From His Word to Our Hearts

On the Second Sunday of Lent, we always hear the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus as a reminder to us that our time here on earth is fleeting and that our ultimate destiny lies in the kingdom of heaven. But heaven often seems far away and the demands of everyday life are unrelenting. That is precisely why Lent comes around every year! This season teaches us to devote more time and effort to our Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving so that we listen less to the noise of the world and more to wisdom of Jesus. After all, God the Father tell us – in no uncertain terms – to listen to his Son... shouldn’t we do what he tells us?

This week's readings:
Gospel – Luke 9: 28b-36
1st Reading – Genesis 15: 5-12, 17-18
Psalm 27
2nd Reading – Philippians 3:17-4:1

God is good and the gifts he offers us are very good... wisdom, joy, peace, understanding, love, faith, nourishment, eternal life. Why are we sometimes reluctant to take God at his word and to accept the wonderful gifts he offers us?

This week's readings:
Gospel - John 6: 51-58
1st Reading – Proverbs 9: 1-6
Psalm 34
2nd Reading - Ephesians 5: 15-20

Following Jesus, being his disciple, is not easy. It places demands upon us, upon our thoughts, our feelings, and our actions. Perhaps no demand is less well understood or more difficult to follow than what we call the Golden Rule. Jesus tells us to treat others as we would like to be treated, but that’s not as simple as it sounds. Each one of us has a lifetime of experiences that shape his or her hopes, dreams, reactions, and expectations. Actions intended to be kind may be perceived as intrusive, comments meant to be funny can be regarded as cruel or thoughtless, attempts to express affection or respect may be interpreted as demeaning or condescending. So, how do we live the Golden Rule in today’s world?

This week's readings:
Gospel – Luke 6: 27-38
1st Reading – 1 Samuel 26: 2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23
Psalm 103
2nd Reading – 1 Corinthians 15: 45-49

John the Baptist preaches the forgiveness of sins to help prepare the way of the Lord, but are we listening to his message? Do we hold onto those valleys that divide us from one another? Do we build up mountains to separate ourselves from those who are difficult to deal with or who challenge us? The season of Advent is the time when we prepare for the coming of Jesus, but are we preparing ourselves? Are we opening our hearts and minds to let God in so that he can complete the good work he began in us?

This week's readings:
Gospel - Luke 3: 1-6
1st Reading - Baruch 5: 1-9
Psalm 126
2nd Reading - Philippians 1: 4-6, 8-11

There’s plenty of darkness to be found in the world: natural disasters, the death of a family member or friend, work or school stress, financial hardship, loss of a friendship, loss of a job, homelessness, illness, or divorce. How that darkness affects us depends upon our age, our background, our life experiences, and our faith. So, what gives us hope amidst all the darkness? Where do we turn to find light in the world?

This week's readings:
Gospel - Mark 13: 24-32
1st Reading - Daniel 12: 1-3
Psalm 16
2nd Reading - Hebrews 10: 11-14, 1

Since this week's episode mentions the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, I will be posting pictures showing what the Temple would have looked like at the time of Jesus (from the model at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem) and what the Temple Mount looks like today. I will also include an image of the Mount of Olives for perspective.

To see those photos, follow me on Instagram as @fromhiswordtoourhearts.