Quotes of the Day:
“Let us ask ourselves if our heart is open to welcome with faith the seed of the Word of God. Let us ask ourselves if the rocks of laziness are still large and numerous within us; we identify and we call by name the brambles of our vices.”
“We find the courage to make a beautiful reclamation of the land, bringing to the Lord in Confession and in prayer our stones and our stumps. In doing so, Jesus, a good sower, will be happy to do an extra work: to purify our hearts, removing the stones and thorns that stifle his Word.”
“Prophets of a Future Not Our Own”
It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent
enterprise that is God’s work. Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of
saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the Church’s mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
This is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an
opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master
builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.
— USCCB, Prayers and Devotions
• • •
Diocesan Lenten Series featuring Father Rich Jasper
The Diocese of Wilmington is presenting a multimedia Lenten series titled, “Holy Boldness: A Journey through Lent with Four American Saints,” that will be distributed via digital video, radio broadcasts, and podcasts. Written and hosted by Fr. Rich Jasper, Associate Pastor of Saint Ann Church in Wilmington, the four-part series uses the lives and examples of four holy Americans to help individuals and families get the most out of the Season of Lent and prepare spiritually for the celebration of Christ’s resurrection at Easter.
Watch part four here:
The videos, podcasts, and additional Lenten resources are also available at cdow.org/lent.https://www.youtube.com/user/DioceseofWilm
Resources from the USCCB:
Today’s Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/040919.cfm
USCCB Prayer and Worship Calendar for Lent
http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year/lent/index.cfm
