LENT 2008 MAY WE GROW IN OUR OBEDIENCE TO THE LORD Blessed be the will of God in my regard.

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1 LENT 2008 MAY WE GROW IN OUR OBEDIENCE TO THE LORD Blessed be the will of God in my regard. St. John Baptist de La Salle PRESENCE OF GOD We recall that our God loves us so much that He sent His Son to ransom us from sin. Our God is continually with us and watches over us. May we strive to be obedient to the Lord. Lord, by Your cross and resurrection, You have set us free! You are the Savior of the world. HYMN: TRUST AND OBEY When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, What a glory He sheds on our way! While we do His good will, He abides with us still, And with all who will trust and obey. Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies, But His smile quickly drives it away; Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear, Can abide while we trust and obey. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share, But our toil He doth richly repay; Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross, But is blessed if we trust and obey. But we never can prove the delights of His love Until all on the altar we lay; For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows, Are for them who will trust and obey. Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet. Or we ll walk by His side in the way. What He says we will do, where He sends we will go; Never fear, only trust and obey. PRAYER I come to You with nothing but my heart, cold and small as it is. That's all You want. Such a treasure You are, in this place; any place. It's our place. Here I come to know You. Here You have my heart and I have Yours.

2 PRAYER BEFORE THE SCRIPTURE READINGS As Christian people, let us open our hearts to hear the Good News; As God s holy people, let us open our ears to receive the Good News. SCRIPTURE GENESIS 12:1-4 The Lord said to Abram: "Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father's house to a land that I will show you. "I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you." Abram went as the Lord directed him. Abram took his wife Sarai, his brother's son Lot, all the possessions that they had accumulated, and they set out for the land of Canaan. MATTHEW, MARK and LUKE The night Jesus was arrested, before His trial and crucifixion, He prayed alone in the Garden of Gethsemane, having asked three of His disciples to wait nearby, praying for Him. Luke tells us, "He withdrew about a stone's throw and prayed, 'Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done'" (Luke 22:41-42). Matthew records Jesus as making His request of the Father twice: "Going a little farther, He fell with His face to the ground and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken away from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will'" (Matthew 26:39) and "He went away a second time and prayed, 'My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may Your will be done'" (Matt. 26:42). Mark records His prayer in a positive way, "'Abba, Father,' He said, 'everything is possible for You. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will" (Mark 14:36). REFLECTION How important is obedience to God in my daily journey? Obedience to God is very important in our Christian growth. No one in this life will ever become sufficiently sanctified to the point where they are always obeying the law, but we can honor and maintain obedience to God by pondering on, or meditating on, the words of Jesus. The term "to ponder" means to weigh in the mind, to think or reflect, especially quietly and deeply. To ponder on something is like meditation which implies a definite focusing of one's thoughts on something in order to understand it

3 more deeply. The author of Proverbs 14:15 makes a good point: "A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps." The greatest commandment is to love God by keeping His commandments. Matthew 22:36-38 says, "'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?' Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.'" You ask, "How important is obedience to God?" In the gospel of John, obedience to God is underscored time and time again. John 14:15 says, "If you love Me, you will obey what I command." The great commandments are reiterated in Matthew 22:36-40 which says, "'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?' Jesus replied: '"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself." All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.'" Jesus is very concerned about us and He wants us to do more than participate in good works, He wants us to believe in Him. He wants us to come up higher and be "like" Him. When we are being obedient to God, we are doing just that: knowing Him, loving Him, and having a personal, intimate relationship with Him. To do this, we must be attentive to God's laws. This is not an option, because you can't have an intimate relationship with Jesus and trample on the words He taught. Being obedient to God is not the same as sticking to the speed limit because you get a fine if you disobey. Obedience to God is living God's Word because you want to and enjoy being filled with the love of Jesus. We must believe in Jesus, we must have faith in Him, and we must trust Him! Calling ourselves a Christian on its own won't do. Following the commandments step wise won't do. Reading the Bible diligently won't do. We have to take the Word into our hearts. When we make the transition from calling ourselves a good Christian to being someone who is having a deep personal and intimate relationship with the Lord, then we can have the highest of joys, the deepest of peace, and receive the fullest measure of God's love and power each and every day of our lives. That is the essence of obedience to God.

4 PSALM Happy those whose way is blameless, who walk by the teaching of the Lord. 2. Happy those who observe God's decrees, who seek the Lord with all their heart. They do no wrong; they walk in God's ways. 1. You have given them the command to keep Your precepts with care. 2. May my ways be firm in the observance of Your laws! Then I will not be ashamed to ponder all Your commands. 1. I will praise You with sincere heart as I study Your just edicts. I will keep Your laws; do not leave me all alone. 2. How can the young walk without fault? Only by keeping Your words. With all my heart I seek You; do not let me stray from Your commands. ALL: In my heart I treasure Your promise, that I may not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Lord; teach me Your laws. PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11 Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus Christ Jesus, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in our likeness. And being found in human form He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

5 INTERCESSIONS Response: LORD, MAY WE BE OBEDIENT AS YOU WERE TO THE FATHER. 1. This Lent, may we strive to align our wills to that of our Heavenly Father, we pray: 2. May we come closer to You, Lord Jesus, by putting spiritual things first in our lives, we pray: 3. May we die to ourselves and take on the mind and heart of Jesus, and as John the Baptist said: He must increase and I must decrease, we pray: 4. May prayer, fasting, almsgiving and service help us to live out the commands of You, Lord, we pray: 5. That each of us may be agents of change working tirelessly for peace, justice and acceptance in our world, we pray: 6. May our constant prayer be that of You, Jesus, Not My will but Yours be done, we pray: 7. We remember all who are in need of prayer: the homeless, the unemployed, the ostracized, the lonely, the sick, the grieving and the refugees of war, we pray: 8. For each of us that we may realize our selfishness and sinfulness and ask You, O Yahweh, to help us mend our spiritual lives, we pray: HYMN: PSALM 31: I PUT MY LIFE IN YOUR HANDS Father, I put my life in Your hands. O Lord, be my rock of safety. In You, O Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. In Your justice rescue me, O faithful Lord, into Your hands I commend my spirit. Lord, I place my trust in You. Lord, in Your hands is my destiny. Let Your face shine upon Your servant. Lord, into Your hands I will place my life.

6 BLESSING May God bless you with vision that you may see His presence all around you. Amen. May God bless you with courage to listen to and respond to His call to be a disciple. Amen. May God bless you with strength to share His love with others. Amen. May God bless us in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. + Saint John Baptist de La Salle and all you holy men and women of our Lasallian Family who have gone before us, help us to be more attuned to God s will for us. Live Jesus in our hearts. Forever! JESUS WAS OBEDIENT UNTO DEATH, EVEN DEATH ON A CROSS. Philippians 2:8