|
Home Authors Credits La Salette

| |
| Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
| Feb 1 |
Feb 2 |
Feb 3 |
Feb 4 |
Feb 5 |
Feb 6 |
| Feb 8 |
Feb 9 |
Feb 10 |
Feb 11 |
Feb 12 |
Feb 13 |
| Feb 15 |
Feb 16 |
Feb 17 |
Feb 18 |
Feb 19 |
Feb 20 |
| Feb 22 |
Feb 23 |
Feb 24 |
Feb 25 |
Feb 26 |
Feb 27 |
| March 1 |
March 2 |
March 3 |
March 4 |
March 5 |
March 6 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 1 |
|
MONDAY OF THE FOURTH
WEEK OF THE YEAR Mark 5:1-20
"What is your name? ... Legion is my name."
We, like the man in the Gospel, sometimes find ourselves
in the grip of things and habits that are non-life giving and keep us
restrained or prevent us from growing as
persons. Jesus found it important to ask the name of the spirit
in this man. Once he was able to name the demon, he had power over it and
could cast it out. The same is true for me. I can grow only if I call
my demons and my fears by their names,
and, "they are many," both personal and communal. Only in
acknowledging or naming these weaknesses can I begin to allow God to help me
change my destructive habits. Only when I
have done so, when I've allowed God
to help me see rightly, can I
progressively change and be renewed. Then, like the man in the Gospel
who is healed, I am better able to proclaim the news that God
has been powerful in my life, and that
God can give me a new heart, if I allow him to do so.
At La Salette Mary urges me to do the same. She calls me
to a change of heart. She names some of the demons of the time, which still
apply today: indifference to prayer, to the Eucharist, to respect of the
Lord's Day and the Lord's Name. Mary tells us that God cares, as she does.
God desires to be the true God in my
life. She reminds me to what extent God has gone to reveal the mystery of
divine love in Jesus. Mary urges me, in tears, to return to her Son,
with my whole heart.
Am I able and willing to name my "demons?" Which of
these is the greatest obstacle to my spiritual growth and my relationship
with Jesus?
 |
|
Feb 2 |
|
TUESDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF THE
YEAR Mark 5: 21-43
"Who touched my clothing?"
We have all had the experience
of being in a crowded place where people jostle one another, bumping and
pushing, oftentimes for no other reason than that there are too many people
present. The jostling, though obtrusive and
aggravating, truly means nothing except
that the place is overcrowded. The pushing and touching mean
nothing. On the other hand, if in the same crowd, some-one reaches out and
touches us gently on the shoulder, to get our attention, we
respond immediately. We can tell the
difference between a push or a shove and a call for our attention.
The woman with a hemorrhage is
desperate. Her need and desire are deep. She
timidly, yet confidently and trustingly,
reaches out and touches Jesus' garment in the hope of being healed.
His sensitivity to her hand and touch as well as to her profound need and
prayer causes him to react, to respond and to heal her.
At La Salette, in no way does
Mary push or shove or even demand. She invites,
she urges, she "touches" our hearts with
her tears and her motherly concern. She gently places before us the
glowing and resplendent image and reminder of her
crucified Son. She reminds us that he
desires to heal and renew. He aches to see
us suffer as a result of our human
blindness, so he "glows" and "shines" to attract our attention, to
touch our hearts, to lead us to repentance and conversion. His hope and
Mary's hope for us is that once we have truly seen him as the light of
our life, we will cling to him, "touch"
him, seeking a change of heart. He desires to grant that gift. Do we
choose to receive it?
Do I fear getting too close
to Jesus? Do I fear what conversion and healing will demand of me? Can I
trust in his love for me?
 |
|
Feb 3 |
|
WEDNESDAY OF
THE FOURTH WEEK OF THE YEAR Mark 6:1-6
"When the Sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue in a way that
kept
his large audience amazed."
The Gospel tells us that as a faithful Jew, Jesus observed
Sabbath. He understood not only the law of the Sabbath but also the deeper
meaning of the law. Jesus observed many weekly Sabbath moments when he
retired to pray in the silence of the night, by the sea, on the mountains,
in moments of contemplation of God's wondrous and beautiful creation. The
birds of the air and the flowers of the field were contemplated as signs of
God's love. These Sabbath experiences allowed him to see God present to him
and to hear God speak of the harmony of life. As a consequence of his
listening and hearing, Jesus grew in his knowledge of God and God's will. He
could then speak and teach about God to any and all who desired to hear.
Those who were caught in webs of legalism, conservatism and tradition did
not understand or refused to understand. Attentiveness could have helped
them answer their own question. "Where did he get all this?" In his prayer
and communication with God.
At La Salette, Mary urges us to remember the sacredness of
the Sabbath or the Lord's Day. Mary, like Jesus, knows that the Sabbath rest
is not only a way of taking time to worship our loving God, but it is also a
gift to us, a way and a day to allow
ourselves to be re-created, to be renewed in body and spirit. It is a time
to pause and reflect on the true meaning of our lives, our work, our
priorities and especially on the truth that only God is God. All else in
life is secondary. When we observe Sabbath, the Lord's Day or mini-Sabbath
experiences, we become aware of who we are and who God is. Then our
preaching and teaching, both in word and
deed, will tend to be filled with gratitude, joy and a faithful reflection
of God.
How do I observe the
Sabbath? Do the Sabbath experiences of my life help make
me more aware of God's love, or are they
days of more busyness and distractions which draw me away from my
true self?
 |
|
Feb 4 |
THURSDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF
THE YEAR Mark 6:7-13
"He instructed them to take nothing on the journey."
It has been said that in Palestine in the time of
Jesus, the natives had five articles of clothing: a long inner tunic, an
outer cloak, a belt, sandals and the
oriental headdress. Travelers carried a bag for food. In sending the
disciples forth to preach and teach, Jesus recommends that they
take only the bare essentials: clothing and a traveling stick for
support and protection. No food, no extras. But they were to take the
Word – the good news, the message of freedom and liberation. How
challenging for the disciples and for us. No extras! No cumbersome
distractions and burdens! An
invitation to trust in the power given them by Jesus,
the power of the Word. Their mission
is accomplished. Their joy and amazement are profound!
On' the Holy Mountain of La Salette, Mary sends the
visionaries forth with nothing but their innocence and simplicity and
their experience of the Mountain Vision. It is the Beautiful Lady
herself and what she said, and the dazzling crucifix on her breast that
would sustain them. She sends them forth as they are, innocent and
undeserving visionaries who have been blessed with a transforming
experience. "Go, my children, make this known to all my people." The
tenderness, the warmth and intimacy of this experience are enough to
convince her people and lead them to a change of heart. The people will
know that the message and meaning here are more than these ignorant and
innocent children could fabricate. Her people were converted, then and
ever since.
As a disciple of Jesus and a son/daughter of Our
Lady of La Salette, have I been "touched" by my experience of Jesus and
Mary at La Salette?
Are there any "extras" that I probably carry along
to fill the gaps or lack of experience or lack of trust in the power of
the Word?
 |
|
Feb 5 |
|
FRIDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF THE YEAR Mark 6:14-29
"When Herod heard John speak he was very much disturbed;
yet he felt the attraction of his words."
This gospel scene is a
flashback interjected in the middle of the story of the mission of the
disciples and their return to Jesus. The flashback serves to give us an
insight into what Herod thought of Jesus. The scriptures say, "Herod heard
of it (the mission of the disciples who spoke in the name of Jesus), for
Jesus' name had become well known." Mark takes the occasion to remind his
readers that it was this Herod who had John the Baptist beheaded. The
flashback also tells us of Herod's weakness, Herodias' grudge against John
and Salome's famous dance and her being manipulated into requesting the head
of the Baptist as a reward for pleasing Herod. In addition to telling us
about these people, the flashback serves to not only dredge up painful and
sorrowful events of the past but to bring forth, as well, happy memories of
blessings received.
At La Salette, Mary reminds
people of things they have done and are doing. Her message includes
flashbacks which most people find to be disturbing reminders of our human
weakness and sinfulness. But the apparition also includes two very
positive flashbacks. The first is the reminder of Jesus' crucifixion and
death which is the sign that "God loved the world so much," as John
the Evangelist tells us. The crucifix on Mary's breast is the blinding
reminder. The second is the famous
reminder of the episode of Coin where Mary reminds Maximin and us that, in
her motherly love and concern, she is present to us in the details of
our life. How wonderful to be reminded!
What recent flashbacks in my own life and prayer have
helped to make me more grateful for God's love and presence in my life?
 |
|
Feb 6 |
|
SATURDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF THE YEAR Mark 6:30-34
"Come ... and rest a while."
In this Gospel scene Jesus
is revealed as the "Divine Psychologist" and the "Man with a Heart." The
disciples return from their mission excited and happy with the success of
their work but exhausted by its demands. Jesus encourages them to get some
rest, to balance their work with leisure and prayer. He invites them to
enjoy a mini-Sabbath experience. He knows that one cannot be whole nor even
survive long without the necessary physical rest and relaxation. He has seen
to this balance in his own life. Here he reveals his loving concern for the
disciples, for their wholeness and well
being. Later he is touched with pity for the crowds who were "like
sheep without a shepherd." He teaches them and leads them to "green
pastures," to "still waters" where he refreshes their souls.
Our Lady of La Salette
appears in the desert highlands of the Alps. Her very presence there is an
invitation for us and for all pilgrims to "come away and rest
a while." She invites all her children to
enter into that mountain retreat in order to
be quiet, to rest, to reflect and to be
refreshed by the good news of God's love that
she brings. "Come," she says, "be not
afraid. I have come to tell you great news."
How often do I allow
myself to go into that sacred place of retreat, to hear Mary's
motherly message and call to repentance, conversion and reconciliation?
 |
|
Feb 8 |
|
MONDAY OF THE FIFTH WEEK OF THE YEAR Mark 6:53-56
All who
touched him were healed."
This final verse of Mark 6
reinforces a theme that is of special significance to the evangelist and to
us who make our pilgrim way to the Father's house. The theme of healing. We
are all in need of healing, whether physical or spiritual. We seek a
confessor, a doctor, or a therapist that we may find the healing we need.
"Those who are well do not need a physician," Jesus says, "but
the sick do" (Mark 2:17). All four gospels attest to the fact that, in the
power of the Spirit, Jesus ministered God's healing to all who were in need
of it. In response to people's faith, healing poured forth from Jesus, like
a never-ending flow of living water. Thus were fulfilled the words of the
prophet: "He who pities them guides then beside springs of water" (Isaiah
49:10). The wholeness Jesus brings is healing at its deepest level. God's
love, incarnate in him, gushes forth as a saving fountain, curing body,
mind, spirit. Its power pulsated in the very "tassel of his cloak."
To the bewilderment of her
two chosen witnesses, Mary showed herself at La Salette in tears. Her tears
bring to mind the healing water flowing from Christ's pierced side (John
19:34). "The thirsty ground," Isaiah had prophesied, "will become
springs of water" (35:7). The frequency of the word sin in the Bible and its
almost total absence from contemporary talk point to a contemporary "thirsty
ground." The recognition that human life is infected by sin is, one would
think, an essential part of any realistic description of the human
condition. How well inspired those peasant villagers were who, from the
beginning, invoked their heavenly Visitor as Our Lady of La Salette,
Reconciler of sinners!
Do I find it easy or difficult to admit that I am in
need of healing? Can I imagine What it might be like to feel the healing
touch of Jesus?
 |
|
Feb 9 |
|
TUESDAY OF THE FIFTH WEEK OF THE YEAR Mark 7:1-13
"That is the way you nullify
God's word."
One of the controversial
things Jesus did in the course of his ministry was to redefine the proper
application of Jewish ritual purity laws. By no means was he opposed to the
Torah. He had little tolerance, though, for what he considered to be abuses
of religious authority inflicted on the little people by the so-called
spiritual leaders. We know that many struggle with God's will as stated in
divine law and the observance of certain customs and practices that nullify
and make a mockery of God's Word. How often are we ourselves torn between
the law of God and man-made laws? The Pharisees in our gospel passage accuse
Jesus and his disciples of eating with defiled hands. In reply Jesus
unambiguously states that what matters is our inner life with our God and
not its outward trappings. What comes from within - a pure heart and a
well-formed conscience - interests him a great deal. Cleanse your hearts,
put your faith in me, he tells us, and keep from performing empty rituals
for others to see.
The duty of obeying God's
law goes largely ignored in our secular world. Mary at La Salette
underscores her children's disrespectful attitude toward commandments that
spell out the duties of humble gratitude and service we owe to our Creator:
"If my people will not submit, I shall be forced to let fall the arm of my
Son." The initiative she showed that September day at La Salette means,
essentially, that even in glory the Queen of heaven is ever engaged in the
reconciliation of her people on earth.
Do I set time aside each day to go within and allow
Jesus to speak to my heart? Is it true that laws make good servants but poor
masters?
 |
|
Feb 10 |
|
WEDNESDAY OF THE FIFTH WEEK
OF THE YEAR Mark
7:14-23
"Wicked designs come from the deep recesses of the heart."
We choose to hear only what
we want to hear, or we interpret teachings so that they will fit into our
own self-serving scheme of things. Jesus was a fine teacher. He taught with
wisdom and clarity. His message provides no loop-holes, it leaves no room
for excuses or false interpretations. He always speaks the truth clearly and
further illustrates it with concrete examples. He tells us today that high
ideals are not to replace our heart's need of God. It is not through the
perfect observance of dietary laws, Jesus points out, that we are saved. We
must rather pay attention to the inner designs and movements of our own
heart and respond heartily to God and to our neighbor. He cautions that our
ideals can become our idols! Real defilement dwells in the inner person.
Jesus calls not so much for a change of outward behavior but for a change of
heart.
Our Lady of La Salette
speaks of inner change, of spiritual transformation in the most dramatic of
terms: "If they are converted, rocks and stones will be changed into mounds
of wheat and potatoes will be self-sown in the fields." Jesus the Savior,
she reminds us, came to change the world - from the inside out. Yes, he
chose to bring that radical transformation about by changing human hearts,
one by one.
Does my need
to be perfect keep me from seeing where my heart is truly centered? How
conscious an effort have I invested in the cultivation of my inner world?
 |
|
Feb 11 |
|
THURSDAY OF
THE FIFTH WEEK OF THE YEAR Mark
7:24-30
" 'Please, Lord,'
the woman replied, `even the dogs under the table
eat the family's leavings.' "
We have all heard the
saying: Good news travels fast. St. Mark stresses that Jesus "could not
escape notice." Jesus' fame had spread far and wide, even into Gentile
territory. So it is that we meet a Syro-Phoenician woman, the mother of a
sick child, who beseeches him to drive out the demon besieging her daughter.
Jesus tells her that God must look after his own first and that his healing
power must first benefit the members of his chosen family. He puts her faith
to the test and, surprisingly, really tries her composure and self-control:
"It is not right to take the food of the children," he tells her, "and throw
it to the dogs." Hers was a deep and strong faith; it passed Jesus' test
with flying colors. She gave as good as she got: "Please, Lord," she
insisted, "even the dogs under the table eat the family's leavings." The
refreshing resourcefulness of faith!
The final New Testament
reference to Our Lady presents her as calling the early church community to
prayer, "They devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with
some women, and Mary the Mother of Jesus" (Acts 1:14). In her apparition at
La Salette, the Mother of the Lord calls our attention to the need to pray
well and unceasingly: "Do you pray well, my children?" "If I want my Son not
to abandon you I must plead with him without ceasing." Personal and
communal needs and problems challenge us to claim prayer's unique power:
"Will not God secure the rights of his chosen ones? Will he be slow to
answer them? I tell you he will see that justice is done for them speedily"
(Luke 18:7-8).
How willing am Ito accept and love all persons -
including "outsiders" - as Jesus did? Does the resourcefulness of faith show
itself in my prayer?
 |
|
Feb 12 |
|
FRIDAY OF THE FIFTH WEEK OF THE YEAR Mark 7:31-37
He has done everything well! He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."
The hymn says, "Jesus, you
are wonderful!" I love to sing this song over and over again. It soothes my
soul and helps me give glory to God the Father for the gift of his Son to
me, to us all. In the exercise of my healing ministry I have been given many
opportunities to sing the wonders of the Lord. It is perhaps because his
love and mercy endure for ever, that he is so full of surprises. The cure of
the deaf man is a classical gospel miracle story. A person in need of
healing is brought to Jesus. By deed and word Jesus restores wholeness.
People's utter amazement and exuberant praise attest to, and validate, the
wonderful deed. Such works manifest Jesus as the agent of the Father who is
"rich in mercy" (Ephesians 2:4) and "compassionate toward every creature"
(Psalm 145:9). The man's ears were opened, he heard God's saving word; he
believed in its trans-forming power, his tongue was unleashed; joyful praise
gushed forth from a heart as thankful as it was astounded.
At La Salette Mary invites
her children to set fear aside and draw near in their brokenness. She bids
them approach Christ, the wounded healer, whose crucified image she wore on
her breast. Familiar with human need and mindful of the first of Jesus'
signs given "at Cana in Galilee," Mary repeats the advice she offered then:
"Whatever he tells you to do, do it (John 2:5, 11)." Appropriate and wise
counsel for today's disciples as well.
Can I hear the voice of Christ through the deafening
distractions of life around me? How much enthusiasm do I bring to my praise
of the Savior?
 |
|
Feb 13 |
|
SATURDAY OF THE FIFTH WEEK OF THE YEAR Mark 8:1-10
"Jesus took the seven loaves in
his hands, gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples, and they
handed them to the crowd."
Mark sets a crowd scene
before our eyes. A multitude of people. A hungry multitude. Jesus performs a
miracle of striking compassion; he feeds them all. When all have had their
fill, plenty of loaves and fishes remain. This miraculous feeding obviously
looked back to the feeding of the Israelites with manna in the wilderness;
it also pointed to our own communal celebrations of the Eucharist. "Jesus
took the seven loaves and the few small fishes in his hands, gave thanks,
broke them, and gave them to his disciples, and they handed them out to the
crowd." God's good creation faithfully and humbly provides for us all each
year. But earth's crops are, for better or for worse, in our hands. We hold
God's bounty and lavish gifts in trust. We must share them. Our world is not
without its own multitudes of homeless, naked and hungry people. Hungry not
only for bread, but for love. Naked not only for clothing, but for human
dignity and respect. Homeless not only for want of a brick shelter, but
because of indifference and rejection.
It is with the deepest
sorrow, we are entitled to believe, that Mary spoke these words at La
Salette: "A great famine is coming" She well knew that some of her children
would suffer from famine brought on by natural causes; that many others
would suffer from famines of human making, she was also painfully aware. The
psalmist offers an encouraging promise: "The .Lord will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase" (Psalm 85:12). The land's increase,
however, remains in human hands.
Am I aware that pity without service to others is mere
sentimentality? Am I convinced that God's gifts are to be shared, that love
must be put into action?
 |
|
Feb 15 |
|
MONDAY OF THE SIXTH WEEK OF THE
YEAR Mark 8:11-13
"Sighing, from the depths
of his spirit, Jesus
said, 'Why does this age
seek a sign? "
This Markan passage strikes
a sharp note of taunting and testing. The Pharisees argue with Jesus,
hoping to discredit or entrap him. They insist that he guarantee through
"some heavenly sign" the authority he claims. Such profound misunderstanding
on their part disturbs Jesus deeply. He himself is the "heavenly sign," a
powerful sign. A sign that stands every human notion of power on its head,
however. He bans anger and name-calling (Matthew 5:22), he teaches
non-resistance to evil (Matthew 5:39), he preaches love of enemies (Matthew
5:44), he will wash the disciples' feet (John 13:3-11), and the humiliation
of the cross will be his exaltation (John 19:32). Seeking a sign is natural
enough. Have we not at times thought, "If only I were given a sign, my faith
would grow stronger"? "Open your eyes, remove your blinders," the Lord says.
"Signs of my loving presence surround you." How much smaller, how much more
hidden could he have made himself than a bit of bread? Who but God almighty
would come to us in such self-emptying?
"If the harvest is ruined,
it is only on account of yourselves," Our Lady admonishes in her apparition
at La Salette. "I warned you last year with the potatoes. You paid no heed."
She rests her reasoning on a cause-and-effect inevitability. To do the same
things over and over again, expecting better, different and new results is
tantamount to folly. "I gave you a warning sign last year. You paid it no
mind."
Does my faith
allow me to put my complete trust in the Lord's word? Do I go on trusting
the Lord even in the absence of clear signs?
 |
|
Feb 16 |
|
TUESDAY OF THE SIXTH WEEK OF
THE YEAR Mark 8:14-21
"Are your hearts hardened? Do you not understand? "
His
disciples were very close to Jesus. They ate, shared shelter and traveled
with the Master. They saw him interact with the blind, the deaf, the lame
and had a hand in two amazing multiplications. His patience sorely tried, he
plies them with rapid-fire questions: "Do you have eyes and not see? Do you
remember when I broke the five loaves for the 5000? The seven loaves for
the 4000? How many baskets of leftovers did you collect? Do you still not
understand?" What is it they failed to grasp? They should not have seen
Jesus as the wonder worker walking across the water but as the
unifier who calmed the storm in order to secure passage to the Gentile
side of the lake. They had missed the point of the lesson. Two feedings had
taken place, one on each side of the lake. A first benefited a Jewish
population; a second, Gentiles. In showing them how to feed God's flock,
Jesus had taught them to be bridge-builders. 12 baskets left over, Israel's
12 tribes, Jewish Christians; 7 baskets left over, seven deacons, Greek
Christians. So much to learn, so much to let go of?
In
contrast to Lourdes and Fatima, for example, Mary at La Salette did not
directly indicate who she was. Her opening statement, however, made her
identity quite clear: "If my people
will not submit, I shall
be forced to let fall the arm of my Son." Sharing deeply in the
mediating ministry of Christ, "the one loaf," she reminds us that she stands
between the Bread of Life and those He wishes to feed. Our Lady further
challenges us to claim our role as bridge-builders between peoples and
races.
Am I convinced
that the same loving hand that created me created all those who are
outwardly so different from me? Have I drawn the logical conclusion that we
are all God's children, brothers and sisters one and all?
 |
|
Feb 17 |
|
ASH WEDNESDAY
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
"Your Father, who
sees all that is done in secret will reward you."
When something is beyond
our grasp we throw our arms in the air and exclaim, "God only knows." This
could easily be our motto as we begin our Lenten sea-son. Whatever we choose
to do to express our need for repentance, only God should know. The gospel
reminds us of the three greatest acts of repentance: prayer, fasting and
almsgiving. Like the three legs of a
tripod, all three are needed if we are to stand as Christians. Lent
is a time for us to look at our lives in the light of these three practices.
Can we say that God gets equal time to our TV viewing, to our wasted
moments? Can we convert some of
our time into God's
time through prayer. Fasting can be a constant reminder in our bodies that
we are God's creatures and not independent beings. Almsgiving reminds us of
what we have received from God and in this way we return to God some of our
blessings.
At La Salette Mary shows us
that God knows everything as she recounts the incident of Coin to young
Maximin,. There is nothing under the sun that is not known by God. Mary
invites us to prayer and penance.
Can I live my Lenten practices and say, "God knows"?
 |
|
Feb 18 |
|
THURSDAY
AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY Luke 9:22-25
"What profit do you show if you gain the whole world and
destroy yourself in the process? "
That's the bottom line?" This is a question often asked
when people face an undertaking. There is more than a bottom line to look
at. What's beyond the bottom line? How does our activity affect our health,
our relationships with family members, community or friends? The bottom line
may indicate a profit, but at what cost? The gospel tells us that the
ultimate bottom line is salvation. That's the reality lens through which we
should look at our lives. That lens is not rose-colored. Jesus makes it very
clear. "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves, take
up their cross daily and follow me." The bottom line here is salvation
attained through the victory of the cross.
Mary
lived the gospel fully at La Salette. She reminds us, "However much you
pray, however much you do, you will never be able to repay the pains I have
taken for you." Mary carried her cross. She asks us to carry our cross.
Can I look beyond the bottom
line and carry my cross daily?
 |
|
Feb19 |
|
FRIDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY Matthew 9:14-15
"When the bridegroom is taken from them, then they will fast."
Fasting isn't what it used
to be. I remember my grandmother weighing out on a postal scale the exact
amount of meat allowed back then. A long way from our modest fasting rules.
Fasting is ordinarily thought of in terms of reducing food consumption.
Fasting can, however, be applied to other areas of our lives as well. We can
fast from TV viewing to engage in a real conversation with others in the
house. We can fast from radio or CDs to allow ourselves, in the ensuing
quiet, to get in touch with what is going on inside ourselves. We can fast
from our opinions - this, admittedly, is a tough one - to put aside our view
of things, our way of doing, our way of praying and allow another to touch
our mind, our heart, and our soul.
Mary, at
La Salette, reminds us to fast. "During Lent they go to the meat markets
like dogs." Fasting is not strictly a Lenten practice. As we
abstain we make room for God in our lives.
How am I
called to fast? What is it in my life that prevents God from blessing me,
from using me?
 |
|
Feb 20 |
|
SATURDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY Luke 5:27-32
"1 have come not to invite the
just to a change of heart, but sinners."
"Myopia,"
Webster's dictionary says, is a "deficiency of foresight or discernment." So
myopia is not only a matter of our eyes; our minds can be myopic. Lack of
discernment makes it difficult to see ourselves as we really are. Somehow we
overlook our shortcomings, our character blemishes, our sins. Yet only when
we see ourselves as we really are can we respond to Jesus' invitation to a
change of heart, to conversion. If we see ourselves as healthy we don't go
to a doctor even though we need care. If we see ourselves as spiritually
healthy we don't go to Jesus for a change of heart. No matter where we may
be on our spiritual journey, there is always room for change, for
conversion. Jesus called Levi to a change of heart. He is calling us also.
At La
Salette Mary came to call us to a change of heart, for the purpose of
focusing our entire life on her Son. She assures us of our abundant
harvest, "if they are converted."
Can I hear and respond to Jesus' call no matter what my myopic vision sees
in me?
 |
|
Feb 22 |
|
MONDAY
OF THE FIRST WEEK OF LENT
Matthew 25:31-46
"Whatever you do for one of the least of mine you do for me."
As children our parents would ask us,
"How much do you love me?" We would stretch out our arms as far as we could
and reply, "This much." Jesus asks us the same question in today's gospel,
"How much do you love me?" We cannot simply answer by extending our arms and
saying, "This much." The answer that Jesus expects of us is that we should
love him this much - that we have fed the hungry, clothed the naked,
ministered to the sick, the lonely or the imprisoned. Arms that are simply
extended cannot respond in action, We are challenged to put our arms to work
in response to those in need. As we respond to Jesus by our actions he
assures us of our place in his Kingdom.
At La Salette Mary expresses her love
for us in her tears. She loves us so much that it pains her to see us
neglecting her Son. Mary's very presence says that she loves us enough to
come and remind us to express our love for her Son.
How much do you love Jesus? How
much do you love Jesus in those in need?
 |
|
Feb 23 |
|
TUESDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF LENT
Matthew 6:7-15
"This is how you should pray."
What was one of the first prayers your parents taught you?
Chances are that What the sign of the cross it was the Our Father.
That prayer, said more or less accurately, was the launching pad of our
communication with God. Prayer has since taken on many shapes and forms,
vocal prayer, quiet prayer, sitting and thinking about God, conversation
with God, letting our being be awed by the beauty of creation. No matter how
we now choose to pray, the fundamental element in all forms of prayer is
that God is God and that we are not. Prayer is the creature standing before
the Creator with open hands ready to receive, ready to surrender all. In the
Our Father Jesus put our relationship to God into words.
At La Salette Mary speaks of her own prayer. "I am compelled
to pray to him without ceasing." She also invites Maximin and Melanie to
prayer, "You must say your prayers well in the evening and in the morning,
even if you say only an Our Father and a Hail Mary when you can't do more.
When you can do better, say more."
How well do I
pray? How much time do I give to prayer?
 |
|
Feb 24 |
|
WEDNESDAY
OF THE
FIRST WEEK
OF LENT Luke 11:29-32
"No sign will be given to
this generation except the sign of
Jonah."
Jonah
spoke God's word, the Ninevites changed. The name of change is con-version.
Conversion is not only for
bad people, we are all called to conversion. Conversion is that
change of heart which makes us see things differently and adjust our lives
accordingly. Every time we experience Jesus at a new and deeper level, we
are called to conversion. It's our response to Jesus' invitation to know him
and love him more intimately. Conversion is not exclusively our doing, it is
our response to Jesus' intrusion in our lives, our response to grace. The
invitation to conversion may come in any form, a book, a sermon, a word
spoken by a friend, a child's question. We respond only to the degree that
we are aware of Jesus' invitation. Our
yes opens the door
to a new relationship with him.
At La
Salette Mary invites the shepherds to "come closer," an
invitation to con-version. Her presence, her words, her whole being pleads
with us to respond yes
to Jesus.
Have I become so entrenched in my relationship with Jesus that I no longer
hear his invitation to conversion?
 |
|
Feb 25 |
|
THURSDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF LENT Matthew
7:7-12
"The one who asks
always receives."
How come I've been praying
for a special grace for a long time and I haven't received it yet?" We've
all made a similar statement at one time or an-other. But are we putting the
cart before the horse? Before storming heaven for our special grace, did we
ask God if we really needed that grace? Often what we need is evident to us,
after all, it's what we need. But do we see with God's vision, do we really
know what is best for us? Praying to be enlightened to our need is the first
step, then with God's answer in mind we ask and we will receive. Jesus did
everything in the will of the Father, for the Father's glory. Jesus gave
us the example
of perfect prayer; we do well to imitate him.
At La Salette Mary promised
"rocks and stones will be changed into mounds of wheat and potatoes will be
self-sown in the fields." Her promise is preceded by "If they are
converted," which means, if they are conformed to the Father's will.
As we pray, are we one with the Father?
 |
|
Feb 26 |
|
FRIDAY OF THE
FIRST WEEK OF
LENT
Matthew 5:20-26
"Go first and be reconciled with your brother or sister."
Forgiveness is the decision
of one person. We decide to forgive and it is done. Reconciliation requires
two people, one to forgive and one to accept the forgiveness. Jesus asks us
to go one step beyond forgiveness to reconciliation and reach out to the one
who has offended us. Jesus challenges us to seek out not only the one we
have offended, but the one who has offended us. We wouldn't think
of going to a wedding without getting ready and bringing a gift. Jesus
invites us to the altar to share his Body and his Blood with one another. He
also tells us to get ready to do this by seeking forgiveness and by bringing
a gift, reconciliation with our sister or brother. Together then we may
approach the altar.
At La Salette Mary leaves
the altar of Jesus' presence to invite us to reconciliation. Her Son
forgives, she wants us to accept that gift.
Can we respond to Mary's
call? Can we be reconciled with her Son, with each other?
 |
|
Feb 27 |
|
SATURDAY OF THE
FIRST WEEK OF LENT
Matthew 5:45-48
"Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect."
Impossible. We cannot be as
perfect as the Father. What does that sentence in Matthew really mean?
William Barclay tells us, "A thing is perfect if it realizes the purpose for
which it was planned, human beings are perfect if they realize the purpose
for which they were created and sent into the world." We are created in the
image of God. God is love, and love knows no bounds. God reaches out to
everyone. Our perfection then consists in loving others and reaching out to
them no matter who they are. We cannot love to the degree God loves. We can
love to the fullest degree possible for us. The U.S. Army recruiting poster
says it very well, "Be all you can be." Therein lies our perfection.
At La Salette Mary lives her perfection. Her love for
us calls us to reconciliation. She is all she can be, a mother concerned for
all her children.
Can I ask God to make me all that I can be?
 |
|
March 1 |
|
MONDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF LENT Luke 6:36-38
"The measure you use for others is the one that God will use for you."
Jesus has
given us a model. The measure we measure with will be given back to us.
Mercy and compassion must be the yardstick we use in measuring our daily
behavior. What obligation do others have to be merciful, forgiving and
compassionate with us if we are unwilling to practice these virtues in
their regard? Jesus puts his teaching plainly in today's gospel. "Do not
judge and you will not be judged." Just as we expect our merciful
God to look upon us with forgiving kindness, so should we treat others in
the same way. We cannot claim to love God and yet refuse to love others. We
are encouraged to be people who make it possible for God to
reach out to others through us and bring into their lives the compassion
and understanding they need. The better we become, the more of God's
goodness will others receive. And in this way we become special vessels,
carriers of God to others.
Mary at La Salette
was the carrier of good news. She was the messenger sent by God to exhort
his children to take heed. She came to make us aware that prayer, penance
and reconciliation must remain an integral part of our everyday lives. Our
Lady highlighted the mission confided to Maximin and Melanie when she
repeated these words: "Well, my children, you will make this known to all my
people." And as a result, many men and women all over the world have found
the message of La Salette to be a vessel of conversion, a renewed commitment
to Christ and to the service of his people.
How have I become an instrument for the
good? Have I generously allowed God to use me as his vehicle in giving of my
time, my talent, my presence?
 |
|
March 2 |
|
TUESDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF LENT Matthew 23:1-12
'All who exalt themselves
will be humbled,
and all who humble themselves will be exalted."
Quite
clearly, Jesus teaches us to reject the ways of those who make a show of
their status. Listen to sound teachings, but don't follow the path of the
hypocrite. Jesus preaches a humble way. And the humble way can be described
in one word: truth. The core of humility is a real awareness of who we are
as God's creatures. We must not lose sight of this most basic truth about
ourselves. God is our Creator and our loving Father. Every gift and talent
we have comes to us from God. Humility does not require that we deny our
talents, but that we acknowledge their source. We do not, therefore, put on
airs, belittle others, nor do we lord it over them. We do not have to. We
know the truth, and "the truth makes us free" (John 8:32).
During
Jesus' public life Mary remained in the background. Very few of the words
she spoke have been recorded in the Gospels. Those that have come down to
us, however, are filled with meaning and sum up essential aspects of her
personality. Faithful obedience: "Let it be done to me as you say" (Luke
1:38). Joy and praise: "My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord" (Luke
1:46). Tenderness and charity: "They have no wine" (John 2:3). Faith and
humility: "Do whatever he tells you" (John 2:5). Today more than ever, at La
Salette around the world, the Mother of Jesus, attentive to all his people,
draws to him all who see God's love reflected in her tears. She comes to a
people who will not submit. And how long will she be able to withhold the
strong and heavy arm of her Son? She can only repeat the words she spoke to
the waiters at Cana: "Whatever he tells you to do, do it" (John
2:5).
Today
will I acknowledge with gratitude and honesty the gift (name it here) the
Lord has blessed me with? How do I acknowledge the source of my abilities
and talents?
 |
|
March 3 |
|
WEDNESDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF LENT Matthew 20:17-28
"Anyone among you who aspires to greatness must serve the rest,
and whoever wants to rank first among you must serve the needs
of all."
The hour
of Jesus was drawing near. He was "going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of
man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, who will
condemn him to death." Yet, even at this late hour, Zebedee's
sons and the other apostles as well, failed to understand fully what was
about to happen. James and John, their mother speaking in their behalf,
wanted ringside seats at the Messiah's triumph. What they did not understand
is that the promise of a place in Jesus' Kingdom can be fulfilled only in
the life to come, not in this one. Once more Jesus had to repeat a
fundamental theme of his teaching. Like the master, the disciple is not to
"lord it over others, but serve the needs of all." Service is what counts
with Jesus: a nurse's service to patients, a pastor's service to
parishioners, a parent's service to children. "If you want to be
great, you must be the servant of the rest."
"I am the servant of
the Lord," were Mary's words when asked by the angel Gabriel to become the
Mother of God. Her calling, her vocation, was summed up in those words. Her
dialogue with the angel and her response place her in the line of those whom
God calls to a specific mission. This response indicated free and full
acceptance of the vocation made known to her. At La Salette Mary continues
to be the Lord's servant and the servant of her children. Her sensitivity,
her concern for us all is a clear manifestation of that. "Come near, my
children; don't be afraid.... If my people refuse to submit ...
if they are converted." Her maternal solicitude covers every detail and
event of our lives. How can we resist her tears and fail to heed this loving
messenger of her Son?
Whether I hold a position of
authority or not, do I ever lord it over others? Today will I exercise
whatever authority is mine in the Christian spirit of service?
 |
|
March 4 |
|
THURSDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF LENT Luke
16:19-31
"Once there was a rich man."
The rich man in today's
gospel enjoyed the pleasures of life and seemed to have no need for God.
After his death, he experiences the torture that comes from life without
God. Lazarus, on the other hand, spent his life in misery but was at peace
in his heart because his life was deeply rooted in faith. It is important
for us to note what the rich man's sin was as the parable describes it. It
is not that he calls the police to have Lazarus removed from his door. It is
not that he objects to giving Lazarus scraps from his table. It is not that
he abuses Lazarus each time he passes him. The rich man's sin is that he
ignores Lazarus. He doesn't lift a finger to help him. He even closes his
eyes to the fact that Lazarus exists. His sin is not what he does to
Lazarus. Rather it is what he doesn't do for him. We all know many "Lazaruses"
in the world. Through no fault of their own, many go without food, medical
attention, jobs and, of course, basic opportunities. TV has often zeroed in
on their plight. While we enjoy our privacy and security, they remain
outside our gates.. How long can we go on ignoring them? Even the dog in the
story Jesus told did something. He licked Lazarus's sores.
During her short stay at La
Salette, Mary showed us an ailing and suffering world. She spoke of a people
"who cannot swear without bringing in the name of her Son." She spoke of
many who will not observe the Sabbath. "During Lent they go to the meat
markets like dogs," she commented. "A great famine is coming. Before the
famine comes, children under seven will be seized with trembling and die in
the arms of those holding them. The rest will do penance through the
famine." Those who are rich can be saved, if they like the poor acknowledge
their dependence upon God.
How sensitive am Ito the
pain that so many in the world are suffering? Close by me? What am I doing
about it?
 |
|
March 5 |
|
FRIDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF LENT Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46
"The stone the builders
rejected has become the cornerstone."
People in general do not
like to rub elbows with excellence. It is much easier to live with
mediocrity and the status quo. Alongside an outstanding example of heroic
caring and loving, the rest of the community is made to feel that it is far
from living up to its potential. So they begin to feel inadequate. Those who
stand head and shoulders above the crowd, in fact, are most often
persecuted. Martin Luther King, Jr., who was assassinated; Nelson Mandela,
who was jailed; Nobel Peace Prize winners, who were mocked and ridiculed for
their peacemaking efforts. Ironically, it is these very ones who end up
saving the rest of society from its own worst enemy - itself! Today's
parable illustrates Jesus' plight. The Father, the owner of the vineyard,
has provided his people's livelihood, but they resent his servants and even
kill his son. They fail to see that they are killing the one who alone can
ensure their salvation. Yet the death of Jesus will save that society from
itself. "The stone that the builders rejected will become the cornerstone."
During this season of Lent
we must ask ourselves where we stand on that hill of crucifixion. Are we
with Mary entering into her Son's agony by our active and compassionate
presence? Or could it be that we are part of the mob crucifying the Son of
Man again? His mother shared Jesus' suffering not only on Calvary but all
through his life. Each mystery of her life is faithfully marked by her
loving relationship with God, and with God's Son and hers. Her message at
La Salette bids us share in the sufferings of her children all over the
world. The crucifix with hammer and pincers she wears upon her heart makes
her call to conversion resonate. It was fitting that the brightness in
which she and the children stood should emanate from that cross. Jesus is
the pivotal point of wisdom, goodness and generosity for all who come to
know him. He is the cornerstone of their life.
Will I
pray the Lord to help me identify a rough edge in my own life today? Is
Jesus the cornerstone of my life and future?
 |
|
March 6 |
|
SATURDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF LENT Luke 15:1-3,
11-32
"We had to celebrate
and rejoice,
because this brother of
yours was dead and has
come to life;
he was lost, and has
been found."
Can you imagine yourself
doing what the father of this prodigal boy did? Your son goes off and
engages in all sorts of immoral and maybe illegal things, and all of it with
your funds. He then returns home, not because he loves you, but because he's
broke and wants to use your goodness further. More likely than not you'd
take him to task in these or similar terms: "What are you crawling back to
me for? Because my money is gone now? You'd better shape up and get serious,
you good-for-nothing, before you land in jail! You've got your nerve coming
back here." And yet, maybe you would say no such thing. Neither did the
father of the prodigal. He gave his son a slam-bang homecoming. Despite all
the sinning we have done, despite our misuse of his gifts, nothing can keep
our loving and merciful God from wanting to hug us and shower us with gifts
and celebrations to remember.
Most of us can identify with
the prodigal son. At times, however, we act like the elder son and get angry
when we feel we have been taken for granted or slighted. When we are tempted
to pout and sulk and refuse to rejoice when the lost have been found, all we
need do is recall that we have all been prodigals in need of a warm welcome
back home.
The heart of the La Salette
message is that of conversion. It is a return to the Father that will mean
an unforgettable celebration. "If they are converted," Mary said, "rocks and
stones will be changed into mounds of wheat and potatoes will be self-sown
in the fields." Mary's words call us back to the realities of life and the
demands of our faith. If this wonder is to come about we must return to the
Father with all our heart.
What words do I hear the
Father speak to the prodigal on his return home? What words do I hear him
speak to the older son as he vented the disappointment he felt at his
brother's reception?
 |
|
|