Sunday Lenten Reflections

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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04 April

Saturday of the Fifth Week in Lent
John 11: 45-56

Many of the Jews who had come to Mary
and seen what Jesus had done began to believe in him.
But some of them went to the Pharisees
and told them what Jesus had done. 
So the chief priests and the Pharisees
convened the Sanhedrin and said,
"What are we going to do? 
This man is performing many signs.
If we leave him alone, all will believe in him,
and the Romans will come
and take away both our land and our nation."
But one of them, Caiaphas,
who was high priest that year, said to them,
"You know nothing,
nor do you consider that it is better for you
that one man should die instead of the people,
so that the whole nation may not perish."
He did not say this on his own,
but since he was high priest for that year,
he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation,
and not only for the nation,
but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God.
So from that day on they planned to kill him.

So Jesus no longer walked about in public among the Jews,
but he left for the region near the desert,
to a town called Ephraim,
and there he remained with his disciples.

Now the Passover of the Jews was near,
and many went up from the country to Jerusalem
before Passover to purify themselves.
They looked for Jesus and said to one another
as they were in the temple area, "What do you think?
That he will not come to the feast?"

Reflection.... In Today’s Gospel, we begin to see how much of a role fear plays in the Pharisees’ decision to kill Jesus. The Pharisees, who were high ranking and known to be holy and pure, would be willing to act against God’s will because of their fears and anxieties. Threatened by Jesus' power and jealous of His appeal, as well as unable to control people's belief in Him, the Pharisees are so blinded they make a judgment to kill the very God they claimed to serve.

Are there particular fears or doubts you are experiencing? Is there something completely out of your control that you have tried to stop or change the outcome to? When we experience fear and doubt in our lives, our emotions tend to take over our right judgment and we try to remain in control. However, Christ calls us to surrender in every moment and to entrust our fears to Him. His plans are beautiful and so much better than anything we can dream up ourselves.

Today’s Tip: In prayer intentionally surrender one thing that you are holding on to and trying to control. Don’t lose faith, have hope, and allow Him to work in your life. ​

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03 April

Friday of the Fifth Week in Lent
John 10:31-42

The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus.
Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from my Father.
For which of these are you trying to stone me?"
The Jews answered him,
"We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy.
You, a man, are making yourself God."
Jesus answered them,
"Is it not written in your law, 'I said, 'You are gods"'?
If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came,
and Scripture cannot be set aside,
can you say that the one
whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world
blasphemes because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?
If I do not perform my Father's works, do not believe me;
but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me,
believe the works, so that you may realize and understand
that the Father is in me and I am in the Father."
Then they tried again to arrest him;
but he escaped from their power.

He went back across the Jordan
to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained.
Many came to him and said,
"John performed no sign,
but everything John said about this man was true."
And many there began to believe in him.

Reflection.... In Today’s Gospel, we get a brief glimpse of what is yet to come for Our Lord in His Passion. The Israelites are looking past the miracles that Jesus has performed that prove His divinity and instead they choose to focus on the old law and what they consider blasphemies. Christ explains that the miracles alone should allow them to see the truth in His claims of being the Son of God. 

How often do we reject Christ as Lord of our lives? Often we can put idols in the place of God. Sometimes we reject Jesus because of our own sins and hardness of heart, just as those in today’s Gospel. Our pride can keep us from admitting that we were wrong and from fully accepting Christ for who He is. When we open our hearts to God, He will work miracles. We need to realize that Jesus is the Son of God and therefore He alone has the words of eternal life.

Today’s Tip: Write down one way that you have rejected Christ because of your own beliefs and ideologies. In prayer, ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten you about the true nature of Christ.

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02 April

Thursday of the Fifth Week in Lent
John 8: 51-59

Jesus said to the Jews:
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever keeps my word will never see death." 
So the Jews said to him,
"Now we are sure that you are possessed.
Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say,
'Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.'
Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? 
Or the prophets, who died?
Who do you make yourself out to be?" 
Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing;
but it is my Father who glorifies me,
of whom you say, 'He is our God.'
You do not know him, but I know him.
And if I should say that I do not know him,
I would be like you a liar.
But I do know him and I keep his word. 
Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day;
he saw it and was glad." 
So the Jews said to him,
"You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?"
Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
before Abraham came to be, I AM." 
So they picked up stones to throw at him;
but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.

Reflection.... In today’s Gospel, Jesus is once again explaining to the Jews that He is God, the great “I AM.” Both human and divine, He is the great healer, forgiver of sins, and comes from our loving and merciful Father. The Jews did not want to accept Jesus as their Messiah because He did not fulfill their expectations. They were so angry at His claims that they wanted to stone Him. Their hard hearts refused to be open to the mystery of God's plan of salvation in Christ and closed themselves off from the new life Jesus was offering.

How often do we reject God? We want to control our life and plan how we think it should turn out. We try to fit God into our own self-designed boxes, but God is a God of surprises and wants to open us up to even greater possibilities than we could even plan or dream! This is the beauty of our Catholic faith. We have a God who is actively pursuing us amid our doubt and unbelief. We are called to place our trust in His unfailing promises. In turn, a sense of peace will come over us because we know that He has a beautiful plan for our lives. As we approach Easter, let us open ourselves more fully to the mystery of God.  

Today’s Tip: Take a few minutes to remember a moment of consolation, a moment in your life where you really felt the presence of God in your life, and sit with that moment embracing the closeness of our mysterious yet loving God. 

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01 April

Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Lent
John 8: 31-42

Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him,
"If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham
and have never been enslaved to anyone. 
How can you say, 'You will become free'?"
Jesus answered them, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.
A slave does not remain in a household forever,
but a son always remains. 
So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free.
I know that you are descendants of Abraham.
But you are trying to kill me,
because my word has no room among you. 
I tell you what I have seen in the Father's presence;
then do what you have heard from the Father."

They answered and said to him, "Our father is Abraham." 
Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children,
you would be doing the works of Abraham. 
But now you are trying to kill me,
a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God;
Abraham did not do this.
You are doing the works of your father!"
So they said to him, "We were not born of fornication. 
We have one Father, God." 
Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me,
for I came from God and am here;
I did not come on my own, but he sent me."

 Reflection.... In Today’s Gospel, we read that Christ is the Truth that will set us free. There is nothing else on this earth that will fulfill us the way He does. He loves us unconditionally and knows our hearts better than anyone else, even better than we know ourselves. He desires to be close to you and to have an intimate relationship with you. 

What is your relationship with Jesus like? Lent is the perfect time to go even deeper with Him through prayer. Prayer is a safe place in which we can immerse ourselves in the love of God. Sometimes you may feel like your prayer is a monologue, where only you speak and God never answers or speaks back. But when cultivated, prayer becomes a dialogue between you and our Father in Heaven, where you speak and God replies, or God speaks and you act. The key is not just to pray when we need something or only when it’s convenient for us, but to pray through every circumstance. Personal growth and inner freedom develop in prayer, in both moments of desolation as well as moments of consolation and great joy.

Today’s Tip: Carve out 30 minus of silent prayer to deepen your relationship with Him. Although exteriorly you may be silent, speak to Him interiorly and thank Him for His presence in your life. ​

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31  March

Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Lent
John 8: 21-30

Jesus said to the Pharisees:
"I am going away and you will look for me,
but you will die in your sin.
Where I am going you cannot come."
So the Jews said,
"He is not going to kill himself, is he,
because he said, 'Where I am going you cannot come'?"
He said to them, "You belong to what is below,
I belong to what is above.
You belong to this world,
but I do not belong to this world.
That is why I told you that you will die in your sins.
For if you do not believe that I AM,
you will die in your sins."
So they said to him, "Who are you?"
Jesus said to them, "What I told you from the beginning.
I have much to say about you in condemnation.
But the one who sent me is true,
and what I heard from Him I tell the world."
They did not realize that He was speaking to them of the Father.
So Jesus said to them,
"When you lift up the Son of Man,
then you will realize that I AM,
and that I do nothing on my own,
but I say only what the Father taught me.
The one who sent me is with me.
He has not left me alone,
because I always do what is pleasing to Him."
Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in Him.

Reflection.... In today’s Gospel, Jesus affirms His divinity and astonishes the Pharisees in the process. For those with eyes to see and ears to hear, it’s extremely obvious what Jesus is saying, yet the Pharisees, who knew every detail of the law, couldn’t grasp Jesus’s words. Jesus is the Word of the Father made flesh; He and the Father are one. Jesus makes it clear that unless you believe He is the Christ, you cannot go where He’s going: Heaven. Does this mean Jesus is being exclusive with His invitations to the Eternal Banquet? No, of course not! Jesus implored the Pharisees time and again to repent and be saved but they continued to persist in their hardness of heart. 

What does it mean to believe in Jesus? He makes it clear that if we believe in Him and obey His commands, the Holy Trinity will dwell within us. Believing in Jesus is not just an intellectual knowing, rather it means we accept all that He has shared with us. By accepting His Word into our hearts, our hearts can be transformed and become like His Heart. This transformation cannot take place without humility, something the Pharisees severely lacked. It is only through true humility that we can empty and dispose ourselves to receive the gift of God, which is His very life. No longer do we have to dwell in darkness like the Pharisees because Christ is our light and salvation! 

Today’s Tip: Pray the Litany of Humility. Ask for the grace of humility that you might be ready to not only hear when Jesus speaks to you, but also understand His words, and ponder these words within your hearts.

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30  March

Monday of the Fifth Week in Lent
John 8:1-11

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
But early in the morning He arrived again in the temple area, 
and all the people started coming to Him, 
and He sat down and taught them.
Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman 
who had been caught in adultery 
and made her stand in the middle.
They said to Him,
"Teacher, this woman was caught 
in the very act of committing adultery.
Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.
So what do you say?"
They said this to test Him,
so that they could have some charge to bring against Him.
Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with His finger.
But when they continued asking Him,
He straightened up and said to them,
"Let the one among you who is without sin 
be the first to throw a stone at her."
Again He bent down and wrote on the ground.
And in response, they went away one by one,
beginning with the elders.
So He was left alone with the woman before Him.
Then Jesus straightened up and said to her,
"Woman, where are they?
Has no one condemned you?"
She replied, "No one, sir."
Then Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you.
Go, and from now on do not sin any more."

Reflection..... In Today’s Gospel, we see that no one but God has the power or authority to condemn us, but the fear of being condemned by those around us can impact us greatly. We base our decisions on what we think will make us accepted. And sometimes we will even sacrifice our morals if they are unpopular. The woman in today’s Gospel was judged in regards to her sin, but so often we find ourselves being judged for fighting to do what is right.

Place yourself in today’s Gospel, what would you have done? It is impossible to please everyone. When we are aiming to please the world, we are not aiming to please God. When we seek Him, the rest will fall into place. This means that sometimes we will not be accepted, but that is a risk of presenting the Truth. More than anyone, Christ understands what it feels like to be mocked and tortured for the sake of righteousness. We have no control over how others react, our responsibility lies in choosing to live as God has intended for us. His judgment is the only one that matters. Just as He freed the woman who committed adultery, Christ chooses to free us from condemnation as well. In accepting this gift of freedom, we must also not condemn our neighbors. 
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Today’s Tip: Be a bold follower on Christ. Chose not to judge or condemn others but chose to do good. Don’t wait for others to take the lead or worry about the opinions of the crowd. Be an example of courage and faith.