, Jesus never takes his eyes off Peter. He is with him, and for him, the whole time. Appearances can be deceiving. Like Peter, we, too, are always held safe in the hands of a loving God.

Oratio    Lord, when I am going through the turbulence of emotionally intense times, help me to remember your lesson for Peter on the stormy seas. You are always with me—and if I can only keep my eyes on you, it is possible for me to walk on water. The wind and the waves are the illusion of a life out of control, while your presence is the reality that grounds me, giving me courage and hope. In moments when the waves look too high and the wind feels too strong, help me to recall your faithful love and to place my trust firmly in you.

Contemplatio    I am safe in your hands. __ ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 18–34: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)

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Monday of the Eighteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio    Matthew 14:13–21

Meditatio “… give them some food yourselves.”

   By placing this rural event right after his flashback to the martyrdom of John the Baptist, Matthew achieves a stark contrast. Two banquets are portrayed—one in a fortress, attended only by the elite and featuring sensuality and death; the other in the open air, attended by anyone/everyone and featuring healing and life. The multiplication of the loaves is more or less the midpoint in a long trajectory that began with the manna in the desert and continued with the multiplication of barley loaves by the prophet Elisha. The scene in the hills of Galilee looks forward to the Last Supper and the Church’s Eucharist, as well as the heavenly banquet mentioned in Isaiah 25:6 and Matthew 8:11–12.    Rereading this passage, I was drawn to Jesus’ command to his disciples: “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.” The disciples show Jesus the little food they have. Acting in the role of the father of a Jewish family, Jesus takes the bread, says the blessing, breaks the bread, and hands it back to his disciples to distribute. Mysteriously, there is enough bread for everyone, just as in the future the divine-human presence of Jesus would be mysteriously multiplied in the Eucharist, so that all the faithful can be nourished with the bread of life.    Thinking of the disciples’ role in this, I remembered reading or hearing more than once that our poor prayers, our half-hearted sacrifices, our small acts of kindness can be multiplied by the Lord, as if zeroes were being added to the number 1. We give our “little,” and the Lord makes that small contribution bear much fruit for his people. Jesus asks our cooperation, then he does the rest, just as he did with the disciples.

Oratio    Lord Jesus, help me to remember the importance of my small contributions, whatever they may be. When overcome by “weariness in well-doing,” I want to keep in mind the disciples, who, until everyone had been fed, kept distributing the bread you had blessed and broken for the crowd. Help me to realize that the little I do has a much fuller meaning than I could ever imagine—a meaning I may never understand in this life, but will make me very happy in the next. Don’t let me get discouraged, thinking I’m not getting anywhere. Help me to move ahead with purer motives and a lighter heart. Amen.

Contemplatio    “There is no need for them to go away.” __ ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 18–34: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)

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Friday of the Seventeenth Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio    Matthew 13:54–58

Meditatio “… their lack of faith.”

   This Gospel scene presents Jesus to us after he has traveled around Galilee gaining fame and popularity by teaching with authority and performing mighty deeds. Jesus might have hoped for a warm, supportive welcome from the people of his hometown, who had known him since his youth. But any hope of comfort or sympathy quickly disappears when he is faced with their suspicious questions and lack of faith.    What is this lack of faith? What exactly are they lacking? What is it that his neighbors cannot believe? Could it be that they are stuck in their own narrow ideas of God? Are they so convinced that they know how God should reveal himself that when God does reveal himself in a concrete, visible way in Jesus, they can’t recognize him?    Perhaps they haven’t lived in a relationship with God. To be “in relationship” with someone means that the parties continually reveal themselves to each other. It would be unreasonable to think I really know anyone through and through. The other person always remains somewhat of a mystery to me, no matter how long we have known each other or how much of ourselves we have shared. How much more true is this of God, who is totally other!    Perhaps Jesus’ admonition regarding their lack of faith refers to their lack of a living, growing relationship with God. Perhaps Jesus is inviting them to realize that no one has the last word on how God should be, act, or reveal himself. It is we who must remain open, longing to understand who he is and how he acts in our lives and in the world, ready to assent to what he does show us about himself, because he is God.

Oratio    Jesus, sometimes I think I know you. I also think I know who the Father is and can recognize how he acts in my life. But how often I limit you because of my human and somewhat narrow vision. How often I may be lacking in faith because my relationship with you is based on my self-constructed image of you. Help me, instead, to see the reality of yourself that you are revealing to me day by day. Help me to live today open to what you will teach me about yourself, about the Father, about my relationship with you.

Contemplatio    “I do believe, help my unbelief!” (Mk 9:24). ___ ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 1–17: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)

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Thursday of Seventeenth Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio    Matthew 13:47–53

Meditatio “Do you understand all these things?”

   In this chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus explains the kingdom of heaven. He has taken the Twelve aside to offer a more intense explanation, first of the weeds and wheat, then of the mustard seed, the buried treasure, and the fine pearls. Now he speaks to them of the wide net thrown out by the fishermen. The Twelve are to be fishers of men—in fact, most of them are fishermen by profession—and they will have to use a large net, throw it out over the waters and haul in as many fish as possible. When they proclaim the kingdom they will have to reach out to as many people as can hear. An attempt will be made to include everyone in the kingdom, but not all will be chosen. As with the fish, a division is made: they “put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away.”    Jesus is explaining not just the kingdom of God on earth, but also the Last Judgment, when the good and bad will be separated. The wicked will be taken by angels to the “fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth,” in other words, the sufferings of separation and regret.    Jesus paints a vivid picture for the disciples of the urgency of their mission. They must bring his message to everyone—preach it as far and wide as possible so that many people (ourselves included) will accept the Good News and be ready for the great judgment. “Do you understand all these things?” Yes, they say. Then, he says, you must be “like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.” Distribute to your hearers all knowledge: the wisdom of our tradition and the spirit of the Good News. How often do we thank the Master for sending these fishermen, and those others throughout history, to share the heart of his message with us?

Oratio    Dear Master, thank you for providing fishermen who would pursue the catch down through the ages of your Church. Let us docilely receive your word, humbly submit to what you desire, and intelligently live it out in our lives. And may we, inspired by the head of the household in your story, embrace what is new, and treasure what is old in our tradition. Enrich us, mind and heart, so we, too, will become fishers of the men and women of today.

Contemplatio    My mind and heart await your word. ___ ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 1–17: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)

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Wednesday of the Seventeenth Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio    Matthew 13:44–46

Meditatio     “… out of joy …”

   These two verses are packed with significance for the disciples of Jesus, bringing us joy and encouragement. In describing the kingdom of heaven for us, Jesus gives us not only an image, but also something we can relate to.    First, this description involves two things that are related to each other: a treasure (or pearls), and a seeker. The seeker finds the treasure and makes that treasure the focal point of his or her desire. He or she wants that treasure more than anything else in the world.    But the seeker cannot yet obtain the treasure, because he or she is not prepared to purchase it. So the seeker goes away in order to sell whatever it takes to be able to purchase the treasure.    This parable is about us. We are the ones who have found a treasure. That treasure is the heart of the kingdom: Jesus. But we are not prepared to purchase the treasure, and Jesus does not expect us to be so prepared. The kingdom of heaven consists of the treasure, and the seeker, and the process of selling what needs to be sold, and returning to take possession of the treasure.    Preparedness, or the ability to live all of the demands of the Gospel, is not a requirement for the kingdom of heaven. The preparedness to obtain the treasure is the consequence of the kingdom of heaven. Knowing that we don’t have to be completely prepared can give us joy—the fuel that drives us to continue selling what we need even to the point that it hurts. Our unpreparedness, our ongoing letting go of what prohibits us from completely being in possession of the treasure—that is the kingdom of heaven.

Oratio    Jesus, you are the treasure I have found, and the pearl I long to possess. Not only are you the treasure, but also the currency and purchaser of what I need to sell. I know that I’m not ready to possess you. I must sell so many things: fear, unkindness, anxiety, anger, sin. Nourish my longing for you, O Lord, so that it may be stronger than these things I need to sell. With each thing I sell I know you will rejoice with me. That too gives me strength to carry on. Amen.

Contemplatio    Jesus, my treasure lies in you. ___ ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 1–17: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)

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Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time—Year C

Lectio    Luke 11:1–13

Meditatio “When you pray, say: Father …”

   I once read that all the sound waves of our earth go out into the cosmos. If we could invent a “collector” strong enough, we could conceivably collect and listen to Jesus, in person, praying the Our Father. Be that as it may, I think the apostles were spellbound to witness Jesus’ absorption and joy in prayer, and as friends would, asked him to show them how to do this. Jesus gave us a precious jewel that can never be surpassed in beauty and meaning when he gave us this prayer.    As our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus is Healer, and he heals us in the deepest parts of our being, in our relationships. Jesus shares his heavenly Father with us. He shares the relationship that forms the core of the life of the Godhead with us. He wants us to know the Father as Our Father, to begin the lifelong quest for this awareness with the words of this prayer. A child can say this prayer, and Jesus wants us to realize that we will always be the children of the heavenly Father. The Father will feed us, forgive us, help us to forgive others, and protect us from trials that would overwhelm us. This relationship is so fundamental that Jesus wants his followers to have the security of his Father’s love as the grounds of their being.    How many children, for various sad reasons, have not experienced the protection and care of their fathers or mothers and feel themselves to be painfully alone, sometimes for their entire lives? Even with a healthy upbringing, a person can often feel alone.    We can always turn to our Heavenly Father, who waits for us to ask, seek, and knock. He waits, not with censure, but with attentive, eternal love. He waits, not with goodies, but with eternal life and joy. He waits, not to deny us, but to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!

Oratio    Father, when I use the prayer Jesus gave us, I feel somehow that I am slipping my hand into yours, and that I will be safe. Life then becomes easier, because I face it with you. I thank you for sending Jesus to redeem us and let us know our real identities, that we are all your children. I ask your Son and my Savior to help me to grow in likeness to you, so that when I arrive at the shores of eternal life, it will be a true and eternal homecoming.

Contemplatio    “… how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” ___ ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 1–17: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)

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Friday of the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio     Matthew 13:18–23

Meditatio     “… the seed sown …”

    In today’s reading Jesus explains the parable of the sower, found in all three Synoptic Gospels. Speaking to people who till the soil, Jesus uses images familiar to his hearers. A sower goes out to plant seeds and some of them yield a good crop, but others do not. It all depends on the type of soil where the seeds fall.     Biblical scholars explain that in this parable the sower represents Christ, and the seed is the word of God, or the preaching of the kingdom. The evil one is Satan. The soil symbolizes the heart of each person with its receptivity to the word. Some hearts will accept it, while others will suffocate or even reject the word.     Which kind of soil am I?     Some people do not respond to the preaching of the word. They make no effort to understand and practice what they hear. The seed is plucked away and does not yield any fruit. Am I this shallow soil?     Other individuals are easily won over when they hear the word. But when problems come, or when they are persecuted because of their beliefs, they close their hearts and the seed dies. Am I this hardened, rocky soil?     Still others let themselves become so entwined with wealth, worldly distractions, and the desire to make a name for themselves, that the seed is suffocated. Am I this matted, entangled field?     But others hear the word and respond to it with all their hearts. They joyfully accept the word and the challenges of God’s kingdom. The seed produces an abundant harvest in their lives. Am I this moist, rich, productive soil?

Oratio     Lord Jesus, may the ground of my life be well tilled and prepared to receive your word. I want to welcome you into a heart that is open, receptive, loving. In this way, my life will bear a plentiful, bounteous harvest, with your help, and for your glory.

Contemplatio     I welcome your word in my heart.

___ ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 1–17: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)

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Thursday of the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio Matthew 13:10–17

Meditatio “They … hear but do not listen or understand.… But blessed are … your ears.”

The disciples have asked Jesus why he often speaks in parables. His answer seems to suggest that he doesn’t want the crowd to grasp the meaning of his words and be saved. But Scripture is a unity; its parts are harmonious. Elsewhere Scripture says: “God … wills everyone to be saved” (1 Tim 2:3–4). So, whatever Jesus’ meaning was, his parables must have been meant for the good of the people of his time and place. Perhaps he spoke in parables so that some people could mull over his words before making a decision, and others could ignore the message until they were ready to respond to it later on. In any case, how does this passage relate to us? Recently I was struck by the contrast between the two groups of hearers, those who ponder the words and those who set aside the message for later. And I was startled by this insight: Which group do I belong to? It could be that in searching for the original meaning of Jesus’ words, I’m not hearing what he’s saying to me here and now. Perhaps I’m only trying to discover the literal meaning grasped by the original hearers or the evangelist. Pope Benedict and others point out that even though it’s important to search for the original, literal meaning, Scripture also has other dimensions. God’s word is alive today. Whether I attend Mass in person, watch it on TV, or simply read Scripture at home, God wants to speak to me personally through his word. Commentaries are certainly helpful, as are books of prayerful reflections on Scripture. They can stimulate my own pondering—and that’s what they’re meant to do. They can help me prepare to receive the Lord’s here-and-now word for me at this time and in this place. But I have to be open to receive that word, giving the Holy Spirit an opportunity to communicate the message he wants me to hear. May my ears be “blessed.”

Oratio Jesus, Word of the Father, help me to open myself to your message. May I not close my ears too soon, thinking I’ve already heard what you want to tell me through a particular passage. Teach me to give the Spirit time for his inspirations to stir my heart.

Contemplatio Holy Spirit, teach me how to really listen. ___ ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 1–17: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)

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Wednesday of the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio Matthew 13:1–9 Meditatio “And [Jesus] spoke to them at length in parables …” I picture the day in my mind’s eye: the blue sky, the rocky shore, the waves bobbing the boat that holds Jesus, the crowd of people hanging on his words. Jesus speaks, and his words float out over the crowd like a soft breeze of the Spirit. What refreshment the teaching of Jesus gives these people, whose lives are burdened with cares, sickness, financial worries, even the tragedies that can stop a person cold with heartbreak.… They feel as if Jesus is addressing them individually, and really, he is. Jesus’ Good News is miraculous in many ways. But the way it has penetrated to the hearts of people all over the world through the ages is a miracle that goes on continually. I think of the way my life was changed as I heard or read Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount or his seven last words from the cross. For a moment, I feel a sense of connection with Jesus’ audience on that shore in Palestine. Jesus preferred parables when teaching the people, who could easily learn to use the book of nature as a springboard to the deep realities that he presented. I can do this, too. The Holy Spirit’s gift of understanding helps me to go in faith from created realities to their Creator. Then the “soil” of my soul will be fertile ground for the seed of the Good News that the Lord sows in my life. Oratio Jesus, enlighten me with the wisdom of your Gospel, you who alone have the words of everlasting life. Help me to be good soil for the seed of your teaching. Nourish that seed with your grace, so that it will grow and flourish as I resolve to live for your kingdom. Contemplatio “Whoever has ears ought to hear.” ___ ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 1–17: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)

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Tuesday of the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio Matthew 12:46–50 Meditatio “… whoever does the will of my heavenly Father …” Have you ever found yourself admiring other persons for their strength, patience, noble character, or goodness of heart? “Wow, they are truly blessed,” we might think. “They certainly have it all together.” Admiration is appropriate when we witness the best in others, but looked at from another perspective, admiration lets us off the hook. The others are admirable for what they have chosen to do or be. Admiration often implies that others are far above us, doing something we could never aspire to. We might think we live in another realm, one that is mediocre and humdrum. So we can’t expect ourselves to be as great as the ones we admire. Like the woman in today’s Gospel who admired the mother of Jesus, we too might be tempted to only worship, adore, and admire the Son of this mother. While there is nothing wrong with that, Jesus quickly calls us to something deeper: I, Jesus says, am the yes of God. Spoken by the Father as the Word, I am one with the Father in obedience and complete, responsive love. Mary is the highest model in the human race of yes. Without hesitation, consideration, calculation of what it would cost or how she would perform, she simply surrendered her entire life, her body, her future to the Father, desiring that the will of God be completely fulfilled in her. You are most truly yourself when you become yes. And you can make this choice for yes. Jesus says, don’t admire those who had physical contact with me during my life on earth. That physical proximity does not give them an edge over you. You have the same possibility as they did to be yes. Open your heart, your life, your mind, your desires, your words, your actions to the Father, becoming an empty canvas upon which he draws. Become the “handmaiden of the Lord.” Allow the story of salvation to be accomplished in you and through you. Without hesitation, say yes to all that God wills in your life. Oratio Jesus, yes of the Father, it is not as easy as it sounds to say yes. I’m afraid of the unknown. I want to control my life. I like adventures but not those that put my career or dreams at risk. Still, that is what makes this yes so powerful. The writings of the saints are full of this invitation to complete surrender to your Father … and mine. From this moment on, my Lord, I say yes. Contemplatio From this moment on, my Lord, I say yes. ___ ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 1–17: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)

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Monday of the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio Matthew 12:38–42 Meditatio “… and there is something greater … here.” As we follow Jesus’ ministry in Matthew’s Gospel, it may seem strange to us that the scribes and Pharisees are asking for a sign. In chapter 12 alone, Jesus has healed the man with the withered hand and cured a demoniac. He has been working many miracles. So why are they asking again for a sign? Based on the Pharisees’ assertion in Matthew 12:24 that Jesus is casting out demons through allegiance with the prince of demons, it seems likely that the Pharisees are asking Jesus to offer proof, or a sign, that he is really from God. In substance, they are saying, “Where does your power really come from? And if from God, then prove it.” Imagine the consternation of Jesus, who so deeply longs to reach each person’s heart. Here he is, preaching a Gospel of love and repentance, healing the sick, and casting out demons. If the reality of what he is doing doesn’t offer his audience proof that the power of God is in their midst, then what will? Yet aren’t our own hearts at times just as impregnable to God’s presence around us as those of the Pharisees? I know I can be blind to a God who defies my expectations, revealing himself in hidden, sometimes paradoxical ways. Yet God did not cease to dwell with us when Jesus died on the cross. That was only the beginning. The resurrected Lord continues to dwell with us and within us today. Do we believe this? “There is something greater … here.” Right here, today, we have access to something greater than the preaching of the prophets or the wisdom of the legendary King Solomon. There is something greater here, and that something is a Someone—it is the Christ, our Lord and our God! Oratio Jesus, help me to grow ever more aware of your presence within and around me. Help me to see the ways that the power of God continues to work today, weaving a thread of the divine through every situation and person I encounter. You are rarely what I expect, yet you are more than I can imagine. Allow me to remain open to the mystery of who you are, and to the manifold and mysterious ways you choose to reveal yourself—especially those ways that may defy my expectations and hopes. Contemplatio “My Lord and my God!” ___ ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 1–17: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)

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Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent

(From: Lenten Grace: Daily Gospel Reflections)

Lectio Matthew 5:17–19

Meditatio “Whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

I remember a teacher I had in the fourth grade who taught our religion class. I’m sure we learned about the Ten Commandments that year, and probably the Beatitudes, etc. But this teacher yelled at us often and even made insulting remarks to the whole class, especially to certain students. This teacher could have been said to be teaching us the commandments, but she certainly didn’t practice what she preached. The witness of her life contradicted her words, and, unfortunately, her actions are what have stayed in my memory until now, not her class lessons. “Whoever obeys and teaches.…” In order to teach others, we must obey the commandments ourselves. Our way of life needs to be consistent with what we believe. That’s why Jesus also says, “Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so.…” To give a bad example is to teach others to break the commandments, especially if the bad example is given to someone we have greater influence over. The opposite difficulty can also be found. One could be among those who obey the commandments, living good lives, but fall short, perhaps out of fear, of taking an active part in sharing or passing on the teachings of Jesus. Many of us are blessed to have had in our lives people who both obeyed and taught the commandments of God. Most of us first learned about Jesus from our mother or father. We can probably also think of many other people who were models and teachers to us throughout our lives—schoolteachers, pastors, relatives, neighbors, and friends. The faith is always received through the mediation of others—their teachings and example. And as we have received, so we are called to give.

Oratio Jesus, sometimes I find myself in a situation where I could explain something about the Church or your teachings to my friends or coworkers who are not Catholic. Often I’m too timid to do it. Other times, I exempt myself from living according to your way of life, which I hold everyone else to. Help me to live more honestly. Make me your bold disciple and apostle.

Contemplatio Jesus, you are the way I want to follow.

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Reblog if you follow back.

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Prayer for those facing the temptation of suicide

“Oh Lord, tonight people will stay awake in the cold hands of despair. Tonight many profligate souls, victims of desperation will mourn, will cry loudly, or alas! they will curse their lives…

My sweet Jesus, I shiver, when I think that tonight, maybe this moment, despair will bring people close to death. The thought of suicide will besiege many creatures of Υours around the world.

Oh, Giver of Life, don’t let it happen! You came in our world to give in our lives the dimension of eternity.

How will Your heart stand the pain to see them suicide, to take away their lives in a violent way?

Cancel, oh Lord, the plans of the emperror of the darkness and the death. Set people free from the temptation of suicide. Dissolve the mist of despair.

Jesus, if you want, you can overflow the exhausted souls with the song of life, by covering the lament of death. May the song of the nightingale resounds where the singing of the barn owl exists.

Oh Lord, fill their chests with the desire of life, with strength and the decision to live, such a decision that will beat the desire of death. Show to my brothers that suicide is an enormous, irreparable mistake…

Whisper to their hearts that never, for nothing is late. That no pain is bigger than our strength. That there is no wound that can’t be healed by Your merciful hand.

My God, sow hope and faith to You. Open the roads of life and close the paths of death forever….”

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That’s so beautiful. Wow.

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I’m not suicidal, but these past few days have been very rough and despair filled. I needed this prayer tonight.

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God is the only reason I made it this far.

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Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent

(From: Lenten Grace: Daily Gospel Reflections)

Lectio Matthew 18:21–35

Meditatio “The servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me.’ ”

Another translation renders this phrase with much more intensity, truer to the expression of what the slave must have felt: he threw himself at the king’s feet and begged for mercy. We can easily understand what that must have been like. We have each experienced the desperate feelings brought on by a relationship problem we couldn’t fix, bills we couldn’t pay, an accusation we couldn’t clear. We’ve each in some way, at some time, been trapped, hoping that someone would at least just give us a break. When we hear this Gospel parable, we often focus on the unforgiving servant. But in Lent I think God wants us to focus on the king. Pay attention to what the king does! When the servant says, “Give me a chance. I’ll pay you back,” the king’s heart melts. He is moved and erases the entire debt. Erases it! Lent is the time to wake up to what God has done for us in Jesus. We could not repair the damage to our relationship with God caused by our sinful insistence in following our own ways, so God repaired it himself. Jesus erased our debt, stood in our stead, did for us what we couldn’t do for ourselves. We need Lent because we so often forget what the King has done for us. It is so contrary to what we experience from our fellow humans that we can’t even conceive of the incredible mercy that would lead someone to give his life in exchange for another’s. Such an unfathomable love recedes into the background noise of daily life. Lent is a giant wake-up call. The phrase “You snooze you lose” is so appropriate for this liturgical season. If we keep pushing the snooze button, we will never hear the awesome message, “This is what I have done for you! I love you! I will protect and save you! I will be with you no matter what happens!”

Oratio What would it be like, Lord, if I lived like I knew who I was? How can I go through day after day, forgetting the larger context of my life? I am so safe in your hands. You have proven to me that your love is reliable. When life becomes desperate again, which I know it will, help me remember that you are right there beside me, holding me, guiding me, protecting me, leading me onto some mysterious path of goodness and safety. For you are my Redeemer and my Lord.

Contemplatio I am so safe in your hands.