Isaiah 58:1-9;Psalm 51:3-6,18-19; Matthew 9:14-15

“Why do we fast, and you do not see it?” (Isaiah 58:3)

Well-known film director Woody Allen once quipped that 90 percent of success is just showing up. Well, if that’s the case, then the other 10 percent must be absolutely crucial! There are many people who “just show up”—maybe at work, with their families, or in their neighbor­hoods—but don’t go much further, and the results are evident.

Think about the Israelites in today’s first reading. “Why do we fast, and you do not see it?” they asked the Lord. “Why do we afflict ourselves, and you take no note of it?” (Isaiah 58:3). They had met God’s requirements by deny­ing themselves, so they wondered why he hadn’t done his part and answered their requests. After all, they “showed up,” didn’t they? The answer was that something was missing from their sacrifice—their hearts! Just maybe it wasn’t God but Israel who needed to come around to a new way of thinking.

Whenever we set out to prac­tice self-denial, it’s natural to want to focus on ourselves. But fasting is really an invitation to put off self-concerns and personal pursuits, and to begin to pursue justice and peace. The kind of fasting the prophet advised is more than giving up food, drink, or pleasure. When we go out and serve others, we are fasting from “self” in the truest sense. We start to see that our comfort doesn’t matter so much, and we become hungry— hungry to do the will of God!

We typically don’t have far to go to find this kind of food. There are hundreds of ways we can give— and receive—a blessing. At home, we can take more time to listen to what family members are saying and to respond with compassion and sincerity. At work, we can put rela­tionships ahead of profit or reach out to a co-worker who is struggling. When we see a homeless person, we can offer them encouragement as well as practical help. Ask the Lord how you can make a difference. He wants you to step out and offer your gifts and talents—and as you do, he will also transform you into his image!

“Holy Spirit, I choose to join you in bringing the good news to those who are hurting. May I bring them your light of compassion and share with them the power of your gospel!” ~WAU

Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Psalm 1:1-4,6;Luke 9:22-25

Don’t you find it amazing that Jesus Christ, the all-holy Son of God, would give us, mere mortals, a choice? He won’t force us to follow him; he simply calls us and hopes we will respond.

But what is this choice? Is it a choice to live a life of continual suf­fering, of “taking up our cross” day after day by passively accept­ing whatever trials come our way? Not at all! The real choice is to fix our eyes on Jesus or to try to live life on our own. It’s a choice between actively believing in Jesus or pas­sively accepting a kind of “default” life in which we just go along with the rest of the world.

But if we want to choose Jesus over the default, it would be really helpful to understand who this Jesus is. That’s why today’s Gospel read­ing reveals Jesus to us and the call he is giving us. In fact, throughout this Lenten season, the Scripture readings will show us more and more about Jesus. They will show us that he is not just a good man whose example we should follow; he is the holy Son of God who became man so we could become sons and daughters of God. They will show us that he is not a God who tests our faith by making us suffer; he is the Lamb of God who laid down his life so that we could be transformed into his very image and likeness!

Seeing Jesus for who he is will also show us the difference between walking with the Lord and going it alone. If we choose Jesus every day, our lives will change—and dramatically. We won’t just be living as “mere mortals” anymore. We will find ourselves filled with the grace and power of Almighty God! We will be able to love the unlov­able, to forgive the unforgivable, and to overcome the insurmount­able. It may be costly. There may be challenges and difficulties along the way, but we can be confident that as we choose Jesus, our lives will be marked by confidence and hope.

“Lord Jesus, I choose to follow you today. I accept your promise of life. Lord, thank you for inviting me to be with you.”~WAU

Psalm 51:3-6,12-14,17; 2 Corinthians 5:20–6:2; Matthew 6:1-6,16-18

Ash Wednesday

Let the bridegroom quit his room, and the bride her chamber. (Joel 2:16)

This is quite a striking image for the beginning of Lent! What could be so important? Why would Joel call newlyweds to leave their honey­moon suites and rush to the Temple for prayer? It seems that a plague of locusts was decimating the crops and bringing Israel to the brink of a national disaster. So in the face of such a calamity, Joel called every­one to join the priests in prayers of repentance and intercession.

Joel linked the locust plague to the people’s spiritual state. He saw that many had stopped follow­ing the Lord and were adopting the ways of the world. The locusts were not just a natural disaster; God was using them to wake his people up. And it worked: The people gath­ered in prayer and repentance. And in response, God restored them and gave them a bounteous harvest.

This Ash Wednesday, God is issu­ing a serious call to all of us. Will we allow him to search us and show us the areas in our lives that need to be cleansed? Will we gather in prayer and turn our hearts to the Lord more fully? Sin is a serious threat. Like a locust, it has the potential to destroy so much that we hold dear.

But there is hope! Just as he did for the people in Joel’s time, God stands ready this Lent to forgive us and restore us. As St. Paul tells us in today’s second reading, now is the time of salvation! Today, this very season, is a time of grace.

So heed Joel’s call! Join your brothers and sisters in prayer and fasting this Lent. Make this season a special time of prayer and devotion to the Lord. We can see measurable changes in our lives over the next six weeks if we come together and pray.

“Jesus, I want to be made whole this Lent. Thank you for this season of healing, restoration, and hope. Come, Lord, and restore me from the inside out.”~WAU

James 4:1-10;Psalm 55:7-11,23; Mark 9:30-37

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” (James 4:8)

Today is Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Shrove is the past tense of the verb, to shrive, or to obtain absolution through sac­ramental confession and an act of penance. It got this name from the tradition of people going to Confession as a way of preparing for Lent.

Shrove Tuesday is also known as Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday. It was seen as a final day of festive cele­bration before beginning a long sea­son of fasting and self-denial. Isn’t it ironic that on this day, we are expected both to indulge the flesh one last time … and then go to Confession for our self-indulgence?

Perhaps you might enjoy some of your favorite “fat food” today. It’s probably okay to break your diet just this once. But more critically, today is a grace-filled opportunity to ask ourselves: “How can I best use these next forty days to draw closer to Jesus?”

Today’s first reading can serve as a guide. We can decide how we are going to “resist the devil,” but we can also plan how we are going to “draw near to God” this Lent so that he can draw near to us (James 4:7,8). For in the final analysis, Lent is far less about giving some­thing up and far more about mak­ing ourselves more available to God. If all we do is avoid eating sweets or watching too much television— without taking the opportunity to seek out the Lord more deeply—we will have missed the primary pur­pose of this holy season.

So when you draw up your Lenten plan today, be sure to include increased time for prayer and Confession. Make it a point to fast not only from certain kinds of food but also from things like mood­iness, anger, and a sharp tongue. This can be a season of deep trans­formation for all of us if we make a plan to draw near to God.

“Lord, I want to know you more this Lent. Show me how to purify myself and draw closer to you this season.” ~WAU

James 3:13-18; Psalm 19:8-10,15;Mark 9:14-29

“I do believe, help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)

This story of the healing of an epileptic demoniac is more than a story of a father trying to help his son. It’s a story about Jesus calling forth deeper faith.

When Jesus comes down the mountain, a crowd gathers around him, presumably waiting for him to do something spectacular. They had just seen his disciples fail in trying to cast out a demon; would Jesus fail as well? They had to find out if he had finally met his match. There doesn’t seem to be a desire for more teaching or greater holiness—just the continuation of a controversy.

And the crowd got their wish. Jesus did indeed cast out the demon and heal the afflicted boy. But this amazing deed of power wasn’t what Jesus was focused on. In fact, the healing episode seems to be a mere afterthought tacked on to the real story—that of the boy’s father and Jesus’ words to his disciples.

“I do believe, help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). It is in situations like this that faith is really tested—times when all our comfortable theoriz­ing is challenged, and we are called to trust in God’s goodness in the face of a crisis. Without a doubt, this man’s faith deepened dramati­cally when he saw Jesus deliver his son. But what if the boy did not get healed? That’s a good question for us to ask—especially in those times when our prayers for healing or help seem to go unanswered. Can we still trust in Jesus when we see no change in our situation? Is our faith based on whether we get what we want? Or is it based on trust, love, and surrender?”

Never one to miss an oppor­tunity, Jesus also used this situa­tion to teach his disciples that faith is less a matter of performing mir­acles and more a matter of prayer (Mark 9:28-29). He knew that if the disciples were ever going to take his gospel into the world, they had to learn how to stay close to God. The lesson for them applies to us as well. The more proficient we are in prayer, the more fully we can become agents of Jesus’ healing power.

“Jesus, I believe, help my unbelief! I freely invite you into every relationship and situation that is burdening me right now.” ~WAU

“When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Child, your sins are forgiven.’” (Mark 2:5)

Did you catch that? Jesus for­gave this man and healed his paral­ysis because he saw the faith of his friends! It wasn’t the paralyzed man’s faith that moved him, it was his friends’ faith. These four men stood with their friend and were con­vinced that if they could just get him to Jesus, he could be healed. Even if it meant tearing up the roof, they loved their friend enough—and they believed in Jesus enough—to do it.

What a moving illustration of true brotherhood! While the paralyzed man doubtless had faith himself, it was his four friends who actually got him to Jesus. If it weren’t for them, he would never have been able to walk—or known Jesus’ forgiveness.

Jesus never intended the Christian life to be a solitary journey. On the contrary, we are stronger when we are surrounded and supported by brothers and sisters in the faith. Where the world tells us to be inde­pendent and self-reliant, Jesus tells us to lean on each other—and to let others lean on us. That’s probably why he sent his disciples to preach two by two. He knew they needed to balance each other out, with one helping the other in moments of weakness or tiredness. He knew they needed each other so that they would not fall to temptations of pride, or give up in the face of oppo­sition or hardship.

What about you? Do you have brothers and sisters to help bring you to Jesus? Are there people whom you would go out of your way to help in their faith? It’s always a good idea to reach out to one or two peo­ple in your parish and try to build a friendship with them based on your faith. God wants to give us compan­ions along the way. May we all be open to so generous a gift, the gift of one another.

“Thank you, Lord, for the gift of friendship! You promised that you would be with us always. What a treasure that you fulfill that promise through faithful friends!”

Isaiah 43:18-19, 21-22, 24-25; Psalm 41:2-5, 13-14; 2 Corinthians 1:18-22; Mark 2:1-12

“When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Child, your sins are forgiven.’” (Mark 2:5)

Did you catch that? Jesus for­gave this man and healed his paral­ysis because he saw the faith of his friends! It wasn’t the paralyzed man’s faith that moved him, it was his friends’ faith. These four men stood with their friend and were con­vinced that if they could just get him to Jesus, he could be healed. Even if it meant tearing up the roof, they loved their friend enough—and they believed in Jesus enough—to do it.

What a moving illustration of true brotherhood! While the paralyzed man doubtless had faith himself, it was his four friends who actually got him to Jesus. If it weren’t for them, he would never have been able to walk—or known Jesus’ forgiveness.

Jesus never intended the Christian life to be a solitary journey. On the contrary, we are stronger when we are surrounded and supported by brothers and sisters in the faith. Where the world tells us to be inde­pendent and self-reliant, Jesus tells us to lean on each other—and to let others lean on us. That’s probably why he sent his disciples to preach two by two. He knew they needed to balance each other out, with one helping the other in moments of weakness or tiredness. He knew they needed each other so that they would not fall to temptations of pride, or give up in the face of oppo­sition or hardship.

What about you? Do you have brothers and sisters to help bring you to Jesus? Are there people whom you would go out of your way to help in their faith? It’s always a good idea to reach out to one or two peo­ple in your parish and try to build a friendship with them based on your faith. God wants to give us compan­ions along the way. May we all be open to so generous a gift, the gift of one another.

“Thank you, Lord, for the gift of friendship! You promised that you would be with us always. What a treasure that you fulfill that promise through faithful friends!” `WAU

James 2:14-24, 26; Psalm 112:1-6;Mark 8:34–9:1

“Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it.” (Mark 8:35)

Jesus’ words about saving and losing our lives would inspire only fear in us if all we looked at were pain and loss. Praise God, then, that he wants to open our eyes to see a fuller picture of his plan of sal­vation. Jesus didn’t die just so we would lose our old lives. He died so that we could receive his risen life! We can look upon the cross with awe, wonder, and anticipation of the good things God promises. Because Jesus died on the cross, our hearts can be cleansed and our minds made anew.

Jesus invites us to new life, not just in heaven someday, but here and now. We can exhaust ourselves by giving in to fallen desires and chasing the things of this world. But if we do, we risk losing the treasure of the life God intended for us. As we come to “deny” ourselves and turn our lives over to Jesus, we are given a new and better existence.

Jesus isn’t asking us to deny our­selves every pleasure—that’s not the point. He wants us to deny the sinful drives within us that seek to control our lives. He wants us to turn our hearts to God so that the Holy Spirit can empower us to live according to the new life we received at baptism. Independence, unforgiveness, legalism, worldly approval, self-glorification, perfec­tionism: They only lead to unhappi­ness. These are the things that Jesus came to put to death in us.

Yes, there is loss through the cross. But what do we lose? Slavery to sin. And what do we gain? A cleansed conscience, freedom from patterns of sin, intimacy with God, and a rediscovery of who we are in God’s sight! Jesus longs to see us stop thinking we must gain vic­tory on our own over the things that threaten our spiritual well-being. He longs to see us surrender our self-sufficiency so that we can receive the power of his Spirit to live a new life. Let’s look to him for our heal­ing and deliverance.

“Father, show me what I must lay down at the foot of the cross so that I can become the person you intended me to be. I want to trust Jesus’ promise that whoever loses his life will save it.” ~WAU

James 2:1-9;Psalm 34:2-7; Mark 8:27-33

“Show no partiality.” (James 2:1)

One man with gold rings and fine clothes and another man with shabby clothes. You can easily pic­ture these two people in your mind, because you’ve probably seen them in your own church. And we all know that social distinctions like rich versus poor do not disappear completely in church. The poor and homeless will often sit in the back, while the wealthy and more com­fortable will sit in the front, often walking by their less fortunate brothers and sisters without giv­ing them any thought. How can we break down such barriers?

As we know, some divisions can’t easily be overcome. Some people are too afraid or ashamed to ask for help, and those they might ask are too nervous to reach out a hand of compassion. But that’s not the main point. James isn’t talking about making our churches into utopias. He doesn’t expect every wealthy person to give away all their riches. At the core of today’s passage is a call to something everyone can do: pay attention to one another!

Part of paying attention to the needy certainly can mean giving of our resources. If we say: “God bless you,” yet do nothing to relieve their suffering, we’re helping very little (James 2:16). At the same time, if we simply hand them a dollar bill and never speak to them or look them in the eye, we’re ignoring one of their most basic needs—to be treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve as chil­dren of God. Jesus could have fixed everyone’s problems instantly, but he always listened to people first. Simply being present was a big part of his ministry.

Think about how you are pres­ent to others—not just those you are comfortable with but those you tend to shy away from. That could include the poor, but also those who look and even think differently from you, like a member of a dif­ferent political party or a different religion. Can you see that person as Jesus does? Ask the Lord for the wisdom and understanding to lis­ten to that person. You may end up being touched deeply.

“Lord, you know how I value some people more than others. Help me to treat everyone as respectfully as I can. Teach me to see your reflection in all people.”~WAU

James 1:19-27; Psalm 15:2-5;Mark 8:22-26

“I see people looking like trees and walking.” (Mark 8:24)

The Gospels record many instan­taneous miracles, but the healing recounted here occurs in stages. Friends bring a blind man to Jesus, who takes him by the hand and leads him away from the crowd. He puts saliva on the man’s eyes and asks what is happening to him. “Can you see anything?” According to one translation, this man “was beginning to see,” but the people he saw were shadowy forms moving about. Jesus touched his eyes again, and then he could see clearly.

This is a wonderful model for spiritual growth! We have encoun­tered the living God, and we are beginning to see things in a new way. Still, so much remains indis­tinct and fuzzy. Only through con­tinued dialogue with Jesus and his repeated touch can we grow in our ability to see the world in the light of God’s love.

But there is another way to apply this story of gradual sight. For most of us, our life’s work comes into focus gradually rather than being revealed early on. For instance, three of us may like numbers, but that aptitude may lead one person to become a teacher and another to program computers and a third to compose music. It’s only as we grow and experiment, and as we listen to the Lord and the mentors he has given us, that we discern what our true calling is.

Similarly, our vocation may be outlined in a moment of decision to become a priest or to seek a spouse, but it takes a lifetime to enflesh that vocation. Being a parish priest or the mother of small children dictates much of what will fill our days. But only in cooperation with the Holy Spirit can our daily routine become a vocation of love, a way of bringing God’s kingdom into a specific time and place.

In your prayer today, tell Jesus what you can see, and admit what still seems confusing. Take a look at the way your vocation is unfolding. How is God inviting you to love him more? Ask him to sharpen your spir­itual vision so that you can see your life and your calling more clearly.

“Jesus, I long to see myself and others as you see us. Open my eyes wider to the reality and power of your love.” ~WAU

James 1:12-18;Psalm 94:12-15,18-19;Mark 8:14-21

“Watch out.” (Mark 8:15)

The disciples had forgotten more than just bread! They had forgot­ten—or perhaps they just hadn’t yet realized—something fundamental about who God is and how he treats his children. He is a giver of good gifts, and he is unchanging. He is reliable and consistent in his deal­ings with us. As the Letter of James tells us: “All good giving and every perfect gift is from above, com­ing down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow [of] change” (James 1:17).

So if God had given bread to eat to those who had none—twice, no less—wouldn’t it be reason­able to think that he might do so again? So why did the disciples worry that they didn’t have any bread for themselves? Jesus was right there in the boat with them. Couldn’t they ask him to help them out? Unfortunately, their thoughts were stuck on what their stomachs growled for and what their eyes beheld—no bread.

This story tells us how impor­tant it is that we take our thoughts captive and make sure they line up with the truths of faith as we know them. Sometimes it takes a serious amount of effort to do that, but we will be blessed if we persevere. If we can get into the habit of measur­ing our thoughts, ideas, and emo­tions against what we know to be true about God, we will find our­selves more peaceful, more trusting, and more confident in his love and power.

Today, try making a list of some things Scripture says about who God is. You can use the articles in the front of this magazine to help you. Take a look at the attributes of God that we explore in those arti­cles, and expand on them a bit. Then, use this list as a sounding board as the day unfolds. Try your best to make your thoughts and feelings to line up with the truths you have written out. No matter what happens today—good, bad, or indifferent—proclaim to yourself: “God is good. Always. He loves me. That never changes. He will always care for me. Abundantly.”

“Jesus, I want to live in peace, secure in your love and provision for my life. Help me to know and trust the truth of who you are.” ~WAU