vicardoug's Blog

First Sunday of Lent

Click here to review the reading for this Sunday

 

 Once again we begin our spiritual journey into the desert of Lent.  Are we willing to make this journey; to leave some of our comforts?

 In the gospel we hear this Sunday, St. Mark tells us that the Spirit lead Jesus into the desert for 40 days to be tempted to abandon His Father's will for Him.  

 

That is true for each of us too. Are we willing to go into this time of the desert.  This time of giving up meat on Fridays of Lent, of  

doing more in the way...

 

of prayer,

of giving alms,

of watching our tongue,

of not making judgements,

of having more compassion and mercy,

of going out of our way for another?

 

Maybe you are asking yourself why.  Why give up my comforts, my pleasures, my conveniences, etc.?  

The Church has given us more freedom to go into the desert the way we want.  The desert is always the place where we can look more deeply into our spiritual lives.  But...it is so easy to say no to this invitation to the desert of Lent.

 

The readings of this Sunday and all of the Sundays of Lent can be a help. But whatever you decide to do during your trip in the desert of Lent, don't give up.  Often when we do things that are uncomfortable and that help us to look deep within, we fail.  Doing something extra, giving up something, doing more prayer, etc., is always difficult.  We want to be comfortable.  So, when we fail at whatever we decide to do for Lent, we give up until next year.  But who knows if we will have a next year.  A good Lent is to see the struggle we go through, and to see it is hard, and we want to escape the being uncomfortable.

 So if you fail, don't give up.  Start again; the journey is only 40 days.

 

 

 

 

The first reading from Genesis is the story of Noah.  It is important because it demonstrates how much God loves the humans in His creation.  When the human race forgets its creator, God does not just wipe them all out and give up.  But He loves his sinful humanity and chooses Noah to build the ark and to start over. It shows the patience of God in not destroying humanity right away but gives a human, Noah, time to build the ark, before the flood, so that humans will not be totally destroyed.  Wow!  What patience, what mercy.  And guess what; he does the same for each of us.  Even when we fail, when we sin, God is patient and loving and merciful with each of us.  He calls us into the ark, the Church, so we will not be spiritually destroyed.  

And even more, God makes a guarantee, a pact, a covenant with us that He will not destroy us.  And the reading says that He seals this agreement with a bow.  We need to continually be reminded of how much God loves each of us.  We need this Lent to once again look deep into our spiritual selves and to see our failures, our sins, and come before God for his mercy.

But if we can't or won't see our sins, then we may not experience God's great love and mercy.  Why are we often so afraid to see our sins?  Boy, looking at our sins can be so hard to do at times.  It is much easier to blame the other, or to blame the fact we were tired, or to say, well I am only human.  But to see our sin...we say, no not me.  I am pretty good most of the time.  And we leave our journey of Lent, our chance to experience God's love and mercy.  Why are we afraid?

 

In the second reading, St. Peter addresses the new Christian converts.  For sure, they are on a journey of suffering, rejection, and persecution.  Remember that during that time, Christians were physically martyred.  He encourages them to remember that are on their journey to eternal life, the promise made to them and to us at our baptism.  

When times are difficult, when we see our own failures, in what we say and do, or in what we fail to say and do; remember these words we heard in today's gospel...

  .

"This is the time of fulfillment.
The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel."

See your failures, your sins and know that forgiveness is at hand

The gospel, meaning good news,

is 

to see our sins

so

we can be forgiven

and

made new

 

 

32nd Sunday Ordinary Time Cycle A

Click here to review the readings for this Sunday

 

This book of Wisdom was written in about the year 150 B.C. by devout Jew in Egypt.  He was attempting to educate his fellow Jews in their own philosophy and not the philosophy of the Greeks that was influencing them.    

 

 

It is a good reminder for me as to how easy it is to turn to the world philosophy of today that says the way to happiness is...

 

Money

Fame

Power

Education

Hot Car

Possessions

Great clothing

etc. 

 

There is nothing wrong with these, but when they become the whole purpose of my life, they can become idols that help me to escape from my problems, my struggles, my cross.

I know that in times of difficulty, of doubt, I need to pray for the gift of wisdom.  To be able to discern and not escape the problems,  my cross.  Many times my struggles, my cross,  are a way of growing spiritually and if I am not careful I will do almost anything to escape and to miss the opportunity to grow spiritually.

In the Gospel of this Sunday...

...we hear the story of the ten virgins.  

I know that for me in all my daily experiences I have the opportunity to store up oil so I am ready when the bridegroom comes.  

This is not just at the end of my life, but it is every day.  

Will I have enough oil when He comes inviting me to enter the wedding feast, to experience the kingdom right now?

 

In Paul's letter to the Thessalonians we hear of the concern many had wondering what would happen for those who had died before the coming of Jesus, which they believed was just around the corner.

 

 

 

I have come to understand, that for me, it is not to wait to experience Jesus at the end of my life, or at the end of time, but to realized that He comes every day and that I need the gift of wisdom to be able to recognize Him in all the situations of my life, especially those situations which seem difficult and call me to conversion; those times I complain and doubt.  These are always gift of the presence of the Lord showing me who I am spiritually and giving me more oil for my lamp.  Do I reflect the mercy, compassion, forgiveness, and love of the Christ I have been called by my baptism
to make present in the world?  Or do I put me first and the other last or second?

 

Now is the time to get oil for my lamp so I am ready.

 

 

31st Sunday Ordinary Time Cycle A

Click here to review the readings for this Sunday

Below is an audio clip which I hope will be of help.  Simply click on it. 

Download 31 Sunday

 

The Prophet Malachi 

Considered the last of the Prophets in the Hebrew Scripture, e.g. Old Testament

God's Chosen People were released from their exile in Babylon in 538 BC and rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem in 515 BC. Slowly they have turned away from God.  Only a small remnant remains faithful. Even the priests have not done what they were called to do; to help the people turn to God.  So, Malachi, around 450 BC, preaches to them.  We hear his words in the first reading.  

Remember that each of us in our baptism were annointed to be prophet, priest, and king.  We too were called to make God present for others.

 

In the Gospel  we hear a similar message to Malachai's, as Jesus addresses the Pharisees.  

They are considered learned, chosen, religious leaders.  But they have let their pride get the better of them.  They like being chosen, being important, being leaders.

 

If we stop and think about this is our own lives;  isn't it easy, especially for us who are practicing Catholics, who go to mass regularly, who volunteer, who do all things right, etc., to judge those who struggle with their faith.  

It is so easy to think that I have faith because I have done all the right things.  This was the Pharisees and that same mentality can be alive in each of us now and then.

When Jesus confronted the Pharisees it was to help them see their pride, their sins, but they refused for they thought that they were holy and wise and more learned than others in the law.  They would not convert.

For me, the blessing is to be able, through this Word, to see that at times, I too am filled with pride.  That at times, I fail to make God present to others through my compassion, my mercy, my forgiveness.  Please God, convert me;  change my heart.

 

Once again, St Paul addresses this Christian Community and praises them that they have been faithful to the message they had received.  I am sure they too had difficulties.  That they too had sinned.  

But they continue to make God present for other.  They never gave up.

When we were baptized we were called and in spite of our pride, our sins, our failures, we are to make God present in the world for others.  

The Thessalonians did not give up and neither should we, even in our darkest moments.

Let us not be afraid of our failures, our sins, but when we see them, pray for God to change our heart; to convert us.  

Let us continue to pray that in spite of all, we will fulfill our call at baptism to be prophet, priest, and king; to make God present in the world for all we meet.