Thursday after Ash Wednesday

Year of the Family "Amoris Laetitia The Joy of Love"

Saints: Saint Katherine Drexel, Foundress of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, first canonized saint born an American citizen (1858-1955); Saint Vignal (c.460-532): 

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Ch 26 Unauthorized Association with the Excommunicated

Mass: Dt 30:15-20; Resp Ps 1; Lk 9:22-25

He is like a tree.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

PRAY FOR US.

Choose life ... by loving the Lord, your God, heeding His voice and holding fast to Him.

(Dt. 30:19-20)

In today's Gospel, Jesus tells anyone who wishes to come after Him that he must deny himself and take up his cross, daily (Lk 9:23). Saint Benedict tells us that during Lent, we are to deny ourselves something by way of "food, drink, sleep, needless talking and idle jesting" (RB 49:7). Pope Saint Leo the Great, in a sermon, preached this: "Dear friends, what the Christian should be doing at all times should be done now with greater care and devotion, so that the Lenten fast enjoined by the apostles may be fulfilled, not simply by abstinence of food but above all by the renunciation of sin" (in Office of Readings, Thursday after Ash Wednesday). What is one thing you might deny yourself of today, or tomorrow, and thereby further renounce sin? A couple ways to go about that are one, to pray with the Confiteor, a prayer that may be used during the Penitential Act at Mass: I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned ... Or two, pray with the words that the Priest prays at Mass, during the Preparation of the altar and the offerings, when washing his hands: Wash me, O Lord, from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Both came through clearly for me at Mass this morning. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it (Lk 9:24).

We remember in prayer the people of Ukraine and Russia. Jesus, God of peace, have mercy on us.

SAINT KATHERINE DREXEL,

SAINT VIGNAL,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: From our entrance. Light and darkness, bless the Lord.

© Gertrude Feick 2022