Lenten Study – Monday of Easter Week

PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER

Do you ever stop and think about what you can do for others?

Have you ever told someone that you will pray for them?

When you pray for someone you have acknowledged that God is present to hear your prayer. Your ability to offer prayer brings a power into your very being. God will connect with you as you speak to him. He knows that we are all his children and he wants us to pray for each other. Our very human nature makes us one with the same God.

We are Gods “beloved” all of us. No one is forgotten by him. Where we live, God also lives. And we live with all our brothers and sisters in Gods world. So pray to him for yourself and all the others.

Read: Genesis:20-1-7

Prayer

My dearest Father God, you are the God of us all. I was born, I live, I die and then I will join you in eternal life. As I walk this journey, let my sinful self die away and let me rise to praise you with all of my heart and soul. Let us all be in remembrance of the Easter liturgy: “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.”

AMEN

Lenten Study – Holy Saturday

BEING RESURRECTED

Most of us today are getting busy preparing for Easter celebrations. We go about our daily rituals of washing, cleaning, feeding, dressing, and holding the bodies of those in our care in our own life. This builds our daily life and we create community in our homes. We pause to prayer this  Holy Saturday and we claim our own faith in the resurrection of Christ’s body today. His resurrection is not just todays event after his death on the cross, but it is a reality of our everyday life. Our own care for our body is a calling for unity….intimacy… and to our own integrity.

Read: Colossians 2:11-14

Prayer

Oh my God, you are my everlasting strength and you provide wisdom to me. Please hear my call for help as I keep a watch along with Christ’s disciples at his tomb. Inspire me to find a place of burial for my Lord, just as you did for Joseph of Arimathea. I now “wait in anticipation” for the Easter light to deliver me from the darkness of my own sin.

AMEN

Lenten Study – Holy Thursday

HOLY COMMUNION

Our Lord lives in us in a quiet way. He is even physically with us in the celebration of communion. In Communion we are given a home.

Luke 22:14-20

Prayer

My God of all Grace, let Holy Communion, my Bread of Life, always remind me of the breaking of Christ’s body and the pouring out of his blood for me, and the forgiveness of my sins.

Then he took the loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying…..

“This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”

 

• AMEN •

Lenten Study – Palm Sunday

ERADICATE BLAME

We spend a lot of time wondering who can accept the blame for our own, or other people’s misfortunes. But Jesus didn’t allow us to solve our own problems or the mistakes of others. Instead Jesus challenges us to discern in our darkest times, to look for the “Light of God.” During these times, we are most likely to see that God will reveal His work in us. It is very likely, that if we can move beyond blaming, to proclaiming the works of God, we will experience a radically “new life.” All of humanity has its challenges and its problems, but do we chose to live them as occasions to blame others, or as opportunities to witness God at work in our lives.

Read: John 9:1-5

Prayer

My God, the big and little misfortunes in life, and those of others, provide habits for blaming. We humbly ask for your refuge and your help, to strip these times away from us and our using of blame to cope. Challenge us to move beyond the “blame game” and to understand that these difficult times are beyond our control. Teach us to realize and to clearly see these events, as fruitful opportunities for us to grow in Faith and Love.

God is with you…. to do hard work in your life. Can you finally see this in your own life?

A M E N 

Lenten Study – Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent- Day 34

SEEK GOD’S WORD BOLDLY

Wish always for a simple life. We live in such a big world and it’s overwhelming at times to take it all in. We are asked to absorb a lot. And it’s important to have a knowledge of what is going on in our global world and the constant changes in our society. All this knowledge actually helps us to have a more clear awareness of your true and never changing “word.” I ask for your protection from evil powers that are always working on our human minds and spirits. We all need to have the courage to think clearly, to speak freely and to act boldly in our service to you and others.

Read: Matthew 10:16-20

My Lord  and Savior, help me to live with my firm belief in my Christian walk. I’m vulnerable in a world of untruths, and twisted information sometimes. Your Good News of the Scriptures is sometimes overshadowed by influences that want to control and influence our world towards disaster. Grant me courage, so that I can overcome and show your innocent and simple truth. Help me to speak out about the goodness of God with boldness and assurance. My spiritual battle is sometimes very real.

My gracious Lord, I seek your counsel always. Thank you Lord for your loving protection.

 

AMEN

…….thank you God

Yesterday I turned the soil in “the Generals” garden.  Weeding it and bringing new rich black soil to the surface. As I turned to begin packing up my car, I heard lovely chirps.  When I turned back to look, two Robins were forcing their beaks into the soil and pulling up nourishment…the spring worms, their favorite. I even talked to them a little. Inquiring if they had come to visit me or the worms. They stayed. Regardless…..it was a “moment.”

…..and soon I was happily on my way.  God is so Good.

• AMEN •

Lenten Study – Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent

OUR CALL……..

God has tasks for us that are his alone to know and to give. In fact, he sent us to earth to satisfy “His Call” on our lives. Our human behavior acts like we think we need to choose how, where and with whom we will live. We have this notion that we dropped down from creation and we have to figure out how to entertain ourselves until we die.  But Jesus was sent into this world…. and so are we. If you might want to know what you are doing here…..live your life knowing that He has the perfect plan for you. It’s the only reason you are here. You can count on God to help you with “your call.”

Read: Proverbs 19:16-21

Prayer

My Father, creator and all knowing and wise God, I am forever spending time planning my tasks, my next job, where I will live, how high on the ladder I will climb in my career, and what my accomplishments may be.  As I search I’m huffing and puffing to always reach my human self made accomplishments. Let me instead find my true vocation in You. Remind me that my human plans are hollow without your all-wise intervention in my life. Thank you Father for   all of my life.

• AMEN •

Lenten Study- Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Learn from the Master

Jesus was called to be a teacher, but he didn’t take advantage of his “connections” because he placed himself among the people who have to “learn.” The example of his life shows us that we do not need weapons, we don’t need to hide ourselves and we don’t need to play the games of being competitive with each other. If you want to be a true student of Jesus, don’t be afraid to show your weakness, allow yourself to be touched by the tender hand of the Teacher. If you share…in prayer with your Teacher, you will be able to be a real student.

Read: Mark 10:27-22

Prayer

Dear Jesus, I ask you to touch my heart in my new endeavors so that I may listen for your perfect way and follow you. I am facing new challenges, but I’m very sure they are your special challenges for me. My challenges seem  huge and somewhat overwhelming. I think you will ask me to make some sacrifices as I journey in my new direction, but I will speak with you often and listen for your ways to fine tune and develop my new learning. Please Jesus, give me your Grace to become a wise learner. Help me to study, learn and explore things I need to learn about my new creative adventure. I wish to humbly value your truth for  me in my learning adventure. I know you are calling me to stretch and to grow. Jesus, I will follow You. 

 

AMEN

Lenten Study – Tuesday the Third Week of Lent

LENT A TIME TO
Prepare

Life is a journey of preparation. All our lives we prepare to truly die for others. In an accumulation of little deaths throughout life, God is asking us to release our clinging tendency and need of others….to living for them. As we walk the journey from childhood to adolescence, to adulthood and finally to our old age, always we are offered ways to choose for ourselves, ultimately perhaps choosing for others. Questions come up; do I desire power or service, do I want to be seen, or to remain hidden; do I strive for success in the career I chose, or do I follow my vocation? In the final act of our life it is truly about the process of dying to self. This passage is where we will experience living in the “joy of God.”

Please read: Luke 12:42-48

Prayer

My Father God,

As I walk through the journey of my life I too easily do what is wrong instead of right. But you always are there for me and I know that you love me even when I have sin in my heart. As I walk along through my life, please remind me to choose service over power, and a desire a true vacation to your Word, rather than a highly successful career. I pray for a hidden self in my service to others, and I pray to be my real self and experience a true sense of what is very real and not at all real. I now examine my conscience….and I pray right now….to choose to improve my actions and my thoughts with your help…..Oh’ My Savior God.

 

••  AMEN  ••

Lenten Study – Monday of the Second Week – Day 13

Celebrate

Our Christian “celebration and acceptance” teaches us that we become forever aware of how precious our life and death truly are. Our life is precious because we can see it, touch it and taste it, but also because one day it will be gone. At a wedding we celebrate a Union and a departure, when we celebrate death, we celebrate lost friendship, as well as, gained liberty. Tears come after weddings and funerals. Both events bring equal joys and sorrows, which are part of the celebrations in this life. It is in these times, that we realize that life and death are companions in this life and they do kiss each other in all the days of our existence. It is indeed a celebration of preciousness……

Please read: Luke 15:20-24

My warm, loving, and ever welcoming God, help me to remember that my security is in YOU alone. Help keep me keenly aware that life is not a “bowl of cherries” but that it also comes with the “pits.”  These symbolize for all of us the tears and laughter, sorrows and joys, our celebration and our mourning. May I always remember that I have received from you, my unearned gift of LIFE. Remind me too that my death is not the finish line… but the doorway to my resting place in your everlasting loving arms.

I now dedicate my life to my “others” today…for I know that my happiness lies in the ministry of giving services to them.

•• AMEN ••