Our favorite Lenten prayer is Stations of the Cross. Every Friday we join other members of our Catholic Community in a pilgrimage following our Lord's steps in His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. For a review of this prayer, click here.

It is important to understand the Four Marks of the Church. These are the cornerstones of the Church established by Jesus. Only the Catholic Church has every one of these four qualities. They should sound familiar - they are part of the Nicene Creed we proclaim at Mass.

• One

• Holy

• Catholic

• Apostolic

(Click here for a review of the first Mark of the Church)

These lovely candles are  available for purchase through Wolfe's Baldwin Brass Center Ordering candles from this link  financially supports this site. Thank you!

• Use a violet candle for the season of Lent every day this week.
   
• Wednesday, March 7 we still use a violet candle, but keep in mind the memorial of Sts. Perpetua, a nursing mother, and Felicity, an expectant mother, who were two early Christian martyrs. First they were fed to wild beasts; when that didn't kill them, they were beheaded.
   

For Lent we'll be meditating on the Last Seven Words. These are not simply words, but the seven things Jesus said as He was dying on the cross. We encourage you to consider the impact of these words on your life this Lenten season.

As we prepare for Lent to begin, we consider Jesus' third set of words:
Woman, behold, your son! Behold your mother!

Click here for our thoughts on these words.

How is your relationship with God? Is it an intimate, loving relationship in which you feel personally involved with God, or is it more distant, like a human being on earth who has difficulty relating to an uninvolved spiritual being?

This Sunday's first reading and Gospel tell us of people who knew God personally. God was with them at all times, cared for them, and loved them. First we hear the story of Abraham and the covenant God made with him. God promised Abraham the seemingly impossible, but God made it possible.

In the Gospel we hear the the story of the Transfiguration. Three of Jesus' followers witnessed His divine glory. Not surprisingly, they did not understand the apparition at first. It was not until after the Resurrection that the meaning of the experience became clear. Nevertheless, Jesus knew what was going on. He allowed the Apostles to experience His divine nature; He assured them they would always have an Advocate. Jesus made it clear that God would always be near us, and we could each personally experience His presence.

Paul reminds us to keep focusing on God. If we put our attention on worldly things, such as our stomachs, we may miss our opportunity to also be transfigured. We may miss our opportunity to be glorified in Jesus Christ.

All three readings invite us to feel comfortable being in God's presence, in conversing with God. We are in the second week of Lent. It is definitely a great time to try a few new prayers, listen to some uplifting music, gather with a few Catholic friends and celebrate faith. With the graces we receive from prayer, we, too, can experience transfiguration, a continual conversion of heart.

1. Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13, 17-28
   This is the story of Jacob's favorite son, Joseph. Joseph's brothers all envied him because he was their father's favorite. They considered murdering Joseph, but ended up selling him as a slave. This is a perfect story if envy is running rampant in your family. We discussed how envy makes us see everything bad in someone, even though we are called to see God in each person.
   
   We've recently noticed bickering, and even some name-calling, among our children. We downloaded an artist's depiction of Our Lord. Now whenever we hear bickering, we place the print of Our Lord on the forehead of one child and welcome the other child to continue bickering. So far no one has been able to say mean things while looking at a picture of Jesus. It's been a good reminder that every person is made in the image of God, and we need to treat them as such.
    
2. Luke 6:36-38
   Now that Lent has begun, the daily Gospel readings no longer proceed in chronological order. Instead, they are based on themes of faith, repentance, and returning to God.
   
   Our Gospel pick of the week complements our first reading of the week (above). Not only do we need to recognize God in each and every person, we also need to treat each person generously. We must forgive the offenses of others. We need to avoid judging and condemnation. We must be compassionate. Charity is the true mark of a Christian. We need to behave like Christians.

Lectionary readings for the Second Week of Lent: