Readings for Thursday 13 March 2014 (First Week of Lent)
Est 4:17. Ps 137:1-3, 7-8, R/ v 3. Mt 7:7-12. www.catholicbishops.ie/readings.
Queen Esther knew the practical things to be done and did them, but she did not rely on them. Her prayer shows that her confidence was in God: ‘I have no one but you, Lord.’ We can show a practical lack of faith. Sometimes we are hesitant to ask in prayer, maybe because it is only our last resort.
Pope Francis
Today is the anniversary of the election in 2013 of Pope Francis as Supreme Pastor of the Church. An intention for the Holy Father should be included in the Prayer of the Faithful at all Masses.
To mark the first anniversary of the pontificate of Pope Francis, the Vatican has put together a special online publication of images and quotes from the Holy Father from his first year as Pope. This can be accessed by clicking here.
Pope Francis on Twitter
“Our deepest joy comes from Christ: remaining with him, walking with him, being his disciples.”
Follow Pope Francis on Twitter @Pontifex.
Excerpt from Lumen Fidei The Light of Faith
A light to be recovered
There is an urgent need, then, to see once again that faith is a light, for once the flame of faith dies out, all other lights begin to dim. The light of faith is unique, since it is capable of illuminating every aspect of human existence. A light this powerful cannot come from ourselves but from a more primordial source: in a word, it must come from God. Faith is born of an encounter with the living God who calls us and reveals his love, a love which precedes us and upon which we can lean for security and for building our lives. Transformed by this love, we gain fresh vision, new eyes to see; we realize that it contains a great promise of fulfilment, and that a vision of the future opens up before us. Faith, received from God as a supernatural gift, becomes a light for our way, guiding our journey through time. On the one hand, it is a light coming from the past, the light of the foundational memory of the life of Jesus which revealed his perfectly trustworthy love, a love capable of triumphing over death. Yet since Christ has risen and draws us beyond death, faith is also a light coming from the future and opening before us vast horizons which guide us beyond our isolated selves towards the breadth of communion. We come to see that faith does not dwell in shadow and gloom; it is a light for our darkness. Dante, in the Divine Comedy, after professing his faith to Saint Peter, describes that light as a “spark, which then becomes a burning flame and like a heavenly star within me glimmers”.[4] It is this light of faith that I would now like to consider, so that it can grow and enlighten the present, becoming a star to brighten the horizon of our journey at a time when mankind is particularly in need of light. – Pope Francis, Lumen Fidei, 4
Lenten Programme in the Diocese of Kerry
Click the link for the Lenten Programme 2014 – Diocese of Kerry.
Fast with Trócaire this Lent
Join the Trócaire Fast on Good Friday, April 18th. Create your own fundraising page for your friends and family to sponsor you. Click here.
Daily Lenten Prayers
(i) We pray for all in need;
may we, as God’s people
show care by responding to the needs of those
who are less fortunate.
(ii) We pray for all who are sick:
May the Lord continue to bless them
and may they be comforted by the care and kindness
of those who surround them.
Resources on the Vatican website for Lent 2014
The Vatican is collating all the resources for Lent 2014 on a special link on the home page of www.vatican.va. It includes the catechesis, addresses and homilies of the Holy Father, information on liturgical events and video and other multimedia content. Click here to access it.
The Meaning of Lent
The English word ‘Lent’ comes from the Anglo-Saxon word Lencten, meaning ‘Spring’. In other languages the word comes from the Latin, Quadragesima – a period of 40 days. In the Christian tradition the forty days is understood to refer to a time of intense prayer and preparation; we remember the biblical stories of Noah and the flood of 40 days, the forty years the Israelites spent wandering in the wilderness and Christ’s forty day fast in the desert in preparation for his earthly ministry.
