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five minutes with the
Word Lent 2017
12/21/16 10:37 AM
Five Minutes with the Word President: Jeff Smith Publisher: Joseph Difato, Ph.D. Editor: Leo Zanchettin Associate Editor: Sue Heuver Assistant Editor for Meditations: Hallie Riedel Contributing Writers: Ann Bottenhorn, Jill Boughton, Kathryn Elliott, Bob French, P.M. Graham, Theresa Keller, Christine Laton, Joel Laton, Lynne May, Fr. Joseph A. Mindling, O.F.M. Cap., Lisa Sharafinski, Fr. Joseph F. Wimmer, O.S.A., Patty Whelpley Art Direction: David Crosson Director of Operations: Jack Difato General Manager: John Roeder Production Manager: Nancy Clemens For sales or customer service, direct all mail to The Word Among Us, 7115 Guilford Dr., STE 100, Frederick, Maryland 21704. Telephone: 301-874-1700 Fax: 301-874-2190. Our Web address is www.wau.org. e-mail: theresa@wau.org. Made in the U.S.A. Five Minutes with the Word is published from 7115 Guilford Dr., STE 100, Frederick, Maryland 21704. Letters to the editor should be addressed to this location. Canadian Publications Mail Agreement #40031176 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to The Word Among Us, c/o Metanoia Outreach Box 1107, Station F Toronto, Ontario M4Y 2T8 Copyright Š2016 The Word Among Us. The meditations in this booklet may be reproduced with prior approval of the publisher for use in Bible studies, discussion groups, religion classes, and the like. Excerpts from the New American Bible with Revised New Testament and Psalms Copyright Š1991, 1986, 1970 by the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. Used with permission. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
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Are You the One?
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hen we think of John the Baptist, we tend to imagine a heroic, fearless prophet who stood fast his whole life. But Scripture tells us that toward the end of his life, John may have lost some of his confidence. Having been imprisoned by Herod, he began to wonder if Jesus really was the Messiah. So he sent some of his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come?” (Matthew 11:3). We all know what disappointments and setbacks can feel like. We may wonder sometimes if Jesus really is the Savior of the world. We may wonder if he really is risen from the dead. We may even wonder if there is a heaven! Thank God for Lent! For the next six weeks, we can ask the Holy Spirit to reassure us and build up our confidence in him. We can take up the traditional practices of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving—practices that can show us more clearly that Jesus truly is the One sent by God. So make sure you to set aside a few moments for prayer each day this Lent. Read the meditations in this little booklet and reflect on them. Let these meditations, which are based on the daily Mass readings, help you fix your eyes on Jesus. And ask the Holy Spirt to help you believe more deeply that Jesus is the Son of God and that he loves you very much. May God bless you and your family this Lent. May he give you the same assurance he gave to John so long ago. Joe Difato Publisher
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Wednesday, March 1
ASH WEDNESDAY A meditation based on Joel 2:12-18
Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart. (Joel 2:12)
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ow: it’s an urgent word, a word that doesn’t allow for delay. It’s a word that promises immediate fulfillment. You can feel it when the prophet Joel called God’s people to return. You can see it in St. Paul’s ardent plea: “Now is a very acceptable time” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Both Paul and Joel are saying the same thing: God is always eager to pour out his grace. He’s always ready to bless us. This is the first thing we need to know as we begin these forty days of Lent. But if God is always eager, why do we need a season like Lent? Because while it’s always now to God, it isn’t always so for us. We need the structure of seasons like Lent to get our attention. We need the reminder to simplify our schedules and look to God more intensely. We need the call to increased prayer or fasting to shake up our routines and make us more eager for him. So set these forty days aside as a retreat. If you’ve struggled with prayer in the past, don’t worry; today—now— can be a fresh start. Give God ten minutes each day. If you can’t do that, what about eight? Whatever amount of time,
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it can be your chance to retreat from pressing concerns and make yourself available to God. Open your heart to him as you read each day’s Scripture passage and meditation. Try to sense what God might be saying to you. For each bit of time you give to God, you will discover that you are able to trust him a little more. For each bit of time you spend praying with his word, you’ll notice your heart feeling a little lighter. You’ll find yourself smiling more, no matter what life throws at you. Don’t doubt that God is pouring out his grace this Lent. Receive it. Every day. Now is your time! TODAY’S OTHER READINGS: Psalm 51:3-6, 12-14, 17 2 Corinthians 5:20–6:2 Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
Pray. . .
“Lord, thank you for giving me the season of Lent. Renew my enthusiasm and anticipation as I turn to you each day. Draw me closer!”
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Thursday, March 2
A meditation based on Deuteronomy 30:15-20
The LORD, your God, will bless you in the land you are entering to occupy. (Deuteronomy 30:16)
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hat is it to be alive? Here’s how Welsh poet Waldo Williams answered this age-old question: to truly live is to find ourselves dwelling in “a spacious hall between narrow walls.” Sometimes the walls of life are narrower than we might like. Perhaps we haven’t had all the opportunities we wanted—to travel, to try something new, or to follow a certain career path. Maybe we are constrained by a lack of resources or time, or circumstances have gotten in the way. So within the limits of these “narrow walls” each of us has been given, how can we still live in a “spacious hall”? Williams the poet and Moses the prophet agree: it’s not about overcoming restrictions to find material prosperity or success or even fulfillment. It’s about being grateful, humble, and faithful. It’s about finding contentment in small blessings. Think of the choice Moses places before the Israelites. The Promised Land, which they are about to enter, is clearly defined; they cannot extend its borders to make it a richer, more powerful country. But if they choose to love God and follow his commands, they will experience their new land as a blessed place. On the other hand, should they cross the Jordan dreaming of what other gods could
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offer them, ingratitude will gnaw away at their satisfaction with what God has given them. For the next six weeks, you will “inhabit” the land of Lent. You may find the walls narrow as you give up some of your time and preferences. So reflect on your expectations. How confident are you that you will be blessed here? In the weeks to come, when your initial enthusiasm turns to weariness or hunger, how will you ensure that you recognize God’s gentle hand protecting you, guiding you, and cultivating your growth? You might consider keeping a written list each day of reasons to be thankful. Or agree to meet a friend regularly to share your gratitude. Paying attention to God’s goodness will ignite your appreciation and love for him. TODAY’S OTHER READINGS: Psalm 1:1-4, 6 Luke 9:22-25
Pray. . .
“Lord, help me pay less attention to the narrow walls around me, and more attention to how you will enlarge the hall of my life and fill it with blessing!”
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Friday, March 3
A meditation based on Isaiah 58:1-9
This, rather, is the fasting that I wish. (Isaiah 58:6)
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at-burning diets, raw food diets, low carb diets. Name the problem, and there’s a specialized diet for it. Sometimes the diets offer conflicting advice, making it hard to decide which one is best. But despite their differences, they all have one goal in common: to make you a slimmer, healthier version of yourself. The people of Israel had a goal for their “dieting” as well: they wanted God to hear and answer their prayers. But fasting is not like dieting, where we simply reduce our food intake to get the results we are looking for. Fasting is an invitation to strip off distractions and make more room for God. It may not sound appealing at first, but fasting is one of the greatest blessings God gives to us during Lent. Our distractions are too numerous to count. When we eliminate one or more of them—snacks or TV time or gossip—we open up time and space for God. We move beyond the thing we are giving up and embrace the gift that God has for us. Perhaps it’s a word of encouragement from Scripture or an insight about someone we love or a softer heart toward a difficult neighbor. Fasting can open the door to these gifts simply because we are more able to recognize them in our lives.
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There’s another blessing to fasting, one that we don’t often think about. That same time and space that we give to God is also a sacred gift that we give to ourselves. When we set aside this time and space, we are asking the Lord to be more present to us. We are asking him to give us a deeper taste of his love and a deeper sense of his comfort and healing. So pray about what types of things might be good for you to fast from. Remember, this is a season of grace, and God is more than willing to shower his blessings on you as you seek him. TODAY’S OTHER READINGS: Psalm 51:3-6, 18-19 Matthew 9:14-15
Pray. . . “Father, through my fasting and
prayer this Lent, help me to glimpse the glory you have promised.”
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Saturday, March 4
A meditation based on Isaiah 58:9-14
If you call the sabbath a delight . . . if you honor it by not following your ways . . . then you shall delight in the LORD. (Isaiah 58:13, 14)
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oday is Saturday, the day of the Jewish Sabbath. All across the world, the people of Israel will gather to worship, be instructed by the Hebrew Scriptures, and rest. So why do we Christians consider Sunday as “the Lord’s day”? The practice of gathering to worship on Sunday began almost immediately in the early Church and became common by the end of the first century. As best we know, it’s because of a few factors working together. Even as the New Testament was being written, Christianity and Judaism were quickly growing apart. Many Gentiles, with no ties to Jewish tradition, were converting to Christianity. So adopting a new day wouldn’t necessarily be inconceivable. But why Sunday? It goes back to Genesis, where Sunday is portrayed as the dawn of creation. It’s the first day, when God brought light into the darkness. It’s also the day that Jesus rose from the dead—a day that all four Gospels attest to. So the first Christians took this image of light breaking through as a way to describe Jesus’ resurrection and our entry into new life. It was the dawning of the age of the Church, the
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day that the darkness of sin was defeated and the gates of heaven were opened. The power of sin and the grave were broken two millennia ago, on a Sunday, when Jesus rose victorious. This weekend, as you rest from the weekly rhythm of work, school, or other duties, remember that God has already finished the job for the ages. “In the beginning” he formed the cosmos. Through Jesus, he redeemed it back to himself on the first day of the week—and all in a day’s work. So try your best to set aside some time to rest with the Lord. Let his love and his holiness move you to awe. Let him fill the beginning of this new week with the light of his smile toward you. Whatever way, whichever day you’re able to celebrate the Sabbath, it will become a delight and nourishment to your spirit. TODAY’S OTHER READINGS: Psalm 86:1-6 Luke 5:27-32
Pray. . .
“Lord, I delight in you. I put aside my own duties to rest with you this Sabbath!”
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