Here Micah consoles the people with God’s mercy (Mi 7:14-15, 18-20). God’s wrath will not last forever. Micah is best known for saying that we are “to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly before God.” This is the Lenten sacrifice that God wants of us. Our upbringing so imbued us with the practice of giving up things for Lent that we often fail to realize that God wants us to adopt appropriate attitudes and to act accordingly.

In my opinion, doing justice—dismantling structures of injustice—can be much more difficult than giving up text messaging (that latest fad give up). To love mercy—practicing loving kindness—with the jerk neighbor can be much more difficult than giving up candy or Budweiser. Walking humbly before God—practicing mindfulness/contemplation in our daily lives—can be much more difficult than not eating meat on Friday. Humility is not about being a door mat. Rather it is about knowing that God is God. God loves us. Fish swim in water. We swim in the love of God. He loves us into life so we can love others into life. This requires justice, loving kindness, and humility. Remember what the Psalmist says—God “is kind and merciful.” Continue reading →

In Es tC 12: 14-16, 23-25 Esther is in mortal anguish. She pleads for deliverance from the powers and principalities with expectant prayer. She is an orphan and God looks kindly upon orphans because they have no one to save them. God will turn her mourning and our mourning into joy. Our help is always in the name of God who created the heavens and the earth. God holds us in the palm of her hands and will deliver us when we call. God always shows up.

In Mt 7:7-12 Jesus teaches us more about prayer and trust in Abba God. When someone scoffed and told a monk that he was wasting his life, the monk replied, “I am here to pray. That is my life.” In a technocratic age, we often forget the power of prayer. We may mumble some words but we really do not think they will help much. Thus, we need to prayer with expectation.

Expectant prayer is based on trust in God, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Why pray with this attitude? Abba God will not give stones when we ask for bread. Abba God will not give us a snake when we ask for fish. Abba God is merciful and compassionate. Abba God wants us to have eternal life now and wants us to have everything we need to live a faith-filled life in service to others.

Richard Rohr in his excellent new book on the Lenten readings, Wondrous Encounters: Scriptures for Lent, reminds us that God is already at work within us when we begin  to pray. God has initiated the purpose and direction of our prayer from deep within our hearts. Continue reading →

The word of God is a two-edged sword. When god speaks and utters the word, it goes forth and brings about what God wills. God waters us with the word. God nurtures us with the word. God’s ultimate word to us is the Word made flesh. Jesus, being the face of the Living God, speaks to us of the mercy, justice and compassion of Abba God. The word was with God from the beginning and will bring about God’s promises and fulfill them. (Is 55: 10-11)

(Mt 6: 7-15) Jesus instructs us on prayer. He has already this Lent told us to go into our cellars and close the door when we pray. This is the prayer of contemplation when we quiet ourselves and rest in God. Continue reading →