March 7, 2026 Saturday of the Second Week of Lent Or Optional Memorial of Saints Perpetua and Felicity, Martyrs Gospel: Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
Today is the Second Week of Lent, Saturday, and also the Optional Memorial of the martyrs St. Felicity and St. Perpetua. The hagiography tells us they were martyrs of the 3rd century A.D. St. Perpetua, a noblewoman of good education, was martyred at age 22 while nursing an infant son. St. Felicity, who was arrested alongside her, was pregnant at the time of her arrest. The early Church historian St. Eusebius of Caesarea informs us that these two martyrs gave their lives for the Lord around A.D. 203. Today’s Gospel from St. Luke recounts Jesus’ Parable of the Prodigal Son. This parable speaks profoundly to our present lives. We often witness in daily life children whose parents are still living requesting their share of the inheritance. Like the younger son in today’s parable (Luke 15:11-12), once they receive their portion, they squander it recklessly, heedless that all they possess will eventually be exhausted by their wastefulness. When faced with such destitution, they, like that younger son, forget their dignity and choose a degrading life to survive (cf. Luke 15:13-16). Only when they realize this cannot sustain them in the world do they understand how blessed they were to have parents who cared for them. As I write this reflection, I often think of a scene I witnessed in my parish: brothers and sisters whose consciences trouble them, who come to participate in Mass yet refuse to receive Holy Communion. They believe the Heavenly Father is just and will severely punish them for their sins. Thus, they dare not come before the throne of God to receive Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, nor even seek reconciliation with Him through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I wish to take this opportunity to speak to those brothers and sisters who dare not come to parish Mass, dare not receive Holy Communion, or dare not approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation: In today’s Gospel, that compassionate father is our Heavenly Father. As St. John says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:16-17). He is not the harsh God described by the Pharisees, nor the God who loves sacrifices alone as the Sadducees claimed, but a Heavenly Father who actively loves us and actively forgives us. I also wish to address those brothers and sisters who regularly go to confession, and indeed all of you: After seeking reconciliation with the Heavenly Father through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we must resolve to renounce sin, renounce the devil, renounce all his works and all the temptations he offers us, and live the spirit of the Gospel daily. Let us not be like the elder son in Jesus’ parable, who grew jealous of brothers and sisters sincerely seeking reconciliation with God and receiving His mercy (cf. Luke 15:25-30). Instead, let us sit together at the Eucharistic table, sharing the cup, so we may more abundantly share in the salvation Christ brings us.
O God, who grant us by glorious healing remedies while still on earth to be partakers of the things of heaven, guide us, we pray, through this present life and bring us to that light in which you dwell. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
March 6, 2026 Friday of the Second Week of Lent Gospel: Mt 21:33-43, 45-56 Despising Worldly Things, Yearning for the Heavenly Homeland
Today is Friday of the Second Week of Lent. Through the Gospel of Saint Matthew, Jesus tells us a parable of a landowner and his tenants. In life, we often resemble those tenants, attaching great importance to all we currently possess. The root cause lies in sin itself. Because of sin, we frequently fall into various anxieties, so we strive to hold on to everything we have now—for in our eyes, the more we hoard, the safer we feel. Yet we forget: all we possess today, even ourselves, were created by God in His image. At the beginning of creation, God made man in His likeness, to have dominion over all things on earth. Our faith life is no different. When we are deeply ensnared by the temptations of the devil and its messengers, we harden our hearts like those tenants, refusing to accept the shepherds sent by the Lord to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom to us, and all the words that proceed from their mouths by God (Mt 21:34-39). All kinds of evil thoughts arising from our hearts gradually distance us from God; evil thoughts born from within lead us to commit such vices as murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, and slander (Mt 15:19-20). The result of all these evil thoughts is eternal perdition. Lent is a time that urges us to find ourselves anew, renew ourselves, re-receive the teachings of the Savior, rediscover the unique vocation God has given us, set out again, and live the spirit of the Gospel in daily life. This spirit of the Gospel is no longer the one taught by the Pharisees or the Sadducees, but the one personally taught by the merciful Lord Jesus Christ. This Gospel is love—love conquers sin, love restores us to once again possess the freedom of being children of God. Love enables us to always centre our daily lives on the Word of God and in all places, makes us more like God, and allows those who live with us day and night to see the true face of God through our complete transformation. In this way, we build the Kingdom of God in this changing world.
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, purifying us by the sacred practice of penance, you may lead us in sincerity of heart to attain the holy things to come. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
March 5, 2026 Thursday of the Second Week of Lent Gospel: Luke 16:19-31
Today is Thursday of the Second Week of Lent. Through the Gospel of Saint Luke, Jesus tells us a parable.
What can we see in Luke’s portrayal of these two characters? The man dressed in purple and fine linen was clearly a man of power, for in Jesus’ time, few could afford purple garments—purple was a symbol of power and prestige. Recall: the wealth produced by Tyre and Sidon consisted of such purple goods. His clothing was made of byssus (a type of silk). The poor man named Lazarus wore ragged clothes, and even dogs came to lick his sores.
In our world today, there are two kinds of people. One kind is represented by the rich man in the Gospel—those who act according to the logic of this world. They desire that God’s Word bring them lasting wealth and elevate their social status, not desiring the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. The other kind is represented by Lazarus—those who act according to the logic of God’s world. They desire God’s mercy and comfort, and like Lazarus, they suffer greatly in this world. Yet we know this suffering will not last long. When that day comes, those who reject the truth will, like the rich man who enjoyed all the wealth of this world, fall into eternal perdition (cf. Luke 16:19-31). At that time, the sufferings we endure will be transformed into joy, for having conquered the prince of this world and its messengers through faith, we will praise the holy name of God with all the saints of heaven forever.
O God, who delight in innocence and restore it, direct the hearts of your servants to yourself, that, caught up in the fire of your Spirit, we may be found steadfast in faith and effective in works. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever
全属于祢 
您必须登录才能发表评论。