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'Living Lent': Saturday of the First Week of Lent - Day 11
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PRAY:
Blessed are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord.
Blessed are they who observe his decrees, who seek God with all their heart. (Psalm 119: 1-2)
READING: Matthew 5:46-48
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even the tax collectors do as much?
47 And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional?
48 Do not even the gentiles do as much? You must therefore be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.'
MEDITATION:
In Jesus' time, tax collectors spent time with tax collectors, but they did not spend time with the common people. As a result, mistrust and hostility developed. The people came to hate tax collectors and the tax collectors often abused their power. There was no love or compassion. This is what happens when we make no effort to know others who are different from us.
So our challenge as Christians is to get to know others even if they are different from us. They may belong to another religion, another race, or speak a different religion. Or they could be like us, but come from a different group of people. Think about the elderly, the homeless, the disenfranchised.
We should make a greater effort to know these people, and in so doing we will find we are very much alike. We are all worthy of love.
LET US PRAY:
Heavenly Father, show me the opportunity to extend welcome and warmth to those who are different from me. Let me see your face in the face of strangers. Let me welcome these people the same as I would welcome you.
ACTION:
I will look to find someone who is different, with whom I would not normally associate. It may be a distant coworker, a shut-in neighbor or someone who is unlike me. I will make an effort to get to know this person and make them feel welcome.
'Living Lent': Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent - Day 34
'Living Lent': Sunday of the Fifth Week of Lent - Day 33
'Living Lent': Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent - Day 32
'Living Lent': Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent - Day 31
'Living Lent': Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent - Day 30
'Living Lent': Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent - Day 29
'Living Lent': Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent - Day 28
'Living Lent': Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent - Day 27
'Living Lent': Sunday of the Fourth Week of Lent - Day 26
'Living Lent': Saturday of the Third Week of Lent - Day 25
'Living Lent': Friday of the Third Week of Lent - Day 24
'Living Lent': Thursday of the Third Week of Lent - Day 23
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