Lenten Meditations: Monday 5 March

Mar 5, 2018 by Jill

MONDAY OF LENT III –  Sts Adrian and Eubulus, of Palestine, martyrs, 309, St. Kieran 4^th Century

LITURGICAL THEME FOR THE DAY: Adrian and Eubulus arrived from their place of Baneas in Caesarea of Cappadocia to attend the imprisoned Christians in the dungeon and to console and encourage them. However they, too, were arrested and sentenced to death. Adrian was beheaded and Eubulus was thrown before wild beasts in the year 309 A.D. St. Kieran is a 4^th Century saint from the south of County Cork.  Upon entering religious life he was ordained a bishop and on his homeward journey, he met St. Patrick who instructed Kieran to travel until he came to a well where he should found a monastery. Patrick gave him a bell, which was not to ring until such a time as Kieran reached the correct well. He at last reached a well called Uaran, where he built his monastery known as Saighir-Kiaran, which is in County Ofally. His monastery flourished, and he ordained many holy men to the priesthood. He was not content to preach to the native Irish but also spent time in Cornwall, Brittany, Wales and Scotland. The name St. Kieran is still remembered in many of these places.

MEDITATION OF THE DAY: Paul uses the imagery of a race in today’s New Testament lesson to talk about the Christian journey. Races are exhausting, races are taxing. In races we are so focused on making It through the last mile marker. Yet Paul reminds us that what is important is not what we just passed but rather it is what lies before us.

So distracted do we become in this race we call life, that we may forget the real race that we are running. It is not the rat race, but the redemption race?  That race requires more of us than we ever imagined. It requires our very lives every step of the way and recognizing that it simply is not enough to call ourselves Christians. It is not a race of the lips but a race won with lives.  Our embracing the Christian life is not the finish line, rather it is the starting line for the journey of a lifetime. The question is have we started the race yet?

PRAYER OF THE DAY: Father I thank you for the gift of every day that you have given me and despite the changes and chances of this life I pray that even though I do not understand the reason for so many of the challenges that must be endured that You will provide me with the sufficient grace I need to persevere to run the good race and fight the good fight. Amen

Lenten Discipline –  Seek out a person who is struggling to make it on the journey. Slow yourself down today on your pace and reach out to them in a way that energizes them to have hope in God again.

ANCIENT WISDOM/PRESENT GRACE: So, if we wish to persevere in prayer, we must have faith. And if we wish to persevere in faith, we must pray. – Saint Ignatius of Antioch

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