March 5, 2014

Ash Wed.

March 5, 2014:  Ash Wednesday

Readings

  • Jl 2:12-18  Return to me with fasting and weeping; rend your hearts.  For gracious and merciful is he, rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment.  Proclaim a fast; gather the people; say, “Spare, O Lord, your people, and make not your heritage a reproach.”  Then the Lord took pity on his people.
    Wordle: Readings 3-5-14
  • Ps 51:3-6ab, 12-14, 17  "Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned."  I acknowledge my offense.  Create a clean heart for me.  Cast me not out from your presence.  Give me back the joy of your salvation.  Open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
  • 2 Cor 5:20-6:2  We're ambassadors for Christ.  Be reconciled to God who made him who didn't know sin to be sin, so we might become God's righteousness.  Now is a very acceptable time; now is the day of salvation.
  • Mt 6:1-6, 16-18  “Don't do righteous deeds so that people see them.  When you give alms, pray, or fast, don't call attention to it like the hypocrites.  Do it in secret; your Father will see it and repay you.”
Pope Francis
  • Audience:  Ponder with joy and gratitude God’s love revealed in the saving mysteries of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection, and live the new life we've received in Baptism.  Respond to the growing spiritual and material poverty in our midst:  resist culture thinking it can do without God, where parents don't teach their children to pray, where violence, poverty, and decay are taken for granted.  Heed the Gospel, reflect on our faith, practice acts of penance and charity, and open our hearts to God’s grace and the needs of our brothers and sisters.  May our Lenten journey bring us to Easter with hearts purified and renewed by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Reflections
    • Creighton:  How is God calling me home to the One, and the ones, who love me?  Family time, reaching out, daily Mass and/or reflection on the day, working out?  When I recognize God’s voice amidst the clamor, I'll be more peaceful, grateful, hopeful, generous, loving…
    • One Bread One Body:  "Re-lent; re-turn; re-pent":  God will relent if we return with our whole heart.  As we beg God for mercy, let us "reLent" (enter Lent again with our whole heart), re-turn to God (quitting worldly ways, believing the Gospel) , and repent (with fasting and weeping, rending your hearts).
    • Passionist:  Lent has one destination:  Christ's death and resurrection.  The Passion cuts through our selfishness, compels us to do something for Jesus, and reawakens caring and compassion.  Jesus died like he lived, pouring himself out focused on his Father's love and mercy:  "Father, forgive them."   What God did for us is more important than we do for God.  Allow God's grace to be first; ask for God's guidance about Lenten resolutions.
    • Universalis:  St. Kieran/Ciarán, monk and bishop, apostle of Ireland
    Music
    Apparel
    • "Hearts" suspenders:  "return to me with your whole heart" (1st reading); "create for me a clean heart" (psalm)
    • "Angel with trumpet" pin:  "blow the trumpet" (1st reading); "don't blow a trumpet" (gospel)
    • "Clock" tie bar:  "in an acceptable time I heard you... Now is the acceptable time..." (2nd reading)
    • "Hands" tie:  "when you give, don't let your left hand know what the right is doing" (gospel)
    • "Kneeling person" tie bar:  "go to your inner room and pray in secret" (gospel)
    • Purple shirt:  color of Lenten season
    • Forehead with ashes [thanks, Jan!]:  "remember you're dust and will return to dust; turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel" (distribution of ashes at Ash Wednesday liturgy); "wash your face" (gospel)

    Dress your life!

    Please comment below

    No comments:

    Post a Comment