MONDAY II LENT: let the Church be your visible face in the world

Posted on March 6, 2023 by franksantucci

Jesus said to his disciples: 
“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
“Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.” (Lk. 6:36-38)

Charity is the pivot on which our whole existence turns.

Letter of Eugene de Mazenod to Fr. Hippolyte Guibert, 29 July 1830, EO VII n 350

REFLECTION

Lord Jesus Christ,
you have taught us to be merciful like the heavenly Father,
and have told us that whoever sees you sees Him.

Show us your face and we will be saved. You are the visible face of the invisible Father,
of the God who manifests his power above all by forgiveness and mercy:
let the Church be your visible face in the world, its Lord risen and glorified.

Send your Spirit and consecrate every one of us with its anointing,
so that your Church, with renewed enthusiasm, may bring good news to the poor, proclaim liberty to captives and the oppressed, and restore sight to the blind.

(Pope Francis)

This entry was posted in WRITINGS. Bookmark the permalink.

One Response to MONDAY II LENT: let the Church be your visible face in the world

  1. Eleanor Rabnett, Lay Oblate says:
    March 6, 2023 at 13:03

    Love is the heartbeat of our existence.

    As we enter ever more deeply into our Lenten journey it would seem that we are being asked to let go of all that we have built up around us. We carry it like armour, but armour that is old and worn out and no longer necessary if we allow God to take the lead…

    It seems that we are being asked to accompany Jesus into the desert, letting go of all that is safe and comfortable.

    “Send your Spirit and consecrate everyone one of us with it’s anointing…”

    We are sent to evangelize the poor… “So that we your Church, with renewed enthusiasm may bring good news to the poor, proclaim liberty to captives and the oppressed, and restore sight to the blind.” ..the poor are evangelized.

    Not just for “others” but for our very selves in the ordinary moments of our days.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Eleanor Rabnett, Lay Oblate Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *