INTRODUCTION // 2018 Aggie Catholic Lenten Reflections
During this season, we are called to simplify our lives with the intention of growing closer to the Lord. We are called to do this in three ways: through prayer, almsgiving, and fasting. Prayer reminds us of our desperate need for the Savior; drawing us closer to the One who gave everything to save us. Almsgiving, an act in which we give from our need rather than our surplus, keeps our focus on our true need for the Body and Blood of Christ. And fasting, or the emptying of self to make room for Christ, reminds us of our merciful Father’s love and sacrifice on the cross.
Lent is a time of preparation; a time of refocusing ourselves on Christ and being open to receiving his merciful love. Let us remain steadfast in our promises to the Lord, just as He remains steadfast in His sacrificial love. May the Lord bless you during this great time of preparation. In Christ through Mary,
1
WEDNESDAY // FEBRUARY 14 Joel 2:12-18 • Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6AB, 12-13, 14, and 17 • 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2 • Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
We often find ourselves not quite where we want to be in our walk of faith. We stop and look at ourselves and say “Tomorrow I will be ready.” As we begin our season of Lent, we are called out of our darkness to be near the Lord, to be children of the light. He looks past our sin and shame and sees us, his beloved. Our readings today call us into authenticity and vulnerability. We’re challenged to remove the “us” that we want the world to see and to be the “us” we were created to be.
Our faith isn’t a performance to show the world how holy we are, but is driven by our heart’s desire to be in relationship with our Creator. He longs for intimacy with us, to be our source of life to take into the world as his disciple. “Return to the Lord with your whole heart” (Joel 2). Bring whatever you are, whatever you have been to the feet of the cross. Bring your imperfections, your doubt, and your fear to the Lord. Only in him will you find your heart’s desires and be made new.
MARK KNOX ‘03 // Director of Campus Ministry
2 // Ash Wednesday
THURSDAY // FEBRUARY 15 Deuteronomy 30:15-20 • Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4, and 6 • Luke 9:22-25
“Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.” “If you obey the commandments of the Lord, your God, which I enjoin you to do today, loving him, and walking in his ways, and keeping his commandments, statutes and decrees, you will live and grow numerous.” - Deuteronomy 30:16 Pause and ask God what your deepest desires are. Sit with him and listen, however he speaks to you - in words, images, or stirrings in your heart. I have doubted on numerous occasions the desires the Lord has revealed to me. It is easy for me to get wrapped up in others’ desires in college and forget the voice that spoke to me of my own identity and dreams. I do not ask the Lord often enough to reclaim my identity and whisper to me once again my
own desires. I limit his dreams for me, I doubt my path, and I get caught up comparing myself to my friends. Yet I do all these things without him; when I stray from prayer and rely only on what I know. This looks a lot like taking up my cross on my own, in anxiety and desperation, always distracting me from the stillness the Lord has beckoned me to. In the Gospel, Jesus asks us to take up our cross. Often times what we fail to realize is there are new crosses each day that we are asked to carry. Crosses of sin, heartache, misfortune, areas that we must choose to love. • What is that cross today? • Examine your conscience and allow the Lord to reveal to you your crosses right now and where you can invite him into these tender places of your soul.
NATALIE MOORE ‘19 // Campus Ministry Intern • International Studies
Thursday after Ash Wednesday // 3
FRIDAY // FEBRUARY 16
Isaiah 58:1-9A • Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6AB, 18-19 • Matthew 9:14-15 We often create this image of fasting as something that is painstaking and dreary. Today’s readings help to destruct that image and, in turn, illustrate the simplicity of true fasting.
We simply fast in preparation for the return of Jesus Christ, the bridegroom, who desires to celebrate the wedding feast with us. But waiting for that feast often makes us restless.
In the first reading, God speaks out about how the people claim to fast by performing grand, outward displays hoping for something in return from him. He then explains the true fasting he desires to see from us - simple things, like “sharing [our] bread with the hungry and sheltering the oppressed and the homeless.” These acts aren’t meant to be grand displays, but rather something we do out of humility.
“Our hearts were made for you, O Lord, and they are restless until they rest in you.” - St. Augustine
In the responsorial psalm, the psalmist reveals that all he can offer is a contrite and humble heart. The internal sacrifice of offering our hearts to God is the simplest, yet often times one of the most difficult parts of fasting.
This Lent, humbly offer up your heart and rest in him. • Am I fasting to impress God or others, or do I simply desire to be more like him? • What is one way I can humbly serve those around me today? • What is on my heart that is causing it to be restless?
STEVE THOTAKAT ‘17 // Industrial & Systems Engineering • I plan to be a missionary disciple wherever God sends me.
4 // Friday after Ash Wednesday
SATURDAY // FEBRUARY 17 Isaiah 58:9B-14 • Psalm 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 • Luke 5:27-32
In today’s Gospel, Jesus likens sin to sickness, and he came not “to call the righteous to repentance, but sinners.” We are all sinners, so he came for all of us as the Divine Physician. But, healing is not always comforting and nice. When I cut my finger with a knife, I got a little scared when the physician’s assistant told me it would need stitches, since I don’t like needles. Healing can be scary, and it can hurt. It exposes us, as it makes us admit our weaknesses and injuries, while it’s easy to “tough it out” or downplay our symptoms. It takes trust to let someone stitch together a sliced finger, or a damaged soul. And afterwards, we may need to take steps to not repeat the mistake, like being more careful with knives! Our Divine Physician desires our healing and care, and would never abuse our trust.
He says in today’s verse before the Gospel that he “takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, but rather in his conversion, that he may live.” He gave us the sacraments to strengthen us in times of both physical and spiritual sickness. Let us rely upon this medicine! • Are there places in my heart where I am reluctant to let Jesus heal me? How can I open myself up to him? • Do I know people who need healing only Christ can give? How can I bring Christ to them? • During Lent, we try to bring ourselves closer to Jesus through fasting, prayer, and giving up habits that distance us from him. How can I apply what I am doing this Lent to afterwards, during the rest of the year?
CRYSTAL FISHER ‘17 // Electrical Engineering • God willing, I will become a law student.
Saturday after Ash Wednesday // 5
“IT IS NOT A REMOVAL OF DIRT FROM THE BODY BUT AN APPEAL TO GOD FOR A CLEAR CONSCIENCE…”
SUNDAY // FEBRUARY 18
Genesis 9:8-15 • Psalm 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 • 1 Peter 3:18-22 • Mark 1:12-15 Baptism makes us new. Many of us received this newness of life when we could not even speak - we could smile and know love and cry out of need - but we could not yet speak. There, in the waters of baptism, God speaks his word into our need. Always. Whether we were 18 days old or we have seen 81 years of growth, it is God who speaks the word of life. Baptism alters us, strips us of our own self-proclaimed right to limitation, to defeat, to death. Baptism frees us to receive, with the help of God’s grace, our truest identity. We are truly, in all reality and unalterably, God’s children. God pours himself into us. He cleanses us, prepares our hearts for purification and binds us to him as his beloved sons and daughters in Christ Jesus. He has established a new covenant with us. This covenant is
familial, one and the same with all the others preceding it in time. And yet, this is the new and eternal covenant - it cuts the veil between us and him, time and eternity - and it runs deeper and truer than any water out to any sea. It is given precious blood and the life of God pours itself out into the beating heart of man. God pulls us into his very life. He gives himself a human heart. Jesus’ call for us to repent, and to believe in the Gospel is a call to know intimately the greatest reality ever revealed to mankind. It is a call to give ear to his ever-beating, eternally present, Most Sacred Heart - the source of all abiding joy. • Do we see God’s love for us in our baptism? • Do we hear his call for us to return to him?
ADAM AREHART // Campus Minister
First Sunday of Lent // 7
MONDAY // FEBRUARY 19
Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18 • Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 15 • Matthew 25:31-46 It is so easy to read today’s readings and view them as a list of rules. Things to do and things not to do. The first reading stressed to not steal, lie, swear, and a few others and the Gospel echoes a very similar message. Jesus separates the sheep from the goats and tells them of when they did or didn’t give food, drink, welcome, clothe, or care for him in the least of their brethren. In these passages, it can be easy to forget about the message of why we are doing these things. I think St. Teresa of Calcutta said it best when she stated, “every person I meet is the face of Christ in a most distressing disguise.” But why did she do it and why should we do the same? That is where the psalm is so important. Reading it closely, this psalm perfectly ties together why we follow these laws of the Lord to love our neighbor as our self. The will of the Lord is perfect, trustworthy, right, clear, pure, and true and following such a way of life will refresh our soul, give us wisdom, bring us true joy, and enlighten
the eyes of our heart. This is an incredible way to live, but it is also a very hard way to live because it means loving in very little ways at times! In the end, these are not rules, but opportunities to love others and encounter Jesus the same Jesus who underwent such terrible scourging and died on a cross for us. “We can do no great things; only small things with great love.” - St. Teresa of Calcutta • Am I humble enough to recognize the blessings I have received in my own life and thank God for them daily? • Am I generous with my treasures by rooting them in gratitude from what I have been given? • Do I first judge someone by what they look like or how I think they will use my gift? Or do I give, not seeing them as the broken human they are, but as the distressed face of Jesus who looks at me and asks for help?
STEPHEN KOCMOUD ‘19 //
Electronic Systems Engineering Technology • I plan to work in the technology industry, youth development, and ultimately strive for sainthood.
8 // Monday of the First Week of Lent
TUESDAY // FEBRUARY 20
Isaiah 55:10-11 • Psalm 34:4-5, 6-7, 16-17, 18-19 • Matthew 6:7-15 I think it’s really easy to be like the pagans in today’s Gospel. There have been more times than I can count when I’ve gone into prayer and felt like I couldn’t find the right words or that there was something that I should be saying, but I just wasn’t holy enough yet and one day I’d get there. What many of us don’t realize, though, is that the holiest form of prayer also happens to be the simplest: just talk to God. Tell him about your day. Give him the highlights, and thank him for them. Give him your low points, and offer them up to him. Tell him where
you’ve seen him in your day. Thank him, and ask for the grace to be even more aware of his Presence. Prayer is not meant to be complicated or difficult. It’s simply meant to bring us closer to the heart of the One who gave everything to get to know us. So let him. • What does your prayer consist of? • Do you babble on looking for the “right” words to say? • How can you be more authentic in your daily prayer?
CAMILLE GUIDRY ’20 // Human Resource Development • I plan on working in human resources when I graduate, but we’ll see where the Lord takes me!
Tuesday of the First Week of Lent // 9
WEDNESDAY // FEBRUARY 21 Jonah 3:1-10 • Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19 • Luke 11:29-32
We have all been lost before and have looked for a sign to tell us where to go. This is what the Gospel is about today: the final sign that God gives to us. God has been giving signs to people throughout history, as can be seen from the first reading today. Jonah acted as God’s sign to the Ninevites. God sent Jonah to the Ninevites to give them the chance to repent and mend their wicked ways. This is just one of many times that God gives a sign to people who are acting in a way that is displeasing to him. But this is where the Gospel comes in; Jesus is what these signs are pointing towards. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament. He is what all the signs of the Old Testament point towards. Jesus is the end of the signs
because he is the fulfillment. We are no longer in need of signs because redemption has come for all. We are left with a challenge to follow Christ. When we fail or turn away from God, we are called back into God’s infinite and forgiving love to continue our journey with him. • Where am I looking for a sign in my life and why? • Am I looking for a sign to calm a fear or am I asking for a sign because I am unsure of what God is asking me to do? • Am I looking for a sign because God is asking me to do something that I do not wish to do?
THOMAS WEIS ‘19 //
Mechanical Engineering • I plan on graduating and getting a job in industry but to continue to inspire people to live their lives with Christ through the way I live my life.
10 // Wednesday of the First Week of Lent
THURSDAY // FEBRUARY 22 1 Peter 5:1-4 • Psalm 23:1-3A, 4, 5, 6 • Matthew 16:13-19
Today’s readings struck me in the sense that they give us a means of advice, guidance, and example for us all to live by. In the first reading, the advice to the presbyters presents us with knowledge of how we need to act and treat others, perfectly setting up the scene for the Gospel and the mindset we need to enter into on this feast of the Chair of Saint Peter the Apostle. The verse, “Tend the flock of God in your midst, overseeing not by constraint but willingly” resonated with me in prayer because it re-
minded me of how I should see and cultivate my future students, whether in a public or private school setting. Moreover, we see that Peter is presented as the rock in which the Church will be built upon and the keys of the kingdom of heaven are given, with servant authority. Simon Peter’s name takes on a new meaning of “little stone or pebble.” Here, we are reminded of his and our littleness and how Christ enters into our lives to bind us to him.
SHANNON MCFALL ‘18 //
School Health • I am applying to various teaching fellowships and graduate service programs. As a future educator, I hope to positively impact the lives of my students and commit myself in love and service to them.
Feast of the Chair of St. Peter the Apostle // 11
FRIDAY // FEBRUARY 23
Ezekiel 18:21-28 • Psalm 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-7A, 7BC-8 • Matthew 5:20-26 In the first reading, the prophet Ezekiel delivers a message from God about how he will judge us at the end of our lives. As Christians, we often get mixed up with the ancient Egyptian idea of judgement at death - where our hearts are put on a scale against a feather. If the heart is lighter than the feather, then the soul of that person would enter eternal bliss. But if the heart is heavier than the feather, then the soul would be devoured. Ezekiel warns us that this is not the case. Instead he says that if the wicked repents from all sin and then lives a life of virtue, then he will have life within him, regardless of the amount of sin repented. In fact, Ezekiel goes on to say that once the wicked repents from sin then all sin is forgotten by God, which is truly remarkable. God truly lives by the concept of “forgive and forget.” On the other hand, if a virtuous man turns to sin, then all virtue is forgotten and he will surely die. This ties into Catholic teaching of judgement - that one mortal sin,
without repentance, could condemn us. And we may say that this is unfair, but God challenges us to think about whether or not our ways are unfair. In the Gospel, Jesus tells us that our righteousness cannot be mediocre or we will not enter the kingdom of heaven. He reinforces this by telling us that following a virtuous life does not simply mean avoiding sin. The example he uses in this reading is the commandment of “Thou shall not kill.” Jesus fulfills this law by saying that even if we say “you fool” to our brother, we will be liable to hell. What Jesus is telling us is that if we even wish harm on our brother as to decrease his dignity, then we ourselves have no life within us. • Do we often think of God’s ways as unfair? • Have we been unfair to God? • Have we quarreled with our loved ones where we have contempt for them?
RYAN VEZINA ’20 // Sports Management • I plan on becoming a high school or college tennis coach.
12 // Friday of the First Week of Lent
SATURDAY // FEBRUARY 24
Deuteronomy 26:16-19 • Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8 • Matthew 5:43-48 This Gospel is heavy. Jesus is asking a lot from us. “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” This sounds easy in theory, but how often is this put into practice in our lives? Showing love and mercy to those people in our lives that hurt us is difficult, and because we are human, we will fail sometimes. Brené Brown says, “You are imperfect, you are wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging.” Just as we are worthy, our enemies are worthy of love and belonging.
times throughout Scripture, but a different word is used in the place of “perfect” each time. Another translation is “merciful.” When replacing “perfect” with “merciful” it changes Jesus’ impossible challenge into a sanctifying request. Be merciful.
As Brené so gracefully pointed out, we are imperfect and we will struggle to love our enemies, so why does Jesus tell us to “be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” in today’s Gospel? Well it turns out that this phrase is actually repeated several
• During this season of Lent, how can you show love and mercy to those who have hurt you? • Take a moment to dialogue with Jesus about how he has shown you mercy.
This is good news because Jesus is not setting us up for failure. He is calling us higher, calling us deeper, to become fully human, complete versions of ourselves by being merciful and loving others.
MEGAN BYERS ‘18 // Just a daughter of God abiding in his love.
Saturday of the First Week of Lent // 13
“AND HE WAS TRANSFIGURED BEFORE THEM…”
SUNDAY // FEBRUARY 25
Genesis 22:1-2, 9A, 10-13, 15-18 • Psalm 116:10, 15, 16-17, 18-19 • Romans 8:31B-34 • Mark 9:2-10 If there is one thing I’ve learned about the Gospels, it’s that they must be REAL for us. The experiences that the apostles had of Jesus must be our experiences; we cannot live vicariously through them. All of us must have a transfiguration moment in our lives, when we see Jesus in all his glory. If it has already happened for you, reflect back upon it. If you’re still waiting, pray for the grace to be open to it. So it’s no surprise that I find myself asking what the apostles did: “questioning what rising from the dead meant.” Death is what is required in order to rise to new life, i.e. no Easter Sunday without Good Friday. And like
the apostles, I catch myself trying to find a loophole. And I sound silly when Jesus tells me that dying is the only way from point A to point B, and I insist on finding another way. But Jesus is patient with me, and he tells me this over and over again: Luke 9:23; Mt 16:25; John 12:24; 15:13. I have come to realize that a major part of the Christian life is to stop running from my cross (dying to self) and to accept it as my means of sanctification. • How am I like the apostles in this story? • What crosses do I avoid in my life? Why?
KEVIN PESEK ‘10 // Campus Minister
Second Sunday of Lent // 15
MONDAY // FEBRUARY 26 Daniel 9:4B-10 • Psalm 79:8, 9, 11, and 13 • Luke 6:36-38
In the first reading we, along with Daniel, are given the chance to come to grips with the fact that we are sinners needing to seek forgiveness. At the same time we are reminded that God’s justice is not exercised as our own sense of justice often is. When others wrong us, we often hold it against them because we have been hurt or offended by them. We hold onto anger in our hearts and in turn it chokes our freedom to love. God’s justice is different. God’s justice is all about right relationship. He never abandons us to some angry remembrance. He does not hold onto that which could be held against us in his heart. He holds onto us, always. When we sin, we squirm out of his arms. The greater we sin, the harder we struggle to get away. He will not force us to stay with him. God’s justice, his right relationship with us, is his love for us. It is exercised in compassion
and in forgiveness. We see this most clearly in Jesus Christ on the cross - where God’s justice and his mercy meet. It is in light of the cross that Jesus beckons us to “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” We have all received the greatest gift of love from our Father in Christ Jesus. Let us never forget the mercy our Father has shown in the face of our transgression. A memory alive in the promise of God’s immutable love and his mercy will open us up so that he can welcome us back into his loving arms. It is only when we entrust ourselves to his care that we too can forgive those who have hurt us so badly. • Are we holding onto anger in our hearts? • Today let us ask our Father in heaven in the name of Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit - to reveal to us our need to forgive others so that we too may receive the healing touch of God’s mercy.
ANONYMOUS
16 // Monday of the Second Week of Lent
TUESDAY // FEBRUARY 27
Isaiah 1:10, 16-20 • Psalm 50:8-9, 16BC-17, 21, and 23 • Matthew 23:1-12 “Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow.”
heal us. That’s why he sent us his beloved Son to die for us.
The first reading today teaches us that our God is a merciful God. He is full of grace where we are weak. He is the Divine Physician who mends us where we are wounded. Yet, the Gospel reading shows us that although we can rejoice in the goodness of our Savior, we must stay humble.
Except sometimes we are too dang prideful to ask for his forgiveness. God wants to heal us this Lent. He wants to shower us in his Divine Mercy and give us new life in him. We need to make it a goal to lay down our pride and humble ourselves before him. He wants to wash us white as snow with his infinite love. What are we waiting for?
While we can boast in our Lord and what he has done for us, we cannot boast of ourselves. It is nothing that we do of our own, but what God has done for us. Wherever we feel broken, hurt, lost, or wounded, he wants to
• Do I need to ask for the gift of humility this week? • Where in my life am I feeling prideful and how can I ask God to move in that place?
AVA ROBICHEAUX ‘19 //
English • I hope that wherever I end up in life that I can still keep writing.
Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent // 17
WEDNESDAY // FEBRUARY 28 Jeremiah 18:18-20 • Psalm 31:5-6, 14, 15-16 • Matthew 20:17-28
“Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” - Matthew 20:28 So often, we correlate power with greatness. But the Lord does not see it as so. Just as he corrected the disciples in their angered thoughts in the Gospel of Matthew, the Lord reminds us that we are called to live in humble service. For the Lord did not send down his only Son to be great among us; he
sent his only Son to save us from our sins. It is in that simple ransom, that great sacrifice, that the Lord loved us in his humility. Let us, too, learn to simply love without counting the cost or expecting greatness in return. Jesus invites us to live humbly in service. Take the time to sit with the Lord today; to ponder how to simply love and serve the God of Creation.
KATIE FITZGERALD ’16 // Development Digital Media Specialist
18 // Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent
THURSDAY // MARCH 1
Jeremiah 17:5-10 • Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4, and 6 • Luke 16:19-31 My freshman year in college is summed up by the readings today. The ways of the world can be so attractive and can look like so much fun, but they ultimately leave you empty and unfulfilled. That is exactly what I experienced my freshman year. I felt a tug at my heart to stretch out to the life giving stream that was life lived with Jesus Christ, but I was so wrapped up in trying to be happy and finding fulfillment that I was blind to the one true source of happiness; the very one who was trying to romance my heart, Jesus Christ. One particular day, when I was at a low point, I prayed a very basic prayer. It was the most authentic prayer that I ever prayed: “Jesus,
please show me that this life walked with you is better than anything I’ll leave behind.” He never disappoints, let me tell you. Reflecting upon the readings, I am reminded that life with Christ is a beautiful adventure. He doesn’t promise us an easy life full of zero trials or hardships, but one that is full of joy and one that bears much fruit. • This Lent, how can I more fully enter into the abundant joy that only a life with Christ can offer me? • In what areas of my life is Jesus calling me to live differently than how the world is telling me to live and abandon my heart to his mercy and love?
ARIANNA LEHUQUET ‘19 // Biomedical Science • I will be applying to medical school this upcoming summer.
Thursday of the Second Week of Lent // 19
FRIDAY // MARCH 2
Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13A, 17B-28A • Psalm 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21 • Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” - John 1:1, 14 I wanted to begin this reflection with this excerpt from what the extraordinary form of the Holy Mass calls the “Last Gospel.” Indeed, the Gospel of John is the last of the 4 canonical Gospels, but in the extraordinary form of Mass, the priest recites the first 14 verses of this Gospel at the end of Mass as a reminder of the divine nature of the Scripture the idea that Scripture is not just a story about God, but that God is truly present in the Holy Scripture and at the great sacrifice that took place at the altar. If you follow this reminder, then today’s readings are really the Passion of Our Lord
being lived through the Liturgy of the Word. There are obvious parallels between being traded for silver by those they entrusted themselves to in the first reading; the servants and prophets proclaiming [the word of] God, only to abuse and kill these messengers and ultimately his Son and savior in today’s Gospel. The Passion is being truly lived through the readings throughout the Lenten season. While we are preparing for Easter, I believe that this season prepares us more for the ultimate and enduring sacrifice we experience at the Holy Mass. Today, prepare yourself for the “Easter”, the conquering of death that occurs at every Mass, for the Lord has given it to us as a promise of his salvation.
MICHAEL R. TORREGOSA ‘20 // Physics & Mathematics (double major) • I plan to go into high school education.
20 // Friday of the Second Week of Lent
SATURDAY // MARCH 3
Micah 7:14-15, 18-20 • Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12 • Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 How often do we ask the Lord to shepherd us? So often we get caught up in the ‘me’ culture of the present hour that we forget we have been called to serve someone greater. Someone who “removes guilt and pardons sin…who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency” (Micah 7:18). We have a God who DELIGHTS in showing us mercy. Not only does he offer us compassion when we stray, but he welcomes us, without hesitation, with feasts of celebration. Though we are called to repent, he embraces us and kisses us upon our arrival. He sees us as his beloved
children returning home. And even when we doubt, even when we see life through the eyes of the son who did not stray in today’s Gospel, God still offers us everything he has. As this season of Lent continues to push forward, let us ask the Lord to shepherd us. Let us ask him to show us where we can offer more compassion, where we can show mercy, where we can love others more fully. Run back in to his loving arms, repent, and accept his gifts of love. He wants to lead you closer to the life you were created to live. Let him.
ANONYMOUS
Saturday of the Second Week of Lent // 21
“BUT HE WAS SPEAKING ABOUT THE TEMPLE OF HIS BODY. THEREFORE, WHEN HE WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD, HIS DISCIPLES REMEMBERED… AND THEY CAME TO BELIEVE…”
SUNDAY // MARCH 4
Exodus 20:1-17 • Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 11 • 1 Corinthians 1:22-25 • John 2:13-25 So often there is a struggle to reconcile a God who is all merciful, loving, and forgiving, yet completely just. Divine justice sounds like a negative attribute of God that detracts from the elements of love and mercy that are shown in the Gospels. There is often a disconnect due to our misconceptions of the “Old Testament God” vs. the “New Testament God.” However, in today’s Gospel we get a glimpse at both sides of this coin. Here we see Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, our merciful, loving, and forgiving God react out of anger and zeal as he cleanses the temple of merchants and money changers. But why would our peaceful, merciful, and loving Lord act in such a violent way? Does this mean that God is not as merciful and forgiving as we thought? Absolutely NOT!
of punishment itself, but because his merciful love longs to guide us back into a deeper relationship with him. In other words, God’s justice is his mercy. The experience of this is an invitation to purification.
From the very beginning God created the heavens and the earth with perfect order and harmony. However, the sin of our first parents brought disorder and imperfection into the world. Despite this, God continually sought to bring humanity deeper into his embrace by giving laws and examples to guide us. Our heavenly Father loves us so much that he always shows us the way back to a life of perfect communion with him. Just as touching a hot stove causes us to experience intense pain, so too disobeying the laws of God cause pain and disorder in our lives. God’s justice provides a sense of punishment when we stray - not for the sake
Just like the temple merchants, we too have acted at times in ways that are contrary to God’s commands. God seeks to meet us there while offering to purify us from our sins with his merciful embrace.
Revisiting the Gospel with this in mind, Jesus’ reaction in the temple is not unmerited. The one place set aside for proper worship of God was overrun with merchants that sold animals for sacrifices at an inflated price. Man was quickly moving away from the true worship of God in exchange for personal gain. Thus, Jesus intervened in an attempt to rid the temple of these worldly impurities and guide their understanding toward the true meaning of sacrifice that would be perfectly fulfilled on Calvary.
• Let us ask the Lord to send his Holy Spirit into our hearts to illuminate those areas that need his mercy and healing. • Let us also pray for one another for perseverance through our Lenten journey, that the resurrected glory of God may penetrate the darkness of our hearts and guide us into greater communion with him.
BLAYNE JEMELKA ‘12 // Coordinator of Liturgy Third Sunday of Lent // 23
MONDAY // MARCH 5
2 Kings 5:1-15AB • Psalm 42:2, 3; 43:3, 4 • Luke 4:24-30 “God created us without us: but he did not will to save us without us.” - St Augustine. An embrace from a loved one is often where I feel safest, and it’s frequent that I find myself meditating on Jesus’ embrace during prayer. This is my place of refuge, my comfort, yet in today’s Gospel Jesus is calling us to leave that place of familiarity and listen to his mission for us. He reminds us of the prophet Elijah who was called to the poorest widow in the land of Sidon. There was a famine in all the land and the people of Sidon were experiencing more than just a lack of food; they were in a spiritual drought. The woman from Sidon would have never encountered the Lord and his abundance had Elijah not been sent to her. Had Elijah stayed in the land he was
familiar with, one less soul would have come to know the Lord. God knew Elijah’s heart and how he could use it to bring souls closer to him. We are also called to bring souls to know Christ, but we won’t be able to fulfill God’s will for our lives without stepping outside of the comfort zone in our faith. Don’t be afraid of stepping out of the embrace, instead go and be the embrace. • In what ways have I grown comfortable in my faith? How can I challenge myself during prayer, Mass, or in the encounters I have with others to stretch outside of what feels familiar? • Where is Jesus calling me to encounter him in others? What desires has he placed on my heart?
VALERIA GONZALEZ ‘19 // Applied Mathematics • I plan to love and to be loved.
24 // Monday of the Third Week of Lent
TUESDAY // MARCH 6
Daniel 3:25, 34-43 • Psalm 25:4-5AB, 6, and 7BC, 8-9 • Matthew 18:21-35 In today’s Gospel, we hear a familiar parable about forgiveness and its tremendous importance in our lives. Forgiveness is something that’s discussed almost nonchalantly these days. We often are told to “forgive and forget,” but that is much easier said than done because forgiveness goes against our human nature. When someone causes us suffering and pain, forgiveness may be the last thing on our minds. However, in this pain, we are given the opportunity to reflect on our humanity, and we are shown where we need our Lord the most. Surely, we would not be able to forgive wholeheartedly without God’s infinite mercy and grace, and we would never
experience the peace and serenity he longs for us to have. So let us pray for the strength to forgive and be more like Christ in a world that so desperately needs him today. “Force yourself, if necessary, always to forgive those who offend you, from the very first moment. For the greatest injury or offense that you can suffer from them is as nothing compared with what God has pardoned you.” - St Josemaría Escrivá • How are you called to show greater mercy to others this Lent? • How can you increase your ability to forgive others like we see in the Gospel?
MARINA VILLARREAL ‘18 // Poultry Science • I plan on pursuing a career with PepsiCo.
Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent // 25
WEDNESDAY // MARCH 7
Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9 • Psalm 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20 • Matthew 5:17-19 Everyday most people probably break a law. It’s a very strict interpretation of the law, but please hear me out. Whenever someone goes 5 miles per hour over the speed limit or walks across a street where there isn’t a crosswalk, they are breaking the law. Now, you’re probably thinking “but sometimes the cops even go above the speed limit. It’s an unwritten rule that it is fine.” That isn’t the case. Just because someone of authority does something wrong doesn’t mean you can do it too without it being wrong. In Jesus’ time, the Pharisees were awful about practicing what they preached. However, this does not mean that their followers could do the same thing and expect anything less than sinning and turning themselves away from God. Jesus told his followers to do as the Pharisees said, but not as they did.
Now, as for being strict about the interpretation of the law, this matters a great deal too. I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes I do go a bit over the speed limit because I’m angry or in a hurry. If I translate this to the spiritual sense, I could be sinning just because I don’t think it is a big deal. That is very wrong. Even the venial sins I commit are a big deal because this means that I do not love God with all of my heart, mind, and soul. Without even knowing it, a person could be negatively impacting someone’s life just because they didn’t want to follow all the rules set in place to protect everyone. Whether we believe they are necessary or not, we need to strive to love God through our every action. • What small law or rule can you start to follow to show your love to God this Lenten season?
XAVIER GUZMAN ‘19 // Mechanical Engineering • I want to use 3-D modeling software to design parts.
26 // Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent
THURSDAY // MARCH 8
Jeremiah 7:23-28 • Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9 • Luke 11:14-23 In today’s Gospel, Jesus drives out a demon from a mute man. His physical impairment makes him unable to hear or spread the Good News. This is no fault of his own, so Jesus drives out the demon and restores his ability to hear and speak. So why is the crowd quick to attribute Jesus’ power to evil? It was likely due to the fact that it is human nature to attribute a misunderstood topic or idea, be it good or bad, to something that the majority disagrees with. In this way, people cannot help but want to run. We see this at work when the media accuses the teachings of the Church of being oppressive and outdated. Many evils that the Church denounces (contraception, abortion, euthanasia, etc.) are commonly depicted as good because they are accessible. Easy doesn’t always mean right - we should expect the Church and Her teachings to be a challenge. Just like
Jesus driving out demons in his time, the values of the Church are contradictory to what is “normal.” Jesus tells us today “every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste,” therefore, we must resist worldly temptations to self-serve and come together in Christ. We are not mute. We are blessed in our ability to hear Christ’s message and thus able to spread his light to others. Let us come together to celebrate the Eucharist, the truest communion with Jesus, and allow his Divine Mercy to overflow in our hearts. • Whom do I identify with in the crowd that sees Jesus drive out the demon - those who watch in amazement, those who need more proof, or those who reject Him? • Am I quick to judge more easily than I am to see inherent good? • Does my heart aspire to be Christ-like in all I do?
SARAH WALSH ‘19 //
Campus Ministry Intern • Communication & Psychology (double major) • I hope to go to grad school so I can work with ministry/spirituality and mental health.
Thursday of the Third Week of Lent // 27
FRIDAY // MARCH 9
Hosea 14:2-10 • Psalm 81:6C-8A, 8BC-9, 10-11AB, 14, and 17 • Mark 12:28-34 In today’s readings we hear God’s voice reaching out to us and assuring us that we are not alone. There is a lot that we will face. There will be burdens and toil and fear and pain. Mistakes will be made. Our Father is aware. He knows and yet he is unchanging in his love, in his promise, and in his strength. As fickle as we are afraid, we are in greater need of something solid and unalterable and real than we can put into words. We are in
need of that which will not abandon us, alone to ourselves and to our limited capacity of knowing, trusting, and loving. Our loving Father says, return to me. He says, I will love you freely. He promises that in his love, we will blossom like the lily, that we will strike root, that we will find compassion. He is our Maker. He is our Lord. He will not let suffering have the final word. He will help us to become who we were made to be.
ANONYMOUS
28 // Friday of the Third Week of Lent
SATURDAY // MARCH 10
Hosea 6:1-6 • Psalm 51:3-4, 18-19, 20-21AB • Luke 18:9-14 “Everyone who exalts himself will be humble, and the one who humbles himself shall be exalted.” In the Gospel today we hear the parable of the Pharisee and tax collector. We are called to be humble, and to do so is to recognize our identity - our vocation that God calls us to. We are made in God’s image and likeness. We are God’s children. This is our identity and our vocation. When we put ourselves above or even below others, we reject this identity - we reject who God made us to be. With this rejection we place ourselves above God. Any praise or thanks that we
give to God which we feel places us above others in fact ends up only rejecting him over our vision of ourselves. But only when we come humbly before the Lord, with the love that he has given to us, asking for his mercy and forgiveness are we accepting our true vocation. Our vocation is to live as God’s children. We are never alone, for a child is totally dependent on his parent. We are called to live in communion with him, always receiving from him his awesome love. His love will exalt us and not our own, for in the end the only judgment which is truly just comes from God.
DANIEL HODAPP ‘19 // Electrical Engineering • I’ll be doing God’s will!
Saturday of the Third Week of Lent // 29
“FOR BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED THROUGH FAITH, AND THIS IS NOT FROM YOU; IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD…”
SUNDAY // MARCH 11
2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23 • Psalm 137:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6 • Ephesians 2:4-10 • John 3:14-21 What is the secret for a successful recipe? One must have the right ingredients, in the right amount, and in the right order. The Israelites from the first reading had all of these. The problem is that they followed a recipe for disaster. They had the right ingredients (“They added infidelity to infidelity, practicing abominations”), in the right amount (they progressively got worse, mocking and scoffing the prophets), and in the right order (they probably started small, disobeying God’s laws here and there, and became pros at what they were doing). They messed up royally! And the consequence of their folly was that they were exiled (lit., ‘taken away from one’s soil”) and taken to captivity into Babylon. That meant dealing with precariousness, insecurity, sadness, vulnerability, and fear, to mention a few.
Isn’t this the paradigm that we ourselves experience when we follow patterns that are unhealthy and that lead us away from the Lord, into a sort of spiritual and emotional exile? Now, no matter what the reasons are that make us go astray, take courage! As the second reading says, “God, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ.” Jesus please take me out of exile; I long to be back home. Amen. • What ingredients in my life do I need for a healthy and good recipe? • What is my exile? • What tempts me away from the soil the Lord planted me in?
SR. RAFFAELLA CAVALLIN // Apostles of the Interior Life
Fourth Sunday of Lent // 31
MONDAY // MARCH 12
Isaiah 65:17-21 • Psalm 30:2 and 4, 5-6, 11-12A and 13B • John 4:43-54 Today we see in the first reading that God rejoices in his people and he creates them “to be a joy.” Then in the psalm we read that we should praise the Lord because he has rescued us! And then the Gospel tells us that Jesus saves the life of a young child in Capernaum even though Jesus is far away, in Cana, at the time. How does this make sense? This is Lent, we’re supposed to be repenting, fear of the Lord and all that, right? Well, yes, that’s right, but that’s not the whole of it. We are called to be joyful in all that we do because Jesus is present and working at all times.
Even during this Lent, during this time of solemn repentance where we might be lamenting and reflecting on how we are sinners, we ought to keep in mind how good God truly is. He created us to be a joy. He rejoices in us, and loves us through the Holy Spirit in ways we don’t even see. We may be unworthy of such a great love, but that won’t stop the flame of love that is Jesus Christ! So today, I encourage you, and I encourage myself, to be joyful in the sacrifices we’re making this Lenten season. Do not lament, but rejoice in the Lord, for even during times of hardship he is at work always for our greater benefit!
TJ POYNOR ‘18 // Campus Ministry Intern • Communication • I plan to work as a youth minister.
32 // Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent
TUESDAY // MARCH 13
Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12 • Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9 • John 5:1-16 “Do you want to be well?” Recently, I felt Jesus ask me this question. His proposal offered healing but, confronted by my own inequity, I slid into shame and self-sufficiency. I vowed to myself that I would try harder next time, shutting God out as I shut my eyes, and fell asleep. I was like the man in today’s Gospel who was crippled for 38 years. When Jesus approached the man to extend his healing hand, the man did not jump at the opportunity to place his hand into Jesus’. He too was lost in the hopelessness of being confronted by his own ailment. Jesus, though, initiates in love; for he desires our healing.
The next morning this clicked for me. When confronted with our faults and failures it is tempting to hide in shame, rely on our own self-sufficiency, run in fear, or dwell in our hopelessness. But it is here in our ill, blind, lame, and crippled state that Jesus desires us to turn towards him. It is precisely in this moment - when we realize we are weak - that Jesus extends to us his merciful hand. God does not come to condemn our ailments but to heal. He is continually seeing us, knowing us, loving us, and asking us, “Do you want to be well?” • What is your typical response when confronted with your weaknesses? What do you say when Jesus asks you if you want to be well? • Why is it daunting to bring to the Lord, healer and savior, our weaknesses?
SHELBY SCHLESSELMAN ‘18 // Child Professional Services • I hope to find meaningful work striving towards positive change in the great city of Houston, and one day become a wife and have a family!
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent // 33
WEDNESDAY // MARCH 14 Isaiah 49:8-15 • Psalm 145:8-9, 13-14, 17-18 • John 5:17-30
In today’s Gospel we are reassured that we NEED God. Out of his sheer goodness he loved us into existence, and he continues to love us even when we mess up. As “the Father loves the Son and shows him everything that he himself does” so too does Jesus love us. He shows us how to live. Not only does Jesus show us how to live out our call to holiness, but he tells us that we do not have to live it out alone. In the first reading we hear how “the Lord comforts his people” and how the Lord “will never forget you.” At times, our prayers do not seem like they are being answered and it becomes really easy to doubt God’s love for us. We have to remember that God is not a vending machine and that when we say a prayer, as if we are putting a coin into
a slot, an answer will most likely not just fall out of the sky. The Lord hears our prayers and answers them according to his will - “in a time of favor I answer you.” Trusting in the Lord’s will can help us to understand our desires and how Christ is answering our prayers. “I cannot do anything on my own; I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me.” We are called to have a child-like trust in Jesus. We need him and we trust him even when we don’t understand. Sometimes we might not like his plans or become frustrated, but we will understand later. Trust that God will give you the best.
EMILY TATE ‘20 //
Allied Health • I want to be an occupational therapist working specifically with the elderly.
34 // Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent
THURSDAY // MARCH 15
Exodus 32:7-14 • Psalm 106:19-20, 21-22, 23 • John 5:31-47 “‘This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!’” - Exodus 32:7-14 How easy it was for the Israelites to forget who brought them out of the land of Egypt. While Moses spoke to God on top of the mountain, the Israelites at the bottom became anxious and decided to create something new to worship. Perhaps they were tired of waiting or wanting to worship a god that they could physically see. But, rather than being patient in waiting for Moses to return and speak God’s word to them, they chose to “solve” the issue on their own by making a god from their molten gold earrings. How many times have we done the very same thing? We become impatient with God when he takes longer than we expected in
answering prayers. We then choose to abandon that prayer and rely on earthly things to fulfill us. For instance, after a traumatic experience, we often pray for healing of our hearts and minds. However, when it appears that God has forgotten us at the bottom of the mountain, do we turn towards earthly healing in food, drink, or in material possessions? Let us not forget who got us to this point in our lives - who brought us through struggles in the past. Remain steadfast in the Lord. His timing is not our own, and we know not what he is planning for us atop the mountain. • What prayers have I abandoned from impatience? • What or who do I turn to when I need healing or support?
KARLEY WREN ‘17 // Coordinator of Annual Giving
Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent // 35
FRIDAY // MARCH 16
Wisdom 2:1A, 12-22 • Psalm 34:17-18, 19-20, 21, and 23 • John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30 The wicked speak of finding Jesus obnoxious; they think among themselves “who is he to call himself a child of the Lord? Who is he to think that he’s too good to live like us?” So what do they do? They begin to imitate Satan himself and speak of testing his faith through mockery and torture - all hinting towards his crucifixion that would later happen.
to help me understand his love and how it continuously reveals itself daily.
My heart breaks at the thought that this is how people regarded Jesus. Not as a savior, but as an obnoxious looks-down-on-others kind of person. For me, there were moments before my conversion that I viewed Jesus as an inconvenience. To be brutally honest, I even viewed his followers as obnoxious. But just like when Jesus went out into Judea to spread his teaching, the Lord sent someone who I hold near to my heart
• The psalm today reminds us that the Lord is near the brokenhearted. What is one way that you can allow yourself to sit in brokenness and allow him to love you through it? • How does the condemnation of Jesus by the wicked in the first reading compare to the things we hear from society in this day?
Four years ago my heart changed by knowing the love of the Lord, but the world today still has so much hurt. Just like Jesus stepped out of his fear to love the people of Judea, we too are called to step out of our fear to love the people we encounter in our lives.
DIANA LEDEZMA ‘19 //
Biomedical Science • I hope to someday work as a zoologist and help teach future generations about conservation.
36 // Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent
SATURDAY // MARCH 17
Jeremiah 11:18-20 • Psalm 7:2-3, 9-10, 11-12 • John 7:40-53 “Never before has anyone spoken like this man.” - John 7: 46 When we encounter God, something resounds in our hearts. This can be in different ways and cause different feelings within, but God makes his presence known. For me, I often encounter God through others. When I hear something I needed to hear or am loved in a way I needed to be loved, my heart becomes set on fire. But too often, that is not enough. Like the crowds and Pharisees in the Gospel, I become caught up in the details. Despite encountering God, I become anxious about why I should be wary. While wariness is not bad in and of itself, it should not
dictate actions. The crowds and Pharisees become obsessed with the location of Jesus’ birth. While it is a valid idea, it is also not an issue. The Old Testament foretold that the Christ was born in Bethlehem of the line of David. Rather than reacting to God with fear, God calls us to have faith in Jesus as the Messiah - faith not just in the abstract idea of a god but in a God that reveals himself to us, a God that speaks to our hearts like no other. • How has God revealed himself to you this week? • How can you have faith in God this next week?
ADAM GARCIA ’20 // Psychology • I am planning to go into school psychology.
Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent // 37
“WHOEVER LOVES HIS LIFE LOSES IT, AND WHOEVER HATES HIS LIFE IN THIS WORLD WILL PRESERVE IT FOR ETERNAL LIFE.”
SUNDAY // MARCH 18
Jeremiah 31:31-34 • Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 14-15 • Hebrews 5:7-9 • John 12:20-33 Those Greeks! They didn’t waste any time with introductions. They didn’t chat about the weather or ask Philip where he was from. They cut straight to the chase. “We want to see Jesus.” Like Zaccheaus who climbed the tree, the wise men who travelled for days, the hemorrhaging woman who grasped his cloak, Lazarus who walked out of the tomb - these men were bold and sought Jesus out. Seek and ye shall find! Jesus tells us how to find him. He tells us, “Follow me. And let go of everything - your desires, anxiety,
plans, pride, ambition, loneliness, search for understanding. Hand these over to me, let them fall from your hands. When you lose your life, there you will find it.” He doesn’t ask us to lose our life because life isn’t worth living. No! He asks us to lose our life like we lose ourselves in a beautiful novel or stunning sunset or a moment with our beloved. He wants us to lose ourselves in him, because he is so beautiful. Every thing else pales in comparison. He knows that, once we seek him with no reservations, and lose ourselves in his love, all we will want to do is follow.
LAUREN GULDE ‘97 // Media & Communications Coordinator
Fifth Sunday of Lent // 39
MONDAY // MARCH 19
2 Samuel 7:4-5A, 12-14A, 16 • Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, and 29 • Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22 • Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24A In today’s Gospel, we read of Joseph’s response to what the angel commanded. I can’t imagine how uneasy and fearful I would be having a dream like that. I would probably think of the worst-case scenarios and all the hardships that could come with accompanying Mary on this journey, but Joseph shows us what it looks like to rely fully on God. Joseph did not question this call or delay his response to God’s radical demands. Joseph was a man of few words, but gave his “yes” to God by taking action and hastily doing what the angel had commanded him to do. He didn’t allow his fears or the trials that might come act as a barrier in accepting God’s will. Rather, Joseph acted with deep faith, trusted God, and courageously took Mary into his home.
On this feast of St. Joseph, we are invited to come closer to his tender, humble, and obedient heart. Everything that Joseph did directs us to Jesus and Mary, and he often slips into the background out of deep love for them. Come to St. Joseph with your fears, doubts, and weaknesses, and learn from his obedience and fidelity. Like St. Joseph, I pray that we might all be given the courage to take action in following God’s will, and blindly trust that we will be provided for even when the road ahead is difficult. • How is God calling you to give your “yes” to him? • What fears or doubts do you have in following God’s will? • How can we grow in the humility and obedience that St. Joseph models for us?
MARGARET CRESSIONNIE ‘18 // Campus Ministry Intern • I hope to work in ministry, but I will be doing God’s will, whatever that may be!
40 // Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
TUESDAY // MARCH 20
Numbers 21:4-9 • Psalm 102:2-3, 16-18, 19-21 • John 8:21-30 In this Gospel, Jesus reveals himself to the world. He lets the world know he isn’t just a great person or a prophet. He is the great I AM. He is God. How do we respond to this though? Are we striving for a relationship with the One who knows us better than we know ourselves? Jesus brings up a very good question that we should ask ourselves: Do we make ourselves for this world or are we preparing for what is above and what is to come? Do we get caught up in our worldly possessions or do we have the end in mind?
It is easy to get caught up in things of this world especially in college and our daily lives. But we were made for so much more!!! We were made for a true, authentic relationship and to be in communion with our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ for eternity. • What are our lives centered around? As Pope Benedict XVI said, “The world offers you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness!”
BRENDAN WALSH ‘19 // Sports Management
Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent // 41
WEDNESDAY // MARCH 21
Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95 • Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56 • John 8:31-42 “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples.” What does it look like to remain in Jesus’ word? Remaining in the word and the love of Jesus is prayer. That is what prayer is - an intimate relationship with God. It is not simply repetition of words or some magic formula; it is a relationship. And this relationship will set you free. I cannot imagine a more beautiful example of freedom than the one found in today’s first reading. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are courageous enough to freely choose certain death out of obedience to God’s word. How crazy is that? These three men freely chose to follow a rule that meant their execution. Would you risk your life to follow God’s command?
As St. Ignatius of Loyola once said, “It is not hard to obey when you love the one whom you obey.” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego found freedom in obedience because they had an intimate relationship with God, their Perfect Father. Will you actively choose to remain in the love of Jesus today? Will you choose to set aside even just 5 minutes of your busy day to spend time in relationship with your Dad? • Do you believe the lie that you “have never been enslaved to anyone”? What things in your life enslave you right now by limiting your ability or desire to choose God’s will? How can you change these things? • “My word has no room among you.” Is there room in your heart for Jesus? What other things take up the time and space in your life that limit the room for love? What can you change to let Jesus have more room in your heart?
BRIAN MCNAUGHTON ‘19 // Computer Engineering • I plan to be a saint! Not because I can earn it but because Jesus loves me!
42 // Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
THURSDAY // MARCH 22 Genesis 17:3-9 • Psalm 105:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 • John 8:51-59
“You do not know him, but I know him.” Do you know God? In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the Jews that they do not know God. Jesus’ words really upset the crowd, so much so that they picked up stones to drive him out of the temple area. Are you like one of the Jews, not giving God a chance? God is constantly pursuing us, but we seem indifferent to this incredible invitation. He is inviting us to get to know him, to get to know the immense love he has for us! But how do you get to know God? It’s like any other relationship! If you want to get to know someone, you set aside some time to talk with them. With God, we do this through prayer.
I encourage you this Lent, whether you pray a lot or not at all, to give God just a few more intentional minutes of your day. Respond to his invitation, let him love you, and let him reveal himself to you. • Do you know God? Who is he to you? • What is my relationship like with God now? • In what ways can I start to pray more intentionally? Some suggestions are: schedule time each day to pray, start praying in the morning, arrive earlier before Mass, pray after Mass, or spend an hour in eucharistic adoration.
ERIN LYNCH ‘17 // M.S. in Biomedical Science
Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent // 43
FRIDAY // MARCH 23
Jeremiah 20:10-13 • Psalm 18:2-3A, 3BC-4, 5-6, and 7 • John 10:31-42 “In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.” The psalm today really struck a chord in my heart. Throughout the season of Lent, we are reminded of when Jesus spent 40 days in the desert. Maybe it feels like you have been in a desert during this Lenten season. Maybe you faced some temptations during these last couple of weeks. But in the midst of it all, God has continued to be by your side and he always will be. God always hears your voice, even when it seems like he doesn’t. As we journey in our
daily lives, God constantly reaches out to us and leads us towards the right path. He will always be by our sides to lead us to whatever will help us grow closer to him. All it takes is inviting him into our lives and allowing him to be a part of our journey. As we approach the end of Lent and begin Holy Week, reflect on your Lenten promises. • How have they helped you throughout your Lenten journey? • How can you continue to journey with Christ in everything you do, even when it feels like you are in the desert?
NIKKI POMER ‘20 //
Communication • I hope to work in social media, but I also feel a call to work in youth/campus ministry. I’m open to whatever God is calling me to do!
44 // Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent
SATURDAY // MARCH 24
Ezekiel 37:21-28 • Jeremiah 31:10, 11-12, 13 • John 11:45-56 “You know nothing, nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.” The words of Caiaphas, the high priest, to the chief priests and the Pharisees may leave one in wonder. Did Caiaphas truly see Jesus as the Messiah - as the one destined to redeem the Jewish people - or did he see the death of Christ as an example of what happens to the unruly, thus unifying the Jews in fear? We know that Jesus is the redeemer, and that he will unite all people in communion with him. Just as King David was God’s instrument to unite the Jewish
people of old, Christ comes to break down walls, destroy divisions, and heal wounds. This Lent, let us look at what breaks us apart. • What is holding you back from being whole in Christ? • What walls do you need to let Christ break down, so that you can be a whole Israel, united for one purpose: glorifying God. God desires to be with us, to be our sole focus, and our Father. So, do not feel like he is far away or out of reach, for he says, most intimately: “I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
ANDREW DIAS ‘20 // Agriculture Science • I plan on becoming a high school agriculture teacher.
Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent // 45
“HE HUMBLED HIMSELF, BECOMING OBEDIENT TO THE POINT OF DEATH, EVEN DEATH ON A CROSS.”
SUNDAY // MARCH 25
Mark 11:1-10 OR John 12:12-16 • Isaiah 50:4-7 • Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24 • Philippians 2:6-11 • Mark 14:1-15:47 OR 15:1-39 Today we are brought to the Passion of Christ. Far from simply being spectators, we are invited to enter into it. It is uncomfortable, to say the least. We see the suffering, the mocking, the torture, and want to run away from all of it. What stands, though, behind that, at the heart of the Passion?
focus from the pain to his heart? With whom shall we walk by him? Mary who anointed him at Bethany? One of the three Apostles called to watch and pray in the Garden?
Jesus’ very heart. Our anchor in suffering and pain.
He who looks weak and defeated has the strength to support us through it all, through his passion and through our own daily ‘passions’.
We probably do not ask him too often, “Jesus, what is in your heart?” What would he reveal to us? Will we see that behind the Passion there is his passion for us, an undying flame of love? “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). The heart of the Passion is not suffering, it is love. Jesus chose love. He chose us. As we enter Holy Week, shall we have the courage to ask him that question, to shift the
Maybe we are afraid of not making it, of failing, like Peter.
Lord, lead us deeper into your heart. Set the fire of love in our souls. • What scares you about Jesus’ passion? What is the place of fear in the ‘passion’ you yourself are going through in your life? • Which person in the Gospel is closer to your heart? With whom would you like to spend Holy Week? • What would you like to receive from the pierced, loving heart of Jesus?
SR. CELESTINA MENIN // Apostles of the Interior Life
Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord // 47
MONDAY // MARCH 26 Isaiah 42:1-7 • Psalm 27:1, 2, 3, 13-14 • John 12:1-11
As we enter into Holy Week, we are asked the question in today’s Gospel: “What is the proper way to give?” We are given two options to choose from: to sell the perfumed oil for a lot of money to feed the poor or to use the oil to anoint the feet of our Lord. When taken at face value, the logical person would say, “Isn’t it obvious? Feed the poor!” But, like usual, the situation is a little more complicated than that. Luckily, John actually gives us a glimpse into the hearts of our two protagonists. Giving that is pure and generous is commended; giving that is deceitful and
selfish is condemned. Jesus knows our hearts and our purpose when we give. It seems that it’s not so much who we give to, but why. • Do we give out of pure love or do we have ulterior motives? • Are our hearts and minds at odds or are they in harmony? • Are we content with just giving or are we truly generous with what we have? • Has this long preparation for what is to come purified our motives?
GRANGER STIMPSON ‘21 // Business Management • I hope to work in youth ministry.
48 // Monday of Holy Week
TUESDAY // MARCH 27
Isaiah 49:1-6 • Psalm 71:1-2, 3-4A, 5AB-6AB, 15, and 17 • John 13:21-33, 36-38 In today’s Gospel passage, we read about Jesus’ betrayal by not one, but two of his disciples. Both Judas and Peter chose to turn away from God and separate themselves from his love, just as we all do when we sin. Despite the fact that Jesus knows our past, present, and future, he loves us enough to give us free will because that is the only way we can reciprocate that love. How often, however, do we think of the sadness Jesus goes through every time we sin? We catch a glimpse of this when the Gospel says, “Jesus was deeply troubled,” before stating that one of the disciples would betray him. How hard must it have been for Jesus to tell Judas, “What you are going to do, do quickly”? This gave Judas permission to
leave and get the soldiers to arrest him to bring about our salvation, as no one can take away Jesus’ life but himself (John 10:18). Therefore, whenever we become distracted this week leading up to Easter, whether it is with school or upcoming plans, let us put ourselves in the Gospel readings and try to imagine all that Christ has done for us. Ask Jesus to keep you focused on growing in your relationship with him and to increase your faith. Lent is a time of preparation for heaven. If you have not already, make time to go to confession before the triduum begins! • What are some ways this week that you can fight temptations to sin?
CAROLYN PETR ‘18 //
Biomedical Science • I am going to medical school starting in the fall of 2018, and I plan on specializing in pediatrics.
Tuesday of Holy Week // 49
WEDNESDAY // MARCH 28
Isaiah 50:4-9A • Psalm 69:8-10, 21-22, 31, and 33-34 • Matthew 26:14-25 Today’s readings remind us that Jesus’ life was pretty dramatic: one of his best friends, someone he spent three years with, grossly betrayed him. Yet, in these same readings, our Father lays out for us the best response: love. Love combats betrayal like no other virtue. It heals the wound leftover and brings peace to both the betrayed and the betrayer. Love reaches its epitome in Jesus Christ who teaches “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” and, shortly after stating this, chooses to be led to his crucifixion and death out of love. Jesus loves unto death even the man who betrayed him, even the man of whom Jesus says, “it would be better for that man if he had never been born.” How great is God’s love for us! The Gospel got me thinking, “how can I love those who have betrayed me?” But Jesus
quickly flipped the question: “Child, how often do you betray me, and I choose to love you?” I recalled the times I ignore his desire for me to be with him in prayer or when I sell out to the pleasures of this world to the detriment of my body and soul. And then Jesus reminded me of his love - of his cross and of his resurrection through which we have redemption. In these teachings, Jesus challenges us to “love because he first loved us,” to be radical and counter-cultural by loving those who cause us suffering. • “God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” How can we accept his love today and love others in turn? • How can we tangibly love those who rub us the wrong way? • In what ways can we change our disposition so as to not betray or annoy God and others?
RAOUL BASCON ‘18 //
M.S. in Finance • I hope to glorify God by being a man of faith in the financial sector business world.
50 // Wednesday of Holy Week
THURSDAY // MARCH 29
Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14 • Psalm 116:12-13, 15-16BC, 17-18 • 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 • John 13:1-15 What type of feelings stir inside of you when you think of washing someone’s feet? Now imagine if these feet have been exposed to extreme heat, and covered in filth from a day’s worth of work. This is the scene that unfolds in today’s Gospel as we read about Jesus washing the Apostles’ feet. Back in Jesus’ time, men typically wore heavy leather sandals that trapped the dirt, sweat, and stench from that day. Prior to entering a home, and especially before joining a communal meal, it was commonly expected to have your feet washed. This was generally considered one of the lowliest tasks in the household; a task reserved for a servant. I can only imagine how the Apostles must have felt as Jesus moved from person to person, taking on the role of a servant. The Apostles watched Jesus forgive sins, heal sicknesses, and even raise people from the dead. And now, he is on his hands and knees, cleaning their feet. The Son of God, the Creator of the universe, took upon himself the lowliest task, the most
humiliating task, to show us how we are to live. Jesus disregarded social norms, and destroyed any feelings of pride, to show us the model of true discipleship. Jesus says, “I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” An act so simple, yet so powerful, commands us to change the way we live our lives for one another. “For this is how they will know you are my disciples, by the way you have love for another.” - John 13:35 • What is the “foot washing” in your life? What do you feel God pulling you to do, but you’re afraid or hesitant to step out and begin? • Who are the people in your life who need to have their “feet washed”? Take the time to shower them this Easter season with God’s love and mercy. • How often do I say “this is not my job” or “someone else should take care of this”? How can I give more of myself to my friends, family, and co-workers in the small moments of every day?
ALLISON SEIBERT ‘11 // Director of Annual Giving
Holy Thursday - Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper // 51
FRIDAY // MARCH 30
Isaiah 52:13-53:12 • Psalm 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17, 25 • Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 • John 18:1-19:42 Today is an odd place where contradictions and impossibilities occur in the same bit of real estate. Today the Creator is laid to rest and the enemy celebrates. Today passions played themselves out in waves of hatred, jealousy, pain, grief, compassion, and love. Today malice holds sway over the nations even as mercy claims its first sons and daughters. Today what was seen as impossible, that the poor and bonded would ever post bail, is made possible. Today all of this occurs within a small bit of beautiful real estate - the heart. Some hearts carry what they should not, others run in fear, but one heart struggles
forward to carry what we cannot. Wrapped in silence, because love of this kind is too deep for words, this heart seeks out those contradictions that should never have been and, in a passion all its own, claim us as his own. Today, deep within its confines, an impossible love knows absolutely no bounds and in the most beautiful of sounds it breaks. In the most unlikely of places, a broken heart, contradictions and impossibilities occur in the same place because it is there that they are reconciled.
FR. RYAN HIGDON // Associate Pastor
52 // Friday of the Passion of the Lord
SATURDAY // MARCH 31
Genesis 1:1-2:2 OR 1:1, 26-31A • Genesis 22:1-18 OR 22:1-2, 9A, 10-13, 15-18 • Exodus 14:15-15:1 • Isaiah 54:5-14 • Isaiah 55:1-11 • Baruch 3:9-15, 32C4:4 • Ezekiel 36:16-17A, 18-28 • Romans 6:3-11 • Mark 16:1-7 Today the world awaits its sleeping Savior. Holy Saturday gives us the opportunity to reflect on how we can live the tension between life and death. Let us learn from three women who lived it in their own ways. The first two women are Martha and Mary, the sisters from Bethany. How did they respond to the death of Lazarus, especially when they had sent a messenger to Jesus to warn him of their brother’s immanent death (cfr Jn 11)? Did they send for him expecting a miracle or waiting for a friend? When the Lord comes after two days, Mary does not move, paralyzed by her grief. Martha, however, goes out to meet him and her cry speaks for us all: “Lord, if you had been here our brother would not have died.” If you had only been here…
A short time later, 11 friends were huddled around another Mary seeking consolation for the loss of their Friend. How did the Virgin Mary live those hours after the death of Jesus? Was she “expecting” again? Did she live those three days like she had previously lived a certain nine months? Was she waiting for what the Lord had already prophesied would happen? On Holy Saturday, we believe that Jesus descended into Sheol to free the dead that were waiting for salvation. Could it be that when the Lord does not come when we call, it is because he has gone to the parts of us that are waiting for salvation? “Lord, if only you had been here…” He is coming, and with him all of the dead.
Where in your life do you feel the absence of the Lord? Have you sent for him? Do you trust that he will come?
SR. KALIN HOLTHAUS // Apostles of the Interior Life
Holy Saturday // 53
“THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE; LET US REJOICE AND BE GLAD.”
SUNDAY // APRIL 1
Acts 10:34A, 37-43 • Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23 • Colossians 3:1-4 • John 20:1-9 Imagine if your church cancelled Easter. That would make for a terrible April Fool’s Day joke this year. And yet, consider it for a moment.
Yes, today is both Easter Sunday and April Fool’s Day. Have I been foolish to remove this life-transforming truth from any aspect of my life? May the grace, power, and salvation of the Resurrection of Jesus bless your life abundantly and direct your life’s course wisely.
If you removed the Resurrection from your life’s plans, aspirations, and priorities; if you removed the Easter Truth from your faith and heart how different would your life be? • How has the joy of Easter transformed The invitation today is to allow the grace my heart? and truth of Christ’s resurrection to affect • What aspects of my life need to be and permeate the entirety of your existence. touched by the Resurrection?
FR. BRIAN MCMASTER ‘95 // Pastor & Executive Director of Campus Ministry
Easter Sunday // 55
MONDAY // APRIL 2
Acts 2:14, 22-33 • Psalm 16:1-2A, and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11 • Matthew 28:8-15 Fearful, yet overjoyed. These women came to the tomb in mourning, expecting to find the body of their sweet friend and Savior wrapped in burial clothes, only to find that the stone is rolled back and his body is gone. Can you imagine? There is fear and anxiety in the possibility that something has gone wrong, but any fear they hold in their hearts is transformed by the words of Jesus: Do not be afraid. They are at once filled with joy, and run to share the good news.
Today’s readings surround us with new hope. Yes, he is risen! It’s happened, just as he said it would! This Christian hope in the glory of heaven as promised in the Resurrection is foreshadowed in the words of King David and echo in my own prayer today: “…my flesh, too, will dwell in hope!” Friends, let God be your hope today. • What does the hope of the Resurrection mean to you? • What fears do you hold in your heart that need to be transformed? • How will you allow Jesus to transform you this Easter?
LAURIE MEDINA ‘18 //
Campus Ministry Intern • Psychology • I plan to pursue my passion for merging Catholic ministry with mental health care by working in ministry and continuing my education to be a counselor.
56 // Monday in the Octave of Easter
TUESDAY // APRIL 3
Acts 2:36-41 • Psalm 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, and 22 • John 20:11-18 In today’s Gospel reading, Mary Magdalene is found weeping outside the tomb of Jesus after his death. Mary is the only one at the tomb this morning. Her love for the Lord runs so deep that she did not allow her fear of what happened at the Crucifixion keep her from going to the tomb. When Jesus appears to her, she does not realize it is him, and continues to ask where her Lord has been buried. How easy it is for us to be so caught up in what is happening in our daily lives that we neglect to notice Jesus right in front of us. Jesus never hides from us. It is not until Jesus calls Mary by name that she realizes who he is. Mary realizes it is Jesus because he is revealing his relationship to her by addressing her by name. He is reminding Mary that she finds her identity in him. At the end of the reading, Jesus tells Mary Magdalene to not hold on to him, but to go and tell his brothers about him.
Imagine just getting back a person you loved so much and then having them tell you to let them go. The strength it took for Mary to trust Jesus when he had to leave her again is very powerful. She had to trust in Jesus’ plan and that he was only physically leaving her. Mary Magdalene is faithful from the Crucifixion to the Resurrection. Jesus tells her to go and report to the others, and she immediately follows his instructions by spreading the news of his resurrection. May we not cry in despair at the Passion, but instead rejoice at the Resurrection of our Lord this Easter. • What are some things in my life that prevent me from seeing Jesus when he is always present to me? • How are we, as disciples of Christ, called to spread the news of his resurrection this Easter?
MAGGIE PESEK ‘18 // Human Resource Development • I plan to work in corporate recruiting.
Tuesday in the Octave of Easter // 57
WEDNESDAY // APRIL 4
Acts 3:1-10 • Psalm 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9 • Luke 24:13-35 Of the things that have always stood out to me from this story, there is one detail in particular that I feel holds the most weight. “He had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.” What a beautiful reminder of the power of the Holy Eucharist and how special our faith is as Catholics! So many times throughout my walk with Christ, I have struggled to believe with conviction that the bread we kneel before in adoration and receive in Holy Communion during Mass is the actual, literal, physical presence of our God. Trying to wrap my mind around such a radical idea became the source of a lot of frustration and doubt in my spiritual life, and it wasn’t until I came to the realization that the two disciples in the Gospel did as well, that I understood why.
Like them, I was relying on my eyes instead of the passion in my heart that being in communion with Christ induces. A mystery as important and powerful as the Eucharist isn’t meant to be understood with logic and reason, nor is it possible. We are meant to believe and have faith in it with the depths of hearts that burn within us. It is through the Eucharist that Jesus chooses to reveal himself to us, and that is something that can’t possibly be comprehended, but needs to be believed. • How do your encounters with Christ in the Eucharist (either in adoration or Mass) specifically strengthen your relationship with him? • In what ways do you open your heart to receive Christ in the Eucharist more fully (through prayer, community, etc.)?
KYLE TOWNSLEY ‘20 // Mechanical Engineering • I hope to do Engineers Without Borders.
58 // Wednesday in the Octave of Easter
THURSDAY // APRIL 5
Acts 3:11-26 • Psalm 8:2AB and 5, 6-7, 8-9 • Luke 24:35-48 Today’s Gospel starts with the two men that encountered the risen Lord on the way to Emmaus. They had suddenly recognized the risen Jesus in the breaking of the bread, so they ran back to Jerusalem to tell the disciples. The disciples were also joyfully exclaiming Jesus’ resurrection, so it’s a little surprising to read that everyone was terrified when he came to stand in their midst! When we can’t believe our eyes, there’s a space for understanding in our hearts that waits to be filled. Jesus even asks why questions arise in their hearts. A question implies an emptiness, an unmet desire for understanding. Jesus fills that space in their hearts by revealing the Scriptures, supplying the Gospel, and giving the Apostles their mission.
Sometimes it’s scary to ask questions because we fear our desire may never be met. I tend to take matters into my own hands when I can’t wrap my head around something. However, the readings today give us an example of God’s immense generosity to us. We can be vulnerable with him because he set our inmost desires and needs into our hearts himself; not to tease us but to give us a mission and to reveal who he is. • Where do you feel that God has been knocking on the door of your heart? Have you feared opening the door, thinking he would take away your joy? • What do you have trouble understanding? How can bringing that vulnerability to God help you grow closer with him? • How might the space in your heart be pointing you towards your mission?
CARLIE SPAULDING ‘19 // Biomedical Engineering • I plan on going wherever God wants to take me!
Thursday in the Octave of Easter // 59
FRIDAY // APRIL 6
Acts 4:1-12 • Psalm 118:1-2, 4, 22-24, 25-27A • John 21:1-14 God’s love for us is immeasurable and he freely gives us so many blessings - far more than we could ever deserve. In today’s Gospel, some of Jesus’ disciples left to go fishing, but they were having no luck until a man told them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. It was not until their nets were overflowing with fish that they realized this man was Jesus. Sometimes in my life I am like the disciples in this story; I do not immediately recognize Jesus and the numerous blessings that he
bestows upon me. I overlook the often unnoticed gifts from God - such as my family, friends, and faith. However, we are called to fix our eyes to the cross and always seek Christ in everything. And just like Peter, when we do realize, may we also eagerly seek him out and strive to further strengthen our relationship with the Lord. • What are some of the unnoticed blessings from God in my life? • How can I actively seek God in the world around me?
ANDREW KOCMOUD ‘21 // Agribusiness • I plan to one day start my own business.
60 // Friday in the Octave of Easter
SATURDAY // APRIL 7
Acts 4:13-21 • Psalm 118:1 and 14-15AB, 16-18, 19-21 • Mark 16:9-15 In today’s Gospel, the Apostles refuse to believe the eyewitness of people whom they trust. But in the first reading, we see them shamelessly and passionately sharing the Good News throughout Jerusalem: uneducated, ordinary men curing the sick and boldly preaching in the name of Jesus. What changed? Jesus came to them. He rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart. Throughout the Gospels, we hear Jesus say, “Go in peace; your faith has saved you.” Faith, like that of the disciples and Mary Magdalene on the road to Emmaus, saves. When we, like the Apostles, do not believe, the Lord will chastise us, but he will not deliver us to death. His mercy endures forever, and he is calling us to open
our hearts to receive his love. It may be hard to recognize. It may not look like we expect. It may force us to let go of the fear and sorrow and shame to which we cling so tightly. But he is appearing to each and every one of us every single day. In the end, the Apostles were transformed and their faith restored. Jesus came, revealed himself to them and opened their hearts, and sent them on a mission. He wants to do the same for us. • Where is my heart hard, closed to the way God wants to work in me? • How can I be more aware of Christ’s presence in my life? • Where am I being sent, as the Apostles were sent, to proclaim the Gospel to every creature?
SARA HAYES ‘18 //
History • I’m graduating in May and hoping to go into museum education. I would love to spend my life continuing to learn, and the museum environment is such a unique place to do that. All that being said, I’m trying to let go of my own plans and trust that God is going to put me where I’m needed.
Saturday in the Octave of Easter // 61
“MY LORD AND MY GOD!”
SUNDAY // APRIL 8
Acts 4:32-35 • Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24 • 1 John 5:1-6 • John 20:19-31 “Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.” In Jesus’ heart, he bears a deep desire to dwell with us, especially where we hide ourselves from everyone else. He longs to pass peacefully through the barriers we construct and reveal the simple truth that we have no need for anything to stand between us and him. Fear can build a mighty wall, ‘protecting’ us from being hurt... but it doesn’t protect, it traps the pain within. Jesus reveals to us that he can pass right through those barriers if we’ll allow him. But we have to want him, want him more than the self-protection we cling to in place of a trusting vulnerability with him. Vulnerability. This is no easy task, for in our wounds we have ‘good reason’ to barricade ourselves, to save ourselves from being hurt again. But are we really safe? Is not our isolation a prison from... life with the Risen One? There alone we remain only pierced ones, unredeemed and in a perpetual state of calvary. We’re meant for Easter, to be risen ones. But for that we need Jesus, and Jesus does not dwell within that prison where we seek our lonely comfort.
But he wants to... And so he comes. He comes to pass beyond the bars caging us in, and call us out of that prison by first joining us there. He comes and unveils his wounds to us first - always first. He let them be seen as he hung upon the cross, as they were filled with the ironhardened sin. And now he reveals them open, wide open and exposed once more, filled with glory, so that we might have the courage to open ours to him. But we must desire him here, for he will not come unless we truly want him, and want him more than our self-saving remedies. And as we look upon his wounds, I believe we receive a grace of courage, courage to open our wounds to Jesus and say, “Come.” And he will come as he always does, to press his wounds to ours. With gentle peace. With tender mercy. With strong authority to heal. And Easter will be ours! As we unite with Jesus there, and begin to shine with his risen glory, he will say to us, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” The pierced ones in this world are in need of signs of life, beating in the hearts and through the wounds of Jesus’ risen ones. Let us go and be Jesus’ risen ones in this world!
CHRISTOPHER LAFITTE ‘09// Director of Pastoral Counseling
Divine Mercy Sunday // 63