Today's Scripture Passage: Matthew 26:17-30
17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” 18 He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.
20 When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21 And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” 22 They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?” 23 Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”
25 Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?” Jesus answered, “You have said so.” 26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the[b] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” 30 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Thought for the day:
“Sacrifice, which is the passion of great souls, has never been the law of societies.”
~ Henri Frederic Amiel
Goal for the Day
Reflect on all that was given for you to stand exactly where you are today.
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Daily Lenten Reflection from
St. Michael of Old Town
Wednesday of Holy Week
April 20, 2011
“The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them… And I have not rebelled, have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard…I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame… See, the Lord GOD is my help; who will prove me wrong?” (Isaiah 50: 4-7, 9)
I am convinced that success has a lot to do with the confidence with which we approach things. It took me a long time to realize this and a longer time to admit it. I much prefer a universe where success is the pure and direct result of labor and intelligence, not hubris, but that perception misrepresents the complexities of confidence that we’re reminded of in this prophecy. Confidence can be grounded in deep personal or spiritual alignment.
That could mean alignment with personal interests: There’s a popular business book which argues that lasting success is dependent upon doing something you love. The premise is that focusing on your passions gives you confidence in your direction which leads to hard work and sustainable success. I buy it. It makes perfect sense that when you’re doing work you are excited by personally you will have the confidence to put your whole self into that work and you will see greater success as a result. Yet Isaiah’s passage reminds me that there is an even greater resolve available to us as Christians: the Heavenly resolve that comes from doing work that is pleasing to God.
Beyond the confidence that comes from doing something I love, an even greater confidence and success can be had by doing work I know God loves. As Isaiah wrote, “the Lord GOD is my help; who will prove me wrong?” Isaiah wrote about a messiah doing the work most obviously in concert with God’s will, but it’s easy to imagine that confidence extending across a wide range of actions that would be grounded in love and pleasing to God.
Of course, the best scenarios will be those that allow us to accomplish both, bringing about an unflappable confidence. Recently I’ve been lucky enough to move into a job that’s both personally exciting and - I believe - pleasing to God. Sure enough, I’ve found that I bring to the job a sense of confidence that I’ve never felt before – that the Lord God is my help, that I can set my face like flint and be certain in my direction. Because if I’m doing something that’s both pleasing to me and pleasing to God, how can I go wrong?
Nic
God the Father, help me to find confidence through alignment with your will and my passions, that this resolve might make me a more effective disciple and exhibit of the faith which we can put in you.
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Happy 110th Day of the New Year
Daily Affirmation: “Something GREAT Is Going to Happen To and Through Me Today!!!
LIVE ON PURPOSE!!! LET’S GO!!!
Many Blessings!!!
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