Part 1 of 2
Daily Office Readings for Sunday of the Second Week of Lent: Year 1
Morning Psalms 24 and 29; Evening Psalms 8, and 84;
Jeremiah 1:1to10; 1 Corinthians 3:11 to 23; Mark 3:31to 4:9
“See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.” (Jeremiah 1:10)
Jeremiah’s call from God is to continue in God’s plan to bring all nations, all people to God. Jeremiah is called even before he is born. I think many of us today are also called before we are born but fail to hear God’s call. We say we are only a child, or that we can’t, and cannot possibly do such important work. But God says to you, “Do not say you can’t anymore.”
Part 2 of 2
Eucharistic Readings for the Second Week of Lent: Year B
Genesis 17:1 to 7 and 15 to16; Psalm 22:22 to 30; Romans 4:13 to 25; Mark 8:31 to 38
“I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.” (Genesis 17:7)
So it seems that God has always had a plan to bring the whole world to God’s self. God starts with Abraham, making an everlasting covenant. Paul continues along this line in our Romans reading for today: “For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith.” (Romans 4:13)
We too often want a “made for movie,” way of life with personal benefit for ourselves. Peter even wanted a better outcome for Jesus. “But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind, not on divine things, but on human things.” (Mark 8:33)
When Jesus turns away from Peter, he turns away from the Symbolic Church, just announced. He then calls for the attention of all his students (disciples). He tells us that we, the church, must not circumvent the divine plan of God. God’s Will, will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. This has been established from the time of Abraham. It is still God’s plan today. We too must work through our troubles with steadfast resolve. God is with us and will never abandon us. Praise Jesus!
Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do. John
onewhoponders 