Happy Birthday dear...nice artwork.

:)

Lenten Training Camp

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Sunday, 1st week of Lent

Father Matthew Green, LC

Luke 4:1:13

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry. The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." Jesus answered him, "It is written, ´One does not live by bread alone.´" Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant. The devil said to him, "I shall give to you all this power and their glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I may give it to whomever I wish. All this will be yours, if you worship me." Jesus said to him in reply, "It is written: ´You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.´" Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written: ´He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,´ and: ´With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.´" Jesus said to him in reply, "It also says, ´You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.´" When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, in this season of Lent, I want to draw closer to you. I believe that you truly became one of us to save us as an act of love beyond all human understanding. I know I can count on you to carry me through each day. I know that in all circumstances you are with me. I want to love you more than myself and say “yes” to your will in every moment. I trust totally in your grace. Thank you, Lord! This Lent, I want to learn to love you as you deserve by being the person you want me to be.

Petition: Help me, Lord, to take advantage of this Lent and draw closer to you.

1. Holiness and Temptation Have you noticed in the gospels that the only times we see Jesus being tempted by the devil are those in which Christ was in prayer or was doing penance? It’s when he’s in prayer or fasting that he is assailed by the devil, as in today’s Gospel reading or in the Garden of Gethsemane on Holy Thursday. A similar pattern frequently appears in our lives, too. We make a decision to do something good and then promptly find it hard to do. What can we conclude from this? The fact is that when we’re mediocre, we run no risk of becoming holy and spoiling Satan’s plans. Thus, he has no concern for us. It’s when we start to strive for holiness that we will find ourselves face-to-face with temptation, because the devil begins to put all sorts of obstacles in our paths.

2. Detachment from Self Lent is a time for us to renew our awareness of the suffering Jesus endured for our sake. That awareness should lead us to action. In this Lenten season the Church invites us to a greater self-sacrifice. Sacrifice helps us to be more detached from the sources of temptation that can keep us from reaping the full fruits of Christ’s redeeming work and from loving God with an undivided heart. That’s why our Lenten sacrifice should really be something that purifies our hearts and makes us more generous with others. Our sacrifice should make us less self-centered. It should make us better followers of Christ.

3. God as Our Point of Reference Overcoming temptation is not an easy business. In fact, it’s impossible without God’s grace. When Jesus was tempted, he showed us what our reference point should be: God. All three times the devil tempted him in the Gospel, he answered by putting God’s word and God’s will first. In order for us to persevere in our Lenten resolutions, we must center ourselves on God and rely on his grace. That means living close to Christ in Scripture – especially the Gospels. It means staying close to him in the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation.

Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, help me to know myself better so that I can see what I need to do in order to live a holier life. Give me resolve, perseverance to keep up the good fight and carry through, and humility to seek your grace. Without you I can do nothing.

Resolution: I will offer my Lenten sacrifice with enthusiasm and constancy today, relying on God’s grace.

Homily of the Day

You Can Become Faithful Because He Is Faithful to You

February 20th, 2010 by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

Dt 26:4-10 / Rom 10:8-13 / Lk 4:1-13

A man was just coming out of anesthesia after major surgery. His eyes fluttered open, he looked at his wife and murmured, “You’re wonderful!” and then went back to sleep. A while later, his eyes opened again, just a little. He gazed briefly at his wife and whispered, “You’re beautiful!” Finally, after many hours, he opened his eyes wide, looked at his wife and said off-handedly, “Oh, hello.”

“What happened to ‘wonderful’ and ‘beautiful’?” she asked.

“Oh,” said he, “the anesthetic wore off.”

+ + +

Things change! Our “Yes” becomes “No.” Our “Absolutely” becomes “Maybe.” Our “Forever” becomes “For a while,” often with chilling speed. Restlessness and all manner of fears too often cause us to walk away from the only things that can make life worth living: wholehearted love commitments, in which we give ourselves and hold nothing back.

A good life is full of these love commitments in every shape and size. Without them we wither and die. And yet, so often we hesitate, keeping our eye out for a better offer. Too often our commitments are just temporary parking spots instead of permanent homes.

Jesus faced this very temptation at the beginning of His ministry. After a long period of soul-searching, He’d finally gotten clear about His life’s work. His vocation was to be a brother to us, to walk with us, to help us grow whole and find our way home, and to stick with us even if we ignored Him.

No sooner had He said “Yes” to that call from God than He was faced with a whole array of glamorous alternatives: Fame, fortune, and power — lots of it. But He didn’t waver for a moment because He’d given His heart, and He couldn’t take it back. And there we have the roots of real faithfulness that can survive all manner of storm and famine: The gift of the heart which can’t and won’t be taken back.

If we hope ever to grow whole or to find the peace and the communion that we long for, we have to give our hearts wholeheartedly to another and to the Lord and not pull back. Making that kind of commitment and sticking with it through hard times is no easy task. But it can happen. We can become faithful people who are true to our commitments in good times and bad, because our brother Jesus has given us Himself as our power source, and He won’t pull back.

Listen to Him, in your heart. Let Him tell you how deep and lasting is His commitment to you. Let His love for you empower you to be wholehearted and faithful in every corner of your life.

Listen to Him, in your heart. You’ll be amazed at what you hear! It will change your life.

One Bread, One Body

<< Sunday, February 21, 2010 >>

First Sunday of Lent
Saint of the Day

Deuteronomy 26:4-10
Romans 10:8-13
View Readings

Psalm 91:1-2, 10-15
Luke 4:1-13

FAST FROM FOOD, FEAST ON THE BIBLE

"The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart." —Romans 10:8; see also Deuteronomy 30:14

Lent is a time of fasting, but Lent is not a time of famine — that is, a famine for the word of God (compare Am 8:11). Yes, give up food for fasting, but also begin a feast: a feast for the Word of God. Feast daily on the Bible this Lent. Through daily Bible reading:

you won't be as hungry for food, for God's word will feed you and satisfy your hunger (Mt 4:4),
you will experience the power of Scripture to lead to conversion and salvation for both yourself and those with whom you share it (Rm 1:16),
you are set free to overcome temptation and the devil through the power of the Holy Spirit wielding God's Word through you (see Jn 8:31-32; Eph 6:17; Mt 4:4-11),
you will know Jesus more deeply, for "ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ" (Catechism, 133), and
you will store the words of the Bible in your heart to help avoid sin (Ps 119:11).

This Lent and all your life, the devil will tempt you to stay away from daily Scripture reading. Defeat Satan by reading extra passages of the Bible each day in Lent (see Acts 17:11). Let your Lenten Scripture feasting be a foreshadowing of the heavenly feast (Rv 19:9).

Prayer: Father, this Lent may hundreds of thousands of Catholics begin reading and sharing the Bible daily.

Promise: "If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." —Rm 10:9

Praise: Praise Jesus, the Living Word, Who is the Way to the Father (Jn 14:6).

My wife just escaped during my birthday party, sorry.

It should be Book of Kells, she told me. She is right.

Compline -- Night Prayer

Compline (Night Prayer)

Introduction

O God, come to my aid.

O Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

This is an excellent moment for an examination of conscience. In a communal celebration of Compline, one of the penitential acts given in the Missal may be recited.

Hymn

Now that the daylight dies away,

By all thy grace and love,

Thee, Maker of the world, we pray

To watch our bed above.

Let dreams depart and phantoms fly,

The offspring of the night,

Keep us, like shrines, beneath thine eye,

Pure in our foe’s despite.

This grace on thy redeemed confer,

Father, co-equal Son,

And Holy Ghost, the Comforter,

Eternal Three in One.

Psalm 90 (91) The protection of the Most High

He will shade you with his wings; you will not fear the terror of the night.

He who lives under the protection of the Most High

dwells under the shade of the Almighty.

He will say to the Lord:

“You are my shelter and my strength,

my God, in whom I trust.”

For he will free you from the hunter’s snare,

from the voice of the slanderer.

He will shade you with his wings,

you will hide underneath his wings.

His faithfulness will be your armour and your shield.

You will not fear the terror of the night,

nor the arrow that flies by day;

nor the plague that walks in the shadows,

nor the death that lays waste at noon.

A thousand will fall at your side,

at your right hand ten thousand will fall,

but you it will never come near.

You will look with your eyes

and see the reward of sinners.

For the Lord is your shelter and refuge;

you have made the Most High your dwelling-place.

Evil will not reach you,

harm cannot approach your tent;

for he has set his angels to guard you

and keep you safe in all your ways.

They will carry you in their arms

in case you hurt your foot on a stone.

You walk on the viper and cobra,

you will tread on the lion and the serpent.

Because he clung to me, I shall free him:

I shall lift him up because he knows my name.

He will call upon me and for my part, I will hear him:

I am with him in his time of trouble.

I shall rescue him and lead him to glory.

I shall fill him with length of days

and show him my salvation.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

He will shade you with his wings; you will not fear the terror of the night.

Reading	Apocalypse 22:4-5

They will see the face of the Lord, and his name will be marked on their foreheads. There will be no more night: they will not need sunlight or lamp-light, because the Lord God himself will shine upon them. And they will reign for ever and ever.

Short Responsory

Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

You have redeemed us, Lord, God of faithfulness.

– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

Canticle	Nunc Dimittis

Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace.

Now, Master, you let your servant go in peace.

You have fulfilled your promise.

My own eyes have seen your salvation,

which you have prepared in the sight of all peoples.

A light to bring the Gentiles from darkness;

the glory of your people Israel.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace.

Let us pray.

Today we have celebrated the mystery of the Christ’s resurrection, and so now we humbly ask you, Lord, that we may rest in your peace, far from all harm, and rise rejoicing and giving praise to you.

Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

May the almighty Lord grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.

A M E N

	Ave Regina Caelorum

Hail, Queen of the heavens,

hail, Lady of the angels.

Root of our salvation

and our gateway to heaven,

the light of the world was born to you.

Be joyful, Virgin of glory,

most beautiful of all in heaven.

We greet you now, true beauty –

pray for us to Christ.

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday, dear Alex,
Happy Birthday to you.

Thanks for letting us know!

Now there is cheap red wine on my laptop as I blow out the candles.

Why is Lent Forty Days?

February 22nd, 2010 by Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D.

In the English language, the special season before Easter is called “Lent.” The word comes from the “lengthening” of daylight hours as we progress from the darkness of winter to the new light of spring. But other languages, such as Spanish, have a name for this season that is derived from the word for forty. It is the season of the forty days.

Okay, we do penance for forty days because Jesus fasted forty days in the wilderness. But did you ever wonder why he was out there for forty days rather than seven or ten or fifty?

Think back to the Old Testament. Noah and company were in the Ark for 40 days. Moses was up on Sinai receiving the 10 commandments for 40 days. The Israelites wandered around the desert for 40 years.

So why all these forties? Probably because it is forty weeks that a woman carries her developing baby in the womb before a new birth can take place.

All these “forties” are a necessary and not-so-comfortable prelude for something new. In Noah’s case, it’s the rebirth of a sinful world that had been cleansed by raging flood waters. In Moses’ case, it was the birth of the people of the covenant. For the nomadic Israelites, it was the start of a new, settled existence in the Promised Land.

And Jesus? What did his forty days mean? The birth of a new Israel liberated from sin, reconciled to God, and governed by the law of the Spirit rather than a law chiseled in stone.

But think back to the story of Moses and the Israelites. There was someone who did not want them to go out into the desert to offer sacrifice to their God. Pharaoh did not take the loss of his cheap labor lying down. When Jesus begins his mission of liberation, there is another slave master who is no more willing than Pharaoh to let his minions go without a fight.

Since the sixties, it has been fashionable in some quarters to dismiss the devil as a relic of ancient mythology or an invention of medieval fantasy. The guy with the pointy tail and the pitchfork comes in handy in cartoons and costume parties, but how can we take such an image seriously? In the Bible, they say, let’s read “Satan” merely as a symbol of human evil.

Such a view is clearly at odds with Scripture, Tradition, and the constant teaching of the Magisterium. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, says St. Paul. If you don’t know your enemy and his tactics, you are bound to lose.

The temptation of Jesus in the desert shows us the tactics of the “Dark Lord.” Bread, a symbol for all that sustains our physical life, is a great blessing. But Satan tries to make material things the ultimate, distracting us from a deeper hunger and a more satisfying food. Political power and all leadership is intended by God for the sake of serving the common good; Satan twists things to make leaders self-seeking, oppressive tyrants like himself. The lust for power and fame ironically leads not to dominion but to slavery to the Dark Lord (remember what happened to the Nazgûl in the Lord of the Rings!). Then there’s religious temptation, the trickiest of them all: manipulating God for our own glory, using his gifts to make people look at us rather than at Him. Sounds a lot like the Pharisees.

Jesus triumphs in this first wrestling match. He shows us how to keep from being pinned. Fasting breaks undue attachments to material blessings and stimulates our spiritual appetite. Humble service breaks the stranglehold of pride. The reverent worship of authentic faith breaks the full nelson of superstition, magic, and all arrogant religion. And the word of God is shown as the sword of the Spirit, the secret weapon that slashes through the lies of the enemy.

So our forty days? Time to use the tactics modeled by our captain and break the strongholds. Prayer, fasting, humble service fueled by the heavenly bread of the Eucharist and Scripture. If we make use of them diligently during this season, pregnant with possibilities, we can enter into greater freedom. Darkness can give way to increasing light. Something new and wonderful can be born in us.

Dr. D'Ambrosio studied under Avery Cardinal Dulles for his Ph.D. in historical theology and taught for many years at the University of Dallas. He now directs www.crossroadsinitiative.com, which offers Catholic resources for RCIA and adult and teen faith formation, with a special emphasis on the Eucharist, the Theology of the Body, the early Church Fathers, and the Sacrament of Confirmation.

(This article originally appeared in Our Sunday Visitor and is used by permission of the author.)

Very interesting!

The Sacred Page

Sunday, February 21, 2010

The Temptation, Kings, Nuns and Priests

The Gospel reading for the first Sunday of Lent is the temptation of Christ in the desert according to Luke.

Christ is tempted in three ways: through his physical desires (hunger for food), through his eyes (being shown all the glory of the kingdoms of the world), and through the temptation to pride (to stage a magnificent stunt that would win him fame throughout the nation).

This threefold temptation of Christ corresponds to St. John’s warning about the “lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” in 1 John 2:15. This threefold categorization has been known in the Church as the “threefold concupiscence,” the unholy Trinity of temptation.

Eve was tempted in the same way. She saw that the fruit was “good for food, pleasing to the eye, and to be desired to make one wise.” “Good for food” is lust of the flesh. “Pleasing to the eye” is lust of the eye. “Desired to make one wise” is a temptation to pride—Eve wants to be wise like God.

Thousands of years later, the king of Israel was commanded by Moses to restrain himself from the temptations of the threefold concupiscence. Deut 17:16-17 forbids the Israelite king from multiplying horses (military might), women (sensual pleasure), and gold/silver (greed/avarice) for himself. These three items correspond to lust of the flesh (women), lust of the eyes (gold), and pride (self-aggrandizing military build-up).

First Kings 10–11 describe how, in his latter years, Solomon, the first Son of David to sit on his father’s throne and a kind of “New Adam” figure in the biblical story line, egregiously fell prey to the threefold concupiscence by multiplying for himself everything Deuteronomy 17 forbids.

In today’s Gospel, we see Jesus, the New Adam, overcoming the threefold concupiscence, and so undoing the sin of Eve, and overcoming the failings of the first Son of David, Solomon. “One greater than Solomon is here” (Luke 11:31).

All Christians share in Christ’s royal anointing and therefore must take steps to overcome lust, avarice, and pride. In particular, in the Catholic tradition, those who enter the religious life take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. These vows are radicalized ways to mortify the threefold concupiscence: lust of the flesh (chastity), lust of the eyes (poverty), and pride (obedience). We should view these “evangelical counsels” as means toward a profound conformity to Christ and his power to overcome temptation. Even Catholic diocesan clergy, who do not take formal vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, nonetheless de facto commit themselves to this lifestyle. It seems fitting that they should, since they are in a sense the viceroys of the New Israel (Gal 6:16), and therefore should commit themselves more radically to the self-denials required of anyone who would rule over the people of God (Deut 17:16-17).