Saturday of the Fourth Week - April 5

Jeremiah 11:18-20 John 7:40-53

We are now four weeks or 24 days into lent, and you may ask yourself, how am I doing? Have I been successful thus far? Do I still have some work to do? If you have gone above and beyond in your Lenten resolution or promise, congratulations to you! You have "kept the word with a generous heart and yielded a harvest through perseverance." That is the message of today's gospel. If you have fallen short, you still have 16 days to turn it around. You're in the 3rd quarter and the clock is ticking!

Today's responsorial psalm is: "O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge." You know the clock is ticking, but don't fear, as God will be with you until you reach the finish line. Some days are harder than others and God fully understands that we are human and will make mistakes and get distracted along the way. 40 days and 40 nights is a large mountain to climb with lots of water breaks and rests along the way. Hopefully your days have been filled with reflection, service, sacrifice and prayer.

Lastly, in today's gospel message, Jesus speaks to the scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees. Some people in the crowd are moved to say that Jesus is indeed the prophet or the actual Christ, while others are skeptical. I find myself skeptical at times when a loved one gets sick or finds themself in an unfortunate situation. I question my faith; I get lost in worry and then pray for God to take the wheel. God does take that wheel and we need to remind ourselves and others that we need to put all of our struggles, worries, anxiety, and fears at the foot of the cross. God will give us what we can handle and we just need to listen to the directions he has for us.

Q: How am I doing this Lent? How am I progressing? Is there anything I need to adjust or recommit to?

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