March 5, 2025
Ash Wednesday
Lectionary: 219
Reading 1
Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the LORD, your God.
For gracious and merciful is he,
slow to anger, rich in kindness,
and relenting in punishment.
Perhaps he will again relent
and leave behind him a blessing,
Offerings and libations
for the LORD, your God.
Blow the trumpet in Zion!
proclaim a fast,
call an assembly;
Gather the people,
notify the congregation;
Assemble the elders,
gather the children
and the infants at the breast;
Let the bridegroom quit his room
and the bride her chamber.
Between the porch and the altar
let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep,
And say, "Spare, O LORD, your people,
and make not your heritage a reproach,
with the nations ruling over them!
Why should they say among the peoples,
'Where is their God?'"
Then the LORD was stirred to concern for his land
and took pity on his people.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm
51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 and 17
R. (see 3a) Be merciful, O Lord, for we have
sinned.
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. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
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. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Reading 2
Brothers and sisters:
We are ambassadors for Christ,
as if God were appealing through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
Working together, then,
we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
For he says:
In an acceptable time I heard you,
and on the day of salvation I helped you.
Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.
Verse Before the Gospel
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms,
do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
"When you pray,
do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room,
close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
"When you fast,
do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast,
anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030525.cfm
A Lenten
Reflection on Ash Wednesday
Readings for Ash Wednesday:
Joel 2:12-18; 2 Corinthians 5:20—6:2; Matthew 6:1-6,16-18
What is Lent?
It is a 40-day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that is a preparation
for Easter.
What is Easter?
It is the commemoration and celebration of what God did for us through
Jesus Christ.
What did Jesus do?
He lived among us and gave us a vision of a full life (not just a religion). He
suffered and died on a cross, not as a sign of failure, but as a testimony of
the greatest love a person can show for a friend—to die for him. Through that
death Jesus entered a new life, and he opened the door for us to share with him
the same fullness of life, a life that can begin here and now and go on without
end.
Why six weeks?
Six weeks is about 40 days, and Jesus spent 40 days in the desert
preparing for his work and mission.
How are we to prepare for
Easter?
The Gospel suggests three areas: prayer, fasting and giving alms. These
practices are common to all major religions: Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam
and Christianity.
In practice, how are we to do
these things?
Each person needs to make his or her own choices.
Prayer can include:
- Taking
part in the Eucharist every morning
- Setting
aside a short period for meditation or reflection
- Doing
some Bible reading and study (using Living Space)
- On
the web, visiting a prayer website such as Sacred Space
Fasting can involve:
- Traditionally,
people have given up some nice thing they like but don’t really need, like
sweets, chocolate or dessert.Fasting can also involve reducing
over-indulgence in things that take our time and attention away from God,
family or other relationships (e.g. sports, video games, television, cell
phones).
- Many
people also choose to cut down on alcohol or nicotine or any other addictive
substance, perhaps as part of a permanent giving up. It can help to
motivate if we remember these things are not very good for us anyway.
Almsgiving can:
- Be
linked to fasting. For example, money saved from giving up superfluities
may be redirected to helping those who do not have necessities for life.
- Help
us become more aware of the needs of others.
- Help
us to realise that real fulfilment comes in making my contribution to
building a more just society for all.
What else is important about
Lent?
Lent is a time to become more aware of what life is about and how I want
to use my life, my gifts, my experiences and my education. Let us strive to use
this Lenten season in a really constructive and productive way.
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Commentary on
Joel 2:12-18; 2 Corinthians 5:20—6:2
On Ash Wednesday, we reflect that the readings for Lent are
taken from a wide variety of texts in both the Old and New Testaments. They can
be seen as a preparation for the honouring of the Lord’s Passion and the
celebration of his Resurrection. One can profitably take one or both readings
on each day of Lent for prayerful reflection in order to make a personal
preparation for the observation of Holy Week and Easter.
Today, the First Reading is from the prophet Joel, of whom
very little is known. His name is shared with about a dozen other Old Testament
figures. Evidence would seem to indicate that he lived in Judah during the
Persian period of Jewish history (539-331 BC). The majority of historical
references in his book, in which there is no mention of Assyria or Babylonia,
would point to a period between 400 and 350 BC.
Joel is regarded as a ‘cultic’ prophet, that is, he
exercised his ministry within the life of the Temple. Today’s reading comes
from the earlier part of the book, in which Joel sees a plague of locusts that
ravaged the country as a sign of God’s judgement on his people.
Fasting, weeping, mourning
The passage today is an eloquent and beautiful call to repentance.
Fasting was required once a year on the Day of Atonement, but also in times of
calamity (as with the plague of locusts already mentioned). It was a sign of
penitence and submission to God by a sinful people.
Yet even now, says the Lord,
return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
rend your hearts and not your clothing.
Why? Because Yahweh:
…is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love,
and relenting from punishment.
This contrasts with the prophet Jonah, who early on in his
mission complained that God was too easy on sinners, especially gentile
sinners.
The passage is a solemn call to repentance. Repentance here
is not just sorrow for the past, but a call to a complete change of life (in
Greek, metanoia). The emphasis is on inner change, not outward
observance. Says the prophet:
…rend your hearts and not your clothing.
For us, too, Lent is better observed by an inner change in
our way of life, rather than merely the external ‘giving up’ of minor
pleasures. We seek a change that will continue well beyond Lent and become a
consistent pattern of our living. It is certainly not a time for fear. Our God
is a loving God:
…he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love,
and relenting from punishment.
This is a chorus that echoes throughout the Old Testament,
telling us that we can approach God with the greatest of confidence.
But repentance in the Scriptures is not just feeling bad
about the past and looking for forgiveness. It is about choosing to adopt a
complete change of thinking—a new way of seeing our lives and moving forward on
a different track. As mentioned, this metanoia involves a
radical change in the way we see our life and the direction in which it ought
to go.
How to benefit from the
goodness of the Lord?
Blow the trumpet in Zion;
consecrate a fast;
call a solemn assembly; gather the people.
Consecrate the congregation;
assemble the aged;
gather the children,
even infants at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his room
and the bride her canopy…
Let the priests,
the ministers of the Lord, weep.
Let them say, “Spare your people, O Lord,
and do not make your heritage a mockery,
a byword among the nations”.
All are called together for a common show of repentance:
people from their homes, newlyweds from their bedchambers, even the priests
offering sacrifice in the Temple. It is a time for everyone to leave their
sinful ways—from priests to children—and to repent with deepest sorrow. Through
this repentance, God is reminded that they are his people.
Why should it be said among
the nations
In difficult times, those on the outside are driven to ask: “Where is
their God?” This is the question that people often ask when disasters
strike—Where was God when his people died by the millions in the Nazi
concentration camps? Where was God when man-made evil struck and killed so
many, or when natural disasters occurred, or when a close relative or the
innocent victim of a driving accident died? Where was God when a young person,
full of life, unexpectedly died?
Then the Lord became jealous for his land
and had pity on his people.
In Joel’s case, the Lord did reply. The prayer is answered;
the plague ceases. Yahweh, jealous of his own people, takes pity on them. Let
us pray that this Lenten season will help us to see the world, and to see life,
as God sees it. The wonderful Scripture readings of Lent will help us to do
this.
Now is an acceptable time
The Second Reading is a powerful appeal from Paul to the Christians of
Corinth, which fits in perfectly with the beginning of the Lenten season.
First, he reminds us that we are “ambassadors for Christ”. It is through us,
through our words and actions, that God is seen by the rest of the world. That
is a tremendous responsibility and something to reflect on seriously,
especially during this Lenten season.
Second, Paul points out that, for our sakes, God made Jesus,
who was altogether without sin, “to be sin”. What Paul means is that Jesus, the
altogether sinless One, willingly endured the effects of sin and evil,
especially through his suffering and death on the Cross. His purpose in doing
so was:
…so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
In other words, we too are called to walk the same Way that
Jesus did, to be ready to suffer and die as he did. In this, more than by any
other thing we might say or do, we truly become ambassadors for Jesus Christ.
So Paul begs the Corinthians (and us) that this tremendous act of God’s love
enacted through his Son, Jesus, not be in vain.
Lent is a time for us to contemplate deeply the meaning of
Jesus’ life, suffering and death for each one of us, and to reflect what
changes it calls for in the way we live our lives of discipleship now.
…now is the acceptable time; look, now is the day of
salvation!
For the Christian, the time of conversion and change is
always now, and never more so than during the great season of Lent.
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Commentary on
Matthew 6:1-6,16-18
The three central acts for the devout Jew were prayer,
fasting and almsgiving. The only fast actually laid down in the Mosaic law was
that of the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:31), but in later Judaism, the practice of
regular fasting was common. The Gospel tells us that John the Baptist used to
fast, and he was contrasted with Jesus who ate with sinners (which does not
mean that Jesus did not fast). The Pharisees also fasted regularly.
For Christians, too, these acts are all proper to the Lenten
season. And all three can profitably be incorporated in some way into our lives
during these six weeks.
Let us give some more time specifically to prayer, and not
just saying prayers each day. We might think of learning something about ways
of praying—the practice of Christian meditation as taught by John Main,
Centering Prayer, Lectio Divina (based on reading of
Scripture) or some form of Ignatian Prayer. There are many books available to
learn about these methods which are basically very simple. They can also be
found on the Internet. John Main recommends 20-30 minutes in meditation twice a
day as ideal. That may seem a lot, but many of us, even in a busy day, do not
have a problem with spending an hour or more on a TV programme. For some it may
be possible to pray in a small group together with shared prayer.
There are now, in most places, only two official fast days
in the whole of Lent. Some people would never think of fasting, although they
may be on a diet which is even more stringent than what the Church asks.
Fasting can consist of doing without something we do not really need, even if
we are over the age for fasting: alcohol, nicotine, snacks and titbits.
Sometimes it is harder to let go of these things than to eat fish—especially if
you like fish!
And do not let us forget to share something of what we have
with those who are in need. Why not take the money that would be spent on that
fancy meal you decided to forego, and give it to those who do not know where
their next meal is coming from? If you have given up movies for Lent, or any
other indulgence, again let the money saved be diverted to the really needy.
The Gospel today emphasises the importance of doing all
these things quietly and without ostentation. No one should even know we are
praying more, sharing more, or doing without things. Once we draw attention to
ourselves doing these things, they have lost their real purpose, which is to
bring us closer to God and his ways.
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https://livingspace.sacredspace.ie/l1004g/
Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Ash Wednesday
Opening Prayer
Lord Jesus, send Your Spirit to help us to read the
Scriptures with the same mind that You read them to the disciples on the way to
Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written
in the Bible, You helped them to discover the presence of God in the
disturbing events of Your sentence and
death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them
the source of life and of resurrection.
Create in us silence so that we may listen to Your voice in creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May Your word guide us so that we, too, like the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, may experience the force of Your resurrection and witness to others that You are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice, and peace. We ask this of You, Jesus, Son of Mary, who revealed to us the Father and sent us Your Spirit. Amen.
Gospel Reading:
Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-18
A Key to the Reading:
The Gospel of Ash Wednesday is taken from the Sermon on the Mount and offers us help in understanding the practice of the three works of mercy: prayer, almsgiving and fasting and the way to spend the time of Lent well. The manner of practicing these three works has changed over the centuries, according to the culture and customs of people and their state of health. Old people today still remember when there was a strict and compulsory fast of forty days throughout Lent. In spite of changes in the practice of the works of mercy, there still is the human and Christian obligation (i) to share our goods with the poor (almsgiving), (ii) to live in contact with the Creator (prayer) and (iii) to be able to control our urges and desires (fasting). The words of Jesus on which we meditate can give us the necessary creativity to find new forms of living these three practices so important in the life of Christians.
A Division of the
Text to Assist in the Reading:
• Matthew 6: 1: A
general key to the understanding of the teaching that follows
• Matthew 6: 2: How
not to go about almsgiving
• Matthew 6: 3-4: How
to go about almsgiving
• Matthew 6: 5: How
not to pray
• Matthew 6: 6: How
to pray
• Matthew 6: 16: How
not to fast
• Matthew 6: 17-18:
How to fast
Text:
Jesus said to his disciples: "Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. "When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect t ir appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say he to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."
A Moment of
Prayerful Silence
so that the Word of
God may penetrate and enlighten our life.
Some Questions
to help us in our
personal reflection.
• What touched you or
pleased you most in this text?
• What is the meaning
of Jesus’ initial warning?
• What does Jesus
criticize and teach about almsgiving?
Make a resume for yourself.
• What does Jesus
criticize and teach about prayer? Make a resume for yourself.
• What does
Jesus criticize and teach
about fasting? Make
a resume for yourself.
For Those Who Wish
to Go Deeper
The Context:
Jesus speaks of three things: almsgiving (Mt 6: 1-6), prayer (Mt 6: 5-15) and fasting (Mt 6: 16-18). These were the three works of mercy of the Jews. Jesus criticizes the fact that they practice these works to be seen by others (Mt 6: 1). He will not allow that the practice of justice and mercy be used as a means to social promotion within the community (Mt 6: 2, 5, 16). In the words of Jesus there comes to light a new kind of relationship with God that is revealed to us. He says, “Your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you" (Mt 6: 4),” Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him” (Mt 6: 8), “If you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours” (Mt 6: 14). Jesus presents us with a new way of approaching the heart of God. A meditation on His words concerning the works of mercy may help us discover this new way.
A Commentary on the
Text:
• Matthew 6: 1: A general key to an understanding of the teaching that follows Jesus says, “Be careful not to parade your uprightness in public to attract attention; otherwise, you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven.” The justice referred to by Jesus is the place where God wants us to be. The way there is found in the Law of God. Jesus warns that it is not enough to observe the law so as to be praised by people. Earlier He had said, “For I tell you, if your uprightness does not surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of Heaven" (Mt 5: 26). In reading these words we must not only think of the Pharisees of Jesus time, but above all of the Pharisee that is dormant in each one of us. Had Joseph, Mary’s spouse, followed the justice of the law of the Pharisees, he would have had to renounce Mary. But he was just (Mt 1: 19), and already possessed the new justice proclaimed by Jesus. That is why he broke the ancient law and saved Mary’s and Jesus’ lives. The new justice proclaimed by Jesus rests on another foundation, springs from another source. We must build our peace from the inside, not in what we do for God, but in what God does for us. This is the general key to an understanding of the teaching of Jesus on the works of mercy. In what follows, Matthew applies this general principle to the practice of almsgiving, prayer and fasting. Didactically, he first expresses what must not be and then immediately teaches what should be.
• Matthew 6: 2: How
not to go about almsgiving
The wrong way of giving alms, then and now, is that of doing it in public so as to be acknowledged and acclaimed by others. We often see on pews of churches the words: Gift of such-and-such a family. On television, politicians love to appear as great benefactors of humanity on occasions of inaugurations of public works at the service of the community. Jesus says, “Those who act thus have already had their reward.”
• Matthew 6: 3-4: How
to go about almsgiving
The correct way of giving alms is this: Your left hand must
not know what your right hand is doing! In other words, we must give alms in
such a way that not even I must feel that I am doing something good that
deserves a reward from God and praise from others. Almsgiving is an obligation.
It is a way of sharing something that I have with those who have nothing. In a
family, what belongs to one belongs to all. Jesus praises the example of the widow who gave of what was needed for
herself (Mk 12: 44).
• Matthew 6: 5: How
not to pray
Speaking of the wrong way of praying, Jesus mentions some strange practices and customs of His day. When the trumpet sounded for morning, midday and evening prayer, there were those who sought to be in the middle of the road to pray solemnly with arms outstretched so as to be seen by all and thus be considered as pious people. Others took up extravagant poses in the synagogue so as to draw the attention of the community.
• Matthew 6: 6: How
to pray
So as to leave no doubt, Jesus over-emphasizes the manner of praying. He says that we must
pray in secret, only before God the Father. No one will see you. Maybe before others you may even seem
to be a person who does not pray. This does not matter! Even of Jesus it was said, “He is not God!” That
is because Jesus often prayed at night and did not care what others thought. What
matters is to have one’s conscience at
peace and to know that God is the Father
who welcomes me, not because of what I do for God or because of the satisfaction that I seek in
the eyes of others, who appreciate me as one who is pious and prays.
• Matthew 6: 16: How
not to fast
Jesus criticizes wrong practices concerning fasting. There
were those who bore a sad face, did not wash, wore torn clothes, did not comb
their hair, so that all could see that
they were fasting in a perfect manner.
• Matthew 6: 17-18:
How to fast
Jesus suggests the opposite: When you fast, put scent on your head, wash your face, so that no one may know that you are fasting, only Your Father who is in heaven. As we said earlier, it is a new manner of accessing the heart of God that is opening before our eyes. For our own interior peace, Jesus does not ask what we do for God, but what God does for us. Almsgiving, prayer and fasting are not currency to buy God’s favor but are our response of gratitude for the love received and experienced.
Further information:
The broader context of
Matthew s Gospel
Matthew’s Gospel was written for a community of converted
Jews who were experiencing a deep crisis of identity in relation to their past.
After their conversion to Jesus, they continued to live according to their old
traditions and frequented the synagogue, together with their relatives and
friends, just as before. But they suffered because of the strong pressure from
their Jewish friends who did not accept Jesus as the Messiah. This tension grew after the year 70
AD. When in 66 AD the revolt of the Jews
against Rome broke out, two groups refused to take part, the Pharisees
and the Jewish Christians. Both groups held that going against Rome had nothing
to do with the coming of the Messiah, as
some thought. After the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in the year 70, all
the other Jewish groups disappeared. Only the Pharisees and the Jewish Christians
remained. Both groups claimed to be the heirs of the promise of the prophets and, thus, the tension grew between brothers,
because of the inheritance. The Pharisees
reorganized the rest of the people and took an ever-stronger position
against the Christians, who ended by being excommunicated from the synagogues.
This excommunication rekindled the whole problem of identity. Now the
Christians were officially and formally separated from the people of the
promise. They could no longer frequent
their synagogue, their rabbis. And they asked themselves, “Who are the real
people of God: they or us? On whose side is God? Is Jesus really the Messiah?”
Thus, Matthew writes his Gospel (1) for this group of
Christians, as a Gospel of consolation for those who had been excommunicated
and persecuted by the Jews, helping them to overcome the trauma of breaking
away; (2) as a Gospel of revelation, showing that Jesus is the true Messiah,
the new Moses, who fulfills the promises; (3) as a Gospel of the new practice, showing how
they must achieve true justice, greater than
the justice of the Pharisees.
A Key to the Sermon
on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount is the first of five sermons in
Matthew’s Gospel. It describes the
conditions that will allow a person to enter the Kingdom of God: the way in,
the new reading of the law, the new way of looking at and practicing the works
of mercy; the new way of living in community. In a word, in the Sermon on the
Mount, Jesus communicates the new way of looking at the things of Life and the
Kingdom. The following is a division that serves as a key to reading:
• Mt 5: 1-16: The way
in
• Mt 5: 1-10: The
eight Beatitudes help us to see where the kingdom is already present (among the poor and persecuted) and where it
will be soon (among the other six groups).
• Mt 5: 12-16: Jesus
addresses His words of consolation to His disciples and warns that anyone who
lives the beatitudes will be persecuted (Mt 5:11-12), but his or her life will have
meaning because he/she will be the salt of the earth (Mt 5:13) and the light of
the world (Mt 5: 14-16).
• Mt 5: 17-to-6: 18:
The new relationship with God: A new Justice
• Mt 5: 17-48: The
new justice must be greater than that of the Pharisees
Jesus radicalizes the law, that is, He brings it back to its
roots, to its main and ultimate purpose which is to serve life, justice, love
and truth. The commandments of the law
point to a
new way of
life, avoided by the
Pharisees (Mt 5: 17-20). Jesus immediately presents various examples as to how
the commandments of the Law of God given
to Moses are to be understood: “of old it was said, but I say to you” (Mt 5:
21-48)
• Mt 6: 1-18: The new
justice must not seek reward or merit (This is the Gospel of this Ash
Wednesday).
• Mt 6: 19-34: The
new relationship to the goods of this world: a new vision of creation
Jesus comes to grips with the primary needs of life: food,
clothing, house and health. This is the part of life that causes most anxiety
in people. Jesus teaches how to relate
to material goods and to the riches of the world: do not accumulate
goods (Mt 6: 19-21); do not look at the world with sad eyes (Mt 6: 22-23); do
not serve God and money at the same time
(Mt 6: 24); do not worry about food and drink (Mt 6: 23-34).
• Mt 7: 1-29: The new
relationship with people: a new life in community
Do not seek the straw in your brother’s eye (Mt 7: 1-5); do
not cast pearls before swine (Mt 7: 6); Do not be afraid of asking for things
from God (Mt 7: 7-11); observe the golden rule (Mt 7: 12); seek the narrow and
difficult path (Mt 7: 13-14); be wary of false prophets (Mt 7: 15-20); do not
just talk but do (Mt 7: 21-23); the community built on these principles will
stand in spite of raging storms (Mt 7: 24-27). The outcome of
these words is a new awareness
in the face
of the scribes and doctors (Mt 7:
28-29).
Prayer in a Psalm:
Psalm 40 (39)
Proclaiming the great justice of God I waited, I waited for Yahweh, then He stooped
to me and heard my cry for help. He
pulled me up from the seething chasm, from the mud of the mire. He set my feet on rock, and made my footsteps
firm.
He put a fresh song in my mouth, praise of our God.
Many will be awestruck at the sight, and will put their
trust in Yahweh.
How blessed are those who put their trust in Yahweh, who have not sided with rebels and those who
have gone astray in falsehood. How much
You have done,
Yahweh, my God.
Your wonders, Your plans for us -- You have no equal. I will
proclaim and speak of them;
they are beyond number.
You wanted no sacrifice or cereal offering, but You gave me an open ear, You did not ask
for burnt offering or sacrifice for sin;
then I said, “Here I am, I am coming.” In the scroll of the book, it is
written of me, my delight is to do Your will; Your law, my God, is deep in my
heart.
I proclaimed the saving justice of Yahweh in the great
assembly. See, I will not hold my
tongue, as You well know.
I have not kept Your saving justice locked in the depths of
my heart but have spoken of Your constancy and saving help.
I have made no secret of Your faithful and steadfast
love, in the great assembly.
You, Yahweh, have not withheld Your tenderness from me; Your
faithful and steadfast love will always guard me.
For troubles surround me, until they are beyond number; my
sins have overtaken me;
I cannot see my way.
They outnumber the hairs of my head, and my heart fails me.
Be pleased, Yahweh, to rescue me, Yahweh, come quickly and
help me!
Shame and dismay to all who seek to take my life. Back with them, let them be humiliated who
delight in my misfortunes. Let them be
aghast with shame, those who say to me, “Aha, aha!”
But joy and happiness in You to all who seek You! Let them ceaselessly cry,
“Great is Yahweh” who love Your saving power. Poor and needy as I am, the Lord has me in
mind.
You, my helper, my Savior, my God, do not delay.
Final Prayer
Lord Jesus, we thank for the word that has enabled us to
understand better the will of the Father. May Your Spirit enlighten our actions
and grant us the strength to practice what Your Word has revealed to us. May
we, like Mary, Your mother, not only listen to but also practice the Word. You
who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
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