March. 2010

Monday, March 1 ( Dan 9: 4b-10; Lk 6: 36-38)
We cannot know the compassion and forgiveness of God unless we admit our own sinfulness. However, the Gospel tells us that we are not to judge others but, rather, to forgive and be forgiven.

Tuesday, March 2 (Is 1: 10. 16-20; Mt 23: 1-12)
Hear the word of the Lord, set things right. Many Church leaders are in big trouble, they preach but do not practice. That’s probably something we all have to be aware of: that we do not perform good works to be seen.

Wednesday, March 3 (Jer 18 18-20; Mt 20: 17-28)
It is ever thus, the bad are out to get the good. Jesus knew that and he warned his disciples. But the sons of Zebedee were a little too quick to answer when Jesus asked them if they could drink the cup that he could. Each of us is challenged with the same question. Be careful how you answer.

Thursday, March 4 (Jer 17: 5-10; Lk 16: 19-31)
The question for us today is: Do I want to be a barren bush or a fruit bearing tree. The Gospel puts great emphasis on what happens to us as we live out that decision.

Friday, March 5 (Gn 37: 3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28; Mt 21: 33-43, 45-46)
Joseph was a favored child which caused his brothers to be jealous and mock him as a master dreamer. Given the opportunity to get rid of him and make a little money in the process, they took it. The Gospel gives us another look at that kind of jealousy. Is there anyone of whom you are jealous? Today’s readings should give you the clear message that you had better get over it.

Saturday, March 6 (Mi 7: 14-15, 18-20; Lk 15: 1-3, 11-32)
God removes guilt and pardons sin. He has compassion on us. The Gospel plays out that message as Jesus welcomes sinners and eats with them. But of the two sons in the Gospel story, the older one was clearly jealous of the younger one. Is there a relationship in your life that resonates with this story?

March 7, Third Sunday of Lent (Ex 3: 1- 8a, 13-15; I Cor 10: 1-6, 10-12; Lk 13: 1-9)
What is your burning bush? Have you witnessed something unreal in your life or the life of another? Have you been brave enough to explore it as Moses did? Paul tells us we have to be aware and not grumble about what’s going on in our lives. Fortunately, if we let them, our life experiences can cultivate what is dead in us and allow us to bear fruit.

Monday, March 8 (2 Kgs 5: 1-15a; Lk 4: 24-30)
Naaman was cured of his leprosy but not his temper. However, conversion did happen Jesus told us in the Gospel that a prophet is not accepted in his own native place and, apparently, neither is he cured. The home folks didn’t like this and they tried to destroy him. Jesus didn’t fight back, he simply passed through their midst and went away. What might we learn from this story?

Tuesday, March 9 (Dan 3: 25, 34-43; Mt 18: 21-35)
The Israelites had been brought to nothing but still they prayed “not to be put to shame.” Not exactly the expected follow up. But we get another dose of it in the Gospel, the debtor, who had no way of repaying his master, pleaded and was forgiven; however, the trail of good will stops there. The debtor went out among his debtors and demanded payment.. The other servants saw how wrong this was and told the master who handed him over to the torturers until he would pay back what he owed. Then Jesus says very clearly, “so will my heavenly Father do to you.”

Wednesday, March 10 (Dt 4: 1, 5-9; Mt 5: 17-19)
We are to take care and be on guard because, Jesus warns, we are to fulfill the law. So the obvious question is: do you want to be the least or the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

Thursday, March 11 (Jer 7: 23-28; Lk 11: 14-23)
Do we obey God when he commands us to listen to his voice and walk in his ways? Or do we walk in the hardness of our evil hearts? Is it said of us: faithfulness has disappeared? Or do we continue to look for a sign? Jesus says clearly, if you are not with me, you are against me.

Friday, March 12 (Hos 14: 2-10; Mk 12: 28b-34)
We are told to return to the Lord and take words with us. Reflect on what words Jesus would expect us to speak. Perhaps the first commandment “You should love the Lord your God with your whole heart and strength.”

Saturday, March 13 (Hos 6: 1-6; Lk 18: 9-14)
Come, let us return to the Lord, striving to know the Lord. He then will come to us like the rain that waters the earth. Returning to the Lord leaves no room for bragging about it. Jesus makes that very clear in the Gospel: Exalt yourself and be humbled; humble yourself and I will exalt you.

Fourth Sunday of Lent, March 14 (Jos 5: 9a, 10-12; 2 Cor 5: 17-21; Lk 15: 1-3, 11-32)
No story in the Gospel speaks so eloquently of the Father’s forgiveness of the sinner. Jack Shea says both sons found the father too much for them. They didn’t understand his total forgiveness nor how much he gave on a daily basis. Can any of this be said of us?

Monday, March 15 (Is 65: 17-21; Jn 4: 43-54)
How could God create our world to be a joy and his people a delight? Look closely, he has already done it: cured people, brought them back to life and all manner of good things. But if we fail to see good happening in everyday life, we will not believe. Those are the signs to look for today.

Tuesday, March 16 (Ez 47: 1-9, 12; Jn 5: 1-16)
What is the water that flows from our lives allowing good things to happen? We have to do more than just sit at the side of the pool and hope that someone will come along and put us into the water.

Wednesday, March 17 (Is 49: 8-15; Jn 5: 17-30)
God does every possible good thing for us. He answers us, helps us, keeps us, invites us to step out of darkness, frees us from hunger and thirst, guides us beside springs of water. He prepares ways for us to grow, comforts us and shows us mercy. Jesus tells us that is how he now works. “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so does the Son give life.” His hearers didn’t like this announcement and so began the effort to destroy him. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Thursday, March 18 (Ex 32: 7-14; Jn 5: 31-47)
God sent Moses to confront the people who had gone from his way, the stiff-necked ones. Moses pleaded for God’s understanding of their human weakness, so the Lord relented.

Friday, March 19, St. Joseph (2 Sam 7: 4-5a, 12-14a, 16; Rom 4: 13, 16-18, 22; Mt 1:16, 18-21, 24a or Lk 2: 41-51a)
St. Joseph was given a pretty tough job: to raise, to train, to teach the Son of God, and to protect his mother. He accepted the challenge and let things happen as God willed.

Saturday, March 20 (Jer 11: 18-20; Jn 7: 40-53)
Jeremiah was rather fortunate; he didn’t realize there were folks out there to get him. Division occurred in the crowd because of Jesus. From where do our prophets come? Do we trust or reject them?

Fifth Sunday of Lent, March 21 (Is 43: 16-21; Phil 3: 8-14; Jn 8: 1-11)
Isaiah hears the Lord say: “See I am doing something new.” What new thing is God ready to do for the woman caught in adultery? What new thing is God doing for us these days?

Monday, March 22, St. Benedict (Pv 2: 1-9; Eph 6: 10-13, 18; Mt 19: 27-29)
“Let the wise listen...” May we do so with the ears of our hearts that the promised reward may be ours: a hundred times more than we surrender plus the eternal embrace of our God! Happy Feast Day!

Tuesday, March 23 (Nm 21: 4-9; Jn 8: 21-30)
This might be a good day to examine how much we complain against God and our leaders. At Moses’ request God gave the people of that time a visible way to repent. We, too, have such ways, but do we take advantage of them? And the people say, “Who are you?” Do we find ourselves asking that same question? But Jesus, because of the way he answered them, brought them to believe: “I say only what the Father has taught me.” Can we make that statement?

Wednesday, March 24 (Dan 3: 14-20, 91-92, 95; Dan 3: 52-56; Jn 8: 31-42)
It took a miracle for King Nebuchadnezzar to change his way of thinking. Are there miracles in our lives that should change some of our thinking?

Thursday, March 25, Annunciation of the Lord (Is 7: 10-14, 8: 10; Heb 10: 4-10; Lk 1: 26-38)
The sign that Ahaz was seeking was Mary, the virgin who conceived and bore a son named Emmanuel, which means, “God is with us.” We continue to have that sign available to us. May we learn!

Friday, March 26 (Jer 20: 10-13; Jn 10: 31-42)
God tests the just and probes the mind and heart. The Jews accused Jesus of making himself God. And Jesus answered: I am a Son of God, performing my Father’s works. How would we answer if accused as Jesus was?

Saturday, March 27 (Ez 37: 21-28; Jn 11: 45-57)
“I will be their God and they shall be my people.” Many began to believe in Jesus which only gave the Sanhedrin cause to be nervous. So we have the great wisdom of Caiaphas who determined that one man only should die so that the whole nation should not perish.

The April reflections will begin with Holy Week.

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