Fr. Tim Hayes - EGL 1
Theme: Trust in God’s Personal Love for His People
As for you, do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not worry anymore. All the nations of the world seek for these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these other things will be given you besides. Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.
Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. Luke 12:29-34
Petition for Week II – That all Church leaders may have the courage and wisdom to speak the Truth before civil authorities, especially in defense of life and liberty.
Lent Sunday II March 4, 2012
The Penitential Scrutiny opens up the grace of Baptism
Those who have been baptized in other Christian Communions who are seeking Full Communion in the Catholic Church experience the Penitential Scrutiny as a moment of grace where the Christian Community acknowledges their oneness with us through Baptism and prays for their openness to the healing touch of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. All are called to Penance in order to be free to celebrate the full joy of Easter.
Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope, for he who made the promise is trustworthy. We must consider how to rouse one another to love and good works. We should not stay away from our assembly, as is the custom of some, but encourage one another, and this all the more as you see the day drawing near. Hebrews 10:23-25
*******
How do Faith, Hope and Love serve to lead you to worship with the Christian Community? For what are you thankful as you experience the Eucharist? How do you encourage your brothers and sisters in the Lord? Are you able to express your own Confession that gives Hope? What are the Lord’s Promises to you?
From Pope Benedict XVI’s Lenten Message for 2012:
Concern for others entails desiring what is good for them from every point of view: physical, moral and spiritual. Contemporary culture seems to have lost the sense of good and evil, yet there is a real need to reaffirm that good does exist and will prevail, because God is "generous and acts generously" (Ps 119:68). The good is whatever gives, protects and promotes life, brotherhood and communion. Responsibility towards others thus means desiring and working for the good of others, in the hope that they too will become receptive to goodness and its demands. Concern for others means being aware of their needs. Sacred Scripture warns us of the danger that our hearts can become hardened by a sort of "spiritual anesthesia" which numbs us to the suffering of others. The Evangelist Luke relates two of Jesus’ parables by way of example. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the priest and the Levite "pass by", indifferent to the presence of the man stripped and beaten by the robbers (cf.Lk 10:30-32). In that of Dives and Lazarus, the rich man is heedless of the poverty of Lazarus, who is starving to death at his very door (cf. Lk 16:19). Both parables show examples of the opposite of "being concerned", of looking upon others with love and compassion. What hinders this humane and loving gaze towards our brothers and sisters?
Often it is the possession of material riches and a sense of sufficiency, but it can also be the tendency to put our own interests and problems above all else. We should never be incapable of "showing mercy" towards those who suffer. Our hearts should never be so wrapped up in our affairs and problems that they fail to hear the cry of the poor. Humbleness of heart and the personal experience of suffering can awaken within us a sense of compassion and empathy. "The upright understands the cause of the weak, the wicked has not the wit to understand it" (Prov 29:7). We can then understand the beatitude of "those who mourn" (Mt 5:5), those who in effect are capable of looking beyond themselves and feeling compassion for the suffering of others. Reaching out to others and opening our hearts to their needs can become an opportunity for salvation and blessedness.
3/ 5 MONDAY:
I have told you this so that you might have peace in Me.
In the world you will have trouble, but take courage,
I have conquered the world. John 16:33
*******
Jesus Christ offers Shalom, that is, Peace, Wholeness and Integrity. The world tries to unsettle us and distract us from pursuing the one thing necessary to find true Happiness. We are called to receive Fortitude in order to stand true; He has conquered the world.
What gives you confidence in the Lord’s Grace at work in you? How are you made aware that Christ has conquered the world for you?
3/ 6 TUESDAY:
The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all. There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need. Acts 4:32-35
*******
The sign of the Truth of the Christian way of life that is most effective in revealing Christ is Unity. When believers are truly of one heart and mind, crossing boundaries, holding all their good, material and spiritual, in common, then the world has to take notice. Great power flows from fidelity to the Apostolic preaching. All in need are taken care of when all who have are willing to give what they have and what they are in order to witness the Truth of their commitment to Christ.
Who has revealed the Truth of Christ to you by a sharing of person? How do you respond? Can you see the Truth of God’s Love offered to you through members of the Christian Community who are one in heart and mind with you?
3/ 7 WEDNESDAY:
Thus says the LORD: Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? In the desert I make a way, in the wasteland, rivers. Isaiah 43:18-19
*******
Trust in the Lord’s Love for us leads to Hope. We know that God has taken care of us in the past, and we are confident that He will see us through to the end. However, when we measure the future by reference to the past, we can run the risk of limiting the horizon. The Gospel calls us to a realization of Something New. The intimations of the Eternal are evident to us through Faith, through a growing awareness that God has plans for us beyond our wildest imagination. We are surprised by the Gift of God and invited to embrace it.
Where are you conscious of Something New happening in your life? Where is the desert and where are the hints of the springs of Living Water flowing freely? How are you being invited to put your trust in God’s Love for you personally?
3/ 8 THURSDAY:
Let your faith in the LORD, your God, be firm, and you will be firm. Have faith in his prophets and you will succeed. II Chronicles 20:20
*******
Faith in the Lord leads to Confidence in His Presence and His Love. Hope follows from hearing the Word of the Lord as it is proclaimed by those who speak in His Name, the Prophets and Teachers who are guided by the Spirit of Truth. Firm Faith leads to a strength of purpose that allows us to accomplish our God-given goals and to witness to the Kingdom in a practical way.
How strong is your Faith in the Lord? Who speaks to you with the voice of authority and challenges you to grow in Faith? Are you willing to commit even in the face of persecution and doubt?
3/ 9 FRIDAY:
I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. John 14:18-20
*******
In every human heart, there is a longing for something More, something greater than this world can offer. Even when there is a sharing of person between human beings through Friendship in the Lord, there is still something left unsatisfied. The Lord promises that He will satisfy this longing. We are not left as orphans. The Day will come when we will experience for ourselves the Truth of the Unity that is presented to us through Faith in the Holy Trinity. The Father, the Son and the Spirit are One, and our destiny is to share in that One Love. The Word has been spoken to us, in our own humanity, and His Commandments allow us to respond to Him in Love.
How has your Hope in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ been enlivened? Are you aware of the sense of incompleteness and of the longing that invites you to believe that God has Something More in store for you personally? Do you hear your personal call to Newness of Life?
3/10 SATURDAY:
With age-old love I have loved you; so I have kept my mercy toward you. Again I will restore you, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin Israel; Carrying your festive tambourines, you shall go forth dancing with the merrymakers. Jeremiah 31:3-4
*******
God’s Love for us in not part of His Creation; It is the very Essence of His Being and It precedes the act of Creation. That Love, offered once and refused, is offered anew as Mercy. The Promise that flows from the Love and Mercy of God is that all will be restored in accord with His Plan for us. Joy and Happiness will be ours, if we open ourselves to Love and Mercy.
How do you experience the “age-old Love” of God? Where is His Mercy evident in your life? What in you needs to be restored, renewed, rebuilt? What already serves to bring you to Joy?
Pray for the Catechumens as they experience the First Scrutiny.
LENTEN CYBER RETREAT - WEEK II 3/ 4
Theme: Trust in God’s Personal Love for His People
As for you, do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not worry anymore. All the nations of the world seek for these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these other things will be given you besides. Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.
Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. Luke 12:29-34
Petition for Week II – That all Church leaders may have the courage and wisdom to speak the Truth before civil authorities, especially in defense of life and liberty.
Lent Sunday II March 4, 2012
The Penitential Scrutiny opens up the grace of Baptism
Those who have been baptized in other Christian Communions who are seeking Full Communion in the Catholic Church experience the Penitential Scrutiny as a moment of grace where the Christian Community acknowledges their oneness with us through Baptism and prays for their openness to the healing touch of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. All are called to Penance in order to be free to celebrate the full joy of Easter.
Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope, for he who made the promise is trustworthy. We must consider how to rouse one another to love and good works. We should not stay away from our assembly, as is the custom of some, but encourage one another, and this all the more as you see the day drawing near. Hebrews 10:23-25
*******
How do Faith, Hope and Love serve to lead you to worship with the Christian Community? For what are you thankful as you experience the Eucharist? How do you encourage your brothers and sisters in the Lord? Are you able to express your own Confession that gives Hope? What are the Lord’s Promises to you?
From Pope Benedict XVI’s Lenten Message for 2012:
Concern for others entails desiring what is good for them from every point of view: physical, moral and spiritual. Contemporary culture seems to have lost the sense of good and evil, yet there is a real need to reaffirm that good does exist and will prevail, because God is "generous and acts generously" (Ps 119:68). The good is whatever gives, protects and promotes life, brotherhood and communion. Responsibility towards others thus means desiring and working for the good of others, in the hope that they too will become receptive to goodness and its demands. Concern for others means being aware of their needs. Sacred Scripture warns us of the danger that our hearts can become hardened by a sort of "spiritual anesthesia" which numbs us to the suffering of others. The Evangelist Luke relates two of Jesus’ parables by way of example. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the priest and the Levite "pass by", indifferent to the presence of the man stripped and beaten by the robbers (cf.Lk 10:30-32). In that of Dives and Lazarus, the rich man is heedless of the poverty of Lazarus, who is starving to death at his very door (cf. Lk 16:19). Both parables show examples of the opposite of "being concerned", of looking upon others with love and compassion. What hinders this humane and loving gaze towards our brothers and sisters?
Often it is the possession of material riches and a sense of sufficiency, but it can also be the tendency to put our own interests and problems above all else. We should never be incapable of "showing mercy" towards those who suffer. Our hearts should never be so wrapped up in our affairs and problems that they fail to hear the cry of the poor. Humbleness of heart and the personal experience of suffering can awaken within us a sense of compassion and empathy. "The upright understands the cause of the weak, the wicked has not the wit to understand it" (Prov 29:7). We can then understand the beatitude of "those who mourn" (Mt 5:5), those who in effect are capable of looking beyond themselves and feeling compassion for the suffering of others. Reaching out to others and opening our hearts to their needs can become an opportunity for salvation and blessedness.
3/ 5 MONDAY:
I have told you this so that you might have peace in Me.
In the world you will have trouble, but take courage,
I have conquered the world. John 16:33
*******
Jesus Christ offers Shalom, that is, Peace, Wholeness and Integrity. The world tries to unsettle us and distract us from pursuing the one thing necessary to find true Happiness. We are called to receive Fortitude in order to stand true; He has conquered the world.
What gives you confidence in the Lord’s Grace at work in you? How are you made aware that Christ has conquered the world for you?
3/ 6 TUESDAY:
The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all. There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need. Acts 4:32-35
*******
The sign of the Truth of the Christian way of life that is most effective in revealing Christ is Unity. When believers are truly of one heart and mind, crossing boundaries, holding all their good, material and spiritual, in common, then the world has to take notice. Great power flows from fidelity to the Apostolic preaching. All in need are taken care of when all who have are willing to give what they have and what they are in order to witness the Truth of their commitment to Christ.
Who has revealed the Truth of Christ to you by a sharing of person? How do you respond? Can you see the Truth of God’s Love offered to you through members of the Christian Community who are one in heart and mind with you?
3/ 7 WEDNESDAY:
Thus says the LORD: Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? In the desert I make a way, in the wasteland, rivers. Isaiah 43:18-19
*******
Trust in the Lord’s Love for us leads to Hope. We know that God has taken care of us in the past, and we are confident that He will see us through to the end. However, when we measure the future by reference to the past, we can run the risk of limiting the horizon. The Gospel calls us to a realization of Something New. The intimations of the Eternal are evident to us through Faith, through a growing awareness that God has plans for us beyond our wildest imagination. We are surprised by the Gift of God and invited to embrace it.
Where are you conscious of Something New happening in your life? Where is the desert and where are the hints of the springs of Living Water flowing freely? How are you being invited to put your trust in God’s Love for you personally?
3/ 8 THURSDAY:
Let your faith in the LORD, your God, be firm, and you will be firm. Have faith in his prophets and you will succeed. II Chronicles 20:20
*******
Faith in the Lord leads to Confidence in His Presence and His Love. Hope follows from hearing the Word of the Lord as it is proclaimed by those who speak in His Name, the Prophets and Teachers who are guided by the Spirit of Truth. Firm Faith leads to a strength of purpose that allows us to accomplish our God-given goals and to witness to the Kingdom in a practical way.
How strong is your Faith in the Lord? Who speaks to you with the voice of authority and challenges you to grow in Faith? Are you willing to commit even in the face of persecution and doubt?
3/ 9 FRIDAY:
I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. John 14:18-20
*******
In every human heart, there is a longing for something More, something greater than this world can offer. Even when there is a sharing of person between human beings through Friendship in the Lord, there is still something left unsatisfied. The Lord promises that He will satisfy this longing. We are not left as orphans. The Day will come when we will experience for ourselves the Truth of the Unity that is presented to us through Faith in the Holy Trinity. The Father, the Son and the Spirit are One, and our destiny is to share in that One Love. The Word has been spoken to us, in our own humanity, and His Commandments allow us to respond to Him in Love.
How has your Hope in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ been enlivened? Are you aware of the sense of incompleteness and of the longing that invites you to believe that God has Something More in store for you personally? Do you hear your personal call to Newness of Life?
3/10 SATURDAY:
With age-old love I have loved you; so I have kept my mercy toward you. Again I will restore you, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin Israel; Carrying your festive tambourines, you shall go forth dancing with the merrymakers. Jeremiah 31:3-4
*******
God’s Love for us in not part of His Creation; It is the very Essence of His Being and It precedes the act of Creation. That Love, offered once and refused, is offered anew as Mercy. The Promise that flows from the Love and Mercy of God is that all will be restored in accord with His Plan for us. Joy and Happiness will be ours, if we open ourselves to Love and Mercy.
How do you experience the “age-old Love” of God? Where is His Mercy evident in your life? What in you needs to be restored, renewed, rebuilt? What already serves to bring you to Joy?
Pray for the Catechumens as they experience the First Scrutiny.