February 29, 2020

Feb. 29

February 29, 2020:  Saturday after Ash Wednesday

See 17 connections with today?
Legend below
Listen

For Psalm 86
    • Mighty Lord/ Foley [needs banjo]; use free Spotify login
Querida Amazonia capsule

 Ecological education and habits:  An integral ecology must go beyond fine-tuning technical questions and political, juridical, and social decisions to an educational dimension that encourages new habits.  Those with consumerist, wasteful habits must be encouraged to choose a less greedy and anxious, more serene, respectful, and fraternal lifestyle.

 The emptier the heart, the more the person needs to buy, own, and consume.  We must be concerned not only about extreme weather events, but also the catastrophic consequences of social unrest.  Obsession with a consumerist lifestyle leads to violence and mutual destruction.  The Church desires to contribute to the region's protection and growth.  [2/29 III:58-60]

Pope Francis to Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi:  Fr. Maciel's criminal behavior generated a crisis in your Federation.  He founded the federation but is no example of holiness.  He led a double life and through his personalized government polluted the charism the Spirit had given the Church.  Once the situation was discovered, the Church took action and showed solicitude.  Your new Statutes and Constitution reflect a new spirit and vision of religious life in line with Vatican II.  You opened yourselves courageously to the Spirit's action and entered into true discernment.  Much work of discernment remains.  Continue the journey, looking ahead; look backward only to find that God's assistance has never been lacking.  Keep struggling to renew yourself.

Read

  • Is 58:9b-14  If you remove oppression... and satisfy the afflicted, the Lord will guide and renew you.  If you honor the sabbath, you'll delight in the Lord, and I'll nourish you.
  • Ps 86:1-6  "Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth."  Have mercy on me.  I lift my soul to you; gladden it.  Attend to my pleading.
  • Lk 5:27-32  Jesus to Levi:  “Follow me”; he left everything and followed.  He gave a banquet for him with tax collectors and others; Pharisees complained:  “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”  Jesus:  “The healthy don't need a doctor; just the sick.  I came to call sinners.”
Reflect
    • Creighton:  Prayer occurs when we're in right relationship with God, fasting marks a healthy relationship with our own bodies and a just participation in creation. Almsgiving, appropriate sharing of material goods so all have enough limited resources, marks authentic relationship with others.  
    Banquet in the House of Levi/ Veronese
    The 1st reading speaks of following goodness, compassion, and the freedom of generous love.  We must daily choose life over death.   Being alive means thriving, supporting the life of community and creation.  Because creation comes from God, everything is interrelated, we can thrive only in union with all that's alive on earth and in eternal life.  When we use what we've been given to help others thrive, we ourselves choose to thrive.  Closing in ourselves is the root of all evil, a choice for death, destroying life and hope, disrupting and destroying relationships, consuming and wasting resources, choosing hatred and violence; it presupposes we're trying to kill and that we can’t thrive unless we have it all.  Such destructive patterns harm enemies, friends, and ourselves.  If we trust God will provide, and we share what we have, all will be provided.
    The gospel reminds us God rescues each of us from our death choices and opens us to life choices.  When we judge others or don't embrace God’s mercy for them or us, we step off the path of life.   Jesus’ work and ours is to open doors of life to those who haven’t found the path to life.  As we've been invited to be forgiven, so must we invite others to forgiveness and the joy of God’s mercy.  Which of our gifts is Jesus inviting us to use to bring divine life to the created order by reconciling those in the dark to themselves, their community, and creation?
    • One Bread, One Body:  "Follow-up fasting":  Our culture of death is a culture of broken relationships.  The world desperately needs you.  Think of all you can see healed by your true fasting.  Fast from food and drink, and follow up by giving others opportunities for freedom, showing them mercy, and doing justice.  If you do, you'll see the Lord's promises from Is 58 fulfilled.  If you continue, the Lord will make you ride on the heights.  Show your love:  fast and follow up.
    • Passionist:  Today's readings focus on our call to follow God. The Church reminds us Lent is a time to grow closer to God, to reflect on how we're building up his Kingdom.  Isaiah reminds us of the gifts we receive when we do good for others and when we're focused on God.  In the Gospel Jesus calls Levi to follow him, and Levi leaves everything, gets up, and follows.  He must have walked away from the money he collected.  Wasn't he afraid the Roman authorities would come after him?  Jesus' call must have been powerful for Levi to leave everything behind.  This "leap day" let's leave ordinary tasks behind for something extraordinary, take time to reflect and be, listen to music, enjoy the day as a gift to be explored rather than filled.  I see Lent as a time to for more experiences of being, not letting in useless noise.  What extraordinary experiences await you?
    • DailyScripture.net:  "Jesus calls sinners to follow him":  When we bless others, especially those needing help, God blesses us.  The religious leaders were upset with Jesus' behavior towards public sinners.  Orthodox Jews avoided them, didn't do business with them, didn't give them anything.  Jesus' association with tax collectors and sinners shocked their sensibilities.  When they challenged him, he told them a doctor goes to the sick.  Jesus sought out those in greatest need.  Jesus came as Divine Physician and Good Shepherd to care for us and restore us.  The orthodox were so preoccupied, they neglected to help the people who needed it most.  Jesus came to call sinners, not the "righteous."  Ironically the orthodox were as needy as those they despised; all have sinned.  Thank God for his mercy; seek others' good.  "By 'follow' [Jesus] meant not so much the movement of feet as of the heart, carrying out a way of life.  One who says he lives in Christ ought to walk as Christ walked, not aim at earthly things or pursue perishable gains, but flee base praise, embrace contempt of all that is worldly for the sake of heavenly glory, do good to all, inflict injuries on no one, patiently suffer injury, ask God’s forgiveness for those who oppress, seek God's glory, and uphold what helps you love heavenly things.  In this way Matthew became a follower of One who had no riches. The Lord who outwardly called Matthew inwardly bestowed on him the gift of an invisible impulse so he could follow" (Bede the Venerable).
    Dress legend
    • 'Feet' pin:  Hold back your foot from following your own pursuits (1st reading)
    • 'Wheat' pin:  If you give your bread to the hungry, remove oppression, and satisfy the afflicted,... (1st reading)
    • 'Street lamp' tie bar:  ...then light shall rise for you,... (1st reading)
    • 'Helm' tie pin:  ...and the Lord will guide you always... (1st reading)
    • 'Alps' pin:  ...and make you ride on the heights of the earth (1st reading)
    • Blue shirt:  If you remove oppression, share your bread, and satisfy the afflicted,... you'll be like a watered garden, a spring whose water never fails (1st reading)
    • 'Car with mouth' pin:  The mouth of the Lord has spoken (1st reading)
    • 'Boundless mercy' pin:  Have mercy on me, Lord,... (psalm)
    • 'Phone' tie bar:  ...for I call to you all day (psalm); I came to call sinners (gospel)
    • 'Celebrate teaching' pin:  Teach me Your way,... (psalm)
    • 'Walker' tie pin:  ...that I may walk in Your truth (psalm)
    • 'Money bag' tie pin:  Jesus saw tax collector Levi; tax collectors at Levi's banquet (gospel)
    • 'WWJD' pin:  "Follow me" (gospel)
    • 'Silverware' tie bar:  Levi gave a great banquet for Jesus... (gospel)
    • 'Doctor's office' tie:  Only the sick need a doctor (gospel)
    • Purple suspenders:  Lent
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