| Thur Mar 5 | am: 70, 71 pm: 74 | Gen 42:29-38 | 1 Cor 6:12-30 | Mark 4:21-34 |
SECOND THURSDAY OF LENT: St. Kieran/ Ciaran of Saigher, Monk and Bishop, 4th Century
LITURGICAL THEME OF THE DAY: Today in the west, we mark the date for St. Kieran, a 4th-century saint from the south of County Cork. He left Ireland before the arrival of St. Patrick. Already a Christian and of royal Ulster blood, he had determined to study for the Church; hence, he secured an education at Tours and Rome. On his return from France, he built himself a little cell in the woods of Upper Ossory. 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 Offaly. 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 with gratitude.
BIBLICAL MEDITATION OF THE DAY: These verses contain several parables that no doubt are quite familiar to us, such as hiding the lamp under a bushel basket, but perhaps the one that gets our attention is the parable of the mustard seed, which really speaks to me. Verses 30-32 of the NIV Life Application Bible read as follows: “What shall we say the Kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade.”
A doubter would look at those seeds and think it impossible. But part of the Christian Faith is to hold fast to the promise that the impossible is possible under the grace of God and in accord with his holy will. Such a storyline captures our imagination in secular circles, as we often cheer for the underdog in team or match play. To the doubter, the mustard seed is the underdog. To the cynic whose hope is grounded in the transitory things of this world, the promises of Christ seem inconsequential, yet they fail to see and understand that the Christian faith, while it may pale in the face of modern technology when it is lived out in true community, God does accomplish great things.
PRAYER OF THE DAY: God of peace, who gave such grace to your servant Kieran that whomever he met he drew to Christ: fill us, we pray, with tender sympathy and joyful faith, that we also may win others to know the love that passes knowledge; through him who is the shepherd and guardian of our souls, Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
ANCIENT WISDOM/PRESENT GRACE: “God in His infinite goodness sometimes sees fit to test our courage and love by depriving us of the things which it seems to us would beadvantageous to our souls; and if He finds us earnest in their pursuit, yet humble, tranquil and resigned to do without them if He wishes us to, He will give us more blessings than we should have had in the possession of what we craved. — St. Philip Neri
Lenten Discipline – Go to the local nursery and purchase some seeds of a plant that will grow, but that will require your attention between now and Easter. Make a note in your journal as to what this experience was like and compare it to the spiritual journey.
SONG OF THE HEART, SONG OF THE SEASON – Be Thou My Vision/ Slane