Title: Meditation: Saturday, February 16, 2002
Addenda:
Yesterday, Thursday, February 14, the Church honors Saint Cyril, a monk and
his brother, Saint Methodius who was a bishop. Reading their lives shows us
the importance of their linkage between the Western Church and the Eastern
Church and their loyalty to the vicar of Christ. -jn
The Catholic Calendar for Saturday, February 16, 2002
Saturday after Ash Wednesday
Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Isaiah 58:9-14
Psalm 86:1-6
Luke 5:27-32
A Reflection on Today's Scripture:
The readings from today focus on two themes, which actually might
blend into one. In Isaiah, we read of appropriate and inappropriate
purposes for fasting and penance. We are reminded that we need to
examine our motives for fasting and penance to be sure they do not
become an end unto themselves, done for our own glorification. When
our motives are those to please God we will be heard as stated in
Isaiah:
Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall hear.
Thou shalt cry and He shall say: Here I am. (Isaiah 58:9)
In the gospel of St. Luke we are given the accounting of Levi being
called by Christ. Christ said "Follow me. And leaving all things he
(Levi) arose and followed Him." (Luke 5:27-28) Levi then prepared a
great feast in his own house, inviting Christ and Levi's publican
friends. That all sounds so simple and straightforward, on the part
of Christ, getting Levi interested to follow Him. Why was Levi so
quickly predisposed to follow Christ?
Perhaps Christ and/or others had prayed for Levi, that he might be
inclined to be a follower. We recall, as described in Luke, Chapter
4, that Christ had previously spent 40 days and nights praying and
fasting in the desert before He began the work of His Father. Even as
the Son of God He did not start without prayer and fasting. What a
good example for us! Perhaps our success with some spiritual work is
because we first prayed about it, and perhaps even fasted. Then
again, maybe someone else was praying....one never knows. One
prepares the soil, another sows and reaps the harvest. We all have
important works to do!
- Joan of Jesus, ocds ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
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All scripture quotes are from the Douay-Rheims edition of the Catholic Bible.
Full text from the New American Bible: http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/index.htm
Lives of the Saints: http://www.christdesert.org/public_texts/martyrology/
