1 MarchSecond Sunday of Lent
“Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; from the cloud came a voice, ‘This is my beloved Son. Listen to him’” (Mk 9:7).
Communion Connection –
The Father is addressing the disciples of Jesus, and all of us too, inviting us to listen to His Son. We can hear the voice of Jesus in many ways: in the innermost part of our heart and from the lips of brothers and sisters, from the pulpit of a church, from the pages of His Gospel or in the charisms of “witnesses”. But the key is to “listen” – and then to live – what Jesus wants to tell us.
Additional Catholic Resources:
8 MarchThird Sunday of Lent
“’Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.’ … He was speaking about the temple of his body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this,
and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken” (Jn 2:19, 21-22).
and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken” (Jn 2:19, 21-22).
Communion Connection –
Scripture is the living, breathing Word of God. Not only do we find there the stories of our ancestors in faith, but also the meaning of our own lives – and the direction and promise that God has for us. Over and over, we are assured of His faithfulness and love – even of life after death. Like the disciples, we too can choose to believe in the word Jesus speaks.
Additional Catholic Resources:
- Audio Homily by Fr. Robert Barron - http://www.wordonfire.org/resources/homily/zeal-for-your-house-consumes-me/577/
15 MarchFourth Sunday of Lent
“But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God” (Jn 3:21).
Communion Connection –
The result of living out the truth is to come to the light, “to accept Christ.” It is to act in conformity with the truth, in harmony with the Gospel; to be people who are “doers of the word and not hearers only”. The result of living out the truth is also the witness that radiates beyond ourselves and into that area of society in which we live and work. In Jesus, the light, the life and the love he lived out all coincide. So too they should coincide in those who accept him and become, in him, children of God.
Additional Catholic Resources:
- Word of Life – http://www.focolare.org/en/news/2006/03/01/commento-di-chiara-lubich-alla-parola-di-vita-del-mese-di-marzo-2006/
- Audio Homily by Fr. Robert Barron – http://www.wordonfire.org/resources/homily/reading-the-signs-of-the-times/834/
22 MarchFifth Sunday of Lent
“…unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit”(Jn 12:24).
Communion Connection –
These words of Jesus reveal the secret of life. A person cannot experience the joy that Jesus gives withoutsuffering. Nor can one experience resurrection without going through death. This Scripture text gives meaning to our lives, to our suffering and to the many and varied ways of death we experience. Like Jesus, we can serve others with a readiness to “be one” with them, to reconcile a division, to share in a suffering, or to resolve a problem, offering a love that serves them concretely.
Additional Catholic Resources:
- Word of Life – http://www.focolare.org/en/news/2006/04/01/commento-di-chiara-lubich-alla-parola-di-vita-del-mese-di-aprile-2006/
- Audio Homily by Fr. Robert Barron – http://www.wordonfire.org/resources/homily/planting-the-law-within-us/835/
29 March Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord
“…he said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will’”(Mk 14:36).
Communion Connection –
Jesus teaches us that the Father has a design of love for each one of us, that he loves us personally, and that He directs all things toward good. For Jesus nothing happens by chance, not even his passion and death. If we take that same approach, everything will have meaning in life and be extremely useful, evenwhat might seem to be incomprehensible and absurd. With Jesus, we can love God in the present moment given to us by saying our own “yes” — a vigorous, total, very active “yes” to his will.
Additional Catholic Resources:
- Audio Homily by Fr. Robert Barron - http://www.wordonfire.org/resources/homily/dealing-with-the-mess/836/