This morning we confess our need for you and bring all our cares and concerns before Your throne. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Clearly this is a rhetorical question by Jesus. Holy Saturday is the second day of the Divine Mercy Novena, Rosary Glorious Mysteries (with Scripture), Novena in preparation for Divine Mercy Sunday, Reflection for Divine Mercy Sunday (2022), Reflection for Divine Mercy Sunday (2021), Reflection for Divine Mercy Sunday (2020), Reflection for the Ascension of the Lord (2021), Reflection for the Ascension of the Lord (2020). Holy Week reflections download all five, Easter Week reflections download all five. Tonight, we forgive the people who have sinned against us. Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us. A painting, a short reflection and a prayer are offered to make connections between aspects of our Holy Week and Easter Week journey and the global pandemic which, this year, is inescapably our context for that journey. My Father will honor the one who serves me." ( John 12:25-26 NIV) Teach us to call your nameAs Jesus did.Make us to trust in you like little children.In Jesus name, Matthew 17:1-6; Lamentations 3:1-9, Lamentations 3:19-24. Today I thank God for the interference to my holy week practices that remind me that ALL is sacred. Thank you for acknowledging those of us at work or on a busy schedule that does not allow us space to reflect and pray more deeply this holiest of weeks. Traditionally, Holy week begins each year with a celebration of Palm Sunday. FREE - Download a beautiful PDF version of our 8-Day Holy Week Prayers and Scriptures Guide! Thank You, the prayers are great, very relaxing, George Boronat; Reflection by Fr. Seven prayers for Holy Week The events of Easter have meaning beyond our own personal lives. When to be busy serving,Or when to rest at your Sons feet and learn.Give us ears to hear you and eyes to see.For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ. Additional Reading (s) today: Is 49:1-6; John 13:21-33, 36-38. "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Holy Week is a solemn week of extra prayer and fasting. The Biblical practice of fasting can be found in both the Old Testament and the New, with Moses (Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 9:9-18), Elijah (1 Kings 19:8), and our Lord (Matthew 4:2) all participating in 40-day fasts. The topics are: Mary of Bethany gives Jesus her most precious possession; our deeds can bring Christ's "good aroma" to the world; caring for Jesus in the Tabernacle. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. I hope youre helped by at least one or two of them. It is also a way of disciplining yourself, strengthening your "spiritual muscles" so to speak so that when temptations arise in life, you are already used to saying "no" to your desires. The many readings of Scripture surrounding the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ give us a lot of material for reflection and prayer. Ranks of automatic-weapon armed Israeli soldiers marched shoulder to shoulder through the lanes, forcing all to press against the side walls to let them pass. This week especially, we can use our time meditating on Jesus Passion for growing in patience and anticipating the joy of resurrection with hope that lingers while suffering. Seeking the Gospel in Malachi, the Last Book of the Old Testament. I fretted about it when I realized Id be away from my church. Waiting for God is a different matter, however. Here are some easy prayers you can say to feel connected to God during Lent this year: "God, may Your light guide my day, and your spirit bring me peace. The reality is that prayer is important during Lent. All rights reserved. The Ignatius excercisess, are good also. He demonstrated His love on the cross and we receive that love tonight. Why do we look for easier paths to follow? Thank you that you are with us in whatever we face and that you are greater than this trial. of May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. Evening:Father God, tonight we remember the agony of Jesus as He wept and prayed in Gethsemane. This article is part of our larger Holy Week and Easter resource library centered around the events leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus. (Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV). Jesus actions during Holy Week are the culmination of generations of longing for the coming MessiahGods promised Redeemer. What Does It Mean That There Is No One Holy Like God? May we be like Him today as we serve those around us and live for You. Observances. Lent Reflections. These meetings are not about us because Father, You are in us; therefore we ask that You will be at the center. Almighty God, look on the humble desires of your servants. Related:Holy Week ScripturesWhat Is Ash Wednesday?Easter Bible VersesPalm Sunday Scriptures and Bible Verses, Photo credit: GettyImages/Tinnakorn Jorruang. We acknowledge our need for salvation from our sins and rejoice that Jesus is our Deliverer. Fourteen stations are featured in total. These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. I want you and your light in my life. Prayer of Surrender. Make us instruments of your peace and guide us in the ministry of reconciliation. As the appointed time draws near for entering into Jesus death, we might do well to ask Him how we can console His Heart every day from this point onward. I kneel beneath your cross and beg for mercy. Join us in prayer throughout the season of Easter. I ask for your forgiveness and the, God, I lift up (name of the person youd like to pray for) today. But daily life continues, and our minds spin with scores of other stories that threaten to obscure the Jesus story. These include: What prayer is; When and where to pray; Whether words are always needed; What to do when prayer seems impossible; Praying alone and with others. May our lives testify to the truth of Jesus and point the world toward His sacrifice on the cross, His resurrection, and His anticipated return. . Pray. Source: Gregorian Sacramentary, 8th Century, Historic Collect for the First Sunday in Lent. "Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asked for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asked for a fish?" Matthew 7:9-10. Matthew 21:1-11; Psa 118:1-2; Psa 118:19-29. But in the midst of our weakness, we ask that you would be strong on our behalf. Evening: Father God, as our day ends, we recall the cross and the obedience Jesus demonstrated at Calvary. In this season of Lent, were reminded of our own difficulties and struggles. For Those Who Work in Catholic Health Care. Good News Reflection for: Friday of the First Week of Lent March 3, 2023. But if we are about to offer our gift to God at the altar and there we remember that our brother has something against us, leave our gift there in front of the altar, go at once and make peace with our brother, and then come back and offer our gift to God, as seen in Matthew 5:23-24. Good Friday is the first day of the Divine Mercy Novena, A Chaplet for the Mercy to Forgive Another, Novena in preparation for Divine Mercy Sunday Bishop Robert Barron. Yet your word says that Jesus, being God,Took on human fleshAnd suffered the worst kind of death.How can this be? There are not many (if any!) Beliefnet is a lifestyle website providing feature editorial content around the topics of inspiration, spirituality, health, wellness, love and family, news and entertainment. How He faced betrayal and desertion by those closest to Him. III Project; Get the Ultimate Introduction to Philosophy. Poems for Holy Week. God, may Your light guide my day, and your spirit bring me peace. We might not be able to see God or hear God, but God sees and hears us, and lament is our way of being honest with him when life is painful. fraud prevention. But only as a seed dies when it is planted in the earth,Not to decay, but to spring to new life.Teach us to take refuge in you when we are afraidTeach us that death is not our end. Your email address will not be published. To become a new creation in Christ, we must undergo many trials that wed instead bypass altogether. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Copyright 2009-2023 Loyola Press. On Saturday, Jesus body lay in the tomb. The group responds in unison. ThisFREE podcast provides a fresh approach to the Lenten season and can be used as a devotional or study for individuals and groups. We Are Called. We live for Christ who died for us and lives forevermore. TWO PRAYERS OF CONSECRATION TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS. Pray. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you of two minds. Wednesday, February 22, 2023 - Thursday, April 6, 2023. Uniting Suffering to the Cross. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the Listen to and reflect on each reading right from your phone. Lead me to walk in love, as a shining reflection of your love into this world. I pray that we do not meet in vain, but we meet under the guidance of Your Holy Spirit, this we ask, Amen. Amen. 2nd SUNDAY OF LENT YEAR A Mass prayers and readings. O Heavenly and Almighty Father, who sent his only Son Jesus to live and die as one of us, save me. In the Western Church, Lent officially begins with a reminder of our mortality on Ash Wednesday. (Zechariah 9:9). Ignite Your Prayers with 16 Ways to Pray! Throughout Lent, you can listen to a Lent reflection each day on 0800 804 8044. Sometimes the way has seemed too dark. In His name, we pray. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. He was mistreated, beaten, flogged, and eventually crucified in our place. Amen. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. Very important. Reflection: go to church. You came in glory to save us and redeem us from our sins. How He was silent before His accusers and suffered all, to bring us life. Jesus was born so that He would die for us. It Is So Painful to Care: How Do I Conquer Apathy? "SIX DAYS BEFORE the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the . Source: Gregorian Sacramentary, 8th Century, Historic Collect for the Fourth Sunday in Lent, Powerful Lent Bible Verses: Scriptures to Encourage Your Lenten Fast, Featured Prayers: Lent - acollectionofprayers.com. Prayers like the Hail Mary and Our Father are always acceptable during Lent (and outside of it). Daily reflections for Holy Week and Easter Week, written by Susanna Gunner in 2020 but still all too pertinent in 2021 A painting, a short reflection and a prayer are offered to make connections between aspects of our Holy Week and Easter Week journey and the global pandemic which, this year, is inescapably our context for that journey.