Thursday of the Third Week of Lent
Lectionary: 240
Reading 1
Jeremiah 7:23-28
Thus says the LORD:
This is what I commanded my people:
Listen to my voice;
then I will be your God and you shall be my people.
Walk in all the ways that I command you,
so that you may prosper.
But they obeyed not, nor did they pay heed.
They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts
and turned their backs, not their faces, to me.
From the day that your fathers left the land of Egypt even to this day,
I have sent you untiringly all my servants the prophets.
Yet they have not obeyed me nor paid heed;
they have stiffened their necks and done worse than their fathers.
When you speak all these words to them,
they will not listen to you either;
when you call to them, they will not answer you.
Say to them:
This is the nation that does not listen
to the voice of the LORD, its God,
or take correction.
Faithfulness has disappeared;
the word itself is banished from their speech.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
R. (8) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
"Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works."
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Verse Before the Gospel
Joel 2:12-13
Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart,
for I am gracious and merciful.
Gospel
Luke 11:14-23
Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute,
and when the demon had gone out,
the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed.
Some of them said, "By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons,
he drives out demons."
Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.
But he knew their thoughts and said to them,
"Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste
and house will fall against house.
And if Satan is divided against himself,
how will his kingdom stand?
For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.
If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul,
by whom do your own people drive them out?
Therefore they will be your judges.
But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons,
then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
When a strong man fully armed guards his palace,
his possessions are safe.
But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him,
he takes away the armor on which he relied
and distributes the spoils.
Whoever is not with me is against me,
and whoever does not gather with me scatters."
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
The Kingdom of God is Upon Us
“But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.” Luke 11:20
The Kingdom of God can come upon us in a variety of ways. The line from today’s Gospel above comes in the middle of a story of Jesus casting out a demon from a man who was mute. Once the demon was cast out, the mute man began to speak, and all were amazed. And though some were amazed and grew in faith as a result, others turned their amazement into irrationality.
The irrationality of some was that they saw what Jesus did, but they didn’t want to accept that His power was divine. Therefore, some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.” They couldn’t deny that Jesus drove out a demon, since they saw it happen with their own eyes. But they were unwilling to accept Jesus’ divinity, so they jumped to the irrational conclusion that Jesus’ act was done by the power of “the prince of demons.”
This irrational stance of some people is one of the most dangerous stances one can take. It’s the stance of an obstinate heart. They were given the incredible witness of the power of God at work but refused to respond in faith to what they witnessed. For those who are obstinate, when the Kingdom of God comes upon them, as Jesus stated above, the effect is that they react in a violent, angry and irrational way. This form of reaction is exceptionally prevalent today in the secular world. Many in the secular media, for example, constantly react violently and irrationally to all that is part of the Kingdom of God. As a result, the evil one easily misleads many, causing confusion and chaos.
For those who have eyes to see clearly, this violent and irrational rejection of the Kingdom of God is very clear. And for those with faith and an open heart, the pure message of the Gospel is like water to a dry and parched soul. They soak it up and find great refreshment. For them, when the Kingdom of God comes upon them, they are energized, inspired and driven with a holy passion to further God’s Kingdom. Irrationality disappears, and God’s pure Truth prevails.
Reflect, today, upon your heart. Are you obstinate in any way? Are there teachings from Christ and His Church that you are tempted to reject? Is there some truth that you need to hear in your personal life to which you find it difficult to be open? Pray that the Kingdom of God come upon you today and every day and, as it does, that you will be a powerful instrument of its establishment in this world.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
“O COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL”
“Faithfulness has disappeared; the word itself is banished from their speech.” —Jeremiah 7:28
Our heavenly Father is the Faithful One. Jesus Christ is “the faithful Witness” (Rv 1:5), “the Faithful and True” (Rv 19:11). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, that is, of faithfulness (see Jn 16:13). The triune God is perfectly faithful (see 1 Thes 5:24). Even “if we are unfaithful He will still remain faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Tm 2:13). It is God’s nature to be faithful.
God calls us to be holy, to be like Him. That means that we must be faithful. Have you been faithful to your baptismal promises? This is the fundamental responsibility to which we must be faithful. Have you been faithful to your vocations as married, lay single, priest, religious, parent, child, worker in the world, or church worker? Have you been faithful to the Church, including to your bishops, Pope, pastors, and brothers and sisters in Christ? Have you been faithful in keeping your word and your promises to those people the Lord has given you to love?
If you have been faithful, give God the glory, for it is only by His grace that you have been faithful. If you have not been faithful, repent, go to Confession, receive God’s mercy, and become faithful. On Judgment Day, the Lord wants to say to each of us: “Well done! Good and faithful servant” (see Mt 25:21, 23).
Prayer: Father, this Lent make me faithful in life, till death.
Promise: “But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out devils, then the reign of God is upon you.” —Lk 11:20
Praise: Sts. Perpetua and Felicity were both beheaded at the public games in the amphitheater in Carthage. They were among many young women, with children, who were martyred for refusing to renounce their faith in Jesus.
Reflection 3
By Fr. Josep GASSÓ i Lécera
(Ripollet, Barcelona, Spain)
“If it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you”
Today, in the proclamation of the Word of God, the figure of the devil appears once more: “He was driving out a demon” (Lk 11:14). Each time the texts speak of the devil, we feel, maybe, slightly uncomfortable. However, it is true evil exists, and it is so deeply rooted we cannot fully remove it. It is also true evil has a very broad scope: it keeps on “digging” and we simply cannot stop it. Yet, Jesus has come to fight these evil forces, to fight the devil; He is the only one who can drive him out.
Jesus has been slandered and accused: the devil is able to achieve everything. While the people were amazed at what Jesus Christ had done, “Some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.” (Lk 11:15).
Jesus' response shows the absurdity of the argument from those contradicting Him. Besides, this answer means for us a call to unity, to the strength meant by that unity. Disunity is an evil and destructive yeast instead. One of the evil signs is, precisely, division and making us unable to understand each other. Unfortunately, the present world is marked by this type of evil spirit, which prevents our understanding, and recognition of one another.
It will be good for us to ponder over which should be our participation in the task of “driving out the devil”, or keeping him away. Let's wonder: do I contribute with what is needed so that our Lord expels evil from me? “For from the heart come evil thoughts” (Mt 15:19). It is very important the response we can all give, that is, our necessary cooperation at a personal level.
Let's hope the Virgin Mary intercedes before Jesus, her beloved Son, so that He expels any type of evil from the world (wars, terrorism, mistreatment, violence) and from our heart, too. Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church and Queen of Peace, pray for us!
Prayers
My glorious King of all, You are all-powerful and have full authority over all things. Please come and exercise Your authority upon my life. Come and establish Your Kingdom. I pray that my heart be always open to You and to the direction you give. Jesus, I trust in You.
O Lord, our God, grant us, we beseech you, patience in troubles, humility in comforts, constancy in temptations, and victory over all our spiritual foes. Grant us sorrow for our sins, thankfulness for your benefits, fear of your judgment, love of your mercies, and mindfulness of your presence; now and for ever. (Prayer by John Cosin)
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 67: Hidden Roses of Love
Some acts of love are meant to be shared only between lovers. Acts of the utmost intimacy and self-giving are precious gifts of love shared in the secrecy of a relationship of love. This is also the case with our love of God. We should regularly look for ways to express our most profound love of God in ways that are known only to Him. In return, God will lavish merciful graces upon us, interiorly, known to us alone. These mutual exchanges of love are powerfully transforming to a soul and the source of the greatest delight (See Diary #239).
Reflect, today, upon the intimacy of your relationship with our merciful God. Do you take great delight in showering Him with Your love? Do you do so, regularly, in the secrecy of your heart. And do you open yourself to the countless ways that God bestows these graces of love upon you?
Lord, may my interior acts of love for You be as a rose I place before Your Divine Heart. May I delight in offering You my love and may I rejoice, always, in the secret and profound ways that You lavish Your love upon me. Jesus, I trust in You.
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