"Lent 2008" at:
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Pope Benedict XVI, Shepherd of Truth is designed as a bulletin insert
which you can use at your local church to keep up to date on what the Holy
Father is saying. You are free to reproduce it for this purpose.
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Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Jeremiah 18:18-20, Psalm 31, Matthew 20:17-28
Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/nab/022008.shtml
THE CUP
"Such is the case with the Son of Man Who has come, not to be served by
others, but to serve, to give His own life as a ransom for the
many." —Matthew 20:28
Jesus asked James, John, and their mother: " 'Can you drink of the cup I
am to drink of?' 'We can,' they said" (Mt 20:22). They did not understand
what cup Jesus was referring to, but they assumed they could drink it.
James did eventually drink of the cup of martyrdom (Acts 12:2) and John
the cup of being persecuted (Rv 1:9). However, they refused this cup at
first. James and John were chosen by Jesus to be with Him in His agony in
the garden of Gethsemani, but as Jesus suffered and prayed to His Father
about "the cup," James and John fell asleep (see Mt 26:38-40). Later that
evening, James, John, and the other apostles refused to drink of the cup
of suffering by abandoning Jesus as he was arrested (Mk 14:50).
This Lent, Jesus is asking us: "Can you drink of the cup?" (Mt 20:22) We
know that by the grace of our Baptisms we can and must drink of the cup of
suffering and of crucified love. Yet will we decide and are we deciding to
drink of the cup? Naturally, no one wants to suffer. Supernaturally,
however, love is more important than avoiding pain. May the love of Christ
impel us to live no longer for ourselves (2 Cor 5:14-15) but to suffer and
die for Him. "There is no greater love than this: to lay down one's life"
for Jesus (see Jn 15:13).
Prayer: Father, I choose love and reject selfishness.
Promise: "Remember that I stood before You to speak in their behalf, to
turn away Your wrath from them." —Jer 18:20
Praise: Imitating Christ, Gloria loved her husband all the more when she
was able to provide for him as breadwinner of the family when he became
disabled.
(For a related teaching, order our tape "Redemptive Suffering" on audio AV
75-1 or video V-75.)
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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant my
permission to publish "One Bread, One Body" covering the period from
February 1, 2008 through March 31, 2008
†Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General Archdiocese of Cincinnati,
August 14, 2007
The rescript is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be
free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have
granted ecclesial permission agree with the contents, opinions, or
statements expressed.
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