Saturday after Ash Wednesday
Lectionary: 222
Reading 1
Isaiah 58:9b-14
Thus says the LORD:
If you remove from your midst oppression,
false accusation and malicious speech;
If you bestow your bread on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
Then light shall rise for you in the darkness,
and the gloom shall become for you like midday;
Then the LORD will guide you always
and give you plenty even on the parched land.
He will renew your strength,
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring whose water never fails.
The ancient ruins shall be rebuilt for your sake,
and the foundations from ages past you shall raise up;
“Repairer of the breach,” they shall call you,
“Restorer of ruined homesteads.”
If you hold back your foot on the sabbath
from following your own pursuits on my holy day;
If you call the sabbath a delight,
and the LORD’s holy day honorable;
If you honor it by not following your ways,
seeking your own interests, or speaking with malice—
Then you shall delight in the LORD,
and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
I will nourish you with the heritage of Jacob, your father,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
R. (11ab) Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.
Incline your ear, O LORD; answer me,
for I am afflicted and poor.
Keep my life, for I am devoted to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God.
R. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.
Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for to you I call all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
R. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.
Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my pleading.
R. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.
Verse Before the Gospel
Ezekiel 33:11
I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord,
but rather in his conversion, that he may live.
Gospel
Luke 5:27-32
Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, “Follow me.”
And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him.
Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house,
and a large crowd of tax collectors
and others were at table with them.
The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying,
“Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do.
I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Make the Radical Choice, Today
Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him. Luke 5:27–28
Levi had a good life. He made good money and had steady employment as a tax collector. But in an instant, he gave that all up to follow Jesus, and his life immediately changed for the good.
This short story of the call of Levi is one that we should take note of. Though you most likely have already made the choice to follow Christ, that choice needs to be deepened each and every day. And the witness of Levi is one that should inspire you to do so.
Oftentimes, when we sense God calling us deeper and closer to Him, when we sense that He wants us to follow Him more completely, we might pause and hesitate. It’s common for people to want to think through such a decision and weigh the “pros and cons” before stepping out in faith. But don’t do that. The witness of Levi’s immediate choice to leave all else behind and follow Christ is given to us so as to invite us to do the same.
How is Jesus inviting you, today, to imitate the radicalness of Levi? What is He calling you to walk away from so as to more fully serve Him with love and totality? If you do not know the answer to that question, say “Yes” to our Lord anyway. Tell Him that you want to imitate Levi and that you want to wholeheartedly commit yourself to a complete and radical following of His holy will.
It’s also interesting to note that as soon as Levi made the choice to follow Jesus, he held a dinner at his house for Jesus and other tax collectors. Levi was not afraid to let others know of his choice, and he wanted to offer his friends the opportunity to do the same.
Reflect, today, upon the person and call of Levi. And as you begin this Lenten season, use Levi’s call and response as an opportunity to hear Jesus calling you. You may not be called to “leave everything behind” literally, but express your willingness to do so anyway. Put no conditions on your choice to follow our Lord and you will be eternally grateful you did.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
THE SEED OF FASTING
“Hearken, O Lord, to my prayer and attend to the sound of my pleading.” —Psalm 86:6
Yesterday, the Church read the first half of Isaiah 58 during the Mass. Today the Church reads the second half of the chapter. The entire chapter discusses the kind of fasting God desires (Is 58:6).
Fasting is the kernel of Lent. By imitating Jesus’ forty-day fast this Lent, we will reap a great spiritual harvest throughout Easter culminating in Pentecost. For fasting to grow, we must pull out the weeds of “oppression, false accusation and malicious speech” (Is 58:9). We must till the soil by pouring ourselves out for the hungry (Is 58:10). Then we will reap a miraculous first harvest of light, guidance, abundance, strength, and restoration (see Is 58:10-12). Then, if we further till the soil by keeping holy the Lord’s Day (see Is 58:13), we will reap a second harvest in which we “delight in the Lord” and “ride on the heights of the earth” (Is 58:14).
Fasting is a precious, fragile seed. It is difficult to plant it properly. It is even more difficult to keep it growing. Nevertheless, if we follow up on fasting as delineated by the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, we will harvest fruits which are precious and almost unimaginable. Let the Lord work through you in fasting.
Prayer: Father, may this Lenten fast be the fast of a lifetime.
Promise: “Leaving everything behind, Levi stood up and became His follower.” —Lk 5:28
Praise: In 1240, seven noblemen of Florence, Italy, withdrew to a solitary place for prayer and service to God. In 1244, they adopted a habit and became known as Servants of Mary. Members came to the United States of America in 1852.
Reflection 3
Shared from God's Word
Imagine, instead of Levi, if it were you seated at the tax booth and you hear Jesus say “Follow me!” What would be your reaction? Remember every time we engage in conversation with Jesus in prayer, He invites us to take a step forward to be with Him. Are we following Him as He invites us into this love relationship? With the response of Levi, Jesus broke down the barriers between people as he sat at the table with those considered to be tax collectors and sinners. He challenged the judgemental attitude of the Pharisees who considered others as sinners and outcasts. Are we moved with mercy when we encounter the downtrodden and outcasts of society or do we look down upon them and consider ourselves superior to them? Lord Jesus, help me to show mercy and understanding just as you did.
Prayers
My precious Lord, You call all of your children to follow You without reserve. You call us to be ready and willing to abandon all that this life has to offer so as to obtain so much more. Give me the grace I need to trust You enough to say “Yes” to You today, tomorrow and all days. My life is Yours, dear Lord. Do with me as You will. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, our Savior, let us now come to you: Our hearts are cold; Lord, warm them with your selfless love. Our hearts are sinful; cleanse them with your precious blood. Our hearts are weak; strengthen them with your joyous Spirit. Our hearts are empty; fill them with your divine presence. Lord Jesus, our hearts are yours; possess them always and only for yourself.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 48: Silence
Our tongue can build others up, or cut them down. Our tongue also has a direct effect upon our own soul. When the tongue speaks words inspired by God, we grow in holiness. When the tongue speaks words not from God, we do great damage to our souls and others. The goal is not so much exterior silence; rather, it’s interior silence. Interior silence means that we think and pray before we speak. It means we are interiorly recollected and in tune with the voice of God speaking silently and gently within our conscience. This interior recollection of God is necessary if we are to dispose ourselves to speak the words of Mercy to others at the right time and in the right way (See Diary #118).
Seek, today, to become a person who is continually in tune with the voice of God within your own conscience. God’s language is real and transforming. His language is one of silent but clear communication with us. God is always speaking, are you hearing? Try to silence your own thoughts and ideas today so that you can hear only what He has to say to you.
Lord, I offer You my words this day. May I speak only what You inspire me to speak. May I hear only what You wish for me to hear. Help me, Lord, to enter into a deep and continual recollection of You, and in the silence of my heart may I meet Your divine presence so that I may share You and Your Mercy with others. Jesus, I trust in You.
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