February 1
Friday

3rd Week in Ordinary Time

First Reading: 2 S 11:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17

In the spring of that year, when kings usually set out to fight, David sent out Joab, his officers and all the Israelite troops. They slaughtered the Ammonites and attacked Rabbah, while David remained in Jerusalem.
One afternoon, David got up from his siesta and took a walk on the roof of the royal house. From the rooftop, he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful. David sent to inquire about the woman, and was told, "She is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah, the Hittite." So David sent messengers to have her brought to him; and he had intercourse with her after she had cleansed herself after her monthly period. Then she returned to her house.
As the woman saw she was with child, she sent word to David, "I am with child."
David then sent a message to Joab, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." So Joab sent Uriah to David. When Uriah came, David asked him about Joab, how the people were and how the war was proceeding; ?then he told Uriah, "Go down to your house and wash your feet."
Uriah left the palace and the king had a portion from his table sent to him. ?Uriah, however, did not go down to his house but slept by the door of the king's palace with all the servants of his lord. David was told that Uriah did not go down to his house, and he said to him, "Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?"
David invited him to table and he ate and drank until he was drunk. When evening fell, however, he went to lie down on his couch with the guards of his lord instead of going down to his house.
The next morning, David wrote Joab a letter to be taken by hand by Uriah, ?in which he said, "Place Uriah in the front row where the fighting is very fierce and then withdraw from him so that he may be struck down and die." ?When Joab was attacking the city, he assigned Uriah to a place which he knew was being defended by strong warriors. ?And the defenders attacked the men of Joab. Some of David's soldiers and officers were killed; Uriah the Hittite also died.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 51:3-4, 5-6a, 6bcd-7, 10-11
Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Gospel Reading: Mk 4:26-34

Jesus said, "In the kingdom of God it is like this. A man scatters seed upon the soil. Whether he is asleep or awake, be it day or night, the seed sprouts and grows, he knows not how. The soil produces of itself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when it is ripe for harvesting they take the sickle for the cutting: the time for harvest has come."
Jesus also said, "What is the kingdom of God like? To what shall we compare it? It is like a mustard seed which, when sown, is the smallest of all the seeds scattered upon the soil. But once sown, it grows up and becomes the largest of the plants in the garden and even grows branches so big that the birds of the air can take shelter in its shade."
Jesus used many such stories or parables, to proclaim the word to them in a way they would be able to understand. He would not teach them without parables; but privately to his disciples he explained everything.

Commentary
The farmer will prepare the soil, protect the seedling as it grows and joyfully reap the harvest when it is ready, but God Himself provides the growth. Yes, the sun and the rain are necessary for the seed to grow, but the growth of every seed is a miracle of God.
The gift of life can be studied and managed, but life remains a gift. Jesus calls attention to living things in His parables because they can continue to teach us so very much about the power of God, the giver of life. May we be wise and prudent in our use of God's many gifts.

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February 2
Saturday

Presentation of the Lord

First Reading: Mal 3:1-4

Now I am sending my messenger ahead of me to clear the way; then suddenly the Lord for whom you long will enter the sanctuary. The envoy of the covenant which you so greatly desire already comes, says Yahweh of hosts. Who can bear the day of his coming and remain standing when he appears? For he will be like fire in the foundry and like the lye used for bleaching.
He will be as a refiner or a?fuller. He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. So Yahweh will have priests who will present the offering as it should be. Then Yahweh will accept with pleasure the offering of Judah and Jerusalem, as in former days.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 24:7, 8, 9, 10
Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!

Second Reading: Heb 2:14-18

And because all those children share one same nature of flesh and blood, Jesus likewise had to share this nature. This is why his death destroyed the one holding the power of death, that is the devil, and freed those who remained in bondage all their lifetime because of the fear of death.
Jesus came to take by the hand not the angels but the human race. So he had to be like his brothers and sisters in every respect, in order to be the High Priest faithful to God and merciful to them, a priest able to ask pardon and atone for their sins. Having been tested through suffering, he is able to help those who are tested.

Gospel Reading: Lk 2:22-32 (or 2:22-40)

When the day came for the purification according to the law of Moses, Joseph and Mary brought the baby up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord: Every firstborn male shall be consecrated to God. And they offered a sacrifice as ordered in the law of the Lord: a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.
There lived in Jerusalem at this time a very upright and devout man named Simeon; the Holy Spirit was in him. He looked forward to the time when the Lord would comfort Israel, and he had been assured by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before seeing the Messiah of the Lord. So he was led into the Temple by the Holy Spirit at the time the parents brought the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law.
Simeon took the child in his arms and blessed God, saying, "Now, O Lord, you can dismiss your servant in peace, for you have fulfilled your word and my eyes have seen your salvation, which you display for all the people to see.
Here is the light you will reveal to the nations and the glory of your people Israel."

Commentary
The elderly Simeon holds in his wrinkled hands the fulfillment of all of God's promises. The finite holds the infinite, the human cherishes the divine, the limited pays reverence to the eternal.
This beautiful passage is one to which we can relate, because the same Jesus whom Simeon cradled is the One who enters into our persons through the wonderful gift of the Holy Eucharist. What Simeon took into his arms is the same Jesus Christ whom we receive in Holy Communion. May we, like Simeon, always bless the Lord for so great a gift.

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February 3
Sunday

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Zep 2:3; 3:12-13

Seek Yahweh, all you poor of the land who fulfill his commands, do justice and are meek, and perhaps you will find refuge on the day Yahweh comes to judge.
I will leave within you a poor and meek people who seek refuge in God. The remnant of Israel will not act unjustly nor will they speak falsely, nor will deceitful words be found in their mouths. They will eat and rest with none to threaten them.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10
Blessed are the poor in spirit; the kingdom of heaven is theirs!

Second Reading: 1 Cor 1:26-31

Brothers and sisters, look and see whom God has called. Few among you can be said to be cultured or wealthy, and few belong to noble families. Yet God has chosen what the world considers foolish, to shame the wise; he has chosen what the world considers weak to shame the strong. God has chosen common and unimportant people, making use of what is nothing to nullify the things that are, so that no mortal may boast before God. But, by God's grace you are in Christ Jesus, who has become our wisdom from God, and who makes us just and holy and free. ?Scripture says: Let the one who boasts boast of the Lord.

Gospel Reading: Mt 5:1-12

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. He sat down and his disciples gathered around him. Then he spoke and began to teach them:
Fortunate are those who have the spirit of the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Fortunate are those who mourn, they shall be comforted.
Fortunate are the gentle, they shall possess the land.
Fortunate are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied.
Fortunate are the merciful, for they shall find mercy.
Fortunate are those with a pure heart, for they shall see God.
Fortunate are those who work for peace, they shall be called children of God.
Fortunate are those who are persecuted for the cause of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Fortunate are you, when people insult you and persecute you and speak all kinds of evil against you because you are my followers. Be glad and joyful, for a great reward is kept for you in God. This is how this people persecuted the prophets who lived before you.

Commentary
Jesus singles out those who are persecuted for the cause of justice, and for good reason. Those who follow the Lord closely cannot help but to develop a good eye for spotting injustices in our world. The closer we are to the Body of Christ the more likely we are to recognize offenses against our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ.
Standing up against oppression and injustice can put one at odds with the powerful of this world and can lead to persecution. Such is the fate of the One who Himself suffered persecution and death for standing up for the eternal salvation of our souls.

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February 4
Monday

4th Week in Ordinary Time

First Reading: 2 S 15:13-14, 30; 16:5-13

A messenger came to report to David that the Israelites were siding with Absalom. Then David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, "Let us flee, for we cannot resist Absalom. Go quickly, lest he come hurriedly and overtake us. Surely he will put the city to the sword if he can bring disaster upon us."
David himself went up the Mount of Olives, weeping. He was barefooted and had his head covered, and all the people who were with him had their heads covered and wept as they went.
When King David came to Bahurim, a man from the clan of Saul's family named Shimei, son of Gera, came out cursing him. He threw stones at David and his officers although the king's men and warriors flanked the king on the right and left. ?Shimei said as he cursed, "Go away! Go away! You bloodthirsty good-for-nothing! Yahweh has brought down on your head all the blood of the family of Saul. You became king in his place, but God has now placed the kingdom in the hands of your son Absalom. Ruin has come upon you because you are a bloodthirsty man."
Then Abishai, son of Zeruiah, said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go and cut his head off." ?But the king said, "Why should I listen to you, sons of Zeruiah? If Yahweh has ordered him to curse me, who shall ask him why he acts like this?" Then David said to Abishai and his officers, "If my own son wants to kill me, how much more this Benjaminite! Leave him alone and let him curse me if Yahweh has ordered him to do so. Perhaps Yahweh will look on my affliction and turn to good things the curses heaped on me today." ?So David and his men went their way while Shimei, following on the hillside opposite him, continued to curse as he threw stones and flung dust at him.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 3:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
Lord, rise up and save me.

Gospel Reading: Mk 5:1-20

Jesus and his disciples arrived on the other side of the lake in the region of the Gerasenes. No sooner did Jesus leave the boat than he was met by a man with evil spirits who had come from the tombs. He lived among the tombs and no one could restrain him, even with a chain. He had often been bound with fetters and chains but he would pull the chains apart and smash the fetters, and no one had the strength to control him. Night and day he stayed among the tombs on the hillsides, and was continually screaming and beating himself with stones.
When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell at his feet and cried with a loud voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, son of the Most High God? For God's sake I beg you, do not torment me." He said this because Jesus had commanded, "Come out of the man, evil spirit." And when Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" he replied, "Legion is my name, for we are many." And all of them kept begging Jesus not to send them out of that region.
Now, a great herd of pigs was feeding on the hillside, and the evil spirits begged him, "Send us to the pigs and let us go into them." So Jesus let them go. The evil spirits came out of the man and went into the pigs, and immediately the herd rushed down the cliff and all were drowned in the lake. The herdsmen fled and reported this in the town and in the countryside, so all the people came to see what had happened.
They came to Jesus and saw the man freed of the evil spirits sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the same man who had been possessed by the legion. They were afraid. And when those who had seen it told what had happened to the man and to the pigs, the people begged Jesus to leave their neighborhood.
When Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed begged to stay with him. Jesus would not let him and said, "Go home to your people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you." So he went throughout the country of Decapolis telling everyone how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were astonished.

Commentary
Although the young man from whom Jesus had cast out the evil spirits wanted to follow Jesus, the Lord recognized that this particular young man could do infinitely more good by staying at home and telling others around him of the Lord's tender mercies.
There is no limit to the amount of good that each of us can do at home, in the domestic church that is the family, and in our schools, places of work, and with our circle of friends. "Telling everyone how much Jesus has done" is a worthy and honorable calling, one that is bestowed upon every follower of Jesus.

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February 5
Tuesday

4th Week in Ordinary Time
Agatha

First Reading: 2 S 18:9-10, 14b, 24-25a, 30-19:3

Absalom was riding a mule and happened to meet the guards of David. As the mule passed under the thick branches of a big oak tree, his head was caught in the oak tree and he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule he was riding went its way. Someone reported to Joab, "I saw Absalom hanging from an oak tree."
Joab replied, "I will not waste time talking with you." So he took three spears in his hand and thrust them into Absalom's heart while he was still alive in the oak tree.
David was sitting between the two gates. The watchman posted at the roof of the gate, on the wall, saw a man running alone. So he called out and reported to the king who said, "If he is alone, he brings good news."
So the king said, "Move away and stand here." He moved aside and stayed there.
The Cushite arrived and said, "Good news for my lord the king! Yahweh has done you justice today and saved you from all those who rebelled against you." The king asked the Cushite, "How is the young Absalom?" The Cushite answered, "May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rebel against you end up like that young man."
The king was greatly disturbed and, going up to the room over the gate, he wept and said, "O, my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! Would that I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!"
It was reported to Joab, "The king is weeping and mourning for Absalom." So the victory that day turned into mourning for all the people, when they heard that the king was grieving over his son.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Listen, Lord, and answer me.

Gospel Reading: Mk 5:21-43

Jesus then crossed to the other side of the lake and while he was still on the shore, a large crowd gathered around him. Jairus, an official of the synagogue, came up and seeing Jesus, threw himself at his feet and asked him earnestly, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her so that she may get well and live."
Jesus went with him and many people followed, pressing from every side. Among the crowd was a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a lot at the hands of many doctors and had spent everything she had, but instead of getting better, she was worse. Since she had heard about Jesus, this woman came up behind him and touched his cloak thinking, "If I just touch his clothing, I shall get well." Her flow of blood dried up at once, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her complaint.
But Jesus was conscious that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" His disciples answered, "You see how the people are crowding around you. Why do you ask who touched you?" But he kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, aware of what had happened, came forward trembling and afraid. She knelt before him and told him the whole truth.
Then Jesus said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you; go in peace and be free of this illness."
While Jesus was still speaking, some people arrived from the official's house to inform him, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Master any further?" But Jesus ignored what they said and told the official, "Do not fear, just believe." And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James and John, the brother of James.
When they arrived at the house, Jesus saw a great commotion with people weeping and wailing loudly. Jesus entered and said to them, "Why all this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep."
They laughed at him. But Jesus sent them outside and went with the child's father and mother and his companions into the room where the child lay. Taking her by the hand, he said to her, "Talitha kumi!" which means: "Little girl, get up!"
The girl got up at once and began to walk around. (She was twelve years old.) The parents were astonished, greatly astonished. Jesus strictly ordered them not to let anyone know about it, and told them to give her something to eat.

Commentary
The bleeding from which the woman suffered would cause her to be anemic and sluggish. She could feel her very life force being slowly drained from her each and every day. She was tired and she was hopeless, having spent everything on useless treatments. Then Jesus enters her life and makes all the difference. The source of life restores her to health, and she feels an immediate difference.
If that poor woman was able to find healing by touching only the hem of His cloak, think of the power of the Lord's Body and Blood.

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February 6
Wednesday

Ash Wednesday

First Reading: Jl 2:12-18

Yahweh says, "Yet even now, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, weeping and mourning. Rend your heart, not your garment. Return to Yahweh, your God-gracious and compassionate."
Yahweh is slow to anger, full of kindness, and he repents of having punished.
Who knows? Probably he will relent once more and spare some part of the harvest from which we may bring sacred offerings to Yahweh, your God.
Blow the trumpet in Zion, proclaim a sacred fast, call a solemn assembly.
Gather the people, sanctify the community, bring together the elders, even the children and infants at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his bed, and the bride her room.
Between the vestibule and the altar, let the priests, Yahweh's ministers, weep and say: Spare your people, Yahweh. Do not humble them or make them an object of scorn among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples: Where is their God?
Yahweh has become jealous for his land; he has had pity on his people.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 51:3-4, 5-6a, 12-13, 14 and 17
Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Second Reading: 2 Cor 5:20-6:2

We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says,
"In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you."[a] I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.

Gospel Reading: Mt 6:1-6, 16-18

Jesus said to his disciples, "Be careful not to make a show of your righteousness before people. If you do so, you do not gain anything from your Father in heaven. When you give something to the poor, do not have it trumpeted before you, as do those who want to be seen in the synagogues and in the streets in order to be praised by the people. I assure you, they have been already paid in full.
"If you give something to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your gift remains really secret. Your Father who sees what is kept secret, will reward you.
"When you pray, do not be like those who want to be seen. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues or on street corners to be seen by everyone. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is with you in secret; and your Father who sees what is kept secret will reward you.
"When you fast, do not put on a miserable face as do the hypocrites. They put on a gloomy face, so people can see they are fasting. I tell you this: they have been paid in full already. When you fast, wash your face and make yourself look cheerful, because you are not fasting for appearances or for people, but for your Father who sees beyond appearances. And your Father, who sees what is kept secret will reward you."

Commentary
"You are dust and unto dust you shall return." These sober words, accompanied by the imposition of ashes upon our heads, mark the beginning of our personal journey into the Lenten season. It is a time of conversion: turning away from sin and turning toward the Lord Jesus.
This is the most important Lent that you will ever face. Now is the time to put aside whatever keeps you from the Lord. Now is the time to open the door to a deeper relationship with Jesus through the sacraments of the Church.

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February 7
Thursday

Thursday after Ash Wednesday

First Reading: Dt 30:15-20

See, I set before you on this day life and good, evil and death. I command you to love Yahweh, your God and follow his ways. Observe his commandments, his norms and his laws, and you will live and increase, and Yahweh will give you his blessing in the land you are going to possess. But if your heart turns away and does not listen, if you are drawn away and bow before other gods to serve them, I declare on this day that you shall perish. You shall not last in the land you are going to occupy on the other side of the Jordan.
Let the heavens and the earth listen, that they may be witnesses against you. I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life that you and your descendants may live, ?loving Yahweh, listening to his voice, and being one with him. In this is life for you and length of days in the land which Yahweh swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

Gospel Reading: Lk 9:22-25

Jesus said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things. He will be rejected by the elders and chief priests and teachers of the Law, and put to death. Then after three days he will be raised to life."
Jesus also said to all the people, "If you wish to be a follower of mine, deny yourself and take up your cross each day, and follow me. For if you choose to save your life, you will lose it, and if you lose your life for my sake, you will save it. What does it profit you to gain the whole world while you destroy or damage yourself?"

Commentary
There is urgency in the words of Jesus in today's Gospel. We know neither the day nor the hour when our time on earth will end. And at the end of this life comes the time to render an account for how we have lived. The Lord will ask each of us, "What did you do with all of the time that I gave you? What did you do with all of the opportunities I gave you? How did you treat the people I put in your life?"
Lent is a season to ponder what our honest answers would be if we had to face those questions today. Lent is also a time to make necessary changes in our lives.

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February 8
Friday

Friday after Ash Wednesday
Jerome Emiliiani / Josephine Bakhita

First Reading: Is 58:1-9a

Thus says the Lord Yahweh:
Cry out aloud for all you are worth;
raise your voice like a trumpet blast;
tell my people of their offenses,
Jacob's family of their sins.
Is it true that they seek me
day after day, longing to know my ways,
as a people that does what is right
and has not forsaken the word of its God?
They want to know the just laws
and not to drift away from their God.
"Why are we fasting," they complain,
"and you do not even see it?
We are doing penance and you never notice it."
Look, on your fast days you push your trade
and you oppress your laborers.
Yes, you fast but end up quarreling,
striking each other with wicked blows.
Fasting as you do
will not make your voice heard on high.
Is that the kind of fast that pleases me,
just a day to humble oneself?
Is fasting merely bowing down one's head,
and making use of sackcloth and ashes?
Would you call that fasting,
a day acceptable to Yahweh?
See the fast that pleases me:
breaking the fetters of injustice
and unfastening the thongs of the yoke,
setting the oppressed free
and breaking every yoke.
Fast by sharing your food with the hungry,
bring to your house the homeless,
clothe the one you see naked
and do not turn away from your own kin.
Then will your light break forth as the dawn
and your healing come in a flash.
Your righteousness will be your vanguard,
the Glory of Yahweh your rearguard.
Then you will call and Yahweh will answer,
you will cry and he will say, I am here.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 18-19
A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

Gospel Reading: Mt 9:14-15

The disciples of John came to Jesus with the question, "How is it that we and the Pharisees fast on many occasions, but not your disciples?"
Jesus answered them, "How can you expect wedding guests to mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? Time will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, then they will fast."

Commentary
Fasting is a classic Lenten penance. We limit our intake of certain foods on some days, and we give up certain foods altogether during the forty days of Lent. We do so neither to lose unnecessary extra pounds, nor to prove our fortitude. We go hungry during Lent because our Lord went hungry for us. He went without food and drink from the time of the Last Supper until the resurrection, eschewing even the sponge soaked with hyssops offered to Him upon the cross.
We fast in solidarity with the Lord, and with that part of the Body of Christ that is less fortunate than ourselves. May we not be guilty of grumbling about our fasting.

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February 9
Saturday

Saturday after Ash Wednesday

First Reading: Is 58:9b-14

Thus says the Lord:
Then you will call and Yahweh will answer,
you will cry and he will say, I am here.
If you remove from your midst the yoke,
the clenched fist and the wicked word,
if you share your food with the hungry
and give relief to the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the dark,
your night will be like noon.
Yahweh will guide you always
and give you relief in desert places.
He will strengthen your bones;
he will make you as a watered garden,
like a spring of water
whose waters never fail.
Your ancient ruins will be rebuilt,
the age-old foundations will be raised.
You will be called the Breach-mender,
and the Restorer of ruined houses.
If you stop profaning the sabbath
and doing as you please on the holy day,
if you call the sabbath a day of delight
and keep sacred Yahweh's holy day,
if you honor it by not going your own way,
not doing as you please
and not speaking with malice,
then you will find happiness in Yahweh,
over the heights you will ride triumphantly,
and feast joyfully on the inheritance of your father Jacob.
The mouth of Yahweh has spoken.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.

Gospel Reading: Lk 5:27-32

Jesus noticed a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax-office, he said to him, "Follow me." So Levi, leaving everything, got up and followed Jesus.
Levi gave a great feast for Jesus, and many tax collectors came to his house and took their place at table with the other people. Then the Pharisees and their fellow teachers complained to Jesus' disciples, "How is it that you eat and drink with tax collectors and other sinners?" But Jesus spoke up, "Healthy people don't need a doctor, but sick people do. I have come to call to repentance; I call sinners, not the righteous."

Commentary
Repentance is a word that means a conversion or a change of one's mind and heart. The Lord calls each of us to examine our lives during this season of Lent, and to make clear, concrete decisions to start living differently. We will not begin to pray more fervently without taking the time to do so. We cannot take the time to pray unless we stop spending time on something else.
Until one believes that prayer is the most important thing in his or her life, that person will never find the time to pray. How does your schedule need to change?

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February 10
Sunday

1st Sunday of Lent

First Reading: Gen 2:7-9; 3:1-7

Then Yahweh God formed Man, dust drawn from the clay, and breathed into his nostrils a breath of life and Man became alive with breath. God planted a garden in Eden in the east and there he placed Man whom he had created. Yahweh God caused to grow from the ground every kind of tree that is pleasing to see and good to eat, also the tree of Life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Now the serpent was the most crafty of all the wild creatures that Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say: You must not eat from any tree in the garden?" The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees in the garden, but of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden God said: You must not eat, and you must not touch it or you will die." The serpent said to the woman, "You will not die, but God knows that the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil."
The woman saw that the fruit was good to eat, and pleasant to the eyes, and ideal for gaining knowledge. She took its fruit and ate it and gave some to her husband who was with her. He ate it. Then their eyes were opened and both of them knew they were naked. So they sewed leaves of a fig tree together and made themselves loincloths.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 31:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 17
Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Second Reading: Rom 5:12-19

Therefore, sin entered the world through one man and through sin, death, and later on death spread to all humankind, because all sinned. As long as there was no law, they could not speak of disobedience, but sin was already in the world. This is why from Adam to Moses death reigned among them, although their sin was not disobedience as in Adam's case-this was not the true Adam, but foretold the other who was to come.
Such has been the fall, but God's gift goes far beyond. All died because of the fault of one man, but how much more does the grace of God spread when the gift he granted reaches all, from this unique man Jesus Christ. Again, there is no comparison between the gift and the offense of one man. The disobedience that brought condemnation was of one sinner, whereas the grace of God brings forgiveness to a world of sinners. If death reigned through the disobedience of one and only one person, how much more will there be a reign of life for those who receive the grace and the gift of true righteousness through the one person, Jesus Christ.
Just as one transgression brought sentence of death to all, so, too, one man's good act has brought justification and light to all; and as the disobedience of only one made all sinners, so the obedience of one person allowed all to be made just and holy.

Gospel Reading: Mt 4:1-11

At that time, the Spirit led Jesus into the desert that he be put to the test by the devil. After spending forty days and nights without food, Jesus was hungry.
Then the devil came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, order these stones to turn into bread." But Jesus answered, "Scripture says: one does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."
Then the devil took Jesus to the holy city, set him on the highest wall of the temple, and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for scripture says, God has given orders to his angels about you. Their hands will hold you up lest you hurt your foot against a stone." Jesus answered, "But scripture also says: You shall not put to the test the Lord your God."
Then the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the nations of the world in all their greatness and splendor. And he said, "All this I will give you, if you kneel and worship me." Then Jesus answered, "Be off, Satan! Scripture says: worship the Lord your God and serve him alone."
Then the devil left him, and angels came to serve him.

Commentary
Jesus experienced the temptation to act in ways that were self-centered, ways that would call attention to Himself or make His life here on earth one of ease and comfort. Jesus' rejection of these temptations points to His clear understanding of and desire to carry out the will of His heavenly Father.
During these days of Lent may we be conscious of the temptations that we face every day, most of which would have us be less authentic in the living out of our calling. May our self-denial and prayer lead us to a greater conformity to the person of Jesus.

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February 11
Monday

1st Week of Lent
Our Lady of Lourdes

First Reading: Lev 19:1-2, 11-18

Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, ??"Speak to the entire assembly of the people of Israel and say to them: Be holy for I, Yahweh, your God, am holy.
Do not steal or lie or deceive one another. Do not swear falsely by my name so as to profane the name of your God; I am Yahweh.
Do not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired man are not to remain with you all night until morning. You shall not curse a deaf man nor put a stumbling block in the way of the blind; but you shall fear your God; I am Yahweh.
Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor nor bow to the great; you are to judge your neighbor fairly so as not to share in his guilt. Do not go about as a slanderer of your people and do not seek the death of your neighbor; I am Yahweh.
Do not hate your brother in your heart; rebuke your neighbor frankly so as not to share in his guilt. Do not seek revenge or nurture a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself; I am Yahweh.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 15
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

Gospel Reading: Mt 25:31-46

Jesus said to his disciples, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory with all his angels, he will sit on the throne of his Glory. All the nations will be brought before him, and as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, so will he do with them, placing the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
The King will say to those on his right: 'Come, blessed of my Father! Take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. For I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me into your house. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to see me.'
Then the good people will ask him: 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food; thirsty and give you drink, or a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to see you?' The King will answer, 'Truly, I say to you: whenever you did this to these little ones who are my brothers and sisters, you did it to me.'
Then he will say to those on his left: 'Go, cursed people, out of my sight into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels! For I was hungry and you did not give me anything to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink; I was a stranger and you did not welcome me into your house; I was naked and you did not clothe me; I was sick and in prison and you did not visit me.'
They, too, will ask: 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, thirsty, naked or a stranger, sick or in prison, and did not help you?' The King will answer them: 'Truly, I say to you: whatever you did not do for one of these little ones, you did not do for me.'
And these will go into eternal punishment, but the just to eternal life."

Commentary
The decisions we make today have eternal consequences. Decisions to extend to others our kindness, courtesy and compassion will not be forgotten by the Lord who judges our souls. Neither will go unforgotten those decisions to be cruel, inconsiderate, and vengeful.
The Lord puts into our lives every day less fortunate than ourselves: people who are hungry for our attention, thirsty for someone to listen to them patiently, a stranger from the closeness of family and friends, naked of self-esteem, sick from the prevailing climate of immorality. Jesus tells us that He is to be found in these people, as needy and demanding as they might be. Look carefully into the eyes of the poor person you encounter today, and you will see the Lord.

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February 12
Tuesday

1st Week of Lent

First Reading: Is 55:10-11

Thus says Yahweh:
As the rain and the snow come down
from the heavens and do not return
till they have watered the earth,
making it yield seed for the sower
and food for others to eat,
so is my word that goes forth out of my mouth:
it will not return to me idle,
but it shall accomplish my will,
the purpose for which it has been sent.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 34:4-5, 6-7, 16-17, 18-19
From all their distress God rescues the just.

Gospel Reading: Mt 6:7-15

Jesus said to his disciples, "When you pray, do not use a lot of words, as the pagans do, for they hold that the more they say, the more chance they have of being heard. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need, even before you ask him.
"This, then, is how you should pray:
Our Father in heaven,
holy be your name,
your kingdom come
and your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today the kind of bread we need.
Forgive us our debts
just as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us.
Do not bring us to the test
but deliver us from the evil one.
"If you forgive others their wrongs, your Father in heaven will also forgive yours. If you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive you either."

Commentary
St. Augustine said that there is not a single prayer in the entire Bible that is not also to be found in the Our Father. With just four sentences, Jesus teaches us how to pray for a lifetime.
We pray to "Our" Father. We are united in our prayer with our brothers and sisters across the world, as well as with the souls in purgatory and the saints of heaven. The "Our Father" of a person going to work, or a student studying for an exam, or a mother holding a sick child in her arms might seem to be a silent prayer. In reality, it echoes across the globe and into eternity. Though we pray personally, we never pray alone.

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February 13
Wednesday

1st Week of Lent

First Reading: Jon 3:1-10

The word of Yahweh came to Jonah a second time: "Go to Nineveh, the great city, and announce to them the message I give you."
In obedience to the word of Yahweh, Jonah went to Nineveh. It was a very large city, and it took three days just to cross it. So Jonah walked a single day's journey and began proclaiming, "Forty days more and Nineveh will be destroyed."
The people of the city believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
Upon hearing the news, the king of Nineveh got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, put on sackcloth and sat down in ashes. He issued a proclamation throughout Nineveh:
"By the decree of the king and his nobles, no people or beasts, herd or flock, will taste anything; neither will they eat nor drink. But let people and beasts be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call aloud to God, turn from his evil ways and violence. Who knows? God may yet relent, turn from his fierce anger and spare us."
When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened upon them.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19
A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

Gospel Reading: Lk 11:29-32

As the crowd increased, Jesus began to speak in this way, "People of the present time are evil people. They ask for a sign, but no sign will be given to them except the sign of Jonah. As Jonah became a sign for the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be a sign for this generation. The Queen of the South will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and here there is greater than Solomon. The people of Nineveh will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for Jonah's preaching made them turn from their sins, and here there is greater than Jonah."

Commentary
The word "prophet" means "one who speaks for another." The prophet Jonah had a powerful impact upon the people of Nineveh because he was speaking for God. Even the most sinful of the Ninevites did penance in atonement for sin.
Jesus is far greater than Jonah because he not only "speaks for" God, He is the Word of God made flesh, dwelling among us. During this Lenten season, may your daily reading of the Bible open your heart more and more to the Word of God who is Jesus Christ. May the Word find a dwelling place in your heart.

February 14
Thursday

1st Week of Lent
Cyril and Methodius

First Reading: Est 14:1, 3-5, 12-14

Seized with anguish in her fear of death, Queen Esther likewise had recourse to the Lord.
Then she prayed to the Lord God of Israel:
My Lord, you who stand alone, come to my help; I am alone and have no help but you. Through my own choice I am endangering my life.
As a child I was wont to hear from the people of the land of my forebears that you, O Lord, chose Israel from among all peoples, and our fathers from among their ancestors to be your lasting heritage; that you did for them, all that you have promised.
Remember us, Lord; reveal yourself in the time of our calamity. Give me courage, King of gods and master of all power. Make my words persuasive when I face the lion; turn his heart against our enemy, that the latter and his like may be brought to their end.
Save us by your hand; help me who am alone and have none but you, O Lord.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8
Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.

Gospel Reading: Mt 7:7-12

Jesus said to his disciples, "Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives; whoever seeks, finds; and the door will be opened to him who knocks. Would any of you give a stone to your son when he asks for bread? Or give him a snake, when he asks for a fish? As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
"So, do to others whatever you would that others do to you: there you have the Law and the Prophets."

Commentary
The Lord invites us to bring our needs to Him, and to rely upon His help throughout our lives. We never grow out of our need for the Lord.
Consider this day what you truly need in your life. What particular help do you need in order to follow the Lord more closely? An increase in the virtue of patience? A greater sense of solidarity with the poor and less fortunate? "Ask, and you will receive," Jesus tells us. Bring to the Lord this day in prayer the deepest desires of your heart, and trust that the Lord never leaves His faithful ones disappointed.

February 15
Friday

1st Week of Lent

First Reading: Ezk 18:21-28

Thus says Yahweh, "If the sinner turns from his sin, observes my decrees and practices what is right and just, he will live, he will not die. None of the sins he committed will be charged against him; he will live as a consequence of his righteous deeds. Do I want the death of the sinner?-word of Yahweh. Do I not rather want him to turn from his ways and live?
But if the righteous man turns away from what is good and commits sins as the wicked do, will he live? His righteous deeds will no longer be credited to him, but he will die because of his infidelity and his sins.
But you say: Yahweh's way is not just! Why, Israel! Is my position wrong? Is it not rather that yours is wrong? If the righteous man dies after turning from his righteous deeds and sinning, he dies because of his sins. And if the wicked man does what is good and right, after turning from the sins he committed, he will save his life. He will live and not die, because he has opened his eyes and turned from the sins he had committed.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-7a, 7bc-8
If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?

Gospel Reading: Mt 5:20-26

Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you, then, that if you are not righteous in a much broader way than the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.
"You have heard that it was said to our people in the past: Do not commit murder; anyone who does kill will have to face trial. But now I tell you: whoever gets angry with a brother or sister will have to face trial. Whoever insults a brother or sister deserves to be brought before the council; whoever calls a brother or a sister 'Fool' deserves to be thrown into the fire of hell. So, if you are about to offer your gift at the altar and you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar, go at once and make peace with him, and then come back and offer your gift to God.
"Don't forget this: be reconciled with your opponent quickly when you are together on the way to court. Otherwise he will turn you over to the judge, who will hand you over to the police, who will put you in jail. There you will stay, until you have paid the last penny."

Commentary
Reconciliation is at the heart of the mission of Jesus. Our Lord's entire life is about saving us from the power of sin and leading us into the Kingdom of God.
As we have been reconciled to the Father through the blood of the Lord, so too are we to extend reconciliation and peace to others. Grudges have no place in the Kingdom. The challenge for every Christian is to let go of past hurts and to move forward in peace. It takes a big person to forgive. Through the grace of the Lord we have the capacity for reconciling differences and getting beyond present difficulties with others.

February 16
Saturday

1st Week of Lent

First Reading: Dt 26:16-19

On this day, Yahweh, your God, commands you to fulfill these norms and these commandments. Obey them now and put them into practice with all your heart and with all your soul.
Today Yahweh has declared to you that he will be your God, and so you shall follow his ways, observing his norms, his commandments and his laws, and listening to his voice.
Today Yahweh has declared that you will be his very own people even as he had promised you, and you must obey all his commandments. He, for his part, will give you honor, renown and glory, and set you high above all the nations he has made, and you will become a nation consecrated to Yahweh, your God, as he has declared.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8
Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

Gospel Reading: Mt 5:43-48

Jesus said to his disciples, "You have heard that it was said: Love your neighbor and do not do good to your enemy. But this I tell you: Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in Heaven. For he makes his sun rise on both the wicked and the good, and he gives rain to both the just and the unjust.
"If you love those who love you, what is special about that? Do not even tax collectors do as much? And if you are friendly only to your friends, what is so exceptional about that? Do not even the pagans do as much? For your part you shall be righteous and perfect in the way your heavenly Father is righteous and perfect."

Commentary
Jesus calls us to a higher standard of living than that of the world around us. In fact, He invites us to imitate Him in our daily living. Jesus goes the distance to show us His love, and so must we in showing His love to others. So often we show kindness to others only when it is convenient, or when it is in our best interest. Jesus beckons us to move beyond self-interest, and to embrace a higher way. The Lord has given us so much. As faithful stewards of the Lord's many gifts, let us resolve to give to others what we have received.

February 17
Sunday

2nd Sunday of Lent

First Reading: Gen 12:1-4

Yahweh said to Abram, "Leave your country, your family and your father's house, for the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you, I will curse, and in you all peoples of the earth will be blessed."
So Abram went as Yahweh had told him, and Lot went with him.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

Second Reading: 2 Tim 1:8-10

Dear brothers and sisters, do your share in laboring for the Gospel with the strength of God. He saved us and called us-a calling which proceeds from his holiness. This did not depend on our merits, but on his generosity and his own initiative. This calling given to us from all time in Christ Jesus has just been manifested with the glorious appearance of Christ Jesus, our Lord, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light in his Gospel.

Gospel Reading: Mt 17:1-9

Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain where they were alone. Jesus' appearance was changed before them: his face shone like the sun and his clothes became bright as light. Just then Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus.
Peter spoke and said to Jesus, "Master, it is good that we are here. If you so wish, I will make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
Peter was still speaking when a bright cloud covered them in its shadow, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, my Chosen One. Listen to him."
On hearing the voice, the disciples fell to the ground, full of fear. But Jesus came, touched them and said, "Stand up, do not be afraid." When they raised their eyes, they no longer saw anyone except Jesus. And as they came down the mountain, Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone what they had just seen, until the Son of Man be raised from the dead.

Commentary
On the Second Sunday of Lent each year the Church gives us the account of our Lord's Transfiguration. He reveals His divinity to His closest followers so that they will be prepared for the scandal of the cross.
We prepare during the Lenten season to experience the glory of Easter morning. Yet we can only get to Easter if we first experience Good Friday. The sorrows of our lives do not have the last word. Through the power of God's grace, every dark day holds within it the promise of brighter days to come. Every cross that we carry leads us closer to the joys of heaven.

February 18
Monday

2nd Week of Lent

First Reading: Dn 9:4b-10

I prayed to Yahweh, my God, and made this confession: "Lord God, great and to be feared, you keep your Covenant and love for those who love you and observe your commandments. We have sinned, we have not been just, we have been rebels, and have turned away from your commandments and laws. We have not listened to your servants, the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, leaders, fathers and to all the people of the land.
Lord, justice is yours, but ours is a face full of shame, as it is to this day-we, the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the whole of Israel, near and far away, in all the lands where you have dispersed us because of the infidelity we have committed against you. Ours is the shame, O Lord for we, our kings, princes, fathers, have sinned against you. We hope for pardon and mercy from the Lord, because we have rebelled against him. We have not listened to the voice of Yahweh, our God, or followed the laws which he has given us through his servants, the prophets.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 79:8, 9, 11 and 13
Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.

Gospel Reading: Lk 6:36-38

Jesus said to his disciples, "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
"Don't be a judge of others and you will not be judged; do not condemn and you will not be condemned; forgive and you will be forgiven; give and it will be given to you, and you will receive in your sack good measure, pressed down, full and running over. For the measure you give will be the measure you receive back."

Commentary
The Lord generously gives us the gift of forgiveness of our sins. This gift required of the Lord the agony of His suffering and death. Our forgiveness has been purchased at no small cost, yet has been given to us freely and without our deserving it.
May this fact motivate us to extend graciously to others our most sincere forgiveness for their transgressions against us. By letting go of past hurts we open ourselves and others to the great things happening in our lives. By sharing the gift of forgiveness with others we, in turn, find that our hearts become capable of loving all the more.

February 19
Tuesday

2nd Week of Lent

First Reading: Is 1:10, 16-20

Hear the warning of Yahweh,
rulers of Sodom.
Listen to the word of God,
people of Gomorrah."
Wash and make yourselves clean.
Remove from my sight
the evil of your deeds.
Put an end to your wickedness
and learn to do good.
Seek justice and keep in line the abusers;
give the fatherless their rights
and defend the widow."
"Come," says the Lord,
"let us reason together.
Though your sins be like scarlet,
they will be white as snow;
though they be as crimson red,
they will be white as wool.
If you will obey me,
you will eat the goods of the earth;
but if you resist and rebel,
the sword will eat you instead."
Truly the Lord has spoken.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21 and 23
To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

Gospel Reading: Mt 23:1-12

Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, "The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees sat on the seat of Moses. So you shall do and observe all they say, but do not do as they do, for they do not do what they say. They tie up heavy burdens and load them on the shoulders of the people, but they do not even raise a finger to move them. They do everything in order to be seen by people; so they wear very wide bands of the Law around their foreheads, and robes with large tassels. They enjoy the first place at feasts and reserved seats in the synagogues, and being greeted in the marketplace and being called 'Master' by the people.
"But you, do not let yourselves be called Master because you have only one Master, and all of you are brothers and sisters. Neither should you call anyone on earth Father, because you have only one Father, he who is in heaven. Nor should you be called leader, because Christ is the only leader for you. Let the greatest among you be the servant of all. For whoever makes himself great shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be made great."

Commentary
Humility is the virtue that means literally "close to the earth." A humble person knows that he or she does not occupy the center of the universe. A humble person, like our Lord, is always aware of the needs of others.
Some would say that a humble person suffers from low self-esteem. Nothing could be farther from the truth. A humble person does not think less of himself. He does, however, think of himself less. May our Lenten almsgiving and good works help us to grow in this important virtue.

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February 20
Wednesday

2nd Week of Lent

First Reading: Jer 18:18-20

The people of Judah and the citizen of Jerusalem said, "Come, let us plot against Jeremiah, for even without him, there will be priests to interpret the Teachings of the Law; there will always be wise men to impart counsel and prophets to proclaim the word. Come, let us accuse him and strike him down instead of listening to what he says."
Hear me, O Yahweh!
Listen to what my accusers say.
Is evil the reward for good?
Why do they dig a grave for me?
Remember how I stood before you
to speak well on their behalf
so that your anger might subside.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 31:5-6, 14, 15-16
Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.

Gospel Reading: Mt 20:17-28

When Jesus was going to Jerusalem, he took the Twelve aside and said to them on the way, "See, we are going to Jerusalem. There the Son of Man will be given over to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law who will condemn him to death. They will hand him over to the foreigners who will mock him, scourge him and crucify him. But he will be raised to life on the third day."
Then the mother of James and John came to Jesus with her sons, and she knelt down to ask a favor. Jesus said to her, "What do you want?" And she answered, "Here you have my two sons. Grant that they may sit, one at your right and one at your left, when you are in your kingdom."
Jesus said to the brothers, "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They answered, "We can." Jesus replied, "You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right or at my left is not for me to grant. That will be for those for whom the Father has prepared it."
The other ten heard all this and were angry with the two brothers. Then Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the nations act as tyrants, and the powerful oppress them. It shall not be so among you; whoever wants to be more important in your group shall make himself your servant. And if you want to be first, make yourself the servant of all. Be like the Son of Man who has come, not to be served but to serve and to give his life to redeem many."

Commentary
The path to happiness lies in following the Lord Jesus and imitating his example. He did not shy away from extending himself for the sake of others. He preached and healed tirelessly, spending Himself so generously to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate.
Greatness in this life comes through serving the people God puts into our lives. When we serve them with joy we honor and serve our God, and in Him do we find our true happiness, the peace that this world cannot bring.

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February 21
Thursday

2nd Week of Lent
Peter Damian

First Reading: Jer 17:5-10

This is what Yahweh says, "Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings and depends on a mortal for his life, while his heart is drawn away from Yahweh!
He is like a bunch of thistles in dry land, in parched desert places, in a salt land where no one lives and who never finds happiness.
Blessed is the man who puts his trust in Yahweh and whose confidence is in him! He is like a tree planted by the water, sending out its roots towards the stream.
He has no fear when the heat comes, his leaves are always green; the year of drought is no problem and he can always bear fruit.
Most deceitful is the heart. What is there within man, who can understand him? I, Yahweh, search the heart and penetrate the mind. I reward each one according to his ways and the fruit of his deeds.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

Gospel Reading: Lk 16:19-31

Jesus said to his disciples, "Once there was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and feasted every day. At his gate lay Lazarus, a poor man covered with sores, who longed to eat just the scraps falling from the rich man's table. Even dogs used to come and lick his sores. It happened that the poor man died and angels carried him to take his place with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. From hell where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham afar off, and with him Lazarus at rest.
He called out: 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus with the tip of his finger dipped in water to cool my tongue, for I suffer so much in this fire.'
Abraham replied: 'My son, remember that in your lifetime you were well-off while the lot of Lazarus was misfortune. Now he is in comfort and you are in agony. But that is not all. Between your place and ours a great chasm has been fixed, so that no one can cross over from here to you or from your side to us.'
The rich man implored once more: 'Then I beg you, Father Abraham, to send Lazarus to my father's house where my five brothers live. Let him warn them so that they may not end up in this place of torment.' Abraham replied: 'They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.' But the rich man said: 'No, Father Abraham. But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
Abraham said: 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the grave.'"

Commentary
The sin of the rich man was not that he was rich. His sin was his lack of concern for the poor man who lived just outside the rich man's home. Day after day he disregarded the needs of the poor man, finding it too much trouble to offer even the smallest morsel from his table.
The choices we make today have eternal consequences, as the rich man sadly learned. Every day we have opportunities to be generous in the sharing of our time and money with those less fortunate than ourselves. Do not neglect the opportunities that this day presents.

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February 22
Friday

2nd Week of Lent
Chair of Peter

First Reading: 1 P 5:1-4

I now address myself to those elders among you; I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ, hoping to share the Glory that is to be revealed. Shepherd the flock which God has entrusted to you, guarding it not out of obligation but willingly for God's sake; not as one looking for a reward but with a generous heart; do not lord it over those in your care, rather be an example to your flock. Then, when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will be given a crown of unfading glory.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 23:1-3a, 4, 5, 6
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Gospel Reading: Mt 16:13-19

Jesus came to Caesarea Philippi. He asked his disciples, "What do people say of the Son of Man? Who do they say I am?" They said, "For some of them you are John the Baptist, for others Elijah or Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
Jesus asked them, "But you, who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "It is well for you, Simon Barjona, for it is not flesh or blood that has revealed this to you but my Father in heaven.
"And now I say to you: You are Peter (or Rock) and on this rock I will build my Church; and never will the powers of death overcome it.
"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and what you unbind on earth shall be unbound in heaven."

Commentary
Our Lord establishes the Church as the means by which He can be present to His people until the end of time. The Church is the Body of Christ, the very way that people today can hear the voice of Jesus and experience his saving presence. Through Word and Sacrament, the Church makes known to the world the face of Jesus Christ.
Our Church faces many trials and sorrows, but she will endure. She has been established firmly by our Lord Himself, who promises Her ongoing strength and protection.

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February 23
Saturday

2nd Week of Lent
Polycarp

First Reading: Mic 7:14-15, 18-20

Shepherd your people with your staff, shepherd the flock of your inheritance that dwells alone in the scrub, in the midst of a fertile land. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old, in the days when you went out of Egypt.
Show us your wonders.
Who is a god like you, who takes away guilt and pardons crime for the remnant of his inheritance?
Who is like you whose anger does not last? For you delight in merciful forgiveness.
Once again you will show us your loving kindness and trample on our wrongs, casting all our sins into the depths of the sea.
Show faithfulness to Jacob, mercy to Abraham, as you have sworn to our ancestors from the days of old.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12
The Lord is kind and merciful.

Gospel Reading: Lk 15:1-3, 11-32

Tax collectors and sinners were seeking the company of Jesus, all of them eager to hear what he had to say. But the Pharisees and the scribes frowned at this, muttering. "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." So Jesus told them this parable: "There was a man with two sons. The younger said to his father: 'Give me my share of the estate.' So the father divided his property between them.
"Some days later, the younger son gathered all his belongings and started off for a distant land where he squandered his wealth in loose living. Having spent everything, he was hard pressed when a severe famine broke out in that land. So he hired himself out to a well-to-do citizen of that place and was sent to work on a pig farm. So famished was he that he longed to fill his stomach even with the food given to the pigs, but no one offered him anything. Finally coming to his senses, he said: 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will get up and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against God and before you. I no longer deserve to be called your son. Treat me then as one of your hired servants.' With that thought in mind he set off for his father's house."
"He was still a long way off when his father caught sight of him. His father was so deeply moved with compassion that he ran out to meet him, threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. The son said: 'Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you. I no longer deserve to be called your son...' But the father turned to his servants: 'Quick! Bring out the finest robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and kill it. We shall celebrate and have a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has come back to life. He was lost and is found.' And the celebration began. Meanwhile, the elder son had been working in the fields. As he returned and was near the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what it was all about. The servant answered: 'Your brother has come home safe and sound, and your father is so happy about it that he has ordered this celebration and killed the fattened calf.'
"The elder son became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and pleaded with him. The indignant son said: 'Look, I have slaved for you all these years. Never have I disobeyed your orders. Yet you have never given me even a young goat to celebrate with my friends. Then when this son of yours returns after squandering your property with loose women, you kill the fattened calf for him.'
"The father said: 'My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But this brother of yours was dead, and has come back to life. He was lost and is found. And for that we had to rejoice and be glad.'"

Commentary
Jesus could not have given us a more powerful image of the mercy of God than the scene of the father running out to embrace in forgiveness his once wayward son. Such is God's tender mercy that He would be quick to cancel debts and forgive past mistakes.
We experience this same outpouring of God's mercy, this same warm embrace whenever we make an honest confession of our sins in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. May we never think that our sins lie outside God's power or desire to forgive.

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February 24
Sunday

3rd Sunday of Lent

First Reading: Ex 17:3-7

In those days the people thirsted for water there and grumbled against Moses, "Why did you make us leave Egypt to have us die of thirst with our children and our cattle?"
So Moses cried to Yahweh, "What shall I do with the people? They are almost ready to stone me!" Yahweh said to Moses, "Go ahead of the people and take with you the elders of Israel. Take with you the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you on the rock at Horeb. You will strike the rock and water will flow from it and the people will drink." Moses did this in the presence of the elders of Israel.
The place was called Massah and Meribah because of the complaints of the Israelites, who tested Yahweh saying, "Is Yahweh with us or not?"

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Second Reading: Romans 5:1-2, 5-8

Brothers and sisters, by faith we have received true righteousness, and we are at peace with God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Through him we obtain this favor in which we remain and we even boast to expect the Glory of God.
And hope does not disappoint us because the Holy Spirit has been given to us, pouring into our hearts the love of God.
Consider, moreover, the time that Christ died for us: when we were still helpless and unable to do anything. Few would accept to die for an upright person; although, for a very good person, perhaps someone would dare to die. But see how God manifested his love for us: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Gospel Reading: Jn 4:5-16, 19-26, 39-42

Jesus came to a Samaritan town called Sychar, near the land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well is there. Tired from his journey, Jesus sat down by the well; it was about noon. Now a Samaritan woman came to draw water and Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." His disciples had just gone into town to buy some food.
The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan and a woman, for a drink?" (For Jews, in fact, have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus replied, "If you only knew the Gift of God! If you knew who it is that asks you for a drink, you yourself would have asked me and I would have given you living water."
The woman answered, "Sir, you have no bucket and this well is deep; where is your living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well after he drank from it himself, together with his sons and his cattle?"
Jesus said to her, "Those who drink of this water will be thirsty again; but those who drink of the water that I shall give will never be thirsty; for the water that I shall give will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
The woman said to him, "Give me this water, that I may never be thirsty and never have to come here to draw water."
The woman then said to him, "I see you are a prophet; tell me this: Our fathers used to come to this mountain to worship God; but you Jews, do you not claim that Jerusalem is the only place to worship God?"
Jesus said to her, "Believe me, woman, the hour is coming when you shall worship the Father, but that will not be on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship without knowledge, while we Jews worship with knowledge, for salvation comes from the Jews. But the hour is coming and is even now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for that is the kind of worshippers the Father wants. God is spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."
The woman said to him, "I know that the Messiah, that is the Christ, is coming; when he comes, he will tell us everything." And Jesus said, "I who am talking to you, I am he."
In that town many Samaritans believed in him when they heard the woman who declared, "He told me everything I did." So, when they came to him, they asked him to stay with them and Jesus stayed there two days. After that many more believed because of his own words and they said to the woman, "We no longer believe because of what you told us; for we have heard for ourselves and we know that this is the Savior of the world."

Commentary
Those who live in arid climates know the importance of water. The dry air soaking up moisture from the skin makes necessary the constant replenishment of fluids. A cup of cold water is not only a pleasant thing, it is absolutely necessary.
Our relationship with the Lord is the water of our lives: essential for our well being and the source of our joy. Without the Lord we would wither away like dried leaves. With Him we have life, life to the full.

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February 25
Monday

3rd Week of Lent

First Reading: 2 K 5:1-15ab

Naaman was the army commander of the king of Aram. This man was highly regarded and enjoyed the king's favor, for Yahweh had helped him lead the army of the Arameans to victory. But this valiant man was sick with leprosy.
One day some Aramean soldiers raided the land of Israel and took a young girl captive who became a servant to the wife of Naaman. She said to her mistress, "If my master would only present himself to the prophet in Samaria, he would surely cure him of his leprosy."
Naaman went to tell the king what the young Israelite maidservant had said. The king of Aram said to him, "Go to the prophet, and I shall also send a letter to the king of Israel."
So Naaman went and took with him ten gold bars, six thousand pieces of silver and ten festal garments. On his arrival, he delivered the letter to the king of Israel. It said, "I present my servant Naaman to you that you may heal him of his leprosy."
When the king had read the letter, he tore his clothes to show his indignation, "I am not God to give life or death. And the king of Aram sends me this man to be healed! You see he is just looking for an excuse for war."
Elisha, the man of God, came to know that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, so he sent this message to him: "Why have you torn your clothes? Let the man come to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel."
So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and stopped before the house of Elisha. Elisha then sent a messenger to tell him, "Go to the river Jordan and wash seven times, and your flesh shall be as it was before, and you shall be cleansed."
Naaman was angry, so he went away. He thought: "On my arrival, he should have personally come out, and then paused and called on the name of Yahweh, his God. And he should have touched with his hand the infected part, and I would have been healed. Are the rivers of Damascus, Abana and Pharpar not better than all the rivers of the land of Israel? Could I not wash there to be healed?"
His servants approached him and said to him, "Father, if the prophet had ordered you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? But how much easier when he said: Take a bath and you will be cleansed."
So Naaman went down to the Jordan where he washed himself seven times as Elisha had ordered. His skin became soft like that of a child and he was cleansed.
Then Naaman returned to the man of God with all his men. He entered and said to him, "Now I know that there is no other God anywhere in the world but in Israel. I ask you to accept these gifts from your servant."

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 42:2, 3; 43:3, 4
Athirst is my soul for the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?

Gospel Reading: Lk 4:24-30

Jesus added, "No prophet is honored in his own country. Truly, I say to you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens withheld rain for three years and six months and a great famine came over the whole land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow of Zarephath, in the country of Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha, the prophet, and no one was healed except Naaman, the Syrian."
On hearing these words, the whole assembly became indignant. They rose up and brought him out of the town, to the edge of the hill on which Nazareth is built, intending to throw him down the cliff. But he passed through their midst and went his way.

Commentary
The rejection of Jesus in his hometown of Nazareth foreshadows the rejection He will experience in Jerusalem on the day of His crucifixion. Though He spoke nothing but the truth, He was scorned and rejected by His own people.
Do we expect any better treatment when we speak the truth about controversial issues of our day such as the dignity of the human person from the moment of conception until natural death? Being a follower of Jesus means sharing in His suffering. May fear of rejection never stand in the way of being a person who speaks out for the cause of justice.

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February 26
Tuesday

3rd Week of Lent

First Reading: Dn 3:25, 34-43

Azariah stood up in the midst of the fire and prayed aloud: Do not abandon us forever, do not reject your covenant for your Name's sake.
Do not withdraw your mercy from us, for the sake of Abraham, your friend, of Isaac, your servant, of Israel, your holy one, to whom you promised to multiply their race as the stars of heaven and the sand on the shore of the sea.
Lord, see, we have become the least among the nations in all the world, and we are humiliated because of our sins.
At this time, we no longer have a king, or prophet, or leader. We cannot offer you holocausts, sacrifices, offerings, or incense. We have no place to present to you the first-fruits of our crops, and so obtain your favor.
But at least when we present ourselves with a contrite soul and humbled spirit may we then be acceptable to you, more than by offerings of rams and calves as holocausts, and of thousands of fat lambs.
May this sacrifice of ours today obtain for us your favor for we know that those who trust in you shall never be disappointed.
And now, we serve you with our whole heart, we fear you and we seek your face. Do not leave us in our humiliation, but treat us according to your kindness and your great mercy. Free us in keeping with your wonders, and give us the glory of your Name, Lord.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 25:4-5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8-9
Remember your mercies, O Lord!

Gospel Reading: Mt 18:21-35

Peter asked Jesus, "Lord, how many times must I forgive the offenses of my brother or sister? Seven times?" Jesus answered, "No, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
"This story throws light on the kingdom of heaven. A king decided to settle the accounts of his servants. Among the first was one who owed him ten thousand gold ingots. As the man could not repay the debt, the king commanded that he be sold as a slave with his wife, children and all his goods in payment.
"The official threw himself at the feet of the king and said, 'Give me time, and I will pay you back everything.' The king took pity on him and not only set him free but even canceled his debt.
"This official then left the king's presence and he met one of his companions who owed him a hundred pieces of silver. He grabbed him by the neck and almost strangled him, shouting, 'Pay me what you owe!' His companion threw himself at his feet and asked him, 'Give me time, and I will pay everything.' The other did not agree, but sent him to prison until he had paid all his debt. His companions saw what happened. They were indignant and so they went and reported everything to their lord. (…) The lord was now angry, so he handed his servant over to be punished, until he had paid his whole debt."
Jesus added, "So will my heavenly Father do with you unless each of you sincerely forgive your brother or sister."

Commentary
Jesus speaks often about the need to be a forgiving person. He does so because we need to hear that lesson repeated frequently. Sometimes forgiveness does not come natu-rally. We have to work on it.
When we have difficulty forgiving another person, we can at least act toward that person as if we have forgiven them. Refraining from spiteful words and actions is the first step toward forgiveness. The next step involves concrete acts of kindness toward the other. Following this plan allows true forgiveness to emerge, and past resentments to slip away.

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February 27
Wednesday

3rd Week of Lent

First Reading: Dt 4:1, 5-9

Moses said to the people, "And now, Israel, listen to the norms and laws which I teach that you may put them into practice. And you will live and enter and take possession of the land which Yahweh, the God of your fathers, gives you.
See, as Yahweh, my God, ordered me, I am teaching you the norms and the laws that you may put them into practice in the land you are going to enter and have as your own. If you observe and practice them, other peoples will regard you as wise and intelligent. When they come to know of all these laws, they will say, "There is no people as wise and as intelligent as this great nation." For in truth, is there a nation as great as ours, whose gods are as near to it as Yahweh, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him? And is there a nation as great as ours whose norms and laws are as just as this Law which I give you today?
But be careful and be on your guard. Do not forget these things which your own eyes have seen nor let them depart from your heart as long as you live. But on the contrary, teach them to your children and to your children's children.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20
Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

Gospel Reading: Mt 5:17-19

Jesus said to his disciples, "Do not think that I have come to remove the Law and the Prophets. I have not come to remove but to fulfill them. I tell you this: as long as heaven and earth last, not the smallest letter or stroke of the Law will change until all is fulfilled.
"So then, whoever breaks the least important of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be the least in the kingdom of heaven. On the other hand, whoever obeys them and teaches others to do the same will be great in the kingdom of heaven."

Commentary
One person can influence so many others, either for the good or for the bad. Virtue breeds virtue, and vice begets vice.
Jesus teaches us that we have a responsibility for the moral conduct of others. We are called to be beacons of light in this troubled and confused world of ours. By choosing what is good and distaining what is evil we exercise an important witness in our world.
One person cannot change the world, but that person can be a positive influence in the life of another, and a model of virtue for a family, a neighborhood, a parish com-munity.

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February 28
Thursday

3rd Week of Lent

First Reading: Jer 7:23-28

Thus says Yahweh, "One thing I did command them: Listen to my voice and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in the way I command you and all will be well with you. But they did not listen and paid no attention; they followed the bad habits of their stubborn heart and turned away from me.
From the time I brought their forebearers out of Egypt until this day I have continually sent them my servants, the prophets, but this stiff-necked people did not listen. They paid no attention and were worse than their forebearers.
You may say all these things to them but they will not listen; you will call them but they will not answer. This is a nation that did not obey Yahweh and refused to be disciplined; truth has perished and is no longer heard from their lips."

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Gospel Reading: Lk 11:14-23

One day Jesus was driving out a dumb demon. When the demon had been driven out, the mute person could speak, and the people were amazed. Yet some of them said, "He drives out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the chief of the demons." So others wanted to put him to the test by asking him for a heavenly sign.
But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every nation divided by civil war is on the road to ruin, and will fall. If Satan also is divided, his empire is coming to an end. How can you say that I drive out demons by calling upon Beelzebul? If I drive them out by Beelzebul, by whom do your fellow members drive out demons? They will be your judges, then.
"But suppose I drive out demons by the finger of God; would not this mean that the kingdom of God has come upon you? As long as the strong and armed man guards his house, his goods are safe. But when a stronger one attacks and overcomes him, the challenger takes away all the weapons he relied on and disposes of his spoils.
"Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me, scatters."

Commentary
Being on a sports team means giving one's all for the sake of that team. Assisting the opposing team is simply not an option.
Jesus reminds us today of the importance of dedicating our efforts each day to the glory and honor of God. We participate with the Lord in the upbuilding of the Kingdom. With Him we build, away from Him we tear down.
The Evil One would want us to believe that our daily decisions don't matter very much at all, that it is not very important whether we do good or evil. Jesus teaches us otherwise.

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February 29
Friday

3rd Week of Lent

First Reading: Hos 14:2-10

Return to your God Yahweh, O Israel!
Your sins have caused your downfall.
Return to Yahweh with humble words. Say to him,
"Oh you who show compassion to the fatherless
forgive our debt, be appeased.
Instead of bulls and sacrifices,
accept the praise from our lips.
Assyria will not save us:
no longer shall we look for horses
nor ever again shall we say 'Our gods'
to the work of our hands."
I will heal their wavering
and love them with all my heart
for my anger has turned from them.
I shall be like dew to Israel
like the lily will he blossom.
Like a cedar he will send down his roots;
his young shoots will grow and spread.
His splendor will be like an olive tree,
his fragrance, like a Lebanon cedar.
They will dwell in my shade again,
they will flourish like the grain,
they will blossom like a vine,
and their fame will be like Lebanon wine.
What would Ephraim do with idols,
when it is I who hear and make him prosper?
I am like an ever-green cypress tree;
all your fruitfulness comes from me.
Who is wise enough to grasp all this?
Who is discerning and will understand?
Straight are the ways of Yahweh:
the just walk in them, but the sinners stumble.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 81:6c-8a, 8bc-9, 10-11ab, 14 and 17
I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.

Gospel Reading: Mk 12:28-34

One of the teachers of the Law came up to Jesus and asked him, "Which commandment is the first of all?"
Jesus answered, "The first is: Hear, Israel! The Lord, our God, is One Lord; and you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. And after this comes another one: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these two."
The teacher of the Law said to him, "Well spoken, Master; you are right when you say that he is one and there is no other. To love him with all our heart, with all our understanding and with all our strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves is more important than any burnt offering or sacrifice."
Jesus approved this answer and said, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." But after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Commentary
Following Jesus is not a part-time pro-position. We do not dabble in discipleship, nor is our faith a hobby.
Jesus calls us to a life of discipleship, a total dedication of our words and actions for the sake of the Kingdom. Only by God's grace can we live such a life, only with His mercy can we be sustained along the path of following Jesus.
Daily prayer, regular reception of the sacraments, and concrete acts of mercy and compassion are time-tested ways of remaining faithful to the call to love God with all our heart.

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