Month: March 2021

Lorrd our God, Give your grace and wisdom to those who are charged with making laws for our country. May they remember that the fundamental right of citizens of a democracy is to vote. May they do all they can to protect that right. May they not be seduced by the desire for power. May they be motivated y the deesire to serve those who elected them, rather than by loyalty to a party or individual. Amen.

This is the theme of a bok by Naomi Orestes and Eric Conway. They write from the p0erspective of a future historian. Pope Francis has also written an Encyclical on Climate chang and inequality. Climate change is a global problem that affects every one of us.Fortunateluy our current president is aware of it and of how it affects the poor in particular. The former president was not and risked making future disasters more likely.

Finally a U.S. government has obeyed Jesus concern for the poor and for children. Let all Christians rejoice, especially their leaders. The payments for childrren will reduce child poverty – maybe even abortion.

Lent is a time of getting ready for the party.
first, it is getting ready for Jesus’ resurrection at Easter in a few weeks. In the longer term it is getting ready to enjoy eternal life with him.

To get ready for a party we get cleaned up and put on our best clothes. We may even skip a meal or two to be ready to enjoy the good food which will be served.
Getting ready for a party may require some things that are unpleasant, but we put up with them because of our anticipation of the joys to come. In the same way we may give up some things for Lent. We go to Confession where we must acknowledge our faults. We redouble our attempts to pray well. We fast, according to the rules that the Church has given us. Above all, we give alms. We try to do something for the poor, remembering that in his proclamation in Nazareth in Luke’s Gospel Jesus says first, “I have come to preach the
good news to the poor.” And in his Sermon on the Plain he begins “Blessed are you poor.”