March 10, 2010
Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent
For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him? Deuteronomy 4:7
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.” Matthew 5:17-18
Piety
Operation Rice Bowl Prayer
God of all people, Hear us as we join in prayer with our brothers and sisters in need. Bless our Lenten fasting, learning, and giving. May your generous love for your people be our guide as we reach out to all who live with hunger and poverty. Amen.
Study
Was Jesus a revolutionary or an evolutionary? Today’s Gospel from Matthew implies that he was the latter. Jesus is making clear to his audience that he is not about to do away with the long history of tradition that the Jewish people have known.
However, just because he is not going to tear the curtain in the temple today, does not mean that it will not be torn in the near future. Thus, the evolutionary Jesus is preparing people for the radical change that will come…not when the end of the world arrives, but when the end of Jesus life on earth occurs.
In fact much of what Matthew passes on to the audience in today’s gospel also echoes the familiar strains we heard from Isaiah. The notes to the New American Bible explain that the "passing away" of heaven and earth is not necessarily the end of the world understood as the dissolution of the existing universe. The "turning of the ages" comes with the apocalyptic event of Jesus' death and resurrection, and those to whom this gospel is addressed are living in the new and final age, prophesied by Isaiah as the time of "new heavens and a new earth" (Isaiah 65:17; 66:22).
Action
Lent is our time to begin to introduce evolutionary change in our lives. Radical change may not work because it does not become a habit. Behavioral scientists explain that small changes in behavior exerted over a 30 day period will become permanent changes in behavior. So be it to stop smoking, stop eating junk food, or breaking whatever bad habit you have, making a small change is probably better than making a big change if you want long-term success.
Operation Rice Bowl, a Lenten fund-raiser for Catholic Relief Services, is one way to inject small change in your behavior regarding food.
According to its web site: Each year, Operation Rice Bowl calls us to pray with our families and faith communities; fast in solidarity with those who hunger; learn more about our global community and the challenges of poverty overseas; and give sacrificial contributions to those in need.
Our participation in Operation Rice Bowl ensures that Catholic Relief Services can continue to provide assistance to people who really need help in more than 100 countries. Seventy-five percent of your gifts will go to CRS to help farmers in Bolivia receive training to improve crop yields, children in Afghanistan gain more opportunities for quality education, communities in Ethiopia access reliable water sources even during times of drought, and fund many other vital projects. Twenty-five percent of your gifts remain in your diocese to support local hunger and poverty alleviation efforts.
Focus your Lenten prayer, fasting, learning, and giving by reading this week’s Operation Rice Bowl reflection.
