Ask, Seek, Knock - Thursday, March 17th

Readings of the Day

Gospel: Matthew 7: 7-12
Jesus said to his disciples: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.  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? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him. “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets.”

• ask: inquire of; request of; to solicit from; to demand or expect; to call on for an answer.
• What do I ask for from God?  Do I ask too much?  Do I ask too little?  Do I ask as a request, or a demand?
• seek: to make a search or inquiry; to try to find or discover by searching; to try to obtain; to ask for.
• How do I ask God for things?  How do I expect Him to answer?  Do I put my own intelligence in the search, actively seeking and trying to discover through prayer AND action?  Or am I passive in my request - if God wants it, it will happen?
• knock: to strike a sounding blow with the fist or knuckles, especially on a door or window, as in seeking admittance, or calling attention; to make a pounding noise.
• How perseverant am I in my asking and seeking?  Do I have the humility to ask over and over again?  Do I have the humility and serenity to accept His answer of "no"?  Do I have faith strong enough to see that in His "no" is always hidden a "yes", but to something other than what I was asking for?

Definitions from http://www.merriman-webster.com/ and http://www.dictionary.com/.

Signs, signs, everywhere are signs - Wednesday, March 16th

Readings of the Day

Gospel: Luke 11: 29-32
While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here. At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.”

• sign: indication; any object, event, pattern that conveys a meaning; an omen; a notice, bearing a name, direction, warning, or advertisement, that is displayed for public view; something material or external that stands for or signifies something spiritual; something indicating the presence or existence of something else.
• What indications, or assurances, do I seek from Christ?  Is He my "sign"?  Or do I let myself be rattled by worldy - political, social, economic - signs?  By being our "sign", what else does Christ want to show us?
• judgment: the ability to judge, make a good decision, or form an opinion objectively, authoritatively, and wisely, especially in matters affecting action; the process of forming an opinion or evaluation by discerning and comparing; (as in the Final Judgment) the final trial of all people, both the living and the dead, at the end of the world.
• Do I value wisdom and knowledge?  What am I willing to do to grow in these virtues?  What am I willing to do to grow in my knowledge of God even more?
• great (greater): considerable in degree or power; first-rate; exceptionally outstanding; highly significant or consequential; of high rank or social standing.
• What is Christ "greater than" in my life?  What is "greater than" (takes precedence over) my faith?

Definitions from http://www.merriman-webster.com/ and http://www.dictionary.com/.

Father, forgive us - Tuesday, March 15th

Readings of the Day

Gospel: Matthew 6: 7-15
Jesus said to his disciples: “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “This is how you are to pray: Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. “If you  forgive men their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

• father: a male parent; any male ancestor; paternal protector; (Verb form) - to be the creator or founder of; originate; take the responsibility of.
• How do I personally experience God as a Father?  What kind of Father do I perceive Him to be - what words would I use to describe Him?  How natural is it for me to relate to God as His child?
• forgive: to grant relief from payment of; to cease to feel resentment against (pardon); to cancel an indebtedness or liability of; to pardon an offense or an offender.
• Does the word forgive bring my thoughts first to what God has forgiven me, or what wrongs done to me I have forgiven?  Is the forgiveness I offer to others of the same calibre of Christ's forgiveness offered to me?  Who, or what, in my life do I need to forgive?
• transgressions: infringement or violation of a law, command or duty
• Do I know God's laws?  Do I know the commandments of the Church?  What do I do to inform my conscience about these laws and duties?   What is my main motivation in following God's commands?  Why do I think He asks us to follow certain norms of thinking and behavior?

Definitions from http://www.merriman-webster.com/ and http://www.dictionary.com/.

Right & Left; Sheep & Goats - Monday, March 14th

Readings of the Day

Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46
Jesus said to his disciples: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’

Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’

Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

• separate: to make a distinction between (distinguish); to set or keep apart; to isolate from a mixture; to sever an association; disconnect; to divide, as by an intervening barrier of space.
• inherit: to come into possession of or receive especially as a right or divine portion; to receive as an heir.
• eternal: having infinite duration (everlasting); continued without intermission; without beginning or end; perpetual; ceaseless; endless; existing outside all relations of time; not subject to change.

Definitions from http://www.merriman-webster.com/ and http://www.dictionary.com/.

Angels Came and Ministered to Him - Sunday, March 13th

Readings of the Day

Gospel: Matthew 4:1-11
At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.” He said in reply, “It is written: One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.”

Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will command his angels concerning you and with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Jesus answered him, “Again it is written, You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.”

Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, "All these I shall give to you,if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.” At this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan! It is written: The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.”

Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.

• tempt: to attract, appeal strongly to; to put someone to the test; to entice to do wrong by promise of pleasure or gain.
• devil: the supreme spirit of evil; a subordinate evil spirit at enmity with god, and having power to afflict humans with bodily disease and spiritual corruption; something very trying or provoking.
• minister: to give service, care or aid; attend, as to wants or necessities; to contribute, as to comfort or happiness.

Definitions from http://www.merriman-webster.com/ and http://www.dictionary.com/.