Sunday

*Readings from Mass for the weeks of Lent

Epistle: 1 Thessalonians 4. 1-7 Brethren: We pray and beseech   you in the Lord Jesus that, as you have received from us, how
you ought to walk and to please
God, so also you would walk,
that you may abound the more.
For you know what precepts I
have given to you by the Lord
Jesus. For this is the will of
God, your sanctification: that
you should abstain from forni-
cation, that every one of you
should know how to possess his
vessel in sanctification and ho-
nour; not in the passion of lust,
like the Gentiles that know not
God: and that no man overreach
nor circumvent his brother in
business: because the Lord is
the avenger of all these things,
as we have told you before and
have testified. For God hath not
called us unto uncleanness, but
unto sanctification: in Christ
Jesus our Lord.

Comment:  Sanctification is the purpose of Lent.

Prayer:  This is the day which the Lord has made.  Let us rejoice and be glad therein.

Monday
Matthew 17:1-9

At that time Jesus taketh Peter and James, and John his bro­ther, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart: and He was transfigured before them. And his face did shine as the sun: and His garments became white as snow. And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking with Him. And Pe­ter answering, said to Jesus: Lord, it is good for us to be he­re : if Thou wilt, let us make he­re three tabernacles, one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. And as he was yet speaking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them. And lo, a voice out of the cloud, saying: This is My beloved Son, m whom I am well pleased: hear ye Him. And the disciples hearing, fell upon their face and were very much afraid. And Jesus ca­me and touched them, and said to them: Arise, and fear not. And they lifting up their eyes saw no one, but only Jesus. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying: Tell the vision to no man till the Son of Man be risen from the dead.

Comment:  recalling this which took place shortly before the Passion  and Death of Christ was a help to the weakened faith of the apostles.

Prayer:  Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world: have mercy upon us. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world: have mercy upon us. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, grant us peace.
*Agnus Dei

 

Tuesday

Epistle: Daniel 9. 15-19

In those days Daniel prayed to  the Lord, saying:  God, who hast brought forth  Thy people out of the land of  Egypt with a strong hand, and in man

hast made Thee a name as at this
day: we have sinned, we have
committed iniquity, O Lord,
against all Thy justice: let Thy
wrath and Thy indignation be
turned away, I beseech Thee,
from Thy city Jerusalem and
from Thy holy mountain. For
by reason of our sins and the ini-
quities of our fathers, Jerusalem
and Thy people are a reproach
to all that are round about us.
Now therefore, O our God, hear
the supplication of Thy servant
and his prayers: and show Thy
face upon Thy sanctuary which
is desolate, for Thy own sake.
Incline, O my God, Thy ear and
hear: open Thy eyes and see our
desolation and the city upon
which Thy name is called: for it
is not for our justification that
we present our prayers before
Thy face, but for the multitude
of Thy tender mercies. O Lord,
hear: O Lord, be appeased:
hearken and do: delay not for
Thy own sake, O my God: be-
cause Thy name is invocated
upon Thy city and upon Thy
people, O Lord our God.

Comment:  we call for mercy today just a the Jews in the past.

Prayer:  O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

 

Wednesday
John 8:21 – 29

At that time Jesus said to the
multitudes of the Jews: I go and
you shall seek Me, and you
shall die in your sin. Whither I
go, you cannot come. The Jews
therefore said: Will He kill
Himself, because He said: Whi-
ther I go, you cannot come ?
And He said to them: You are
from beneath, I am from above.
You are of this world, I am not
of this world. Therefore I said
to you that you shall die in your
sins: for if you believe not that I
am He, you shall die in your sin.
They said therefore to Him:
Who art thou? Jesus said to
them: The beginning, who also
speak unto you. Many things I
have to speak and to judge of you.
But He that sent Me is true: and
the things I have heard of Him,
these same I speak in the world.
And they understood not that He
called God His Father. Jesus
therefore said to them: When you
shall have lifted up the Son of
Man, then shall you know that I
am He, and that I do nothing of
Myself; but as the Father hath
taught Me, these things 1 speak:
and He that sent Me is with
Me, and He hath not left Me
alone: for I do always the things
that please Him.

Comment:  Christ declare belief in Him to be the only way of salvation.

Prayer:  O my God I love Thee above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because Thou art all-good and worthy of all love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of Thee. I forgive all who have injured me, and ask pardon of all whom I have injured. (Act of Charity)

 

Thursday
3 Kings 17:8-16  In those days the word of the
Lord came to Elias the Thesbi-
te, saying: Arise, and go to Sa-
rephta of the Sidonians, and
dwell there: for I have com-
manded a widow-woman there
to feed thee. He arose, and went
to Sarephta. And when he was
come to the gate of the city, he
saw the widow-woman gather-
ing sticks, and he called her, and
said to her: Give me a little wa-
ter in a vessel, that I may drink.
And when she was going to
fetch it, he called after her, say-
ing: Bring me also, I beseech
thee, a morsel of bread in thy
hand. And she answered: As the
Lord thy God liveth, I have no
bread, but only a handful of meal
in a pot, and a little oil in a cruse

behold I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it, for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. And Elias said to her: Fear not, but go and do as thou hast said: but first make for me of the same meal a little hearth-cake, and bring it to me: and after make for thyself and thy son. For thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: The pot of meal shall not waste, nor the cruse of oil be diminished, until the day wherein the Lord will give rain upon the face of the earth. She went, and did accord­ing to the word of Elias: and he ate, and she, and her house: and from that day the pot of meal wasted not, and the cruse of oil was not diminished, according to the word of the Lord, which He spoke in the hand of Elias.

Comment:  the two sticks symbolize the cross of Christ
Prayer:    Christ is in our midst – He is and always shall be.

Friday
Matthew 23:1-12

At that time Jesus spoke to the
multitudes and to His disciples,
saying: The scribes and the pha-
risees have sitten on the chair of
Moses. All things therefore
whatsoever they shall say to you,
observe and do; but according
to their works do ye not; for
they say and do not. For they

bind heavy and insupportable
burdens, and lay them on men’s
shoulders; but with a finger of
their own they will not move
them. And all their works they
do for to be seen of men; for they
make their phylacteries broad,
and enlarge their fringes. And
they love the first places at
feasts, and the first chairs in the
synagogues, and salutations in
the market place, and to be call-
ed by men Rabbi. But be not
you called Rabbi: for one is
your master, and all you are
brethren. And call none your
father upon earth; for one is
your father, who is in heaven.
Neither be ye called masters:
for one is your master, Christ.
He that is the greatest among
you shall be your servant. And
whosoever shall exalt himself be
humbled; and he that shall
humble himself shall be exalted.

Comment:  the Pharisees do not practice what ‘they preach’.

Prayer:  O my Jesus forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven especially those in most need of Thy mercy.
(Fatima Prayer)

 

Saturday
Esther 13. 8-11, 15-17

In those days Mardochai prayed
to the Lord, saying: O Lord,
Lord, almighty King, for all
things are in Thy power, and
there is none that can resist Thy
will, if Thou determine to save
Israel. Thou hast made heaven
and earth, and all things that
are under the cope of heaven.
Thou art Lord of all, and there
is none that can resist Thy ma-
jesty. And now, O Lord, O
King, O God of Abraham, have
mercy on Thy people, because
our enemies resolve to destroy
us, and extinguish Thy inheri-
tance. Despise not Thy portion,
which Thou hast redeemed for
Thyself out of Egypt. Hear my
supplication, and be merciful to
Thy lot and inheritance, and
turn our mourning into joy, that
we may live and praise Thy na-
me, O Lord, and shut not the
mouths of them that sing to
Thee, O Lord our God.

Comment:    prayer for the deliverance of the Jews in Persia which reflects our need for deliverance from
sin and deception in the world today.

Prayer:   We adore Thee O Christ and we bless Thee for by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.