My reflections for Mar. 01, 2006 - Wednesday

March 1, 2006

Ash Wednesday

Reading I
Joel 2:12-18

Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the LORD, your God.
For gracious and merciful is he,
slow to anger, rich in kindness,
and relenting in punishment.
Perhaps he will again relent
and leave behind him a blessing,
Offerings and libations
for the LORD, your God.

Blow the trumpet in Zion!
proclaim a fast,
call an assembly;
Gather the people,
notify the congregation;
Assemble the elders,
gather the children
and the infants at the breast;
Let the bridegroom quit his room
and the bride her chamber.
Between the porch and the altar
let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep,
And say, “Spare, O LORD, your people,
and make not your heritage a reproach,
with the nations ruling over them!
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’”

Then the LORD was stirred to concern for his land
and took pity on his people.

(We begin a time of reflection and conversion with the beginning of Lent. The Church invites us to take some time out and reflect upon the state of our lives to see where we can improve in our spirituality. Joel calls us to repent on our sins and to firmly decide to allow the Spirit of God to lead us to the path of a deeper conversion of heart, mind and soul.)

Meditation for Lent <==Click for meditation.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
“Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight.”
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Reading II
2 Corinthians 5:20 - 6:2

Brothers and sisters:
We are ambassadors for Christ,
as if God were appealing through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Working together, then,
we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
For he says:

In an acceptable time I heard you,
and on the day of salvation I helped you.

Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.

(The witness of our lives has the ability to affect the lives of others for both good and bad. This is why it is good for us to remember that we are ambassadors for Christ and the Gospel. It does not matter where we are or with whom we are, we should be aware that we have a duty to witness to the Gospel at all times. As Christians we are never on holiday. Our Christianity should be a part of every aspect of our lives.)

Gospel
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms,
do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you pray,
do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room,
close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you fast,
do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast,
anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”

(God sees the inner workings of our hearts. He is not only interested on how things seem to be on the outside. In fact, the inside is more important as this is where whatever we are on the outside has originated. Let us seek to live holy lives by first surrendering our wills and desires to the Lord and asking Him to purify them so that everything we say, think and do will be according to His mind and heart of love.)

God's special verse/thought for me today.
O Lord this Lent, I'm giving you myself to Your disposition.
I am surrendering to You my desires, all I desire is Your will.
I am nothing without Your Love, Mercy and Support.
I am Your child fully dependent on Your Love and Grace.
Father in Heaven, make me a worthy child deserving your abundant blessings. Purify my sinful heart, so that I'll be deserving of your Love and for eternal salvation. Keep teaching me how to seek Your Kingdom and how to be righteous so You could bless me with what you think is best upon me.

my reflections
think: God is not interested in how things seem to be on the outside.
O God my Lord and my King, teach me to be truthful and be humble in every way. Help me to follow you in a humble way. Guide me internally how to open wide my heart for you to undertake my whole being. God You are inside me, use me Lord for Your Good works.

thank You Lord for: accepting me to Your disposition.
thank You Lord for showing me how surrender my wills and desires so I could just desire what is your will.
thank You Lord for making me worthy to receive your abundant blessings.
thank You Lord for showing me how to seek Your Kingdom.
thank You Lord for showing me how to be righteous.
thank You Lord for showing me how to be humble in every way.
thank You Lord for being inside me and for using me for Your good works.