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22 February 2015
The First Sunday of Lent (Mark 4:1-11)
In today’s Gospel we see Jesus in the desert being enticed by the devil, tempted to misuse His divine power in order to make His own life easier. Jesus knows, however, that the heavenly Father is supporting Him, and He fights nobly and bravely, using the two-edged sword of the Word of God as His only weapon.
We are never alone during temptation, and we must never try to fight our temptations alone. The Lord is very near, and His Blessed Mother and the Saints are also ready to come to our aid. Jesus advised St. Faustina on how to deal with temptations:
“First, do not fight against a temptation by yourself, but disclose it to the confessor at once, and then the temptation will lose all its force. Second, during these ordeals do not lose your peace; live in My presence; ask My Mother and the Saints for help. Third, have the certitude that I am looking at you and supporting you. Fourth, do not fear either struggles of the soul or any temptations, because I am supporting you; if only you are willing to fight, know that the victory is always on your side. Fifth, know that by fighting bravely you give Me great glory and amass merits for yourself. Temptation gives you a chance to show Me your fidelity” (Diary 1560).
Prayer: Merciful Lord Jesus, help me to remain calm and trusting during times of temptation. Never let me forget that You are very close, looking at me and supporting me. Help me to fight bravely, and in that way, to give You the glory You deserve. I trust in You! Amen.
15 February 2015
The Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Mark 1:40-45)
Following the example of the leper in today’s Gospel, let us, too, approach the Lord Jesus with the leprosy of our own sins—with our wounds brought on by spiritual plagues, with our hearts worn out by anger, hatred, envy, lies, curses, the desire to take revenge. Maybe we even come to Him with self-hatred, or with tears in our eyes. For all of us need healing, and only Jesus can heal us with His gentle touch and by drawing us lovingly to His merciful Heart.
Jesus is waiting for every prodigal son and daughter—including each one of us—waiting for us to turn to Him with the words, “Lord, if You want to, You can heal me.” When He perceives our remorse, He will forgive us and raise us from the dust. Yet it hurts Jesus to see people covered with “spiritual leprosy,” denying their guilt, shirking responsibility for their actions, refusing to acknowledge their sin. He therefore spoke these words to St. Faustina: “I am Thrice Holy, and I detest the smallest sin. I cannot love a soul which is stained with sin; but when it repents, there is no limit to My generosity toward it. My mercy embraces and justifies it. With My mercy I pursue sinners along their paths, and My Heart rejoices when they return to Me” (Diary 1728).
Prayer: Merciful Lord Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner. If You want to, I know You can heal me of all the negative effects my sins have had on myself and others. Grant me the grace of true and lasting conversion. I trust in You! Amen.
8 February 2015
The Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Mark 1:29-39)
In today’s Gospel we see people flocking to Jesus for healings after hearing how He’d cured Peter’s mother-in-law. Jesus surely went to bed exhausted that night, yet He got up early the next day to spend time in seclusion with His Father.
After searching everywhere for Jesus, Peter, quite surprised, finally managed to find Him, peacefully at prayer. “Hurry up, Jesus! Everyone is queuing up for healings! Stop wasting time!” he’s about to blurt out. But Jesus, with no stress at all, states the Will of God that He has just discerned in prayer, “Let us go elsewhere, to the neighbouring country towns, so that I can preach there too.”
When we don’t pray, it’s hard for us to discern what God wants of us and even harder to keep our peace when making decisions. St. Faustina offers these words about prayer in her Diary: “In whatever state the soul may be, it ought to pray. A soul which is pure and beautiful must pray, or else it will lose its beauty; a soul which is striving after this purity must pray, or else it will never attain it; a soul which is newly converted must pray, or else it will fall again; a sinful soul, plunged in sins, must pray so that it might rise again. There is no soul which is not bound to pray, for every single grace comes to the soul through prayer” (Diary 146).
Prayer: Merciful Lord Jesus, teach me to pray. I sincerely want to spend time in prayer, yet I’m weak, and everything distracts me. Help me to set aside some time for You each day. In the silence, fill my soul with Your grace and loving presence. Amen.
1 February 2015
The Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Mark 1:21b-28)
In today’s Gospel we see Jesus’ divine power and authority in casting an unclean spirit from a man who is possessed. At Jesus’ Word, the evil spirit shrieks and throws the man into convulsions as it departs, leaving no one in doubt as to whether the man had actually been possessed.
Evil does indeed exist, and we can allow unclean spirits to enter our own hearts when we dabble in horoscopes, spread gossip, or watch TV shows with inappropriate content (pornography, violence, magic, etc). But the Word of God can put all those devils to flight.
St. Faustina saw something horrible on her way home one day after listening to her confessor (Fr. Michael Sopoćko) powerfully preach the Word of God. She related it in these words: “When I had taken a few steps, a great multitude of demons blocked my way. They threatened me with terrible tortures, and voices could be heard: ‘She has snatched away everything we have worked for over so many years!’ When I asked them, ‘Where have you come from in such great numbers?’ the wicked forms answered, ‘Out of human hearts; stop tormenting us!’” (Diary 418).
Prayer: Merciful Lord Jesus, I believe in the power of Your Word, and that You can expel from my heart everything that is unclean, everything that is tainted with corruption. I repent of having given in to the lures of the world and for having allowed the filth of the secular media to enter my mind and heart. Purify me with the power of Your Word and make my heart a dwelling place for You alone. Amen.