Wednesday, Second Week of Lent

Anyone among you who aspires to greatness must serve the rest. (Matthew 20:27)

Reflection

Deny
	oneself
Carry
	one’s cross
To follow
	Jesus Christ
If you are ashamed of the Cross of Jesus Christ
	he will be ashamed of you before his Father
Love
	the Cross
Desire:
	crosses
	contempt
	pain
	abuse
	insults
	disgrace
	persecution
	humiliations
	calumnies
	illness
	injuries
May Jesus prevail
	May his Cross prevail
Divine love
Humility
Submission
Patience
Obedience:
	complete
	prompt
	joyful
	blind
	persevering

—St. Louis de Montfort

Lenten Question

Q: Is the balance of fasting the same for all people?

A: No. For example, with the good of food, people who are by nature physically larger need more food than people who are physically smaller. Similarly, people who have higher metabolisms or who do manual labor for a living need more food than people with slower metabolisms or who have less active lifestyles. The same is true with regard to other goods than food. St. Paul speaks of this in regard to the good of married life: “I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own special gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is well for them to remain single as I do. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame with passion” (1 Corinthians 7:7-9). Thus some are given the gift of being able to live without the good of married life in order that they may pursue greater devotion to God (1 Cor. 7:32-34) or to pursue greater ministry for others (2 Timothy 2:3-4), as with priests, monks, and nuns. God gives these people special graces to live the life which they have embraced, just as he gives special graces to the married to live the life they have embraced.

Lenten Action

Read for 20 minutes from Scripture or an inspirational book.

Prayer

Lord, watch over Your Church, and guide it with Your unfailing love. Protect us from what could harm us and lead us to what will save us. Help us always, for without You we are bound to fail.