Gospel Luke 5:27-32 Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him. Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were at table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus said to them in reply, “Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.” Refection It's fascinating to me that the audience that was most open to Jesus were the people who somehow knew their need for something to change them. They were aware, as we might be aware, of something in our body that doesn't really feel right. And we go to someone and we say, What is it that we need to do or I need to do to take away this pain? People that know they are sinners carry a certain shame and a certain guilt that is healthy and Jesus comes to heal that. And it’s terrifying to think that the Scribes and Pharisees never, ever thought about whether or not they were doing the will of God, which is taking care of people. They simply took care of themselves, and displayed themselves as examples of perfection. Closing Prayer Farther, it's fascinating that throughout the ministry that you had on this earth, there was this constant conflict between your work and the work of the religion that was destined to reveal you. It gives us a sense of the tension that will probably always be there between institutions and the work of God in our hearts. Help us to deal with this problem and to find a peaceful solution, knowing that the church, institutions are there to help. And yet they are always secondary to the work of God in our hearts. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Gospel Matthew 9:14-15 The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.” Reflection The disciples of John did not have the benefit of the teaching of Jesus, and I'm sure it was difficult for them to shift their attention away from their teacher, John the Baptist, and to Jesus the Messiah. But what is clear that Jesus is trying to say is that John's message was preparing them for who he is and who he is, is God's presence in a human being and he’s here to proclaim that that is our inheritance. So Jesus underscores the fact that the goal of the Kingdom is closeness with God. And when that God is present, there is no need to be fasting. Closing Prayer Father, your presence is something that we need to pay attention to, to know that you dwell within us. We celebrate it in a beautiful way through rituals, the presence of God, in the mystery of transubstantiation coming and dwelling in our hearts as Catholics. It's a beautiful image. And he comes in so many different ways. But it's important that we not fall into the trap of not understanding fully that God truly does want to marry us. He is the bridegroom and we are the bride. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Gospel Luke 9:22-25 Jesus said to his disciples: “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.” Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?” Reflection I often wonder what the disciples must have felt when Jesus reveals to them that He must suffer greatly. Be rejected, be killed. And then this confusing phrase rising from the dead three days later. But if you want to see how this passage is written by Luke, he goes on to explain what basically Jesus is saying in his ministry. It's a reflection of what he told his disciples in private. It's just saying you have to deny your very self, meaning your false self. You're not your true self. You must do whatever is asked of you and basically do it with an unselfishness that says, I'm not focused at all at taking care of myself, but losing a sense of importance to surrender to something more important, which is building the kingdom. Closing Prayer Father, suffering, accepting everything is not natural to our ego, but it is natural to our hearts, our core. We know we are called to surrender to everything you have offered us, no matter what the cost. And we know that we should not be working for ourselves, but for our brothers and sisters. So bless us during this season of Lent with a greater understanding of this core teaching, we must be in service to each other. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Gospel Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 Jesus said to his disciples: "Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. "When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.” Reflection Jesus describes in this passage righteous deeds. One is being generous, sharing what you have with others. Another is to be a person that converses with God, that talks to him, listens to him in their hearts. And one is about anticipating the Kingdom of Heaven, giving up things that do not help the kingdom to come. And all these, what we're seeing is the power of intention to do anything just to be seen, to be held in esteem by others. Shows that the reason one is doing something is not for the purpose that it was made for, but for something else. Nothing is important that we pay attention to the intention of our hearts. We are generous because God has been generous to us. We spend time in prayer because we believe that He talks to us. And when we are overwhelmed by things that keep our attention away from the core of what it means to be a part of the Kingdom of God on this planet, we are called to be attentive to knowing that everything we do that is in tune with the work of our father is bringing about the kingdom. Closing Prayer Father, we worry about heaven or hell, purgatory. All these images of what might happen after we leave this world. And when in truth Jesus didn't focus on that. He didn't teach that. He told us we are working toward a kingdom that is now, that is here a place of truth and beauty. Care and service. Help us keep our eyes fixed on this place and this work and this will of God, our father. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Gospel Mark 8:14-21 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. Jesus enjoined them, "Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." They concluded among themselves that it was because they had no bread. When he became aware of this he said to them, "Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet understand or comprehend? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear? And do you not remember, when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?" They answered him, "Twelve." "When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?" They answered him, "Seven." He said to them, "Do you still not understand?” Reflection In many ways the disciples are revealed in the Scriptures as people who don't really get it. You know, who don't have a clue. But you have to understand that what Jesus is saying is really so radically new. They knew religion, they knew the temple, they knew its corruption. They didn't expect it to do much for them. And now Jesus is creating a new kingdom, the kingdom of Heaven, on earth. And it's all about something that nurtures and develops and feeds. And so he's longing for his disciples to understand this. So he uses signs and symbols and stories and parables. And he just simply gets frustrated because they don't understand. They don't yet know how to listen to the way he teaches, to ponder the images, to wonder, and to imagine something radically different than what they've known when it comes to religion. Closing Prayer Father, everything that you have created in the world is for us. Even the negative things or those things that remind us of what we don't want to be a part of. So open our eyes and our hearts and our ears. So we can feed on the nurturing love and the nurturing wisdom you share with us. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Gospel Mark 8:11-13 The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation." Then he left them, got into the boat again, and went off to the other shore. Reflection It is seldom we are shown in the Scriptures the emotions of Jesus. But here he is frustrated, a deep sigh. And what he’s really saying is interesting. He's saying, Look, I have given you sign after sign after sign and you're asking for signs. It just underscores their blindness, their close mindedness, their close hearts. And that's what Jesus is worried about. They simply cannot open themselves to the message of life and joy that he's come to bring. Closing Prayer Father, you are speaking to us constantly. You show us things. You invite us into situations where we learn and we grow. Help us to give thanks for those signs that you've given us that you are with us. Help us to be attentive to them. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Gospel Mark 8:1-10 In those days when there again was a great crowd without anything to eat, Jesus summoned the disciples and said, “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will collapse on the way, and some of them have come a great distance.” His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread to satisfy them here in this deserted place?” Still he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They replied, “Seven.” He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then, taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to distribute, and they distributed them to the crowd. They also had a few fish. He said the blessing over them and ordered them distributed also. They ate and were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets. There were about four thousand people. He dismissed the crowd and got into the boat with his disciples and came to the region of Dalmanutha. Reflection This is the only miracle that is found in all four of the Gospels. It what it is, is God caring for the physical needs of those who longed to follow him. When we think of it, we think maybe we are not supposed to pray for things like, you know, food or money or a better house or whatever. But there's nothing wrong with asking God to give us the things that enable us to live the life that we long to live for him. And it’s all right to pray for things that are material. That's the world we live in. That's the world Jesus recognizes as something that He wants to be a source of caring for our needs. Expect him to do that. Trust in him to answer your prayers. Closing Prayer Father, we are spiritual beings, but we are also physical beings that live in this world. Help us to know that you're interested in caring for us in both areas. You want us to grow as a spiritual being capable of doing your work and you want us to be comfortable and to live in a place that honors our dignity and our worth. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Gospel Mark 7:31-37 Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man's ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, "Ephphatha!" (that is, "Be opened!") And immediately the man's ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. They were exceedingly astonished and they said, "He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” Reflection It's rare that we see the emotional side of Jesus in the Scriptures, but in this miracle, he does something interesting. He groans. And to groan is something that is like a longing, a desire, a so deep a desire that it makes us sound. And the interesting thing about that is that even the way he heals the man by spitting and touching his tongue, there's a reference to the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit is breath and spittle is a concrete image of the Spirit. So we see in this story is a beautiful way in which God infuses us with spirit. That’s his longing. And we know that in the teaching of the church, the Holy Spirit is the aspect of God in the world today, in your heart that also groans always to move in the direction of life, transformation, salvation, freedom to live as were called, to live. Closing Prayer Father, we have you as a father, as a brother, your son, and as this mystery, the Holy Spirit. We are told throughout the Scriptures that the Holy Spirit groans for our evolution, for our transformation, for our becoming who you call us to be. Help us to feel that energy of you longing in this presence of the spirit, to bring us to a place of wholeness and health. That it's not up to us to do this work. It's up to us to believe you can do this work and to enter into your desires, your will. Knowing and trusting everything going on around us is exactly as it should be. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Gospel Mark 7:24-30 Jesus went to the district of Tyre. He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it, but he could not escape notice. Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him. She came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, “Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” She replied and said to him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed and the demon gone. Reflection The gospel begins with an image of his wanting to be alone, wanting to have some down time. And still, when he was trying to do that, along comes someone who doesn't deserve, but according to the tradition of the temple, doesn't deserve anything from him. And so he falls back to that. It's interesting. He said, I have no reason to even think about taking care of you because you don't belong to the house of Israel. And then she has this incredibly wonderful way of not responding with a negative answer, but simply saying, I know you can do this, I know you can do this, and that just melts Jesus resistance. I love the humanity of Jesus. He struggled to be as he knew he should be because he had a human nature. And we need to know that same human nature is within us and we don't have to expect ourselves to be in any way, shape or form perfect in what we do. And it's all right to try to find a restful place and say no to the needs around us. Closing Prayer Father, we know that you had a weakness, and the weakness was a person who genuinely believed that you could do exactly what you know you want to do for them. Give us that same conviction, knowing that whenever we doubt that you are there for us, please let us know that you are actually doing exactly what we need. Whether it seems like the answer or seems like a delay, it matters not, You, if we believe in you, have the capacity to heal us and we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.