[Salvation]

Monday, First Week of  Lent

"I assure you, as often as you did it for one of my least brothers, you did it for me." (Matthew 25:40)

Reflection.
It is not enough for us to say: "I love God," but I also have to love my neighbor.
St. John says that you are a liar if you say you love God and you don't love your neighbor. How can you love God whom you do not see, if you do not love your neighbor whom you see, whom you touch, with whom you live? And so it is very important for us to realize that love, to be true, has to hurt. I must be willing to give whatever it takes not to harm other people and, in fact, to do good to them. This requires that I be willing to give until it hurts. Otherwise, there is not true love in me and I bring injustice, not peace, to those around me. It hurt Jesus to love us.
We have been created in His image for greater things, to love and to be loved. We must "put on Christ" as Scripture tells us. And so, we have been created to love as He loves us. Jesus makes Himself the hungry one, the naked one, the homeless one, the unwanted one, and He says, "You did it to Me." On the last day He will say to those on His right, "whatever you did to the least of these, you did to Me, and He will also say to those on His left, whatever you neglected to do for the least of these, you neglected to do it for Me."
When He was dying on the Cross, Jesus said, "I thirst." Jesus is thirsting for our love, and this is the thirst of everyone, poor and rich alike. We all thirst for the love of others, that they go out of their way to avoid harming us and to do good to us. This is the meaning of true love, to give until it hurts ...Mother Teresa

Lenten Question
Q: Is there a biblical basis for abstaining from meat as a sign of repentance?
A: Yes. The book of Daniel states: "In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia . . . 'I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.'" (Daniel 10:1-3)  

Lenten Action.
Give a donation to charity.

Prayer
Healer of body and soul, cure the sickness in my spirit so that I may grow in holiness through your constant care. Amen

[Salvation]

Tuesday, First Week of  Lent

"Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This is how you are to pray: ‘Our Father....’" (Matthew 6:8-9)

Reflection.
. . .AND GOD SAID "NO."

I asked God to take away my pride,
And God said "No."
He said it was not for Him to take away,
But for me to give up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole,
and God said, "No."
He said her spirit is eternal,
While her body is only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience,
And God said, "No."
He said patience is a by-product of tribulation.
It isn't granted - it is earned.

I asked God to give me happiness,
And God said "No."
He said He gives blessings,
Happiness is up to me.

I asked God to spare me pain,
And God said "No."
He said, "Suffering draws you apart from
Worldly cares and brings you close to Me."

I asked God to make my spirit grow,
And God said "No."
He said I must grow on my own,
But he will prune me to make it fruitful.

I asked God if He loved me,
And God said "Yes."
He gave me His only Son, who died for me,
And I will be in heaven someday
Because I believe.

I asked God to help me love others
As much as He loves me,
And God said,
"Ah, finally you have the idea."
.....by Claudia Minden Welsz

Lenten Fact
The word "lent" means "lengthen" and stands for that time in spring when the days grow longer.

Lenten Action.
Schedule a fifteen minute period of silence today to listen to your heart and to the Lord speaking to you.

Prayer
God our Savior,
bring us back to you and fill our minds with your wisdom.
May we be enriched by our observance of Lent. Amen