Thursday, Mar 04, 2021
MEMORIAL OF CASIMIR
Grace under pressure
Saint Casimir seemed destined for riches and power, but this patron saint of Poland, called the Peacemaker, took a different path. Born in 1458 to the king and queen of Poland, he was a devout, ascetic child. At age 14 his father had him lead an army to install himself as king of Hungary, but with an overpowering enemy and troops beginning to desert, Casimir instead returned home. His furious father exiled him, but Casimir would never again take up arms. Rejecting violence when those around you embrace it can take great inner strength. Cultivate an inner compass that can pursue peace despite pressure.
TODAY'S READINGS: Jeremiah 17:5-10 Luke 16:19-31. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD.”
#takefiveforfaith
“Free us from all anxiety as we wait in joyful hope...”
There is little doubt in my mind that the experience of being filled yet unfulfilled touches most of us to some degree at some time. It is hard to avoid completely the forces that fill up our inner and outer space and disconnect us from our innermost selves, our fellow human beings, and our God.
One of the most notable characteristics of worrying is that it fragments our lives. The many things to do, to think about, to plan for, the many people to remember to visit, or to talk with, the many causes to attack or defend, all these pull us apart and make us lose our center. Worrying causes us to be “all over the place,” but seldom at home.
-Henri Nouwen
Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose hope is the LORD.
He is like a tree planted beside the waters
that stretches out its roots to the stream:
It fears not the heat when it comes,
its leaves stay green;
In the year of drought it shows no distress,
but still bears fruit.
More tortuous than all else is the human heart,
beyond remedy; who can understand it?
I, the LORD, alone probe the mind
and test the heart,
To reward everyone according to his ways,
according to the merit of his deeds.
Jeremiah 17:7 #dailyingodsword
Our Parish School 4th graders sending good wishes and prayers to our children who are making their First Reconciliations this week.
Where we are going in Lent is not the desert itself, but the joy of Easter. Lent is the road.
Wednesday, Mar 03, 2021
MEMORIAL OF KATHARINE DREXEL, RELIGIOUS FOUNDER
We have work to do
Katharine Drexel (1858-1955) is a saint for our time. Born into a successful Philadelphia banking family, she used her wealth to improve the lives of others. Her Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament devoted their lives to education of Native and African Americans, building more than 100 schools in cities, rural areas, and on reservations. Though Katharine and her sisters at times faced criticism, endured racist taunts, and were threatened by the Ku Klux Klan, they remained steadfast in their mission. Patron saint of racial justice and philanthropy, Saint Katharine epitomizes the sacrifice of the Blessed Sacrament. How will you commit your own life to making the world more just?
TODAY'S READINGS: Jeremiah 18:18-20 Matthew 20:17-28.
“Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”
#takefiveforfaith
Dedication exemplified
Verse before the Gospel
John 8:12
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life. #dailyingodsword
Tuesday • March 2, 2021
LENTEN WEEKDAY
Celebrate humble history
Women’s History Month celebrates well-known women but also unsung heroines. How appropriate, then, that today is the feast of Agnes of Bohemia, a lesser-known saint. First cousin of Elizabeth of Hungary—and descendent of Good King Wenceslaus—Agnes came upon her vocation naturally. She built a hospital for the poor, a Franciscan friary, and a monastery for Poor Clare nuns. When she also became a nun and was urged to become abbess, she referred to herself only as “senior sister.” She continued to cook for her sisters and mend the clothing of lepers rather than live a royal life. Celebrate the unsung heroines in your life.
Today's readings: Isaiah 1:10, 16-20; Matthew 23:1-12. "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
🎨 St Agnes and the sick, detail from the Stories of St Agnes, 15th century, by an unknown Bohemian artist.
#takefiveforfaith
Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes;
cease doing evil; learn to do good.
Make justice your aim: redress the wronged,
hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow.
Come now, let us set things right,
says the LORD:
Though your sins be like scarlet,
they may become white as snow;
Though they be crimson red,
they may become white as wool.
Isaiah 1:16 #dailyingodsword
Even in desperate times, loving service to others is a source of hope and an expression of courage. To serve is to allow God’s grace to flow through us, as it were, and to experience the life that comes from bringing hope to others.
In my prayer, I continue to ask God to show me the ways that I may serve, even in difficult times.
—Excerpted from “Lessons in Hope and Courage:
Las Hermanas Dominicas of Puerto Rico” by Tim Muldoon
