Tuesday of the First Week 

Reflection

The first reading really speaks to the idea that right now—at this time of my life— God is “showering” me with the things I need to grow. The imagery from Isaiah reassures us that God will give us the strength and spiritual nourishment we need to be “fertile and fruitful” to those who are open to receiving God’s grace, and the passage “so shall the word be that goes froth from my mouth” assures us that God’s Word is alive and life-giving to us.

The Psalms are especially appropriate for the penitential season of Lent.  We all have things we regret, things we wished had never happened. Sometimes, we want to forget and move on, and God can wipe away our brokenness and the things that separate us from Him when we turn towards Him, asking for healing and forgiveness.  The Psalms encourage us to face our mistakes and bring them to God. We have to do so with humility with but also with confidence in God’s immeasurable love for us. We can do this because we know that “when the just cry out, the LORD hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit He saves.”

The Gospel in which Jesus shares the Lord’s Prayer with His disciples is actually somewhat of relief.  Sometimes we don’t always know what to say to God or offer just a mumbled rush of words as we race through our busy days, but Jesus urges us to offer words that express the intentions of our hearts and gives us a model to follow. Prayers do not have to be long and formal, but it’s about what we are expressing to God and what is in our hearts that matter more than the length or sophistication of our prayer.  God just wants us to stay connected to Him.  During this season of Lent, I am going to try to have more frequent “chats” with God throughout the day.  In the Lord’s Prayer,  there is an emphasis on our responsibility to forgive others.  The way we interact with other people—how patient, compassionate and tolerant we are—should be a reflection of the way we have been loved and forgiven by God. 

Prayer

Loving God, despite the busyness of our days, may we find moments each day to turn to You in prayer.  Help us be humble and forgiving this Lenten season and may we remember the immeasurable love You have for us.

Ben Newbury, ’23

Scripture

First Reading: Isaiah 55:10-11

Psalm 34:4-7, 16-19

Gospel: Matthew 6:7-15

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website