March 7, 2017

March 7

March 7, 2017:  Tuesday, 1st week, Lent

  • "I ♥ my dad" tie:  Pray:  Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name... (gospel)
  • 'Fruit' pin:  God's Word is fruitful (1st reading)
  • 'Eyeball' tie pin:  The Lord has eyes for the just (psalm)
  • 'Heart' pin:  God is close to the brokenhearted (psalm) [I'd normally don my 'pierced hearts' suspenders, but today's slacks don't hold them well.]
  • 'Crown' tie bar:  "Thy Kingdom come" (gospel)
  • 'Wheat' pin:  "Rain and snow make the earth fruitful, giving bread" (1st reading); "Give us our daily bread" (gospel)
  • Blue shirt:  As rain that waters the earth and makes it fertile, so my word... (1st reading)
Listen
For the gospel

    • Our Father/ Malotte (seems to be at Mass in Italy, and this setting wouldn't be my first choice for assembly singing at Mass anywhere)
    • Familiar Our Father chant (though sung more slowly and, unfortunately, less 'spoken on pitch')
    • Look it up/ Presley, Orrall:  Country song with verse about how hard it is for us to forgive ("Jesus has [forgiveness] in store for you, but I don't...")  This Bailey/Lowe cover avoids the original's bad language.  lyrics+ ("as we forgive our debtors")
For Psalm 34
Read
  • Is 55:10-11  My word shall be fruitful:  it won't return to me void but shall do my will.
  • Ps 34:4-7, 16-19  "From all their distress God rescues the just."  The Lord has eyes for the just and is close to the brokenhearted; he saves the crushed in spirit.
  • Mt 6:7-15  Your Father knows what you need.  Pray:  “Our Father....  Deliver us from evil.”  If you forgive, your Father will forgive you; if you don't, he won't.
Gospel-related bonus
  • The Our Father has inspired other prayers:  see Alternative Lord's Prayers including from the New Zealand Prayer Book, Emerging Church Movement, Dominican Sisters 1993 Retreat (Kansas), and a "retranslation" from the Aramaic
Reflect
    • Creighton:  We pray the Our Father so often, the words can lose their meaning.  Jesus told us not to babble; God knows what we want.  Here's my paraphrase; I hope it'll be a reminder to pray from the heart:  Father, we thank and honor you.  Help us do good.  Help us with our needs.  Forgive us, and give us strength to forgive others.  Help us avoid sin, and protect us.
      Fr. Chris referred to this
    • One Bread, One Body:  "We dare to pray...":  The Our Father is both a prayer and the Lord's pattern for prayer ("the criterion for authentic prayer intentions" —Augustine).  We shouldn't pray for something unless it's in line with the Our Father.  Aquinas taught that the Our Father is the criterion for all godly desires; if it doesn't fit into the Our Father, we shouldn't even want it (Catechism 2763).  He also taught the prayer reveals the order in which godly desires should be desired (ibid), so our first desire should be to help God's children become holy and so hallow the Father's name; then to contribute to God's kingdom coming and his will being done.  So when we pray the Our Father right way, we transform our prayer, desires, and life.
      SS. Perpetua and Felicity
    • DailyScripture.net:  "Your heavenly Father knows what you need":  Isaiah says God's word is like the rain and melting snow that makes barren ground spring to life and become fertile.  God's word can penetrate our hearts and give them new life.  If we let it take root, it'll transform us into the likeness of God and empower us to walk in his way of love.  "Aren't you occupied with Christ?  Then why don't you talk with him?  By reading Scripture, we listen to Christ" (Ambrose).  God is eager to receive his prodigal children.  That is why Jesus gave us the prayer that dares to call God "Our Father" and teaches us how to ask God for what we really need.  When we ask God for help, he responds with mercy.  He expects us to be good to and forgive others as he treats us; his love for us burns away hatred, resentment, and bitterness till only goodness and forgiveness remain.  "God's mercy is beyond description. While he's offering a model prayer, he teaches a way of life and how to be judged with mercy. We can treat our sins against God with gentle indulgence but severely exact reparation for sins against ourselves; all who doesn't forgive from the heart those who do them wrong will only obtain from this prayer his own condemnation, not mercy" (St. John Cassian).  How do I treat others?
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