Sacred Heart and Advent

Advent begins on Sunday. It is the traditional time of preparation for both comings of Jesus: it’s a memorial of His first coming as a baby as well as an anticipation of His Second Coming in Triumph to judge all nations and history. This latter is obvious if you pray the Liturgy of the Hours …

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Contemplate the loving gentleness of the humanity of the Lord

This excerpt from the Second Reading of the Office of Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours for today is “From the Mirror of Love by Saint Aelred, abbot.” It is quite suitable for Sacred Heart Friday and as a daily Lenten meditation! …If someone wishes to love himself he must not allow himself to be …

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Be shepherds like the Lord

The Second Reading from the Office of Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours for today is from a homily by Saint Asterius of Amasea, bishop Emphasis is mine. You were made in the image of God. If then you wish to resemble him, follow his example. Since the very name you bear as Christians …

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Jonah and Nineveh

The First Reading for Wednesday of the First Week in Lent tells the story of Jonah going to Nineveh and calling upon the people to repent. This post is kind of like a sequel to this one.  Imagine someone like Jonah going around today, calling upon people to repent of their sins. Seriously! What would …

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Want forgiveness? Great! But there’s a catch…

In this excerpt from the Gospel for the Mass of Tuesday of the First week of Lent, Jesus reminds us that there is a condition for our bring forgiven for our sins:  Matthew 6:14-15 “If you forgive men their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, neither will …

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What is good and pleasing and perfect

The Evening Prayer for today (Monday, First Week of Lent) has one of my favorite passages from Scripture and the first one I ever attempted to memorize. To me, it is at the heart of being a person in recovery: Romans 12:2 “Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of …

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Sheep and Goats

A passage from the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Matthew, from today’s Mass for the Monday of the First Week of Lent: Matthew 25: 31-46 “But when the Son of man will have arrived in his majesty, and all the Angels with him, then he will sit upon the seat of his majesty. And …

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The pleasing nature of temptations

The First Reading for the Mass of the First Sunday of Lent is about the Temptation of Eve. In it we read that the object of the temptation is pleasing to the eye, and that partaking of it will open the eyes to wisdom and knowledge. Just eating of the Tree of Life, one can …

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Follow me! (It’s that easy?)

In the Gospel reading for the Mass for the Saturday after Ash Wednesday we read of Jesus calling a tax collector (Levi, also known as Matthew) to become one of His disciples.  Luke 5:27-32 Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything …

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Crying out full-throated and unsparingly!!

An excerpt from the First Reading of the Mass for Friday after Ash Wednesday: Isaiah 58:1 Thus says the Lord GOD: Cry out full-throated and unsparingly, lift up your voice like a trumpet blast; Tell my people their wickedness, and the house of Jacob their sins. OK! So I will!  We are a culture that …

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