Reflections on the Daily Readings 6th March 2022
Monday 7th March
Memorial Of Perpetua And Felicity,
My Peace I Leave You
Saints Perpetua and Felicity shared an intense intimate bond. These two North African women were young new mothers imprisoned together by the Roman Empire for being Christians. Perpetua was a noblewoman and Felicity was her enslaved servant—but their unequal relationship was upended by their new faith, in which Saint Paul said there is “neither slave nor free.” The two held each other in the moments before their grisly public executions in an amphitheater and gave each other the kiss of peace before dying. In the face of any horror—from slavery to persecution to execution, all of which still exist in our modern times—love has power over hate.
Today's readings: Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18; Matthew 25:31-46
“When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?”
Tuesday 8th March
Memorial Of John Of God
Give your life in noble pursuit
The Order of Brothers Hospitallers honors the work of Saint John of God, who was born and died on this day. John’s tumultuous path—as orphan, then soldier, then suffering from mental illness—eventually led to a humble spiritual life of tending the sick and dying poor. John died as he lived, in noble pursuit: He succumbed to pneumonia after rescuing a drowning man. Founded on the Rule of Saint Augustine, the order consoles the world’s sick and poor but also, officially, oversees medical care of the pope. Pray Augustine’s “Watch, O Lord” prayer to remember the sick and dying today—and all who comfort them.
Today's readings: Isaiah 55:10-11; Matthew 6:7-15
"So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me void, but shall do my will."
Wednesday 9th March
Memorial Of Frances Of Rome,
Let your legacy be one for the ages
On this second day of National Catholic Sisters Week, we celebrate the feast of Saint Frances of Rome. Her renown as a servant of the poor was so great that centuries after her death, she became an inspiration for the first community of black nuns in America: Baltimore’s Oblate Sisters of Providence, founded in 1829 by Servant of God Mary Lange (one of the church’s six venerated African Americans). Dedicated to teaching black children during slavery, the Oblates named their flagship school in the Italian noblewoman’s honor, and St. Frances Academy is today the oldest continually operating black Catholic school in the nation. Like those holy sisters, let’s model the charism of Saint Frances this day and always.
Today's readings: Jonah 3:1-10; Luke 11:29-32
“My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.”
Thursday 10th March
Lenten Weekday
Let faith lead you to freedom
Today is the death date of abolitionist Harriet Tubman (1820-1913), whose life embodied Christian liberation. A deeply religious woman, Tubman risked her life repeatedly to lead enslaved men and women to freedom, relying on a deep bond with God for strength during these dangerous missions. Today, many people suffer injustice and lack of freedom. Whether it be a phone call to a legislator or an act of solidarity with an exploited group, take one step today that honors the tradition of Harriet Tubman.
Today's readings: Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25; Matthew 7:7-12
“For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Friday 11th March
Lenten Weekday
Second chances are a first principle
The good news of God’s forgiveness is the most confounding of Christian teachings. For those who rarely turn away from God in sin, it seems unjust that God’s mercy is indiscriminate, and for those who have turned away time and again and finally come to terms with their sinfulness, it seems impossible that God’s mercy is at hand. As Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister, O.S.B. says, “Perhaps forgiveness is the last thing mentioned in the Creed because it is the last thing learned in life.” Lent is our annual crash course in the practice of forgiving—ourselves and others.
Today's readings: Ezekiel 18:21-28; Matthew 5:20-26
“If the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed, . . . none of the crimes he committed shall be remembered against him.”
Saturday 12th March
Lenten Weekday
To those to whom much is given . . .
Jewish diarist Anne Frank, whose death is observed today, once wrote: “Why can’t people who have more than they need for themselves give that surplus to their fellow citizens?” In most societies, alas, gaining wealth seems more the point than giving it away. But during Lent, Catholics customarily practice almsgiving, the tradition of sharing our wealth with those in need. Remembering that “charity covers a multitude of sins” (1 Pet. 4:8), what better time than Lent to send some of our money to our diocesan Catholic Charities or Catholic Relief Services?
Today's readings: Deuteronomy 26:16-19; Matthew 5:43-48 (229).
“Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!”
