Final Countdown

Final Countdown

    It is the “Final Countdown”. Lent is a week away. Are you ready? I know I am just about ready. Looking forward to the start of Lent as usual. For the past few days I have been under the weather with cold/flu and it got me thinking about symptoms. As we are all aware of the symptoms of cold / flu are very similar and it is hard to tell which you have. Also the symptoms creep up and we start to realize we are getting sick and sometimes are able to lessen the degree of our illness with medicine or vitamins. With those being said, lets look at being spiritually sick. How do we know when we are and also how do we know the difference between those things that bring us closer to God or pull us away, even though it seems good for us?

    This is a great time to examine yourself and get that spiritual exam before heading into Lent. You will be able to see what needs your attention and what you need to do to heal by the end of lent. We need to be spiritually ready for Easter. For myself I will be taking this last week to look deep, check out the hidden corners, expose areas to the light, so I can be honest with myself. It is not easy to see where you really are vs where you think you are. I admit that leading up to lent I have lost some gains I held. Some past sins that I thought I have overcome have come back. This is one of the examples I said about symptoms like an illness. Sins are symptoms of the health of our spiritual life.  When past sins start to pop up we have to act on them quickly to diminish their impact on our lives. If we ignore them then it flares up and like an illness gets worse. Again I admit that I ignored the signs and has made it more challenging. Well, I can not really say ignored it but more down played them. How often do you do that? Down play some sins. It is easy in the world today. So often the sins of our faith are just a personal choice in the world. “ It is ok”. “ Do what makes you happy”. This is the down playing of sin in the world. Are we of the world? I hope not.

    What are the symptoms of sin in your life? For me... hmmmm.. Well, I do not pray as much or my prayers seem more rushed or quick. I do not read the bible as much or other spiritual readings. I let other things get in the way of doing the blog or posting religious things on social media. These are just some small ways I can tell things are off a bit. If I ignore the signs/ symptoms then it gets worse. It is like if you do not get your meds, fluids, food etc from the store when you start to feel it coming then you are too sick or tired to go get them and it stays longer. It is harder for you to help yourself the sicker you get. Think as you sin it gets easier and easier as it goes. You feel more and more distant from God. A way to act quick is go to confession. That is that quick booster shot for our Spiritual Health. When I leave confession it is a great feeling. Life is more clear. Then you can add what you do in your life like saying the rosary, reading the bible etc... You have to come up with your own Spiritual Healing Plan that reflects you. For me, I have tried others plans and it never worked but once I took pieces of their plans that represented me, they worked. 

   We have a week left and with that take the time each day and take that spiritual checkup test. See where you are, where you want to be and whats the reality of it. I will see about making up a spiritual check list by the weekend for myself and share it with you as well. Let’s make this Lent one for the record book. 

Until tomorrow, God Bless, and check on your spiritual health today. 

    Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 332

Reading 1

GN 2:18-25

The LORD God said: 

“It is not good for the man to be alone.

I will make a suitable partner for him.”

So the LORD God formed out of the ground

various wild animals and various birds of the air,

and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them;

whatever the man called each of them would be its name.

The man gave names to all the cattle,

all the birds of the air, and all the wild animals;

but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man.

So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man,

and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs

and closed up its place with flesh.

The LORD God then built up into a woman

the rib that he had taken from the man.

When he brought her to the man, the man said:

“This one, at last, is bone of my bones

and flesh of my flesh;

this one shall be called ‘woman,’

for out of ‘her man’ this one has been taken.”

That is why a man leaves his father and mother

and clings to his wife,

and the two of them become one flesh.

The man and his wife were both naked, yet they felt no shame.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 128:1-2, 3, 4-5

R. (see 1a) Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Blessed are you who fear the LORD,

who walk in his ways!

For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;

blessed shall you be, and favored. 

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine

in the recesses of your home;

Your children like olive plants

around your table. 

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Behold, thus is the man blessed

who fears the LORD.

The LORD bless you from Zion:

may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem

all the days of your life.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Alleluia

JAS 1:21BC

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you

and is able to save your souls.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

MK 7:24-30

Jesus went to the district of Tyre.

He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it,

but he could not escape notice.

Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him.

She came and fell at his feet.

The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth,

and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter.

He said to her, “Let the children be fed first.

For it is not right to take the food of the children

and throw it to the dogs.”

She replied and said to him,

“Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.”

Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go.

The demon has gone out of your daughter.”

When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed

and the demon gone.