2015 LENT AND EASTER SEASONS REFLECTIONS

May 24, 2015

Pentecost Sunday
Acts of the Apostles 2: 1-11; I Corinthians 12: 3b-7, 12-13; John 20: 19-23
The beauty of Pentecost is that it alerts us to the presence of Gods Spirit in our lives and those of
many faiths and beliefs across the world. The day we witnessed an earthrise through the camera
held by the astronauts standing on the moon, our spiritual boundaries expanded immensely with
the realization that Gods Spirit permeates the entire universe.
To the Jewish community described in todays readings, Pentecost was the culmination of
Passover and a time to celebrate the gift of the covenant God made with the Israelites and its
renewal for all Jews throughout the Roman Empire. For the apostles, on the other hand, it was
the day of fulfillment of Jesus promise to send the Spirit of love and truth who would teach them
everything. It was a time of beginning the work for which Jesus had prepared them.
For us, Pentecost continues to be a recurring pattern of the Holy Spirits unpredictable
intervention in human history. The presence of fire, the noise of rushing wind, and the unity of
the Word within a diversity of languages were symbols of the Spirits power to effect personal
and social transformation. In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Peters recall of the
prophet Joels words (Joel 3: 1) reminds us that Gods Spirit is shared with all, Your sons and
daughters and servants will speak, and your young will see visions and your old will have
dreams, all through the Holy Spirit.
In his recent publication, Come Holy Spirit: Inner Fire, Giver of Life and Comforter of the Poor,
Leonardo Boff refers to the Holy Spirit in words that denote energy, light, movement, action and
process. He sees the Spirit everywhere in history and in Scripture breaking through the status
quo at critical moments in our lives, Church, and society.

In his exhortation, The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis cites the growing poverty resulting from
global economic systems affecting the lives of poor people as a critical issue. He asks each of us
to leave our comfort zones to reach all the peripheries in need of the light of the Gospel. He
believes that the Holy Spirit wants us to be a Church that is poor and that stands in support of the
marginalized. He sees a growing culture of exclusion in our world that prevents poor people
from being welcomed into the broader community. He prefers that we be a Church which is
bruised, hurting and dirty because we have been out on the streets with and on behalf of poor
people rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to our
own security (#49).
When the apostles left the security of the upper room, they were no longer fearful of the mission
that lay ahead of them. They entered into the lives of the people around them. They encouraged
the newly formed communities to share and exchange resources with those who were in need.
The communities learned to make space for persons of many cultures at the tables where they
prayed, broke bread and shared their hopes with one another. They were engaged in becoming a
Spirit-guided community in mission to the world of their time.
Pentecost began in the upper room within the chaos of Spirit-fed wind, fire and a flood of words.
It continues to move from the upper room into our daily lives. Those of us who believe we have
personal and social responsibility for our world turn to the Holy Spirit and ask for the courage
and imagination to use our energies and resources to widen the inner circles, to make room for
those who are excluded because they live on lifes margins. Come Holy Spirit and renew the face
of the Earth!
Sr. Fran Cunningham, S.S.S.F.
Parish Relations Coordinator; Catholic Charities, Milwaukee

May 17, 2015

Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11; Psalm 47: 2-3, 6-7, 8-9; Ephesians 1: 17-23; Mark 16: 15-20
Matthew: 28: 19a, 20b

Good things come to those who wait. Todays readings for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the
Lord speak to waiting. In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, the Apostles are asked
to be patient, stay in Jerusalem, and wait for Gods promise that they would be baptized with the
Holy Spirit. And while they were waiting, Jesus ascended into heaven and they were asked to
wait for His return. The Second Reading from the letter to the Ephesians, hints that we should be
patient and listen for Christ to call us to various parts of His ministry preachers, teachers,
evangelists. And finally, in the Gospel according to Mark, Jesus sends the disciples forward, into

the whole world, and then He ascended into Heaven. The disciples went forward and preached
and taught and the Lord worked with them so that all would know they were His representatives.
I am going to hazard a guess that despite some trials, tribulations, and setbacks, the Apostles and
other disciples were happy to wait. They believed that waiting on the Lord would eventually pay
off, and they were willing to take that chance, and to fill others with that same expectation.
Because they thought that Jesus would return in their lifetimes, they did not feel that it would be
a long wait.
But, what about us? Here we are 2,000 plus years later, and we are still waiting on Christs
Second Coming. We believe although we have not seen. And on most days in our lives at
Catholic Charities agencies and congregations, we demonstrate just how much we do believe in
the unseen.
We maintain waiting lists for emergency services to clients not knowing where the funding will
come from. And the funds come. The walk-in freezer at the soup kitchen goes out, and we do
not have funds budgeted for repairs/replacement. And the funds come. We want to provide
services for our burgeoning homeless population. And the funds come. We believe strongly, and
our waiting pays off.
Each morning when I rise, I ask the crucified Jesus, who ascended into heaven, to make my
thoughts, the work of my hands, the steps that I take, and each beat of my heart, acts of love for
Him. It keeps me going throughout the day, and makes the waiting worthwhile.
Coquese L. Williams

Director of Parish Social Ministry

Catholic Charities of Southeast Texas (Beaumont)
April 12, 2015
Second Sunday of Easter; Divine Mercy Sunday
Acts of the Apostles 4: 32-35; Psalm 118: 2-4, 13-15, 22-24; I John 5: 1-6; John 20: 19-31
Several dozen from our RCIA community (neophytes [recently baptized], sponsors, baptized
candidates preparing for full initiation in the Church, and team members) were still on a
Triduum high after nine of us were baptized the previous Saturday night. As we unpacked the
experience of the Triduum and todays readings, Anne asked us how we would continue the
momentum from the last week through the entire Easter season (50 days; Easter SundayPentecost Sunday, April 5-May 24).
I turned to Kristien, one of the neophytes, and admitted that this cradle Catholic barely
maintained his Easter duty in 2015. I snuck in just under the wire on Wednesday of Holy
Week when I received the sacrament of reconciliation at the National Shrine of the Immaculate
Conception, a couple of hundred yards from my residence. I did not tell her what my penance

was, but did reveal that the priests wisdom that afternoon would be my guidepost this Easter
season.
And what about those we met in todays readings? How would they maintain the momentum of
the resurrection experience? Luke writes that the first community of believers was united in
mind and heart, totally unattached to material goods, shared such things in common, and sold
surplus possessions and gave the proceeds to those living in poverty (Acts of the Apostles 4: 3235). The Psalmist writes how the descendants of Israel benefit from the mercy of God (Psalm
118: 1-4). The author of the Second Reading elevates not only Jesus as the Son of God and
Redeemer, but calls all of us victors when we believe that Jesus is the Son of God (I John 5: 1-5).
And John writes in the Gospel that the resurrected Lord breathed his Spirit upon the disciples and
empowered them to continue his ministry of mercy and forgiveness toward others (John 20: 2223).

For reflection:
1. Todays readings are a natural for Divine Mercy Sunday, added to the Church calendar by
Pope Saint John Paul II in 2000. Furthermore, Pope Francis adopted the papal motto by mercy
and by choosing and on March 13, 2015, proclaimed an extraordinary jubilee, a Holy Year of
Mercy, for December 8, 2015 (the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed
Virgin Mary)-November 20, 2016 (the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the
Universe). How might we be more merciful toward our clients, parishioners, co-workers, and
family?
2. Take a moment to reflect on the words of Kerry Weber (Mercy in the City: How to Feed the
Hungry, Give Drink to the Thirsty, Visit the Imprisoned, and Keep Your Day Job [Chicago:
Loyola Press, 2014, p. 148)]):
This, in some ways, sums up the purpose of living a life of mercyto let one another
know that no one has to go it alone. To provide a place where people will accept you,
even with your flawseven when your choice of shoes is really, really strange.I
looked forward to continuing our shared journey on the path of mercy, to places wed
never been, and to the works aheadworks for which none of us is ever quite prepared,
but to which all of us are called.
Resources for further consideration
Pope Francis, Holy Year of Mercy Announced, Origins, April 9, 2015, pp. 724-725.
Weber, Kerry. Mercy in the City: How to Feed the Hungry, Give Drink to the Thirsty, Visit the Imprisoned, and Keep
Your Day Job. Chicago, Illinois: Loyola Press, 2014.

Wuerl, Donald W., and Mike Aquilina. The Feasts: How the Church Year Forms Us As Catholics. New York:
Image, 2014.

Br. Steve Herro, O. Praem.

Manager of Mission Resources and Data, Catholic Charities USA
April 11, 2015
Saturday within the Octave of Easter
Acts of the Apostles 4: 13-21; Mark 16: 9-15
Did you ever doubt some good news? Did you ever disbelieve that someone unremarkable or
uneducated could share some truth about a reality? The earliest and closest followers of Jesus
seem to have found themselves in this dilemma: surely he cannot be alive; those who told us are
really not that trustworthy. We need more credible evidence!!
In todays First Reading from the Acts of Apostles, Peter and Johns credentials are challenged
by the leading religious authorities of their day. Witnesses saw them heal a man, but how could
this be, since they are uneducated, ordinary men with little authority or training. Even worse,
they were followers of Jesus--that One who had caused some trouble and died. These ordinary,
uneducated persons, however, persevered in their faith in this resurrected Jesus who empowered
them to spread Good News to the entire world.
But initially these men were not that easy to convince of the events of the first Easter. In todays
Gospel, Mark tells the story of continuing disbelief in the Good News told by those who may not
matter who had no standing--in this world. Jesus had appeared to Mary Magdalene but the
Apostles did not believe her; Jesus had appeared to two traveling along the road to the country;
but the Apostles did not believe them either. Not credible enough.
Jesus then appears to the Twelve, and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart
(Mark 16: 14b). They did not hear those who testified to the Truth of the Resurrection and
appearances of Jesus. So too today. Do I really believe this Good News? What evidence do I
need to prove that Jesus is alive?
So too in our ministries and services accompanying persons, families and communities that may
be poor and marginalized--do we have trust that they themselves can share the truth of their
needs and their hopes? Do we believe that these persons, families and communities have enough
credible evidence or credible enough standing to shape our services and advocacy? I know
that in our DNA, Catholic Charities accompanies those in need with mutual solidarity and a deep
respect for their dignity and worth. We know that they have "credible standing" in the world
even though others may disbelieve this fact.
During the Vision 2000 process, Catholic Charities USA established this Vision Statement:
Believing in the presence of God in our midst, we proclaim the sanctity of human life and
the dignity of the person by sharing in the mission of Jesus given to the Church. To this
end, Catholic Charities works with individuals, families, and communities to help them

meet their needs, address their issues, eliminate oppression, and build a just and
compassionate society.
I know that as Catholic Charities we listen closely to the voice of those who are poor and
marginalized to hear what they need, hear what gifts and assets they offer, and hear
wisdom for our own lives as we are transformed through our interactions with others--others
who the world oftentimes refuses to see as credible enough. We see these marginalized and
dis-empowered persons as made in Gods image and likeness. We see Christ in each other. That
is credible enough!
As we continue to ponder our faith and works during this Easter season, let us recommit
ourselves to accompany those who are marginalized and not credible in the world by giving
them a voice in a world that does not want to hear the cry of the poor. Let us, like the first
Apostles, live out daily Jesus command: to go and proclaim the Gospel--Good News--to all.
For reflection:
1. In the light of todays readings, pause to reflect over the words of St. Francis of Assisi,
Always proclaim the Gospel; when necessary, use words.
2. How can you apply todays reflection for your own tendencies in meetings with staff, family
members, parishioners, and others you are in relationship with?
Brian R. Corbin
Senior Vice President, Social Policy; Catholic Charities USA
April 10, 2015
Friday within the Octave of Easter
Acts of the Apostles 4: 1-12; John 21: 1-14
He is the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.
Acts of the Apostles 4: 11
In many ways, Jerome was a typical 13 year old growing up in the 1960s and 1970s. He enjoyed
Mighty Mites baseball, loved to fish, and was especially fond of football. Under aged but very
bright for his grade level, he looked forward to a high school football career after great gridiron
exploits as a grade schooler, under the careful watch of his coach/father. He and his family
would sacrifice for him to attend the local Jesuit athletic and academic powerhouse; with a
weekend job in the schools laboratory, they could swing the higher tuition rate.
So, you can imagine the rejection that he felt in August of his freshman year when he was cut
from the freshman high school football team. Was his dream shot, were all of his and his
familys sacrifices for naught? His dad, long time football player himself, encouraged him not to
give up; improve his skills in the offseason so that the team could not cut him next fall.

But there was a spot for him on the freshman roster after all. Shortly after he was cut, the
coaches recognized a few open roster spots and invited him back onto the team. Jerome did not
dis those who had written him off just a few days earlier, but thankfully rejoined the team.
Before he graduated from high school, he would rack up quite a few honors-- All Conference
offensive guard and second team All Conference linebacker; team captain; Tom Shaw Award
winner, bestowed every year to the finest Christian student athlete of the schools senior class.
He went on to NCAA Division III football, even coaching during a redshirt year. The 13 year
old who was cut from his ninth grade team would also mature into a successful middle school
football coach and founder of a youth rugby program.
So what does this all have to do with the life, death, and resurrection of Christ and his first
century followers, described so beautifully in todays readings? Did Christ, after undergoing a
shameful trial and death, strike back at others after his glorious resurrection? Of course not! Did
Peter, after having embarrassed himself more than once in the Gospels, climb under a rock and
hide for the rest of his life after his Lord died the death of a common criminal? Of course not!
He is the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.
Acts of the Apostles 4: 11
One truly does Gods will, even after having been rejected by peers or authority figures, if one
remains attuned to the will of God and demonstrates a life style of servant leadership. And
when one succeeds after rejection with malice toward none, is there not a resurrection story
somewhere to be told?
For reflection:
1. Have you ever been discounted or rejected for a position on an athletic team; company,
agency, diocesan, or parish staff; or production cast but been fortunate to later achieve in the
same field? How did your past rejection affect your leadership in your new role?
2. We have many opportunities to choose leaders of state and our work places. When
considering the next new hire or legislative representative, might you consider allowing one who
was formerly rejected to rise to a new position of status? Do we recognize that the stone rejected
by the builders might become a cornerstone?
Br. Steve Herro, O. Praem.
Manager of Mission Resources and Data
April 9, 2015
Thursday in the Octave of Easter
Acts of the Apostles 3: 11-26; Luke 24: 35-48
Have you anything here to eat?Luke 24:41c

Have you anything here to eat? the resurrected Jesus asks the disciples in Jerusalem. While
they were originally startled by his appearance, once hed passed their test by showing them
his hands and his feet, they realized it was Jesus. Then incredulous for joy, they responded by
giving him some baked fish.
How many times have we heard this same question? How have we responded? I suppose if we
are to be truly honest, much of it depends upon who was doing the asking: a dear friend who
happened to be in the neighborhood, our teen-aged son home from track practice, our spouse
returning home after a long day at work, a single mom whos been on her feet for the last 10
hours at her minimum wage job, a little girl whose main meal is her schools free lunch, an
elderly woman deciding between paying for her prescriptions and buying groceries, a recovering
alcoholic on the side of the road who isnt fairing too well with his recovery, a teen in sagging
pants and a hoodie sweatshirt, a big bald guy covered in tattoos and piercings, or the homeless
woman living in the bushes behind the parish? Each might elicit a different response. In my own
life, I know there have been instances when I was less than charitable in my thoughts and in my
words when the question was posed. Sometimes, I didnt feel like cooking. Other times I didnt
want to share a favorite dish. And then, there were the really sad moments, when I made unfair
assumptions and judgments about the person asking.
In this Easter season, may we be reminded that as recipients of Gods grace, we are to be
generous stewards of the abundance of the earths resources. Everything is a gift from our
gracious and loving God and therefore meant to be shared and equitably distributed.
Reflection questions:
1. What sorts of tests do we require of those who seek our assistance?
2. What does it take for us to recognize the Christ in them?
Dear Jesus, help us to see in others what you see, give us hearts to love as you love and the
courage to respond incredulous for joy the next time we hear: have you anything to eat?
No matter who is asking.
Carol Dufresne
Member of the CCUSA Parish Social Ministry Section; Director of Human Concerns,
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church (Hampton, Virginia)
April 8, 2015
Wednesday within the Octave of Easter
Acts of the Apostles 3: 1-10; Luke 24: 13-35
And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight. Luke 24: 30-31

What do you think potential donors, local ministers, blogsters, letters writers to your local
diocesan or city newspaper, mean when they say or infer, You are not Catholic enough? I
recently asked this of a few in our office and another agency staff. Depending on your local
setting, I suspect that this will be answered differently.
Todays Gospel is one of the more pointed stories in the New Testament. I suspect that each of
us has felt like one of the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, feeling lost, numb, left behind.
Perhaps some of us have even had the opportunity to be the source of insight or inspiration that
the risen Lord was for the disciples. But I keep coming back to the fact that the disciples eyes
were open as a result of the blessing, breaking, and sharing of the bread.
To bless, break, and share is part of our Catholic identity and what I hope our agencies, parishes,
and families are able to incorporate in their own existences. To blessto call to prayer; to break
to call to mind Jesus offering his life for us; to shareto invite others into our good fortune.
This is pretty Catholic for me!
For reflection:
1. How can we become more intentional about calling others to bless, break, and share in our
Catholic Charities agencies, congregations, or families?
2. How can we become more understanding, and perhaps even more enlightening and
compassionate, to those who might feel left behind?
Br. Steve Herro, O. Praem.
Manager of Mission Resources and Data

April 7, 2015
Tuesday Within the Octave of Easter
Acts of the Apostles 2: 36-41; John 20: 11-18
Acts 1:36-41 What shall we do, Brothers? Repent.
John 20:11-18 Where have you put him? She did not recognize him.
I am racist. Oh, I dont mean to be. I love all people, as Jesus calls us to do. But Im white, so-called
middle class, beyond the age of reason and Im part of the system that the Holy Father calls the empire
of money. There are economic systems he went on that must make war in order to survive. An
economic system centered on the god of money also needsto maintain the frenetic pace of consumption
inherent in it (see Pope Francis, Address to the Participants in the World Meeting of Popular
Movements, October 28, 2014).
Until recently I patronized one of the national banks that was a major cause of the recent mortgage crisis,
which most viciously attacked people of color and still does. I pay taxes that fund the worlds greatest

war machine and arms dealer. We know that the conduct of war always works disproportionately against
those in poverty and people of color, whether our own or the enemy.
What shall we do, Brothers (Acts of the Apostles 1: 37)? Repent Peter replied. In striving for racial
justice implicit in serving those in poverty, I first need to repent (change) of my racist tendencies to
resist the system that I have helped to build over a lifetime.
Tell me where you have put him (John 20:15). In those lines at the emergency food pantry, in the
waiting room at Social Services, in the one room rentals heated only by a dangerous kerosene heater.
Thats where weve put him.
I often pray Lord, let me see your face. And every time the Lord responds, Look around! He is the
face of the black and Latino families living in hovels without adequate heat. I must stop seeing them as
black and Latino and see them as people, the face of Jesus, as people Jesus loves. And I must stop
seeing myself as different from them.
For your reflection:
1. How do I answer the crowd when they cry What shall we do?
2. We all look for Jesus in the sisters and brothers we serve. Do I continue to see them as different from
me? Do I treat them differently from how I respond to the person living next door to me when they ask
for a little help?
Patrick Nugent
Catholic Charities USA Parish Social Ministry Section; Member of the Board, Call To Action/Maryland
and St. Mary Refuge of Sinners Parish (Cambridge, Maryland)

April 6, 2015
Monday within the Octave of Easter
Acts of the Apostles 2: 14, 22-33; Matthew 28: 8-15
Easter Monday--what a day for celebration and Alleluias. But it is also a day for intense
pondering. Our readings today refer to a dead Lord brought back to life because God raised
him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it
(Acts of the Apostles 2: 24).
It is easy to picture those who knew Jesus as sad, dejected, mournful and perhaps hopeless. How
could they see his torture and death as anything but an end? How final the end must have felt to
each of them. In our time and our understanding it would be hard to interpret his death as
anything but a tragedy that left them adrift. However, in Gods time and understanding, looking
at the truth on Easter Monday we now know that there was so much more.
In our understanding of time and circumstance, our Lords death was the end of the sentence
where God had always intended a comma. In one of my favorite reflections from Joanna

Weaver, she challenges us to, Never put a period where God puts a comma. Just when you
think the sentence is over, the most important part may be yet to come.
In our work with those who struggle with crisis, poverty, hopelessness, homelessness, hunger,
isolation, illness and so many other challenges, we must make a commitment to remember that
our efforts and our example can create opportunities for God to complete sentences for us and
our clients with unfathomed results.
For reflection:
1. Think of a moment when you experienced the death of a loved one. Was there a scripture,
story, or person who helped you move from a feeling of personal loss to one of new life?
1. The Gospel refers to the disciples embracing the feet of Jesus (Matthew 28:9). Fr. Ron
Rolheiser (A Genuflection in Love, Give Us This Day, April 2015, pp. 138-139) describes how
Jesus changed the symbol of this embrace from one of servant hood or leader/follower to love
and equality. Have you ever experienced this upgrade in relationship from a parent, teacher,
supervisor, minister, or other mentor? How did it feel to move from an unequal to an equal?
Susan Rauscher
Executive Director; Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh

April 5, 2015
The Resurrection of the Lord
Acts 10: 34a, 37-43; Colossians 3: 1-4; John 20: 1-9
Rejoice! Through His death and resurrection, Christ overcame sin for all of us. He fulfilled
Gods promise of mercy for all who believe.
Todays readings consistently contrast death and life, old and new. Most importantly, they
emphasize the need to die before we can have life, to shed the old before the new can present
itself. This challenge arises over and over in our spiritual, physical, emotional, and work lives.
Until we forego constant busyness and connectivity we may not dedicate enough time each day
to prayer. We may not enjoy physical health unless we die to the bad habits of complacency,
eating too much sugar or indulging in addictive behavior. Our relationships are better if we die
to competition, jealousy, self-importance, and an insatiable desire for our wants to take priority.
Perhaps our work has become stagnant, using familiar but inappropriate responses to new clients
and contexts.
The Gospel today gives us more than a hint about how we might respond to the good news of
Jesus resurrection. John repeatedly uses the verb ran to describe the disciples response to their
discovery of Jesus absence from the tomb. Mary ran to the disciples to share the news of her

discovery. Simon Peter and John ran to the tomb to confirm the news. Imagine the urgency, the
sense of confusion and question, the possible hope that the three responders felt. In response,
they didnt walk, stroll or saunter. All three ran.
The great opportunity of our time is to reduce poverty and strengthen family life. Poverty and
internal weakness of family life plays out as increased rates of hunger, domestic violence,
incarceration, unemployment and underemployment in our community. We are called to respond
to Gods call without hesitation, by running, not walking to the aid of the vulnerable among us.
For reflection:
1. What old habits, values or attitudes might need to die such that we can run to a new way of
living, both personally and professionally?
2. How can we renew, refresh, realign ourselves and/or our efforts to serve the poor and
vulnerable more appropriately?
Sharon Burns
Director, Catholic Charities Diocese of Evansville
April 4, 2015
Holy Saturday
Genesis 1: 1-2: 22; Genesis 22: 1-18; Exodus 14: 15-15: 1; Isaiah 54: 5-14; Isaiah 55: 1-11;
Baruch 3: 9-15, 32-4: 4; Ezekiel 36: 16-17a, 18-28; Romans 6: 3-11; Mark 16: 1-7
Who will roll back the stone for us (Mark 16: 3)? Those words leap off the page whenever
I read this Gospel passage and I find them particularly compelling through the lens of Catholic
Charities. In our line of work, we run into Marys and Salomes every day. How many need the
hope and promise of Christs resurrection, the peace of His redemption, or simply the comfort
that comes from knowing His love exists even for them?
But time and again, we see that He is not so easily found. Time and again, lifes heartaches and
setbacks stand in their way. Just think of the circumstances the morning Mary and Salome went
to the tomb to anoint our Lords body. The disciples were already in hiding. Having watched as
their teacher had been crucified and now fearful for their own lives, they scattered and locked
themselves away lest they too be persecuted. Imagine how disappointed and disheartened they
must have been to see evils apparent victory over their Lord. Their faith must have been shaken
to the core. Contemplate Simon Peter who denied Jesus three times, or Thomas, who just days
later had to put his fingers through Jesus very wounds to convince himself that his teacher was
there among them! But despite this overwhelming atmosphere of anxiety and despair, these two
Mary and Salome found the courage to march to His tomb. Despite knowing full well that a
boulder weighing several tons literally stood between them and their Lord, they rose up early and
went to seek Him. They believed that a way would present itself, that someone would help.

Those served by Catholic Charities and parish ministry show very much the same courage,
although they may not even realize it. It might be the yoke of drug addiction or the despair of an
unwed, teenage mother who has been abandoned by family and friends. Maybe its the sadness
of the homebound elderly who struggle with devastating loneliness. There are countless
obstructions to knowing Gods love and we are familiar with all too many of them. But we must
take heart because those we serve also have the courage to seek Him, enough courage to ask,
Who will roll back the stone?
So I ask you plainly, will it be us? To be sure, I am certain that we have the best part in all of
this. We should be on guard lest the tedium of our daily work fools us. We are not simply
delivering social services. No. Our work achieves something much greater, for we are
facilitators of Christ. We roll back lifes barriers with such unwavering and methodical
dedication that they, those who need Christs love most, find hope, and in doing so, find our
Lord. Just think! How many transformations have we personally witnessed? Do you believe it
was the physical meal, or the diapers, or even the shelter that you helped provide that triggered a
new life, a resurrected life? Or was it the hope, conviction, or joy that comes from knowing you
are loved not just by neighbors but by God? We must liken ourselves to the hope-filled angel
in the tomb, bringing good news where they thought there was only despair, harbingers of a new
life, a second chance.
In tonights second reading, Abraham responded Here I am (Genesis 22: 1), when the Lord
called out for him. What better response when those in need ask, Who will roll back the
stone?
For reflection:
1. Literally thousands of children and adults are fully received into the Catholic faith this
evening during the Easter Vigil liturgy. Take a moment to welcome them in prayer.
2. Who has rolled away the stone for you in your life?
Laura Cassell
Chief Executive Officer, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Rockville Centre
April 3, 2015

Good Friday
Isaiah 52: 13-53: 12; Hebrews 4: 14-16, 5: 7-9; John 18: 1-19: 42
A grave was assigned to him among the wickedthough he had done no wrong. Isaiah 53:9
We tolerate, even celebrate the injustice of Jesus death this day because we know that the
victory is won on Easter. Nevertheless, an innocent man, who had done no wrong nor spoken
any falsehood, was put to death on a cross. Today is the day to allow the inhumanity of it all to
touch us.

Most of us see the victims of injustice every day when we reach out to our nations poor and
marginalized people. And there are days when the pain of those we serve touches us deeply.
Their pain and our heartache is not something we can celebrateyet.
We have work to do changing the cruel and dysfunctional systems and relationships that
victimize those we serve. Foremost among the broken systems in need of change is the
legislative process itself that has fallen victim to the idolatry of money.
In profound irony, this day we venerate the cross, the very instrument of an innocent mans
death. Today, we do not honor money, or physical power or even sharpened intellects. We
remember what the world considered failure was to be Gods instrument of salvation.
When will the other deliverers of death be transformed?
When will the guns that killed Tamir Rice or Trayvon, or be silenced?
When will the fear that underlies our inability to face the realities of our racist culture be
overcome in us by the love of God?
When will the doors to the foreclosed homes be unlocked so the family sleeping in their cold car
a few blocks away can have a warm place to sleep?
When will the corporate powers like Ford repair the earth they poisoned that leave Native
Americans dying?
When will the gurneys to which death row inmates are strapped be needed no longer?
When will we learn that our resort to the violence of war is itself the terrorism we seek to
destroy?
This day I pray that the gurneys, guns, locked doors and poisoned earth may all one day be
celebrated as symbols of the victory of Gods transforming power among us.
Reflection Questions
1. How is Gods saving power at work in you to address the dysfunctional systems that create
and sustain poverty?
2. How do you best sustain your faith that God will triumph over evil, injustice and death?
Frank McCann, CSJP-A
Catholic Charities USA Parish Social Ministry Section;

Justice and Peace Facilitator for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace and Member; Human
Development and Social Justice Ministry, St. Anastasias Parish, Teaneck, New Jersey

Holy Thursday
April 2, 2015
Exodus 12: 1-8, 11-14; I Corinthians 11: 23-26; John 13: 1-15
The small, dusty town of Altar, Mexico is a staging area where migrants wait and prepare to
attempt to cross the Sonoran desert into the United States. The journey is difficult. Many
encounter physical and sexual abuse, exploitation, thirst, exhaustion, and exposure to extreme
temperatures and the hazardous terrain. Many perish along the way.
There in the town of Altar is where they start, or start again after failing.
There are many so-called guesthouses where migrants stay while they make arrangements or
wait for departure, but there is only one shelter that is free. It is run by a Catholic organization
and houses the most vulnerable migrants.
There I met a man who had tried to cross but turned back. He was tired and hoping to regain
strength. His feet were bruised and blistered. He decided he would wait for the next full moon
before trying again. The reason? He was elderly and had cataracts. He could not see well at
night, and hoped that the full moon would light his long, arduous walk. He felt compelled to
walk because his wife in southern Mexico was sick and the only way he could think of to get the
money he needed to help her was to travel to the United States, where he had often worked as a
young man. His story was heartbreaking. Fortunately, he had the hospitality and care of the
shelter as a refuge while he contemplated his next step.
As at the hundreds of Catholic Charities here in the United States, at that shelter he was made to
feel safe and dignified. The staff welcome, feed, and house the most vulnerable among the
vulnerable. They wash their torn and tattered feet. Places such as these represent the heart of the
Eucharist.
Tonight, the start of the Easter Triduum, we celebrate the gift of the Eucharist and the gift of
ministry. We are given a lesson in how we are to give ourselves to and for each other. We see
Jesus position himself below even the lowliest of servants and wash the feet of his disciples.
Jesus washes the most unclean parts with love and graciousness. This act is not only a radical
gift, but a mandate to go and do likewise. The washing of the feet and the sacrament of the
Eucharist are two expressions of the same mystery of love.
Tonight we are given the one commandment of the Gospel: Love one another as I have loved
you. This is the reason we are moved to compassion and action for our brothers and sisters.
Let us continue to love another and remember how much we are loved.
The Heart of Compassion

Compassionate God,
your generous presence
is always attuned to hurting ones.
Your listening ear is bent
toward the cries of the wounded
Your heart of love
fills with tears for the suffering.
Turn my inward eye to see
that I am not alone.
I am a part of all of life.
Each ones joy and sorrow
is my joy and sorrow,
and mine is theirs.
May I draw strength
from this inner communion.
May it daily recommit me
to be a compassionate presence
for all who struggle with lifes pain.
Source: The Heart of Compassion from Your Sorrow is My Sorrow, by Joyce Rupp. New York:
The Crossroads Publishing Co., 1999.
For reflection:
What are the ways that your agency or parish demonstrates its love for one another for guests,
parishioners, and for colleagues?
What are the examples of love and hospitality in your life? Take a moment and thank those
people and offer a prayer of thanksgiving to God.
Maura Moser
Director of Communications, Catholic Legal Information Network

April 1, 2015
Wednesday of Holy Week
Isaiah 50: 4-9a; Matthew 26: 14-25
On this day before we enter into the holiest days of the liturgical year we are asked to pause and
reflect upon the life of true servants of God, those called to manifest the divine attributes of
justice, courage, and love to a world which does not understand the true meaning of those
actions.
In the passage from Isaiah, we see the image of a true servant of God, the one who clearly
testifies to the presence of God living in, among, and through us. The true servant of God is the
one who is intimately connected to God in a relationship of attentive hearing for morning after

morning he opens my ear that I may hear (Isaiah 50: 4). With courage and conviction those
words translate into actions of consolation, of encouragement, of challenge to the weary of the
world who look for a sign that their God lives among them and will triumph over the challenges
of a world of darkness, chaos, and turmoil. The true servant manifests unyielding integrity even
in the face of manifest hostility because the true servant knows that the Lord God is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced (Isaiah 50: 7).
And yet, even God-Made-Man, Jesus himself, was to suffer the ultimate betrayal of an intimate
and trusted friend who simply could not understand or accept the design of salvation necessitated
by the self-centeredness of humanity. Jesus, the personification of the Suffering Servant, taught
by words and example how to live that delicate balance of the existential condition of humanity
seeking our eschatological future in the kingdom to come. Judas Iscariot, because he chose to
look at the world through the lens of the former over the latter, could not believe or accept that
the path chosen by Jesus was the way of God. Judas thought he knew a better way. Judas chose
not to be the Servant but the Master!
We live in a world which cries out desperately for the Servants willing to suffer for the sake of
the justice and peace of the Kingdom of God. Through the grace of our baptism we recognize
ourselves as being called to be prophets in the world in imitation of Jesus who is Priest, Prophet,
and King. Through the gifts of prayer and the sacraments we seek to anchor ourselves in an
attitude of attentive listening to the urgings of the Spirit, hoping always that God will keep out
ears open that we may hear his will. But sometimes we are like Judas! We too think God must
surely be mistaken! This cannot be the divine will! and we set off on a plan of our making, a
course of action of our design and in so doing betray the loving relationship of trust and love
with the One Who Saves. We want to believe that we would never have betrayed Jesus as did
Judas Iscariot but perhaps, at times, we do.
For reflection:
1. Do we seek to have our ears opened so that we may understand how best to speak to
the weary a word that will rouse them?
2. How do we ourselves deal with the balance between living in a world of apparent
injustice, of violence, of inequality and our belief in a God who has created a world of
good and wills all things for the perfection of the world?
3. How do we handle our own betrayals of the relationship with Jesus when we fail to
let his will be done?

Fr. Bernard Olszewski,

Cross Catholic Outreach; Boca Raton, Fla.

March 31, 2015

Tuesday of Holy Week
Isaiah 49: 1-6; John 13:21-33, 36-38
My mom has always loved taking photographs. She isnt a professional, but has an eye for
composition and loves to document Little League games, school plays, and the everyday
activities of family life in creative ways.
One year, my dad bought her an expensive camera as a Christmas present, and that thing was her
baby. She got so much enjoyment out of the different settings and capabilities of the high-end
equipment. The next spring, I spotted a seagull during a day at the park, and asked to use the
camera to take a picture--Yes, but be careful!
I wasnt.
As soon as I heard the crack of the lens on the pavement, I wanted to disappear. I had been
entrusted with my moms favorite gift--and a symbol of my dads love to her--and through my
negligence, I had dropped it. It was beyond repair. I wanted to make it up to her, to fix it, to pay
for a new one, but there was no way Id be able to.
Every Holy Week, I remember that story and the feeling of being sincerely sorry, but being
unable to come close to repairing the damage done. Created by God, blessed in so many ways,
humans have a knack of repaying our tremendous debt to our Creator by ignoring his plan for us.
By ourselves, we are unable to set our relationship with God aright--we owe him everything. We
cannot return to him anything he has not already given us.
Even Peter, who witnessed Christ transfigured, numerous miracles, and, as we read in todays
Gospel, pledged his undying loyalty to the point of death, denied knowing Jesus three times. All
too cognizant of our offenses, its tempting to ignore the pain and blood of Christs passion. The
giddy joy of Easter is glorious; the walk to Calvary is tortuous, gruesome.
But this week isnt made for despair at what we have done to Christ. Its a time to thank him for
his sacrifice and glory in our redemption. In the Crucifixion, Christ offers himself as expiation
for our sins; he intercedes for us and reconciles us with the Father. But through the power of the
Cross, Jesus bears our faults, makes amends, and heals our wounds.
We all have stories of things weve broken--relationships, responsibilities, cherished gifts--that
weve been unable to repair or reconcile. The families who come to our agencies for aid; our
coworkers, families, and friends--every one of us knows how the weight of previous mistakes
can, at times, blot out all promise of a better tomorrow.

But the promise of the Crucifixion is that when we turn ourselves over to Christ, he will
reconcile us with the God who made us. He was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquity.
He bore the punishment that makes us whole, by his wounds we were healed (Isaiah 53:3). By
ourselves, we can do nothing to atone for our offenses; with him, there is nothing God wont
forgive.
For reflection:
What past mistakes are weighing you down? How can this Holy Week be a time of laying
down your burden at Christs feet and accepting his love and forgiveness?
How can your daily work accompany those you serve in their journey to escape the weight of
previous mistakes or burdens?
Be kind, Plato is quoted as saying, for everyone you meet is carrying a heavier burden. How
can you go out of your way to, like Simon of Cyrene, help clients, coworkers, family members
or friends, carry their cross?
Patrick Brown
Manager, Communications & Notre Dame Partnership; Catholic Charities USA
March 30, 2015
Monday of Holy Week
Isaiah 42: 1-7; John 12: 1-11
Think of a person you know with a quiet spirit. It is this person who can settle a situation with a
word or a look. How do you respond to him or her? In Isaiah today, we read that justice is
brought forth, not crying and shouting, but with a quiet spirit. What a witness! It seems that our
society today spends a lot of time yelling and not really listening. The quiet spirit is lost in all the
rhetoric. It is a good lesson for me. I love to talk. I have to remind myself that sometimes it is
better to listen. It is when I stop and listen that I hear the voice of God in the other. Gods
whisper.
It is the whisper that breaks through the noise. The whisper is the light for the nations. It
translates well the work of Catholic Charities and our parishes and justice. It is the connection
between faith, sacraments, and the ritual of the Church in collaboration with the option for those
who are poor. Mary makes a beautiful gesture in a quiet manner by anointing Jesus feet. A
quiet, sacred moment that speaks volumes. Jesus said we will always have the poor with us. Our
work for justice will continue. In this moment, Jesus quietly reminds us that the sacred moments
are important as well.
As we are working for justice for those who are poor, the elderly, and disabled, we need to make
space for the quiet, sacred moments. We can use these moments to strengthen ourselves for the
work of justice. The quiet can help us be a light. Sometimes shouting is needed to be heard and
get attention. However, when we keeping running up against walls, its time to take a step back

and send in the quiet spirit. The gentleness can emerge victorious for justice. A light for the
nations.

For reflection:
Sit in silence for 5-10 minutes and just listen. Spend the day just listening to others without
setting an agenda.
Diane Zbasnik
Catholic Charities Health and Human Services, Cleveland
March 29, 2014
Palm Sunday of the Lords Passion
Isaiah 50: 4-7, Philippians 2:6-11, Mark 14:1-15:47
Bodies Broken, Lives Blessed
he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, Take it; this is my
body. Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said
to them, This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. -Mark 14: 22-24
Some winters ago,
a brutal wind whistled
through the canyons of Chicago,
as swollen ranks of bundled women
huddled against the walls
of the Uptown Baptist Church.
They congregated beneath the giant glow
of a neon Gospel proclaiming
CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS!
On nights like this
there was never enough floor
for all the souls in search of shelter.
In a broken world that dictates
first come, first served!
there only seems to be too little, often too late, for the too many under-served.
Jesus was not crucified in a cathedral between two candles,

but on a cross between two thieves. - George MacLeod

Counting heads, checking numbers,
turning away the human overflow,
was a task deeply despised.
How do you tell your sisters
to find some other place,
and abandon these souls to cold oblivion?
I am sorry, I mumbled,
fearful to link eyes,
with this woman rejected.
Jesus cried out in a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? -Mark 15:34
Grasping my hand with frigid fingers,
she consoled me with a warm benediction.
Not to worry, she intoned. Im blessed!
Stung by such unexpected grace
I stood transfixed,
while the wicked wind whipped around me.
My grateful gaze followed her
as she took her bearings
at the windswept crossroads between Wilson and Sheridan.
How can this poor woman,
unsheltered on a wretched night,
know that she is blessed?
Though decades have gone by,
the feeling, the figure, the face of this suffering servant
have never left me.
Still she reflects the faith it takes
to stand at the windswept foot of the cross
and bear witness to a world bereft.
There were also women looking on from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary
the mother of the younger James and of Joses, and Salome.
These women had followed him when he was in Galilee and ministered to him.
-Mark 15:40-41
In our zeal to serve and care,

we can forget that we too are healed

in the mutuality of ministry.
We encounter you, Christ-of-the-margins,
among those who live along the fringes of our world.
And visiting with you we find that our hunger for meaning is fed,
our thirst for purpose is satisfied,
we are welcomed and are no longer strangers,
our dignity is restored; our pain healed,
and we are set free. -CrossRoads Prayer
What could it mean to be a with-stander
who looks upon this world from the foot of the cross?
With whom do you stand, and what do you witness that breaks the heart of God?
Take us outside, O Christ, outside holiness,
out to where soldiers curse and nations clash
at the crossroads of the world...
-George MacLeod
Joe Grant
Director of Programs; JustFaith Ministries (Louisville, Ky.)
March 28, 2015
Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Ezekiel 37: 21-28; John 11: 45-56
The book of Ezekiel includes a condemnation of Israel for its idolatry and, for the same reason, a
condemnation of the surrounding nations. It concludes on a hopeful note, the restoration of
Israel, the chosen people of God.
Todays First Reading envisions a time when the scattered remnants of Gods people will be
gathered together into a new and restored Israel. They will abandon their idols and their sins will
be forgiven. The new Israel will be lead forever by a descendant of David and God will never
again abandon His people but be present among them forever.
That passage is a message of hope to a discouraged people. But the Gospels make clear that this
restoration or new covenant will not be a new nation based on the Mosaic Law, nor be lead by a
Messiah king who will throw off the Roman yoke. This was the desire of the Jesus Jewish
contemporaries.

In todays Gospel, some of the Jews are the opponents of Jesus, and are lead by the scribes
and Pharisees (of course, not all Jews, including not all scribes and Pharisees, opposed Jesus).
The statement of Caiaphas was eventually fulfilled, but for a different purpose than he intended.
Jesus death was not a long term defeat for His followers. Some of the Jewish people would
continue to long for a restored earthly kingdom like the Israel of old. Jesus, the Son of David
and the new Passover- would be the one to gather together all peoples into a new Israel, based on
His martyrdom and resurrection.

For reflection:
1. How do you process your feelings when someone does not fulfill the role that you had hoped
for?
2. Have you done harm to someone when he or she did not fulfill the expectation that you had
for him or her? If so, seek forgiveness.
Kevin Cushing
CCUSA Parish Social Ministry Section, Our Lady of Loretto Church (Novato, Calif.)
March 27, 2015
Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Jeremiah 20: 10-13; Psalms 18: 2-3a, 3bc-4, 5-6, 7; John 10: 31-42
How frequently we feel overwhelmed by the many demands on our life. As Jeremiah says,
Terror and disturbance seems like it is on every side (Jeremiah 20: 10). So it is with those
who are poor, who live every day entrusting their lives and sometimes even their very survival to
the Lord. Jeremiah tells us that in their distress they have called upon the Lord, and he has heard
their voice. His response is often to ask us to to walk in solidarity with those who are poor.
But who are they? Why is it important to walk with them? Mother Teresa tells that each is
Jesus in disguise.
Those suffering from poverty, sickness, unemployment, loneliness, and emotional hurts surround
us. We are to help them through their struggles by walking with them. What exactly does that
mean to walk with them? It means to share the hurt they feel in their diminished dignity as a
human person. It means to help restore that dignity by being with them and helping them carry
their burden.
To be a part of these good works from the Father, we have to make time to hear the story of their
poverty. It is in hearing their story that we feel compassion and empathy and are moved to reach
out to them. We may be moved to serve them by providing food or clothing. We may be moved
to advocate for them and their families with the school system and other legal entities. Some of

us may even be moved to work for a solution to serious social justice issues.
Showing compassion and empathy to others is not a weakness. It is an elevation of the human
spirit to a higher level, a more God-like level. Is this not our ultimate goal to be as Jesus is to us
and to participate in the goods works of the Father? We may not be willing or able to offer our
very bodies for others, but we can certainly offer ourselves. We may not be able to forgive
others as Jesus forgives us, but we can try. He walks with us in our most difficult times, when
there does not even seem to be a solution. He wants us to offer ourselves to others. Walking
with others means suffering their hardships with them, crying with them when they hurt,
rejoicing with them when they have success, and reminding them that God is with them through
their difficulty. Those in poverty cry out for the restoration of their dignity as human persons.
Those in poverty cry out for justice, Walk with me, help me in my distress. They have called
upon the Lord and he has heard their voice. Lord, use us to help.
For reflection:
1. What can I do to help those in poverty in my own neighborhood?
2. What is my part in the effort to end poverty in my community, throughout the U.S., and
abroad?
Elizabeth Chanoine
Member of the CCUSA Parish Social Ministry Section; Director of Christian Connection, St.
Michael Catholic Church, Bedford, Texas
March 26, 2015
Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Genesis 17: 3-9; John 8: 51-59
Jesus said to them, Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.So they
picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area. John 8: 58-59
Lent is a sacred opportunity for us to explore our hunger to build our relationship with God. He
is there waiting for us to reach out and call on him. We are challenged daily as people of God. Do
we bring our full selves to our great I AM and are we confident in our understanding that he is
the one who guides our service and in our ministry?
Lent is an invitation to humble ourselves, be still, spend time with Gods word, reflect, and
remember that our God is the light of the world. As people of God, Catholic Charities agencies
are helping individuals and families in poverty achieve their full potential, drawing upon Gods
word and our Catholic social teaching to serve those most in need. How Blessed we are to also
be transformed through our obedience to our call.
The beauty of Lent is the time we take to reflect on the promises of God and the areas we can
grow. This is also the chance to reach out to our sisters and brothers, witness, listen, and learn

with one another.

For reflection:
1. Reflect and journal on how you call upon God in your service and in your ministry.
2. Have a conversation with God. Use this Lent to humble yourself, be still, spend time in prayer
with Gods word, reflect, and remember that our God is the great I am. One of many powerful
practices is Lectio Divina.
3. Take time during your day this Lent to refresh in Gods word.
Tina Baldera
Training Manager, Social Ministry; Catholic Charities USA
March 25, 2015
Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10; Psalm 40: 7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 11; Hebrews 10:4-10; Luke 1:26-38
The scripture we read today uses some of my favorite words for our human experience of God:
Emmanuel, God with us, and the notion of Incarnation, the Word made flesh. During Advent
we sing the hymn, O Come, O Come Emmanuel, which expresses our longing for Gods
presence. Now in the season of Lent we are told of fulfillment, and the intersection of the Divine
and human YES to the will of God.
In Isaiah we hear about the promise of Emmanuel. Hebrews and the Psalm foretell a singular
message of the Sons love for the Father, I come to do you will. And, Luke gives words to the
exchange between the angel and the virgin culminating in Marys response, I am the handmaid
of the Lordlet it be done unto me. Our salvation has begun.
Perhaps because I am human and female my attention goes to Mary. For much of my life I
wondered, when Mary said yes did she know what she was getting into? What was the
encounter like? Did she have a choice? Several years ago I heard these lines from a poem by
Denise Levertov, and with Gods grace I gained a broader perspective:
But we are told of meek obedience. No one mentions courage.
The engendering Spirit did not enter her without consent. God waited.
She was free to accept or to refuse, choice integral to humanness.
Consent, courage unparalleled, opened her utterly.
As I serve others, in a parish and diocesan setting, help me to see the courage of those who reach
out for help. Allow me to appreciate the on-going choices people must make to claim basic
human rights. Grant that I may see incessant incarnation in front of me, the spark of God present
in each life. Open me to affirm the divine energy that blesses and animates each person.

For reflection:
Allow yourself to tap into one or more sensory experiences around the Annunciation. What do
you see? What do you hear? How are you called to be more human?
Look at the painting The Annunciation by Henry Ossawa Tanner.
Read aloud the full version of Denise Levertovs poem Annunciation.
Carol Thornton
Member of the CCUSA Parish Social Ministry Section and Director of Pastoral Care,
Community, and Social Justice, St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception (Los Gatos, California)

March 24, 2015,

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Numbers 21: 4-9; Psalm 102: 2-3, 16-18, 19-21; John 8: 21-30
Interestingly, todays readings are somewhat reminiscent of events in San Salvador 35 years ago.
One cant help but hear the cry of those in poverty, the persecuted, and the destitute. So too,
Archbishop Oscar Romero spoke publicly to and about those in need and unjustly treated during
his time and in his nation. He was assassinated in San Salvador while presiding at Eucharist on
this day in 1980.
Numbers 21:4-9 describes the Israelites complaining that their food (manna) was disgusting and
that Moses was leading them astray. God punished them by sending seraph serpents which bit the
people and many died. The people went to Moses and repented. The Lord instructed Moses to
make a bronze seraph on a pole so anyone bitten could be cured by looking at it. As human as the
Israelites crossing the dessert, do we sometimes complain that our journey through life holds
bitter nourishment? Do we forget our neighbors greater need while struggling to meet our own?
In John 8:21-30, Jesus claims His divinity and tells the Pharisees that hearers who do not accept
His will shall die in their sins. He stresses this claim. In Gods plan, the only way to the Father is
through Him (Jesus). We need to accept Jesus, His teaching, and follow His way. A right
conscience leads us to accept Jesus claim whereas a refusal to believe is immoral.
Since we are not living in Jesus time and we need to rely on the evangelists testimony, how and
when do we encounter the living Jesus? Is not the Eucharist food for both our souls and bodies?
Do not the words of Scripture bring us consolation and hope? Do you share these sources of
nourishment with those you are trying to serve?
For reflection:

1. Take a moment to pray with Jason Coghills rendition of todays Psalm. Do you see the
Psalmists prayer becoming yours?
2. In light of the psalm and the martyrdom of Archbishop Romero, how do we see our mission
as part of extending the option for the poor?
Claudette Burque
Member of the CCUSA Parish Social Ministry Section; Webmaster and Volunteer at St. Patrick
Church (Phenix City, Alabama)
Monday, March 23, 2015
Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Daniel 13: 41c-62; John 8: 1-11
Todays readings are filled with messages and parables related directly to false witness,
justice and the often quoted response from Pope Francis, Who am I to judge?
Morning prayer begins with Deuteronomy 19: 15-16, 19, One witness alone shall not stand
against someone in regards to any crime or offense that may have been committed; a charge shall
stand only on the testimony of two or three witnesses.If the witness is a false witness
and has falsely accused the other, you shall do to the false witness just as the false witness
planned to do to the other.
Similarly, the Old Testament reading for todays Mass contains Daniel 13: 48-49, 52-53 Are
you such fools, O children of Israel! To condemn a person of Israel without examination and
without clear evidence? Return to court for they have testified falsely against her.Now have
your past sins come to term: passing unjust sentences, condemning the innocent, and freeing the
guiltyThe innocent and just you shall not put to death.
Finally, our Lord in todays Gospel (John 8: 7b) writes in the sand and speaks to the Pharisees
and elders on punishment for the adulteress, Let the one among you who is without sin be the
first to throw a stone at her
We need not overanalyze these scriptures. When we respond as individuals or Catholic Charities
staff, or when the Church magisterium responds, it can be easy to say yes to some and no to
others. Praise God for the message from Pope Francis, witnessed and affirmed in todays
readings, Who am I to judge? Definitely it is not, How am I to judge? Let us serve with
open hearts, open minds and without discrimination!
For reflection:
1. Have you ever been forgiven by others and God when some seemed ready to banish you from
the community?
2. Take a moment to pray for those being held in detention, without due process of the law.

Shared by the staff of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of New Ulm, Minn.
March 22, 2015
Fifth Sunday of Lent
Jeremiah 31: 31-34; Hebrews 5: 7-9; John 12: 20-33
All from the least to the greatest shall know me, says the LORD, for I will forgive their evildoing
and remember their sin no more (Jeremiah 31: 34).
On this Fifth Sunday of Lent, two weeks before Easter, we are reminded once again of God's
unconditional divine love, forgiveness and hope that is demonstrated through this new covenant.
What is hope? Is hope a longing or desire, or is it a trust that something will be different? Hope
is all of these things, and more. Providing Help. Creating Hope. Many of our Catholic Charities
use this, or a variation of this tagline, to encapsulate our mission.
Each and every person that we are honored to journey beside comes to us with great hope. Hope
that someone will be able to truly understand his or her circumstances. Hope that they are not
judged. Hope that this time, things may be different.
God continually demonstrates His love and desire to minister to the least among us. He is
faithful, even when we are not. He loves all, even when we do not. He forgives all, even when
we cannot forgive ourselves. God is calling us into a closer relationship with him and with one
another. It is a time of great celebration!
For reflection:
1. What does hope mean to you?
2. How do you interpret the promise of hope from the First Reading, All, from the least to the
greatest shall know me, says the Lord?
Tracy Morrison
Executive Director, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Dubuque

March 21, 2015

Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Jeremiah 11: 18-20; John 7: 40-53
Today we hear the Pharisees question Jesus birthplace. Through the Christmas story, we know
where Jesus came from. Nevertheless, we know very little about the circumstances surrounding
Jesus childhood and early life. I am forced to wonder of the impact of Jesus being born of Mary

and Joseph and having been raised in Nazareth of Galilee. Later in todays Gospel, it is
suggested that Galilee could never give rise to a prophet. I wonder, was Jesus written off by
some because of where he was raised or were some so diabolically opposed to him that they
would look for any reason, trivial or substantive, to dishonor him?
Do we accept the goodness of people who might come from the other side of the tracks or
from out of town? Or are we so blinded by preconceived expectations of the new agency
director, pastor, program manager, mayor, governor, or CEO that we cannot live for the moment
and appreciate the workings of the Spirit in the here and now? Are we so obsessed with the
uncovering or learning of every skeleton in ones closet that we fail to recognize the inherent
goodness of all people, created in the image of God?
Though the first Presidential primary is about ten months away, perhaps this Gospel challenges
all of us to look beyond a leaders socio-economic upbringing and judge him or her by how he or
she has demonstrated the ability to lead for the betterment of the common good and inspire
others to do likewise.
For refection:
1. Was there a time in your life when you were prejudged by others because of your upbringing?
If so, how did that make you feel?
2. Have you ever been the victim of another drudging up a trivial fault for the sake of who
knows what? If so, have you been able to move beyond this seemingly unfounded or unjustified
charge?
Br. Steve Herro, O. Praem.
Manager of Mission Resources and Data, Catholic Charities USA
March 20, 2015
Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Wisdom 2:1a, 12-22; Psalm 34:17-18, 19-20, 21 and 23; Matthew 4:4b; John 7:1-2, 10, 2530
If there is one thing I have learned while working in ministry with those who do direct service
with people marginalized by me, and you, and our society, it is that the words the Psalmist writes
in todays readings are too true: The Lord is close to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:19). The Lord
is close to the broken, period. And while it is the temptation of manymyself includedto want
to fix what is broken, again and again I witness the grace that occurs when I enter into the
brokenness.
This past fall I co-led with a Maryknoll lay missioner an urban immersion for teachers and staff
from a Catholic grade school in suburban Seattle. The immersion brought the group into the

heart of downtown Seattle, at Christ Our Hope Parish, whose mission it is to be a beacon of
light where all are welcome...
The parish is on the ground floor of a zero-to-low-income housing building, operated by Catholic
Housing Services of Western Washington, part of our local Catholic Charities organization. In
the midst of the downtown Seattle streets, the immersion began with formation for the group,
followed by table fellowship with residents of the building, the Josephinum. We white, suburban,
upper middle class folks spread ourselves out among the tables to break bread with the residents
our sisters and brothers who face challenges that seem so distant from ours, like finding stable
housing, reliable employment, and community support. The Josephinum provides so much
fellowship, and our lunch was filled with conversation and laughter.
After the shared meal, we split into groups to encounter the ministries around downtown, and my
group visited the Womens Wellness Center (WWC) in the downstairs of the Josephinum. The
WWCsupported in part by a local grant from the CRS Rice Bowl Lenten programis like a
day spa but is exclusively for women who are homeless. At the WWC, women have access to
showers and laundry, bathrobes and makeup, and are able to rest with a rejuvenating cup of tea.
The WWC provides the sort of dignity that seems obviousought access to a shower, clean
clothes, and safe relaxation be a luxury?
Pope Francis says, we have to go forth to everyone without exception. above all [to] the poor
and the sick, those who are usually despised and overlooked (Evangelii Gaudium, 48).
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; and it is an honor, always, to witness the healing and
transformative power of loving dignity. This Lent, may we go out to meet Christ in those we
marginalize, being transformed ourselves in the presence of the brokenhearted while we work to
restore human dignity.
For reflection:
1. Who is on the margins of your community/iescity, neighborhood, workplace, school,
parish, ministry, family, etc.?
2. What are the boundaries that prevent you from being in authentic relationshipfrom loving
your neighbor on the margins? How might you cross these boundaries?
Kelly Hickman
Member of the CCUSA Parish Social Ministries Section; Assistant Director, Missions Office,
Archdiocese of Seattle
March 19, 2015
Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
II Samuel 7: 4-5a, 12-14a, 16; Romans 4: 13, 16-18, 22; Matthew 1: 16, 18-21, 24a
One of my special moments as a permanent deacon is the opportunity to serve at St. Joseph
Husband of Mary Roman Catholic Church in Las Vegas. There is a beautiful statue of St.

Joseph located in the narthex of the church. When serving at this parish, I always try to say a
short prayer to St. Joseph for strength, integrity and leadership as a father, husband, friend and
leader of our local Catholic Charities agency.
Of all of the inspired texts that we read in the Bible, we never find a recorded word from St.
Joseph. Yet his strong character, obedience and faith is reflected in the lives of the entire Holy
Family. It sets the course for all of us in our roles to quietly serve some of Gods most
vulnerable children through our many programs and services. We offer help, hope, integrity and
strength to those we serve, as St. Joseph so assisted our Blessed Virgin Mother Mary and our
Brother and Savior Jesus Christ.
According to todays Gospel, St. Joseph overcame his human tendency to quietly remove
himself from his relationship with Mary when he discovered her pregnancy. He followed the
will of the Holy Spirit as the angel of the Lord commanded him. I can certainly relate to the
times that I feel frustrated or overwhelmed in my own life and responsibilities, and how blessed
we all are to be able to turn to a man like St. Joseph for inspiration and intercession during times
of anxiety.
Todays Second Reading reminds us that the promise of faith is a gift. Faith must be embraced
and shared for it to take hold and direct us. As we all struggle with competing priorities in our
lives, we remember the righteousness that St. Joseph represents to all of us. We can draw
strength and endurance from his many trials and tribulations, while remaining obedient and
faithful to the message and mission of forgiveness and salvation that Jesus offers to each of us
through our work, our families and our own faith journeys.
St. Joseph, Husband of Mary, just and obedient servant of our Lord, please pray for us!
For reflection:
1. To learn more about the life of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, click here.
2. Take a moment to offer a prayer for all husband/father spouses. Pope John XXIII offers this
prayer.
Deacon Tom Roberts
President & CEO, Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada

March 18, 2015

Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Isaiah 49: 8-15; John 5: 17-30
When is the appropriate time to do the right thing, especially if the right thing to do may
challenge the status quo and place ones life at risk? The Lenten season is about the preparation

of the believer through spiritual disciplines to live as a courageous follower of Jesus Christ. Lent
is ever a time of self-examination and discipline. It is a time to contemplate the risks of carrying
Christs cross once a symbol of shame reserved for criminals and insurgents and thus,
transform it into a symbol of courageous hope and new birth. Around the world, persons are
being persecuted for their faith in God. And, many persons may find it easier to question the
authority of Christ at work in the world than to address the systemic needs of the people. The
subtle question that todays Lenten meditation asks of us is who are you and do you have the
courageous faith needed to do the right thing for Gods glory? Lets take a closer look
Todays Lenten meditation is prefaced by Jesus presence arrival at the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem.
He is in a region called Bethesda which means house of mercy or place of flowing water.
Our passage begins shortly after Jesus miraculously heals a man who had been ill for 38 years.
Jesus noticed him and had mercy upon him. But, it was the Sabbath day and healing was
forbidden on the Sabbath.
After 38 years of bondage, Jesus believed that the right thing to do was to liberate him from his
infirmity. The religious rulers believed otherwise and thus questioned the healed man regarding
who had the authority to heal him. The text does not that record any commentary that articulates
or expresses joy at Christs miraculous work. They wanted to know who had the nerve to do the
right thing at, what was in their perspective, the wrong time. Who would dare challenge the
status quo? Who had divine permission to present God at work in the world (heal), especially on
the Sabbath? So, our passage begins with Jesus emphatically stating his divine authority and
purpose. Jesus authority came from God the Father and Jesus life is patterned after the Father.
Jesus will do whatever the Father requires even if it costs him his earthly life and status.
Regardless of the day of the week and the powers who try to prevail against Gods will, it is ever
the time to stand for liberating righteousness. The light of Christ must ever shine amidst
darkness.
So, beloved, I invite us to reflect upon the ways that God is calling us to courageously take up
our mats/crosses and live in the liberating power of God to speak truth to power- to do the right
thing.
For reflection:
1. Who among us has perhaps been sent from God to challenge our perspectives about Gods
will?
2. God has invited us to share our testimonies and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
As Christs followers, we are called to do no harm and to do the right thing at all times so that
God may forever be glorified and that the Light will ever shine amidst darkness. What will we
risk to fully follow Christ?
God is with us. Thanks be to God!
Rev. Dr. Stacey Cole Wilson

Member of the Parish Social Ministry Section; Pastor of Good Hope Union UMC (Silver Spring,
Maryland)

March 17, 2015

Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Ezekiel 47: 1-9, 12; Psalm 46: 2-3, 5-6, 8-9; John 5: 1-16
Do you want to be well (John 5: 6)? Who, if asked, would ever say no. But what is it that we
truly want? Is it to be well physically, mentally or spiritually? I believe Jesus offered all three
options to the man who had been ill for 38 years. Certainly, he was physically healed as he took
up his mat and walked away. But he was also spiritually healed because Jesus admonished him
to sin no more. We too get the chance to be well every time we participate in the Eucharist,
spend quiet time in prayer or, and provide services to those in need.
My parishs social ministry program once again took part in the countys hypothermia prevention
shelter program. This program is one of the countys most successfuland importantpublicprivate partnerships. The program relies on nonprofit and faith-based community partners to help
carry out the life-saving mission and to give our most vulnerable neighbors a safe place stay
from the cold. From November through March for the past 11 years, congregations have opened
their facilities to provide food and shelter to overnight guests. The shelters offer a place to stay,
good food, and fellowship. Many volunteers volunteer to simply to sit and talk with the guests,
play cards or even play a rousing game of bingo.
It takes many volunteers to safely run the program. Several weeks ago, there were many slots
left to be filled. But volunteers stepped up to fill the open slots. A few even stepped up at the
very last moment to take overnight shifts as the flu struck several who had previously committed.
At times, the program leaders were concerned, but they knew that somehow the entire task
would get done. There was always the awareness that God was with us as we welcomed the
guest and that their needs would be met. We wished them well as they moved on to the next
church and prayed for their physical and spiritual well being in the months ahead.

For reflection:
1. Think of an instance in which you literally had the chance to lift or carry someone to comfort
or healing. How did that make you feel as the comfort bearer?
2. Think of an instance in which you literally needed someone to carry you to comfort and
safety. Are you vulnerable enough to ask for help?

Bea Lewis
Director, Events & Planning; Catholic Charities USA
March 16, 2015
Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Isaiah 65: 17-21; John 4: 43-54
Last month, I attended a breakout group at the Catholic Social Ministry Gathering. We began to
discuss news of the terrible suffering that was filling the nightly news over the last month: ISIL
had just carried out one of its most horrific attacks; the Ebola disease was continuing to destroy
families and communities by the hundreds of thousands in West Africa; and in our own country,
a divided, partisan Congress showed little sign of being able to accomplish anything in the way
of immigration reform, peace building in the Middle East, or increased foreign aid for those
living in destitution across the world. Exasperated by such stories of pain and suffering, one
participant asked the meeting facilitator, What can we really accomplish in the face of such
suffering?
And Ill never forget what happened next. A participant who had been silent until this point
arose, and in an impassioned voice, said, As bad as things seem, remember, as Christians, we
are a people of hope. God is on the move, redeeming and healing the world this very moment.
It was such a simple theological statement, but in that context, in that room, his words were truly
prophetic. And suddenly the whole tone of the meeting changed: we were reminded that God is
at work bringing about a kingdom of justice and peace, and that we each had a part to play in
that.
I have to imagine that the prophet Isaiah was doing something similar in our First Reading today,
inserting hope into a situation of despair. Biblical scholars suggest that this passage from Isaiah
was written after the destruction of Jerusalem when the nation of Israel was in exile. Things
must have looked pretty bleak to the people of Israel: their temple was destroyed, their
promised land was taken from them, and they felt utterly abandoned by their God. The people
hearing Isaiahs proclamation probably felt the same way that our group did at the Catholic
Social Ministry Gathering. And against this back drop of such sorrow and suffering, Isaiah
actually makes what might have seemed like an absurd exhortation. He tells these despairing
people to shout for joy and be glad forever (Isaiah 65: 18)! Why? Because, he announces, God
is creating a new earth (Isaiah 65: 17) where there will be no more weeping, no more
premature death (Isaiah 65: 19-20).
Our Gospel today suggests a similar setting of sorrow and suffering, a child sick with an
incurable disease and a father pleading for help before his son dies. And just like Isaiah, Jesus
brings unexpected hope into a seemingly hopeless situation by saying, Your son will live (John
4: 53); instantly, the boy is healed.

Todays readings remind us that Christ is indeed on the move, bringing hope to places of
suffering and desolation. Isaiah is not just offering us some eschatological promise for the
distant future. God is bringing about this new earth, now, through us. As people of faith, as
people committed to justice, we know that God works by empowering us to bring about His hope
and healing. And I believe we can see God at work every day in our parishes and agencies if we
know where to look; at my agency, Catholic Charities of Tennessee, I see families who were
homeless settling into their first home, hungry children now regularly being fed nourishing meals
(see Isaiah 65:21), seniors finding the support they need to live vibrant, healthy lives (see Isaiah
65: 20). For those with eyes to see, Isaiahs new earth is already beginning to come into being
through our work for peace and justice.
Lent is certainly a time of fasting and repentance, but it is also a time of great hope. God is on
the move, empowering Gods children to heal the world, to raise the dead to new life.
For reflection:
1) During this Lent, how have you experienced God calling you to bring hope and healing to
those who are hurting? How might you act on such a call?
2) Where do you see signs of Isaiahs new earth coming into existence in the midst of
desperation and suffering?
Collen Mayer is the Director of Social Services for Catholic Charities of Tennessee. He also
serves on the national Board of Directors of JustFaith Ministries and serves as a consultant on the
USCCBs Salt and Light Committee.
March 15, 2015
Fourth Sunday of Lent (Second Scrutiny for the Elect)
I Samuel 16: 1b, 6-7, 10-13a; Ephesians 5: 8-14; John 9: 1-41
I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do
see might become blind (John 9: 39).
One of the true blessings of Lent is that the Church helps us to set aside time to reflect on what it
means to be a disciple of Jesus and a child of God. Today, on the Fourth Sunday of Lent, the
Second Scrutiny for Catechumens, we focus on what it means to see as God does, and what it
means to see or recognize Jesus as the Light of life. In the Gospel story today, the man born
blind who can now see is able to see Jesus for who he is, while others are so caught up in the
minutia of the law that they cant recognize the work of God right in front of them.
Last Lent, our pastor asked our parish community to see and be blessing in the world. Each
day we were to find one blessing that we received and one way in which we could be a blessing
to someone around us. The activity wasnt intended to be a pious focus on counting your
blessings, but rather an invitation to see how God is working in the world around us all the time,

while also allowing God to work through us, to allow ourselves to be Gods light in the world.
For reflection:
1.

Am I taking time this Lent to see Gods light in the world?

2.
At other points in the Gospels, Jesus instructs his disciples to be light for the world. How
am I doing that for those I encounter in my daily life--work, home, church, and other venues?
3.
Do I recognize the light of Jesus in people I encounter, especially those who make it most
difficult? Or, am I like the Pharisees, focused on all of the unimportant details (like the sin of the
man born blind and the sin of working on the Sabbath) and completely unable to see the work of
God?
Teresa Volante
Parish Partners Program Manager, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington
March 14, 2015
Saturday of the Third Week of Lent
Hosea 6: 1-6; Luke 18: 9-14
Lord, please hear my plea. I am but a lowly servant striving to acknowledge you and do your
will daily. Many times I have fallen short, but you have shown me mercy. Often my heart has
been full of wounds that I thought could not be healed, but through it all, I trust that I honor you
daily through my good works. Sheena L. Crews
In light of todays First Reading, it was not surprising that the quote above reflects my true
feelings. As a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, I am in constant battle with the question, Why is
the Lord allowing this to happen to me?
Today is March 14th, which falls during the Third Week of the Lenten season. I cannot help but
reflect on what would have been the 23rd birthday of my cousin who was gunned down in
November of 2014. I do not believe in chance, but rather that God had a purpose in mind for me
to reflect on todays scripture.
When I learned of my cousins passing, I was unable to speak or move. I remember saying,
Lord my God, this cannot be real! My heart was flooded with emotions as the tears began to
burst from my face. She was my heart and our bond was Christ! As the tears continued to flow, I
could not understand how this wound could be healed. I could not believe the Lord felt that I was
strong enough to handle such a blow to my heartI was disappointed in God.
Yet as time went on, I felt the presence of the Lord surrounding me. Healing began, and I, the
daughter of a Deacon and the niece of a Bishop, felt ashamed of the feelings of disbelief I had
during a time when I needed the Lord the most. How could I question His will? But as the
reading tells us, Come, let us return to the Lord, it is he who has rent, but he will heal us (Hosea
6: 1).. Without a doubt, my heart had been broken and even through my disbelief, the Lord

managed to dry my tears and cleanse and mend my wounds. Because of this, I am able to stand
and bring honor to his name.
It is my prayer that this Lenten season will be a time of growth and healing for all of us.
For reflection:
1. For what personal loss might we seek healing?
2. How might we become more attuned to Gods loving desire to bind this wound?
Sheena Lefaye Crews
Sr. Creative Director, Catholic Charities USA
March 13, 2015
Friday of the Third Week of Lent
Hosea 14: 2-10; Mark 12: 28-34
Perhaps at times we too act like the teacher of the Law and feel the need to reach out. Lord, I
am overwhelmed with all those who need my help immigrants and unaccompanied minors,
violence across our scorched earth, human slavery, the hungry and homeless, our creation
decimated by those responsible to care for it, billions of brothers and sisters short changed by
their own kin. I cant deal with it all! Locally, Im swamped with too many customers for my
limited resources. Lord, which challenge do you want me to pursue?
To better appreciate todays scripture story, it might be helpful to go back a little in Marks
Gospel. In the prior chapter, Jesus triumphantly rode into Jerusalem. The people welcomed him
with palms and open arms. When he went into the Temple and saw what was happening in Gods
house, he angrily drove out the merchants and money changers.
The chief priests and teachers of the Law heard of this and became fearful. They saw how
positively the people had responded to Jesus. Knowing this was Jesus from Nazareth, the
carpenters son, and that nothing good could come from Nazareth, they boldly confronted him,
By what authority do you act like this (Matthew 11: 28)? Jesus responded with his own
question about John the Baptist. The high priests realized that Jesus had trapped them, so they
told him they could not respond. Jesus retorted, Neither will I tell what authority I have to act as
I do (Mark 11: 29).
The chief priests continued their attacks on Jesus. Their next step was to send the Pharisees to
test him. When that was found lacking, the Sadducees were lined up to trap Jesus. This too
failed. A teacher of the Law who had been listening to these discussions by his peers, admired
how Jesus held his own. Courageously, ignoring his fellow priests, he approached the Lord with
sincerity and asked him, Which commandment is first of all (Matthew 11: 28)?
As todays Gospel passage portrays, Jesus was tested many times. If we follow Jesus, can we
expect to be treated any differently? We have been blessed by his call. We need to remind
ourselves that He is always with us. He has blessed each of us special gifts. He has given us the

mind to understand, and the strength to prevail. Our hearts enable us to see what is not visible to
our eyes. We should be confident that we are prepared to meet the challenges put in front of us
because we are not alone. We know that God is with us.
Saint Teresa of Avila tells us, Our Lord does not care so much for the importance of our works
as for the love with which they are done. I think it is essential that we remember that God isnt
expecting us to do it all by ourselves. He is in charge. Our response is simply, Here I am Lord, I
am here to do your will.
For reflection:
1. Have you tried theologian, Dr. Howard Thurmans approach to the dilemma of deciding
which challenge to confront? Ask yourself what makes you come alive and do that, because the
world needs people who come alive.
2. When we feel overwhelmed or severely challenged, we might want to consider the wisdom of
Nobel Peace prize winner, Vaclav Havel: Hope is not the same as joy when things are going
well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously headed for success, but rather to
work for something to succeed. Hope is definitely not the same as optimism. It is not the
conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense,
regardless of how it turns out.
3. Thomas Merton expresses his thoughts in a similar manner: Do not depend on the hope of
results. When you are doing the sort of work you have taken on, essentially an apostolic work,
you may have to meet the fact that your work will be apparently worthless and achieve no result
at all, if not results opposite to what you expect. As you get used to this idea, you start more and
more to concentrate not on the results but on the value, the rightness, the truth of the work
itself.
Stan Fitzgerald
Member of the CCUSA Parish Social Ministry Section; St. Francis of Assisi Parish (San Jose,
Calif.)

March 12, 2015

Thursday of the Third Week of Lent
Jeremiah 7: 23-28; Luke 11: 14-23
Harden not your hearts
I don't know how the weather has been where you are, but here in Austin, Texas, the weather has
been bleak. Cold, dark, rainy and foggy.
In reflecting on today's readings, I think this is how our minds and our lives seem when we have
hardened our heart against our God. Sometimes we don't even realize we have hardened our
hearts until we look up and see how bleak the weather around us really is.

In Jeremiah 7: 23, we read, "This is what I commanded of my people: Listen to my voice; then I
will be your God and you shall be my people. Walk in all the ways that I command you, so that
you may prosper."
LISTEN to my voice: THENI willBEyourGOD.
Our lives get so busy that we don't even notice the weather has changed around us. Before we
know it, everything feels heavy and we are trudging through the bad weather, especially when
we are so busy that we are running ahead of God instead of with God. Where are we running?
Are we running from God? Are we running to God? Or maybe we are just furiously running
and not sure where or what direction?
Like the people in the First Reading, in our busyness we might tune out God. Sometimes we are
so busy for the sake of God that we haven't taken the time to keep him at the center of our lives.
Our hearts have become hardened when we have not remained in Jesus.
God calls us to be in wholehearted relationship with him. What is the condition of our hearts
when we turn to him? Can we truly serve those that come to us in our ministry with the heart of
Jesus? He is calling us, wooing us, to a sunnier place, to a slower pace, a place closer to his
heart. If we can stop and look up from our busyness and LISTEN to his voice. Take a deep
breath. Rest in him. Let His light shine through the fog and create clarity for us. THEN, HE
will ... BE our GOD.
For reflection:
1. What is the state of our hearts? Are they hardened at God or wholeheartedly with God? What
can I do right now to tune God in?
2. Do we run from appointment to appointment, meeting to meeting, client to client, at such a
pace that we are not actually taking the time to see each person as an individual, showing each
compassion and letting each see the face of Jesus in us?
Theresa Stephens
Member of the Parish Social Ministry Section and Outreach Coordinator, St. Thomas More
Church (Austin, Texas)
March 11, 2015
Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent
Deuteronomy 4: 1, 5-9; Matthew 5: 17-19
We havent really come that far from our ancient past of sitting around the campfire with our
clan and telling stories of hunting mammoths, or painting pictures capturing snippets of our lives
on cave walls. Today our storytelling often takes place in 140 words or less on Twitter, 10-minute
TED talks and photos posted to Instagram or blogs. The tools and technology may have evolved,

but not our inherent need to connect and share our stories with others. You might even say its
something that God built into our very DNA.
This may be why the story of our faith, the Bible, is one long story, where even the chapters that
seem to simply record genealogical lists or Hebraic law have stories woven through them if we
look closely enough. Storytelling is a powerful thing throughout our lives.
Ive always been something of a collector and purveyor of stories. Sitting at the knee of my
grandmother and listening to her stories of growing up in a coal mining town is one of my
fondest and earliest memories. Its not a wonder then, that I make my living this way as a
communications professional.
But I believe that all of us in charitable work deal in the currency of stories. Our case workers
record stories every day, of how this person or that family became homeless and of their journey
to regain independence. Our grant writers build cases for support from foundations by conveying
the stories of how our work helps transform lives. Our chemical addiction counselors sometimes
share their own encouraging, powerful stories of recovery with those still in the grip of alcohol
or drugs. And our advocates share stories with legislators about the impact of how budgetary
decisions personally affect the lives of their constituents.
Todays reading from Deuteronomy 4:9 urges us to . . . take care and be earnestly on your
guard not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen, not let them slip from your
memory as long as you live . . . Storytelling is our testimony, our account of the essential work
that we do and why we do it. Statistical facts and figures are important, but they do not share the
personal impact of our work as powerfully as our collected stories do. And the stories of our faith
are woven into their very fabric.
For reflection:
1. Pause a moment to journal (or tell to another person) an important story from your
upbringing. Why do you think this tale popped up in your head today?
2. This week is also the 50th anniversary of the civil rights march in Selma, Alabama. Why do
you think that this story is so etched in our consciousness?
Debbie Sladek
Communications Coordinator (i.e., Agency Storyteller), Fund Development; Catholic
Community Services of Western Washington
March 10, 2015
Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent
Daniel 3: 25, 34-43; Matthew 18: 21-35
In todays Gospel, Jesus instructs Peter about forgiveness, saying that we should forgive, not
seven times, but seventy-seven times (Matthew 18: 22). This becomes a pillar of our faith

forgiveness comes freely and repeatedly. The King in Jesus story chooses to forgive the
servant, because he is moved by the servants plea for help.
Though Christians believe in forgiveness, our society as a whole does not. As a society, we do
not forgive people for having bad credit, poor education, drug addictions, or a history of criminal
activity. People who exhibit these unforgivable traits are pushed out of society and are
forgotten. Society justifies this by saying, She should have worked harder, or He should
have made better choices.
In an address to the 2014 Catholic Charities Annual Gathering, Pope Francis quotes his Apostolic
Exhortation, The Joy of the Gospel, saying Those excluded are no longer societys underside or
its fringes or its disenfranchised they are no longer even a part of it. The excluded are not the
exploited but the outcast, the leftovers (Joy of the Gospel, #53). He continues No one is to
be a leftover. No one is to be excluded from Gods love and from our care.
A young couple came to Catholic Charities, driven by fear and desperation. Barely able to make
ends meet as parents of a one-year-old, they had just learned they were expecting another child.
The father had lost his job because of medical complications and the mother was cast aside by
her family for having the first unplanned pregnancy. The only option they could see was
abortion.
The judgment and derision this couple faced from its family, friends, and neighbors turned them
into strangers in their own community. They were excluded.
By Gods grace, they decided against abortion after learning about all the ways that Catholic
Charities could help them. They received education and material support, as well as mentoring
and compassion. Catholic Charities gave them hope, when society had told them they were lost.
The father found a job, the mother returned to school. They got a second chance to take control
of their lives, and they found their place in society again.
Catholic Charities is known for its expertise giving hope, compassion, and love. But we must
also be the agents of forgiveness in our society giving a second chance to those who need it.
For reflection:
1. When have you seen people excluded from society because of things they couldnt control?
2. What can we do in our own work to bring people back in to our community from beyond the
fringes?
Christina Vehar
Marketing and Events Coordinator, Catholic Charities of Central Texas

March 9, 2015
Monday of the Third Week of Lent
2 Kings 5: 1-15ab; Luke 4: 24-30
Welcoming the Prophetic Stranger Among Us
Naaman the Syrian, a belligerent unbeliever, was healed by God through Elisha. The instrument
of that healing, however, was both Elisha himself and the servant of Naaman who pleaded with
his master in order to bring about restoration.
Elisha, who could have healed many throughout Israel at the time, instead healed the obedient
unbeliever who had been prodded by an obedient servant, who only sought the good of his
master. Jesus notes this in the Gospel when He when He declares to His own people that it was
the unclean who were cleansed, and the suffering widows who were comforted. It was not the
neighbor Israelite who was healed, but the outsider, the pagan, the unclean, who were
despised during Jesus time.
Our society and our culture do not tend to recognize the stranger, and when we do, we tend to
forget that our own ancestors were strangers in this great land at one point. The Gospel calls us
to welcome that stranger, especially when the stranger sacrifices pride, home, and livelihood in
order to live as God intendswith full respect for dignity before Him as a human person. The
Nazarenes had forgotten that they too were strangers in the land of Egypt, and had been in need
of healing when they arrived in the Promised Land.
When we forget that we are to be a healing balm for the stranger, with our thoughts, our words,
and our deeds, they will pass through the midst of us, to another placemuch like Jesus did
when the Nazarenes attempted to throw him off the cliff and out of their sight. Hospitality is a
mark of charity, and charity as divine, self-emptying love, welcomes all who would come to it. In
this case, hospitality is Jesus Himself.
May we always see the stranger as one like us, with corporal and spiritual needs, and may we
recognize that we may very well be the instrument by which Jesus chooses to pass through our
midst and be received with joy and welcoming, not anger and rejection.
At Catholic Charities Fort Worth, Hospitality is one of our values, known as RICHES. We extend
Hospitality to the stranger through our Refugee Services program, and our Street Outreach
Services program, which provides help to those experiencing homelessness.
For reflection:
1. How do I welcome the stranger, whether he or she is belligerent or kind, into my midst? Do I
welcome him or her with my words, thoughts, and deeds?
2. How do I serve as a balm or instrument of healing for those who are in pain? Is it through
direct service, through administrating the goods entrusted to me, or perhaps through helping to
develop those that do?

3. How can I cooperate with Gods grace to bring about programs and cultures in which the
stranger is welcomed in my midst and all over the world?
Paul Crnkovich
Director of Parish Relations; Catholic Charities Fort Worth
March 8. 2015
Third Sunday of Lent
Exodus 17:3-7; Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9; Romans 5:1-2, 5-8; John 4:5-42 (from the
Scrutinies, Year A)
If today you hear his voice, harden not your heart (Psalm 95: 7b-8a)
The journey may not be easy, but place your trust in the Lord and He will provide. That could
well be the message of todays first reading from Exodus, when the Israelites quarreled amongst
themselves and complained to Moses that the Lord had abandoned them. We may say we put our
trust in our Lord and Savior, but at what point does our resolve fade? Do we let everyday
worries and stress influence our trust in the Lord? Do we test the Lord with our personal
demands and self-centered needs? Trust, total trust in our Lord, must surpass our own needs and
desires, lest we be judged as hard-hearted.
The Word of God, like water, is life-giving. Just as the Israelites feared certain death in the desert
without water, so too should we fear death without sustenance from the Word. Lord, you are
truly the Savior of the world; give me living water, that I may never thirst again.
In todays Gospel, Jesus asks a Samaritan woman to draw him water from the well. She replies,
How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink (John 4: 9)? Jesus answered and
said to her, If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, Give me a drink, you would
have asked him and he would have given you living water (John 4: 10).
Water again transforms into something more than a cooling liquid for quenching thirst, but
instead becomes a vehicle for life everlasting living water providing all the sustenance that
anyone could ever hope for or need as Jesus then tells the woman, Everyone who drinks this
water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I
shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life (John 4: 13b-14).
A water welling up to eternal life that I can picture in my minds eye like a great geyser in
Yellowstone National Park a vast opening dispersing life-giving truth, pouring forth
compassion, spewing hope, spraying love like a blanketing mist over every man, woman and
child. That is the promise of our Lords life-giving water if we are only thirsty enough to come
to the well and drink of the living water.
For reflection:
1. Are there times in my life when anxiety, selfishness, pride, or stubbornness drag me into
the desert? What can I do during this Lenten time of reflection and self-examination to
ensure that I remain open to Gods Word, no matter what challenges I am facing?

2. Am I a vessel of living water to others? How can I best carry the Word can quench the
emotional and spiritual thirst of others?
Sharon Brumer
Communications Manager, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee
March 7, 2015
Saturday of the Second Week of Lent
Micah 7: 14-15; 18-20; Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32
Todays readings and responsorial psalm address the extravagant mercy of
God, a God who is compassionate and delights in clemency. It is this God of Micah and the
psalmist of whom Jesus teaches in the familiar parable of the Prodigal Son. (I am actually
writing this reflection just after seeing a powerful painting of the Prodigal Son at the American
Museum of Art Gallery in Washington D.C. where I am attending the Catholic Social Ministry
Gathering. Talk about perfect timing!)
The scriptures for this Lenten Saturday speak of a God who never tires of giving second chances,
and then some. Is this not what our work at Catholic Charities and in our parishes is all about?
Every day we meet the homeless veteran, insecure pregnant teen, trafficked woman, returning
citizen from incarceration, refugee family, those wanting to escape poverty and gain some selfsufficiency, the fearful immigrant, and so many others who desire that second chance and new
start at life.
Like the father in the parable, we catch sight of these vulnerable children of God and welcome
them with the embrace of compassion. We are blessed to work with our skills and resources to
help improve their lives. And like the father, and not the elder son in the story, we do not judge
those who call our offices or come through our doors. We dont lay any further guilt on those
who probably are already well aware of mistakes they have made. If anything, we want to imitate
the God whom the prophet Micah says, removes guilt and treads it underfoot. We create hope,
not guilt!
Our celebrations may not involve the slaughtering of the fatted calf, as the father did in the
parable, but we do celebrate when our efforts have made a positive difference in the lives we
serve, even those small incremental steps our clients make. We must celebrate and rejoice, just as
that father did while encouraging his elder son to do likewise. And such celebrating is vital to our
own mental health and helps avoid compassion fatigue, a danger for all of us who are involved in
human service work.
For reflection:
1. Have you experienced clients who have not followed programs and continue to make the
same mistakes over and over again? How do you respond when they return seeking further
assistance? How might our relationship to the God of todays scripture inspire us to continue to
seek creative solutions without enabling our clients?

2. How do we communicate the message of todays scriptures to people, even within our faith
communities, who are so quick to judge a pregnant teenage girl, the individual on food stamps,
an undocumented immigrant, or a released felon? Have you encountered some who say, Why
do you help those people? What is your response?
Deacon Lucio Caruso
Director, Mission Integration; Catholic Charities Louisville

Friday of the Second Week of Lent

March 6, 2015
Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a; Psalm 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21; Matthew
21: 33-43, 45-46
While reflecting on todays readings, three words came to my mind: competition, greed and
rejection. In the first reading, Josephs brothers felt they were in competition with him for their
fathers favor. Their greed for that place of honor led them to reject him and sell him into
slavery. In the Gospel, Jesus tells a parable about a landowner whose tenants demonstrated their
greed by killing the servants sent to collect the produce of the vineyard. They even killed the
landowners son, rejecting his rights to the harvest and to his inheritance.
Pope Francis speaks strongly of competition, greed and rejection in his 2015 World Day of Peace
Message, entitled No Longer Slaves, But Brothers and Sisters. He reminds us that the sin of
estrangement from Godbecomes an expression of the refusal of communion. It gives rise to a
culture of enslavement with all its consequences extending from generation to generation:
rejection of others, their mistreatment, violations of their dignity and fundamental rights, and
institutionalized inequality. Later in his message, he states, Today, as in the past, slavery is
rooted in a notion of the human person which allows him or her to be treated as an object.
We know of shameful accounts of slavery and human trafficking throughout history and in our
world today. The Holy Father challenges us to a shared commitment to ending slavery and from
falling into a state of indifference. He suggests the need for a threefold commitment on the
institutional level: to prevention, to victim protection and to the legal prosecution of
perpetrators. He calls on states, intergovernmental organizations, businesses, organizations in
civil society to join the Church in fighting against this open wound on the body of
contemporary society, a scourge upon the body of Christ.
Each of us has the opportunity and the obligation to be part of the solution, rather than part of the
problem, when we become aware of injustice. Many of us working with Catholic Charities and
in parishes are blessed to serve people who are powerless against unjust systems. Many of us
advocate for policies and structures that serve the common good over the privileged few. With
Jesus as our cornerstone, we have confidence that our ministry of service will produce much fruit
to bring about the reign of God.
For reflection:

1. Are there times when I reject people or opportunities to work for justice?
2. What are steps I can take to raise awareness about the evil of human trafficking and slavery?
Jan Jamroz
Director of Parish Social Ministry; Catholic Charities, Diocese of Rockville Centre
March 5, 2015
Thursday of the Second Week of Lent
Jeremiah 17: 5-10; Psalm 1: 1-2, 3, 4, and 6; Luke 16: 19-31
I often wondered how she continued to smile. As an immigrant mother with four children
fleeing domestic violence, she had no income. Our program was finding ways to pay her rent
month by month while we sought immigration relief on her behalf. She had food stamps and
Medicaid for her children as they were U.S. citizens; she said she was grateful.
After my visits with her, Id sit in my car and wonder if I could be so cheerful if I were in her
situation. Did I have the same trust in God that she displayed to me over and over? She told me
she became a Christian after coming to this country; she often expressed her new found faith in
God. She never hesitated to proclaim the good news of the Bible to me. As I sat in my car
pondering her faith in God and her trust in me, I wondered if I had lost some of my faith in God,
was I the one missing the beauty of the Gospel? Was I taking my faith for granted? Her endless
trust somehow burdened me--could we always provide for this mother and her four children?
The responsorial psalm proclaims Blessed are they who hope in the Lord; the verse before the
Gospel (Luke 8: 15) proclaims Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart
and yield a harvest through perseverance. Lent is really a time of perseverance, a time to
remain true to our resolutions. The perseverance of those we serve, in spite of their difficulties,
should be our inspiration, our reminder not to lose sight of the One who guides our work each
and every day.
Thinking of this mother now, I smile at the lessons she taught me. I am humbled by her hope in
the Lord, her perseverance guided by her faith and trust in God. Our program was a conduit of
Gods grace, grace that this mother helped me understand.

For reflection:
1. Am I a conduit of Gods grace? Do my actions reflect the generous heart God is calling
me to be?
2. During this Lenten season, have I persevered in the resolutions I set for myself on Ash
Wednesday?
3. Am I overconfident that I can do this work without Gods grace?

Lauri B. Ogumoro, LMSW, ACSW

Guma Esperansa, Karidat Social Services
March 4, 2015
Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent
Jeremiah 18: 18-20; Matthew 20: 17-28
Todays First Reading describes how the prophet Jeremiah received similar hostile criticism and
rejection to that of Jesus Christ before his crucifixion. In Jeremiah 18:20, Jeremiah asks God to
not let evil come upon the people and to let them see the truth. Jeremiah was thought to be a
false leader that could not be trusted. In many ways, this parallels Jesus as he was falsely
accused to be a false Messiah. For both Jeremiah and Jesus, instead of asking God to punish
those who falsely accused them, both continued to intercede on their behalf. Jeremiah continues
to bring a new covenant to the people and the least of these shall have a place or a relationship
with Jesus.
Lent represents a time when we strip ourselves of all the things that bind us to the negative in
this world. It represents a time to center our minds and turn ourselves completely over to Jesus.
During this time, let us ask Him to give us the strength to walk along the path in finding
solutions to assist those who are vulnerable and marginalized. Let us ask God to strengthen us
not to be the accusers but to be the continual intercessors.
As people of faith, we must continue to walk the path of embracing poverty and intercede on
behalf of our neighbors, brothers and sisters in Christ. Our families deserve the right to be
treated with respect and human dignity. They desire to be included and no longer marginalized.
They want to be heard, guided, supported, encouraged; they want a relationship with someone
who is willing to accompany them on the path. This path will one day bring a fruitful life, one
that will provide a better living environment, healthcare, employment, education and that which
is most important, a relationship with Jesus, our intercessor.
For reflection:
1. Take a moment to ask for forgiveness for the times that you might have responded with
vengeance to those who wished ill upon you.
2. Thomas a Kempis writes in The Imitation of Christ, Many are eager to be happy with him;
few wish to suffer anything for himMany are awed by his miracles, few accept the shame of
his cross. May we be strengthened to accept the cross to follow Jesus.
Frances Robinson, M.S.S, M.L.S.P
Case Manager, Catholic Charities of Harrisburg-Interfaith Shelter for Homeless Families

March 3, 2015
Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent
Isaiah 1: 10, 16-20; Matthew 23: 1-12
Catholic saints are usually downplayed on the Church calendar during the Advent, Christmas,
Lent, and Easter seasons. There is a reason for this: these liturgical seasons trump saints feast
days; the seasons are so important that the teaching office of the Church does not want to take
anything away from them by emphasizing the life of a saint at the same time. There are a few
exceptions, such as St. Joseph, who we will remember on March 19, smack in the middle of
Lent.
This being said, bear with me as I connect the life of St. Katharine Drexel, who died on this day
in 1955 and was canonized by Saint John Paul II in 2000. Matthew 23: 11-12 states, The
greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever
humbles himself will be exalted.
St. Katharine Drexel models putting greatness and wealth aside in order to serve others. She was
born into one of the wealthiest families of America; when her father died in 1885, she and her
two sisters were entrusted with $14,000,000, not a small chunk of change for today, least the 19th
century. Katherine put the money to good use, endowing ministries often neglected by the
Church, especially outreach to American Indians and African Americans.
In 1878, she asked Pope Leo XIII in a private audience to send more priests to serve American
Indians. He responded, Why not become a missionary yourself? When she could not find a
religious order to meet her calling, she founded her own, The Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament
for Indians and Colored People. She insisted that the sisters in her community subsist on alms;
she would apply the trusted funds from her father for projects that would attack structural
problems of poverty and injustice facing people of color in the United States, such as the Bureau
of Catholic Indian Missions and the countrys first Catholic African American college, Xavier
University (New Orleans).
St. Katharine Drexel is an appropriate saint for us to celebrate during Lent, a time of almsgiving.
She used her financial resources to be a true servant leader, as Jesus admonishes all of us in
todays Gospel.
For reflection:
1. To learn more about St. Katharine Drexel and how her life and example can guide us during
Lent and in our social ministry in Catholic Charities and our parishes, click here.
2. How can each of us, in our Catholic Charities agencies, parishes, families, neighborhoods,
and work places, more truly embellish Jesus command to be of humble service to others?

Br. Steve Herro, O. Praem.

Manager, Mission Data and Resources; Catholic Charities USA
Source consulted: Robert Ellsberg, Blessed Among Us: St. Katharine Drexel, Give Us This Day: Daily Prayer
for Todays Catholics, March 2015, p. 39.

March 2, 2015
Monday of the Second Week of Lent
Daniel 9: 4b-10; Luke 6: 36-38
John Allen, Boston Globe, is perhaps one of the most popular Vaticanologists writing for the
English language audience. During an era in which Pope Francis is recognized by people of all
faiths in dozens of countries as perhaps the most influential person in the world, John Allen notes
that Pope Francis moniker might very well be the Pope of mercy. If you really want to dig
deeper into my claim of John Allen, see his 2014 biography on Pope Francis, Against the Tide:
The Radical Leadership of Pope Francis. And I dare say that the Pope of Mercy has a thing or
two to say about judging and condemning others.
Todays Gospel is placed in the middle of some very challenging commands by Jesus. One such
commend is Stop judging and will you not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be
condemned (Luke 6: 37). It is so easy to judge and condemn, even in Lenten prayer groups
and village public libraries! Jesus command cries out to me a day after hearing a parishioner in
a prayer group throw mentally ill people under the bus for being on the dole and writing off
our new mayor (who has been in office less than two months). So I come home, and read
comments by a library tech chastising those who use the public library as a babysitting service.
Did it ever occur that the mentally ill person who is pestering you at the Metro stop might be
suffering from post traumatic stress disorder as a result of military service? Or maybe the bratty
kid tying up the computers in the public library might be avoiding an abusive parent at home or
freezing temperatures outside?
But judgmentalism can be a two sided coin. Did I not just judge two people above for them
unfairly judging homeless people and public library users? Perhaps one way to check
judgmentalism and unfair condemnation is to actually allow the speaker to clarify what he or she
meant and not presume the person to be mean spirited or hard hearted.
For reflection:
1. Let us pray that we may more ably follow the example of the loving and merciful God
described in todays First Reading while avoiding the tendency to rashly judge and condemn
others.
2. Can we forgive someone without that person even asking for forgiveness?

Br. Steve Herro, O. Praem.

Manager, Mission Resources and Data; Catholic Charities USA
March 1, 2015
Second Sunday of Lent
Genesis 22: 1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18; Romans 8: 31b-34; Mark 9: 2-10
Our First Reading describes how God put Abraham to the test by asking him to sacrifice his only
son. Abraham answered in faith, and because of his obedience God blessed him abundantly and
made his descendants as countless as the stars of the sky (Genesis 22: 17). Similarly, in the
Second Reading, Paul reminds us that it was God Himself who sacrificed His only Son by dying
for us on the cross for our sins (Romans 8: 31b); hence, if God is for us, who can be against
us? Finally, in the Gospel, the Father reveals his beloved Son and allows Peter, James and John
to see with their eyes the transfiguration that normally we have to see through faith.
All three readings invite us to meditate on the depth of our faith. Abraham showed us the way,
he held nothing from God, and completely trusted the Goodness of the Father; because of his
faith, the history of salvation began.
In our personal lives and jobs, we experience daily suffering caused by our own actions or the
actions of others. We see how easily we could end up in situations of being homeless, without
family, as an undocumented immigrant due to wars or economics, or in situations that are
completely out of our control. Our experience of pain and suffering makes it difficult to
understand how can God exist, or if He does, why He allows so much pain.
Christs answer is clear and challenging. He chose the way of the cross to save us. He did not
take away suffering, but gave suffering a meaning, a salvific power. In a way, He transfigured
humanity by dying for our sins, and through His resurrection; gave us eternal life in Him. We
now can share in His Fullness, His Beauty and Joy. We can be happy, if we choose Him.

For reflection:
Do we fully believe in the greatness of His gift? Do we love God more than ourselves? How do
we respond and try to make a difference? Do we care? Do we act like Christ when we see our
suffering brothers and sisters?
Roberto Partarrieu
Executive Director, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of La Crosse (Wisconsin)
February 28, 2015

Saturday of the First Week of Lent

Deuteronomy 26: 16-19; Psalm 119: 1-2, 4-5, 7-8; Matthew 5: 43-48
In todays Gospel, Matthew poses one of the greatest New Testament challenges: so be
perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5: 48).
On a daily basis, Catholic Charities and parish ministers seek to answer Gods call, while also
inviting others, to this same kind of perfection. Together we strive to help all persons in need
regardless of their actions and histories because that is the way God loves us all. We do this
through our services in charitable outreach, our determined work to develop wise and just public
policy, fostering global solidarity (including taking care of Gods gift of creation), and our efforts
in human empowerment.
Deuteronomy reminds us to do all the above wholeheartedly. We are to observe Gods statutes,
not those of others. Our reward for such committed fidelity: being held sacred to God. The
psalmist reminds us that thus we are blessed, have cause for gratitude! How much better can
that really get??
To keep all this clear takes prayer repeated daily, taking time with God, reminding ourselves
precisely of Gods point of view and priorities.
For reflection:
1. Which statutes does God call us to? Which statutes does God call our society to?
2. When and how do I pray? Can my prayer move beyond asking God for favors?
Sr. Mary Schmuck, R.S.M.
Parish Social Ministry Coordinator; Catholic Charities of Louisville, Inc.

February 27, 2015

Friday of the First Week of Lent
Ezekiel 18: 21-28; Psalm 130: 1-2, 3-4, 5-7a, 7bc-8; Matthew 5: 20-26
Directional Turns that Change Destiny
Todays readings are harsh. They say that it is not the sum of your good works, or the average of
the good and bad that you have done that determines your eternal reward, but the direction you
are headed when this life ends that decides where you will end up. It doesnt seem quite fair
but it is another indication that God is always willing to do the heavy work of forgiving and
taking us as we are at every moment of our lives.
This is a lesson we need to apply both personally and professionally.

Personally, we must be persistently intentional in living our lives in gratitude for Gods grace,
and continually strive to do what is good. We must seek and accept forgiveness whenever weve
allowed evil to turn us from our path and lead us down a direction that takes us from the light of
Gods face. The quicker we recognize our error and the sooner we toss away the temptations that
gravitate toward the wrong direction, the more likely we are to be face to face with God when
the time comes rather than having our back to Gods face.
Professionally, we must strive to imitate God. Many times those we serve have made mistakes
that entangled their lives in problems. It would be easy to do the minimum required by our job
and basically dismiss them as lost causes. But God does not do that to us, and the direction we
choose to take in responding to them can be an instrument in changing their destiny. Never forget
that it is hard to ask for help, for reconciliation, for daily bread; sometimes we dont even know
we need it.
When people come for help we need to remember that we can be the hands of God reaching back
toward them holding not only the assistance they need, but also the loving care, encouragement,
and belief that they can change the direction of their lives. We can choose to give them a spark of
light, of hope, knowing that spark may not become a flame right awayor ever. Our role is to
provide the spark because consistent with todays Gospel, our unspoken intention and judgment
are as real as our visible actions.
For reflection:
1. We meet many in ministry who visit our housing facilities, counseling offices, meal programs,
and churches who have made a diversity of lifes choices. Can you recall a time that you were
touched by the conversion of a client, who made amends with self, God, or others? As a witness
of this conversion, how did you feel as a minister?
2. Can you recall a time that you helped move a client to make amends with those whom he or
she had hurt? How did your action differ from a provider in a non faith based setting?
Sister Mary Louise Stubbs, D.C.
Former Catholic Charities Director; Executive Director, Daughters of Charity International
Project Services
February 26, 2015
Thursday of the First Week of Lent
Esther C 12, 14-16, 23-25; Psalm 138: 1-2ab; 2cde-3, 7c-8 Matthew 7: 7-12
I love the book of Esther! Ignoring the Old Testament style of justice at the end, it's a wonderful
story with a brave woman as the heroine who risks her own life for the sake of her community.
In today's passage we hear her desperate prayer to God for the strength and courage to do and to
say the right things that will result in the salvation of her people.
In the Gospel we hear the very familiar teaching of Jesus on the power of prayer (Matthew 7: 7):
"Ask and it will be given to you..."

I would venture that intercessory prayer is a frequent, if not daily, feature of the life of every
fervent Christian. We pray for the sick and the dying, for peace and for the safety of our troops,
for wisdom and skill for our doctors and leaders, even for the success of our favorite team.
Certainly we in the Catholic Charities and parish settings must also pray for our clients--for their
openness to treatment and service when we are able to provide it and for their well-being and
continued hopefulness when we cannot.
If I believe that my prayer is efficacious when I pray alone, how much more would it be if we
together raised our voices to our loving God on behalf of our clients--indeed, on behalf of the
good of all people!
Today I suggest that we consider praying together in one voice the words of the psalm, not in the
singular, but in the plural, "When we called, you answered us; you built up strength within us.
Lord, on the day we called for help you answered us."
Jean Beil
Senior V.P. Programs and Services, Catholic Charities USA

February 25, 2015

Wednesday of the First Week of Lent
Jonah 3: 1-10; Luke 11: 29-32
Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart, for I am gracious and
merciful. (Joel 2: 12-13; Gospel Acclamation for todays Mass)
It has already been a week since Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, and we are being called
to contrition and repentance that is, sorrow for our sins and a conviction to change. The
Psalms that are used in the first week of Lent remind us of our own sinfulness, but even more,
they remind us of the hope and forgiveness that is offered by our Lord. Blessed are they who
hope in the Lord (Psalm 1); Your words, Lord, are Spirt and life (Psalm 25); A heart contrite
and humbled, O God, you will not spurn (Psalm 51). Our call to serve is a call, through faith, to
action, but we cannot act rightly if we are caught up in the inability to forgive, if we are not open
to change.
In todays First Reading, the prophet Jonah is called to warn his people throughout the city of
Nineveh to turn away from their sins. The people of Nineveh believed Jonah and heeded his
warning. Gods love for the people of Nineveh is so great, that When God saw by their actions
how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them;
he did not carry it out (Jonah 3:10).
If we insert ourselves into todays Gospel account from Luke, we can see that Jesus must be
frustrated with us by our short-sightedness. We seek the wisdom of Solomon like the queen
from the South did; but Jesus says there is something greater than Solomon here. We seek a
sign of Gods presence, like the Ninevites did from Jonah, but Jesus says there is something

greater than Jonah here (Luke 11: 31). Jesus challenges us to see him as he truly is, our Lord
and Savior. He is our all in all. He is in the midst of our lives; he is in the midst of those we
serve. We cannot see Christ fully if we are caught up in ourselves.
If we would only take action to consciously humble ourselves, open our eyes, open our heart and
let Christ work in us, we can do anything. Let us pray for this humility today to let go of our sins
so that we can serve our brothers and sisters in need, so that we can better serve our Lord. Let
us consciously seek to see Christ in the midst of everyone we serve, in everything we do. Amen.
For reflection:
1.

How are we to serve justice and peace if our own hearts are cold, selfish and stubborn?

2.

How have you been moved, so far, this Lent?

Alan Pickett
Executive Director, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Covington (Kentucky)
February 24, 2015
Tuesday of the First Week of Lent
Isaiah 55: 10-11; Psalm 34: 4-5, 6-7, 16-17, 18-19; Matthew 6: 7-15
Todays readings could be summed up with the words keep it simple.
In Isaiah 55: 11, we read that the word of God is meant to do his will achieving the end for
which I sent it. Gods word should be evident by the way we live. In Psalm 34: 18-19, we read,
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard and from all his distress he saved him. The
LORD notices those who are poor; they are on his radar. Matthew 6: 9 states This is how you
should pray. as a prelude to the Our Father. Nothing obscure to figure out; just plain spoken
and to the point. Think about it: The words in the Our Father are anything but fancy.
In addition, Pope Francis Lenten message encourages us to use Lent as a time to form our
hearts. Connecting todays readings to the Popes message to what we do at Catholic Charities
and in our parishes, I would like to suggest Keeping it simple this Lent. Here are a few things
to think about:
Living Simply
Mahatma Gandhi is credited with the statement, Live simply, so that other may simply live.
Nothing brings us into solidarity with those who are poor as efficiently as simplifying our lives
giving up (or away) some of our dear comforts. I often tell people that Bless me Father for I
have sinned; you should see my closet, my pantry, my electronics, etc. are words that help me to
recognize obstacles to the heart of Jesus. How about just for today finding a comfort (or two or
three) to do without?
Simply Noticing
There is a man in my Friday morning JustFaith group who simply notices the poor and

vulnerable wherever he goes. I have watched him as he enters an event by stopping to speak to
the people holding the door; or he will return from a trip and tell us about the immigrant who
drove the tram at the airport. And he always gets their names. He simply notices everyone,
particularly those others would overlook. How about trying just for today to notice and name
those we would typically be indifferent to?
Praying Simply
I love the prayer services and liturgies at national conferences almost as much as the speakers
because they are always so well-orchestrated: the music, the recognition of the various
languages, the readings, the handouts all make for wonderful celebrations. I also admire
people in my various groups or committees who have the gift of eloquence when it comes to
praying spontaneously. Contrast these scenarios to our basement lunches for those who are
homeless in our Catholic Charities neighborhood; this group prays beautifully with very simple
words and ideas. Or listen to this simple prayer that we hear every day among those we walk
with: Thank you, Jesus. My heart is overflowing. How about trying just for today to keep our
words and thoughts simple as we aim for solidarity in prayer with those who are poor?
Keep it simple and form a new heart!
Therese Gustaitis
Director of Parish Social Ministry, Catholic Charities West Tennessee
February 23, 2015
Monday of the First Week of Lent
Levitcus 19: 1-2; Matthew 25: 31-46
Be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy. (Leviticus 19: 2)
A few weeks before Christmas, a man knocked on our door and asked my family to help him out,
either by giving him cash or buying some video games that he was trying to sell. He had a story,
part of which he shared with us. We were, quite literally, unable to help him with those stated
needs, and so we apologized and sent him on his way, thinking that we had nothing to offer since
we werent an agency that had the necessary resources.
Within minutes, I was assaulted by the coulda, woulda, shoulda monster as I started to realize
some of my other options. Why didnt I at least invite him in from the cold to warm up? Why
didnt I offer him a sandwich and some coffee or hot chocolate? Why didnt I set a better
example for my kids, who were watching? Why didnt I take the time to hear more of his story
and at least honor his inherent dignity by listening and commiserating? Why hadnt I practiced
what I preach?
Our readings today not only command us to be holy, but also prescribe exactly how to do so. We
hear the you shall nots from Deuteronomy 5: 6-21, and then Jesus complements these by

giving us some real, concrete you definitely shalls or else! I am struck by how profoundly
these two perspectives of the law inform one another. We certainly need both in our lives.
Jesus is asking us to be His brothers and sisters. As Jesus brothers and sisters, we also take on
the sacred honor and privilege of seeing a global family of siblings as Jesus Himself. Have you
ever witnessed your sibling, child, parent a member of your immediate family suffering?
Depending on the circumstance, it can be either easier or more difficult to feed, welcome, clothe,
care for, and visit someone you know intimately. But in either case, it is Gods expectation of us
to engage and respond. As daunting as this task seems, the Psalm response assures us that these
words Gods words are Spirit and Life (John 6: 63b).
Reflection:
1. Reflect on the ways the shall nots of Deuteronomy inform the shalls of the Gospel.
2. Consider times in your life when you have heard and responded to the needs of your
brothers and sisters in Christ. Consider time both in your ministry as well as your
personal life.
Kate Kosydar
Catholic Charities West Virginia, Inc.
February 22, 2015
First Sunday of Lent
Genesis 9: 8-15; I Peter 3: 18-22; Mark 1: 12-15
From the spiritual high of celebrating Gods covenant with us, symbolized by the beauty of the
rainbow, to the anxieties associated with Satan tempting Jesus in the desert and Johns arrest. Its
a wild ride, this journey were on with God.
God gives us one opportunity after the other to repent, to turn our lives around. God is
relentless, pursuing, and steadfast. The people of Noahs time firmly turned their backs to God,
refused the opportunities, chose not to repent. Jesus comes to make the opportunity more of an
ongoing invitation, sort of Gods new open-door policy.
Tim was one of the most personable and likeable guys Ive met in my years of outreach ministry.
He admits hes an abusive drunk and that he struggles with sobriety, but he also has got a great
work history and real skills in metal fabrication. He came in for a new ID, which we got for him.
He promptly went on a bender and lost it. Another program replaced it, and he lost that one, too.
He always owned his missteps, never tried to blame others. Lets face it, change is hard.
Once again, Tim came in to see me. If I could help with a bus ticket to another town, a previous
employer would give him a job again. We confirmed the job opportunity and did our part. Will
Tim be able to quit drinking? Perhaps. Will I be able to lay aside my judgments and angers and
need to control? Perhaps, if I can let myself fall into the arms of the loving God who always
offers another chance.

This Lenten season, may I give myself permission to enter more deeply into relationship
covenant with Gods mercy and forgiveness, even as I try to show those same qualities to those
who come to us each day.

For reflection:
Pause for a moment to consider a person or group of people that you have written off. What
would it take for you to welcome him, her, or them back into relationship with you, as Yahweh
welcomed the descendants of Noah?
Reflect for a moment on someone in your life story who has refused to give up on you, despite
the many times that you might have thrown yourself, him, or her under the bus. Offer a prayer of
thanksgiving for this person.
Scott Cooper
Parish Social Ministries Director; Catholic Charities of Spokane
February 21, 2015
Saturday after Ash Wednesday
Isaiah 58: 9b-14; Luke 5: 27-32
Thus says the LORD:
If you remove from your midst oppression,
false accusation and malicious speech;
If you bestow your bread on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
Then light shall rise for you in the darkness,
and the gloom shall become for you like midday;
Then the LORD will guide you always
and give you plenty even on the parched land.
He will renew your strength,
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring whose water never fails. (Isaiah 58: 9b-11)
Todays First Reading was written for a Jewish audience that had returned from the Babylonian
exile. It is actually more hopeful than much of the Book of Isaiah. As provocative as todays
reading is, we do miss the important preceding verse, Is this not, rather, the fast that I choose:
releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; setting free the oppressed,
breaking off every yoke? (Isaiah 58: 6). I do believe that a message of the First Reading is that
fasting is even more genuine when it is combined with social outreach.

The reading also reminds me of a discussion amongst several Catholic Charities staff at a recent
retreat. At one point, a retreatant asked, Do we think that we have a get to heaven free card
because we work for Catholic Charities? The ensuing discussion was one of several valuable
take homes from the retreat. What does motivate us to serve those in need whom we encounter
through our Catholic Charities agencies and parishes? The fact that many of us choose to serve
others through a Christian faith based organization suggests to me the desire for a closer
relationship with God, the desire to want to say yes to His loving invitation to be in the
greatest possible relationship with Him.
For reflection:
1. As a Catholic Charities or parish staff or volunteer, how can you help others realize a Lenten
balance between fasting, prayer, and alms giving (social outreach)?
2. What motivates you to serve others in your agency or parish? Do you believe that
motivations can change?
Br. Steve Herro, O. Praem.
Manager of Mission Resources and Data, Catholic Charities USA

February 20, 2015

Friday after Ash Wednesday
Isaiah 58: 1-9a; Matthew 9: 14-15
I have quoted parts of the first reading for years, focusing on releasing the captive, feeding the
hungry, sheltering the homeless, and clothing the naked. They are serious calls to action. The
image of fasting never jumped out at me. What a revelation that this call to action is a form of
fasting preferred by God.
Many see fasting as a profoundly spiritual experience. I admire this discipline. I confess that I
dont like abstaining from food. The traditional form of fasting makes me tired, cranky, and
self-absorbed. When I fast from food, I try to think about those who are truly hungry and that I
will be blessed with a meal when the ordeal is over.
This different understanding of the passage has given me a new perspective on fasting. I had
never thought my Lenten discipline of doing something as a form of fasting. However, when I
think it through, it is fasting. I am fasting from my pleasures, sufferings, and my desires. I am
fasting from self-absorption. It is about my brother and sister in Christ who are suffering. By
doing something for someone else, I fast from self.
The Gospel passage today now has a different perspective. Jesus asks the Pharisees (Matthew 9:
14), 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. Our fasting is the
continuing work of Jesus. We become the hands and feet of Christ and the light that shines forth.
My Lenten fast will be to take my work for justice to the next level. I will look for ways to be
more effective in my advocacy efforts. I will work with parishes to help connect the ritual of
Lent with the social action of Church.

For reflection: What are new ways that each of us can fast that is acceptable to God?
Let us pray:
Lord God, you have called us beyond ourselves.
The fasting you seek is to reach out to those who cry out for relief.
You call us to shine forth like the dawn and untie the yoke of these who are bound by their
suffering and oppressed by the circumstances in their life.
You ask us to share our bread, house those who are homeless and clothe those who have nothing
to wear.
You ask us not to turn our back on our brothers and sisters in need.
We come to you with a humble hearts.
We pray that we will find strength at your altar.
Have mercy on us in your great compassion and show us how to be your hands and feet in The
World. We ask this through Jesus, Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Amen.
Diane Zbasnik
Catholic Charities Health and Human Services, Cleveland

February 19, 2015

Thursday after Ash Wednesday
Deuteronomy 30: 15-20; Luke 9: 22 - 25
Yesterday was Ash Wednesday; we have just washed the ashes from our foreheads and are ready
to begin our Lenten journey. For the next 39 days and nights and Triduum of our Lord, we will
share the experience of Jesus as he begins the voyage that culminates with his Passion, Death on
a cross and Resurrection on Easter Sunday.
In our First Reading (Deuteronomy 30: 9, 20), Moses tells his people Today I have set before
you life and prosperity, death and doom.Choose life then . Seems like a clear and easy
choice. We are privileged in todays society to be able to make choices. We are presented with a
situation, can rationalize alternatives and make sound, practical and balanced decisions.
Unfortunately, it is not that easy for some people. Our clients present to us because they have
not made good, sound choices in their lives. They might struggle to manage themselves, family,

and finances. Many have no positive support system or role models, have a poor frame of
reference, live only for the moment and make poor choices.
In our Gospel reading today, Jesus tell his disciples about suffering and rejection and that to
follow him, one must deny himself and take up his cross. Again, we are talking about decisions,
tough decisions. To follow Jesus and be true disciples of Jesus, we must do as Jesus did. We
must be submissive, sacrifice, receive help and help others. Jesus was submissive to his
persecutors, he sacrificed himself for you and me, he received help from those offering to help
him, including Simon of Cyrene, and he helped all that requested help from him.
To follow Jesus and take up our cross daily is not an easy or fun thing to do. We must make the
conscious choice to do so. Again as Jesus says, to save ones life one must be prepared to lose it.
Our clients come to us from many different situations. We help those who have suffered at the
hands of domestic, physical or sexual abuse, mental anguish, or political, religious or personal
persecution. Others clients have addictions and/or have made poor choices in their lives. They all
have suffered and are carrying their crosses.
They look to us at Catholic Charities and in our parishes to hear them, help them and to lighten
or eliminate the crosses that they bear. We do our best in all situations to help those who come to
us in need.
Let us pray for each other on this Lenten Journey. May we practice fasting, sacrifice, alms giving
and greater acts of kindness and generosity.
May you have a prayerful Lent and a Happy Easter!
For reflection:
1. We all have our crosses to bear. What crosses do you bear daily?
2. Can you think of a time when you made a poor choice that affected the lives of others?
How did you feel?
3. How will this Lenten season differ from past Lenten seasons? What do you plan to do
differently?
Mark A. Totaro, Ph.D.
Secretary; Catholic Charities Diocese of Harrisburg

February 18, 2015

Ash Wednesday
Joel 2: 12-18; Psalm 51: 3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14, 17; 2 Corinthians 5: 20-6:2; Matthew 6: 1-6;
16-18
Its Lent and God is calling us to a change of heart

Time has a way of really speeding up the older I get. It seems as though I just put away the last
of our Christmas decorations and now it is Ash Wednesday. This day brings many memories
from my childhood; I especially recall the three traditional practices of the Lenten season:
prayer, fasting and almsgiving. As children, we took this very seriously, but mostly because we
were so instructed by the sisters; we did so in obedience. In the readings today, God is asking us
for more than obedience. God is asking us to enter this Lenten season with a change of heart.
We are being called into reconciliation with God on this first day of Lent, and we wear ashes to
remind us that we are dust and unto dust we shall return. I always found this very unsettling in
my youth. It reminded me of my own mortality. As I reflected on this further, I realized that our
bodies are not mere dust. We are sacred dust, because we are made sacred by the blood of the
lamb.
In the book of the prophet Joel, the Lord is asking us to return to God with all our hearts. In the
Greek the word is metanoia a change or rending of our hearts. To do so, the Psalmist writes:
Wash me from my guilt, and of my sin cleanse mefor I acknowledge my offense (Psalm 51: 4
ff.). This is the first step in reconciliation. We also read from St. Pauls Letter to the
Corinthians, be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5: 20b).
So we come to God, who sent, Jesus, his only begotten son into the world for our salvation. We
do penance to show God we are truly sorry for our sins, not because we are obliged to in order
for him to forgive us, but because we humbly stand in awe of Gods deep love for us.
And that is where prayer, fasting and almsgiving come in. We take a step toward showing God
that we acknowledge our sins and are truly sorry. In todays Gospel, Matthew 6:3 tells us when
you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing and when you
pray, go to your inner room and pray to God in secret (Matthew 6: 5-6) and when you fast, do
not look gloomy but anoint your head with oil and wash your face so that you may not appear to
be fasting. Then your heavenly Father who sees what is hidden (in your hearts) will repay you.
I am humbled as I watch the staff at Catholic Charities go about their day, doing good for all
those who are in need: those who are poor and vulnerable, the widow and orphan, and the
stranger, the elderly, those in need of counseling and shelter. They do this quietly and without
boasting. This is what the Lord is asking each of us to do in our daily lives. Dont let your left
hand know what your right hand is doing. Rend your hearts, not your garments and
acknowledge your offenses. Paul goes on to say (2 Corinthians 6: 2), Now is the acceptable
time, now is the day of salvation.
So what is it that stands between us and God this Lent? Perhaps we can take this time to ponder
the question and ask God to lead us to a true change of heart, so that we might encounter a
resurrection experience this Easter.
For reflection:

Prayer: In conversation with God, take some time to look deeply into your soul, and ask what
you might do to surrender to God and to truly accept Gods love, forgiveness and healing. Are
you able to enter this Lent with a change of heart? Is there someone in your life who you need to
forgive? Do you need to possibly forgive yourself?
Fasting: While this is the one of the most ancient actions linked to Lent, maybe your fast can be
to give up your time to help a friend in need, or offer to have lunch with someone at work that
you dont know very well.
Almsgiving: Consider ways to provide for the needs of the poor through Catholic Charities,
CRS, or other parish, community or global organizations.
Fran Rajotte
Director of Advocacy and Social Concerns; Catholic Charities of Tennessee, Nashville