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
March 4, 2026 Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent Or Optional Memorial of Saint Casimir Gospel: Matthew 20:17-28
Today is Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent and the Optional Memorial of St. Casimir. The passage from the Gospel of St. Matthew describes Jesus’ second prediction of His impending Passion in Jerusalem—His crucifixion and resurrection on the third day—and what followed. The mother of the two sons of Zebedee approached Jesus, asking that James and John might sit at His right and left in the kingdom He spoke of, sharing in His kingship. Clearly, she envisioned Jesus’ kingdom as a restored Israelite realm, viewing Him as a political Messiah rather than the Messiah of God. She even hoped Jesus would act according to her desires. In our communities too, there are often such Christians—those who believe they are masters of this world, imposing their will on others because they forget the dignity they received in the sacraments of initiation. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ! Let us always remember: We have received Christian Baptism, washed clean of original sin by the water from His sacred side; we have received the Holy Spirit of Christ, sharing in His divine nature with all our brothers and sisters who have received the Holy Spirit of God, together with all creation freed from sin and death. We share in Christ’s kingly, priestly, and prophetic dignity. Therefore, like Christ, we must courageously accept all the trials of this world. For the cup Jesus drank is the suffering He was about to undergo in Jerusalem, and as His disciples, we too should drink the same cup. Though we dwell in different corners of the world, the Blood of Christ in the same chalice and the Body of Christ under the same appearance of bread—received in the same Eucharistic Sacrifice celebrated daily across the globe—unite us with Him, making us one with Him: He in me, I in Him, inseparable. Our thoughts, words, and actions must align with what we have received: imitating Christ, constantly renouncing ourselves, committing ourselves to God, drawing strength from penance and prayer, mortifying the unruly passions of the flesh, growing ever more like Him, always remaining humble, and serving the truth generously. Thus, all may come to know Christ through all that God works in us—taking up our own cross and walking toward holiness, just as He did.
Keep your family, O Lord, schooled always in good works, and so comfort them with your protection here as to lead them graciously to gifts on high. 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 
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