Fifth Week of Lent
A Prayer Before Fasting
Heavenly Father, as I begin this time of fasting, I pray that you will fill me with Your grace, and grant me strength and resolution to endure the hunger and discomforts that I may experience during this fast.
Keep me strong and alert, Lord. Deliver me from all unwanted thoughts and distractions that would jeopardize my fast. Protect me from temptation and from the Evil One. May this fast lead me to spiritual growth, renewal, and healing.
Grant me, Father, the assurance that You will strengthen me during the difficult and challenging times of this fast, and meet me for sweet moments of spiritual growth and surrender. Help me to focus not on what is being taken away, but what I will be gaining as I use this fast as a spiritual discipline. With you leading me, Holy Spirit, I am ready.
My God, I offer up this fast to You and to Your glory. May Your mercy be always upon me, a sinner. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Sunday, March 17, 2024 of the Fifth Week Lent
Today’s Readings: Jer 31:31-34; Ps 51:3-4, 12-15; Heb 5:7-9; Jn 12:20-33
Jesus’ hour was soon to come and he would be glorified. He came not for his sake, but for us. You and me.
My brothers and sisters, Jesus is coming. He will raise us on the last day as he promised. We must believe and be faithful to him so we can enter the kingdom of God.
Brothers and sisters, let us come together in prayer: Jesus, I know you are coming and on the last day you will raise me up. Guide me to not worry of the material things within the four walls of my home. They are insignificant in your house. The time is now to get myself in order, my soul in order. This is the season. This is the moment for the hour waits on no one. I see what’s not important all around me and you sent previous trials and lessons which afforded me your forgiveness and I have stumbled. I have fallen. Send me your grace to reconcile all matters here on earth so to reconcile in heaven. I know my salvation is through you for You are the Way. Your word is Truth so I may have eternal Life.
Jesus…I hear you. You are Coming. Have mercy on me and heal my suffering.
“Father, glorify your name.” Jn 12:28
Monday, March 18, 2024
Today’s Readings: Dn: 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 or 13:41C-62; Ps 23:1-3A, 3B-4, 5, 6: Jn 8:1-11
There are daily challenges within our deserts that keeps us from the true Light-Jesus. We must reject sin: gossip, the darkness of negativity, the glamour of evil and much more that is not from God. Holy week is close, and Jesus will ride into Jerusalem to complete his mission. We will be there with him knowing we cannot stop the upcoming events of his life.
False accusations or misunderstandings can corner us to believe in the falseness of the darkness. Also the light of Jesus Christ to break through the darkness. There is time to leave the state of sinfulness during this Lenten season. Persevere and seek Jesus Christ’s mercy so to see his light as the beacon we yearn. He waits for us at the end of this journey with open arms, his crucified body, his Precious Blood to wash our guilts away. His light is so bright, I can see rising to envelope me. Do you?
Please follow him, he will never steer us wrong. Soon, our darkness will have an Easter Sunrise. We will have the Light of Life. What great joy.
To Do: Take 15-20 minutes today and prayerfully meditate on the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary. I know it is not Thursday, but Luminous for a reason.
“I am completely trapped; Susanna groaned.” Dan 13:22
Do not feel trapped in the falseness thrown at you. Be strong. Jesus was raised from the dead to vindicate us. Believe.
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Today’s Reading: 2 Sm 7:4-5A, 12-14A, 16: Ps 89:2-5, 27 and 29; Rom 4:13, 16-18, 22; Mt 1:16, 18-21, 24A or Lk 2:41-51A
Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary “[H]e was a righteous man…” Mt 1:19
Prayers to St. Joseph https://irma-frakes.squarespace.com/config/website/pages
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Today’s Readings: Dn 3:14-20, 91-92, 95; Dn 3:52-56; Jn 8:31-42
Jesus came to set us free, free from sin, from fear and free from death. There are many that worship or place a golden statue of idolatry above themselves in their lives. Hearing its obsession of this false god over our Heavenly Father breaks the number one Commandment of God. Persecution and suffering from non-believers ensue as we stand our Christian ground. Let us not become slaves of sin. Let not our sins scourge our Lord; receive Him.
The Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary prepare our hearts for the upcoming celebration of the Death and Resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. He stood his ground; he lived Truth. He went ahead of all our deserts of life to prepare the Resurrecting light for us so we too would join Jesus in eternal happiness.
Be the disciple Jesus wants you to be and console others in their desert journey. Guide them to listen and live in the Word of God. Encourage them to walk in discipleship of Christ. Seek and believe in the Truth Jesus has given us for it was God, our Father who sent him to us.
It’s time to dig deep into our souls and pull out those chains. Yearn for the spiritual freedom from the darkness we dredge in, through a deep repentance. Let us rejoice and be risen with Jesus, Easter morn from our sinful graves. Through his forgiveness and mercy, we will believe and remain in His word.
If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. Jn 8:31-32
Thursday, March 21, 2024
Today’s Readings: Gn 17:3-9; Ps 105:4-9; Jn 8:51-59
Keep the Word of God in your life. Speak its Truth. Praise and glorify the Father in your humility. In doing so, we praise and glorify the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. The Son knows the Father and through the Son we too will know the Father.
Jesus knew his appointed time. He knew that every prophesy had to be fulfilled. His Passion for us and Death for us. He lets us know who He is…the Son of God. My brethren, let us together know our God, his Son and the Holy Spirit during these forty-days to get us through this journey. Praise to the Risen Son so we may have eternal life.
“[B]efore Abraham came to be, I AM.” Jn 8:58
To Do: Pray the Angelus or a prayer of your choosing, pray for courage to place trust in God’s providence. To really know who He is…I AM.
Friday, March 22, 2024
Today’s Readings: Jer 20:10-13; Ps 18:2-7; Jn 10:31-42
During the darkness of our desert voyage, the evil one attempts to blow in whispers of denouncement of Jesus into our ears. Satan creates the false noise, so not to hear Jesus’ Truth. Why do we fall prey to the stones along our path and lunge them at our Lord? With persecution not far.
We must keep in mind Jesus rescues us in our distresses, in our battles. He is our Fort, our Deliverer from the clutches of our sins. He hears our cries as we attempt to crawl toward an oasis of refreshing water. But we must seek Jesus’ Living Water.
If you’ve not realized it by now, believe in the Son of God who has suffered with you and for you. His consolation is pure love.
Brothers and sisters, the final days of Lent are here. Yes, we are sinners. Be not the one to stone your Savior from your desert. He is our Refuge, our Safe House in our journey. Repent. Repent and Forgive for He too forgives. Jesus is the Rock we must build our lives on; from this rock his Living Water pours out and we are cleansed.
Pray or meditate on the Stations of the Cross today. Ask Jesus to teach you how to humbly, humbly accept the crosses you bear. Carry His message of compassion with you.
Let us pray: I praise you Jesus, my cry has reached your ears. I do repent. I am safe from my enemies and my journey sees the healing of my soul.
Jesus answered them, ‘I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me? Jn 10:32
Saturday, March 23, 2024
Today’s Readings: Ezek 37:21-28; Jer 31:10-13; Jn 11:45-56
Can you imagine living in the times of Jesus when he walked this earth? Would you have recognized the signs he performed? Touched his garment? Walked side by side with him and looked into his eyes?
What a privilege to have heard his calling to listen to His live talks in real time. The simplicity of his humanity, a true sign of humility, he personified throughout his life. What a great example for us to follow back then and now in modern day life.
He promised to unite his chosen people from the choosing’s that broke them apart. We are his chosen. You and I are His chosen. And yet, we’ve elected to carry bad habits making us fragmented and divisive. He promised to undo the divisions that have ripped us apart. He is our Shepard watching his flock. God, our Father, fulfilled his promise through Jesus Christ. Through his Son, signs of love in the face of hatred, Jesus unveiled. How great and compassionate is God’s power when he sent the One who would unite the many.
The plot to destroy Jesus is now in motion. Tomorrow, Palm Sunday, all the players are set. We are set. We stand and watch. We will hear the false accusations toward Jesus and await the verdict at his trial.
Prepare, my brothers and sisters. We the sinful people, are very much scattered. We will know the miracle of eternal life performed in front of our eyes through a crucifixion. Remember, we are the two thieves alongside Jesus, atoning and not. We must purify ourselves through repentance and the Sacrament of Confession.
Understand how holy this upcoming week is, even though we know the end of story. The prophesy of the Savior for all people comes to fruition. His death uniting all peoples dispersed throughout mankind. We must see this week as holy for Jesus’ Passion for salvation is overwhelming on how one man could undertake everyone’s darkness, everyone’s sins, and everyone’s betrayal toward him. Why do you think this Friday is good?
Jesus could see our vulnerability, our brokenness, our sinfulness and our choosing to repent and not. God saw how holy this week would become; he saw beyond our forthcoming needs and provided a life-saving Passion, Death and Resurrection of his only Son, the one He shared and gave us.
Be not fearful, for Jesus crucified is our Shepard leading us to eternal life, gathered into one spiritual family. See His vision through your life this Lenten journey. It is a saving vision promised of Jesus Christ who was sent by his Heavenly Father.
So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said,
“What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs. Jn 11:47
To Do: Today, quietly contemplate a passage from your Bible, pray for an increase of faith, hope, and charity. God bless you all. Go to Confession and pour out your sins to be purified for his Resurrection, Easter morn.