| Mon Mar 16 | am: 89:1-18 pm: 89:19-52 | Gen 49:1-28 | 1 Cor 10:14-11:1 | Mark 7:24-37 |
FOURTH MONDAY OF LENT: Saint Aristobulus, Bishop & Martyr 1st Cent
LITURGICAL THEME FOR THE DAY: Aristobulus was counted among the seventy-two disciples that Jesus sent out to preach the coming Kingdom. He is mentioned by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans (Romans 16:11), the historian Hippolytus, Bishop Dorotheus of Tyre, and later monks such as St. Ado of Vienn. They describe him traveling from the Mediterranean to the British Isles, where he began preaching and organizing the fledgling Christian community.
According to Benedictine tradition, Aristobulus lived a long, devoted life and, at the remarkable age of ninety-nine, was martyred in the remote mountains of Wales. His feast day appears in the Greek Menology on March 16.
BIBLICAL MEDITATION OF THE DAY: Psalm 89 appointed for today begins with a promise to the Lord, “I’ll sing of your steadfast love forever. I remember singing this in seminary at the daily office with a different translation. “I will celebrate your love forever, Yahweh, age to age my word will proclaim your love.” It jumped off the pages 40+ years ago in seminary, because the profundity of that covenant between God and me was so dynamic, when I sang those words, it was overwhelming. By no means was I comparing my circumstances in seminary to the people living during the Babylonian Exile, but when one realizes the power of the love of God, it does cause us to stop in our tracks and take notice.
In an age where the idea of one’s word being their bond is a nostalgic wish, it is reassuring that in the covenant relationship between God and humanity, God is the faithful One, and we can always count on Him. One would think that in this day and age, this would capture more people’s hearts. Could it be that we in the church need to re-embrace it again first?
PRAYER OF THE DAY: “Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my whole will. All that I am and all that I possess you have given me: I surrender it all to You, to be disposed of according to Your will. Give me only Your love and Your grace; with these, I will be rich enough and will desire nothing more. Amen
ANCIENT WISDOM/PRESENT GRACE: “You may call God love, you may call God goodness. But the best name for God is compassion.” – Meister Eckhart.
LENTEN DISCIPLINE – Go to http://www.compassion.com and consider making compassion a steady part of your daily views.
SONG OF THE HEART, SONG OF THE SEASON – “The Harvest Is Ready” by Tommy Walker