Lenten Reflection for the Week of February 14, 2016

SCRIPTURE:
Reflect upon the Readings of Deuteronomy 11:18, 26-28; Psalm 31; Romans: 3, 21-25,28
Gospel: Matthew: 7: 21-27

The theme of the readings centers on the steadfastness of Gods words to us as a blessing.
The words capture the interplay between God the Fathers words to his prophets in the Old
Testament and Jesus by His Redemption. As the wise man, who built his house on the rock, Jesus
leads us to listening to His Words as a guide to a life of grace and salvation.

REFLECTION:
When we are home, there often is a feeling of that which is familiar. We have our routine
and can relax with a feeling of being safe and comfortable. We invest in our home to make
it a place of belonging and security. Often, the pictures we see of others who have lost their
homes portray great distress and loss. Their homes contain a history of memories that is
irreplaceable. God invites us to home in our hearts through His words and assures us
that if we live by His words, we will be blessed, knowing that it is the Way to Him and our
heavenly home.

PRAYER:
Ive never prayed better than when I pray in the streets- Sr. Rosalie Rendu
Contemplative prayer is awakening and attentiveness. It is stepping back from our
preoccupations and distractions and allowing God to transform our awareness, our hearts
and our lives. It is making space to be with God in stillness and solitude. It is not
withdrawing from the world to go into the desert or monastery to find undisturbed serenity
and peace. It is allowing the Spirit to cultivate an inner stillness of heart that persists even
in the busyness and challenges of our lives, and that allows us to face those challenges with
focus and passion that comes from living with attentiveness to God.
-Juliet Benner (2011) Contemplative Vision. Downers Grove, Il. IVP Books. p. 28

TRY THIS TODAY:

As a Lady of Charity, do you experience home in your heart as you reflect on the words of
God that speak to you, and share them with the Poor and vulnerable that you serve? Do
you hear the Poor utter words of God that give them a feeling of being at home with God?