A common theme in today’s readings is that Jeremiah, the psalmist and Jesus are each aware that the crowds are plotting against them. Jeremiah and the psalmist respond by asking the Lord to remember their devotion to him and to rescue them. While Jesus is not looking to be rescued, he is faced with the mother of the sons of Zebedee asking that her sons be given a place of honor in Heaven after his sacrifice. These readings raise the question: Do we too reach out in prayer with a sense of entitlement or when it is convenient like the mother in the Gospel, or is there is an opportunity to be more like Jeremiah and the psalmist to devote time every day for the Lord?
Further, while we are hopefully not worrying about plots to kill us like Jeremiah and the psalmist, we probably can relate to the statement by the crowd in the first reading, “And so, let us destroy him by his own tongue; let us carefully note his every word.” How often do we and those around us analyze the words of others trying to find fault? How might we instead take the opportunity during this Lenten season to look for the best in everyone?
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Keep your family, O Lord, schooled always in good works, and so comfort them with your protection here as to lead them graciously to gifts on high.
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