March 22 – Saturday of the Second Week of Lent
Readings- Micah 7:14-15, 18-20, Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12, Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

Invitation to Prayer: Heavenly Father, as we journey through the desert of this lenten season, help us to know that you offer us your very Self, not simply material wealth.

Reflection: Today’s Gospel is often referred to as “ The Prodigal Son” but there is more than one prodigal son in this story.  I want to focus this reflection on the older son.  I think we regular church goers are probably a lot like the older son, because we have stayed with the Father, we assume we are in a great spot. But we regularly need to ask ourselves, am I in right relationship with Him?   The father’s desire is to restore his relationship with both of his sons, to bring connection back. Both sons miss the point of what the father is really like, they miss the extreme generosity, limitless forgiveness and true affection he wants to lavish on them. They are confused when he throws caution and respectability to the wind in order to have this relationship with them.

The older brother coveted the possessions of the father as much as the younger son did; he might not have run off and spent the father’s money, but he is concerned about how long he’s served him and what he’s doing with the fatted calf.  He thought he could earn his father’s love and work towards deserving his possessions. The father, on the other hand, is unconcerned with his goods; he doesn’t ask for them back.  He wants his older son to have a father/son not a father/servant relationship.

The older son is also in need of  lessons on forgiveness, mercy and love. The father goes out and invites the older son into the celebration, he invites him to have mercy on his brother and also to share in the overflowing love that he has for both of them. The older son is angry, but who is he really angry at? His anger seems more directed towards the father, as if the father doesn’t really love him. His underlying problem is that he doesn’t believe in the love of the father.

The possibility of restoring right relationship is always present in this life, coming back to God.  Can we  learn from these prodigal brothers to find courage and make our way back?  If we turn towards our Father, he will see us coming, even from far off.

Prayer: Lord, you are always with us. Help us to turn to You, to spend time with You. Throughout this Lenten Season, Lord, help us to commit to spending time with You daily, so that we can unite our crosses with Yours.

Sarah Franck is the Pastoral Associate at the St. Henry Parish. Her main focus is on evangelization, especially in small group settings for teens and middle schoolers. 

March 23 – Sunday of the Third Week of Lent
Readings: Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15; Psalm 103: 1-2,3-4,6-7,8,11; 1 Corinthians 10:1-6,10-12; Luke 13:1-9

Invitation to Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, teach me how to pray, teach me how to love.

Reflection: In today’s gospel, Jesus addresses the crowd about the tragic events of his time, where some people were killed by Pilate, and others died when a tower fell. He emphasizes that these tragedies are not signs of greater sin in those who suffered, but rather a call for everyone to repent. Jesus uses these events as an opportunity to reflect on the brevity of life and the need for spiritual readiness.
This passage invites us to consider how we view suffering and calamity in the present day. Tragedies such as natural disasters, pandemics, and acts of violence often lead us to question the reasons behind them. Jesus reminds us that these events are not punishments for specific sins, but a part of the fallen world we live in. More importantly, he urges us to look inward, to assess our own lives, and to repent, turning toward God with urgency.
In today’s world, where we are confronted with global challenges and personal hardships, this reflection calls us to focus not on judging others or trying to explain the “why” of suffering, but on living with a sense of spiritual urgency. The parable of the fig tree, where the owner gives it one more chance to bear fruit before cutting it down, also speaks to the idea of grace and the opportunity for transformation. Just as the fig tree is given another year to produce, we are called to make the most of the time we have, to bear good fruit, and to live in alignment with God’s will.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I humbly acknowledge my shortcomings and ask for your forgiveness. Help me to turn away from my sins and walk in your ways.

Closing: Jesus’ message is as relevant today as it was in His time. He reminds us that life is fragile, and it challenges us to examine our hearts, seek repentance, and live with purpose, knowing that our time to make a difference in the world is limited. As we journey through Lent, let us ask God for the guidance and strength to follow His path.

Sean Ferguson is a Development Officer with the Stewardship Department for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. He and his wife Liz are excited to be expecting their first child later this summer. They live in Independence, KY and met through campus ministry at the University of Dayton.

In case you missed the reflection for a previous day, you can find it below!

March 5 – Ash Wednesday
Readings: Joel 2:12-18; Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 and 17; 2 Corinthians 5:20—6:2; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Invitation to Prayer:
At Christ’s invitation,
We come together,
Gathered in his name,
Drawn close to his voice.

Reflection: “Rend your hearts, not your garments.” Between this verse from the first reading, and Jesus’ “do not be like the…” theme in the Gospel, the message seems clear:

No empty gestures for Jesus.

Seems straightforward enough. Make sure you really mean in your heart what you say and what you do, and make sure you don’t say and do those things out of pride. I wonder if we can go a layer deeper.

I have four sons and just about all of them are past the ‘bring cute but ugly projects home from school’ phase. However, just last week I came home from a work trip and my youngest son gave me a present: a few popsicle sticks glued together with the words “I love you Dad” written in green and purple washable marker.

It was the exact opposite of the gestures described by Jesus in the Gospel, and it came into my heart as I prayed with today’s readings. No parent would look at a poorly constructed message of love from their kindergartner and say, “this isn’t very good. Are you sure you really love me?”And neither does God. Just like a child doesn’t need to do much to delight the heart of the parent, God doesn’t need much from us to delight his heart.

Too often we get caught in the “good enough” trap. We ask ourselves if we have done or said something good enough to please our Lord. Whether it’s the way we pray or how much, how often we go to Mass or confession, how well we dress or sing in Church… It is different for each of us. We can fall into the trap of worrying that somehow it isn’t quite good enough to please God.

This Lent, let us turn to God as children, knowing that he is delighted not by the quality OR the quantity of our gestures of Love, but by our very being. He loves us because we are his children. And that’s a message you can share with the whole world.

Prayer: God, thank you for all the ways you show us you love us. Thank you for the acts of love we know, and the acts of love we don’t know. Help us to focus not so much on the quality or quantity of our acts of love to you, but instead on who we really are: You’re beloved children. Help us to remember how delighted in us you are.

Closing: Today, consider what is your favorite and most natural act of love to God. Is it going to Mass? Praying the rosary? Reading the Bible? Whatever it is, consider how you can take one step further this Lent. Maybe it’s going to Mass on a weekday instead of just Sunday, or reading the Bible just five minutes longer than you normally do. Take something you love to do for God and dive in just a little deeper.

Dominick Albano is the former Director of Digital Communications for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. He is the author of two books and travels across the country to speak at parish missions, men’s conferences, and marriage retreats. Dominick now lives in Northern Illinois with his wife and four sons.

March 6 – Thursday after Ash Wednesday
Readings: Dn 30:15-20, Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6, Lk 9:22-25

Invitation to Prayer:  Heavenly Father, help us to die to self and grow in faith, hope, and love, that our lives might be a gift to others.

Reflection:  Are you an Old Testament Christian or a New Testament Christian?  Now that is an odd question isn’t it?  For what could an Old Testament Christian even be – there weren’t ANY Christians in the Old Testament – Jesus wasn’t born yet!  For that matter what is a New Testament Christian?  That’s kind of redundant.  Fair enough, let me explain.

These labels represent stereotypical views some have about the Old and New Testaments.  The Old Testament, according to this stereotype, is all about rules; think the 10 Commandments, the book of Leviticus and today’s reading from Deuteronomy.  The New Testament, on the other hand, has no rules per se, it’s all Jesus loves me; think John 3:16: “For God so loved the world…”  For the so-called stereotypical Old Testament Christian, sin is breaking the rules and God is more akin to Santa Claus than the divine creator of the universe:  “He knows if you’ve been bad or good so be good for goodness’ sake!”  For the so-called stereotypical New Testament Christian there’s almost no such thing as sin.  As long as we are “nice” and don’t kick puppies, God is happy with us.

Why is there such a disparity?  Even though these are stereotypes there must be something to them.  I thought God didn’t change.  Well, your right God doesn’t change, but we do!  You see, in the Old Testament, Abraham, before he was called by God was, as most were at the time, a pagan.  There were no Jewish traditions, teachings, or people.  That was God’s promise to Abraham – I will make of you a great nation and He did!  But that was in the future.  God had to start teaching Abraham and the great nation that came from him the basics of what it meant to be the chosen people of God.  And after many, many generations this culminated in Moses and the 10 Commandments.  You see, God couldn’t start by giving Abraham the Beatitudes to teach the people.  They simply wouldn’t be able to understand them or put them into practice.  Abraham himself would have been able to, he was THE man of faith after all!  Would that we all had the faith he did!  But starting the lesson with the Beatitudes would be like teaching kindergartners that they must be kind, loving, gentle, and generous.  They would all pay attention to the lesson, smile, and nod their heads eagerly when asked if they understood.  But the first time someone started playing with their favorite toy some of them would probably run over yelling “Mine, mine!”, grab the toy and push their classmate down.  They simply need time to grow and mature so they can understand what being kind, loving, gentle, and generous means.  And until they do mature, they need rules.  As they mature, they may actually become kind, loving, gentle, and generous and no longer need rules for they live out what the rules were there to teach them.  They don’t just do loving, gentle, and generous things, they are loving, gentle, and generous – it’s part of their nature now – who they are.

It’s the same with us in our spiritual journey.  Through the discipline of Lent, through the rules if you will, we are being called to mature as Christians.  To learn to deny ourselves, to live for others not for ourselves, to take up our cross daily and follow the Lord.  But we don’t learn this all at once.  It took thousands of years of preparation before the time was right for Jesus to come and teach us the Beatitudes.  It will probably take more than a few seasons of Lent for the Beatitudes to become 2nd nature to us – to be who we are.

Ultimately sin is not about breaking a rule, it’s about breaking a relationship:  our relationship with God.  The Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments, is indeed a story about how much God loves us.  The question for us to ponder this Lent is how much do we love God?

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to fully enter into Lent this year.  By your grace, reveal to me where I need to mature as a Christian.  By your grace, may I be a blessing to others and thereby give you glory and praise.

Closing: This Lent, in imitation of Our Lord, let us joyfully take up our cross and follow Him!

Deacon Rusty Baldwin is assigned to the St. Gaspar Family of Parishes. He has been married to his wonderful wife Heather for 40 years. They have 8 children. He is retired but keeps quite busy serving in various roles in his Family of Parishes.

March 7 – Friday After Ash Wednesday
Readings: Isaiah 58:1-9a, Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 18-19, Matthew 9:14-15

Invitation to Prayer: Lord, we come to you thankful for your grace and mercy, and we seek to carry it into the world.

Reflection: As we begin our Lenten journey, our hearts, souls, and minds are focused and ready to embrace our Lenten traditions (and we are COMMITED to doing even better than last year at giving up chocolate, social media, wine, being sarcastic, etc.). Yet it’s instructive that these readings early in Lent point to that which God might find especially meaningful: moving our community towards charity, mercy, justice, and solidarity. While sacrificing some of things we enjoy and offering that up to God is undoubtedly strengthening to our faith, it’s clear that our personal piety cannot – MUST not – stop within ourselves. If these actions bring us closer to God and if Christ calls us to love God, ourselves, and others, then we must carry that love into the world. We must recognize that we come closest to being the people God when our love broadens to include our neighbors, especially our sisters and brothers in Christ who are suffering in poverty and experiencing marginalization and oppression.
Our world is reeling from the challenges all around us: wars, hunger, disease, division, disregard for refugees, diminished care for those most in need, and more. We, the people of God, are called – nay, required – to step into those difficult spaces and act out of love for love. We must break the yoke of the oppressed, change the systems that keep people hungry and homeless, demand that our leaders support policies and practices that care for those fleeing persecution and oppression, and unite to overcome that which divides us.

“Cry out full-throated and unsparingly, lift up your voice like a trumpet blast; Tell my people their wickedness, and the house of Jacob their sins.” (Is 58:1)

“Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer, you shall cry for help, and He will say: Here I am!” (Is 58:9a)

Prayer: God, as we step fully into this season of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, open our hearts to not seek to come closer to you but also to bring our world and everything in it closer to your kingdom.

Closing: In the spirit of stewardship and mercy, where is God calling you to bring the gifts God has given you – your skills, passions, and strengths – into the world and boldly work for peace, justice, and compassion?

Andrew Musgrave has served as the Director of the Catholic Social Action office since 2019. He is a member of the Crescent Family of Parishes, and is married to Ana with whom he has two amazing daughters, Layla and Juliet.

March 8 – Saturday after Ash Wednesday
Readings: Is 58:9b-14; Ps 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6; Lk 5:27-32

Invitation to Prayer: “Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.” (Ps 86:11)

Reflection: In the first interview since his election to the papacy in 2013, Pope Francis was asked “Who is Jorge Bergolio?” “I am a sinner. This is the most accurate definition,” he replied. The Pharisees in today’s Gospel would have done well to understand that all are tempted to sin. Most of us regularly fall short of the love that God calls us to know and to share. As scholars and leaders, they would have been able to recite from memory today’s Psalm, “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 him.” Yet, rather than striving to walk God’s path more closely, they judged others, including (and as time went on, especially) Jesus, and holding themselves above judgment.

Jesus knew the sinfulness of humanity. He came to forgive and to offer salvation, to draw all people toward right relationship with God. Jesus embodied what the prophet Isaiah proclaimed in today’s first reading: “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.” As Christ’s people, we are called to embody this care and compassion for all who long for relief, from hunger, thirst, loneliness, illness, and affliction.

As we enter this Lenten season, we are invited to admit our sinfulness, turn away from sin, and to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us toward God and God’s ways. We need Jesus, the physician who comes to call us to repentance and hear him say, “Follow me.” The question we must hear today is “Who are you?” Are you a Pharisee, ready to judge others for their shortcomings and eager to show yourself as superior? Or are you a sinner who hears the call of Christ and is eager to follow with open heart and mind?

Prayer:
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.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you. (Ps 86: 11ab, 3-5)

Closing: Take time today to reflect on your life. Be honest with yourself: what sin or failing tempts you? Resolve to avoid this sin and to follow Jesus more closely, toward right relationship with God and others.

Leisa Anslinger is a Parish Vitality Specialist for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. She has served in parish and school ministry and is an author and speaker. Leisa and her husband Steve reside in Lebanon, Tennessee.

March 9 – First Sunday of Lent
Readings: Deuteronomy 26:4-10; Psalm 91:1-2, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15; Romans 10:8-13; Luke 4:1-13

Invitation to Prayer: For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” You are “my refuge and fortress, my God in whom I trust” (Rom 10:13, Ps 91:2).

Reflection: The first reading recalls the mighty work of God in the land of Egypt. There God’s chosen people were enslaved and oppressed. They called on the Lord, He heard them and responded. “He brought us out of Egypt with His strong hand and outstretched arm, with terrifying power, with signs and wonders, (Deut 26:8). Moses is urging the people to offer their first fruits to the Lord in remembrance of Him giving them such rich soil in the promise land.

The wonderful saving work of God is echoed in the second reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans. If our hearts are focused on God and we believe His Son, then God will hear us in our need and save us from the slavery of sin. “For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” Rom 10:13). Paul is urging us to trust in God, we have seen Jesus raised from the dead and expect that we too will be brought from death into life.

During this Lent, we seek to root out the things that keep us from trusting in the mighty work God. Much like Israel in the Old Testament and the early Church of Paul, we can forget that God has worked life-giving miracles. Already we might be struggling with our Lenten resolutions. Those habits we have given up or devotions that we have added might be wearing on us. We must hear the words of hope today: God can work in your life and lead you to new life; have trust.

The Gospel shows that we have a Lord who knows what it is like to suffer temptation. He has mastered the master of lies. No matter what is to come in this forty-day journey, we must call on this Lord. Remember, “Because he clings to me, I will deliver him; I will set him on high because he knowledge’s my name” (Ps 91:14). We must only call on His name, He will hear our cry and answer us.

Prayer: Lord, be with me in times of distress or temptation, help me to remember Your mighty deeds, and trust in Your saving plan for my life.

Closing: How can invite God into my anxiety or temptations today? What might I do grow my trust in the Lord and His work in my life?

Matt Hess is the Director of Ministry at the Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics.

March 10 – Monday of the First Week of Lent
Readings: Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18; Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 15; Matthew 25:31-46

Invitation to Prayer: In the desert of our heart, Lord let me draw closer to your will

Reflection: Sin. It’s a word we know, but do we understand. Sometimes it’s easy to know sin. If you steal $500 from someone, you know you have sinned. Sometimes the lack of action, is that sin?
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ (MT 25:35-38)
Often times the sin of being self-righteous enters my heart as I become judge and jury and adjudicate the person put themselves in a bad situation. Or the sin of blindness to human suffering.
Sometimes it’s easy to write a check to an organization to help the downtrodden and of course that’s good. But sometimes we must understand suffering and walk with those as they are searching too. Just like I am.
This Lent is a time to shed those pre-determined ideas how others live. We all stray from our Lord and as we are in the desert, it’s a great time to shed some of our old ways, and begin the journey to redemption.

Prayer: Open my eyes Lord to those around me.

Closing: During the quiet of Lent, think about those in your family and friends that may be suffering and reach out to them.

Greg Hartman is the New Media Editor of The Catholic Telegraph

March 11 – Tuesday of the First Week of Lent
Readings: Isaiah 55:10-11; Psalm 34:4-5, 6-7, 16-17, 18-19; Matthew 6:7-15

Invitation to Prayer: Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Reflection: In Today’s Gospel, Jesus gives his disciples a model of prayer, teaching them what we call today the Lord’s Prayer. The brevity, simplicity, and focus on the central tenets of prayer make it a powerful tool for us Christians.

Historically, the Lord’s Prayer has been famous for being recited in dire circumstances to comfort the faithful, invoke spiritual protection, and inspire action amongst the courageous. One example of this is when passengers of United Flight 93 prayed the Lord’s prayer before retaking control of the plane from the terrorists on September 11th, 2001. A 911 operator recounts that Todd Beamer led passengers with the Lord’s Prayer before they retook the aircraft from terrorists. The passengers were able to revert the plane and crash the plane into a field in rural Pennsylvania instead of its planned terror route in Washington, DC.

Prayer: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Closing: In this Lenten season, I challenge you to pray with passion and expectancy. You are a partner in God’s covenant. In combination with prayers of worship and submission, share your fears, plans, and glories with God. Pray with expectancy that God will equip you and use you for his will here on Earth.

Jake Emser is the director of strategy and communications at the Center for the New Evangelization. He lives in Dayton, Ohio with his wife Elizabeth and son Charlie.

March 12 – Wednesday of the First Week of Lent
Readings: Jonah 3:1-10; Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19; Luke 11:29-32

Introduction: Create in me a heart contrite and humbled, O God.

Reflection on Jonah 3:1-10 and Luke 11:29-32
The story or Jonah is not an unknown story. It’s an interesting one too, with Jonah running from God, getting swallowed by a whale, until finally, begrudgingly, going to Ninevah to announce its destruction after 40 days. And amazingly, people of Ninevah listened and repented. And this wasn’t just some small town, but an “enormously large city”, a center of trade a culture, opened their eyes to their sin and committed to changing their ways. Even their king sat in the ashes and commanded repentance. And our great God had mercy on them.

Now what about us? Jesus said to the people of his own time that “this generation is an evil generation”. Does He not also speak to us? We do not care for our most vulnerable as we should: the unborn, the refugee, the homeless. We are tasked with upholding the dignity of all, but there are voices pulling us to defend some lives and persecute others. And there are other voices pulling us in other ways, again defending some and persecuting others.

God sent Jonah to Ninevah and at his preaching, they repented. For us, God already sent his sign, one greater than Jonah. He sent His Son Jesus Christ. There is no sign but Jesus and the teachings he left us. So, have you repented? Have we repented in our hearts and shown that through our prayers and actions? We are now a week into Lent, let us remain strong and disciplined in our penance, giving our whole heart to the Lord for he will, without a doubt, be gracious and merciful to us.

Prayer: O Merciful and Gracious Father, grant me a humble and contrite heart, accepting Your great Love within me, and letting it pour out through me into the world.

Closing: Today, take some time in quiet to reflect on God’s mercy and how His Love has moved you towards repentance. How does that Love manifest in you and how do you offer it to others?

Jillian Foster works in the Catholic Social Action in Dayton. Having spent time in Haiti as a Maryknoll Lay Missioner, she now lives in Dayton and enjoys singing with the choir at church and still loves learning about other countries and cultures.

March 13- Thursday The First Week of Lent 
Readings: Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25; Psalm 138: 1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8; Matthew 7:7-12

Invitation to Prayer: “Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.” Esther asked and God answered her. May this Lenten season open our heart to “always ask, seek, and knock” for God’s grace to renew our heart with His eternal love, mercy, and forgiveness.

Reflection: Last week, I was in the depths of a head cold that held my head in a vice-grip clamp that would not let go. Four days, I lay helpless in our bedroom with a box of Puffs Kleenex, daytime and nighttime severe cold and flu caplets, Ibuprofen, as I coughed up globs of phlegm, my nose running like a leaking facet, my eyes burning like an all night camp fire.

Every known temptation of loneliness, self-pity, isolation, why me, why now kept haunting me in my thoughts and dreams. I slept most of those days away but the temptations in those dreams were making me feel worst. I found myself in a dark place. A place where darkness seem to embrace all my thoughts, a place no one wants to be.

Then at my lowest point, I remembered my Lord. I remembered my Blessed Mother’s most holy rosary. I remembered their hope, their trust, their love for me as Jesus thirsted for all of us from his Cross. I remembered his promise in the Gospel of Matthew; “ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

My dear friends, this Lenten season Jesus reminds us today, invites us today to “always ask, seek, and knock” for him in our lives. No matter if things are going well or life throws us a knuckleball or one may find themselves in some dark place; remember what a beautiful invitation Jesus offers today and everyday of our lives; his eternal love, mercy, and forgiveness for those who “ask, seek, and knock.”

Prayer: Father God, good and gracious Lord you always answer our call, our prayer with your eternal love, mercy, and forgiveness. May we always “ask, seek, and knock” for your presence in our lives. Amen.

Closing: “How much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him.” Matt 7:12

Deacon Henry Jacquez, ordained April 2013, serves in the Queen of Apostles Family of Parishes, serves as Secretary on the Board of Trustees for Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center. He has been married to his wife, Betsy for 45 years, and is father of three children and seven grandsons.

March 14 – Friday of the First Week of Lent
Readings: Ezekiel 18:21-28; Psalm 130:1-4, 5-7a, 7bc-8; Matthew 5:20-26

Invitation to Prayer: Cast away from me Lord all the sins I have committed and instill in me a new heart and a new spirit.

Reflection: Jesus teaches us today to settle with our opponents quickly. This was not a lesson in legal advice; rather, Jesus was imploring us to model His mercy toward anyone and everyone who could be seen as our opponent.

Forgiveness is essential and simply the right thing to do; even when we are wronged intentionally or cut to the quick in the resulting pain. Forgiveness is not always easy but we can be sure it is always not enough of a gesture. Jesus, through the Sacraments, taught us to seek the grace of reconciliation.

To reconcile with another and to reestablish a true friendship means that you not only forgive but also do all you can to ensure that you reestablish a relationship with that person. Of course, that takes both people to cooperate; but, for our part, it means that we must press on and work to establish this reconciliation.

Think about someone who has hurt you, and, as a result, your relationship with them has been damaged. Have you prayerfully forgiven that person before God? Have you prayed for that person and asked God to forgive them? This takes great humility, especially if the other person has not yet offered an apology. Jesus says to settle; to not wait for the other person to make the first move. Don’t hold their sin before them or hold on to a grudge.

This teaching is difficult for many of us. If we fail to do all we can to reconcile, the Lord holds us accountable for it. Ezekiel speaks the words that we may feel: the Lord’s way is not fair ! While the expectations that Jesus places on us may seem unfair at first, it is clearly not because of the depth of mercy that our Lord offers to us every day.

Prayer: Most merciful Lord, I thank You for forgiving me and for loving me. Thank You for reconciling with me despite my imperfect contrition. Give me a heart that always seeks to love the sinner in my life. Help me to offer mercy to the fullest extent in imitation of Your divine mercy. Jesus, I place all my trust in You.

Closing: Reflect, today, upon the person who comes to mind with whom you need to fully reconcile and rekindle a relationship of love. Pray for this grace, commit yourself to it and look for opportunities to do so. Do it without reserve and you will never regret your decision.

Deacon Ed Bayliss is assigned to the St. Gregory the Great family of parishes: Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. John Fisher and Guardian Angels. He is the Business Manager and serves also as deacon at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains. He and his wife Kim live in New Richmond.

March 15 – Saturday of the First Week of Lent
Readings: Deuteronomy 26:16-19; Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8; Matthew 5:43-48

Invitation to Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, open our hearts, minds, and ears this day so that we may receive all you have in store for us.

Reflection: When I was younger, I remember a kid who would pick on me relentlessly. It didn’t matter what I did, or what was happening, he always found a way to blame me. For better or worse, I always think of him during today’s Gospel from Matthew.

“But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.”

High school me HATED this notion. Why do I have to love this guy who makes me feel Insignificant every single day? It just didn’t make sense to me.

I carried this baggage with me for a long time, and it really hindered my ability to grow personally and spiritually because there was this resentment and anger that I carried, like a ball and chain around my ankle. I remember bringing this up with my spiritual director at the time who reminded me that the Our Father specifically says, “And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

It struck me to my core, but he was right. Jesus Himself gave us that prayer and told us this is how we pray. I needed to forgive him if I wanted freedom from this ball and chain of resentment. It took time and prayer, but eventually, I was able to forgive him. The freedom I’ve experienced since has helped me grow in all kinds of ways, just as Moses said in Deuteronomy.
“And today the LORD is making this agreement with you: you are to be a people peculiarly his own, as he promised you; and provided you keep all his commandments, he will then raise you high in praise and renown and glory above all other nations he has made, and you will be a people sacred to the LORD, your God, as he promised.”

Today, I’d like to encourage you to take some time to look at those who you harbor resentment towards. I encourage you to sit with the Lord in prayer and ask Him for the graces necessary to forgive them and experience the freedom Christ has in store for all of us.

Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, give us the graces necessary to love ALL our neighbors, especially those who we struggle to love.

Closing: Forgiveness is challenging, and loving all our neighbors can be even harder. Know that I am praying for you as I also continue wrestling with this calling.

Alex Bodenschatz served as a NET Missionary from 2018-2020 and now works with NET Ministries as the Eastern Regional Recruiter.

March 16 – Second Sunday of Lent
Readings: Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18; Ps 27: 1, 7-9, 13-14; Philippians 3: 17-4:1; Luke 9:28b-36

Invitation to Prayer: The Lord is my light and my salvation (Ps 27)

Reflection: Have you ever had a true ‘mountain top experience?’ A moment when you came to really experience God’s glory? Or maybe a moment when you felt totally connected with the awesomeness of who Jesus is, and what you mean to Him? I imagine that you’d want to stay on that mountain. Stay and bask in His glory. Stay to completely share in communion, to feel our Savior’s love…deeply, directly.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could? This is what the Apostles Peter, John, and James ask of Jesus when they see His true glory, in all its shining radiance, glowing from within Him. “It is good that we are here!” They want to stay and erect booths. Stay and worship. Continue the experience…the feeling of being close to our Lord. What’s wrong with that?

Instead, Jesus called them to more. He was calling them to go out into the world, to evangelize, to take up their crosses and to follow Him. To shine like He shines. Not from within, not from their own glory, but reflecting His glory, His love, into the world.

Jesus is calling us all to that. Not to just stay on the mountain top, but to go forth. To take His light into the darkness. He is the Sun, we are the moon. Maybe a good question as we begin this Lent is: are we good reflectors? Are we shiny enough (that is, holy)? What smudges do we need to clean up in our lives to clearly reflect His glory? Are we pointed in the right direction (charity) so we can shine His love on others? What do we need to let go so that we can shine Christ’s love on others?

I like to meditate on St Teresa of Calcutta’s “Radiating Christ” prayer that she asked her sisters to pray every day. You can easily find it online. I think this portion really captures what we are all called to:
“Let them look up and see no longer me, but only Jesus!
Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as You shine,
so to shine as to be a light to others.
The light, O Jesus, will be all from You;
none of it will be mine. It will be you,
shining on others through me.”

Prayer: Lord, this Lent please help me to be a good reflector of Your Son’s glory, to be His light in the darkness, to carry His love into the world.

Deacon Jesse Fanning serves the Mother of God Family of Parishes (NE-5) in Kettering, and assists the Archdiocese with the formation of aspirants to the permanent deaconate.

March 17 – Monday of the Second Week of Lent
Readings: Daniel 9:4b-10; Psalm 79:8, 9, 11 and 13; Luke 6:36-38