How can I, on this Tuesday of the First Week of Lent—when the Gospel says, “Do not be #like them”—embrace the Eucharist’s healing purpose (as like the Jewish Sabbath) as the Laudato si’ Action Platform reminds me, find renewal in the Church’s return to the source (as the Synod says, like the disciples in the Upper Room), see our livestock at The Glenn all searching for sustenance in like manner each morning, and still hold onto my faith—refusing to be like those who lose hope if God does not grant the miracle I seek for Daniel through the intercession of Venerable Fulton J. Sheen❓
Productive land as a solid basis of economy has not been highly regarded by our modern acquisitive society, but its rediscovery is the condition of national peace.
Venerable Fulton J. Sheen
Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
Do not be like them.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.“This is how you are to pray:
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.“If you forgive men their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive men,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”
Lent Day 6 Lectio Divina on the word “like“
Like the disciples in the Upper Room, I seek to be enveloped in God’s mercy, drawn to His beauty, and strengthened by His presence. I long to experience the same renewal they felt when they encountered the Risen Christ, trusting that He continues to guide me in my journey of faith. In moments of uncertainty, I remind myself that His ways are not like mine, and His plans unfold in ways beyond my understanding.
Like the Gospel’s warning, Not Like Us reminds me to reflect on who I align myself with—am I following God’s path or simply blending into the world around me❓ I must not be like those who lose faith when things don’t go their way but instead remain steadfast in trust, knowing God’s plan is greater than mine.
Like the land I tend at The Glenn, my heart must remain fertile and open to God’s will. Just as the soil yields its fruit in due time, I must trust that my prayers for Daniel’s miracle, through the intercession of Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, will bear fruit in God’s perfect timing. I do not want my faith to be like the barren ground that refuses to receive the rain but instead like the rich soil that welcomes the seed, allowing it to grow in hope and perseverance.
experience of the disciples’ encounter with the Risen One in the Upper Room on Easter evening.
Like them, during this synodal Assembly, we, too, felt enfolded in His mercy and drawn to His
beauty.
Like the livestock at The Glenn, I begin each day searching for the sustenance that will nourish my soul. They rise at dawn, instinctively seeking what they need, and I, too, must seek the Bread of Life at Mass. It is easy to be like those who give up when prayers seem unanswered, but I am called to persist, to believe, and to trust even when I do not yet see the miracle I long for.
Like Water for Chocolate reminds me that love, sacrifice, and faith are deeply intertwined, much like the Gospel’s call to be set apart rather than conforming to the world. Just as Tita’s emotions infused everything she cooked, my faith must permeate my life, shaping me to be like Christ rather than those who lose hope.
Like the world around me, I am tempted to measure my faith by what I receive rather than by my trust in God’s love. If my prayers are answered in the way I hope, will I praise Him more than if they are not❓ If I do not see the miracle I seek, will I still believe❓ I must be like those who trust even when they do not—but as for those who only trust when they get what they want…
On Sunday, our participation in the Eucharist has special importance. Sunday, like the Jewish Sabbath, is meant to be a day which heals our relationships with God, with ourselves, with others and with the world.
FROM PARAGRAPH 237 OF THE ENCYCLICAL LETTER LAUDATO SI’ OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME