The Gospel today shows the disciples both at work and at rest with Jesus. Finding balance in our lives can be challenging, yet when we take the long view we recognize that there are many different elements that enrich God’s gift of life.
The Lord offers a couple of examples to highlight the crucial need to be persistent in prayer. May these words inspire us every day to open our hearts to the Lord as we ask for what we need to grow in faith, hope and love.
The Lord’s Prayer has shaped the lives of countless Christians over the centuries. May we find in this powerful prayer a way to articulate the needs in our hearts as we open our souls to the grace of God.
The practices of fasting, prayer and almsgiving are powerful disciplines that the Church has embraced from the teaching of Jesus, and they offer immense power in shaping and guiding our spiritual lives.
Mary and Joseph are searching for Jesus in Jerusalem, only to find him in the Temple. When asked by his mother his response “I must be in my Father’s house” invites us to follow his example and meet the Lord in church…where he is always present in the tabernacle!
In the Gospel of John we hear today how the Lord prays to his Heavenly Father for the disciples. In other words, the Lord prays for us! May this personal relationship we have with Jesus draw us closer to the Christ and one another.
It’s a powerful prayer, and this gift from the Lord strengthens and directs our lives. Only 55 words in English; may we pray it with conviction and conversion of heart.
The ashes on our foreheads invite us to repent of the sins that keep us from God and one another. Through fasting, prayer and almsgiving we have powerful tools that can open our hearts and transform our lives in this great season of Lent.
John the Baptist redirected the attention he received toward Jesus, and his example inspires us to consider how our words and actions – attentive to the needs of those around us – can bring people closer to the Lord.