Saturday after Ash Wednesday

Commentary of the day
Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (313-350), Bishop of Jerusalem, Doctor of the Church
Catechesis before baptism, no.1 (trad. Migne 1993, p. 36 rev.)

"Leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him": Lent leads to baptism

You are catechumens, those who are preparing for baptism, disciples of the New Covenant and sharers in Christ's mysteries. Already - now by your call and soon also by grace - you have been made "a new heart and a new spirit" (Ez 18,31) to the joy of the dwellers in heaven. For if, according to the Gospel, the conversion of one sinner stirs up this joy (Lk 15,7), how much more will the salvation of so many souls not stir up the heavenly inhabitants to rejoicing?

You have undertaken a good, a most splendid journey: set yourselves to running the race of enthusiasm. The only Son of God is waiting ready to redeem you: "Come," he says, "you who are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest" (Mt 11,28). You who labor under sin, bound with the shackles of your misdeeds, hear what the voice of one of the prophets says: "Wash, make yourselves clean, put away your misdeeds from before my eyes" (Is 1,16) that the choir of angels may cry to you: Â«Happy are they whose transgression is taken away, whose sin is remitted!" (Ps 32[31],1). You who have come precisely to light the lamps of faith let your hands be diligent in guarding the flame so that he who, on our most holy hill of Golgotha, opened up paradise to the malefactor through faith (Lk 23,43) may grant you to sing the wedding song.

If there is anyone here who is a slave of sin, let him prepare himself by means of baptismal faith for the new birth that will make a free man of him, one of the children of adoption. Let him forsake the lamentable slavery of his sins to win the blessed slavery of the Lord... By faith acquire the first fruits of the Holy Spirit" (2Cor 5,5) so that you can be received into everlasting dwellings. Come to the sacrament that will seal you with a view to making you intimates of our Lord.

'The foulest passions are hidden within our souls; they are brought to light only when we scrutinize our actions.'

St. Thalassios the Libyan

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42).

Thank you, Salvation.

Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 5
27.	And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom, and he said to him: Follow me.	Et post hæc exiit, et vidit publicanum nomine Levi, sedentem ad telonium, et ait illi : Sequere me.	και μετα ταυτα εξηλθεν και εθεασατο τελωνην ονοματι λευιν καθημενον επι το τελωνιον και ειπεν αυτω ακολουθει μοι
28.	And leaving all things, he rose up and followed him.	Et relictis omnibus, surgens secutus est eum.	και καταλιπων απαντα αναστας ηκολουθησεν αυτω
29.	And Levi made him a great feast in his own house; and there was a great company of publicans, and of others, that were at table with them.	Et fecit ei convivium magnum Levi in domo sua : et erat turba multa publicanorum, et aliorum qui cum illis erant discumbentes.	και εποιησεν δοχην μεγαλην λευις αυτω εν τη οικια αυτου και ην οχλος τελωνων πολυς και αλλων οι ησαν μετ αυτων κατακειμενοι
30.	But the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying to his disciples: Why do you eat and drink with publicans and sinners?	Et murmurabant pharisæi et scribæ eorum, dicentes ad discipulos ejus : Quare cum publicanis et peccatoribus manducatis et bibitis ?	και εγογγυζον οι γραμματεις αυτων και οι φαρισαιοι προς τους μαθητας αυτου λεγοντες δια τι μετα των τελωνων και αμαρτωλων εσθιετε και πινετε
31.	And Jesus answering, said to them: They that are whole, need not the physician: but they that are sick.	Et respondens Jesus, dixit ad illos : Non egent qui sani sunt medico, sed qui male habent.	και αποκριθεις ο ιησους ειπεν προς αυτους ου χρειαν εχουσιν οι υγιαινοντες ιατρου αλλ οι κακως εχοντες
32.	I came not to call the just, but sinners to penance.	Non veni vocare justos, sed peccatores ad pœnitentiam.	ουκ εληλυθα καλεσαι δικαιους αλλα αμαρτωλους εις μετανοιαν

27. And after these things he went forth, and saw a Publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said to him, Follow me.
28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him.
29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of Publicans and of others that sat down with them.
30. But their Scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do you eat and drink with Publicans and sinners?
31. And Jesus answering said to them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
32. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

AUG. After the healing of the sick of the palsy, St. Luke goes on to mention the conversion of a publican, saying, And after these things, he went forth, and saw a publican of the name of Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom. This is Matthew, also called Levi.

THEOPHYL; Now Luke and Mark, for the honor of the Evangelist, are silent as to his common name, but Matthew is the first to accuse himself, and gives the name of Matthew and publican, that no one might despair of salvation because of the enormity of his sins, when he himself was changed from a publican to an Apostle.

CYRIL; For Levi had been a publican, a rapacious man, of unbridled desires after vain things, a lover of other men's goods, for this is the character of the publican, but snatched from the very worship of malice by Christ's call. Hence it follows, And he said to him, Follow me. He bids him follow Him, not with bodily step, but with the soul's affections. Matthew therefore, being called by the Word, left his own, who was wont to seize the things of others, as it follows, And having left all, he rose, and followed him.

CHRYS. Here mark both the power of the caller, and the obedience of him that was called. For he neither resisted nor wavered, but forthwith obeyed; and like the fishermen, he did not even wish to go into his own house that he might tell it to his friends.

BASIL; He not only gave up the profits of the customs, but also despised the dangers which might occur to himself and his family from leaving the accounts of the receipts uncompleted.

THEOPHYL. And so from him that received toll from the passers by, Christ received toll, not money, but entire devotion to His company.

CHRYS. But the Lord honored Levi, whom He had called, by immediately going to his feast. For this testified the greater confidence in him. Hence it follows, And Levi made him a great feast in his own house. Nor did He sit down to meat with him alone, but with many, as it follows, And there was a great company of Publicans and others that sat down with them. For the publicans came to Levi as to their colleague, and a man in the same line with themselves, and he too glorying in the presence of Christ, called them all together. For Christ displayed every sort of remedy, and not only by discoursing and displaying cures, or even by rebuking the envious, but also by eating with them, He corrected the faults of some, thereby giving us a lesson, that every time and occasion brings with it its own profit. But He shunned not the company of Publicans, for the sake of the advantage that might ensue, like a physician, who unless he touch the afflicted part cannot cure the disease.

AMBROSE; For by His eating with sinners, He prevents not us also from going to a banquet with the Gentiles.

CHRYS. But nevertheless the Lord was blamed by the Pharisees, who were envious, and wished to separate Christ and His disciples, as it follows, And the Pharisees murmured, saying, Why do you eat with Publicans, &c.

AMBROSE; This was the voice of the Devil. This was the first word the Serpent uttered to Eve, Yea has God said, You shall not eat. So they diffuse the poison of their father.

AUG. Now St. Luke seems to have related this somewhat different from the other Evangelists. For he does not say that to our Lord alone it was objected that He eat and drank with publicans and sinners, but to the disciples also, that the charge might be understood both of Him and them. But the reason that Matthew and Mark related the objection as made concerning Christ to His disciples, was, that seeing the disciples ate with publicans and sinners, it was the rather objected to their Master as Him whom they followed and imitated; the meaning therefore is the same, vet so much the better conveyed, as while still keeping to the truth, it differs in certain words.

CHRYS. But our Lord c refutes all their charges, showing, that so far from its being a fault to mix with sinners, it is but a part of His merciful design, as it follows, And Jesus answering said to them, They that are whole need not a physician; in which He reminds them of their common infirmities, and shows them that they are of the number of the sick, but adds, He is the Physician.

It follows, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. As if He should say, So far am I from hating sinners, that for their sakes only I came, not that they should remain sinners, but be converted and become righteous.

AUG. Hence He adds, to repentance, which serves well to explain the passage, that no one should suppose that sinners, because they are sinners, are loved by Christ, since that similitude of the sick plainly suggests what our Lord meant by calling sinners, as a Physician, the sick, in order that from iniquity as from sickness they should be saved.

AMBROSE; But how does God love righteousness, and David has never seen the righteous man forsaken, if the righteous are excluded, the sinner called; unless you understand that at He meant by the righteous those who boast of the law, and seek not the grace of the Gospel. Now no one is justified by the law, but redeemed by grace. He therefore calls not those who call themselves righteous, for the claimers to righteousness are not called to grace. For if grace is from repentance, surely he who despises repentance renounces grace.

AMBROSE; But He calls those sinners, who considering their guilt, and feeling that they cannot be justified by the law, submit themselves by repentance to the grace of Christ.

CHRYS. Now He speaks of the righteous ironically, as when He says, Behold Adam is become as one of us. But that there was none righteous upon the earth St. Paul shows, saying, All have sinned, and need the grace of God.

GREG. NYSS. Or, He means that the sound and righteous need no physician, i.e. the angels, but the corrupt and sinners, i. e. ourselves do; since we catch the disease of sin, which is not in heaven.

THEOPHYL; Now by the election of Matthew is signified the faith of the Gentiles, who formerly gasped after worldly pleasures, but now refresh the body of Christ with zealous devotion.

THEOPHYL. Or the publican is he who serves the prince of this world, and is debtor to the flesh, to which the glutton gives his food, the adulterer his pleasure, and another something else. But when the Lord saw him sitting at the receipt of custom, and not stirring himself to greater wickedness, He calls him that he might be snatched from the evil, and follow Jesus, and receive the Lord into the house of his soul.

AMBROSE; But he who receives Christ into his inner chamber, is fed with the greatest delights of overflowing pleasures. The Lord therefore willingly enters, and reposes in his affection; but again the envy of the treacherous is kindled, and the form of their future punishment is prefigured; for while all the faithful are feasting in the kingdom of heaven, the faithless will be cast out hungry. Or, by this is denoted the envy of the Jews, who are afflicted at the salvation of the Gentiles.

AMBROSE; At the same time also is shown the difference between those who are zealous for the law and those who are for grace, that they who follow the law shall suffer eternal hunger of soul, while they who have received the word into the inmost soul, refreshed with abundance of heavenly meat and drink, can neither hunger nor thirst. And so they who fasted in soul murmured.

Catena Aurea Luke 5

Calling of Matthew, Livre d'images of Madame Marie,

Belgian (Hainault), ca. 1285-1290

Paris, Bibliotheque Nationale de France,
MS Nouvelle acquisition francaise 16252, fol. 69v

See the excellent paper on the sacred art dedicated to St. Matthew at Ad Imaginem Dei

You’re most welcome.

Information: St. Catherine de Ricci

Feast Day: February 13

Born: 23 April 1522 at Florence, Italy

Died: 2 February 1590 at Prato, Italy

Canonized: 29 June 1746 by Pope Benedict XIV

Holy Spirit Interactive Kids: A Saint a Day

St. Catherine of Ricci

Feast Day: February 13
Born:1522 :: Died:1590

Alexandrina was born into the Ricci family of Florence, Italy. Here mother died when she was a baby. Although she was raised by her Godmother she loved Our Lady and considered her as her true mother.

As a child she could talk with her guardian Angel and her Angel taught her how to pray the Rosary. When she was six she entered the convent school of Montecelli where her aunt was the Abbess.

Then when she was thirteen, Alexandrina joined the Dominican order as a nun and she chose the name Catherine.

Even at that young age, Sister Catherine had a deep love for the passion of Jesus Christ. She used to think about Our Lord's sufferings often. Jesus gave her the great honor of receiving in her own body the marks of his wounds.

For twelve years every week from Thursday afternoon until Friday afternoon she would suffer the five wounds of Jesus. She was happy to accept all the pains of these wounds.

Catherine also felt very sorry for the poor souls suffering in purgatory. She realized how they longed to be with God in heaven. She realized, too, that this time in purgatory seemed to drag on endlessly.

St. Catherine prayed and did penance for them. Once God let her know that a certain man was in purgatory. So great was her love that she offered to suffer for him. God listened to her prayer and she suffered greatly for forty days.

Thousands of people came to see her and ask for her prayers including three future popes. After a long, painful illness, St. Catherine died on February 2, 1590, at the age of sixty-eight.

Prayers for Justice Antonin Scalia. May he rest in peace.

Saturday

February 13, 2016

Keep It Alive

Keep it alive. A prayer life that isn’t kept up is like a pond with no water flowing in or out. It becomes stagnant. There’s no oxygen coming in, and it becomes uninhabitable. All youâ€™ll find is scum and mosquitos. Nobody likes mosquitos; don’t be that person. Yet a person who cultivates their relationship with God in prayer finds a much different picture. There is fresh water flowing in and out of the pond. It is life giving! There are flowers and trees that grow along the sides. Your prayer life will affect the other areas of your life.

‘Happy those who do not follow the counsel of the wicked, Nor go the way of sinners, nor sit in company with scoffers. Rather, the law of the LORD is their joy; Godâ€™s law they study day and night. They are like a tree planted near streams of water, that yields its fruit in season; Its leaves never wither; whatever they do prospers’ (Psalms 1:1-3).

To read the full post on “6 tips for a Better Prayer Life,” visit Life Teen.

Year of Mercy Calendar for Today: Make an effort to attend confession today.

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Saturday, February 13

Liturgical Color: Green

Today the Church honors
Blessed Jordon of Saxony. He
was a gifted preacher and writer
who joined the Order of
Preachers under St. Dominic in
1220. An especially powerful
sermon of his convinced St.
Albert the Great to join the
order.

Catholic Culture

Lent: February 13th

Saturday after Ash Wednesday

MASS READINGS

February 13, 2016 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

Almighty ever-living God look with compassion on our weakness and ensure us your protection by stretching forth the right hand of your majesty. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Recipes (1)

Scalloped Ham and Potatoes

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Activities (1)

Habits of Prayer in the Family

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Prayers (1)

The Canticle of the Passion

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Library (2)

Old Calendar: St. Catherine de Ricci, virgin (Hist)

Historically today is the feast of St. Catherine de Ricci a native of Florence, Italy, who became a Dominican tertiary in 1535 and eventually filled the offices of novice-mistress and prioress. She was famous for her ecstasies in which she beheld and enacted the scenes of our Lord's passion. It is said that she met St. Philip Neri, in a vision who was still alive in Rome. Three future popes were among the thousands who flocked to her convent to ask her prayers.

Stational Church

St. Catherine de Ricci
The early testimony to St. Catherine's sanctity is quite striking. Her biography was written by F. Seraphin Razzi, a Dominican friar, who knew her, and who was fifty-eight years old when she died. The nuns of her monastery gave an ample testimony that this account was conformable partly to what they knew of her, and partly to manuscript memorials left by her confessor and others concerning her. Printed in Lucca in 1594, it is therefore considered highly reliable. Her life was again compiled by F. Philip Guidi, confessor to the saint and to the Duchess of Urbino, and printed at Florence in 1622. Fathers Michael Pio and John Lopez, of the same order, have given abstracts of her life. Since St. Catherine died in 1589, we can see how quickly the story of her life was told.

The Ricci are an ancient family, which still subsists in a flourishing condition in Tuscany. Peter de Ricci, the father of our saint, was married to Catherine Bonza, a lady of suitable birth. The saint was born at Florence in 1522, and called at her baptism Alexandrina, but she took the name of Catherine at her religious profession. Having lost her mother in her infancy, she was formed to virtue by a very pious godmother, and whenever she was missing she was always to be found on her knees in some secret part of the house.

When she was between six and seven years old, her father placed her in the Convent of Monticelli, near the gates of Florence, where her aunt, Louisa de Ricci, was a nun. This place was to her a paradise: at a distance from the noise and tumult of the world, she served God without impediment or distraction

After some years her father took her home. She continued her usual exercises in the world as much as she was able; but the interruptions and dissipation, inseparable from her station, gave her so much uneasiness that, with the consent of her father, which she obtained, though with great difficulty, in the year 1535, the fourteenth of her age, she received the religious veil in the convent of Dominicanesses at Prat, in Tuscany, to which her uncle, F. Timothy de Ricci, was director.

God, in the merciful design to make her the spouse of his crucified Son, and to imprint in her soul dispositions conformable to His, was pleased to exercise her patience by rigorous trials. For two years she suffered inexpressible pains under a complication of violent distempers, which remedies themselves served only to increase. These sufferings she sanctified by the interior dispositions with which she bore them, and which she nourished principally by assiduous meditation on the passion of Christ, in which she found an incredible relish and a solid comfort and joy. After the recovery of her health, which seemed miraculous, she studied more perfectly to die to her senses, and to advance in a penitential life and spirit, in which God had begun to conduct her, by practicing the greatest austerities which were compatible with the obedience she had professed; she fasted two or three days a week on bread and water, and sometimes passed the whole day without taking any nourishment, and chastised her body with disciplines and a sharp iron chain which she wore next her skin.

Her obedience, humility, and meekness were still more admirable than her spirit of penance. The least shadow of distinction or commendation gave her inexpressible uneasiness and confusion, and she would have rejoiced to be able to lie hid in the center of the earth, in order to be entirely unknown to and blotted out of the hearts of all mankind, such were the sentiments of annihilation and contempt of herself in which she constantly lived. It was by profound humility and perfect interior self-denial that she learned to vanquish in her heart the sentiments or life of the first Adamâ€”that is, of corruption, sin, and inordinate self-love. But this victory over herself, and purgation of her affections, was completed by a perfect spirit of prayer; for by the union of her soul with God, and the establishment of the absolute reign of his love in her heart, she was dead to and disengaged from all earthly things. And in one act of sublime prayer she advanced more than by a hundred exterior practices in the purity and ardor of her desire to do constantly what was most agreeable to God, to lose no occasion of practicing every heroic virtue, and of vigorously resisting all that was evil. Prayer, holy meditation, and contemplation were the means by which God imprinted in her soul sublime ideas of his heavenly truths, the strongest and most tender sentiments of all virtues, and the most burning desire to give all to God, with an incredible relish and affection for suffering contempt and poverty for Christ. What she chiefly labored to obtain, by meditating on his life and sufferings, and what she most earnestly asked of him, was that he would be pleased, in his mercy, to purge her affections of all poison of the inordinate love of creatures, and engrave in her his most holy and divine image, both exterior and interiorâ€“that is to say, both in her conversation and her affections, that so she might be animated, and might think, speak, and act by his most Holy Spirit.

The saint was chosen, very young, first, mistress of the novices, then sub-prioress, and, in the twenty-fifth year of her age, was appointed perpetual prioress. The reputation of her extraordinary sanctity and prudence drew her many visits from a great number of bishops, princes, and cardinals-among others, of Cervini, Alexander of Medicis, and Aldobrandini, who all three were afterwards raised to St. Peter's chair, under the names of Marcellus II, Clement VIII, and Leo XI.

Something like what St. Austin relates of St. John of Egypt happened to St. Philip Neri and St. Catherine of Ricci. For having some time entertained together a commerce of letters, to satisfy their mutual desire of seeing each other, whilst he was detained at Rome she appeared to him in a vision, and they conversed together a considerable time, each doubtless being in a rapture. This St. Philip Neri, though most circumspect in giving credit to or in publishing visions, declared, saying that Catherine de Ricci, whilst living, had appeared to him in vision, as his disciple Galloni assures us in his life.¹ And the continuators of Bollandus inform us that this was confirmed by the oaths of five witnesses.² Bacci, in his life of St. Philip, mentions the same thing, and Pope Gregory XV, in his bull for the canonization of St. Philip Neri, affirms that whilst this saint lived at Rome he conversed a considerable time with Catherine of Ricci, a nun, who was then at Prat, in Tuscany.³

Most wonderful were the raptures of St. Catherine in meditating on the passion of Christ, which was her daily exercise, but to which she totally devoted herself every week from Thursday noon to three o'clock in the afternoon on Friday. After a long illness she passed from this mortal life to everlasting bliss and the possession of the object of all her desires, on the feast of the Purification of our Lady, on the 2nd of February, in 1589, the sixty-seventh year of her age. The ceremony of her beatification was performed by Clement XII in 1732, and that of her canonization by Benedict XIV in 1746. Her festival is deferred to the 13th of February.

1 Gallon. apud Contin Bolland. Acta Sanctorum, Maii, t. 6, p. 503, col. 2, n. 146.

2 Ibid. p. 504, col. 2.

3 In Bullar. Cherubini, t. 4, p. 8.

â€” Excerpted from Vol. II of "The Lives or the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints" by the Rev. Alban Butler, the 1864 edition published by D. & J. Sadlier, & Company

Patron: Against illness; sick people

Things to Do:

Read St. Catherine de Ricci, V., O.S.D. - EWTN.com and the full text of her letters.

The station for today is at the church dedicated to St. Augustine of Hippo. Michalangelo was one of the artists commissioned for the decoration of the church. The Renaissance faÃ§ade, one of the first in this style, is built of travertine marble said to be from the ruins of the Colosseum.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Isaiah 58:9-14

Saturday after Ash Wednesday

Then you shall delight in the Lord. (Isaiah 58:14)

Don’t you love checklists? It’s such an inspiring feeling when you can tick off one item after another. At first glance, it may seem that the prophet is giving us a checklist as well—a list of things we can do that will bring us blessing from the Lord. But that’s not really how God works.

It has been said that the commandments are like a mirror. When we look at them and the high standard they call us to, we are moved to reflect on our often weak and inconsistent adherence to them. That doesn’t leave us feeling very encouraged, does it?

Perhaps today’s responsorial psalm can help us out. Confessing that he is “afflicted and poor,” the psalmist calls out for “mercy . . . all the day” (Psalm 86:1, 3). He comes before the Lord humbly, asking God to hear him and rescue him. This is exactly how we can answer the prophetic call in today’s first reading. By running to the God of mercy, we can find the strength to “remove . . . oppression,” not just our own interior oppression, but also the forms of oppression that afflict so many of our brothers and sisters around us (Isaiah 58:9). Relieved of our own burdens and in touch with the God of grace, we are more free to care for the needy.

It’s not a sign of weakness to admit that you need the Lord. It’s a sign of courage and humility. It’s a sign that you are willing to receive God’s grace and strength—the strength that enables you to do all things.

When Jesus called a tax collector named Levi, it was his experience of grace that compelled him to leave his job and follow. When he called Peter, the power of that encounter turned this fisherman into a fisher of men. The same can happen for us.

So follow the psalmist’s example, and run to the Lord. Right in the middle of a challenging situation, find the courage to cry out to Jesus for his help. That’s the best way to make sure that any “gloom” in your life can be lifted (Isaiah 58:10).

“Jesus, I need you today! Please forgive the ways I try to follow you on my own strength. Thank you, Lord, for your grace and strength!”

Psalm 86:1-6
Luke 5:27-32

Marriage = One Man and One Woman Until Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for February 13, 2016:

"In the Our Father prayer we say, 'Give us this day our daily bread.' Married couples may also learn to pray, 'Give us this day our daily love.'" - Pope Francis

Regnum Christi

Forgiveness: The First Step to Love

U. S. A. | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

February 13, 2016 - Saturday after Ash Wednesday

By Father Paul Hubert, LC

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 behind, he got up and followed him. Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were at table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus said to them in reply, "Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners."

Introductory Prayer: Sunny days, cloudy days and rainy days all come from you, Lord. You surprise us each day as you make each day different to bring us closer to your coming, in which we hope. Lord, your love explains everything and guides all things. I wish to respond to your infinite mercy and love by loving you more each day.

Petition: Lord you know how difficult it is for me to forgive. Help me to do so always.

The Doctor Who Cures the Sick: What a great reply: “I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.” It is a statement open to all humanity in need of redemption. It is an affirmation that shows us that God is not exclusive. Christ has come for all sinners, and he extends to everyone his call to repent and be transformed by his grace. It shows us that Christ wants to reach everybody and forgive everybody. He is not like us, who discriminate and hold grudges. When someone sins more, God makes particular efforts to reach that person and offer his pardon and his elevating grace. What an example for us to follow when we have difficult moments in our dealings with others! Christ teaches us patience. Christ teaches us that we must love and build bridges whenever the opportunity arises.

We Must Evangelize the Sick: Christ sets the example and sends us to evangelize people who do not know him, or who offend him knowingly, half-knowingly, or even unknowingly. Interestingly enough, it is those who oppose Christ whom he calls the “righteous,” because they are inflexible, and their criteria cannot be bent. Christ calls us, on the other hand, to forgive, as often as is necessary (Luke 17:4). We need to learn how to forgive in a world that tells us to be tough and not to let anything get past us.

Forgiveness Can Only Come from Love and Lead to Love: This Gospel reminds us of the story of the adulterous woman who was brought before Jesus. The Law of Moses was clear, yet Jesus knew that something had to be changed in order for man to be able to reach heaven. He knew that only forgiveness and love for everyone would unite all men in paradise. He knew all men had sinned, and therefore they could not accuse someone else without indirectly accusing themselves. That is why Christ answered to those who accused the adulterous woman, “Let the one who is sinless cast the first stone” (John 8:7). We are all sinners. We all need to be forgiven and to forgive one another. We all need to allow love to invade our hearts so that it may be the bond that reunites us.

Conversation with Christ: Thank you, Lord, for giving me the solution to my life. Help me to forgive wholeheartedly those who have done me wrong. Help me to love them, pray for them and do good to them even though they hinder and harm me. Help me to strive tirelessly to bring to the world your solution to division, discrimination, hatred and war.

Resolution: I will think of the people I dislike or am indifferent to, and I will consider at least one of their good qualities. If the opportunity arises, I will speak well of them, and if I can, I will do a good deed for them.

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 32, Issue 2

<< Saturday, February 13, 2016 >>

Isaiah 58:9-14
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Psalm 86:1-6

Luke 5:27-32
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RESTORING RUINED FAMILIES

"They shall call you, 'Restorer of ruined homesteads.' " â€”Isaiah 58:12

Family life has been in disarray for many years. We like to think that the families of the last generation were better than the families of today. Even if this is true, "better" does not mean "good." Look at the alcoholism, abuse, and racism which has characterized so many families for many generations. Family life has been and continues to be in ruins.

However, the good news for this Lent is: "The ancient ruins shall be rebuilt for your sake, and the foundations from ages past you shall raise up; 'Repairer of the breach,' they shall call you, 'Restorer of ruined homesteads' " (Is 58:12). If we let Jesus be the Lord of Lent, if we imitate His forty-day fast, if we repent of our sins, if we accept the Lord's grace to forgive one another, and if we believe that nothing is impossible with God (Lk 1:37), then the ancient ruins of family life will be repaired and rebuilt.

God still desires to make holy families, who will lead the Church in the third millennium and prepare the world for His final coming. The devil has been trying to prevent the Lord from restoring these families and making them holy. Although Satan has been able to ruin some families and to delay the fulfillment of God's plan for family life, Satan cannot stop God. The Lord is making holy families, and this Lent He is making them even from broken and ruined families. Be a part of the family-miracle the Lord is doing at this moment.

Prayer: Father, through the intercession of Mary and Joseph, make our families holy.

Promise: "Leaving everything behind, Levi stood up and became His follower." â€”Lk 5:28

Praise: After two generations, Clarence's great-grandchildren are returning to the Church.