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Build up others this Lent with your thoughts on the Sunday Mass readings and meditation. Three questions for reflection and discussion will be offered for Ash Wednesday and each of the six Sundays during Lent. Please pray through the questions and share your insights or what the Lord spoke to you in the comments area below. Your words will inspire others in The Word Among Us community and encourage them during this grace-filled season.
We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God… . Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 5:20; 6:2).
Now. Today. This very moment. This is a time of unfathomable grace and favor from heaven. Believe it or not, Ash Wednesday is not meant to be a day for focusing on our sinfulness. No, it’s an opportunity to focus on heaven. True, Paul is exhorting us to be reconciled to God—but not in the sense of a command so much as in the sense of a joyful invitation. Right now, God’s favor is upon us, and he is inviting us to come and receive his grace.
God has never stopped pursuing us. Throughout Israel’s history, he was always at his people’s side, offering them his mercy, his wisdom, and his protection. All they had to do was turn to him. When they did, miracles flowed. And when they turned away, trouble ensued—but he was always there, calling them back through his prophets. Finally, when the time was ripe, he sent his Son to redeem the whole world and to be with us always.
Today, try to recall the many times when God has reached out to you in the past. Maybe just one line in a homily struck you with renewed force. Or perhaps a friend called you just when you needed someone to talk with. Each of these is an invitation from God for you to come to know him better. And today is another one of those opportunities.
“Now” is the time of God’s favor. It’s a never-ending “now,” an invitation that lasts until the end of time. As you read these words, God is calling you and asking you to open your heart. If you feel blocked by past failures or sins, today is the day to let go of them and believe that his love can overcome anything!
“Lord, I believe that nothing can overpower your love and mercy. Help me to accept that love this Lent. I want to be reconciled with you!”
(Mass Readings for Ash Wednesday: Joel 2:12-18; Psalm 51:3-6,12-14,17; 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2; Matthew 6:1-6,16-18)
Discusson Questions
Please pray through these questions and share your insights or what the Lord spoke to you in the comments area below. Your words will inspire others in The Word Among Us community and encourage them during this grace-filled season.
1. This passage from St. Paul conveys a sense of urgency and immediacy in the call to turn to the Lord. Do you feel a similar sense as Lent begins? What pressing needs do you have that you can take to the Lord in prayer? Are there any areas in your life that may be crying out for God’s healing or forgiveness? How can you respond to this urgent cry from the Lord?
2. Think of a time when God reached out to you. How did that happen? What happened as you took him up on his invitation?
3. What can you do this Lent so that you become more aware of the times God is inviting you to come to him? How might the traditional Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving help you to spot the Holy Spirit working in your everyday life? How might receiving the Eucharist more often or going to confession help?
Think of a time when God reached out to you. How did that happen? What happened as you took him up on his invitation? My son was involved in a car accident. I was notified by the police at my workplace that it had occurred, but they didn’t indicate to me the condition of my son, just indicated that he was taken to the hospital by an ambulance and that the car was totaled and being towed away. You can imagine the fears rising inside of me, thinking just how badly was my son injured. I panicked and cried. Throughout the ride to go to the hospital, all I kept thinking about was what has happened to him. When arriving at the hospital, they kept telling me that he was in this room or that room, and each time I would arrive at that room, he wasn’t there. I began to think that something really bad had happened to my son, and they were just stalling in telling me, because they were trying to get a hold of someone else to be with me when they revealed the horrible truth. As time was moving, my fears and anger rose up inside of me and I felt the floor underneath fall out from below. I was getting no answers and getting more upset. Finally, I sat myself down in a quiet room and prayed. I said Dear God, okay I surrender all that I am to you. I accept everything that has happened, and whatever sorrow and misery that lies ahead, I trust in your goodness and greatness that you will see me and my family through it. After I said that prayer, the most amazing peacefulness rested upon me and in my heart. I was calm, and I was collected. I stood up and walked out of the room, and it was then, that I saw my son being rolled down the hallway on a bed, talking away to the nurse. He was fine, other than a small injury to his leg. In my fear I forgot to turn to God and ask Him for his reassurance. Only when I reached the bottom, and as a last resort, did I turn to Him. But the beautiful thing was He invited me into His arms and reassured me with his peaceful love, that all would be okay.
In response to question 3: I have a fairly long commute in the morning. Sometimes I pray the rosary, but not always. This morning I prayed it and just concentrated on praising the Lord during it, thinking about the mysteries and not dwelling on my own concerns. It was very refreshing. I think during Lent this year, I will pray the rosary every morning on the way to work. In my life I haven’t always prayed the rosary, but I’m realizing that there is something about it that is very special—as soon as you put your fingers around the beads, you feel that you are in the presence of God.
In response to question 2 - Many years ago, I worked as a civilian on a military installation. I had hurt my back at work, and, since my injury was covered under workers’ comp, I was sent to the hospital on the installation to see a doctor, who prescribed an anti-inflammatory. While I was waiting at the pharmacy to pick up my prescription, I started visiting with the gentleman sitting next to me, who was also waiting to pick up a prescription. I distinctly heard a voice say, “Pray with him.” Ashamedly, I acted like Jonah, and gave all kinds of excuses - he’ll think I’m an idiot; he’ll get angry, etc. The voice eventually got louder and louder, until I finally did pray with the gentleman; he thanked me afterwards. I will have to wait till I get to heaven for the rest of the story. . . . .
Dear seeker01 - yes! say your rosary every day on the way to work. In answer to question 2., the Lord reached out to me one morning as I was driving to work. I was coming in a bit late, following an early morning dentist appointment....the time was about 10 minutes before 9 a.m. (I’d checked my watch to see just how late I might be) when I experienced an overwhelming call to say the rosary. I had no music or radio on at the time, and it seemed a good time to pray, but be assured it was a rather unusual thing for me to do. I arrived at work a short while later, and was surprised to see a large crowd of people gathered in the atrium of my office building, watching TV. It was September 11, 2001, and just as I walked in, the second jet struck the World Trade Center.
Believe it or not, it was several days before I recalled the rosary experience, and realized that our Lord had called me to pray at about the time the first plane struck. I’ve since learned of many others who were similarly prompted to pray at that time, and who, like me, were away from news outlets and had no idea what was transpiring.
So seeker01 - please follow those promptings to pray to our Blessed Mother, because you may well be intervening for someone who needs prayer. And believe me, I am a sinner, so if our Lord uses me, He’ll use you, too!
In response to question 1. Going for my pre-employment medical examination, on entering the clinic, I heard this voice telling me “it is well not matter what”. So I commenced the medical examinations, a couple of tests was done- my hearing and lungs checked, ECG etc- and I was told to return a week later to see the doctor about the test results. I returned to the clinic on the appointed day to see the doctor and was told there was a problem with my ECG, that I should redo the test which I did. I returned a week later for the result and was told the ECG was still not right as it did not tally with other test result. The doctor asked that I pray about it. In all of this, the one thing I held on to was the voice I heard the first day I entered the clinic telling me “it is well”. I kept repeating it to myself and in my prayers I told the Lord that I beleive in Him and I’m holding on to his word that “It is well”. I was given a prescription by the doctor and told to repeat the ECG once again. Failure to pass the ECG most times means an offer of employment not being made by the company. Two days before my appointment to see the doctor I received my letter of offer of employment. On getting to the clinic, I was referred to the senior medical officer who took a look at all the various test results including the previous ECGs and said all was well. Yes, I was afraid for my health and the possibility that I could not be offered the job but I held on strongly to the Lord’s promise and He saw me through.
In regards when God reached out to me, I can honestly say that the times are countless. He reaches out every day, whether I actually listen and accept is another story. Two years ago my husband lost his job after being employed for 20 something years, just a few years before he could retire. There are consequences to be paid for our actions, and he was paying a high price. We prayed and prayed giving thanks that he would get a reinstatement. Being a people that want instant gratification, that did not happen. He did work at several places for a lot less realizing how hard life really is for those who are underpayed. I too am employed but decided to apply at a previous job involving much travel. One day a voice kept asking me “what if you get this job and then your husband gets reinstated at his job, what then?” This being the Holy Spirit talking to me, what would I do? Then I prayed for me not to get the job. Go figure. But God in all His glory is so good. My application was declined which was so disappointing, how dare they not want me I am wonderfurl (ha, ha). A few days later we rejoiced. The call came, he was reinstated. Thank you Jesus! Praise you Lord! There is no doubt in our minds that God has the plan, He is in control! We can never thank Him enough for all the wonderful blessings He continues to gives us every day.
I feel exactly this sense of urgency. God has been letting me know through his word that I have some deeply embedded sinful thought patterns he wants me to leave behind. I need to leave them so that I will not, as He pointed out, be living in Judas’ field of blood - a dead man’s field. Along with that have been several passages about other bloody traitors: the unfaithful vineyard tenants, and Hazael, king of Aram. I’m asking the Lord to heal me/correct me from a wrong way of thinking about myself and others that is, I think, killing me. So now the time has come to kill some of the excesses of the ego or be killed, so to speak. Depression has been a frequent companion on this journey.
Just recently God imparted a great grace on Valentine’s Day: He showed me in effect that my relationship with my father, troubled deeply in my mind and inspiring all manner of fears and anger, had been healed on the Cross and that I and my father were one; he was in me, something I had been resisting. Moreover, my relationship with my Heavenly Father has been made right in the same way. I understood that I had essentially been outside of the Kingdom by my own devices for a very long time, and that I was now a resident (maybe premature, that part). I am His son. I need to grace of confession to lay some things down. Right now I’m scared silly, srt of feeling that I am coming apart, but God has taken me places before so I’m pretty sure the outcome will be a deep, changeful good. I need the grace of courage to make the most of this moment. Thank you for letting me tell you about it.
I certainly need to go to Confession more often, and I’ve made a start by trying to keep an examen.( I use a computer spreadsheet so I can try to see some patterns). Eucharist is very important. It holds everything together, especially me.