March 29th

By: Stephanie Gervais

OPENING PRAYER

Jesus, thank You for Your love. It is the desire to deepen my love for You that brings me to this prayer time. Send down Your Spirit upon me that I may be completely consumed by Your presence right now. Come Holy Spirit. Come Holy Spirit. Come Holy Spirit.

READING

Gospel Reading : Luke 18:9-14

Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, “God, I thank you that I am not like the other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.” But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to Heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.’

REFLECTION

During the season of Lent, it can be easy for me to fall into the trap of thinking that “I’m doing it right” because I’m following the rules. I fast from meat every Friday, I have “given something up” or “added something in”, and I’m at all costs making sure not to sing any songs that might have the “A” word in it. But is it really a sacrifice when I am trying to decide between vegetarian pizza and a grilled cheese sandwich on Friday? Every time I think about what I “gave up”, am I really uniting myself with Christ? Or am I just doing my job as a Catholic?

At this point in the Lenten season, it is a great opportunity to reflect on our different observances. Lent isn’t about me. It isn’t about how much I do. It isn’t about what I’m going to get out of it. Lent is a great opportunity for us to grow, especially in the virtues of temperance, fortitude, justice and prudence. Saint Augustine teaches us that these virtues are the key to living well:

“To live well is nothing other than to love God with all one’s heart, with all one’s soul and with all one’s efforts; from this is comes about that the love is kept whole and uncorrupted (through temperance). No misfortune can disturb it (and this is fortitude). It obeys only God (and this is justice), and is careful in discerning things, so as not to be surprised by deceit or trickery (and this is prudence).
CCC 1809

MEDITATION

Take a moment to reflect on your Lenten journey up to now.

• What has been good?
• Where have you found challenges?
• How have/can you overcome these challenges?
• What have you done today to unite yourself with Christ?
• Which of the four virtues is God calling you to focus on today?
• Can you commit to focusing on each of these four virtues between now and Easter? (Maybe give yourself a reminder in your phone, on a calendar, in your prayer journal?)

CLOSING PRAYER

We pray…

• Lord help me to stop thinking about myself and focus more on You;
• Please help me see opportunities where you are calling me to make sacrifices;
• Please bless the Catholic School of Evangelization and all of its ministries;
• Send me forth today refreshed and completely transformed to be more like you.

AMEN