Monthly Archives: March 2017

Friday of the 1st Week of Lent
Ezekiel 18:21-28 | Psalm 129(130) | Matthew 5:20-26

If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt,
Lord, who would survive?
But with you is found forgiveness:
for this we revere you. (Psalm 129:3-4)

In my software development profession, one of the things that folks really dread is the code review, where your work product is put up for public critique…and you along with it. As you walk through your own code verbally, the general reaction of the other developers at the table goes something like this:

I trust “WTF” is universally understood.

Needless to say, it’s a very stressful process for the targeted individual, but the intended outcome is greatly desired: code that is more resilient to unexpected circumstances, has fewer bugs, and is usually easier to maintain over the long term.

✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is rather similar, save that it’s a private process between us and Christ, in the person of a priest. As the psalmist reminds us, if God were to find fault with us, we are surely damned.

However, if we find fault with ourselves, and make the effort to mend our ways, then God will look kindly upon us, and grant us the absolution and salvation that we long for.

We just have to be willing to do our own “code review”.

O Lord, I am sorry for my sins because I have offended you. I know I should love you above all things. Help me to do penance, to do better, and to avoid anything that might lead me to sin. Amen.

Thursday of the 1st Week of Lent
Esther 4:17 | Psalm 137(138):1-3,7-8 | Matthew 7:7-12

Queen Esther took refuge with the Lord in the mortal peril which had overtaken her. (Esther 4:17)

The Book of Esther rarely features in the Liturgy of the Word, but it chronicles a desperate time in ancient Jewish history, a time when the Jews in Persia were threatened with annihilation, despite having a queen (Esther) who shared their faith.

We may never experience such a desperate time in our lives, but that doesn’t mean we don’t need to seek God in our daily living. As Psalm 62 reminds us:

In God alone there is rest for my soul, from him comes my safety;
with him alone for my rock, my safety, my fortress, I can never fall. (Psalm 62:1-2)

Let us call to Him in praise every day, seeking His counsel, asking for His help to remain on the path of salvation, for:

On the day I called, you answered;
you increased the strength of my soul. (Psalm 137:3)

Amen.

Tuesday of the 1st week of Lent
Isaiah 55:10-11 | Psalm 33(34):4-7,16-19 | Matthew 6:7-15

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘In your prayers do not babble as the pagans do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard.’ (Matthew 6:7)

Oh. Er. I guess I do babble sometimes in prayer.

And by sometimes I mean often.

It’s as good a time as any to refresh my memory on the four key components of Catholic prayer, known as the ACTS:

• Adoration: O Lord, you are Almighty and ever-loving!
• Contrition: We are weak, Lord, and we have sinned against you.
• Thanksgiving: We thank you, Lord, for loving us despite our sin, and supporting us in our earthly trials and tribulations.
• Supplication: Heal us, O Lord, and help us turn to you all day, every day.

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, now and forever.

Fiat voluntas tua – Thy will be done. Amen.

Monday of the 1st Week of Lent
Leviticus 19:1-2,11-18 | Psalm 18(19):8-10,15 | Matthew 25:31-46

And the King will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:40)

Last Judgement. The final destination for us all. Will we be counted amongst the loving sheep, or the neglectful goats?

I think none of us can say for sure. I’m very sure that I’ve neglected to help quite a few people in my life thus far, and will probably leave some more wanting in my remaining days on earth.

All I can do, all any of us can do, is to put into action Jesus’ command to us: Love one another as I have loved you.

Feed hunger.
Slake thirst.
Welcome strangers.
Clothe nakedness.
Comfort the sick.
Visit prisoners.
Love our neighbor.

It’s sometimes a tall order, but especially in this season of Lent, we can but try our best, and leave the rest in God’s hands.

And perhaps inspire someone around us to do the same, as these videos illustrates:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMLF5BDXJOk

Amen.