First Week of Lent

Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024-First Sunday of Lent

Today’s Reading: Gn 9:8-15; Ps 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9; 1 Peter 3:18-22; Mk 1:12-15

“The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. (Mk 1:12)

Our journey has begun. Desert or wilderness. Which is it? We may feel alone, but we are not. Let’s make this season a joint effort. We accompany Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem and he walks with us in ours. Let’s be determined these forty days.

What are your expectations? What do you need from Jesus? Will you surrender?

Let’s pray for a strong faith, to persevere in our personal journey. We have a long way to go. Don’t allow Satan to throw us off the cliff. To trick us, “the grass is greener on his side.” Place caution to the Lenten goals we have in mind. Our long to-dos “giving up” and doing better than last year. Balance those challenges from the ones that may not come to fruition. Don’t let it squash the discovery of Jesus and the truth of ourselves.

Let’s embrace the certainty of God’s will for us. Be open to Jesus. Walk in truth with Him.

Prepare for the battle. Put on the Armor of God to sustain every 24-hours of forty. We must endure. We must fast and pray.

Prayer: O my Jesus, I too am in the desert. Dry in my spiritual life. Wandering lost in my faith. Satan whispers his emptiness just as he tempted you. Yet you persevered in the Father’s plan. Walk with me these forty days and I with you. You see my life as it is, in the present. I know I will be tested. This season of suffering. I must trust in what I must endure. Yes, Satan will be allowed to place temptations and trials before me. Test the weaknesses I bear. Help me hear what you tell me. Increase my strength to resist him that deters my fasting and prayer. Guide me Jesus.

I know you have a plan for me. I want to follow you; do your will. Teach me to grow in my faith and trust in you. Trust in the love you have for me. Lent is about you and my preparation for repentance. A preparation of discipleship for you. To bring others to you. Pray for me Jesus, that my faith does not weaken. That I do not fail you. Jesus, I trust in you and surrender all of me to you.

Monday, Feb. 19, 2024

Today’s Reading: Lv 19:1-2; Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 15; Mt 25:31-46

“Be holy, for I the Lord, your God, am holy.” Lev 19:2

How does one become holy? Remember, we are created in God’s image. Created in his goodness, in the likeness of his holiness. And created to love as he loves.  

Keep in mind Sin robs us of God’s grace. It deteriorates the level of our holiness. That is why the Sacrament of Reconciliation is so important to our souls, to our being in the state of His grace. And if we don’t have this holiness, we cannot inherit the Kingdom of God that is prepared for us. And we don’t want that.

Which brings us to the scripture verse below…

“Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.” (Mt 25:40b)

Let’s extend a kind act of love even to a stranger. Don’t forget a family member who might be alone or hurting in some way. Or a friend who needs a visit from you. What a simple way to glorify and proclaim God’s greatness. His love. Jesus will ask us what have we done for another? Or what we’ve NOT done for another? Extending love to others so to inherit the Kingdom of God. Knowing we loved others here on earth, God will love us more.

What act of love has God done for us? He gave us Jesus. And what did he do? He gave us the greatest gift of love…himself. Let’s keep this in mind as we journey with him to Jerusalem. Peas and blessings for your Lenten journey.

Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024

Today’s Reading: Is 55:10-11; Ps 34:4-5, 6-7, 16-17, 18-19; Mt 6:7-15

“If you forgive men their transgressions, your heavenly will forgive you.” Mt 6:14

Prayer-let’s not just pray a 500 word to God. At some point, it’ll sound like rambling and rambling. But find a few single words deep in what you want to tell Jesus. Scripture tells us in Mt 6:7-15: (7) In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. (8) Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (9) “This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name (10) your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. (11) Give us today our daily bread; (12) and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; (13) and do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one.

(14) If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you.

(15) But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.

This Lenten Season, let us not pass up the chance to follow Mt 6:12, 14-15.

Pray for the grace of forgiveness. God bless you all.

Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024

Today’s Readings: Jon 3:1-10; Ps 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19; Lk 11:29-32

We are in troubling times and many do not think of repentance. We must do our part to fast, pray and repent of our sins. Offer it up for our families, friends, the city we live in, our nation and the whole world. We must believe in God’s mercy. Of the greatest sign of all…his Son, Jesus Christ. Today’s Gospel states in Luke 11:30 “Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.”

This Lenten season: fast, pray and repent. Fast a favorite food or activity as a sign of your faithfulness to Jesus Christ. It will enrich your soul, your life. God bless you all.

Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024

Today’s Readings: Peter 5:1-4, Ps 23, Mt 16:13-19

If someone were to ask you who Jesus is, what would you say? Peter answered that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

Yes, that is who Jesus is. Now during this Lenten journey with him, who do we say Jesus is? He is the one who comes to restore us. He sees us in our unique creation and continues to purse us. He is loving us in such a personal way, such passion, no one else sees us and loves us as he does. Let’s receive Jesus on this journey. He is going to teach us so much. Trust is his desire for you.

Ps. 23. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. Though I walk in the dark valley, I fear no evil.

Prayer: Oh Jesus, as I walk with you this season, save me from the darkness that tries to engulf me. I want and need no one else, but you.

Friday, Feb. 23, 2024

Today’s Readings: Ez 18:21-28, Ps 130, Mt 5:20-26

We continue our journey to Jerusalem with Jesus. A journey of love; one he did for us. One he did for his enemies. Love is a beautiful grace. It’s more of what we do for another. Not just a feeling. There are times when we don’t have love for someone in family or a used-to-be friend. Let’s do our best to reconcile that. First in our heart to open to forgiveness. Love our enemy. Yes, that’s hard. As humans, we sometimes don’t turn the other cheek. We let those feelings fester.

Jesus gave himself to us wholeheartedly. And faithful to us in times of our sinfulness and in times of good, bad, physical and spiritual sickness and health. This journey with Jesus, let’s ask or more so, let’s beg for healing of spiritual health. Healing of our souls and hearts toward others. It’s hard, but with Jesus accompanying us and we with him, we can find ourselves released from what binds us in a bad way. This Lenten journey, seek healing and forgiveness. Allow Jesus’ love to pour in and wash the badness away.

Prayer: Jesus, today I ask for your help to avoid evil temptations. Temptation that attempts to creep into my day and crawls into my bed. Assist me to resist and turn from consenting to any temptation that challenges me to stray from you. Hold me back from consenting any temptation disguised as alluring in falseness. And Jesus, I beg for God’s grace to pour down upon me to help me combat any evil suggestions. I ask in Your holy name. Amen.  

Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024

Today’s Readings: Deut 26:16-19, Ps 119, Mt 5:43-48

“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 only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect,* just as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Mt 5:43-48)

Prayer: Jesus, today I ask for your help to love my enemy. Open my heart to love them even though they persecute me. To offer forgiveness. I pray all will go well with them for I know your love is healing to all. I pray they resist temptations against others. Jesus, help us all to resist straying from you. I beg for God’s grace to pour down upon me to help me combat any evil suggestions. I ask in Your holy name. Amen.