Bummer or Blessing & Luke 9:22-25

Daily Reading & Meditation
Thursday (2/26): "Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it"
Gospel Reading: Luke 9:22-25

22 "The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised." 23 And he said to all, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?

Old Testament Reading: Deuteronomy 30:15-20

19 I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live, 20 loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice, and cleaving to him; for that means life to you and length of days, that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them."

Meditation: Do you know the healing, transforming power of the cross? When Jesus predicted his passion his disciples were dismayed. Rejection and crucifixion meant defeat and condemnation, not victory and freedom. How could Jesus' self-denial, suffering and death lead to victory and life? Through his obedience to his Father's will, Jesus reversed the curse of Adam’s disobedience. His death on the cross won pardon for the guilty, freedom for the oppressed, healing for the afflicted, and new life for those condemned to death. His death makes possible our freedom to live as sons and daughters of God. There’s a certain paradox in God’s economy. We lose what we gain, and we gain what we lose. When we try run our life our own way, we end up losing it to futility. Only God can free us from our ignorance and sinful ways. When we surrender our lives to God, he gives us new life in his Spirit and the pledge of eternal life. God wants us to be spiritually fit to serve him at all times. When the body is very weak or ill, we make every effort to nurse it back to health. How much more effort and attention should we give to the spiritual health of our hearts and minds!

What will you give to God in exchange for freedom and eternal life? Are you ready to part with anything that might keep you from following him and his perfect plan for your life? Jesus poses these questions to challenge our assumptions about what is most profitable and worthwhile in life. In every decision of life we are making ourselves a certain kind of person. It is possible that some can gain all the things they set their heart on, only to wake up suddenly and discover that they missed the most important things of all. A true disciple is ready to give up all that he or she has in exchange for happiness and life with God. The life which God offers is abundant, everlasting life. And the joy which God places in our hearts no sadness or loss can diminish.

The cross of Jesus Christ leads to freedom and victory over sin and death. What is the cross which Christ commands me to take up each day as his disciple? When my will crosses with his will, then his will must be done. The way of the cross involves sacrifice, the sacrifice of laying down my life each and every day for Jesus' sake. What makes such sacrifice possible and "sweet" is the love of God poured out for us in the blood of Jesus Christ. Paul the Apostle reminds us that "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit" (Romans 5:5). We can never outgive God. He always gives us more than we can expect or imagine. Are you ready to lose all for Christ in order to gain all with Christ?

"Lord Jesus, I give you my hands to do your work. I give you my feet to go your way. I give you my eyes to see as you do. I give you my tongue to speak your words. I give you my mind that you may think in me. I give you my spirit that you may pray in me. Above all, I give you my heart that you may love in me, your Father, and all mankind. I give you my whole self that you may grow in me, so that it is you, Lord Jesus, who live and work and pray in me." (Prayer from The Grail)

Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.



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(c) 2009 Don Schwager


Father Leo's E-Mail Blast

Bummer or Blessing

Today is my nephew’s birthday. His name is Emmanuel-Joseph. His father nicknamed him “Man-Jo.” He loves to cook, too. But, what a day to celebrate his birthday! It’s the same day as the Church’s celebration of Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten Season.


my nephew Man-Joe

This Ash Wednesday, marked with ashes on the forehead as a sign of our humble acceptance of mortality, we begin our 40 day pilgrimage of fasting, penance, and almsgiving. Today, as well as each Friday of Lent, Catholics commemorate Jesus’ Passion and death with a day of fasting and abstinence from meat. I’m not sure how my nephew will take not being able to eat meat, but I’m sure he understands that a new life in Christ is the best way to celebrate his birthday. In fact, my nephew, who came to Mount 2009 last weekend, is a good and faithful young man. I’m sure he sees that his birthday falling on the same day as Ash Wednesday is more of a blessing than a bummer.






Traditional “King Cakes”
– a New Orleans tradition. Usually eaten at Mardi Gras,
each cake contains a small statue of the baby Jesus.
Seminarians definitely enjoyed “seeking Christ” in these
pre-Lenten specialties.

I will definitely offer more Lenten style reflections during this holy season, but I have to provide a few updates for our subscribers. I realize that my bad blogging habit has made it very difficult to communicate fun and important news to our subscribers. So, here goes:

First, I want to thank the people at the Catholic Information Center in Washington DC. This is a very important group of new evangelizers, run by the Opus Dei, who have a bookstore right in the middle of the city. Last week I celebrated Mass and did a cooking presentation. Let’s just say that it was a successful event – as evidenced by the empty pan.







Second, please keep in mind two media opportunities. The Washington Post came out to do an interview. Hopefully that will give the Grace Before Meals movement some good press. More good news comes from the Food Network: we’ve been in talks about the possibility of doing a segment on the network. Yes, our goal is still to get on PBS, but we need sponsors to provide those funds. Contact us if you know anyone. In the meantime, doing something for Food Network would not only be an honor, it’d be loads of fun. Stay tuned.

Third, Sirius or XM listeners, be sure to tune into the “Catholics Next Door” on Thursday and Friday this week. I’ll be co-hosting the show for those two days. As you may know, I’m already a regular guest each Friday from 12:20-12:40, but this week I’ll have the honor of co-hosting with Greg and Susan on this fun, factual, family-friendly show.


At the New York studios with some seminarians.

Fourth, please keep me and the seminarians in your prayers as we leave for Rome on a pilgrimage. If you have any prayer requests, send them my way by Friday so that I can include these in our official intentions. We’ll be there for one week and we hope to do some blogging for the website, but I can’t keep that promise as you know how bad of a blogger I am.





St. Peters and pizza – two of my favorite things about these Rome pilgrimages.

Finally, happy birthday to my nephew Man-Joe. He’s not only a talented young guy who takes his faith and prayer very seriously; he also shares his uncle’s passion for food.


Man-Joe grillin' and chillin'

When I consider all of these things in life, I look at the challenges and realize that in God's hands, all is grace, all is a blessing.



Dirt

I realize that I may be pushing the envelope by promoting a chocolate dessert during the Lenten Season. I actually gave up chocolate and desserts for Lent (along with a few other things), but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to show how something like dirt can also be a blessing. This recipe shares the same name as the sentiment that accompanies the moment when the priest imposes ashes on a person’s forehead. The minister says, “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.” It recalls how Adam came from dirt that God formed into man. That admonishment is not an insult or a “bummer,” but a blessing. It’s a reminder that we came from the love of God.

The blessing is definitely extended to the dessert of that name. “Dirt” is simply a sweet combination of ground Oreo cookies, chocolate powder, chocolate pudding, and a balanced layer of cream cheese and whipped cream. Two seminarians – both of whom are becoming resident chefs for our seminary functions – made this dessert a few weeks ago for the 82nd birthday of one of our beloved faculty members.




Click here for the recipe.



Celebrating Spiritual Rebirth

Lent provides us a time to be born again. For Catholics this is almost a spiritual version of the secular New Year’s resolutions. So go ahead and join my nephew in celebrating a new life in Christ. If there are things that we need to do better, sins that need to be confessed, virtue that we need to develop, now is the time to be the Christians we are called to be.

Let us pray:
Father, help us to be humble in these next forty days so that we can experience the grace we need to celebrate the hope that comes when we are changed, converted, and made whole by Your love. Keep our families in peace and feed us with spiritual goodness, especially when we fast! We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.








Let us pray: Loving and merciful Father, Your Son Jesus Christ has taught us to love You above all things, and one another for Your sake. By standing on the rock of Your Church, may we share in Your love, and shine like stars to Your glory. May the power of Your Holy Spirit enliven us to be more like Jesus, Your Son, and bring us to that eternal joy You have prepared for us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.Sphere: Related Content