FRIDAY 1ST WEEK
Msgr. Stuart Swetland
Vice President of Catholic Identity
Professor of Philosophy

Feasting in Lent

“And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16: 18

A Feast Day in Lent and on a Friday – what good news this is! It is indeed “good news” and we should celebrate – feast when the Church feasts, fast when the Church fasts. But what are we celebrat-ing? The “Chair of Peter” represents the teaching authority entrusted to Peter (and his successors) by Jesus. We thus celebrate that God loves us so much that he has not abandoned us or left us mere written instruction, but He has given us a living magisterium (teaching office) which ensures that we have access to “the truth that liberates” us from sin, Satan and death—the life and person of Jesus Christ (cf. CCC 890).

Lord, help me to love You more; to know and follow Your teachings.
Please continue to bless Your servant our Holy Father,
the Successor of Peter. Amen.

1Pt 5: 1-4, Ps 23: 1-6, Mt 16: 13-19

THURSDAY 1ST WEEK
Juliana Lombardi C ‘16

You Are Where You Need to Be

“Then she prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, saying: “My Lord, our King,
you alone are God. Help me, who am alone and have no help but you,
for I am taking my life in my hand” Esther 4C: 14-16

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved Esther. Maybe that’s my inner desire to be a queen, but I’ve always found her story fascinating. As I’ve grown up, I’ve found new appreciation for her strength and reliance on God. Upon hearing that her people were threatened, this woman took her life into her own hands and visited her husband, the king, without being invited (an offense punishable by death). This prayer that she says before confronting her husband has always struck a chord with me. Esther knew she was about to commit a very dangerous act, but she was completely and utterly ready to do so in defense of her people. She trusted God to protect her and He did.

Now, I don’t know about you, but that’s a really difficult thing for me to do—trust God so fully that I’m willing to go into a ridiculously dangerous situation for Him. We get so used to relying on ourselves that self-surrender becomes difficult. It’s hard to let someone else take control, especially someone we can’t physically perceive. That’s the thing though; we can’t see God, but He’s more powerful than we could ever dream. He loves us. He will protect us. He’s our Daddy and dads have their children’s backs in tough situations. Trust Him. Look to Esther to find an example of that complete trust, especially in the hard times. God won’t let you down. You are where you need to be. Just take a deep breath. Let Him take care of it.

Do not look forward to the changes and chances of this life with fear. Rather, look to them with full confidence that, as they arise, God to whom you belong will in his love enable you to profit by them. He has guided you thus far in life. Do you but hold fast to His dear hand, and He will lead you safely through all trials. Whenever you cannot stand, He will carry you lovingly in his arms. –Saint Francis de Sales

EST C:12, 14-16, 23-15, Ps 138:1-3, 7c-8, Mt 7:7-12

WEDNESDAY 1ST WEEK
Monica Murray C ‘14

Don't Be a Jonah--Embrace the Fullness of God's Mercy

“At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,
and there is something greater than Jonah here.” Luke 11: 32

I remember watching Jonah: A Veggie Tales Movie as a kid with my brothers, and I always disliked Jonah, played by Archibald the Cucumber. He obviously thinks that the people of Nineveh have fallen off the deep end—they cannot redeem themselves, nor are they worth of any effort on his part. Jonah acts completely sure that God has cast them off as well. While grumbling about his mission, Jonah says to Him, “Perhaps you've never been to Nineveh! Well, of course you haven't! A God like you would never go to a place like Nineveh!” But as Jonah fails to recognize, as we ourselves often do not recognize, God’s mercy does not have human limits.

God loves every single human being. He never stops giving us sufficient grace to be holy, and He extends His mercy to everyone—all we have to do is accept it, as the Ninevites accepted the chance to repent. In the above quotation from Luke’s Gospel, Jesus says that “something greater than Jonah is here.” Unlike Jonah, a mere prophet, Jesus seeks out the outcasts, the tax collectors, the prostitutes, the sinners. He eats with them, treats them like friends, and calls them to discipleship. If the Ninevites repented because of Jonah’s words, then even more so should we repent because of Jesus’s actions. During this Lenten season, let us first remember that we are all sinners dependent upon God’s mercy. Second, we should remember that God calls us to imitate His mercy towards our fellow men and women, freely forgiving them any transgressions and drawing them into our hearts.

Dear Jesus, when I feel like Jonah and condemn another person for their sins,
warm my cold heart with the fire of your love. Place a vision of you on the cross
before me always, so that I may remember how immense your mercy is. Amen.

Jon 3: 1-10, Ps 51: 3-4, 12-13, 18-19, Lk 11: 29-32

TUESDAY FIRST WEEK
Katie Lutz C ‘14

Teach Me to Pray

“Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Matthew 6: 8

Communication is a vital part to any relationship.
A relationship with Christ should be no different. Many of us are told from a young age that daily prayer is essential to our lives with God. I often find this line delivered by Jesus comforting because I struggle to remember that God already knows my prayers before I even say them. We do not need to preoccupy ourselves with long lists of people and hardships rather we should focus on the quality of our conversation with Christ. While daily prayer is important and essential to a strong relationship with Christ our time spent in prayer should not be long scripted lists but avenues to deepening our commitment to Christ’s place in our lives.

Dear Lord, teach me to pray. Amen

Is 55: 10-11, Ps 34: 4-7, 16-19, Mt 6: 7-15

MONDAY 1ST WEEK
John-Paul Heil C ‘15

Discovering God’s Will through Lent

“Speak to the whole assembly of the children of Israel and tell them
Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.” Leviticus 19: 1-2

These readings today from Leviticus, coupled with the Gospel message, reflect several important facets of this new Lenten season which could be easily overlooked. Though Lent is considered by many as a time of penitence (and rightly so, as it is), merely sacrificing and fasting is not the true purpose of Lent. Lent's true purpose is to serve as a time of spiritual renewal and is meant to inspire a real change in our lives so that we may better follow the path on which Our Lord wishes us to travel. To only sacrifice blindly, without any intention of self-improvement, is to miss the message of Lent, and by extension, the message of Easter.

This subject of change to fit God's will rather than our own is one that is exemplified in today's readings. In the first reading, God details to Moses how the Chosen People (and by extension, we as Christians today) should live in accordance with God's laws, how we should turn from our sinful ways and embrace the will of God. The Psalm tells us of the goodness of God and the graces that we will be bestowed on us if we follow Him, while the Gospel warns us what will happen if we do not follow His commands and place ourselves before His will. Let us pray that this Lenten season might serve as a time of spiritual renewal and may inspire in us a chance to follow God no matter what may stand in our way.

Heavenly Father, please grant us the strength and humility to accept Your will
in our lives, and that this Lent might change our lives to better suit Your plan for us. We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lv 19: 1-2, 11-18, Ps 19: 8,9,10-15, M t 25: 31-46

FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
Ellen Klein
Focus Missionary

The Real Deal

“Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit
into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil.” Luke 4: 1-2

Imagine a man in the desert. He sees a mirage of water, runs to it, and drinks from it frantically. In reality all he is drinking is sand. It was just an illusion that did not satisfy him at all. In the Gospel today, the devil attempts to make Jesus doubt the Father, to fall for an illusion of empty promises. However, Jesus denies the devil, trusting that His Father’s love is the only thing that can truly satisfy Him, and eventually, Jesus answers these temptations with a greater reality that His Father works through Him. For example, instead of turning stone into bread in the desert, Jesus answers the first temptation by turning bread into God at the Last Supper! Instead of bowing down to worship the devil, Jesus answers the second temptation by bowing down His head in total surrender to His Father on the cross, and is not only granted reign over the kingdoms of the world, but rules over the Kingdom of Heaven as well. Finally, instead of testing God, Jesus answers the third temptation by trusting His Father’s will and dying on the cross. In return, He is not only escorted by angels to His heavenly throne but is bodily resurrected as well! Nothing with which the devil can tempt us will ever come close to the real happiness and glory God has in store for us when we trust in Him. What is real is not always visible, but what is real exists, and there is nothing more real than God’s love for you! Go to Him in the Eucharist where He is truly present, and He will strengthen you against temptation and satisfy all your longings with a deep joy that is more REAL than you will ever know. “Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:8

Jesus, help me to trust in the Father as you trusted in Him, and bring me closer to you so that I may be strengthen by your love against all temptations. Amen.

Dt 26: 4-10, Ps 91: 1-2, 10-15, Rom 10: 8-13, Lk 4: 1-13

SATURDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY
Aaron Murphy C ‘14

God’s Guide to Happiness

“Then your light shall rise in the darkness,
and your gloom shall become like midday.”
Isaiah 58: 10b

Who among us would not want our light to rise in the darkness and our gloom to become like midday? In other words, who among us does not want to be truly happy? Happiness is something that everyone seeks. However, the reading from Isaiah teaches us that we may find happiness in a place where many of us never dreamed. “If you lavish food on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted,” then we will find true happiness in God. We are all called to be servants of the Lord, therefore, we must take care of the least among us. If we put others before ourselves and serve those in need, then God will look upon us with favor and will always provide for our needs.

Today’s reading from Isaiah reminds us that we should never be thinking of ourselves first. Instead, we must make sure that we have our priorities in order. Honoring God and serving others are the two most important things which we can do to find true happiness: a happiness which only God can provide.

Lord, help me to be a true servant and always seek
to honor you in all of my actions. Amen.

Is 58: 9b-14, Ps 86: 1-6, Lk 5: 27-32