Daily Lenten Reflections

Monday, February 19, 2024

Monday of the First Week

Reflection

Our Reflection on the readings for this day begin in Leviticus, where the ritual laws of the tribe of Levi are listed. Our readings begin with the Lord’s words to Moses,” … to speak to the whole assembly of the children of Israel and tell them: Be Holy, for I, the Lord, your God am Holy.” After touching on many of the commandments we know, it ends with”… take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your countrymen. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”

We then move on to respond to the Psalm with Jesus’ words (John 6:63b) “Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.” The Psalm itself sings the perfection of God’s laws in all that the laws bring to us. “The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul … giving wisdom to the simple…rejoicing the heart… enlightening the eye…the ordinances of the Lord are true, all of them just.

The final reading is about the second coming of Jesus, where all are divided by Jesus into those who will inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world, and the accursed who will go into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Jesus makes clear that the way to the kingdom of eternal life is to love our neighbors. Feeding, clothing, caring for each other in sickness or in prison, welcoming strangers, any good we do for someone else is as though we had done it to Jesus Himself. We are imitating Jesus’ love and caring for us. It goes on every day, all day, from the gift of our being which we tend ignore though it is every moment we live, to the glory of nature around us, our family and friends, and the gifts of food, drink, time, shelter, the kindness of strangers. All that is good is from the Lord. As in Leviticus, we are asked to be Holy for the Lord your God is Holy. Be like God, do for each other as God does in His endless love for us. He does show us how to be Holy, his ordinances are true and all of them just.

As we prepare to walk with Jesus to Golgotha and bear witness to his sacrifice of Love, these readings lead us to our God and Savior and show us our present path to be truly beside Him, through the daily love and care of each other.

Prayer

Dearest Lord, let the words of my mouth, and the thought of my heart and my works of love for others find favor before you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Amen.

Stephanie Noakes
Class of 1980, MA ’09, P ’05

Scripture

First Reading: Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18
Psalm 19:8-10, 15
Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website

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Mission of Edmundite Campus Ministry

The Mission of Edmundite Campus Ministry at Saint Michael’s College is to share the Good News of the Gospel with the College community by facilitating encounter with Jesus Christ. We do this through the celebration of the Church’s Liturgy, in programs promoting knowledge of the Catholic faith, by developing ecumenical and interreligious relationships, and providing retreats and other opportunities for personal spiritual growth.

The Catholic and Edmundite tradition upon which the College was founded is grounded in the conviction that all women and men are created in the image and likeness of God providing a special dignity unique to each person. Such dignity requires human life to be respected in all of its stages recognizing that we are all children of God.

Therefore, in its pursuit of furthering the Reign of God, the Edmundite Campus Ministry staff seeks to interact with and support every member of the College community in their search for Truth, contributing to the “enhancement of the human person and to the advancement of human culture in light of the Catholic faith.”