| FRI Mar 13 | am: 88 pm: 91, 92 | Gen 47:1-26 | 1 Cor 9:16-27 | Mark 6:47-56 |
FRIDAY OF LENT III: St. Gerald, Bishop of May, 731
LITURGICAL THEME FOR THE DAY: St. Gerald Bishop of Mayo was an English monk who died on this day in who came to Ireland after the Synod of Whitby and settled in Innisboffin, in 668. Gerald’s circumstances remind us of today’s church as dissensions arose, after a time, between the Irish and the English monks, and St. Colman the Abbot decided to found a separate monastery for the thirty English monks so that they may have safe practice of the faith, given the difference between the Celtic and Saxon expressions of the faith. St. Gerald of Mayo was an abbot renowned for three hallmarks of his monastic life:
- Hospitality – the monastery of Mayo was a refuge for travelers, the poor, and the sick.
- Simplicity & Manual Labor – monks worked the fields, tended livestock, and lived with only what they needed.
- Contemplative Prayer – Gerald emphasized the “office of the heart,” encouraging constant awareness of God’s presence.
BIBLICAL MEDITATION OF THE DAY: The text of today’s Gospel presents three different dynamics in Jesus ministry: a) Jesus goes to the mountain alone to pray, b) he walks on the water, goes toward the disciples who are struggling against the waves of the sea, c) the people look for Jesus so that he can cure their sick. This may be an excellent passage to consider on Friday in Lent for all of us in ministry.
The fruits of ministry are often inextricably linked to the demands of ministry. If one takes prayer seriously and intently, you will find yourself under the banner of God’s Grace, and as a result, people will seek your prayers and or your participation in the changes, chances, and hurts of this life. While we marvel at Jesus in this story, he is simply being the person for others, which is what we are all called to be based on a prayerful life balanced by the gifts we have been given. Does my Lent reference that at this point in the journey?
PRAYER OF THE DAY: Father, may our Lenten journey in this third week prepare us to embrace the paschal mystery and to proclaim your salvation with contrite and joyful hearts. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, for ever and ever. Amen
ANCIENT WISDOM/PRESENT GRACE: “To pray, I think, does not mean to think about God in contrast to thinking about other things, or to spend time with God instead of spending time with other people. Rather, it means to think and live in the presence of God. – Henri Nouwen
Lenten Discipline: On this Friday of Lent, abstain from one luxury item (e.g., coffee, dessert, streaming, social media) and replace it with one act of service and then record in your journal how the sacrifice sharpened your awareness of dependence on God and others.
SONG OF THE HEART, SONG OF THE SEASON – Lord I Need You by Matt Maher