Tuesday, February 20, 2018

February 20 - First Week of Lent - Tuesday

­­+ Again today we have excellent readings for Mass. As we proceed, at first, ever so slowly and cautiously our Lenten trek of self-discovery, self-reflection and self-motivation, we at stopped in our tracks and put in the middle of the road already: “every word that comes forth from God’s mouth will be accomplished!” PERIOD! now, in our regard, either we will cooperate and lock-on to his will and actually do it, with our own personality, flare and talents, or we will not, at least at first; we will kick and scream and yell, and try to do it our own way, until we are worn to a proverbial frazzle: then we will surrender and say: “Okay, I give up! I surrender! Let’s do it your way! and voila! whatever it was, becomes “as easy as pie” and we say to ourselves: “Why didn’t I just give up, surrender and ask for more information on how to do it his way” at the very outset?

Indeed!
Lent is all about our letting our clawed grip loose on all the activities of our lives: to let God in, and to humbly as to be used as he would use us!

The gospel passage in fact gives us THE PERFECT outline on what God expects of us: the blueprint for any given day, and the Light for the darkness of our path!: It is the prayer that Jesus himself taught us: we’ve said it a million times, but did we ever SLOW DOWN and dive into each word, each phrase, each idea, each concept, each lovingly prescribed action involved?

Here is a short meditation on this prayer: it’s just for this moment in time: I urge you today to make some free time (15 mins of silence and prayer, off by yourself) and create your own meditation for the rest of the day:

Here’s mine for now:

Wow! you are really OUR FATHER, this means I am loved, cared for, protected and valued higher than the skies; it also means that Jesus is my Brother, really and truly, and that Mary, his mother is therefore my Mother too! Yes! Wow! I have friends in very high places.

And You, Father, are holiness itself – beginning with your name – and you are asking me to be as holy as you are – which is now possible – because if you ask us to do anything, you always give us all we need to do it –

And. yes there is a spaceless, timeless, eternal, glorious Kingdom of unimagined bliss and peace awaiting us “out there!” and one day it will be fully inaugurated when Jesus comes again on the clouds to separate the “sheep” from the “goats” and escort them personally into the new heavens and the new earth for those who simply believe in him, and that he can do it!

Here is the big one: YOUR WILL BE DONE on earth as it is in heaven – your word be accomplished and not come back to you void. Period. That means the more we plug in to cooperating with this word and will, the happier we will be, the more people we will help and we will have nothing to fear on the Great Day of Judgment that is surely coming.

Our “daily bread” is all we need to survive our pilgrimage to the Kingdom, but especially the Bread of the Eucharist: the bread and wine of the Body and Blood of Jesus! This is of vital importance to everyone – because, one prerequisite that Jesus made very clear for entrance into the Kingdom is for us to “resemble Himself” so when the Father sees us, he sees his Son and all that that means; when we consume the transubstantiated Bread and Wine – the Body and Blood of Christ – he literally becomes us as we digest him into our stomachs, systems and blood, and most wondrously we become all that he is: Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity: we become DIVINE! Then we can partner with him very easily throughout the day to do what he wants done, for whomever he puts in our path!

Forgiveness therefore, to all others, who are fragile and human as we are is of the essence: just as the Lord forgives us, so should we forgive one another – but in many cases not until the offender, the trespasser asks for it!

It goes without saying that we would rather not be tested, but we will be, because that’s how our faith is tried, and our character and virtue proven: we pray then for every grace and the love we need to surround us when such trials come our way (the problems of everyday life).

And lastly, save us from the evil one – who is there trying to change our allegiance, and our loyalty: but his spirit is easily spotted, vetted, and rejected – if anything we say does not produce peace, hope, joy, love, forgiveness, and the promise of eternal life: then it is to be rejected as easily as saying: “Get behind me, Satan!” “My allegiance is to the banner, person and life of Christ Jesus the Lord!


Yes, indeed, the Lord rescues the just in all their distress.

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