Weekend of March 3, 2024

Lectio Divina

Weekend of February 24th, 2024

Opening Prayer

Lord help me to open my heart to any foolishness that has distorted Your Word and Wisdom that eternally stands in Your law. Help me to let go of the pride of justification. Help me to know with my head and believe with my heart that You alone seek my eternal good. Lord you have the words of everlasting life. Speak Lord, your servant is listening. Amen

1st Reading Exodus 20:1-17

In those days, God delivered all these commandments: “I, the LORD am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. You shall not have other gods besides me. “You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain. For the LORD will not leave unpunished the one who takes his name in vain. “Remember to keep holy the sabbath day. Honor your father and your mother, that you may have a long life in the land which the Lord, your God, is giving you. You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass, nor anything else that belongs to him.”

Reflection

God's law is immutable and unchanging. Culture changes, and the ways in which we break God's law change, but God's law stands the test of time. We as humans are very good at justification (more on this in the upcoming readings). We are not meant to read God's law and decide for ourselves if we have broken it. We are not our own judge and jury although we like to believe we are. We are meant to make our daily decisions based on the relationship we have with God and what He places upon our hearts. Spend time this week in prayer going through the commandments one by one. "Lord do I have other Gods in my life? What are my other Gods? Lord when have I taken your name in vain? Do I keep your Sabbath holy?..." When we take it to the One who set the standard we might find our hearts convicted differently than when we set the standard.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 19

R. (John 6:68c) Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul; The decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the command of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eye.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever;the ordinances of the LORD are true, all of them just.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
They are more precious than gold, than a heap of purest gold; sweeter also than syrup or honey from the comb.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

Reflection

Today the church uses Peter's response to Jesus as the response, "Lord, you have the words of everlasting life." These words are spoken by Peter when asked by Jesus, "Will you also leave?" Jesus had just finished explaining the Eucharist to the crowds and many could not understand or accept His words, so they left. With today's Psalm, as with the commandments, we are called to ask questions in prayer. "Do I believe and behave as if the law of the Lord is perfect?" "Do I believe and behave as if the precepts of the Lord are right?" Perhaps a first question would be, "Do I know the law and the Word of God deeply enough that it is the law of my heart?" What stirs in your heart? God does not seek our shame. God does not seek our blind obedience. God does not seek to burden us. God loves us and seeks our greatest good and each of His laws serve a purpose toward that end.

2nd Reading 1 Corinthians 1:22-25

Brothers and sisters:
Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom,
but we proclaim Christ crucified,
a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike,
Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,
and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

Reflection

Fr. Adam Bradley has spoken to the heart of man often in his sermons. A common human phrase when justifying breaking God's law goes something like this, "God understands my situation." There lies in this statement man's wisdom. God does indeed understand our situation. His law remains. We are precious and unique and loved by our Lord in countless ways, but never the ways that we feel we are above His command. God understands and still calls us to holiness. We as Christians understand (hopefully) the cross. We understand that Christ died to take on our sin, our weakness, our justification so that we could be in a close personal relationship with Him. When we are in a close relationship with Him, justification falls away. He is allowed to speak directly to our hearts and draw us back to truth. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20) Open the door of your heart to Jesus this week.

Gospel Jn 2:13-25

Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money changersand overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.” His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, Zeal for your house will consume me. At this the Jews answered and said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken. While he was in Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, many began to believe in his name when they saw the signs he was doing. But Jesus would not trust himself to them because he knew them all, and did not need anyone to testify about human nature. He himself understood it well.

Reflection

Spend time reading today's Gospel slowly. Go back now and take your time with it. Pause and place yourself in this Gospel. What is standing out to you? What emotions are you feeling? In prayer ask the Lord to reveal His truth for you in this Gospel. How does His eternal Word apply to your current life situation? How does this Gospel tie in to the readings today? Ask, seek, knock. Jesus waits for you in your inner room of prayer.