Lent 4th Sunday A - The Blind Man

(Laetare Sunday)
This Sunday is traditionally known as ‘Laetare Sunday’ from the opening word of the introit: Laetare lerusalem … (Be joyful 0 Jerusalem …) (Is 66:10-11), which has been retained as the entrance antiphon in the current Missal.  

 Watson had missed the most obvious:

Sherlock Holmes, the great detective who had solved many mysteries, and Dr. Watson, his companion, went on a camping trip. After a good meal and a bottle of wine, they lay down for the night and went to sleep. Some hours later, Holmes awoke and nudged his faithful friend. "Watson, look up and tell me what you see." Watson replied, "I see millions and millions of stars". Sherlock Holmes then said, "Well Watson, what does that tell you"? Watson pondered for a minute and then replied, "Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo. Chronologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, I can see that God is all-powerful and that we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. Why, what does it tell you"? Sherlock Holmes responded, "Watson you idiot, someone has stolen our tent". Watson had missed the most obvious. He was clever enough to notice the complexities of the stars but he missed what was plain and simple.  Today’s Gospel reading is about a whole lot of people who miss the point. In Jesus’ healing of a blind man, the Pharisees missed the most evident point that it was a real miracle by divine intervention. (Rev. Gehardy).

Lent 3rd Week: March 16-21

March 16 Monday: Lk 4: 24-30: [23 And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, `Physician, heal yourself; what we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here also in your own country.'”] 24 And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; 26 and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 ……30…USCCB video reflections: https://youtu.be/E2BXljVVFls?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DAoMqHc4moKtTJSI6gsth32

3rd Week of Lent, Tuesday, March 17

Daniel 3:25, 34-43 / Matthew 18:21-35

We can’t offer animal sacrifices: But we can offer a humble spirit.

3rd Week of Lent, Monday, Mar 16th

2 Kings 5:1-15 / Luke 4:24-30

Elisha tells Naaman to wash: Naaman expected something harder.

James Michener’s book The Source has a section that treats a time period that parallels the Old Testament era. One episode of that section deals with people in a place called Makor. They have just adopted a new god called Melak, who demands human sacrifice.

10 Good Opening Prayers for Funerals

Opening Prayers for Funerals

Losing a loved one can bring about an array of emotions and feelings. Making it through the grieving process starts with the memorial and burial as you carry onward to the next stages of coping. To ease the pain, here is a look at some good opening prayers for funerals to get you started.

Lent 2nd Week, Saturday, Mar 14th

Micah 7:14-15, 18-20 / Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 

Jesus teaches about forgiveness: “A man had two sons ...”

This parable contains two remarkable things. The first is the son’s demand for his inheritance. To demand one’s inheritance before the death of one’s parents was cruel. It was to rob them of their “social security.” The second is the father’s welcome of his son.

Lent, 2nd Week, Wednesday, Mar 11th

Jeremiah 18:18-20 / Matthew 20:17-28

Jesus talks about greatness: “The greatest is the one who serves.”

Jesus turns the world’s value system upside down. He measures a person’s greatness very differently from the way the world does. The world measures personal greatness by the number of people one controls, by the number of degrees one holds, by the number of committees one chairs. Jesus considers such numbers to be irrelevant. For Jesus there’s only one set of numbers that has any value, and that is the number of people one helps. Service is the thing that counts with Jesus: a nurse’s service to patients, a pastor’s service to parishioners, a parent’s service to children.

Lent 3rd Sunday A - The Samaritan Woman

3rd Lent A from Jaimelito Gealan

A Samaritan Woman Evangelist:

There is a Greek monastery at Mount Athos in which nothing female is allowed. Men can enter but not women, roosters but not hens, horses but not mares, bulls but not cows.  Armed guards patrol the border to insure that nothing feminine passes the gates.  It has been this way for more than 700 years. [Arnold Prater, The Presence, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1993).]  Separate but definitely not equal: that has been the attitude toward women of many churches through the ages.  So, it's really remarkable that this particular Samaritan evangelist happens to be a woman.  She would be as surprised about it as anybody.  When she first met Jesus, she was surprised that even he talked to her.  Once converted, she became an evangelist, enthusiastically introducing Jesus to her fellow villagers. (Fr. Tony Kadavil)

Lent 2nd Wk - Mar 9-14

March 9-14: March 9 Monday (St. Frances of Rome, Religious) Video: 

https://youtu.be/jaiaXl7v3JA?list=PL58g24NgWPIzvBk2IQVES_xC4WTm6-CDI :

March 9:  Lk 6:36-38: 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.37 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” USCCB video reflections: https://youtu.be/Y5ou8upoCjQ?list=PLpTzvCOJa7DAoMqHc4moKtTJSI6gsth32 

Lent 2nd Week , Tuesday, March 10th

Isaiah 1:10, 16-20 / Matthew 23:1-12

Jesus rebukes the Pharisees: “They widen their phylacteries.”

Deuteronomy 6:4-6,8 reads: “Hear, 0 Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone! Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. Take to heart these words....Bind them at your wrist as a sign and let them be as a pendant on your forehead.” which held tiny scrolls. The boxes were strapped to the left arm (signifying subjugation of the heart to God) and on the forehead (signifying subjugation of the mind to God).