GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY : Tuesday - March 01, 2023

 

Tuesday - March 01, 2023

"Lent is a time of going very deeply into ourselves... What is it that stands between us and God? Between us and our brothers and sisters? Between us and life, the life of the Spirit? Whatever it is, let us relentlessly tear it out, without a moment's hesitation."

 

~~Catherine Doherty

TODAY'S READINGS

March 1, 2023

Wednesday of the First Week in Lent

Lectionary: 226

 

Reading I     

                                                                                    Jon 3:1-10

 

The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:

""Set out for the great city of Nineveh,

and announce to it the message that I will tell you.""

So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh,

according to the LORD's bidding.

Now Nineveh was an enormously large city;

it took three days to go through it.

Jonah began his journey through the city,

and had gone but a single day's walk announcing,

""Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed,""

when the people of Nineveh believed God;

they proclaimed a fast

and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.

 

When the news reached the king of Nineveh,

he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe,

covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes.

Then he had this proclaimed throughout Nineveh,

by decree of the king and his nobles:

""Neither man nor beast, neither cattle nor sheep,

shall taste anything;

they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water.

Man and beast shall be covered with sackcloth and call loudly to God;

every man shall turn from his evil way

and from the violence he has in hand.

Who knows, God may relent and forgive, and withhold his blazing wrath,

so that we shall not perish.""

When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way,

he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them;

he did not carry it out.

 

Responsorial Psalm                                          Ps 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19

 

R. (19b) A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

 

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;

in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.

Thoroughly wash me from my guilt

and of my sin cleanse me.

R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

 

A clean heart create for me, O God,

and a steadfast spirit renew within me.

Cast me not out from your presence,

and your Holy Spirit take not from me.

R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

 

For you are not pleased with sacrifices;

should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.

My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;

a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

 

Verse Before the Gospel 

 

Even now, says the LORD,

return to me with your whole heart

for I am gracious and merciful.

 

Gospel                                                                        Lk 11:29-32

 

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,

"This generation is an evil generation;

it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,

except the sign of Jonah.

Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,

so will the Son of Man be to this generation.

At the judgment

the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation

and she will condemn them,

because she came from the ends of the earth

to hear the wisdom of Solomon,

and there is something greater than Solomon here.

At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation

and condemn it,

because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,

and there is something greater than Jonah here."

 

**********************************

The Sign We Can Trust

What sign are you waiting for that would prove that God really, really loves you? What resolution to a problem, what new job, what reconciled relationship? In today’s Gospel passage, we find out that Jesus is the sign. We need no other sign.

 

In today’s first reading, we see that Jonah’s mission was to call the Ninevites to repentance. In the Gospel reading, we’re reminded that, like Jonah, Jesus emerged from the belly of death to call you and me to repentance. He is the sign we are given.

 

Jesus died because he loves you. Then God the Father raised him from death because he loves you. Out of this tremendous love, God calls us to repent so that we can live in his love all the time.

 

Then why are we reluctant to identify our sins and repent? We’re so determined to resolve our problems in the easiest possible way — without making any sacrifices — that we fail to recognize the sign of the cross. We fail to recognize the love that’s there and the love we receive when we unite our problems to the cross of Christ.

 

Yet, we stare at a reminder of it every time we go to Mass and look at the crucifix. We hang reminders of it in our homes and workplaces, and we even wear them around our necks! But we think, “That was for you to do, Jesus. I don’t want any part of it! I want resurrection in my life but I definitely do not want to go through the cross to reach it!”

 

When we sin, it’s usually because we don’t understand how to find God’s love in the situation we’re facing. Sin is a selfish attempt to do things our own way — in other words, to take care of ourselves as if we are greater than God. Jesus’ death and resurrection is a sign that we need to repent of this idolatry. We cannot understand God’s tremendous love unless we trust in that love when the odds are against us. And we can’t trust until we let go of our own ways of fixing problems.

 

Repentance means changing. Repentance means letting go of our ways when they’re not God’s ways. We need to sacrifice our resistance to the cross. Then and only then can we experience the joy of trusting God.

 

Joy amidst suffering comes from trusting that God cares about us all the time, no matter what. Joy comes from trusting that God is working a plan that will turn every bad situation into something much better than we can imagine. Joy comes from realizing that every problem is pregnant with God’s activity, i.e., new life is developing in the secret recesses of God’s womb.

 

Thus begins our resurrection.

 

Today's Prayer

 

Dear Lord, give me a docile, attentive, and persevering spirit to discover Your presence in my life. I yearn to be filled by You. Amen.

 

 

God Bless You.....



The Rosary Family

The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY : Tuesday - February 28, 2023

 

Tuesday - February 28, 2023

“Fasting is most intimately connected with prayer. For the mind of one who is filled with food and drink is so borne down as not to be able to raise itself to the contemplation of God, or even to understand what prayer means.”

-Catechism of the Council of Trent

TODAY'S READINGS

February 28, 2023

Tuesday of the First Week of Lent

Lectionary: 225

 

Reading I     

                                                                                    Is 55:10-11

 

Thus says the LORD:

Just as from the heavens

the rain and snow come down

And do not return there

till they have watered the earth,

making it fertile and fruitful,

Giving seed to the one who sows

and bread to the one who eats,

So shall my word be

that goes forth from my mouth;

It shall not return to me void,

but shall do my will,

achieving the end for which I sent it.

 

Responsorial Psalm                                          PS 34:4-5, 6-7, 16-17, 18-19

 

R. (18b)  From all their distress God rescues the just.

 

Glorify the LORD with me,

let us together extol his name.

I sought the LORD, and he answered me

and delivered me from all my fears.

R. From all their distress God rescues the just.

 

Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,

and your faces may not blush with shame.

When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,

and from all his distress he saved him.

R. From all their distress God rescues the just.

 

The LORD has eyes for the just,

and ears for their cry.

The LORD confronts the evildoers,

to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.

R. From all their distress God rescues the just.

 

When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,

and from all their distress he rescues them.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;

and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.

R. From all their distress God rescues the just.

 

Verse Before the Gospel 

 

One does not live on bread alone,

but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

 

Gospel                                                                        Mt 6:7-15

 

Jesus said to his disciples:

"In praying, do not babble like the pagans,

who think that they will be heard because of their many words.

Do not be like them.

Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

 

"This is how you are to pray:

 

Our Father who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name,

thy Kingdom come,

thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread;

and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us;

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

 

"If you forgive men their transgressions,

your heavenly Father will forgive you.

But if you do not forgive men,

neither will your Father forgive your transgressions."

 

**********************************

The Healing Power of Forgiveness

We all want to have stronger faith. However, this involves becoming stronger in our holiness. We have been made holy by the Holy Spirit, whom we received in fullness during our Baptisms, but learning to live out who we really are is not easy in today’s world. And yet it’s essential for increasing our faith and participating in the miraculous power of God.

 

Holiness requires struggling against the easier way of life that our flesh nature prefers. It requires effort to, for example, remain in the spirit of love even while others commit sins against us. Our faith is tested in how we handle those we dislike: the ex-spouse, the abusive priest, the employer who fired you, or the friend who betrayed you with no desire to make amends.

 

In the “Our Father” prayer that Jesus gives us in today’s Gospel passage, he puts special emphasis on forgiveness. By asking God to forgive us for our sins the same way as we forgive those who’ve sinned against us, we’re taking our holiness very seriously. The measure of mercy we give to others is the measure we’re asking God to give us, but don’t we usually prefer to receive more mercy than we give?

 

It’s not that God withholds forgiveness from us like a bribe to make us become more forgiving — he already forgave us 2000 years ago when Jesus died on the cross on our behalf. The fact is, we separate ourselves from God’s forgiveness whenever we refuse to forgive. In this stormy sea of our unmerciful attitude, we find it hard to believe, deep inside, that we deserve to be forgiven any more than we believe someone else deserves our forgiveness.

 

Jesus is challenging us to love ourselves at a holier, healthier level. Giving forgiveness frees us to enjoy life; it frees us from dependence on what others do or don’t do to us. And by entering the world of forgiveness, we open ourselves to all of the love that God has for us.

 

It’s okay to not enjoy forgiving others, especially when they are not remorseful. Jesus wanted to avoid his cross, too. But the only way to resurrection is through the cross.

 

To grow in faith, we have to stay close to Jesus in both good times and bad, when his hands are reaching out to us with healing love and when his hands are nailed to the cross. By choosing to forgive those who show no remorse, we are united to the sacrifice that Jesus made for us: We are forgiven, we are saved, we are healed.

 

Identify the people you haven’t really forgiven yet. Make the decision to forgive them, then meditate upon the pain that Jesus suffered in love for you. Realize how much compassion it took for Jesus to do that for you, even though you did not deserve it. Remind yourself that he continues to love you this much every day, no matter what, whether you’re sinning or not.

 

Today's Prayer

 

Father, help me to surrender my desire for justice when I have been hurt. Encourage me to love and to forgive always. Amen.

 

God Bless You.....



The Rosary Family

The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY : Monday - February 27, 2023

 

Monday - February 27, 2023

“Fasting cleanses the soul, raises the mind, subjects one’s flesh to the spirit, renders the heart contrite and humble, scatters the clouds of concupiscence, quenches the fire of lust, kindles the true light of chastity.”

--St. Augustine

TODAY'S READINGS

February 27, 2023

Monday of the First Week of Lent

Lectionary: 224

 

Reading I     

                                                                                    Lv 19:1-2, 11-18

 

The LORD said to Moses,

"Speak to the whole assembly of the children of Israel and tell them:

Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.

 

"You shall not steal.

You shall not lie or speak falsely to one another.

You shall not swear falsely by my name,

thus profaning the name of your God.

I am the LORD.

 

"You shall not defraud or rob your neighbor.

You shall not withhold overnight the wages of your day laborer.

You shall not curse the deaf,

or put a stumbling block in front of the blind,

but you shall fear your God.

I am the LORD.

 

"You shall not act dishonestly in rendering judgment.

Show neither partiality to the weak nor deference to the mighty,

but judge your fellow men justly.

You shall not go about spreading slander among your kin;

nor shall you stand by idly when your neighbor's life is at stake.

I am the LORD.

 

"You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart.

Though you may have to reprove him,

do not incur sin because of him.

Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen.

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

I am the LORD."

 

Responsorial Psalm                                          Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 15

 

R. (John 6:63b) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

 

The law of the LORD is perfect,

refreshing the soul.

The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,

giving wisdom to the simple.

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

 

The precepts of the LORD are right,

rejoicing the heart.

The command of the LORD is clear,

enlightening the eye.

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

 

The fear of the LORD is pure,

enduring forever;

The ordinances of the LORD are true,

all of them just.

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

 

Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart

find favor before you,

O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

 

Verse Before the Gospel 

 

Praise to you O Christ, King of eternal glory

 

Behold, now is a very acceptable time;

behold, now is the day of salvation.

 

Praise to you O Christ, King of eternal glory

 

Gospel                                                                        Mt 25:31-46

 

Jesus said to his disciples:

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory,

and all the angels with him,

he will sit upon his glorious throne,

and all the nations will be assembled before him.

And he will separate them one from another,

as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

Then the king will say to those on his right,

'Come, you who are blessed by my Father.

Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

For I was hungry and you gave me food,

I was thirsty and you gave me drink,

a stranger and you welcomed me,

naked and you clothed me,

ill and you cared for me,

in prison and you visited me.'

Then the righteous will answer him and say,

'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,

or thirsty and give you drink?

When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,

or naked and clothe you?

When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'

And the king will say to them in reply,

'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did

for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Then he will say to those on his left,

'Depart from me, you accursed,

into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.

For I was hungry and you gave me no food,

I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,

a stranger and you gave me no welcome,

naked and you gave me no clothing,

ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'

Then they will answer and say,

'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty

or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,

and not minister to your needs?'

He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you,

what you did not do for one of these least ones,

you did not do for me.'

And these will go off to eternal punishment,

but the righteous to eternal life."

 

**********************************

Moving Closer to Heaven as Sheep

Today’s first reading expands upon a portion of the Ten Commandments — the commandments about loving others, not about loving God. If we don’t love others, we don’t love God.

 

Why? Because he cares about everyone, even the worst of the worst. If we truly love him, we care about those whom he loves: everyone, even those who reject the truth about him, even those who reject us and cause us to suffer.

 

Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel passage that what we do to others we are actually doing to him. Why? Because he united himself to every sinner — even the most terrible sinners — when he came to earth as one of us and then offered himself as a sacrifice on the cross for our sins.

 

The worst of the worst people in our lives are the “least of these” whom we are to treat the way we’d like to treat Jesus, even if they don’t acknowledge what Jesus did for them.

 

Our love for others is our love for God. When we lie or speak falsely, we’re lying to Christ as he hangs on the cross. When we break a promise to a child, we profane the name of God, who is the Promise Keeper.

 

When we curse someone who cannot hear us or when we speak ill of others behind their backs, God hears us and takes it personally. When we make the blind stumble (for example, causing a sinner to sin more), God sees and holds us accountable.

 

When we judge others unfairly as if we knew everything about their hearts and motives, we judge God, who is the Judge. When we slander and complain about our relatives or ex-spouses, we slander God.

 

If we ignore our neighbor who is suffering when we are capable of helping, we turn our backs on the Lord who suffered tremendously.

 

When we recognize that someone is sinning, it’s right to try to reprove him, but if we prove our hatred for him by retaliating or holding a grudge, we are hating God, who is the Giver of Mercy.

 

And since we are to love our neighbors as ourselves, whenever we’re unkind to ourselves, we’re being cruel to God.

 

When we choose not to do good to others, we are refusing to do good to Jesus, and thus we become the accursed “goats” who are separated from him. Love means DOing something good for others and thus also for Jesus. The “sheep” in the story did good deeds — actions of caring — even to those who deserved it least.

 

One reason why DOing is so important is because it converts our feelings. It’s hard to hold a grudge while doing an act of kindness.

 

Today's Prayer

 

Lord, help me to recognize Your presence in those people I most want to avoid. Help me to willingly give myself without hesitation. Amen.

 

God Bless You.....

The Rosary Family

The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”