Word to the Wise
Thursday, February 15, 2018 - Thursday after Ash Wed.
[Deut 30:15-20 and Luke 9:22-25]"I call heaven and earth to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the Lord, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him." [Deuteronomy "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and pick 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." [Luke]
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2018 THURSDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY
[Deuteronomy 30:15-20 and Luke 9:22-25]
"I call heaven and earth to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the Lord, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him." [Deuteronomy
"If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and pick 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." [Luke]
A popular expression says: "Get a life!" We use that to respond to someone who is upset with one thing or another which seems to consume their attention. Moses and Jesus both tell us today, "Get a life!" Moses points to the covenant. Jesus points to the cross! Lent offers us a serious opportunity to consider what they are telling us and respond accordingly.
There are daily crosses to bear which we do not choose and others that we do choose. In Lent we can spend some time considering those crosses and then decide if we need to confront them. We can take a good look at how well we are living the Ten Commandments and especially the two commandments of love that Jesus emphasized. Then we can ask three questions: What do I need to START doing? What do I need to STOP doing? What do I need to CONTINUE doing? The honest responses to those questions create a program for Lent (and maybe afterward, too). AMEN
[Note to the Beloved Congregation. Each year our Southern Dominican Province, in a true "mendicant" spirit, reaches out to our friends to seek their help in supporting our brothers in formation and our elderly and disabled brothers in the province. We call it the 1216 Campaign, after the year the Order of Preachers (Dominicans} was founded. If you can help us, You can make your tax-deductible payment to SOUTHERN DOMINICAN PROVINCE (1421 N. Causeway Blvd. #200, Metairie, LA 70001-4144) and mark it "1216 Campaign - Fr. RB". I know I sent a card to some of you, but I am also reaching out to others who receive these words. Turning 75 this month, I'm well aware of the importance of this support. Many thanks!"]