Sunday Reflections
Week I; Temptation
​Week 2: Transfiguration
Week 3 : Woman at the Well
Week 4: The Blind Man
Week 5: Raising of Lazarus

Daily Reflections
First Week
​Second Week
​Third Week
Fourth Week
Fifth Week

Easter of Hope is a Lenten reflection and video series by Array of Hope. Daily reading and a Lenten reflection including tips on how to live out the hope of Christ's resurrection.Sundays you will receive a short inspirational video from one of our Array of Hope Presenters.  
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21  March

Saturday of the Third Week in Lent
Luke 18:9-14

Jesus addressed this parable
to those who were convinced of their own righteousness
and despised everyone else.
"Two people went up to the temple area to pray;
one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.
The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself,
'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity — 
greedy, dishonest, adulterous — or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week,
and I pay tithes on my whole income.'
But the tax collector stood off at a distance
and would not even raise his eyes to heaven
but beat his breast and prayed,
'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.'
I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former;
for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

Reflection....In Today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us the importance of praying with a pure and sincere heart. He shares a parable that focuses on the intentions of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Though they were both praying to our Heavenly Father, their motives were very different. The Pharisee made a spectacle of himself, boasting his good works and sacrifices. However, the tax collector acknowledges that he is a sinner who is in need of God’s grace and mercy. Jesus concludes His parable by stating that ‘the latter went home justified, not the former.’

When it comes to prayer, are you like the Pharisee or the tax collector? 
Do you pray and perform pious acts with true sincerity or with hidden motives desiring to be recognized? We remember the words of St. Anthony of Padua, “actions speak louder than words; let your words teach and your actions speak.” May our words and good actions be pure and reflect the love of Jesus. As we continue journeying through this Lenten season, let us approach our Lord in prayer with a sincere and willing heart. 

Today’s Tip: Meditate on the tax collector’s prayer, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner,’ and ask Jesus to unify our hearts to His most pure Heart. Once we acknowledge our faults and humble ourselves before our Lord, will we receive His loving mercy for “the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

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20  March

Friday of the Third Week in Lent
Mark 12:28-34

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, "Which is the first of all the commandments?"
Jesus replied, "The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul,  with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these."


The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, He is One and there is no other than he. And to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding,  with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."


And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God."
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Reflection....In Today’s Gospel, one of the Scribes questions Jesus about the Great Commandment, and Jesus states that one must love God with all one’s heart, soul, mind and strength and love one’s neighbors as one’s self. The Scribe, who is pleased with Jesus’ response, adds that fulfilling these commandments are “worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Jesus then praises the scribe for understanding the law and declares that he is “not far from the Kingdom of God.” 

How well do you live out the Great Commandment in your own lives? Do you love God with all your heart, mind, and soul? Do you love your neighbors as yourself? To fulfill the Great Commandment, we must pursue the will of God, follow His commandments, and love our neighbors. According to St. Clare of Assisi, "We become what we love and who we love shapes what we become. If we love things, we become a thing. If we love nothing, we become nothing. Imitation is not a literal mimicking of Christ, rather it means becoming the image of the beloved, an image disclosed through transformation. This means we are to become vessels of God´s compassionate love for others. " In other words, when we truly love our fellow neighbors, we begin to experience a transformation within our own hearts and become more Christ-like.

Today’s Tip: Make one act of love towards your neighbor. Some examples are: paying for the coffee or food of the person behind you in line, praying for someone in your life who needs prayers, reaching out to someone you know is lonely.

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19  March

Thursday of the Third Week in Lent
Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24A

Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. 
Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.

When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.

Reflection.....In Today’s Gospel, we hear about St. Joseph and his role in God’s plan for our salvation. St. Joseph was clearly a good and faithful man who was ready to take Mary into his home. According to Jewish Law, they were already married, and he was fulfilling the final stage of their marriage ceremony by bringing the bride into his home. However, things did not go according to his plan, and he discovered soon that Mary was with child. If Joseph were to follow through with the Jewish customs, he could have publicly divorced her and put her to shame. He knew something greater was happening but did not understand it. Thankfully, an angel appeared to him and explained that he too had a role to fulfill in God’s plan. With this beautiful mission placed upon his shoulders, he took his wife into his home and continued partaking in his role in God’s plan of salvation for the world. 

 How often do we question God when things do not go according to our plans? At times it can be difficult for us to trust in God’s plan especially when we have planned everything out ourselves. Sometimes, we must fully entrust our lives to God to fully understand what He is trying to do with us. Yes, it can be hard and a little frightening to let go of your own plans, but like Joseph, you will begin to see how God wants to include you in His amazing plan. 

Todays Tip: On this special Feast Day, spend some time in silent prayer and ask for the intercession of St. Joseph. Just as our Heavenly Father had a special plan for St. Joseph so too, does He have a plan for you! 

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18  March

Wednesday of the Third Week in Lent
Matthew 5:17-19

Jesus said to His disciples:
“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.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Reflection..... In today’s Gospel, Jesus calls us to be obedient to God’s commandments. Confusion first entered the world through the disobedience of Adam and Eve. Their refusal to follow God’s commands for them caused them to stray from our Creator. We, too, may feel that the rules we are called to follow as Catholics are restricting us from living the way we want. However Jesus warns us that if we do not follow God’s commands we will be counted as the least in Heaven while those who do follow His commands will be counted among the greatest. The truth is, that when we follow God’s commands we are more free.
   
Can You Remember a Time When Your Parents Gave you a Rule to Follow? Did your parents ever tell you as a child not to touch a hot stove or to wear a helmet while riding your bike? You may not have understood why they gave you that rule then but as you grow older you are able to see that they told you that for your best interest. It is the same with God the Father. He has given us commands and rules to follow with our best interest in mind. He knows exactly how our hearts are made and knows exactly what will get us to heaven.

Today’s Tip:  Having trouble with any of the 10 Commandments? Do some research on one that you struggle with and pray for the wisdom to see why God gave that to us, remembering that He is a Good Father who knows exactly what you need even when you cannot see it.

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17  March

Tuesday of the Third Week in Lent
Matthew 18:21-35

Peter approached Jesus and asked Him,
"Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him?  As many as seven times?"
Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.

That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants.
When he began the accounting,  a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.
Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt.

At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said,
'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.'
Moved with compassion the master of that servant
let him go and forgave him the loan.

When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount.
He seized him and started to choke him, demanding,
'Pay back what you owe.'

 Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt.

Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened,
they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master
and reported the whole affair.

His master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?'

​Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers
until he should pay back the whole debt.

So will my Heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart."

Reflection.....  In Today’s Gospel, Jesus uses a parable story about a servant and master to convey an important message to us about forgiveness. We hear that a master chose to forgive the large debt of one of his servants. In turn, this servant did not follow the example of his master and instead demanded payment of a debt that was much smaller from his fellow servant. Jesus' point is clear: as we have been forgiven, so must we forgive, and we will only be forgiven if we ourselves forgive.

How Can We Forgive? Christ’s message of forgiveness is a message of freedom, but we have to want to be free. Forgiveness is ultimately a choice.  And if we cannot open our hearts to forgive others, our hearts will be closed off to receiving the forgiveness God offers to us. If we are holding a grudge, we will not be able to experience the true freedom of being forgiven. In order to truly forgive we must unite ourselves to God through prayer, because we know that we cannot do it on our own. Prayer becomes the dialogue of love where God communicates His strength to us through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the same Spirit who breathes the divine life in us. Armed with the Spirit of God, we are able to overcome our weaknesses and forgive others. Christ came to liberate us. Our hope is Christ, who shows us that we must pray for those who harm us and by doing so we not only liberate them, but ourselves in the process.

Today’s Tip: Today, think of the grudges you may be holding or the person in your life that you need to forgive, and make the choice to fully forgive them. Ask God to give you the strength to let go of what is hurting you and allow His grace and peace fill your heart.

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16 March

Monday  of the Third Week in Lent
Luke 4: 24-30

Jesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth:
“Amen, I say to you,
no prophet is accepted in his own native place.
Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel
in the days of Elijah
when the sky was closed for three and a half years
and a severe famine spread over the entire land.
It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,
but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.
Again, there were many lepers in Israel
during the time of Elisha the prophet;
yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”
When the people in the synagogue heard this,
they were all filled with fury.
They rose up, drove him out of the town,
and led him to the brow of the hill
on which their town had been built, 
to hurl him down headlong.
But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

Reflection.... In Today’s Gospel, Jesus compares himself to Elijah and Elisha, two prophets who were not welcomed by their own people. The prophets of the Old Testament were constantly rejected by their people because they spoke the hard truth. They continuously defended the poor and powerless. 
They comforted those who were afflicted, and they "afflicted" those who were comfortable. Elijah even defended God's plan for marriage and doing so put his life in danger. It was not an easy task for them, but God sent forth His Spirit to give them the grace and courage to address the social concerns of their day. We are called to be the prophets, challenging our fellow brothers and sisters to look beyond their own interests and tend to the needs of the poor and vulnerable. 

Are there any injustices you see? Do you need to be a voice for the voiceless? As we continue journeying through the season of Lent, let us think about our roles as God’s prophets. Consider helping those who are in need. In turn, you will share the love God has for you with others. Let us look to St. Teresa of Kolkata as a true prophet of this age and example of faith. Her selfless acts of love towards the poor and marginalized exemplified God’s love for mankind. She understood her calling to promote the life and dignity of all humanity from the moment of conception to natural death.

Today’s Tip: Do an act of service for another. Visit your local soup kitchen and serve those in need.