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Wednesday, Fifth Week of Lent

"If you live according to my teaching, you are truly my disciples." (John 8:31)

Reflection.

O Eternal Truth, true love and beloved eternity. You are my God. To You do I sigh day and night. When I first came to know You, you drew me to yourself so that I might see that there were things for me to see, but that I myself was not yet ready to see them. Meanwhile you overcame the weakness of my vision, sending forth most strongly the beams of your light, and I trembled at once with love and dread.
I sought a way to gain the strength which I needed to enjoy you. But I did not find it until I embraced "the mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who is above all, God blessed for ever." He was calling me and saying: "I am the way of truth, I am the life."
Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would have not been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed you fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace. ... Saint Augustine

Lenten Fact.

St. Leonard Casanova (1676-1751) of Porto Maurizio, Italy, reportedly erected over 600 sets of the Stations of the Cross throughout Italy.

Lenten Action.

Surprise someone with an act of kindness.

Prayer.

God of mercy, You wash away our sins in water, You give us a new birth in the Spirit, and redeem us in the blood of Christ. As we celebrate Christ's resurrection, increase our awareness of these blessings, and renew Your gift of life within us. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Thursday, Fifth Week of Lent

"I solemnly assure you, if a man is true to my word he shall never see death." (John 8:51)

Reflection.

St. Bonaventure once said that the day you no longer burn with love and concern for souls, many others will die of the cold. Where can we go to increase our love? To whom can we turn to find help? I am convinced that the Holy Spirit has raised up hopes in this century to focus our attention and to concentrate our devotion upon the Holy Family. Because in the Holy Family we are going to find the source of strength. We are going to find the encouragement we need when we have distressful losses on all sides.
The Holy Family is the place where we go when we feel like weak nobodies, incapable of withstanding the onslaught of the enemies of the Church, because Christ has raised up the Holy Family as the model of the Christian home, to be sure, but as the nucleus of the New Covenant Church-family of God showing that through detachment, through renunciation, through poverty, through mortification, through trials and sufferings, the war will be won. The Savior will be born and salvation will spill out in all directions and cover the earth. ... Scott Hahn

Lenten Fact.

In the early 3rd century, Lent was lengthened to 6 days. About 800 AD it was changed to 40 days.
Those 40 days correspond with Christ's 40 days in the wilderness.

Lenten Action.

Invite a friend who has been away to come to Church with you! Participate as fully as you can at Mass

Prayer.

O Jesus, who out of love for me were willing to submit to Your own creatures, teach me to obey blindly.