Daily Lenten Thoughts - 03/23/2013

Daily Thoughts: The stage is set today for Holy Week. All the characters are taking their places for the drama that will unfold throughout the coming week. The religious leadership has made its choice. They are afraid of Jesus, their comfortable life has been disturbed. Caiaphas has given the justification for the rest of their actions. He has put their social problems squarely on the shoulders of Jesus. He has put their leadership problems squarely on the shoulders of Jesus. He has put their fear and faithlessness squarely on the shoulders of Jesus.

With today’s Gospel we have a clear understanding of why all that we are about to reflect upon as we go through Holy Week has taken place. In many ways the ideal kingdom that Ezekiel images in the first reading for today has not come about. There still is not just one God, one land, one people and one everlasting covenant of peace. We humans get in the way. We often fail to recognize God in our midst. We struggle to trust God’s presence in our life. We find it difficult to believe, to stake our lives on the promises of God. We are always looking for someone to blame, someone to sacrifice in the hope that things will get better.

As we prepare to begin this most holy of weeks in this year of faith let us take the time, not to plot against God, but to hear God’s word. Let us take the time to have faith in our relationship with God, to be hopeful in the promises of God and to allow the love of God to embrace us and live within us as we journey through life!

Daily Lenten Prayer: Loving God, open our hearts to the hope of your promises. Give us faith filled hearts that recognize your presence in our life today and always. Grace our hearts so that they may be filled with your love and that we will share your love with all we meet. Deepen our faith, hope and love this day and always so that we will never reject you, so that we will always have faith, see with hope filled eyes and live your love! Amen!

Runner’s Thought: Breath is usually expressed in Greek as pneuma, which can also mean air, wind, or spirit. In Hebrew ruah is translated as breath, but it can also mean creative energy or life-giving force. As we run today let us have an awareness of our breath as spirit, as our capacity to bring God into our being as we take in oxygen into our lungs. If we see each breath this way we will begin to allow our runs to become prayer! (Adapted from Running the Spiritual Path by Roger Joslin)

Saturday Blessings to all! I hope your brackets are going well, if not just sit back and enjoy the upsets they can make for some fun. I hope you will have a restful and peaceful Saturday surrounded by friends and family, if not I pray your day will not be too busy. As I said yesterday I head out again this afternoon for Marlboro, NJ and St. Gabriel’s Parish where I will begin a mission this evening. This is a wonderful week and I pray you will make some part of it part of your faith journey this week. My prayers will be with all of you throughout this week and I ask your prayers for this humble preacher of God’s Good Word! Be well and safe this weekend and always. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul