2nd Week of Lent, Monday, Mar 1
Daniel 9:4-10 / Luke 6:36-38
Jesus teaches his disciples; ' 'Stop judging and you will not be judged. "
A young businessman began dating a charming young actress. The relationship developed to the point that the businessman was pondering marriage.
1st Week of Lent, Thursday, Feb 25
Esther 4:10-12,17-19 / Matthew
7:7-12
Jesus talks about prayer; ' 'Ask
and it will be given to you. "
Catherine Marshall recommended keeping a list of your special prayer requests— along with the date of each request. A woman did this and was surprised at the way some requests were answered. For example, one was answered by a change of attitude toward a situation, rather than by a removal of the situation. In other words, many of our prayers are answered in a way totally different from what we had in mind when we made the request.
Feb 22-27: Feb 22 Monday (Chair of St. Peter the Apostle): Mt 16:13-23: USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm By celebrating the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, we honor the mission of teacher and pastor conferred by Christ on Peter and continued in an unbroken line of his successors down to the present Pope.
1st Week of Lent, Tuesday, Feb 23
Isaiah
55:10-11 / Matthew 6:7-15
Jesus
teaches about prayer; "This is how you are to pray. "
Two men were arguing about religion. As the argument heated up, the one man shouted at the other, "I'll bet five bucks you don't even know the Lord's Prayer." "I'll take that bet," the other shouted.
Stations of the Cross -2
With People Living in Poverty Around the World
This Stations of the Cross takes us on a prayerful journey of transformation in solidarity with people living in poverty around the world. As we walk through the Stations, we also share their journey through a mixture of their stories, scripture and prayer.
Chair of St. Peter, February 22
1 Peter
5:1-4 / Matthew 16:13-19
Peter's Chair; “Who do you say lam?
Mike Moran was flying Navy helicopters in 1982. One day at lunch, he was explaining to his parents the mechanics of his "chopper.”
Saturday after Ash Wednesday, Feb 20
Isaiah 58: 9-14 / Luke 5: 27-32
Jesus talks about his mission: " "I came for
those who need help.
Recently a convict sent a prayer he wrote to a Jesuit
newsletter called Twofold. A portion of it reads:
"Dear heavenly Father, I come to you a bent and broken man. . . I come to you from prison, from a place that's called death row and ask that you take pity, Lord, on a convict's wretched soul.
Friday after Ash Wednesday, Feb 19
Isaiah 58:1-9 / Matthew 9:14-15
Stations of The Cross: For Our Times
AN INTRODUCTION:
We gather on this day as Christians united in prayer. In the midst of our busy lives we pause to pray as we reflect on the suffering journey of Christ.
Thursday after Ash Wednesday, Feb 18
Deuteronomy 30:15-20 / Luke 9:22-25
Jesus talks about the cross: "Pick it up daily and follow me"
6th Week, Monday, Feb 15
Genesis 4:1-15, 25 / Mark
8:11-13
God banishes Cain; God put a mark on Cain.
5th Week, Saturday, Feb 13
Genesis 3:9-24 / Mark 8:1-10
You ate
the forbidden fruit; “In pain you shall bear children.”
Francis Thompson was a famous British poet in the late 19th century. One of his poems, called “Daisy,” reads: “Nothing begins and nothing ends That is not paid with moan; For we are born in other’s pain, and perish in our own.” Today’s reading portrays pain as being the offspring of sin. Many people, however, blame God, not the human race, for sin.
Reconciler-in-chief
12th February is the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth and — most historians and scholars consider — our greatest President of America.
Genesis 3:1-8 / Mark 7:31-37
A recent study on vandalism in USA dramatizes the price we pay for sin— in monetary terms alone. The study estimated that vandalism costs us over a billion dollars a year. Consider a few examples.
Several youths opened an aqueduct valve in Newark, New Jersey, causing a loss of 50 million gallons of water and costing the city $2.5 million for repairs and the purchase of water. Broken windows, slashed seats, and graffiti cost the New York Subway System $7 million a year. Finally, schools spend $600 million yearly to repair damage caused by vandals. The monetary price of sin is high. Higher yet is the spiritual price we pay.
Genesis 2:18-25 / Mark 7:24-30
In the early 1980s, syndicated columnist Bob Greene cited a study by an attorney, Michael Minton, on the monetary value of a wife’s services. He began by listing the functions that almost every good mother performs. Here are just a few that we rarely consider: chauffeur, family counselor, dietician, public relations hostess, budget manager, interior decorator.
5th Week, Wednesday, Feb 10
Genesis 2:4-9, 15-17 / Mark 7:14-23
As yet
there were no humans; So, God formed a man.
In one of his books, Dr. James Dobson cites an essay written by a third-grader. Called “What Is a Grandmother?” it makes delightful reading. Here are three excerpts from it. “Grandmothers don’t have to be smart, only answer questions like, ‘Why isn’t God married?’ and ‘How come dogs chase cats?’”
5th Week, Tuesday, Feb 9
Genesis 1:20 - 2:4 / Mark 7:1-13
Let birds fly across the sky; And God made all kinds of winged birds.
The Manx shearwater, a seagull-like bird, makes its home in tiny holes in a cliff on an island off the coast of Wales. One day a researcher caught one of these birds, put a band on its leg, and had it flown 3,000 miles to Boston.
Genesis 1:1-19 / Mark 6:53-56
Let there be lights in the sky; And
God made the stars.
Author Arthur Gordon tells how one night his father woke him and took him outside. As they looked up at the sky together, little Arthur saw a star dart across the sky.
4th Week, Saturday, Feb 6
Hebrews 13:15-17, 20-21 / Mark 6:30-34
To Christ be glory forever: He brings out in you what is pleasing.
Shortly after Mikhail Baryshnikov defected from the Soviet Union, he completed a two-week run at the Kennedy Center. At the end of the two weeks, a critic wrote: “As the two weeks went by I realized something more amazing than the dancing of Baryshnikov was happening. A young woman, Gelsey Kirkland ...had been chosen by Baryshnikov to be his partner....“She sparkled; she was radiant; she was full of life.
Hebrews 13:1-8 / Mark 6:14-29
Imitate your forefathers; Love
your fellow Hebrews.
One Sunday morning a pastor began his homily by holding up a huge triangle. Then he said, “My homily this morning is like this triangle. It too has three points.
4th Week, Thursday, Feb 4
Hebrews 12:18-19, 21-24 / Mark 6:7-13
The new covenant; The blood of Jesus changed our lives.
Bishop Sheen used to compare the Old Testament to radio and the New Testament to television. The Old Testament lets you hear God’s word. But the New Testament not only lets you hear God’s word but also lets you see the God who utters it.
4th Week, Wednesday, Feb 3
Hebrews 12:4-7, 11-15 / Mark 6:1-6
A new clergyman gave a great first sermon to his new congregation. The following Sunday, his new congregation returned with great anticipation and high expectation. To their surprise, the pastor repeated the same sermon. He did the same thing the next two Sundays.