Walk in the Spirit February 2021 by Pubuduwa

WALK IN THE SPIRIT February 2021 Issue 348 Commencement March 1992

"O Mary! The Power of the Most High Shall Overshadow You"

ISSN 1391-5967

Publication: Fr. Siri Oscar Abayaratne Kithu Dana Pubuduwa

SHARING ON PRAYER February 2021 Mark 10/42-45 was the text that came my way as I sat down to fix my gaze on Jesus. “and Jesus called them to him and said to them, You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first must be slave of all. For the son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” You’ve not to be like the rulers who exercise authority. “be a servant, be a slave” My ordination to the priesthood made me one in authority, it did not make me a servant. That I worked hard is true. I did miles on a push bike, hundreds on a motor bike. Could not that priestly commitment be the outcome of sheer youthfulness. A servant, a slave certainly no. Lord you as Son of Man and Son of God was established in authority . You could order the dead to rise, nevertheless, you could wash the feet of your own disciples. What guru would do that? What a blend of authority and servant hood. Fr. Siri Oscar Abayaratne

Monday 1st February 2021 Hebrews:11/32-40 Psalm:30/20-24 (31/19-23) Mark:5/1-20

4th Week, Ordinary Time

The Gospel Proclamation … he ran, fell on his knees before him, and screamed in a loud voice, “Jesus, Son of the Most High God! What do you want with me? For God’s sake, I beg you, don’t punish me!” (He said this because Jesus was saying, “Evil spirit, come out of this man;) ...the man who had been possessed, begged to stay with him, “Let me go with you!” But Jesus would not let him, instead, he told him, “Go back home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you,…” Prayerful Awareness Our Lord Jesus Christ who emptied His heavenly glory and came down to this earth, is Son of God and also Son of Man. In this scripture passage, we have the account of how Jesus overpowered the evil spirits by displaying the power of divine Sonship. Just prior to this event, Jesus was on His way to the country Gerasene. It was on one stormy night. Without any warning, the storm suddenly stopped. (Mark 4:3739) Perhaps Jesus would have calmed the sea willfully. A boat pulled up and some men stepped ashore. Out of them, one person in particular, caught the devil possessed man’s attention and he wondered, “How could anyone have survived in such a storm?” He knew somehow within himself that he had to meet this person. He is no other than Jesus. Desperately wanting to know Jesus’ peace, yet utterly terrified of what might happen to him as a result, he threw himself at Jesus’ feet saying “What have

(PS Wk IV) (Green)

you to do with me, Jesus Son of the Most High God? For God’s sake I beg of you, do not torment me!” He said this because Jesus had commanded, “Evil Spirit, come out of the man.” The evil possessed man is the most violent we have seen in the gospel, and is in the grip of not just one but a legion of unclean spirits. After a few moments charged with tension and power, something broke within him – he was free! Yes, Jesus expelled the evil spirits from the man, but allowed them to enter a nearby herd of swine. These swine rushed headward into the sea of Galilee and were drowned. The man in the Gospel, freed from the evil spirits expressed his gratitude to Jesus by asking Him to stay with him, but Jesus’ request is to be a preacher of Lord’s mercy. Obedient to Jesus’ command, the man spread to the neighboring towns, how much the Lord had done for him. I too have ‘evil spirits’ in me, which Jesus alone can drive away, like pride, attachments to bad habits, thereby isolating me from other people of good will. Only Christ could transform me to a new life. According to the first reading (Letter to the Hebrews) it conveys to us about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, as well as Samuel and the prophets, how they fought and conquered the nations through faith, establishing justice. Also, St. Paul introduces so many Biblical examples of men and women who risked everything for the sake of their faith in Christ. Towards us and Prayer Starter In our day to day life, how much love and mercy, God has shown us and do we express our gratitude to Him? So everyone is called in a unique way to serve God and mankind. At a time like today the people of the whole world are badly affected with the pandemic, O Holy Spirit, guide us and, bless our prayers to remedy this situation.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

Tuesday 2nd February 2021

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Malachi:3/1-4 Psalm:23/7-10 (24/7-10) Hebrews:2/14-18 Luke:2/22-40(OR 22-32) Let us read today’s Proclamations meditatively, where the central theme is the presentation of the Lord at the Temple, which is the feast we are celebrating today.

Prayerful Awareness The First Proclamation describes the long awaited momentous occurrence of the presence of the Lord in His Temple (Emmanuel, God with Us!). The angel / messenger referred to in this scripture passage, who prepares the way for His coming, is (1) Angel Gabriel who announces and prepares the Blessed Mother for the Incarnation. (2) Prophet and prophetess Simeon & Anna, who recognize this unique occurrence in the Temple, and give thanks and praise to God for showing them God’s Salvation in person! “….. and after the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses, were accomplished, they carried him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord: As it is written in the law of the Lord: Every male opening the womb shall be called holy to the Lord: And to offer a sacrifice, accordingly as it is written in the law of the Lord…” (3) John the Baptist who prepares the way for the Lord by informing the people to repent and mend their ways to receive the Lord. The Lord’s presence at the Temple is also three fold, 1) when He is presented at the Temple as a babe, 2) when He confronts and chases away the vendors who have desecrated the Holy Temple, as a prelude to His

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rejection by the Jewish authorities, and His Passion (going through the suffering, and a most cruel death by crucifixion), and 3) His Holy presence in the hearts of the redeemed (meaning of the name Jesus being ‘God saves’) through His sacrificial offering of His life as adequate atonement for the sin of all mankind to enable the restoration of man’s divine Son-ship, who now constitute His Church, His Temple! And the question is posed, ‘Who can endure His coming?’ As described in today’s Gospel Proclamation, His coming will result in the rise and fall of many. “And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted; And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed.” And as we know, the Jewish authorities rejected Jesus at His First Coming thereby showing the true nature of their hearts, whereas those who believed are saved (His First Coming was to save, while the Second Coming will be as Judge). The rest, especially the Jews who go through the tribulations preparatory to His Second Coming, will be refined as a metal worker refines silver and gold, so that those who acknowledge the Lord during the tribulations will also be saved at the Final Judgment. The 2nd Proclamation gives a summation of the saving grace bestowed on us believers by our Lord Jesus Christ’s First Coming to share in our humanness, whereby He was able to suffer death on our behalf and come out victorious, thus destroying the power of death and the Devil over us! He is now the merciful High Priest of God interceding for the forgiveness of our sins as He Himself was tempted and suffered. Amen! Alleluia!

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

Wednesday 3rd February 2021 St. Blaise, Bishop & Martyr /St. Ansgar (Green/Red/White) Hebrews: 12/4-7, 11-15 must undergo His discipline. We must Psalm: 102/1-2, 13-14, put an end to all our evil inclinations. Our constant, unending efforts should 17-18 be aimed at making our lives pleasant (103/1-2, 13-14, 17-18) to the Lord. “There is no vocation that Mark: 6/1-6 does not have its troubles. Often we like to exchange our own condition with that of others. Those who are married wish that they were not. Those who are not married wish that they were. Why this restlessness of spirit – It comes The First Proclamation from a certain allergy that we have For in your struggle against sin towards constraint and from a spirit that you have not yet had to resist to the is not good and that makes us suppose point of being killed. … “My son, that others are better off than we are.” pay attention when the Lord corrects (Words of Eternal life) Secret of sucyou, and do not be discouraged when cess lies in loving one’s job and sticking He rebukes you. Because the Lord to it. All this requires discipline. corrects everyone he loves, and punThe Gospel Proclamation ishes everyone he accepts as a son.” He left that place and came to his Endure what you suffer as being a hometown, and his disciples followed father’s punishment; your suffering shows that God is treating you as him. On the Sabbath he began to His sons. Was there ever a son who teach in the synagogue, and many was not punished, by his father - … who heard him were astounded. They Those who have been disciplined by said, "Where did this man get all such punishment reap the peaceful this? What is this wisdom that has reward of a righteous life. … Keep been given to him? What deeds of walking on straight paths, so that the power are being done by his hands! lame foot may not be disabled, but Is not this the carpenter, the son instead be healed. Try to be at peace of Mary and brother of James and with everyone, and try to live a Holy Joseph and Judas and Simon, and life, because no one will see the Lord are not his sisters here with us?" without it. Guard against turning And they took offense at him. Then back from the grace of God. Let no Jesus said to them, "Prophets are not one become like a bitter plant that without honor, except in their homegrows up and causes many troubles town, and among their own kin, and in their own house." And he could do with its poison. no deed of power there, except that Prayerful Awareness he laid his hands on a few sick people The first proclamation clearly and cured them, and he was amazed quotes from Proverbs. “When the at their unbelief. Lord corrects you, my son, pay close Prayer Starter attention and take it as warning. The Help us to undergo suffering paLord corrects those whom He loves, as a father corrects a son of whom he tiently, willingly and gladly. Amen. is proud.” (Proverbs 3:11-12) As His true beloved and obedient sons we "O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

Thursday 4th February 2021 Isaiah: 43/1-3, 5, 10-13 Psalm: 95/1-3, 7-10 Acts: 1/12-13, 2/:1-2, 4-8, 11 Mathew: 2/1-2, 7-12

The First Proclamation But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. Do not fear, for I am with you; ... I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior. I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses, says the Lord. I am God, and also henceforth I am He; there is no one who can deliver from my hand; I work and who can hinder it? Fix your gaze on Jesus

Great Spirit of God, guide us towards the wisdom to comprehend Thy Word! We are of the Spirit; i.e. we are

Solemnity of Our Lady of Lanka (White)

spiritual beings manifesting through the material plane. We have essentially fallen (forgotten our true nature); and are limiting ourselves to our material body and the five primary senses, focused on our material existence. It is a truism that what you focus on grows; and therefore, our material existence becomes our be-all and end-all. The reality we create for ourselves becomes limited to the material; and we perceive our existence within the confinement of our bodies. But this is a limit we impose on ourselves, based on our erroneous beliefs. Now listen to the Lord again! The Lord God wants us to believe that we, created in His essentially spiritual nature are able to overcome all material challenges whether they be waters or fire or whatever. Your essential being cannot be harmed. You are OK, as you are! Now enter in to your fundamental nature, your essence as it were. God's favor and goodâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;will to His people speak abundant comfort to all believers. Our Blessed Mother accepted and allowed the Truth to be incarnate within. The Spirit of God overshadowed her, enveloping her totally. This is true for you, and for me too. God surrounds us in every way imaginable; but we are in denial there-of. We who choose to enter in to our essence however, God forms and molds, and becomes the 'New Creature'. All who are redeemed with the Blood of His Son, He has set apart for Himself. Those who have God for them need not fear who or what can be against them. Prayer Starter You are our Creator; and we are Your creation. We reflect Your essence. We are Not limited to our senses nor are we limited to our bodies. We have a multiplicity of other gifts and talents which we are yet to comprehend! O God of our fathers, lead us on to realize our true nature and destiny!

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

Friday 5th February 2021 Hebrews: 13/1-8 Psalm: 26/1, 3, 5, 8-9 (27/1, 3, 5, 8-9) Mark: 6/14-29

The First Proclamation Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” ... Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. The Gospel Proclamation King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.” Others said, “He is Elijah.” And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.” But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!” For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your

St. Agatha, Virgin & Martyr (Red)

brother’s wife.” So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. … At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. ...

Prayerful Awareness In the Gospel Proclamation we see why Herod said these words. Herod had a guilty conscience. He had allowed the execution of a Holy man, John the Baptist. John had publicly rebuked him, because of his adulterous marriage to his brother's wife. It took courage to rebuke in public, a despot who had the power of life and death over his subjects. In this day and age when we see so many wrongs and injustices done, do we have the God given courage to stand up and confront it, or do we keep our mouths shut because we need our social standing, or to protect our jobs or say “oh this doesn’t concern me, I don’t want to get involved”. That’s what most of us do. But is it the right thing to do? Is it what Jesus wants us to do? We need to ask ourselves this question. Prayer Starter "Almighty God, by whose providence thy servant, John the Baptist, was wonderfully born, and sent to prepare the way of Thy Son our Savior, by preaching repentance; Inspire us so as to follow His teachings and holy life, and that we may truly repent according to His preaching; go after His example constantly speaking the truth, boldly rebuking vice, and patiently suffering for the sake of truth.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

St. Paul Miki & Companions, Martyrs Saturday 6th February 2021 (PS Wk IV) (Red) Hebrews: 13/15-17, The people noticed that Jesus had gone to the other side of the lake and 20-21 followed Him by foot, to the other Psalm: 22/1-6 shore. As He stepped ashore He sees (23/1-6) a large crowd and He takes pity on Mark: 6/30-34 them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and He begins to teach them as their Shepherd asserting what the psalm says, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing. In grassy The Gospel Proclamation meadows He lets me lie. By tranquil And the apostles coming to- streams He leads me to restore my gether unto Jesus, related to him spirit. He guides me in paths of savall things that they had done and ing justice as befits His name. Even taught. And He said to them: Come were I to walk in a ravine as dark as apart into a desert place, and rest a death, I should fear no danger, for little. For there were many coming you are at my side”. and going: and they had not so We are privileged to be called to much as time to eat. And going up follow His Commandments and be into a boat, they went into a desert His witnesses. He intercedes for us place apart. People saw them going and grants us the Holy Spirit from away, and many knew: and they ran God, to be with us always (as stated flocking thither on foot from all the in John 14: 15), to guide us to live as cities, and were there before them. children of God. A new and blessed And Jesus going out saw a great life, where we experience His power multitude: and he had compassion and guidance to purify us, strengthen on them, because they were as us and raise us in every way. sheep not having a shepherd, and First Reading (Hebrews) tells us he began to teach them many thin- to continually offer God a sacrifice gs. of Praise through Jesus. We are also Prayerful Awareness called to obey leaders and defer to Let us picture in our minds the them. May the God of peace, who twelve disciples returning after the brought up from the dead the great assignment given to them by Jesus to shepherd of the sheep by the blood of preach. Jesus had sent them out two the eternal covenant, Jesus our Lord, by two as His emissaries, empowering furnish us all that is good, that we may them to preach the Word, to expel do his will. demons, and to cure the sick. On Prayer Starter their return they gathered together Abba Father, grant us Your Spirit with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. And He gazes at and may He carry out in us, what is pleasing to You through Jesus Christ. them and says: “Come away to some We ask this through our Saviour and lonely place all by your selves and Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives rest for a while”, and gets into boat and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, to go to the other side of the lake to one God, for ever and ever. Amen. rest and review what they had done. "O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

Sunday 7th February 2021 Job: 7/1-4, 6-7 Psalm: 146/1-6 (147/1-6) 1 Corinthians: 9 /1619, 22-23 Mark: 1/29-39

Introduction The first proclamation of the day presents an analysis on the reality of human existence. It equates human life to a battle and a mere breath full of emptiness, disappointment and misfortune. The Son of man being the solution to such a futile human life, through the gospel proclamation of the day presents his own life indicating how we should lead our lives. The second proclamation of the day presents the life experience of St. Paul who fully responded to the invitation of Christ 'Come, Follow me.' Let us focus our eyes and minds on the Lord. He is preaching the Good News, performs miracles in many different ways. Amidst all this, "long before dawn, he got up and went off to a lonely place and prayed there." It is quite obvious that he drew strength from the Abba Father during prayer to accomplish the things he said and did. Where do we stand? The First Proclamation "Is not man's life on earth nothing more than pressed service, his time no better than hired drudgery? … Nothing for my own but nights of grief. Lying in bed I wonder, 'When will it be day?' … Restlessly I fret till twilight falls. Swifter than a weaver's shuttle my days have passed, and

Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time (PS Wk I)

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vanished, leaving no hope behind. Remember that my life is a breath, and that my eyes will never again see joy. (Please read the whole proclamation.) Prayerful Awareness The book of Job is a dramatic presentation of an analysis on the faith aspect on God, man and the world. Here is described a bit of the bitter experience that Job, a God fearing, just and upright man underwent. The consequence of man created to the image and likeness of God distancing himself from God-head is pain, suffering and disappointment. We are so entangled in them that we could say that the story of Job is similar to our own story. Yet, let us see how the book of Job ends. "I know that you are all powerful; no plan of yours can be thwarted. ….Therefore, I retract all I have said, and in dust and ashes I repent" (Job 42:2-6). Let us too like Job, constantly pray to the Holy Spirit to take us from where we are to where we should be. The Gospel Proclamtion As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them. … (Please read the whole proclamation.) Prayerful Awareness 'Let us go elsewhere, to the neighbouring towns, so that I can preach there too, because that is why I came.' Thus Jesus Christ proclaims the main objective with which He came on earth. Similarly the Gospel proclamation of the day explains how He accomplishes

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

His mission on earth through what He does. By releasing the captives, healing various diseases, driving away evil etc., he liberated people from physical, psychological and spiritual darkness they were engulfed in but also long before dawn went to a lonely place and engaged himself in prayer. This shows that He never forgot to obtain the needed strength, love and power from God the Father to fulfill his mission after which He proceeded to share the love of God throughout the day. Today, our Lord is universally present. And His calling for us is to carry out this mission everywhere personally, as a family, village and community. What is our response? The Second Proclamation I do not boast of preaching the gospel, since it is a duty which has been laid on me; I should be punished if I did not preach it! If I had chosen this work myself, I might have been paid for it, but as I have not, it is a responsibility which has been put into my hands. â&#x20AC;Ś So though I am not a slave of any man I have made myself the slave of everyone so as to win as many as I could. For the weak I made myself weak. I made myself all things to all men in order to save some at any cost; and I still do this, for the sake of the gospel, to have a share in its blessing. Prayerful Awareness The life, the lifestyle of St. Paul was based on the risen Lord Jesus Christ overcome death. His life vision was that of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was the Good News he preached. He accomplished the task of proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ as his one role in life, a task entrusted to him by God himself, proclaiming, 'My wish is to gain Christ and be founded on him' (cf. Philippians 3:8-9) St. Paul, fearlessly worked as a servant of Christ to win people for the Lord. The statement "I

have made myself the slave of everyone so as to win as many as I could" explains the hardships he had to undergo. "Since it is a duty that has been placed on me; I should be punished if I did not preach it!" Isn't this a challenge for us? Towards our son-ship How about my daily routine? If twenty four hours of my day is mostly filled with work, definitely there won't be time left to be nourished with the word of God, meditation and prayer. Naturally this makes me have the idea that whatever I do during the day is a prayer and giving praise to God. Thus, there is a constant temptation to pacify myself. The Gospel proclamation of the day shows how the Lord Jesus throughout the day fully occupied and spent himself for the cause of the kingdom. Yet, however tired he was he never neglected going to a lonely place at the dawn of the day to engage in prayer for to be filled with the love of God. Thus experiencing the love of God he equipped himself with the power needed for the day. I too will do the same. However much loaded I am with work, I will present myself before the Abba Father, to receive the much needed power and love and set on the task of giving witness to his love through my life and proclaiming the Gospel. Prayer Starter Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long. Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help. When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish. Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is the Lord their God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever; ... (Ps.146/1-6)

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

Monday 8th February 2021

St. Jerome Emiliani, Priest/St. Josephine Bakhita, Virgin (Green or White)

Genesis: 1/1-19 Psalm: 103/1-2, 5-6, 10,12, 24, 35 (104/1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 24, 35) Mark: 6/53-56

The First Proclamation In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light", and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. And God said, "Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters. So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day ... The Gospel Proclamation When they had crossed over, they came to land at Genesaret and moored the boat. When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.

And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed. Prayerful Awareness Let us imagine the scene: Whatever village or town or countryside Jesus entered, they left the sick in the marketplace and begged Him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak, and as many as who touched it, were healed. Wherever Jesus went, the people flocked in great numbers to get themselves cured. They were begging Him to let them touch even the fringe of His cloak, and all those who touched Him were saved. Towards our sonship The enthusiasm of the people for Jesus, looking for a sense of life and a solution to their ills - Where does this exist today? Do we seek God in all our circumstances? Do we find time for God in all our life situations? It is Jesus' loving attitude attracted towards the poor and the abandoned. What is my attitude towards the poor and the abandoned? Am I aware of how Jesus in His love is attracted towards my poverty and abandonment? Prayer Starter Living in a limited world full of competition and selfishness, let us pray to the Holy Spirit to make our thoughts, attitudes and decisions be filled with the tangible Holy Love of God.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

Tuesday 9th February 2021 Genesis: 1/20-2/4 Psalm: 8/4-9 Mark: 7/1-13

Let us read today’s Proclamations meditatively, where the central theme is the pre-eminent position given to man in the whole of God’s creation! Prayerful Awareness The Proclamations are self-explanatory, and some key passages (given in bold), and reflections thereon, are as follows: ‘….And he said: Let us make man to our image and likeness: …And God created man to his own image: to the image of God he created him: male and female he created them. And God blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and all living creatures that move upon the earth.’ God embarked on the creation process in order to share His Love with an unlimited family, and be loved in return. God gave dominion over the earth to man at creation, and gave the sacrament of marriage to man, so that he could produce offspring in a loving family set up, thereby increasing the numbers in God’s family. God gave man free will, because He did not want to be loved by robot like beings, but those who love Him out of free choice. God created man a little lower than the angels, but with potential to become His children. God in His loving mercy also knew that man will abuse the gift of free will, and fall into sin (the wages of sin is death), and hence He set in motion a loving plan of mercy to save man by paying the penalty for sin Himself in through

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His only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, whereby whosoever believeth in His saving grace can claim forgiveness of his/her sins and be absorbed into the Kingdom of God. ‘…And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made: and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. And he blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.’ Through this action our loving God and Abba Father has set a good example for us to rest from our labours at least one day a week, thereby giving us an opportunity to reconnect with our Creator God by reading God’s Word, engaging in prayer, etc. But we see how the forces of evil are fully bent on even moving us away from this practice by getting us busy giving priority to other things. And from the Gospel Proclamation: ‘And there assembled together unto him the Pharisees and some of the scribes, coming from Jerusalem. And when they had seen some of his disciples eat bread with unclean hands, that is, with unwashed hands, at which they found fault.’ The Jewish authorities found fault with the disciples for having eaten without going through an elaborate process of ritualistic washing of hands. And Jesus admonishes them saying: ‘Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. And in vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines and precepts of men. For leaving the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, the washing of pots and of cups: and many other things you do like to these.’….. Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 8:4-9 For I will behold thy heavens, the works of thy fingers. ...

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

Wednesday 10th February 2021 Genesis: 2/4-9, 15-17 Psalm: 103/1-2, 27-30 (104/1-2, 27-30) Mark: 7/14-23

The First Proclamation ... In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, … when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up - for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground, but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground - then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. ... The Gospel Proclamation Then Jesus called the crowd again and said to them, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand; there is nothing outside a person, that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile." When he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about the parable. He said to them, "Then do you also fail to understand? Do you not see that

St. Scholastica, Virgin

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whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile, since it enters, not the heart but the stomach, and goes out into the sewer?" (Thus he declared all food clean.) And he said , "It is what comes out of a person that defiles. For it is from within, from the human heart that evil intentions comes, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, ride, folly. All these things come from within, and they defile a person. Prayerful Awareness The gift of understanding the revealed truth comes from the Holy Spirit. Through this gift, the Holy Spirit helps us to penetrate, to understand, thoroughly the word of God. He helps the believer to open his heart to the joyous understanding of God’s plan and guides us in our journey of faith. Our Lord speaks of moral defilement. There is no food the eating of which will constitutes a sin. Our Lord’s doctrine is revolutionary because in the Old Testament the meat of swine, vulture, eagle, kite, etc. were unclean. “But God created those foods to be eaten, after a prayer of thanks, by those who are believers and have come to know the truth. Everything that God has created is good; nothing is to be rejected, but everything is to be received with a prayer of thanks, because the word of God and the prayer make it acceptable to God.” Prayer Starter Help us to be changed from within, be rid of unclean and sinful inclinations and aim at inner conversion, metanoia, as mere external change is of little value. Amen.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

Thursday 11th February 2021 Genesis: 2/18-25 Psalm: 127/1-5 (128/1-5) Mark: 7/24-30 OR Isaiah: 66/10-14 Psalm: Judith: 13/18-19 John: 2/1-11

The First Proclamation Yahweh God said, 'It is not right that the man should be alone. I shall make him a helper.' So from the soil Yahweh God fashioned all the wild animals and all the birds of heaven. .....The man gave names to all the cattle, all the birds of heaven and all the wild animals. But no helper suitable for the man was found for him. Then, Yahweh God made the man fall into a deep sleep. And, while he was asleep, he took one of his ribs and closed the flesh up again forthwith. Yahweh God fashioned the rib he had taken from the man into a woman, and brought her to the man. And the man said: This one at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh! She is to be called Woman, because she was taken from Man. This is why... they become one flesh ... Fix your gaze on Jesus

Thank You O Lord for coming to us today as the Living Word, bringing upliftment and consolation, of healing and freedom from guilt.... Our initial condition, the way we were created by our Maker, was without blemish, perfect for that stage of human evolution. When asking ourselves the question as to who we truly are, we need to remember our origin. The bodies that we presently reside in, that

Our Lady of Lourdes (Green/White)

which we perceive as ourselves, are made from the soil; from basic material. Then God's breath / the Spirit / the Intelligence / the Living Word (program if you will) came to abide therein; and the material body became infused with life. It is the Spirit of God, the breath, the intelligence that brings the host body to life, with varying degrees of self-awareness. With awareness comes a host of benefits. Two of them are, the illusion of separateness and the ability to self-program; to learn from life, to adapt to the environment, and improve on the experience of life; not only to survive, but to thrive; to give and take, to come back together/ become one with your environment. A saying in the early stages of NLP (Neuro-linguistic Programing) comes to mind here! It is called, 'I am Okay, You are Okay'; Let's translate this into 'Good News' language; 'I am blessed abundantly, and so are you! Let's rejoice...' This essentially is what the scriptures are implying to us today, that there is absolutely no need for us to be ashamed of our present stage; that the Lord created us in a blessed state, and that we should stay a-tuned to the Lord who is doing 'Great Things' for us! Wasn't this the attitude of the woman in the Gospel today who went to the Lord Jesus seeking relief for her daughter oppressed by an evil spirit? Despite societal perceptions of been an outcast, she owned up to being 'looked after', and Jesus' testing of her attitude found her true. Praise the Lord! Prayer Starter Thank You Good Lord for giving us life, for making us aware! Now make us more and more aware of Your constant presence within and without, sensitizing us to the created whole and taking us back to our earlier state of being in Grace, connected to All...

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

Friday 12th February 2021 Genesis: 3/1-8 Psalm: 31/1-2,5-7 (32/1-2,5-7) Mark: 7/31-37

The First Proclamation ... So when the women saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband ... Then the eyes of both were opened ... They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees the of garden. The Gospel Proclamation Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. ... Prayerful Awareness

Today in the Gospel a deaf and dumb man is brought to Jesus and begs Jesus to lay his hands on him. Jesus takes the man to a side away from people and heals him. Why does Jesus take this man away from the crowd? It looks as if Jesus wanted to reduce the distraction of the noise surrounding the man, to prepare him for the gift of

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hearing and speech. So that the first words he hears and the first words he spoke were of God. “Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” (Mark 7:34) Let us reflect on the word “Ephphatha” Be opened. Jesus does not simply heal the man but prays so that he may be opened. But opened for what? Opened for the word of God to be heard and then proclaimed. But in the first reading, we read that when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit their eyes were opened. “Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.” (Genesis 3:7) So what is the difference here? Isn’t it that when the mind's eye opened in Adam and Eve, they lost the divine sight or the eye of faith? Adam and Eve became blind and deaf to the divine providence. Our Sonship Let us pause for a while and reflect on ourselves. Are we open to God’s word, do we hear his voice? Are we sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit? Or are we spiritually blind, deaf, and dumb? Let us ask the Lord to pray for us as he prayed for the deaf man in the Gospel saying “Ephphatha” so that all our senses may be opened to God and his will. Prayer Starter Dear Lord lay Your hands on us Lord so that our senses may be opened to Your grace…

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

Saturday 13th February 2021 Genesis: 3/9-24 Psalm: 89/2-6,12-13 (90/2-6,12-13) Mark: 8/1-10

The Gospel Proclamation In those days when there was again a great crowd without anything to eat, he called his disciples and said to them, “I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way—and some of them have come from a great distance.” His disciples replied, “How can one feed these people with bread here in the desert?” He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” Then he ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute; and they distributed them to the crowd. They had also a few small fish; and after blessing them, he ordered that these too should be distributed. They ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. Now there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha. Prayerful Awareness

This is a different miracle from the feeding of the 5,000 described in chapter 6. At that time, those fed were mostly Jews. This time Jesus was ministering to a non-Jewish crowd in the Gentile region. Jesus’ actions and mes-

Blessed Virgin Mary

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sages were beginning to have an impact on large numbers of GENTILES. That Jesus would compassionately minister to non-Jews was very reassuring to Mark’s primarily human audience. This was the BEGINNING of Jesus’ expanded ministry to the Gentiles. Jesus’ compassion has no limits. The disciples were perplexed to know Jesus’ concern over the HUNGER of the people. “They will collapse on the way.” “They have come a long distance.” Jesus is also concerned about OUR DAILY NEEDS. Do you ever feel that God is so busy with IMPORTANT CONCERNS that He can’t possibly be aware of your requirements? Jesus cares so much for our needs that at another time Jesus said “Do not worry saying ‘What shall we eat? Or what shall we drink or what shall we wear?” There is nothing too large for Him to handle and no need too small to escape His interest. God who created life in us, can be trusted with the details of our lives. Feeding four thousand people in a remote area is an impossible task. A situation that seems impossible with human resources is simply an opportunity for God. Jesus always thanked and praised God. Then in answer to prayer GOD DID THE IMPOSSIBLE. The bread and fish multiplied miraculously to feed ALL, about four thousand men apart from women and children. They ate and were satisfied. The disciples collected seven baskets of pieces left over. Jesus then sent the crowds away and went to Dalmanutha (Magadan). This was Mary Magdalene’s hometown. Prayer Starter Almighty Father, help us to remember with gratitude Your provision in the past so we are better able to trust You with future fears, and concerns.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

Sunday 14th February 2021 Leviticus: 13/1-2, 44-46 Psalm: 31/1-2, 5-11 (32/1-2, 5-11) 1 Corinthians: 10/31 - 11/1 Mark: 1/40-45

Introduction We are imprisoned by various illnesses we suffer from. Though we may not be physically ill we are caught up in various mental bonds of slavery. Regrettably we are unaware that we are being driven to destruction because of our stubborn way of life which is contrary to God’s will. If we have enjoyed our lives caught up in the prevalent pop-culture, by now the Covid-19 pandemic should have opened our eyes to the peril that has come to our door-step. In order to be saved from the Pandemic, divine healing is important. There is a need to come under the gaze of God. A sincere repentance is called for; Let us become aware of our sinfulness and repent. Let us take steps to encounter the Lord like the leper. The Lord will forgive our sins and heal us. Taking these steps let us enter into prayer.

The First Proclamation The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 'If a swelling or scab or shiny spot appears on a man's skin, a case of leprosy of the skin is to be suspected. The man must be taken to Aaron, the priest, or to one of the priests who are his sons. … 'The man is leprous: he is unclean. The priest must declare him unclean; he is suffering from leprosy of the

Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time (PS Wk II) (Green)

head. A man infected with leprosy must wear his clothing torn and his hair disordered; he must shield his upper lip and cry, "Unclean, unclean." ... Prayerful Awareness As mentioned in the reading above, the priest had to make the decision with regard to a person with a skin disease. His task was not as a physician in diagnosing the disease and treating the patient but to inquire as to whether he has been healed according to the Law of Moses and declare him clean or unclean in keeping with the fulfillment of religious rites. Another reason for this declaration was that he could be a threat to the health of others as well as being physically unworthy to be engaged in worship. The prevalent norm then was that the person in worship should be wholesome and healthy. The Second Proclamation Whatever you eat, whatever you drink, whatever you do at all, do it for the glory of God. Never do anything offensive to anyone – to Jews or Greeks or to the Church of God; just as I try to be helpful to everyone at all times, not anxious for my own advantage but for the advantage of everybody else, so that they may be saved. ... Prayerful Awareness Christ the Lord respected and treated everyone alike. Whether He ate or drank, travelled or preached, His aim was to proclaim the Kingdom of God, to accomplish the Will of God. In everything, He glorified God and nothing at all was done for mere self-satisfaction. He filled every

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

person with the love of God and left no room for evil. St. Paul too since his encounter with the risen Lord, and in his association with Him, entered into the same experience as that of Christ. His message even to the community is to abandon all evil and follow Christ. Today, we too receive the same invitation. Let us enter into prayer, to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish this task. The Gospel Proclamation A leper came to Jesus and pleaded on his knees: 'If you want to' he said, 'you can cure me.' Feeling sorry for him, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. 'Of course I want to!' he said. 'Be cured!' And the leprosy left him at once and he was cured. Jesus immediately sent him away and sternly ordered him, 'Mind you say nothing to anyone, but go and show yourself to the priest, and make the offering for your healing prescribed by Moses as evidence of your recovery.' ... Prayerful Awareness

Leprosy is a dangerous skin disease that is contagious. And the priest declares him unclean. Hence he is bound to lead a hidden life and not appear before people. In such a situation, he comes to our Lord with deep faith and trust in Him. Paying heed to the leper's voice the Lord says, 'Of course I want to! Be healed' which brought about instant healing. Undoubtedly, here manifested is the realization of a Beatitude proclaimed at the Sermon on the Mount, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit' (Matthew 5:3) which literally refers to those who seek refuge in God with a humble heart. Although

once healed, he obeyed the order given to show himself to the priest, he did not obey the command given to say nothing to anyone. Instead he was eager to be a witness to the good news of the marvel done to him. And the Lord could no longer publicly enter any town. Towards my son-ship Let us reflect for a moment to make a personal scrutiny on ourselves to see whether we are affected with any physical, psychological and spiritual disease. How many marvels the Lord Jesus Christ Who having overcome death manifests Him-self among us and also has done for me, and my family and community since the day that I accepted Him as the one Lord of my life. Have we shown Him sufficient love and gratitude for the wonders thus accomplished? How much do we experience the awareness of the Holy Spirit and are attuned to His voice amidst different circumstances, events, problems and struggles we are faced with, in our life journey? How numerous are the moments we feel broken down spiritually and thus give in to sin and evil? Let us repent, turn to the Lord and take initiative to follow Him. And let us enter into prayer to plead with the Lord for the power from above. Prayer Starter Dear Lord, fill us with Your Spirit. Clean us and save us from the darkness of the past attempting to devour us, and free us from the bonds of sin. Amen.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

Monday 15th February 2021 Genesis: 4/1-15, 25 Psalm: 49/1, 8, 16-17, 20-21 (50/1, 8, 16-17, 20-21) Mark: 8/11-13

The First Proclamation ... After some time, Cain brought some of his harvest and gave it as an offering to the Lord. Then Abel brought the first lamb born to one of his sheep, killed it, and gave the best parts of it as an offering. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering, but he rejected Cain and his offering. Cain became furious, and he scowled in anger. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry?... If you had done the right thing, you would be smiling; but because you have done evil, sin is crouching at your door. It wants to rule you, but you must overcome it.”... When they were out in the fields, Cain turned on his brother and killed him. The Lord asked Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” He answered, “I don't know. Am I supposed to take care of my brother?” Then the Lord said, “Why have you done this terrible thing? Your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground, like a voice calling for revenge. You are placed under a curse and can no longer farm the soil. ... The Gospel Proclamation Some Pharisees came to Jesus and started to argue with him. They wanted to trap him, so they asked him to perform a miracle to show that God approved of him. But Jesus gave a deep groan and said, “Why do the people of this day ask for a miracle? No, I tell you! No such proof will be given to these people!” He left them,

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got back into the boat, and started across to the other side of the lake. Prayerful Awareness Today’s first proclamation shows us the enormity of the negative effects of the sin of our first parents. It presents us with the movement of how one sin begets the multiplications of so many sins. The sin of Adam and Eve was not just about disobedience but the genesis of all other evils and vices. We can now see the high level of deception by the serpent and how he took advantage of our first parents. Instead of acquiring the knowledge of what is evil and good in order to help reduce the commission of sin, it increases it. The willpower to say no to sin becomes a serious battle within us. Why did Cain kill his brother Abel? It was God, not Abel, who rejected his offering. Cain killed his brother as a result of envy, hatred, wickedness and anger. The first murder recorded in the history of humanity has no justification. It is as a result of this wickedness and hatred that made the Pharisees, the elders, the Jewish authority and the Scribes to hate our Lord Jesus with impunity. Christ had already done many marvels in their presence before, which was enough testament to prove the authenticity of His ministry as that which came directly from God. Yet they were not satisfied and went ahead demanding for more signs and wonders for them to be sure and convinced of the authority and ministry of Christ. Let us become aware of the times in our own lives when we have doubted the goodness of God. Prayer Starter Lord Jesus, give me the grace to place my faith in You and to offer You my best always. Help me always to be anchored in Your kindness and love, and may Your Spirit guide me in truth, so that I may live according to Your image and walk on Your eternal paths. Amen.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

Tuesday 16th February 2021 Genesis: 6/5-8, 7/1 – 5, 10 (Psalm: 28/1-4, 9-10 (29/1-4, 9-10) Mark: 8/14-21

The Gospel Proclamation Now the disciples had forgotten to bring any bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out—beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.” They said to one another, “It is because we have no bread.” And becoming aware of it, Jesus said to them, “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?” They said to him, “Twelve.” “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?” And they said to him, “Seven.” Then he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?” Prayerful Awareness Mark mentions the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod, While Mathew talks about the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Mark’s audience, mostly non- Jews, would have known about Herod, but not necessarily about the Jewish religious sect of the Sadducees. Thus Mark quotes the part of Jesus’ statement so that his readers

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would understand. The reference to Herod may mean the Herodians, a group of Jews who supported the King. Many Herodians were also Sadducees. Yeast in this passage symbolized EVIL. Yeast is put into bread to make it rise, and it takes only a little to affect a whole batch of dough. Jesus used yeast as an example of how a small amount of EVIL can affect a large group of people. The wrong teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees were leading many people astray. We must be aware of this tendency to say, “How can this little WRONG possibly affect anyone?” As a small amount of yeast is needed to make bread rise, so the HARDHEARTEDNESS of the religious and political leaders could permeate and contaminate the entire society and make it rise up against Jesus. How could the disciples experience so many of Jesus’ miracles and yet be so slow to comprehend who HE was? They had already seen Jesus FEED over 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish. Yet here they doubted whether He could feed another large group. Sometimes we are also SLOW to catch on. Although Christ has brought us through trials and temptations in the past, we don’t believe that He will do it in the future. Let us not be like the disciples. Let us always remember what Jesus has done, and have FAITH that He will do it again. Prayer Starter Heavenly Father, when our eyes wander from You, help us to focus our gaze on Your unlimited power, and trust the One who makes our way clear.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

Wednesday 17th February 2021 Joel: 2/12-18 Psalm: 50/3-6, 12-14, 17 (51/1-4, 10-13, 15) 2 Corinthians: 5/20-6/2 Mathew: 6/1-6, 16-18

Introduction to the Season of Lent The Season of Lent starts on Ash Wednesday and ends on Maundy Thursday. Then until Easter Sunday the Church celebrates the Easter Triduum of Christ’s passion, death burial and resurrection. Lent is characterized by penance, works of mercy especially towards the poor and personal preparation for the renewal of our baptismal vows on Easter Vigil. Thus Lent has two features: penitential and baptismal. Ash reminds us that we are dust and we shall return to dust. The traditional discipline of Lent consists of constant prayer, reading of God’s word, fasting, abstinence from meat and works of mercy. The aim of all these is interior conversion. Surely, priority must be given to the Sacrament of Penance. The First Proclamation

Ash Wednesday

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them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. "So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets,...But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into you room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you." Prayerful Awareness

Yet, even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord, your God? ... The Gospel Proclamation

In this passage Jesus speaks about reward thrice. The right way of prayer, fasting and almsgiving will have their reward. When Jesus speaks of reward He was definitely not thinking of material rewards. The aim was that of spiritual rewards. The aim of our giving must not be to enhance our own glory and prestige in society. It must flow from a loving heart. The example to follow is Jesus Christ who gave Himself up for us. Jesus insists that all true prayer must be offered to God. We need not pester or coax God into answering our own prayers. True, we present to Him our requests problems etc. in prayer. When His answer is delayed, we lose hope, but His answers, though late, are always better ones. Wrong kind of fasting was condemned by Jesus. Connect your prayer requests with fasting and see the results yourself. Prayer Starter

“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by

Lord enable us to pray, fast and give as a true Christian should. Amen.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

Thursday 18th February 2021 Deuteronomy: 30/1520 Psalm: 1/1-4, 6 Luke: 9/22-25

The First Proclamation See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou may live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goes to possess it. But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou may love the Lord thy God, and that thou may obey his voice, ... The Gospel Proclamation The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. And he said to them all, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. ...

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Fix your gaze on Jesus Lord Jesus, you kept your gaze fixed on the Father at all times; in other words, stayed in the experience of Love constantly; chose to listen only to the ever-present ever-constant ever-enveloping Love. Amidst the cacophony of noise the world presents us with, the resultant chaotic data stream our senses assail us with, you were at rest; in the turbulence of continuing change, you perceived the always present Love manifested through the creation of ABBA. You were the Best; the Most; the faithful; the steadfast; the Perfect reflection of the Father. Please coach us to look to you more and more, and learn….. What could be said more moving, and more likely to make deep and lasting impressions? Every man wishes to obtain life and good, and to escape death and evil; he desires happiness, and dreads loneliness and misery. So great is the compassion of the Lord, that he has favored men, by his word, with such a knowledge of good and evil as will make them forever happy, if it be not for their own faults (wrong choices). Let us hear the sum of the whole matter. If they and theirs would love God, and serve him, they should live and be happy. If they or theirs should turn from God, desert his service, and worship other gods, that would certainly be their ruin… The question then is, how should we understand/ perceive/ interpret these instructions? Prayer Starter Life is a call to grow; to become aware of the truth of our being; to journey towards our true worth and potential. Lord, guide us on this journey of rejecting the errors we have admitted within and of becoming conscious…

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

Friday 19th February 2021 Isaiah: 58/1-9 Psalm: 50/3-6, 18-19 (51/1-4, 16-17) Mark: 9/14-15

The Gospel Proclamation Then came to him the disciples of John, saying: Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but thy disciples do not fast? And Jesus said to them: Can the children of the bridegroom mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then they shall fast. Prayerful Awareness Jesus never asked His disciples to fast in a special way as others do according to the Jewish Religious Rules. Jesus was engaged in teaching the Word of the Father to as many as possible within the short time He had, and the disciples who accompanied him also had to rush with Him leaving no special time for them to eat. This is apparent in most of the scriptures, and also in the one where His relatives complained that He had gone mad working even without having time to eat ( Mark 3:21). They came in search of Him to capture and take Him home. The Bible has many references to fasting. It was a way of making penance and of attaining conversion. Through the practice of fasting, Christians imitated Jesus who fasted during forty days. Fasting helps to attain the freedom of mind, freedom from desires, self-control, and perhaps a critical vision of reality. It is an instrument to free our mind and not allow one to be transported by any breeze. It is also

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a means to take better care of health. Fasting can be a form of identification with the poor who are obliged to fast the whole year through. Some in more pathetic situations having to limit to one meal per day or worse than that. There are also those who fast in order to protest. In the First Reading, Prophet Isaiah says, "... at the same time you fast, you pursue your own interests and oppress your workers. Your fasting makes you violent, and you quarrel and fight. Do you think this kind of fasting will make me listen to your prayers? When you fast you make yourselves suffer; you bow your heads low like a blade of grass and spread out sackcloth and ashes to lie on. Is that what you call fasting? Do you think I will be pleased with that? The kind of fasting I want is this: Remove chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free. Share your food with the hungry and open your homes to the homeless poor. Give clothes to those who have nothing to wear, and do not refuse to help your own relatives. Then my favour will shine on you like the morning sun, and your wounds will be quickly healed. I will always be with you to save you; my presence will protect you on every side. When you pray I will answer you. When you call to me, I will resp ond." Prayer Starter Lord Jesus Christ, my Saviour and Lord, Help me to follow your Commandments and receive the Holy Spirit to become a son of God under the control of the Holy Spirit, free from all selfish desires, and be full of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love and Mercy. To become a witness of your great love. To love others as You love me. Thank You Lord, Amen.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

Saturday 20th February 2021 Isaiah: 58/9-14 Psalm: 85/1-6 (86/1-6) Luke: 5/27-32

The Gospel Proclamation After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting in his office. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” Levi got up, left everything, and followed him. Then Levi had a big feast in his house for Jesus, and among the guests was a large number of tax collectors and other people. Some Pharisees and some teachers of the Law who belonged to their group complained to Jesus' disciples. “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and other outcasts?” they asked. Jesus answered them, “People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick. I have not come to call respectable people to repent, but outcasts.” Gaze at Jesus

Jesus’ mission on earth brought an invitation to all, to accept their sinfulness so that all could reconcile with God through Jesus. Levi, a tax collector known as a sinner in the society was invited to “Follow” Jesus. In return He invites Jesus to his house along with other tax collectors. To Levi, the encounter with the Lord, meant many things. It meant, his sins were forgiven which brought about a complete change in his lifestyle. It also served as an eye opener towards generosity. In the Jewish society tax collectors were considered as hard hearted and lacking generosity. Here Levi shows a change of heart by inviting other tax collectors to meet the Lord.

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The First Proclamation When you pray, I will answer you. When you call to me, I will respond. “If you put an end to oppression, to every gesture of contempt, and to every evil word; if you give food to the hungry and satisfy those who are in need, then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon. And I will always guide you and satisfy you with good things ... You will be like a garden that has plenty of water, like a spring of water that never runs dry. Your people will rebuild what has long been in ruins, building again on the old foundations. You will be known as the people who rebuilt the walls, who restored the ruined houses.” The Lord says, “If you treat the Sabbath as sacred and do not pursue your own interests on that day; if you value my holy day and honour it by not travelling, working, or talking idly on that day, then you will find the joy that comes from serving me.... Our sonship Let us take time to gaze at the words in the first reading of Isaiah. God invites us to return to the foundation He laid which is in ruin because of sin. However, we can be part of the crew to rebuild the temple and discover the joy of serving Him by “Following” Jesus. We cannot do it with our own effort, therefore, let us will to keep the Sabbath. It means, we give time to be nurtured. Prayer Starter (Psalms 86:1-6) Listen to me, Lord, and answer me, for I am helpless and weak. Save me from death, because I am loyal to you; save me, for I am your servant and I trust in you. You are my God, so be merciful to me; I pray to you all day long. Make your servant glad, O Lord, because my prayers go up to you. You are good to us and forgiving, full of constant love for all who pray to you. .....

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

Sunday 21st February 2021 Genesis: 9/8-15 Psalm: 24/4-9 (25/4-9) 1 Peter: 3/18-22 Mark: 1/12-15

Introduction Having stepped on to the forty day period of Lent which we call "A time of Grace", it is best to remind ourselves that it is a time in which we could experience the blessings and the grace of God immensely. Starting on this time of grace, the invitation spread before us was "Tear your hearts and not your garments” and turn to the Lord your God once again. Let us reflect on ourselves and see our inability to “tear our hearts” and also to see the reign of darkness within us. Let us be mindful. As we enter the First Sunday of Lent, again and again we are challenged through the day's proclamations to experience 'repentance.' Let us prepare ourselves to meditate on the Word of God decided for this great day. The Holy Mother the Church invites us to turn in repentance to take a novel path in the foot-steps of the Lord. Let us make a firm decision to give a life-long response to the noble call of divine son-ship received through baptism. For this purpose let us strengthen our spiritual life through works of mercy, penance, prayer and fasting and give praise to God for being able to participate in enjoying the fruits of the mystery of salvation of Jesus Christ. The First Proclamation God said, 'here is the sign of the

First Sunday of Lent

(PS Wk I) (Purple)

Covenant I make between myself and you and every living creature with you for all generations: I set my bow in the clouds and it shall be a sign of the Covenant between me and the earth. When I gather the clouds over the earth and the bow appears in the clouds, I will recall the Covenant between myself and you and every living creature of every kind. And so the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all things of flesh.' Prayerful Awareness It was since the beginning of creation that the infinite love of God to man has been manifested. As sin developed there was also a massive development of the evil consequence of sin, the result of which is utter destruction. Yet God who cares for the righteous, saves Noah. It is purely the saving action of God. Accordingly, with the destruction of evil there emerges a new creation which belongs to God alone. Thus the harmony between God and man is restored denoted by the sign of a rainbow. Hence, it also stood as a sign of God's mercy and compassion to man. Responsorial Psalm Make known to me your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are my God, my savior; I hope in you all day long. The Second Proclamation … That water is a type of the baptism which saves you now, and which is not the washing off of physical dirt but a pledge made to God from good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has entered heaven and is at God's

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

right hand, now that he has made the angels of the Dominations his subjects.

Prayerful Awareness Through the life sacrifice of the Lord Jesus who though sinless offered himself for the sake of man, we received open access to redemption. With no exception, all could enjoy this redemption which includes even those who did not open themselves to the overflowing love of God since the beginning, a fact that is brought to our minds today. Similarly, there is an invitation to step on to the new life inherited by virtue of our baptism wherein we could enjoy a new life with death to our old self. Accordingly, the inheritance of salvation and redemption is the inheritance of participating in the divine life, through the sacrificial offering of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Gospel Proclamation And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan and he was with the wild beasts, and the angels waited on him. Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Good News of God and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the Good News.' Prayerful Awareness

The number forty in the Scriptures is a sign of God's action which means a period during which different people experienced divine providence. In being conscious of His identity and with the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit drives

Jesus to a forty day experience in the wilderness. Undoubtedly this period must have been a time in which He experienced deeply the identity of His son-ship revealed at river Jordan. Therefore, when having gone through this specific period and he comes back to the people, in His first word of proclamation itself there unfolds a deep message of good news to the world. 'The time has come and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent' (Change and convert yourself) was and ever new piece of Good News. The specific term He made use of to show how the entire human society should be, is 'the kingdom of God.' Accordingly, when he fearlessly proclaims that 'the time has come', it was having first realized that it has been already fulfilled in Him. Meaning, in the Lord Jesus one could see the changes effected in a person once he or she opens access to the reign of God the Father. Towards our son-ship The person who experiences the kingdom will also experience continuous repentance. Therefore, repentance is the very key to the kingdom of God. The fundamental challenge posed by the message of Christ to every man is repentance. Prayer Starter Abba Father, I pray that I too may open myself to the invitation offered through the life of Your Son so as to channel the values of the Kingdom of God to others. Bless me with a heart open to grace in order to detect and overcome the temptation I am plagued with especially at this time.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

Monday 22nd February 2021 1 Peter: 5/1-4 Psalm: 22/1-6 (23/1-6) Mathew: 16/13-19

The First Proclamation To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

The Gospel Proclamation When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in

Feast of the Chair of St. Peter the Apostle (White)

heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Prayerful Awareness In this passage of scripture we see a homeless, penniless Galilean carpenter, with twelve very ordinary men around him at a time the orthodox were actually plotting and planning to destroy him as a dangerous heretic. He asked them "And you--who do you say I am?" Jesus had to ask this question from his disciples; his days in the flesh were numbered. He had to know whether they had understood him. Did they really know him for who and what he was? Who would carry on his work, and labour for his kingdom? The very survival of the Christian faith depended on their answer. Probably the disciples would have been tongue tied. But Peter made his great discovery and his great confession; and Jesus knew that his work was safe because there was at least someone who understood. This passage teaches that our discovery of Jesus Christ must be a personal discovery. Christianity never consists IN KNOWING ABOUT Jesus; it always consists IN KNOWING Jesus. Jesus Christ demands a personal verdict. He did not ask only Peter, he asks every man: "You--what do you think of me?" Jesus Christ is the real foundation of the Church, and the only power who holds the Church together. When Jesus said to Peter that on him he would found his Church, he did not mean that the Church depended on Peter, as it depended on himself and on God the Rock. Prayer Starter We thank and praise the Lord for making a way for us to be a part of his church. As his church and we pray that he grants us the guidance of the Holy Spirit to be good stewards of His church. Amen.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

Tuesday 23rd February 2021

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Isaiah: 55/10-11 Psalm: 33/4-7, 16-19 (34/4-7, 16-19) Mathew: 6/7-15

The Gospel Proclamation

“When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Prayerful Awareness In today’s Gospel proclamation, Jesus teaches us how to pray. He teaches us that prayer is not a pleading or request with mere words, but a true worship, glory, and adoration to the Creator. The Son of God is the only one who offered true worship and adoration to God the Father through his sacrifice. He said that

prayer is to glorify Father’s name, seek the kingdom of God and fulfill the will of the Father. Jesus stood for this purpose every moment of His life. There is no doubt that the Holy Spirit constantly awakened Jesus for that. The Lord never had a moment without the Father. So the Father and the Son were one in mind. Moreover, He teaches that true repentance and the power of forgiveness are the most powerful weapons needed to overcome the three enemies of the devil, the world, and the flesh, which hinder true worship. He did not stop preaching but also witnessed at the crucifixion by forgiving the people who tortured him. In today’s First reading Prophet Isaiah proclaim that the word of God is not as empty as mere human words. The words bear God's will. God’s word is a promise, a hope, an action. By the incarnation of the Word of God, the living Word, who became man, was born into this world. He sowed the Word, planted in the people, and helped them to reap the great harvest of the Holy Church. That wonderful harvest, the church continues to bear fruit day by day in fulfilling His requirements. Is not that a wonderful testimony to the power of God’s Word?

Prayer Starter Dear Lord Jesus Christ, teach us to pray to Abba Father as you prayed with your life. Holy Spirit guide us to seek the kingdom of God and to worship the Lord the Father, help us to forgive others and to experience a true repentance. Amen.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

Wednesday 24th February 2021 Jonah: 3/1-10 Psalm: 50/3-4, 12-13, 18-19 (51/1-2, 10-11, 16-17) Luke: 11/29-32

The First Proclamation The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, "Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you." ...Jonah began to go into the city ... And he cried out, "Forty days more and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" And the people of Nineveh believed God; They proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth ... they shall cry mightily to God...When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it. The Gospel Proclamation When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation; it asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be to this generation. The queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and see, something greater than Solomon is here. The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of

(Purple) Jonah, and see, something greater than Jonah is here! Prayerful Awareness Today we are called to meditate on the mercy and love of God that is manifested through the Scriptures from the beginning. All we need to do to become partakers of this love is to acknowledge our weaknesses in prayer and repent. According to the First Proclamation, it was the decision of the King of Nineveh that brought blessings to the city of Nineveh. When the word of God came to Nineveh, all the people, including the king, obeyed and repented of their sins. What a blessing it brought to the city. God decided not to destroy the city. When the word of God came to the great king David he couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t conceal his sin nor give excuses. Like a child he repented. Finally, he describes his experience: The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God thou wilt not despise. It is clear in the Gospel that the heart of Christ was full of sorrow for the people who seek miracles and who do not want to repent. Are we still searching for miracles, healings, and worldly pleasures in the places where Christ is revealed? How open are we to the repentance that the Holy Spirit constantly awakens and invites us to? The most powerful revelation of Christ takes place with the repentance. Therefore as people of Kithu Dana Pubuduwa let us repent like the people of Nineveh, like king David, obeying to the call of this age. Prayer Starter Create a clean heart in me O God and renew a right spirit within my bowels. Cast me not away from thy face, and take not thy holy spirit from me. Amen.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

Thursday 25th February 2021 Esther: (Relevant reading printed below)

Psalm: 137/1-3, 7-8 (138/1-3, 7-8) Mathew: 7/7-12

The First Proclamation Queen Esther, seized with mortal anguish, had recourse to the Lord. She lay prostrate upon the ground, together with her handmaids, from morning until evening, and said: “God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, blessed are you. Help me, who am alone and have no help but you, for I am taking my life in my hand. As a child I used to hear from the books of my forefathers that you, O Lord, always free those who are pleasing to you. Now help me, who am alone and have no one but you, O Lord, my God. “And now, come to help me, an orphan. Put in my mouth persuasive words in the presence of the lion and turn his heart to hatred for our enemy, so that he and those who are in league with him may perish. Save us from the hand of our enemies; turn our mourning into gladness and our sorrows into wholeness.” The Gospel Proclamation

"Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. ... In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets." Prayerful awareness In the first reading today we have the powerful prayer of Queen Esther. Esther knew if she intervenes to save her people no one could save her from death, except God. She begged God saying, “You, O Lord, always free those who

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are pleasing to you.” God answered Esther’s prayer, causing the King to have a change of heart when she spoke, and it led to the enemies of her people being defeated and the lives of her people being saved. God will answer our prayers too, if we persevere in prayer and lead lives pleasing to Him. And that’s why during Lent, we pray, fast and give alms, to become more pleasing to God. 'Whatever you ask will be done to you' the promise given in today's Gospel is one we should praise and give glory to God for. You cannot hear this promise of Jesus and still go on mourning or being angry. You should rejoice that God will release the burdens of your heart and that you only need to ask. We may be out of time, money, energy, skill and respect, but we're NEVER out of prayer. And if you truly believe that what you ask will be given to you, you should depend on prayer even if it meant losing out on other things. Pray for whatever you want. Too often we pray to God for what 'we' think God can do. We safely limit our faith to possible things. Satan, the father of lies, begins every lie with 'but'. But isn't that impossible, even for God? But aren't you expecting too much for yourself? God never inserted a condition to His promises. Yes, the answer of the omnipresent God, who knows the future that you do not, may be different. However, if you have faith in God that He wants what's best for you, you will praise Him for what He's about to do, in advance. God has promised He WILL answer, so to think of 'how' is not our job. Do we have the faith to pray even if God's answer may be different and then continue to praise Him even when disappointed? Prayer Starter Dear Lord, help us to boldly hold Your promises in our hearts and pray with conviction not for my glory, but for yours. Amen.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

Friday 26th February 2021 Ezekiel: 18/21-28 Psalm: 129/1-8 (130/1-8) Mathew: 5/20-26

The First Proclamation "Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?" …."Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just. Is it not your ways that are not just?" ... The Gospel Proclamation "For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be liable to the hell of fire'… Prayerful Awareness First proclamation is a call to repentance and an invitation to set our attitudes right. God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. As the source of all goodness, His desire is that we too, created in His own image and likeness live without sin. Yet when we face the consequences of sin, we too come to blame God just as the exiles, fallen into despair after the fall of Jerusalem whom Ezekiel addressed, did. In the Gospel proclamation Jesus, bearing the

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mind of God, proposes a new way of life which calls for a better understanding of the law than that of the Scribes and Pharisees. Giving an illustrative example He says not only killing but also being angry with one's brother is a sin. Out of anger we insult people, slander, humiliate, throw unhealthy criticism and wreck their reputation, all of which are life destructive. We could include many other evil deeds. Root cause of anger is hurt. Someone is responsible for the injury or we think he/she is. We weigh the injury done and the satisfaction to be demanded which is contrary to God's way of acting. Maybe we have grown up in a culture of taking revenge. When small children fall and hurt themselves, the elders pacify them by hitting the floor, thus developing a revengeful attitude. Perhaps when others come to us with a sorry state of mind, by way of sympathy we add fuel to their anger and resentment. At times we ourselves carry their burden and start reacting. With our hurt, the best person to go to is Jesus, the wounded healer. Gazing at the crucified Lord we would hear His words of love and understanding. "My child, I know what you are going through. I have walked the same path. Are your wounds as deep as mine?" This would lead us to join Him in prayer "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do." Thus healed shall we move out to be wounded healers without ever harbouring anger and resentment? Prayer Starter

(Responsorial Psalm) Out of the depths I cry to you O Lord! Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleading. If you O Lord should mark our guilt Lord, who would survive, with you is found forgiveness…

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

Saturday 27th February 2021 Deuteronomy: 26/16-19 Psalm: 118/1-2, 4-5, 7-8 (119/1-2, 4-5, 7-8) Mathew: 5/43-48 The Gospel Proclamation Love thy neighbour, and hate thy enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies: do good to them that hate you: and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you: That you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven, who maketh his sun to rise upon the good, and bad, and raineth upon the just and the unjust. For if you love them that love you, what reward shall you have? Do not even the publicans do this? And if you salute your brethren only, what do you do more? Do not also the pagans do this? Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect.

Prayerful Awareness Jesus quotes the ancient rule which says: love your neighbor and hate your enemy. Jesus asks us to love our enemies and said what is the point of loving your friends and ones close to you and hate your enemies who prosecute you, as pagans do. He said, if you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even the tax collectors do as much? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Do not even the gentiles do as much? You must, therefore, set no bounds to your love, just as your heavenly Father sets none to His. And Jesus gives us the proof. At the hour of His death He observed that which He preached. The soldier, a mercenary, ignorant, far from knowing what he was doing, and of what was happening

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around him, continued to hammer as if it were a piece of the wall of his house where he had to put up a picture. At that moment Jesus prays for the soldier who tortures Him and addresses His prayer to the Father: Father, forgive them! They know not what they are doing! He loved the soldier who killed Him. On Calvary they will leave Him completely naked in the sight of all. But the poison of this lack of humanity did not succeed in suppressing the source of love and humanity which sprang from within Jesus. The water of the love which sprang from within was stronger than the poison of hatred which was coming. Looking at that soldier, Jesus felt sorrow and prayed for him and for all: Father, forgive them! They know not what they are doing. Jesus orders that we have a contrary attitude: Love your enemies. True love cannot depend on what one receives from others. Love should want the good of others independently of what they do for me. This is the way Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love for us. The First Proclamation This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do these commandments and judgments: and to keep and fulfill them with all thy heart, and with all thy soul. Thou hast chosen the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in His ways and keep His precepts, and judgments, and obey his command. And the Lord hath chosen thee this day, to be his people, ... and to keep all his commandments. Prayer Starter Holy Spirit who lives with the Father and the Son, Help us to follow the commandments our Saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ. Anoint us with your spirit and guide us to live according to the will of God the Father and be able to testify as His children, Amen.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

Sunday 28th February 2021 Genesis: 22/1-2, 9-13 15-18 Psalm: 115/10, 15-19 (116/10, 15-19) Romans: 8/31-34 Mark: 9/2-10 Introduction Arriving at the Second Sunday of Lent we are being prepared to celebrate Easter, the great feast common to all Christians. Through the Eucharistic theme of the day, Holy Mother the Church expounds on the fact that the person who remains steadfast in faith is able to attain victory shedding out all doubt and fear. Let us pray for the power to be like Abraham, a friend of God filled with faith and also to be an authentic disciple, following the Lord Jesus Christ who won God's favour by means of fully accomplishing the Will of God. The First Proclamation God put Abraham to the test. 'Abraham, Abraham' he called. 'Here I am' he replied. 'Take your son,' God said, 'your only child Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. There you shall offer him as a burnt-offering, on a mountain I will point out to you.'… Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood. Then he stretched out his hand and seized the knife to kill his son. … 'Abraham, Abraham' he said. 'I am here' he replied. 'Do not raise your hand against the boy' the angel said. 'Do not harm him, for now I know you fear God. You have not refused me your son, your only son.' The angel of the Lord called

Second Sunday of Lent

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Abraham a second time… because you have done this, because you have not refused me your son, your only son, I will shower blessings on you, I will make your descendants as many as the stars of heaven and the grains of sand on the seashore. … All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants, as a reward for your obedience. Prayerful Awareness Abraham, the Father of faith had an unwavering faith in God. It was his steadfast faith that made him unhesitant in responding to the love of God; to fear God the Father who chose him and called him. It was the power of his faith that enabled him to offer his only son to God as a living sacrifice. With no murmur or grumbling he just let things happen. He was convinced that the Will of God, the Plan of God had to be accomplished. It was a mysterious and an amazing event unfathomable to the limited human intellect. Yet it was a most holy moment in which the Will of God came to be realized. If we too are attuned to the voice of God, and in obedience to the Will of God act with unwavering faith, He will surely fill our lives too with His abounding grace in a most unthinkable manner. The Responsorial Psalm I trusted even when I said: 'I am sorely afflicted.' O precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful. The Second Proclamation What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn?

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. The Gospel Acclamation From the bright cloud the Father's voice was heard: 'This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him!' The Gospel Proclamation Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice. "This is my Son, the Beloved, listen to him!" Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus. (Please read the whole proclamation.) Prayerful Awareness The absolute desire of our Lord was to see the Will of God for His life, being fulfilled in Him. Waiting for this moment in great longing He constantly listened to the voice of God and worked in obedience. The disciples were amazed at what happened at mount Tabor. They did not know what to say or what to do. Even though deciding with his limited human thinking and responding on one's own human desires and expectations, St. Peter proposed making three tents and residing there, what happened was something unexpected. Along with a cloud covering them in shadow, God proclaimed, 'This is my Son, listen to

Him.' Elijah representing the prophets as well as Moses, the leader who freed Israelites from slavery, was seen there. Yet more than both of them, it was Christ who totally accomplished the Will of God. Our Lord with His prime objective of glorifying the Father, warned the disciples not to tell anyone of the moment of this great revelation until His Resurrection from the dead took place since He knew that the 'hour' had not yet come. Towards our son-ship Even in our life, Jesus Christ is our only Lord and Saviour. Our vocation is to journey on our way with our focus on Him. Let us wake up to proclaim the glory of God without depending on mere limited human desires and objectives, move beyond the worldly order that surprises us so as to plunge into the depths of God's love, get to know the plan of God for us, set aside selfishness and be united in love and sacrifice. Let us enter into prayer pleading for the much needed power and strength. Throughout the day Let us listen to the Lord Jesus who is mediating for us seated at the right hand of God the Father. Prayer Starter The Sovereign God whose love for us is eternal, does love us with no strings attached, His love is totally unconditional. His love was so boundless and deep that He was generous enough to send His only begotten Son to this earth to pay the ransom for our sin. Christ too loved us in sacrificing Himself on our behalf. Therefore our vocation is to give a worthy response to the love of the Father and the Son. Hence, let us love each other, offer ourselves in sacrifice, die to our egoself, take up the cross and journey on our way.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

Walk in the Spirit Application for obtaining the publication by post. Name: ..................................................................................................... To be sent to (Address) .......................................................................... ...................................................................................... For six/twelve months from ................. 20 till .............20 Money Order/Cheque for Rs. ............. is sent herewith. Date: ............... .................................. Signature

“Walk in the Spirit” Publication

Including postage - For six months Rs. 255/= For 12 months Rs. 510/= Money Orders/Cheques to be drawn only in favour of “Kithudana Pubuduwa” payable at (Post Office) Walpola (W.P.) Pubudu Headquarters - Sri Prasansaramaya, Walpola, Ragama, Sri Lanka. Tel. No. 011-2230300, 011-5764123 Fax No. 011-2231490 E-Mail: office@pubuduwa.org Web: www.pubuduwa.org Press: Pubudu Press, 452, National Basilica Avenue, Ragama Tel: 011-5288343/344 Fax :011-2958439 E-Mail: press@pubuduwa.org Distribution: Pubudu Publication & Distribution Service Sri Prasansaramaya, Walpola, Ragama. Tel: 011-2230300, 011-2231490, 011-5764123 Places from which the Walk in the Spirit publication can be obtained: Kithu Dana Pubuduwa, 7th Floor, Paul VI Centre, Malwatte Road, Colombo 11. 011-2325132 / 011-5736240 Sri Ramyaramaya, Palakudawa, Talawila Church 032-3325688 / 032-5678645 Sri Christudharmaramaya, Deduru Oya, Manuwangama, Chilaw 032-2221979 / 032-5675585 Pubudu Nivasa, Dankotuwa 031-3617917 Pubudu Nivasa, Negombo 031-2222256 / 031-5675763 Christu Centre, Ja-Ela 011-2243301 / 011-5736834 Cost: Rs. 20/=