Lent: Pilgrims of Hope

First week of Lent reading and reflection:

READING                

Deuteronomy 26:4-10

Moses spoke to the people, saying:

“The priest shall receive the basket from you and shall set it in front of the altar of the LORD, your God.

Then you shall declare before the Lord, your God, ‘My father was a wandering Aramean
who went down to Egypt with a small household and lived there as an alien.

But there he became a nation great, strong, and numerous.

When the Egyptians maltreated and oppressed us, imposing hard labor upon us, we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers,
and he heard our cry and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.

He brought us out of Egypt with his strong hand and outstretched arm, with terrifying power, with signs and wonders; and bringing us into this country,
he gave us this land flowing with milk and honey.

Therefore, I have now brought you the first fruits of the products of the soil which you, O LORD, have given me.’

And having set them before the LORD, your God, you shall bow down in his presence.”

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: 

• Moses instructs the people to offer the first fruits of the land to God, and to remember where they came from and what God has done for them. What’s your “origin story,” as a family… as an individual? How has it shaped who you are? How has God been active in your story and that of your family, your people?
• In this Jubilee Year, what do we need to remember as a parish family, as a Church? How does this remembering challenge us in the present?

To read the reflection in Spanish, look for the translation toggle on the upper right of your screen and change the “English” to “Espanol.”

Para leer las reflexiones en español, busque el botón de traducción en el lado derecho superior de su pantalla y cambie de “English” a “Español”.

Second week of Lent reading and reflection:

READING                

Luke 9:28b-33

Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray.

While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white.

And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.

Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.

As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

But he did not know what he was saying.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

• Mountaintop moments. What is a mountaintop moment for you, when you knew that the Lord was close, or when you understood something about God that you hadn’t before?
• Peter is filled with wonder at the glimpse of Jesus in majesty on the mountaintop, but he struggles to accept the fact that Jesus must suffer and die before he enters into his glory. What realities do we avoid? What sufferings do we struggle to face?

To read the reflection in Spanish, look for the translation toggle on the upper right of your screen and change the “English” to “Espanol.”

Para leer las reflexiones en español, busque el botón de traducción en el lado derecho superior de su pantalla y cambie de “English” a “Español”.

Third week of Lent reading and reflection:

READING

Exodus 3: 1-8

Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There an angel of the LORD appeared to Moses in fire flaming out of a bush. As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush, though on fire, was not consumed.

So Moses decided, “I must go over to look at this remarkable sight, and see why the bush is not burned.”

When the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more closely, God called out to him from the bush, "Moses! Moses!”

He answered, “Here I am.”

God said, “Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. I am the God of your fathers,“ he continued, “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.”

Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

But the LORD said, “I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their cry of complaint against their slave drivers, so I know well what they are suffering. Therefore I have come down to rescue them from the hands of the Egyptians and lead them out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

• Think of a time when God asked you to do something you didn’t think you were capable of. How did you respond?
• Moses’ encounter with God leads to his mission—to bring the Israelites into the promised land. Where do you sense God calling us to mission, as individuals or as parish communities?

To read the reflection in Spanish, look for the translation toggle on the upper right of your screen and change the “English” to “Espanol.”

Para leer las reflexiones en español, busque el botón de traducción en el lado derecho superior de su pantalla y cambie de “English” a “Español”.

Fourth week of Lent reading and reflection:

READING

Luke 15:20-24

…While he was still a long way off,
his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion.

He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.

His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’

But his father ordered his servants,

‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.

Then let us celebrate with a feast,
because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again;
he was lost, and has been found.’

Then the celebration began.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

• The story of the prodigal son – sometimes called the story of the “prodigal father”—is one of the most familiar of the parables of Jesus. Where do you recognize yourself--your family--in this story?
• What does this Gospel reveal about the nature of family? How do we need to grow together as a parish family—a Church family?

To read the reflection in Spanish, look for the translation toggle on the upper right of your screen and change the “English” to “Espanol.”

Para leer las reflexiones en español, busque el botón de traducción en el lado derecho superior de su pantalla y cambie de “English” a “Español”.

Fifth week of Lent reading and reflection:

READING

Isaiah 43:18-21

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see, I am doing something new!

Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

In the desert I make a way, in the wasteland, rivers.

Wild beasts honor me, jackals and ostriches,

for I put water in the desert and rivers in the wasteland for my chosen people to drink,

the people whom I formed for myself, that they might announce my praise.

To read the reflection in Spanish, look for the translation toggle on the upper right of your screen and change the “English” to “Espanol.”

Para leer las reflexiones en español, busque el botón de traducción en el lado derecho superior de su pantalla y cambie de “English” a “Español”.