CatholicJules.net

By now many have already gone back to their routines and way of life. Some have even started turning back to habitual sins and worldly distractions. Why because many think it is personal matter between them and the Lord our God. Lent is an individual journey to conversion. How wrong they are and continue to believe this to be true. Simply let us all dwell upon what does is mean to be One Body in Christ Jesus our Lord? If we are truly One Body in Him, then can we not see how individual sin affects the Body as a whole? That is why it imperative we belong to a community of ‘saints’ in that we are all called to Holiness; and being part of a community of like minded believers helps us to stay on the narrow path. All of the Ninevites (One community who believed in God) repented and God our Father was compassionate and merciful towards them.

‘Only forty days more’ in our case 30+ balance before Easter. But hey did we miss just how much God loves us? He could have easily told Jonah to declare 24hrs before Nineveh is destroyed, but the Lord our God is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. Let us not take His love for us for granted and use this time He has given us to turn back from sin and draw closer to Him. Let us gaze upon the crucifix that we have and dwell upon the great mercy and love of our and saviour Jesus Christ who died for us so that we may live. Amen

First reading

Jonah 3:1-10 ·

The Ninevites repent, and God spares them

The word of the Lord was addressed to Jonah: ‘Up!’ he said ‘Go to Nineveh, the great city, and preach to them as I told you to.’ Jonah set out and went to Nineveh in obedience to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was a city great beyond compare: it took three days to cross it. Jonah went on into the city, making a day’s journey. He preached in these words, ‘Only forty days more and Nineveh is going to be destroyed.’ And the people of Nineveh believed in God; they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least. The news reached the king of Nineveh, who rose from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth and sat down in ashes. A proclamation was then promulgated throughout Nineveh, by decree of the king and his ministers, as follows: ‘Men and beasts, herds and flocks, are to taste nothing; they must not eat, they must not drink water. All are to put on sackcloth and call on God with all their might; and let everyone renounce his evil behaviour and the wicked things he has done. Who knows if God will not change his mind and relent, if he will not renounce his burning wrath, so that we do not perish?’ God saw their efforts to renounce their evil behaviour, and God relented: he did not inflict on them the disaster which he had threatened.

Gospel

Luke 11:29-32

As Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be a sign

The crowds got even bigger, and Jesus addressed them:

    ‘This is a wicked generation; it is asking for a sign. The only sign it will be given is the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. On Judgement day the Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here. On Judgement day the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when Jonah preached they repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here.’

God our Father’s Will for us is that we live life to full in His love, mercy and grace. For He loves with an everlasting and endearing love. We can do so by cooperating with the Holy Spirit who is always ready to guide us as we obey the Lord our God’s commands to love Him with all our heart, mind, strength, soul; and that we must love another as He loved us. With love which is merciful, for mercy is inseparable from love. So then just as He readily forgives us our sins, we must readily forgive those who have sinned against us.

All is made possible through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. For the ever living Word of God was made flesh and dwelled among us. Just as He dwells in our midst today, allowing us to enter into His Presence as we get down on our knees to pray. Prayer that stems from our ever growing, deepening relationship with Him. Prayer that surrenders our all into the hands His loving care. Prayer that opens the door of our hearts for Him to enter and dine with us. And as He speaks deep into our heart we are transformed from within and filled with His grace, we are One with Him as He is One with us!

Glory and Praise to our Lord Jesus Christ! Amen

Saint Polycarp Pray for us…..

First reading

Isaiah 55:10-11 ·

The word that goes out from my mouth does not return to me empty

Thus says the Lord: ‘As the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return without watering the earth, making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for the eating, so the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.’

Gospel

Matthew 6:7-15

How to pray

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘In your prayers do not babble as the pagans do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard. Do not be like them; your Father knows what you need before you ask him. So you should pray like this:

‘Our Father in heaven,

may your name be held holy,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us.

And do not put us to the test,

but save us from the evil one.

‘Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours; but if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failings either.’

Even as Christians trying our best to live out the Gospel values in our lives we sometimes fall enter into sin. If we do nothing and allow our sinfulness to fester, it will eventually spread to other areas of our lives and take control. This happens even if we are convinced that we did nothing terribly wrong and feel no guilt or shame. Though many will have retain some control and not fall into great wickedness through evil deeds that leads to destruction; the greatest travesty is losing the Lord our God’s presence in our lives.  What about the unbelievers then? Whom can they turn to? Who can help them out of the darkness they live in?

That is why we should never forget the gift of our baptism. How we were cleansed, purified and set free to live as God our Father’s children. And as His beloved children we entered into a deep personal relationship with God our Heavenly Father, through His Son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who reconciles us all unto Him. How many then have we led to the waters of baptism? How many have we helped enter into sonship and daughterhood with our ever loving Father in Heaven? How many are we journeying with and leading into the Ark of the eternal covenant? So that they too will experience the peace, love and joy of living in His presence this day and for all eternity. 

We are also reminded this day to be wary of anyone who preaches a different Gospel from that of our Lord Jesus. And to those who modify and create perverse traditions that leads people further from the truth to be found in Christ alone. Importantly in this trying times of the pandemic, let also not fall into some form of ‘sanitised’ spirituality.  Where we live in fear of touching someone who needs to be touched or held. Where we do nothing for the sick, the homeless and the poor. Where we forget about those who are deprived of the Sacraments for longer than necessary? We can do so much more with all precautionary measures taken and put in place but fail to do so because it is too much of a hassle!

My Lord and my God, grant us the wisdom and grace to build a bigger Ark, so that we can courageously lead more into Your presence and loving embrace. Amen

First reading

Genesis 6:5-8,7:1-5,10

Noah’s Ark

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that the thoughts in his heart fashioned nothing but wickedness all day long. The Lord regretted having made man on the earth, and his heart grieved. ‘I will rid the earth’s face of man, my own creation,’ the Lord said ‘and of animals also, reptiles too, and the birds of heaven; for I regret having made them.’ But Noah had found favour with the Lord.

    The Lord said to Noah, ‘Go aboard the ark, you and all your household, for you alone among this generation do I see as a good man in my judgement. Of all the clean animals you must take seven of each kind, both male and female; of the unclean animals you must take two, a male and its female (and of the birds of heaven also, seven of each kind, both male and female), to propagate their kind over the whole earth. For in seven days’ time I mean to make it rain on the earth for forty days and nights, and I will rid the earth of every living thing that I made.’ Noah did all that the Lord ordered.

    Seven days later the waters of the flood appeared on the earth.

Gospel

Mark 8:14-21

Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod

The disciples had forgotten to take any food and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. Then he gave them this warning, ‘Keep your eyes open; be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.’ And they said to one another, ‘It is because we have no bread.’ And Jesus knew it, and he said to them, ‘Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you not yet understand? Have you no perception? Are your minds closed? Have you eyes that do not see, ears that do not hear? Or do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?’ They answered, ‘Twelve.’ ‘And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?’ And they answered, ‘Seven.’ Then he said to them, ‘Are you still without perception?’

Lent is fast approaching and soon we will hear the words ‘from dust you came, from dust you shall return’ though many would rather hear the words “Turn away from sin and believe in the Gospel” instead as they see this as a blessing rather than the former which comes across more like a curse.  But why would this be??

For was it not the Lord of all life that fashioned and created us His masterpiece in love? Yes singular as in One Body in Him! He breathed life into us and saw that it was good. We bear His likeness and image and by our baptism have been grafted unto the vine of life, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

We have all in essence an expiry date and so could look at this morbidly or we can choose to see it as quality time given to us; to share a lived experience of God’s love through the humble service of others, before returning to eternal life with Him. After all Heaven in our final destination! What we have therefore in this short time is an opportunity to grow in Holiness as we are called to do. To be Holy as our Heavenly Father is Holy. To have our hearts moulded after His.

Essentially in the dignity of being human, all of us need food to survive. To grow, strengthen and sustain us.  Christ in His great love has given us of Himself to partake of, we therefore have spiritual food, the bread of life! So if want to grow in our love of Him, of neighbour so as to live according to His Will then what do you think we should feed ourselves with? Is it not on His daily Word? His body, blood, soul and divinity in Holy Eucharist? In praying for the Holy Spirit to fill us up so as to be sent forth to the Will of our Heavenly Father? Or do we want to continue to feed ourselves with the ‘Food’ of the world? Food that does not last!

Lord Jesus feed me with Your love, fill me with Your grace, cleanse my heart from within so that I may serve You and my brethren faithfully according to Your Will. Amen

First reading

Genesis 2:4-9,15-17 ·

The Lord God fashioned man out of dust

At the time when the Lord God made earth and heaven there was as yet no wild bush on the earth nor had any wild plant yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth, nor was there any man to till the soil. However, a flood was rising from the earth and watering all the surface of the soil. The Lord God fashioned man of dust from the soil. Then he breathed into his nostrils a breath of life, and thus man became a living being.

    The Lord God planted a garden in Eden which is in the east, and there he put the man he had fashioned. The Lord God caused to spring up from the soil every kind of tree, enticing to look at and good to eat, with the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the garden. The Lord God took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden to cultivate and take care of it. Then the Lord God gave the man this admonition, ‘You may eat indeed of all the trees in the garden. Nevertheless of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you are not to eat, for on the day you eat of it you shall most surely die.’

Gospel

Mark 7:14-23

It is what comes out of a man that makes him unclean

Jesus called the people to him and said, ‘Listen to me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that goes into a man from outside can make him unclean; it is the things that come out of a man that make him unclean. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to this.’

    When he had gone back into the house, away from the crowd, his disciples questioned him about the parable. He said to them, ‘Do you not understand either? Can you not see that whatever goes into a man from outside cannot make him unclean, because it does not go into his heart but through his stomach and passes out into the sewer?’ (Thus he pronounced all foods clean.) And he went on, ‘It is what comes out of a man that makes him unclean. For it is from within, from men’s hearts, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and make a man unclean.’

Today we are reminded of the immense love God our Father has for ALL His Children and that ALL were to be saved and brought to perfection at the same time through His beloved Son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! There is no distinction between race, culture or language. Our final destination is eternal life with Him.

Our Lord has set us free from the bondage of sin even eternal death are we then living in the light of His resurrection with peace and joy in our lives? Are we living testimonies for Him such that our lives speaks of all that the Lord in His mercy has done for us? So that many more souls shall be saved by our witness to live fully in His love and light. Amen

First reading

Hebrews 11:32-40

The example of the Old Testament saints

Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets – these were men who through faith conquered kingdoms, did what is right and earned the promises. They could keep a lion’s mouth shut, put out blazing fires and emerge unscathed from battle. They were weak people who were given strength, to be brave in war and drive back foreign invaders. Some came back to their wives from the dead, by resurrection; and others submitted to torture, refusing release so that they would rise again to a better life. Some had to bear being pilloried and flogged, or even chained up in prison. They were stoned, or sawn in half, or beheaded; they were homeless, and dressed in the skins of sheep and goats; they were penniless and were given nothing but ill-treatment. They were too good for the world and they went out to live in deserts and mountains and in caves and ravines. These are all heroes of faith, but they did not receive what was promised, since God had made provision for us to have something better, and they were not to reach perfection except with us.

 Gospel

Mark 5:1-20

The Gadarene swine

Jesus and his disciples reached the country of the Gerasenes on the other side of the lake, and no sooner had Jesus left the boat than a man with an unclean spirit came out from the tombs towards him. The man lived in the tombs and no one could secure him any more, even with a chain; because he had often been secured with fetters and chains but had snapped the chains and broken the fetters, and no one had the strength to control him. All night and all day, among the tombs and in the mountains, he would howl and gash himself with stones. Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and fell at his feet and shouted at the top of his voice, ‘What do you want with me, Jesus, son of the Most High God? Swear by God you will not torture me!’ – for Jesus had been saying to him, ‘Come out of the man, unclean spirit.’ ‘What is your name?’ Jesus asked. ‘My name is legion,’ he answered ‘for there are many of us.’ And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the district.

    Now there was there on the mountainside a great herd of pigs feeding, and the unclean spirits begged him, ‘Send us to the pigs, let us go into them.’ So he gave them leave. With that, the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs, and the herd of about two thousand pigs charged down the cliff into the lake, and there they were drowned. The swineherds ran off and told their story in the town and in the country round about; and the people came to see what had really happened. They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his full senses – the very man who had had the legion in him before – and they were afraid. And those who had witnessed it reported what had happened to the demoniac and what had become of the pigs. Then they began to implore Jesus to leave the neighbourhood. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed begged to be allowed to stay with him. Jesus would not let him but said to him, ‘Go home to your people and tell them all that the Lord in his mercy has done for you.’ So the man went off and proceeded to spread throughout the Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed.