Regardless of what the advertising campaigns may tell us, we can't have it all. Sacrifice is not an option, or an anachronism; it's a fact of life. We all cut off our own limbs to burn on some altar. The crucial thing is to choose an altar that's worth it………..To go consenting to the sacrifice.

There is no place for selfishness-and no place for fear! Do not be afraid, then, when love makes demands. Do no be afraid when love requires sacrifice. — Pope John Paul II: (1920 –  2005: was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 to 2005.)

Gospel Text: (MT 9:14-15)

The disciples of John approached Jesus and said,
“Why do we and the Pharisees fast much,
but your disciples do not fast?”
Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn
as long as the bridegroom is with them?
The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast.”

Reflect, today, upon the small sacrifices you are called to make this Lent—especially on Fridays in Lent. Make the choice to be sacrificial today and you will discover that it is the best way to enter into a deeper union with the Savior of the World.

“People sell their soul in such small quantities - a seemingly trivial compromise here, a rationalization of a minor evil there - that they don't realize what they're doing until it is too late.”

“There's not a single thing on offer in this all-too-temporary world for which you should ever sell your soul.” - Alan Lee Keyes (born August 7, 1950) is an American conservative political activist, pundit, author and former ambassador.

 Gospel Text: (LK 9:22-25)

Jesus said to his disciples:
“The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected
by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

Then he said to all,
 “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
What profit is there for one to gain the whole world
yet lose or forfeit himself?”

Reflect, today, upon this profound question from Jesus.  Know that He poses it to you.  How do you respond?  Do not hesitate to make God and His abundant mercy the central focus of your life.  Lent is one of the best times of the year to seriously look at the most fundamental desire and goal of your heart.  Choose Him above all else and you will be eternally grateful you did.

“Prayer and fasting is what every Christian needs because prayer empowers you while fasting humbles you to be a better child of God.”

“If there is no element of asceticism in our lives, if we give free rein to the desires of the flesh (taking care of course to keep within the limits of what seems permissible to the world), we shall find it hard to train for the service of Christ. When the flesh is satisfied it is hard to pray with cheerfulness or to devote oneself to a life of service which calls for much self-renunciation.” ― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

Gospel Text: (MT 6:1-6, 16-18)

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms,
do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you pray,
do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room,
close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you fast,
do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast,
anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”

During these 40 days, we must pray.  Properly speaking, prayer means we communicate with God on an interior level.  We do more than attend Mass or speak prayers aloud. Prayer is first and foremost a secret and interior communication with God.  We speak, but more than that, we listen, hear, understand and respond.  Without all four of these qualities, prayer is not prayer. It’s not “communication.”  It’s only us talking to ourselves.

During these 40 days, we must fast.  Especially in our day and age, our five senses are overwhelmed with activity and noise.  Our eyes and ears are often dazzled by TV, radio, computers, etc. Our taste buds are constantly satiated with fine foods, sweets and comfort foods, often to excess.  Our five senses need a break from the bombardment of the delights of the world so as to turn to the deeper delights of a life of union with God.

During these 40 days, we must give.  Greed often takes hold of us without us even realizing the extent of its grip.  We want this and that. We consume more and more material things. And we do so because we seek satisfaction from the world.  We need to detach from all that distracts us from God, and generosity is one of the best ways to achieve this detachment.  

Reflect, today, upon these three simple words: pray, fast and give.  Seek to live these qualities in a hidden way known only to God this Lent.  If you do so, the Lord will begin to do greater wonders in your life than you may currently realize are possible.  He will free you from the selfishness that often binds us and will enable you to love Him and others on a whole new level.

"We must be silent before we can listen. We must listen before we can learn. We must learn before we can prepare. We must prepare before we can serve. We must serve before we can lead."

The ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people.― Woodrow Wilson: (1856 – 1924: was an American politician, lawyer, and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921.)

Gospel Text: (MK 9:30-37)

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee,
but he did not wish anyone to know about it.
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
“The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.”
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,
he began to ask them,
“What were you arguing about on the way?”
But they remained silent.
For they had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest.
Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
“If anyone wishes to be first, 
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”
Taking a child, he placed it in their midst, 
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me.”

Reflect, today, upon how well your conscience works.  Is it, at times, overly scrupulous?  Is it unscrupulous, tending to the opposite extreme of failing to see sin for what it is?  Or are you blessed with a balanced, good and healthy conscience that does experience appropriate guilt as needed so as to guide you when you go astray?  Seek this middle way of a virtuous conscience and allow our Lord to be your daily guide.