My reflections for Mar. 04, 2006 - Saturday

March 4, 2006

Reading I
Isaiah 58:9-14

Thus says the LORD:
If you remove from your midst oppression,
false accusation and malicious speech;
If you bestow your bread on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
Then light shall rise for you in the darkness,
and the gloom shall become for you like midday;
Then the LORD will guide you always
and give you plenty even on the parched land.
He will renew your strength,
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring whose water never fails.
The ancient ruins shall be rebuilt for your sake,
and the foundations from ages past you shall raise up;
“Repairer of the breach,” they shall call you,
“Restorer of ruined homesteads.”

If you hold back your foot on the sabbath
from following your own pursuits on my holy day;
If you call the sabbath a delight,
and the LORD’s holy day honorable;
If you honor it by not following your ways,
seeking your own interests, or speaking with malice—
Then you shall delight in the LORD,
and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
I will nourish you with the heritage of Jacob, your father,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

(Mercy is an essential aspect of the Gospel. Without the mercy of God we would be left in the condemnation caused by our sinfulness. If we have received such great mercy, which we have, whether we like it or not, we must also be willing to minister it to others when they sin against us. Having received God's mercy for our sins it is much easier for us to share that same mercy with others no matter how many times they may hurt us.)

Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.
Incline your ear, O LORD; answer me,
for I am afflicted and poor.
Keep my life, for I am devoted to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God.
R. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.
Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for to you I call all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
R. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.
Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my pleading.
R. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.

Gospel
Luke 5:27-32

Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, “Follow me.”
And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him.
Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house,
and a large crowd of tax collectors
and others were at table with them.
The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying,
“Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do.
I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.”

(Tax collectors were one of the most despised classes of people in all Israel. It seems that we all have a certain aversion to those who administer the tax laws of our country as well as the fact that the Jews considered them traitors in collaborating with the Roman powers. Jesus, however, desires to make them His friends. Indeed it seems that Matthew himself was probably a tax collector. This clearly gives us some idea of the broad reach of the Gospel. If tax collectors can be redeemed , then virtually anyone can become a recipient of the Gospel.)

Meditation for Lent <== Click here

God's special verse/thought for me today.
Teach me your way, O Lord, so I may walk on Your truth. You know Lord that I gave up pretty much everything to find the truth. By the guidance of the Holy Spirit and with moral courage, humility and obedience, I am following your way. I gave up doing my own way which most people do. Lord, it is now Your way, the divine way is what I desire to follow. Lord, give me the strenght to be consistent following your way and living on the truth which are Your words. Give me Lord the wisdom so I may understand Your way and know the truth through Your words. I hunger for the truth O Lord because I seek Your kingdom and Your righteouness. Make me worthy O Lord to deserve Your Kingdom by being righteous. Have mercy on me and my family O Lord, I trust in You, rescue us for we are your children who depends on You.

my reflections
think: If we have received such great mecy, we must also be willing to minister it to others when they sin against us.
Forgive our trespasses us we forgive those who trespassed against us. O Lord, let your mercy show us to be merciful as we also show your love to others how you love us. Have mercy on us O Lord for you are the only one who provides our daily bread.

thank You Lord for: teaching me Your ways.
thank You Lord for guiding me how to walk on Your truth.
thank You Lord for showing me how to be merciful to others who sin against me.
thank You Lord for forgiving my sins.
thank You Lord for Your mercy.
thank You Lord for teaching me how to trust You.
thank You Lord for rescuing me and my family.
thank You Lord for giving us our daily bread.