First Reading
1 Peter 1:10-16
Beloved:
Concerning the salvation of your souls
the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours
searched and investigated it
investigating the time and circumstances
that the Spirit of Christ within them indicated
when it testified in advance
to the sufferings destined for Christ
and the glories to follow them.
It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you
with regard to the things that have now been announced to you
by those who preached the Good News to you
through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven,
things into which angels longed to look.
Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, live soberly,
and set your hopes completely on the grace to be brought to you
at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Like obedient children,
do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance
but, as he who called you is holy,
be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct,
for it is written, Be holy because I am holy.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4
R. (2a) The Lord has made known his salvation.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
Gospel
Mark 10:28-31
Peter began to say to Jesus,
“We have given up everything and followed you.”
Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you,
there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:
houses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.
But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
TITLE: "JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON"
"Do not yield to the desires that once shaped you in your ignorance." –1 Peter 1:14
Lent begins tomorrow with the ashes of Ash Wednesday. It's common to hear people plan parties for tonight with huge amounts of sweets and other pleasures. After all, the thinking goes, we won't be able to enjoy ourselves again until Easter.
It's true that Lent is a season to focus on acts of self-denial. Self-denial, however, is not unique to Christians. Athletes (1 Cor 9:25), pregnant women, soldiers (2 Tm 2:4), dieters, Buddhists, and others often perform heroic acts of self-denial that make giving up chocolate for the forty days of Lent pale in comparison.
Our Lenten sacrifices must help us grow deeply in our relationship with Jesus. Our Lenten crosses, when joined to the sufferings of Jesus (1 Pt 4:13; Col 1:24; Phil 1:29), become acts of penance and reparation. Will your Lenten self-denials simply be acts of self-improvement, or will they help you to "draw close to God" (Jas 4:8)? Is your goal to "make it" to Easter with no failures, or is your goal to be united with the crucified Jesus out of love for Him?
As for not being able to "enjoy ourselves" again until Easter, when we draw close to Jesus in a spirit of repentance, we will find a joy that is heavenly (Lk 15:7, 10), "full" (Jn 16:24), and "inexpressible" (1 Pt 1:8). No Mardi Gras party can begin to compare with sharing in Jesus' joy. So why wait until tomorrow to "draw close to God"? Turn to Jesus today.
PRAYER: Jesus, may I be so consumed with love of You that I don't even notice the pleasures of the world.
PROMISE: "There is no one who has given up home, brothers or sisters, mother or father, children or property, for Me and for the gospel who will not receive in this present age a hundred times as many." –Mk 10:29-30
PRAISE: St. Casimir was a conscientious objector who even as a teenager lived a highly disciplined, severe lifestyle.
...may the good Lord bless HIS holy words in our hearts...
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