Tag: Lent

“Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” This saying of Jesus was so basic to his kingdom that it shows up in each of the four Gospels, and twice in Luke (Matthew 10:39, Mark ...

Lord, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Thomas Merton Yesterday, we mourned Jesus’ death and walked through his pain. Tomorrow, we will celebrate Jesus’ resurrection and the promise of new life. But today—between the darkness ...

“I have made your very being known to them—who you are and what you do—and continue to make it known, so that your love for me might be in them, exactly as I am in them.” John 17:25-26 (MSG) In our journey through Holy Week, today is Maundy Thursday. The word maundy comes from the Latin mandatum, where ...

“And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” (Luke 22:19-20) Years ago, a ...

“They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.” Matt. 21:7 Forty days ago, Ash Wednesday inaugurated the Lenten season, inviting us to prepare our hearts, through self-examination, prayer, confession, and repentance in anticipation of Resurrection Sunday, Easter. We now enter into Holy Week which commemorates ...

“But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.” 1 Peter 2:9 Yesterday, ...

“But John intervened: “I’m baptizing you here in the river. The main character in this drama, to whom I’m a mere stagehand, will ignite the kingdom life, a fire, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out” (Luke 3:16, MSG). In 2 days, on Palm Sunday, Jesus begins his final journey to ...

“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” Mark 8:34-35 Dying to self. Gosh, that’s a tough one…especially in a ...