Catholic Calendar for Monday, February 14, 2005
Monday of the First Week of Lent
St. Cyril, monk
St. Methodius, bishop

Click here for Lenten Regulations

Scripture from Today's Liturgy of the Word:
Leviticus 19:1-2,11-18
Psalm 19:8-10,15
Matthew 25:31-46

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

We know very well what God commands us to do. There is hardly any credible excuse that involves ignorance of God's law. Instead we cleverly make up other ploys like in today's Gospel: "Lord when did we see You hungry?"

Jesus puts that lame attempt of purported innocence to rest, once and for all. There is no acceptable excuse to avoid kindness to others -- for, as "often as you fail to do.... to the least of your brethren, you fail to do so to Me."

How often because of our broken human nature, do we fail to respond in kindness, fail to see Christ in others? Sin has so injured us that even when for the most part we want to and actually do treat others with love, we are always vulnerable to fall and fail miserably. For those who want to root out all sinfulness even small sins, what are we to do?

We might be tempted to give up and just accept that we're going to sin and forget troubling ourselves about it. Or, we could give to God even our brokenness, mishaps and failures that He might transform them into occasions of grace. When that happens it won't be long before we recognize when we have done wrong. It won't take much to see how careful we must be in the future; and finally, it will be just fleeting moments before we ask for forgiveness both from our Creator and from those who we have transgressed.

Saying "I'm sorry" and "will you forgive me?" are powerful healing words. May God give us the grace to have to say them less often, but in all necessary cases, quickly and earnestly.

"Lord when did we see you hungry, Lord when did we know Your need?"

- Donna Raye Nelson, OCDS
(drn3rd at hotmail dot com)
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posted by joachim at 5:59 AM