SATURDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY - 2022

LENT 2022

 
DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

I take pleasure, not in the death of a wicked man
– it is the Lord who speaks –
but in the turning back of a wicked man
who changes his ways to win life. EZ 33:11

ISAIAH 58:9-14 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

I cling to all the promises You make today through the prophet Isaiah. I believe in Your Word. I will hold fast to Truth, You will keep me close to You and I will remain in Your Presence, O Lord, my God.

If only we would take You at Your Word, Beloved, how beautiful our world would be. Peace would reign in our hearts as we lived together in filial affection. 

Sadly, we are constantly at war with each other. Our hearts have hardened and our fists are perpetually clenched and raised angrily at each other. We have forgotten how to be kind, generous, thoughtful, and caring. We forget that we are children of the same God and we are given stewardship over each other putting the needs of the other over our own. 

If only we could bear in mind that we are made in Your image and likeness we would reflect Your goodness and love. You would lead us and guide us tenderly if only we would give You autonomy over our lives as the sheep of Your flock

Thank You, Lord, for the gift of the Holy Eucharist which strengthens us and fills us with life-giving grace. In baptism we are planted in You, help us through the power of Your Spirit to put down roots deep in You, and no storm, no catastrophe will shake us. We will never run out of life-giving water flowing from You. We will bear good fruit for Your glory. 

We are grateful to the Church for giving us this glorious season of Lent to help us step back, examine our lives, recall God's unfathomable love for us and the price You paid for our salvation. May we experience a true metanoia and return to You and to the Father's house like the prodigal son. 

LUKE 5:27-32 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Some preachers and commentators say that we ought not to take everything in the Bible literally, and that is true. Some things that are said are for effect, hyperbole and we must read the Word of God in context so we can understand better what You say to us. But more often than not, we must take Your Word to mean exactly what it says. 

For instance, today,  the evangelist Luke tells us that You noticed Levi, a tax collector sitting in the customs booth, and You said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And Luke tells us that he left everything, he got up, and he followed You.

There was no delay - You extended an invitation to him to follow You and he did exactly as You asked him to, there was no hesitation. Similarly with Andrew, Peter, James, and John. While it is true that You have also said elsewhere in Your Word that we must first consider the cost of discipleship before we decide to follow You in case we discover that the cost is too high and give up mid-way. The crushing disappointment and sense of failure we will experience will be hard to bear. 

But in today's Gospel passage it is clear that Levi had no doubt in his mind when he heard Your invitation. The passage begins with the verse that says You noticed him. Perhaps for the first time in his adult life, someone noticed him. As a tax collector, he was used to being either invisible, or if he was noticed it was only to be cursed and despised. 

Before leaving his old life behind, he gave one last banquet in Your honor inviting Your disciples, his fellow tax collectors, and others who were Pharisees and scribes. Even while eating at their host's table they despised him and complained to Your disciples criticizing You for mingling with tax collectors and sinners? You knew what they said and gave them a fitting response, one that is of great comfort to us all who are sinners, ‘It is not those who are well who need the doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the virtuous, but sinners to repentance.’

Thank You, Beloved, for inviting me to follow You. Thank You for coming to seek and save me.