Many of us are familiar with the Act of Contrition. Did you know there are several other traditional "Acts" of prayer?

This week we'll learn the Act of Faith.
Click here to learn this Act!

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 second 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.
   
• Saturday, March 17 we still use a violet candle, but celebrate the memorial of St. Patrick. We may be used to green beer and leprechauns on this day, but it is important to remember that as a boy Patrick was kidnapped, shipped to Ireland, and sold into slavery. He escaped, but returned years later as a priest and bishop to convert the pagans of Ireland to Christianity. His success was complete, and today is the patron saint of Ireland. He is well known for explaining the Trinity using the 3-leaf shamrock.

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' fourth set of words:
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me

Click here for our thoughts on these words.

These readings remind us that God is calling each and every one of us to live a holy life, grow in faith, and spread the good news. God will work any necessary miracle to get us through the obstacles. We just need to answer "YES!" when He calls!

Moses is called to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Nothing had prepared him for such a venture! After all, he left Egypt as a fugitive after murdering an Egyptian who had struck his kinsmen. (Ex 2:11-14) Now God expected him to return to Egypt as a representative who would lead the people back to the Promised Land. Despite fear and excuses, Moses accepted the call of God and exactly what his community needed him to do.

In his letter to the Corinthians Paul reminds us that many have ignored God's call, and it has lead to spiritual death. He refers back to the Israelites who were led out of Egypt by Moses under the protection of God. Despite God's constant presence, i.e. the cloud, the parted waters of the sea, and the manna and water God provided in the desert, the Israelites still grumbled and complained. Many of those failed to follow God's call perished. Paul warns us not to get overconfident, but to be humble and earnest in our faith and our response to God's call.

In the Gospel we hear Jesus' call to repentance. He assures us that, even though bad things may happen, it is not intended as punishment of sins. However, we are called to continual conversion and repentance. The parable of the fig tree lets us know that God calls us again and again, providing everything we need to bear fruit. Nevertheless, it is our choice, our free will choice, to follow God's call and be productive.

How will you respond to God's call this week?

In the first reading the Israelites feel as if they are dying of thirst. Anyone who has spent any time in a desert can understand the feeling. Lips get dry and parched, skin gets dry and flaky. Sometimes it seems as if the thirst will never be quenched. They were scared, and doubt was setting in. How quickly they forgot that with God, anything is possible. Then Moses struck a rock, and water flowed for all. They need not doubt any longer. Similarly, we may have our own occasions of doubt. They are common in our faith journey. We just need to stay on the right path and be open to hearing God's call.

In the second reading Paul refers to justification. One may wonder what this has to do with water. If you read the Catechism of the Catholic Church (paragraph #1987) you'll learn that justification means the cleansing of our sins by the power of the Holy Spirit. There is the water reference! The peace, faith, hope, and love of God are ours thanks to the sacrament of Baptism. It is up to us to believe in and spread the good news.

The Gospel is the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. Just as the Israelites were physically thirsty, the Samaritan woman was spiritually thirsty. As He always did, Jesus met this woman at her own level. She was a woman who'd been "looking for love in all the wrong places." It was highly unlikely she had ever known true love. Jesus, however, treated her with respect, even though she was a lowly Samaritan and a woman. He offered her the water of salvation and revealed that He is, indeed, the Messiah. The woman believed Him, embraced her call, and spread the good news throughout her community. We are called to do likewise.

1. 2 Kings 5:1-15
   Choosing the first reading for the week was difficult for us. We always love reading from the book of Hosea, but we decided the story of Naaman was better for this week. We can review some Biblical history with our scripture lessons!
   
   History review:
   David, the great king of Israel, ruled from 1000 BC to 970 BC.
   Solomon ruled from 970 BC to 930 BC.
   After Solomon died the kingdom of Israel split into two kingdoms: Judah (southern) with Jerusalem as its capital, and Israel (northern) with Samaria as its capital.
   Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians in 722 BC
   Judah was overtaken by the Babylonians in 587 BC. The 49 year Babylonian exile began.
   
   Our reading of the week takes place when the northern kingdom of Israel was an independent country. Naaman was an army commander of Aram, a frequent enemy of Israel. Unfortunately, he has leprosy. A young Israelite girl suggests he seek a cure from the prophet Elisha. The king of Israel was not thrilled about this, but Elisha reprimanded the king. Elisha wanted to show the foreigner the power of faith in the one, true God.
   
   Elisha told Naaman to wash in the waters of the River Jordan. This river was in the valley, so was not terribly pure. The river of Damascus was in the mountains, so much more pure. Nevertheless, Naaman humbles himself to wash in the Jordan, and is cured of the leprosy. He returned to Elisha and admitted that the God of Israel is the one, true God.
   
   Once again we are reminded to live our faith, not put a fence around our faith. We cannot hoard our blessings and share them with only a select few. Instead, we are called to passionately live our faith, and share it with everyone around us. We must be open to our entire community. Lent is a perfect time to evaluate not only how we live are faith, but how we share that faith.
    
2. Luke 4:24-30
   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.
   
   In our Gospel pick of the week Jesus was not accepted as a spiritual leader by his own friends and neighbors. We've been considering how many people we take for granted who could be spiritual leaders if we just give them a chance. Our children have certainly led us to greater faith. The proselytes who knock on our door have forced us to learn more about our own faith. That may not have been their intent, but they led us to a deeper appreciation of the Truth of Catholicism! People who have hurt us have challenged us to be forgiving. We have hurt others and been challenged to ask for their forgiveness. We visit the sick and the homebound. Their dignity in life and in facing death provides a jump-start in our spiritual journey. The more we think about it, the more we realize that we are being led closer to God every moment of the day by every person we meet. It's time to let every moment of every day, good or bad, lead us closer to completely accepting Jesus as our ultimate Leader.

Lectionary readings for the Third Week of Lent: