Sunday - February 25, 2018
I bind myself today
The might of the Incarnation of Christ with that of His Baptism,
The might of His Crucifixion with that of His Burial,
The might of His Resurrection with that of His Ascension,
The might of His Coming on the Judgment Day.
~~St. Patrick of Ireland
TODAY'S READINGS
February 24, 2018
Saturday of the First Week of Lent
Lectionary: 229
Reading 1DT 26:16-19
Moses spoke to the people, saying:
"This day the LORD, your God,
commands you to observe these statutes and decrees.
Be careful, then,
to observe them with all your heart and with all your soul.
Today you are making this agreement with the LORD:
he is to be your God and you are to walk in his ways
and observe his statutes, commandments and decrees,
and to hearken to his voice.
And today the LORD is making this agreement with you:
you are to be a people peculiarly his own, as he promised you;
and provided you keep all his commandments,
he will then raise you high in praise and renown and glory
above all other nations he has made,
and you will be a people sacred to the LORD, your God,
as he promised."
"This day the LORD, your God,
commands you to observe these statutes and decrees.
Be careful, then,
to observe them with all your heart and with all your soul.
Today you are making this agreement with the LORD:
he is to be your God and you are to walk in his ways
and observe his statutes, commandments and decrees,
and to hearken to his voice.
And today the LORD is making this agreement with you:
you are to be a people peculiarly his own, as he promised you;
and provided you keep all his commandments,
he will then raise you high in praise and renown and glory
above all other nations he has made,
and you will be a people sacred to the LORD, your God,
as he promised."
Responsorial PsalmPS 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8
R. (1b) Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Blessed are they whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD.
Blessed are they who observe his decrees,
who seek him with all their heart.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
You have commanded that your precepts
be diligently kept.
Oh, that I might be firm in the ways
of keeping your statutes!
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
I will give you thanks with an upright heart,
when I have learned your just ordinances.
I will keep your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
behold, now is the day of salvation.
Blessed are they whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD.
Blessed are they who observe his decrees,
who seek him with all their heart.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
You have commanded that your precepts
be diligently kept.
Oh, that I might be firm in the ways
of keeping your statutes!
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
I will give you thanks with an upright heart,
when I have learned your just ordinances.
I will keep your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Verse Before The Gospel2 COR 6:2B
Behold, now is a very acceptable time;behold, now is the day of salvation.
GospelMT 5:43-48
Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies,
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers and sisters only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."
"You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies,
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers and sisters only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."
Forgiveness from the Heart
Introductory Prayer: Dear Jesus, too often I compare myself with others. It's easy for me to find or imagine my superiority to them. I ignore you and your great goodness. I forget that everything I have comes from you and that I can't claim the credit for any quality and virtue, although I would like to. I wish to keep this truth in mind and to have an attitude of genuine humility in my heart. Here I am, Lord, to know and love you more through prayer.
Petition: Lord, help me to forgive from the heart.
1. The True Battlefield: Although it is difficult, we can usually bring ourselves around to excuse an injustice we have suffered. We forget about what happened, and we try to move forward. However, it is more difficult for us to forgive when we look into our offender’s heart and refuse to turn a blind eye to the goodness that is there. Our hearts are a battleground for good and evil, and to forgive is to be willing to help both the offender and ourselves overcome the logic of evil. It is to wager on the side of good and to trust that goodness is ultimately more attractive to the human heart than the idol of evil. Christ always looked into the heart and wagered on the side of good.
2. Turning the Other Cheek: “For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them” (Luke 6:32). Christian forgiveness involves waiving our claim for damages. It means turning the other cheek. It means giving up our cloak as well. All this is relatively easy in comparison to giving over our good name, to proceeding in charity even when we will be misunderstood. Even here, we must waive our claim for damages, willingly die in the furrow, and patiently await the Father to raise us up again.
3. Going the Entire Distance: The Christian ethic is positive. It does not consist merely of not doing bad things but in doing good things; building up positively. We change the world little by not doing things. Christ was not satisfied with that. He gave up his tunic, he gave up his good name, and he gave up everything—to the last drop of his blood. So often we feel good about ourselves because we measure up to our neighbor, but it is not our neighbor with whom we must compare ourselves. It is God with whom we must compare ourselves, and he has shown us how to be fruitful: by paying our ransom with his blood. In forgiveness and mercy, his generosity is without measure.
Conversation with Christ: Dear Jesus, help me to seek perfection in loving you and my neighbor always. I want to travel the path of generous love because it is your path, and you are the source of all my happiness.
Resolution: I will be the first to offer an apology or a solution to build unity in my home and workplace.
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God Bless You.....
KONKANI PRAYER GROUP - Abu Dhabi
"Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone" Mark 16:15
KONKANI PRAYER GROUP - Abu Dhabi
"Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone" Mark 16:15
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