Today's readings are the midway point in our Lenten journey, focusing on the relationship between God's laws and the state of man's heart. The First Reading begins with words many of us have heard frequently throughout our lives—the Ten Commandments. Before giving all of the Commandments, God proclaims to Moses, "I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery" (Exodus 20:2). The God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament: loving, merciful, steadfast, and forgiving, who seeks the happiness of man. The Father provides the Chosen People with the Ten Commandments to show them how to love God and neighbor properly, and cultivate a pure and holy heart. Above all, the Ten Commandments help guide us to our ultimate end: life with the Divine.
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1st Sunday of Lent—March 10, 2019
We begin our Lenten readings in a most appropriate place: the desert. In the desert, life is stripped to basics and everything, including our weakness, is exposed. We are forced to stand alone and vulnerable before God. Our faith is put to the test. Little wonder, then, that Jesus went to the des...
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2nd Sunday of Lent—March 17, 2019
We tend to believe good times will last forever. While it's nice to be optimistic in that respect, we tend to worry that the bad times will last forever as well. The truth is that life is a series of contrasts—mountaintop experiences followed by deep valleys.
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3rd Sunday of Lent—March 24, 2019
At this midway point in our Lenten journey, today's readings show us the Exodus, the great journey of the Jewish people out of Egypt. What are we to think of this amazing drama as Moses defied the King of Egypt, risking everything to obey God and lead His people out of their slavery?
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