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Message of the Day
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No one can stop God’s mercy, not even those who think too highly of themselves, nor even those who sneer at whatever they think is weaker than they are, not even those who disrespect God’s wishes. How I hope these words will instruct the minds of those who are humble.
- Elisabeth of Schonau, Second Book of
Visions
(“I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love which Christ Jesus our Lord shows us.” Rm. 8: 38)
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Readings of the Day
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Dn 3:14-20, 91-92, 95; Dn 3:52, 53,
54, 55, 56
Jn 8:31-42
Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him,
"If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and
the truth will set you free."
They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham
and have never been enslaved to anyone.
How can you say, 'You will become free'?"
Jesus answered
them, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.
A slave does not remain in a household forever,
but a son always remains.
So if the Son frees you, then
you will truly be free.
I know that you are descendants of Abraham.
But you are trying to kill me,
because my word has no room among you.
I tell you what I have seen in the
Father's presence;
then do what you have heard from the Father."
They answered and said to him, "Our father is Abraham."
Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children,
you would be doing the works of Abraham.
But now you are trying to kill me,
a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God;
Abraham did not do this.
You are doing the works of your father!"
So they said to him, "We were not born of fornication.
We have one Father, God."
Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me,
for I came from God and am here;
I did not come on my own, but he sent
me."
USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture
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“Thereupon Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire.” —Daniel 3:93
At the beginning of Lent, we heard about Jesus fasting for forty days and overcoming three temptations from the devil (Mt 4:2ff). Traditionally, temptations have been ascribed to three sources: the world, the flesh, and the devil (see 1 Jn 2:16; cf Eph 2:1-3). In the book of Daniel, God’s people were attacked three times. First, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace (Dn 3:20). Second, Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den where he faced
being devoured (Dn 6:17). Third, Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den again where he faced not only the lions but starvation (Dn 14:31).
These three attacks on God’s people can be analogous to the flesh, the devil, and the world. We Christians live in a fiery furnace of lust, addiction, and rage. Yet by living in the Holy Spirit we can be untouched by the flames of the flesh (see Dn 3:94). Second,
the devil is described as a “roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Pt 5:8). But we can close “the lions’ mouths” (Dn 6:23) in the name of Jesus. Third, we Christians live in the lions’ den of our culture of death. The world hates the Word of God (Jn 17:14) and wants to starve us to death spiritually and make us spiritually anorexic. But the Lord will feed us miraculously and make us hungry for His prophetic Word (see Dn 14:33ff).
Holy Trinity, give us three victories this Lent.
Prayer: Father, may this Lent lead to the total victory of Easter. Promise: “If you live according to My teaching, you are truly My disciples; then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” —Jn
8:31-32 Presentation Ministries
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Spiritual Reading
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Readings from Jesus Alive in Our Lives, by Philip St. Romain. Ave Maria Press, 1985. Contemplative Ministries, Inc. 2011. Part Three, Gift of the Spirit Chapter 3: The Coming of the
Spirit - Selected quotes
Early Outpourings
As we read through the Acts of the Apostles, we find other instances when the Spirit was poured out. Generally, the transmission seems to come
after a period of teaching and formation, with an Apostle coming to lay on hands to call forth the Spirit. This procedure continues in many Christian traditions to this day. There were other occasions, however, when outpourings were manifest before people were even baptized or had any significant Christian education. Acts 10:44-48, for example, describes the Spirit coming to Gentiles who had listened to Peter’s preaching. This type of manifestation was considered
extraordinary, however, and was taken to be a message to the leaders of the early Church to help them recognize that Christ had come not only for the Jews, but for everyone, and that Baptism was to be open to all.
Finally, we note outpourings upon believers who had presumably already been baptized and who had even already received the Spirit. An instance of this is described in Acts 4:31;
the purpose seems to be to embolden the believers in the face of persecution.
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