Friday
after Ash Wednesday
Lectionary: 221
Reading
Thus says the Lord GOD:
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.
They seek me day after day,
and desire to know my ways,
Like a nation that has done what is just
and not abandoned the law of their God;
They ask me to declare what is due them,
pleased to gain access to God.
“Why do we fast, and you do not see it?
afflict ourselves, and you take no note of it?”
Lo, on your fast day you carry out your own pursuits,
and drive all your laborers.
Yes, your fast ends in quarreling and fighting,
striking with wicked claw.
Would that today you might fast
so as to make your voice heard on high!
Is this the manner of fasting I wish,
of keeping a day of penance:
That a man bow his head like a reed
and lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Do you call this a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD?
This, rather, is the fasting that I wish:
releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
breaking every yoke;
Sharing your bread with the hungry,
sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!
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.
They seek me day after day,
and desire to know my ways,
Like a nation that has done what is just
and not abandoned the law of their God;
They ask me to declare what is due them,
pleased to gain access to God.
“Why do we fast, and you do not see it?
afflict ourselves, and you take no note of it?”
Lo, on your fast day you carry out your own pursuits,
and drive all your laborers.
Yes, your fast ends in quarreling and fighting,
striking with wicked claw.
Would that today you might fast
so as to make your voice heard on high!
Is this the manner of fasting I wish,
of keeping a day of penance:
That a man bow his head like a reed
and lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Do you call this a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD?
This, rather, is the fasting that I wish:
releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
breaking every yoke;
Sharing your bread with the hungry,
sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!
Responsorial Psalm Ps
51:3-4, 5-6ab, 18-19
R. (19b) A heart
contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
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. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
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. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
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. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
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. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R. A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
Gospel Mt
9:14-15
The
disciples of John approached Jesus and said,
“Why do we and the Pharisees fast much,
but your disciples do not fast?”
Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn
as long as the bridegroom is with them?
The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast.”
“Why do we and the Pharisees fast much,
but your disciples do not fast?”
Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn
as long as the bridegroom is with them?
The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast.”
Meditation:
Fasting for the kingdom
of God
Are you hungry for God? Hungering for God and fasting for his
kingdom go hand in hand. When asked why he and his disciples did not fast Jesus
used the vivid picture of a wedding celebration. In Jesus' time the newly wed
celebrated their honeymoon at home for a whole week with all the guests! This
was a time of great feasting and celebrating. Jesus points to himself as the
bridegroom and his disciples as the bridegroom's friends. He alludes to the
fact that God takes delight in his people as a groom delights in his bride
(Isaiah 62:5). To be in God's presence is pure delight and happiness. But Jesus
also reminds his followers that there is a time for fasting and for humbling
oneself in preparation for the coming of God's kingdom and for the return of
the Messianic King. The Lord's disciples must also bear the cross of affliction
and purification. For the disciple there is both a time for rejoicing in the
Lord's presence and celebrating his goodness and a time for seeking the Lord
with humility, fasting, and mourning for sin. If we hunger for the Lord, he
will not disappoint us. His grace draws us to his throne of mercy and favor. Do
you seek the Lord with confident trust and allow his Holy Spirit to transform
your life with his power and grace?
What kind of fasting is pleasing to God? Fasting can be done for
a variety of reasons – to gain freedom from some bad habit, addiction, or vice,
to share in the suffering of those who go without, or to grow in our hunger for
God and for the things of heaven. Basil the Great wrote: “Take heed that you do not make fasting to consists only in abstinence
from meats. True fasting is to refrain from vice. Shred to pieces all your unjust
contracts. Pardon your neighbors. Forgive them their trespasses.” Do you
hunger to know God more, to grow in his holiness, and to live the abundant life
of grace he offers you?
"Come Lord,
work upon us, set us on fire and clasp us close, be fragrant to us, draw us to
your loveliness, let us love, let us run to you." (Prayer of St. Augustine
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Friday after Ash Wednesday
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Father Alex Yeung, LC
Matthew 9:14-15
The disciples of John
approached Jesus and said, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but
your disciples do not fast?" Jesus answered them, "Can the wedding
guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when
the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast."
Introductory Prayer: Lord, you know how
much I need you and depend on you for everything. You know my weakness and my
faults. I put all my confidence in your love and mercy. I wish to trust in
your power, your promise, and your grace every day. Today I intend, with your
help, to follow you along the way of the cross with love and generosity so as
to draw close to you.
Petition: Lord, let me learn to embrace sacrifice as the way of
reparation and purification.
1. Sharing in Christ’s Sufferings: Jesus said the time
would come when his disciples would fast. Now that the Lord has returned in
glory to the Father, it is up to us to continue the work of salvation, “what
is lacking in Christ´s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the
church” (Colossians 1:24), as St. Paul says. We join our sacrifice to that of
Jesus in order to imitate him and bring grace to ourselves and to others.
Every Christian life must incorporate a healthy spirit of sacrifice and
self-denial.
2. Physical and Spiritual Hunger: The hunger we
experience when we fast is a symbol of the deeper spiritual hunger we should
feel for God and for heaven. This world often makes us all too comfortable,
and we easily forget that this is not our true home. We are pilgrims
traveling through a foreign land, far from our final resting place. Fasting
reminds us of the longing a traveler has to reach his destination safely and
finally to rejoice in being home for good. The true Christian looks forward
with hope toward heaven, where he will rest with God forever in true
happiness. He knows that all the good things this world offers are only
shadows of the wonderful things God has planned for those who love him (cf.
Romans 8:28).
3. Thirst for Souls: From the cross, Jesus said, “I thirst.” That
thirst was for all people to be reconciled to the Father. It was a thirst for
souls to return to the love of God and find their way to the heavenly
Kingdom. Voluntary sacrifice and self-denial, if we offer it for the
conversion of the hearts of others, brings them the grace they need to change
and turn back to God. No one can convert himself, and no one in serious sin
can merit his way to the grace of God. We need to intercede by means of our
personal prayer and sacrifice to gain others the supernatural grace they need
to overcome their obstacles. The greatest act of charity we can perform and
the greatest joy we can experience is to bring a soul back to the Lord. How
many souls are waiting for our prayer and sacrifice?
Conversation with Christ: Lord, make me
generous and joyful in sacrifice, knowing that sacrifice unites me closer to
you and wins the grace of conversion for so many souls you love and for whom
you died.
Resolution: I will choose one person I know who needs
God’s grace and offer all my sacrifices today for them.
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15
FRIDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY, Day of Abstinence
MATTHEW 9:14-15
(Isaiah 58:1-9a; Psalm 51)
KEY VERSE: "People do not put new wine into old wine skins" (v 17).
READING
REFLECTING: How can I help others thirst for Jesus' new wine in word and sacrament?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to grow in my understanding of you this Lent.
FRIDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY, Day of Abstinence
MATTHEW 9:14-15
(Isaiah 58:1-9a; Psalm 51)
KEY VERSE: "People do not put new wine into old wine skins" (v 17).
REFLECTING: How can I help others thirst for Jesus' new wine in word and sacrament?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to grow in my understanding of you this Lent.
A
broken, humbled heart, O God, you will not scorn
You will
cry for help and he will say: ‘Here I am!’God has made many promises to us and we can always stand on those promises. Isaiah explains that God sees into our hearts. God knows the extent of our sincerity. If we ‘fast’ in the way that God wants then he will certainly answer the cries of our hearts. What a beautiful, yet simple, promise.
But what type of fasting is essential? It is definitely not just what looks good to others. The external is not important. From the goodness of our hearts we need to give of our time and energy to help others. We have heard it many times before in our church—the call to social justice. Who is God calling me to serve today? God will provide the opportunity; can I meet the challenge?
February 15
St. Claude la Colombière
(1641-1682)
St. Claude la Colombière
(1641-1682)
This is a special day for the
Jesuits, who claim today’s saint as one of their own. It’s also a special day
for people who have a special devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus—a devotion
Claude la Colombière promoted, along with his friend and spiritual companion,
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. The emphasis on God’s love for all was an antidote
to the rigorous moralism of the Jansenists, who were popular at the time.
Claude showed remarkable preaching skills long before his ordination in
1675. Two months later he was made superior of a small Jesuit residence in He was next sent to
He died in 1682. Pope John Paul the Second canonized Claude la Colombière in 1992.
Lectio: Matthew 9,14-15
Lectio:
Friday, February 15, 2013
Lent
Time
1)
Opening prayer
Lord of the
Covenant,
we have not to fear your judgment
if like you we become rich in mercy
and full of compassion for our neighbour.
May we not only know that you ask us
but practice with sincere hearts
to share our food with the hungry
and to loosen the bonds of injustice,
that through us your light may shine
and your healing spread far and wide.
Be with us in your goodness.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
we have not to fear your judgment
if like you we become rich in mercy
and full of compassion for our neighbour.
May we not only know that you ask us
but practice with sincere hearts
to share our food with the hungry
and to loosen the bonds of injustice,
that through us your light may shine
and your healing spread far and wide.
Be with us in your goodness.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
2)
Gospel Reading
Then John's
disciples came to him and said, 'Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but
your disciples do not?'
Jesus replied, 'Surely the bridegroom's attendants cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is still with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.
Jesus replied, 'Surely the bridegroom's attendants cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is still with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.
3)
Reflection
• Today’s
Gospel is a brief version of the Gospel on which we already meditated in
January, when the same theme of fasting was proposed to us (Mk 2, 18-22), but
there is a small difference. Today, the Liturgy omits the whole discourse of
the new piece of cloth on an old cloak and the new wine in an old skin (Mt 9,
16-17), and concentrates its attention on fasting.
• Jesus does not insist on the practice of fasting. Fasting is a very ancient use, practiced in almost all religions. Jesus himself practiced it during forty days (Mt 4, 2). But he did not insist with the disciples to do the same. He leaves them free. For this reason, the disciples of John the Baptist and of the Pharisees, who were obliged to fast, want to know why Jesus does not insist on fasting.
• While the bridegroom is with them, therefore, they do not need to fast. Jesus responds with a comparison. When the bridegroom is with the friends of the spouse, that is, during the wedding feast, it is not necessary for them to fast. Jesus considers himself the spouse. The disciples are the friends of the spouse. During the time in which Jesus was with the disciples, is the wedding feast. One day will come in which the spouse will no longer be there. Then, they can fast if they so desire. In this phrase Jesus refers to his death. He knows and he becomes aware that if he continues along this path of freedom, of liberty, the religious authority will want to kill him.
• Fasting and abstinence from meat are universal practices which are actual. The Muslims have the fasting of the Ramadan, during which they neither eat, nor should they eat until the rising of the sun. Always more and for diverse reasons, persons impose upon themselves some form of fasting. Fasting is an important means to control oneself, and to dominate oneself, and this exists in almost all religions. It is also appreciated by sportsmen.
• The Bible has many reference to fasting. It was a way of making penance and of attaining conversion. Through the practice of fasting, Christians imitated Jesus who fasted during forty days. Fasting tends to attain the freedom of mind, self-control, a critical vision of reality. It is an instrument to maintain our mind free and not allow oneself to be transported by any breeze. Thanks to fasting, it increases the clearness of mind. It is a means that helps to take a better care of health. Fasting can be a form of identification with the poor who are obliged to fast the whole year and eat meat very rarely. There are also those who fast in order to protest.
• Even if fasting and abstinence are no longer observed today, the basic objective of this practice continues to remain unchanged and is a force which should animate our life: to participate in the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus. Surrender one’s own life in order to be able to possess it in God. Become aware or conscious of the fact that the commitment with the Gospel is a one way journey, without returning, which demands losing one’s life in order to be able to possess and to find all things in full liberty.
• Jesus does not insist on the practice of fasting. Fasting is a very ancient use, practiced in almost all religions. Jesus himself practiced it during forty days (Mt 4, 2). But he did not insist with the disciples to do the same. He leaves them free. For this reason, the disciples of John the Baptist and of the Pharisees, who were obliged to fast, want to know why Jesus does not insist on fasting.
• While the bridegroom is with them, therefore, they do not need to fast. Jesus responds with a comparison. When the bridegroom is with the friends of the spouse, that is, during the wedding feast, it is not necessary for them to fast. Jesus considers himself the spouse. The disciples are the friends of the spouse. During the time in which Jesus was with the disciples, is the wedding feast. One day will come in which the spouse will no longer be there. Then, they can fast if they so desire. In this phrase Jesus refers to his death. He knows and he becomes aware that if he continues along this path of freedom, of liberty, the religious authority will want to kill him.
• Fasting and abstinence from meat are universal practices which are actual. The Muslims have the fasting of the Ramadan, during which they neither eat, nor should they eat until the rising of the sun. Always more and for diverse reasons, persons impose upon themselves some form of fasting. Fasting is an important means to control oneself, and to dominate oneself, and this exists in almost all religions. It is also appreciated by sportsmen.
• The Bible has many reference to fasting. It was a way of making penance and of attaining conversion. Through the practice of fasting, Christians imitated Jesus who fasted during forty days. Fasting tends to attain the freedom of mind, self-control, a critical vision of reality. It is an instrument to maintain our mind free and not allow oneself to be transported by any breeze. Thanks to fasting, it increases the clearness of mind. It is a means that helps to take a better care of health. Fasting can be a form of identification with the poor who are obliged to fast the whole year and eat meat very rarely. There are also those who fast in order to protest.
• Even if fasting and abstinence are no longer observed today, the basic objective of this practice continues to remain unchanged and is a force which should animate our life: to participate in the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus. Surrender one’s own life in order to be able to possess it in God. Become aware or conscious of the fact that the commitment with the Gospel is a one way journey, without returning, which demands losing one’s life in order to be able to possess and to find all things in full liberty.
4)
Personal questions
• Which is
the form of fasting which you practice? And if you do not practice any, which
is the form which you could practice?
• How can fasting help me to prepare better for the celebration of Easter?
• How can fasting help me to prepare better for the celebration of Easter?
5)
Concluding Prayer
Have mercy
on me, O God, in your faithful love,
in your great tenderness wipe away my offences;
wash me clean from my guilt,
purify me from my sin. (Ps 51,1-2)
in your great tenderness wipe away my offences;
wash me clean from my guilt,
purify me from my sin. (Ps 51,1-2)
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