Reflection for Tuesday, February 28, 2012: 1st week in Lent.

Abstract

Isaiah 55: 10-11 " ... 'So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; It shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it."|Psalm 34: 4-5, 6-7, 16-17, 18-19 " ... Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame..."|Matthew 6: 7-15 " ... 'Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This is how you are to pray: Our Father who art in heaven ... ' ... "|Today's readings are a perfect lesson for our Lenten journey, in that they are perfectly simple. We know we have to ease into this reconnecting with our spiritual dimension of ourselves, and simple works well. Life can be going along just fine for some people, but for people who have a lot on their prayer list, today's readings are especially pertinent.|Two things: be in God's word daily, for it will produce good fruit in your life; secondly we don't need to worry, fret and or lengthen our prayers to God, for God knows what we need. Just say, "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name ... " The prayer we learned as children is mostly about forgiveness, and this point is emphasized at the end of the Gospel reading. So, on this day let us chose to forgive that person who has hurt us, causing us to lose our peace. As children saying this prayer, we remember some of these words were big; and some of us have heard recordings of children tripping over them and making up new words. But, today as we say these words, may the Good Lord help us to own them, by choosing that person with whom our forgiveness is needed.|The lesson will return good fruit and is for our own health and mind, as it removes so many obstacles from our path. From the Gospel we read if we "do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions." (Matthew 6: 15)|Peace be with you ...