Jesus answered them, “Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be.” John 12:26
To serve the Lord, I must empty myself of anything and everything that prevents me from following him on the Way of love, forgiveness, mercy, and kindness.
Lord, create in me a pure heart that I may let go of ego and serve you and my neighbors without fear.
For by grace you have been saved through faith,
and this is not from you; it is the gift of God;
it is not from works, so no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9
There are no rewards, only gifts. Everything we receive from God is a gift of grace.
Today I will intentionally turn toward the light of God’s rich love and mercy for guidance in the choices I make, the words I speak, and the works I do.
[We proclaim] Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
1 Corinthians 1: 24b-25
The power and wisdom of God is Love.
Today I will intentionally live in and from God’s heart of unconditional love. I will be kind, encouraging, compassionate, and peaceful and bless everyone near and far, known and unknown.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
Psalm 116:17
Giving thanks to the Lord transforms me from being self-centered to being God-centered. Calling on the name of the Lord reminds me Who is in charge.
Today I will cultivate a practice of giving thanks to God for everything, the pleasant and the difficult. I will call on the Lord to guide me into the healing light of compassion.
At once Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.
Mark 1:12-13
The desert gives me space to examine my life and refuse the temptations of despair and indifference. The desert gives me space to release the wild beasts of fear and arrogance. The desert gives me space to put my hope in the Lord and welcome God’s angel messengers who care for me so generously.
Today I will go where the Spirit leads me. With love and trust, I will step into the heart of God and live from that holy place.
Greg Boyle, SJ speaks about living in the heart of God – Ash Wednesday 2024.
[Jesus answered them,] “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” John 12:24
God has planted the seed of unconditional love in my heart.
May I let the hard shell of resentment, indifference, selfishness, and prejudice that surrounds this precious seed of love die.
I want to do God’s will and produce the living fruit of God’s love in our fragile world.
For God so loved the world… John 3:16a
God reveals himself in the person of Jesus from whom we learn God is compassion, healing, forgiveness, service to the poor and vulnerable, the shunned and abandoned.
May I also be a revelation of God’s love in the world.
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Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified.
Mark 9:5-6
To look on the brilliance of the Lord… it is a terrifying thought and a compelling desire.
It is a call in and to me: I want to know the Lord.
Today I will seek the Lord in holy scripture, in the glory of creation, especially in the faces of the people I meet. I will listen for the voice of the Lord in the words of people in need, in the sounds of nature, in the silence of my heart.
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[Jesus] was among wild beasts,
and the angels ministered to him. Mark 1:13b
I have been in a desert with wild beasts that trigger old trauma, where despair and fear and bad dreams keep me thirsting for refreshing, relaxing sleep.
And angels in the form of faithful friends who listen and comfort, who pray for me when I cannot pray for myself, have ministered to me.
Thank you, Lord, for being with me in the desert times. Bless all the kind and compassionate people who help me day by day.
Rembrandt (1606-1669)
Jesus Driving Money Changers from the Temple
etching, state i/ii, 1635
Connecticut College Wetmore Print Collection
It is my hope that God’s grace is driving greed, self-righteousness, and indifference to the suffering of others out of my mind and heart. I would like to be cleansed of all that prevents me from loving God, my neighbor, and myself.
[Jesus] drove them all out of the temple area… John 2:15b
Mary Ann McSweeny 