The wicked said among themselves,
thinking not aright: Let us oppress the righteous poor, let us neither spare the widow nor revere the aged for grown white with time. But let our strength be our norm of righteousness, for weakness proves itself useless. Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings,
Reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our training.
He professes to have knowledge of God
and styles himself a child of the LORD.
To us he is the censure of our thoughts;
merely to see him is a hardship for us,
Because his life is not like that of others,
and different are his ways. Let us see whether his words be true;
let us find out what will happen to him.
For if the just one be the son of God, he will defend him
and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
With revilement and torture let us put him to the test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.

Wisdom 2: 10-15, 17-19

Here are the complete readings for Friday, April 4, 2025.

(“Man of Kindness” by Anthony Sweat)

This passage from the Hebrew Scriptures is low hanging fruit for our indignance or outrage. How could anyone actually enjoy picking on the most vulnerable in society, in any time or place? A lot of folks, actually. I’m not going to try to explain why beyond our flawed human condition, but will acknowledge that has always been a reality that haunts our communities. Today, instead of wondering why people act inhuman to other humans, we can consider our response to instances of injustice. In today’s Gospel, Jesus responds to the threats from his adversaries with great courage but also with prudence. He does not act impulsively, rather he persists carefully and with increasing boldness as he makes his way into dangerous territory. Addressing sins of injustice is not a one time action. It takes a consistent and faithful effort by those who believe they are called to act as Christ did. This is not easy and we do not always see the fruits of our labor. But that is not the point. It is not about us achieving personal satisfaction of good triumphing over evil. It is about providing graced moments for those in need in life’s ordinary moments as well as in times of high drama. Difficulty does not mean defeat.

Day by day
you will need to renew your response.
Do not become discouraged
over the difficulties you encounter
in your life of gospel service.
Knowing that difficulties would be your share,
your Founder judged:
that nothing special is achieved
without much labor, effort and zeal.

– The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, it never feels good to be mocked, or worse, ignored. When we encounter sins like this, help us to speak the truth of justice to those who would oppress our brothers and sisters. May we also be true to ourselves, for the temptation to dominate or disparage others for our own amusement looms strong. Help us recognize that brokenness within us, and open our hearts to be healed. May we be as courageous about our own self-reflection as we are about confronting others in the name of righteousness.

Amen

But Moses implored the LORD, his God, saying,
“Why, O LORD, should your wrath blaze up against your own people,
whom you brought out of the land of Egypt
with such great power and with so strong a hand?
Why should the Egyptians say,
‘With evil intent he brought them out,
that he might kill them in the mountains
and exterminate them from the face of the earth’?
Let your blazing wrath die down;
relent in punishing your people.
Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel,
and how you swore to them by your own self, saying,
‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky;
and all this land that I promised,
I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.'”
So the LORD relented in the punishment
he had threatened to inflict on his people.

Exodus 32: 11-14

Here are the complete readings for Thursday, April 3, 2025.

(“Moses and the Adoration of the Golden Calf” by Marc Chagall)

Think about a time when you were enraged at someone. Maybe you were completely justified to feel upset, but you either reacted with an outburst or you started carrying that anger around as a giant chip on your shoulder. Who are the people in your life whom you trust so deeply that they were able to intervene on your behalf? They were supportive and acknowledged that you had been hurt, but were able to speak to the real you who was suffocating underneath the anger. Perhaps at first you didn’t appreciate them asking you to check yourself, or calling you out for your behavior. Yet the fact that they put themselves in a vulnerable place speaks to how much they value their relationship with you, and want to prevent you from isolating yourself further. Your bond with these people is special, for the affection they feel for you is unconditional. It can survive disagreements and hurt feelings, even if one person in the relationship is clearly working harder to preserve it than the other at that moment. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, this is the basis for the covenant relationship that God has with God’s people. In a fascinating twist in the Exodus story, it appears that it is actually Moses who, clear headed and full of faith, reminds God of the unbreakable covenant between them. Talk about courage! Actually, it is Moses’ trust in God and the covenant that we should admire. Deep down, no matter how we may decide our own path is more desirable, God remains connected to us. In the Gospel, Jesus reminds his contemporaries who are ignoring the miracles taking place in front of them that these wonders can only be possible because of the bond between God and humanity. Getting angry is a very human thing to do. It is a blessing to have neighbors and loved ones to remind us of our humanity.

As a follower of Jesus,
and in relationship with one another,
keep ever before you
the motto of the congregation:
Concordia res parvæ crescunt.
In harmony small things grow.
For it is only in harmony
that you will grow,
that your community will grow,
that the love of God will grow in your world,
and that the reign of God will grow to completeness.

– The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, thank you for family, friends, and colleagues who care about me enough to tell me when I am not acting like the person they know. Help me to be honest with myself and with the situation I face. On this day, remind me that during moments of frustration and disappointment, you give me insight and wisdom for how to be the person you call me to be and who my loved ones recognize as their own.

Amen

Thus says the LORD:
In a time of favor I answer you,
on the day of salvation I help you;
and I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people,
To restore the land
and allot the desolate heritages,
Saying to the prisoners: Come out!
To those in darkness: Show yourselves!
Along the ways they shall find pasture,
on every bare height shall their pastures be.
They shall not hunger or thirst,
nor shall the scorching wind or the sun strike them; But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me;
my Lord has forgotten me.”
Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
I will never forget you.

Isaiah 49: 8-10, 14-15

Here are the complete readings for Wednesday, April 2, 2025.

(“Souls Rising to Paradise from The Last Judgment” Fresco by Michelangelo, Sistine Chapel)

“Hey! Where did you guys go?” There I was, 9 or 10 years old standing outside a gas station off Interstate 95 and who knows where. It was summertime and my parents and I were taking a road trip when we stopped for gas. I must have been staring at the candy counter longer than I should have, because when I went outside, my parents were nowhere to be found. I thought I stood there for an hour, but it was really about 30 seconds before I saw the car pull back up at the gas station. My emotions went from terror to anger to relief in an instant. I don’t remember what my dad said to me, but he made me laugh and pretty soon we were all back in the car and headed to our destination. My parents comforted and reassured me, and in truth I never really thought they would leave me behind. In the end, this became a funny story and one that we joked about afterward. However, when we think about our ordinary days, some of them quite long, when have we had those moments of acute abandonment, profound loneliness, or been made to feel like we don’t belong? Can we have the confidence and the hope that we have not been discarded? In the readings today, the prophet Isaiah reminds the forsaken that they have reason to hope, because the mystery that is God is by nature utterly personal and present to them. In the Christian tradition, there is a reason that the virtues of faith, hope, and love are called theological virtues. They have their origin from God and are a profound gift, a grace given freely. God does not have to come back to get us, because God never left.

Above all else remember
that your God is forever faithful.
In the words of the prophet God says:
Can a mother forget her infant
or be without tenderness
for the child of her womb?
I will never forget you.
I have branded you
on the palms of my hands.– The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, when the days seem drab and lonely, show me the brightness and beauty in this world which reflects your divine splendor. Thank you for the little treasures I find in nature and in the actions of strangers that can remove anything that blocks the path to joy. Thank you for the gift of each new day. Help me demonstrate how much I am loved so that others may feel loved and that they belong.

Amen

The angel led me outside by the north gate,
and around to the outer gate facing the east,
where I saw water trickling from the right side.
Then when he had walked off to the east
with a measuring cord in his hand,
he measured off a thousand cubits
and had me wade through the water,
which was ankle-deep.
He measured off another thousand
and once more had me wade through the water,
which was now knee-deep.
Again he measured off a thousand and had me wade;
the water was up to my waist.
Once more he measured off a thousand,
but there was now a river through which I could not wade;
for the water had risen so high it had become a river
that could not be crossed except by swimming.
He asked me, “Have you seen this, son of man?”
Then he brought me to the bank of the river, where he had me sit.
Along the bank of the river I saw very many trees on both sides.
He said to me,
“This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah,
and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh.
Wherever the river flows,
every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live,
and there shall be abundant fish,
for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh.
Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow;
their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail.
Every month they shall bear fresh fruit,
for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary.
Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine.”

Ezekiel 47: 2-12

Here are the complete readings for Tuesday, April 1, 2025.

(“Jesus Healing the Man at the Pool of Bethesda” mosaic at San Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, Italy”

Water is so necessary for life, yet so dangerous. People will fight over it and are terrified of being trapped in it. I found myself reading this passage from Ezekiel over and over. Notice how the closer the person gets to God, the deeper the water becomes. Each time the angel beckons the person to draw nearer, the journey gets riskier and the person becomes more vulnerable. Yet they keep going, perhaps afraid but stepping forth freely and without coercion. When we are on a faith journey, we believe that God offers but does not demand for us to walk away from our present state of familiarity and risk new life in uncharted waters. In the passage, God describes the water having both creative and cleansing powers. Would the character in this narrative be able to experience the bounty found on the other side of the river without first walking forward into the deep water that goes over his head? When we feel as though we are being called to do something new or to make a major change, what is it that can inspire us to stop thinking about and to actually get our feet wet, experience the uncertainty yet move forward because we can now see the other side of the river bank?

If you allow yourself
to be formed by God
through the common,
ordinary,
unspectacular
flow of everyday life,
you will gradually experience
a liberation and a freedom
never before imagined.
Stand ready to answer
when asked
if you are available for God
to become more present in your life
and through you to the world. – The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, some days I think I know where I should go, yet today I am unsure. When I fear making a decision where I will say goodbye to what I think is important, please help me remember that I am simply changing back into who I am supposed to be, which is me. May I know that I am adored and valued, and may I then share with my community and with the world this person I have always been.

Amen

The royal official said to him,
“Sir, come down before my child dies.”
Jesus said to him, “You may go; your son will live.”
The man believed what Jesus said to him and left.
While the man was on his way back,
his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live.
He asked them when he began to recover.
They told him,
“The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.”
The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him,
“Your son will live,”
and he and his whole household came to believe.

John 4: 49-53

Here are the complete readings for Monday, March 31, 2025.

(“Jesus Healing the Boy” by John Reilly)

It is March Madness college basketball time here in America. I have been watching this tournament faithfully since 1983 when I was 11 years old and my hometown North Carolina State Wolfpack surprised everyone by winning the National Championship. Recently I watched a retrospective film about this team’s historic run to greatness, and I was drawn to a speech by their coach, Jim Valvano, about the gift of belief given to him by his father, and how he then shared this gift with his underdog basketball team. The key to this belief, said Valvano, was the trusting relationship shared between the two men. Let us now consider the interaction between Jesus and the royal official in the Gospel. The man believes that Jesus is capable of healing his son based on Jesus’ reputation, but what drives the miracle itself is the love and trust between the man and his son. This belief transcends any kind of pretense and can create connection and community in unlikely places. When we believe, we want to share this miracle with people we know, and trust that we can model it with people we don’t know but meet in our everyday interactions. Like the older Mr. Valvano, we can say “our bags are packed” as we prepare for a potentially mysterious but ultimately joyful journey.

As a disciple of Jesus Christ,
you are called to follow in His footsteps
and minister God’s healing touch of love,
through word and deed,
to all whom you meet
in your journey of life. – The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, you are right here with us today and every day. Help us to believe that we are never alone. Thank you for giving us the choice to accept this or not. This gift of freedom makes our faith possible. Wherever we are on our journey of life, we are grateful that you see us, just as we are. Help us cherish your presence with confidence when life seems most daunting or troubled, so that we never lose our sense of wonder, whatever we encounter.

Amen

Let us know, let us strive to know the LORD;
    as certain as the dawn is his coming,
    and his judgment shines forth like the light of day!
He will come to us like the rain,
    like spring rain that waters the earth.”

What can I do with you, Ephraim?
What can I do with you, Judah?
Your piety is like a morning cloud,
    like the dew that early passes away.
For this reason I smote them through the prophets,
    I slew them by the words of my mouth;
For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice,
    and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Hosea 6: 3-6

Here are the complete readings for Saturday, March 29.

(“The Pharisee and the Tax Collector” by Bryn Gillette)

Piety can be good for people and for communities. It helps bring reverence and awe to our secular days. What do Hosea and Jesus caution us about how we approach piety? Reflect on the painting above. I don’t think it is meant to say that reverent people are evil or that being attentive to rituals is corrosive. Instead, when do we use our practices, including Lenten sacrifices, as a way to boost our self esteem at the expense or exclusion of others who are also God’s beloved? Who are we on the inside to our God who sees and knows us?

“Ryken looked upon his original vocation as being a conversion in which he fell in love with the service of God. Yet, he too, came to the understanding that a continual conversion is needed.” – The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, thank you for the ways in which we may praise you and witness to your transformative power. May we always remember that we speak your name most clearly and boldly when we act with humility. Amen

Take with you words,
and return to the LORD;
Say to him, “Forgive all iniquity,
and receive what is good, that we may render
as offerings the bullocks from our stalls.
Assyria will not save us,
nor shall we have horses to mount;
We shall say no more, ‘Our god,’
to the work of our hands;
for in you the orphan finds compassion.”

Hosea 14: 3-10

Here are the complete readings for Friday, March 28, 2025

(“Pilgrimage to the Cedars in Lebanon” by Tivador Csontvary Kosztka)

During this Lenten season, we have a tremendous opportunity to meditate on human freedom and specifically our own liberation from what holds us back from accepting the grace that is offered to us. Think about the line in Hosea in which the prophet says, say no more ‘our god’ to the work of our hands. How are we enslaved to our work and the low hanging fruit of that labor-status, accolades and material possessions? Instead, where in our day can we make time to reflect with no expectations for self-gain and total openness to the unknown? Perhaps we can unlearn some of the bad habits that we have picked up in life in which we separate rather than free ourselves. Can we free ourselves? The paradox about freedom in the Christian tradition is that in order to experience it, we have to surrender ourselves fully to the wisdom of God, which at its core is a divine mystery.

You were created by the God of love
in God’s image and according to God’s likeness,
to be a unique expression of that love.
It is through you
that God desires to manifest Love
to the peoples of the world in these times,
and to offer them the freedom
of the children of God. – The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

Gracious God, we hunger to belong. Show us the path forward, and hold us up when we stumble. Help us recognize companions on the journey, and support them as they would do for us. Thank you for the daily graced reminders that we do not have to travel to find you, as you have always been with us. May we share the good news of how to surrender our burdens and find great treasures that we thought were hidden or out of reach.

Amen

Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.
But he knew their thoughts and said to them,
“Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste
and house will fall against house.
And if Satan is divided against himself,
how will his kingdom stand?
For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.
If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul,
by whom do your own people drive them out?
Therefore they will be your judges.
But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons,
then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.

Luke 11: 16-20

Here are the complete readings for Thursday, March 27, 2025

(“Christ and the Pharisees” by Anthony Van Dyck)

What makes us ignore good news? Why do we demean people who are earnestly trying to help others? Why do we respond to gestures of good faith by acting in bad faith? I don’t know, and it is too dismissive to just blame it on original sin or the failings of the human condition without further thought. Those theological realities are true for the believer, but when and why do they trigger in us these stiff necks and hard hearts, when what is needed is the opposite? Jesus invites us to reflect on what inside of us bothers us so much that we would want to put out someone else’s light. Perhaps when we feel the urge to be jealous, angry, or cynical, rather than deny our emotions we instead own them so that we may open our heart to the healing and conversion that needs to take place. Jesus reminds us this day that instead of being at war with or divided against ourselves, to accept our shortcomings and therefore accept our inherent goodness.

 Day by day
you will need to renew your response.
Do not become discouraged
over the difficulties you encounter
in your life of gospel service.
Knowing that difficulties would be your share,
your Founder judged:
that nothing special is achieved
without much labor, effort and zeal.
Remember,
Jesus, your brother,
has walked this path before you.
In you,
as Risen Lord,
He wants to walk this path again,
and His Spirit, the Spirit of God,
now guides you. – The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, you continue to reach out to me when all I say is “no” to you. Thank you for stirring within our hearts the desire to connect to you and to what is good. When we are tired and discouraged and want to turn away from moments that could bring us joy, give us the perseverance to step forward and the vulnerability to be open to authentic encounters of you in the presence of others. We are grateful for this day and the chance to be present to what is real and good in our time and space.

Amen

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.”

Matthew 5: 17-19

Here are the complete readings for Wednesday, March 26, 2025

(Moses and Christ Pantocrator images)

Who were your best teachers, either in formal school or in life? They likely demonstrated at least these three key qualities: They had command of their subject or skill and were passionate about why it was important. They cared about you as a person and appreciated your presence each time you interacted together. Finally, these people had a sense of trust that their teaching techniques were not fixed and there was room for adjustment in response to the changing of times. Now consider the words of Moses and Jesus in today’s readings. It is easy to get caught up in the legalistic tones in the text. Instead, reflect on the reasons why Moses and Jesus are so solemn in their pronouncements. They care deeply about the people in their communities, and are so conscientious about explaining the words of God clearly to make a more just and peaceful world. Finally, each passage is imbued with the wonder of mystery, because our lives are not stuck in one place, but are part of something deeper and intimately connected to the holy presence of God. It is a gift to have a great teacher, and a gift to that teacher is to pass those lessons along with the same care and awe.

For your part,
God asks you in return
to make the word of God your home.
To do this
you must be willing to spend time each day
in solitude and prayer,
opening yourself to God’s living word. – The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, I am grateful for the people who have cared enough to teach me and helped me to grow. Please open our minds and hearts to the difficult conversations that help us turn towards you. May we understand that your commands have their roots in love. May our actions reflect what you have taught us, and may we love you and our neighbor as we love ourselves. We are grateful that you show us each day how loved we are.

Amen