Creighton University's Online Ministries

Second Sunday of Lent

Daily Lent Prayer
“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”

Collect:
O God, who have commanded us
to listen to your beloved Son,
be pleased, we pray,
to nourish us inwardly by your word,
that, with spiritual sight made pure,
we may rejoice to behold your glory.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. *

The Readings
Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18; Psalm 116:10, 15, 16-17, 18-19; Romans 8:31b-34; Mark 9:2-10

Daily Meditation:
Listen to him.
It is wonderful to begin this week
acknowledging that we need God's help in listening and hearing.
It is so powerful to ask for the "gift of integrity" -
to express our desire for wholeness.
And, we humbly ask for light in the midst of whatever
might "shadow our vision."
This is the God who allows Jesus
to be transfigured before his disciples,
to prepare them for what they were about to face.
This is our God, who can give each of us
the change of heart we ask for.

O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant;
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
Psalm 116

Today's Daily Reflection

Intercessions:
Let us praise our loving Redeemer, who gained for us this season of grace,
and pray to him, saying:
   Lord, create a new spirit in us.
Christ, our life, through baptism we were buried with you and rose to life with you,
 - may we walk today in newness of life.
Lord, you have brought blessings to all mankind,
 - bring us to share your concern for the good of all.
May we work together to build up the earthly city,
 - with our eyes fixed on the city that lasts for ever.
Healer of body and soul, cure the sickness of our spirit,
 - so that we may grow in holiness through your constant care.

Closing Prayer:
Loving God,
there is so much darkness in my life
and I hide from you.
Take my hand
and lead me out of the shadows of my fear.
Help me to change my heart.
Bring me to your truth
and help me to respond to your generous love.
Let me recognize the fullness of your love
which will fill my life.
Free me from the darkness in my heart.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

The Second Week of Lent

Daily Lent Prayer
“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”

Collect:
Oh God, who have taught us
to chasten our bodies
for the healing of our souls,
enable us, we pray,
to abstain from all sins,
and strengthen our hearts
to carry out your loving commands.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. *

The Readings
Daniel 9:4b-10; Psalms 79:8, 9, 11 and 13; Luke 6:36-38

Daily Meditation:
Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate.
Today's lesson is about mercy -
God's mercy for us first, and our mercy toward others.
We renew our penance -
all the ways we are trying
to change the patterns of our life that need healing.

Lord, do not deal with us as our sins deserve.
   Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
   may your compassion quickly come to us,
   for we are brought very low.
Lord, do not deal with us as our sins deserve.
   Help us, O God our savior,
   because of the glory of your name;
   Deliver us and pardon our sins
   for your name's sake.
Lord, do not deal with us as our sins deserve.
-- Psalm 79
 

Today's Daily Reflection

Intercessions:
Blessed be God the Father for his gift of this sacrifice of praise.
In the spirit of this Lenten season, let us pray:
Instruct us, Lord, in the ways of your kingdom.

God of power and mercy, give us the spirit of prayer and repentance,
-with burning love for you and all mankind.
Help us to work with you in making all things new in Christ,
-and in spreading justice and peace throughout the world.
Teach us the meaning and value of creation,
-so that we may join its voice to ours as we sing your praise.
Forgive us for failing to see Christ in the poor, the distressed and the troublesome,
-and for our failure to reverence your Son in their persons.

Closing Prayer:
Lord,
your commandment of love is so simple
and so challenging.
Help me to let go of my pride,
to be humble in my penance.
I want only to live the way you ask me to love,
to love the way you ask me to live.
I ask this through your son, Jesus,
who stands at my side
today and always.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

The Second Week of Lent
Daily Lent Prayer
“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”

Collect:
Guard your Church, we pray, O Lord, in your unceasing mercy,
and, since without you mortal humanity is sure to fall,
may we be kept by our constant helps from all harm
and directed to all that bring salvation.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. *

The Readings
Isaiah 1:10, 16-20; Psalm 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21 and 23; Matthew 23:1-12

Daily Meditation:
Protect us from what could harm us.
Today's lesson is about being on guard against religious hypocrisy -
always a potential trap, as we grow in our desire.
Again, we turn to our God for help, our God whose love is "unfailing."

To the upright
 I will show the saving power of God.
Why do you recite my statutes,
 and profess my covenant with your mouth,
 Though you hate discipline
 and cast my words behind you?
To the upright
I will show the saving power of God.
-- Psalm 50

Today's Daily Reflection

Intercessions:
God the Father has given us his only Son, the Word made man,
to be our food and our life. Let us thank him and pray:
May the word of Christ dwell among us in all its richness.

Help us in this Lenten season to listen more frequently to your word,
-that we may celebrate the solemnity of Easter with greater love for Christ, our paschal teacher,
-that we may encourage those in doubt and error to follow what is true and good.
Enable us to enter more deeply into the mystery of the Anointed One,
-that our lives may reveal him more effectively.
Purify and renew your Church in this time of salvation,
-that it may give an even greater witness to you.

Closing Prayer:
God in heaven and in my life,
guide me and protect me.
I so often believe I can save myself
and I always end in failure.
Lead me with your love away from harm
and guide me on the right path.
May your Spirit inspire the Church
and make us an instrument of your love and guidance.
Thank you for your care for me.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

The Second Week of Lent
Daily Lent Prayer
“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”

Collect:
Keep your family, O Lord,
schooled always in good works,
and so comfort them with your protection here
as to lead them graciously to gifts on high.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. *

The Readings
Jeremiah 18:18-20; Psalms 31:5-6, 14, 15-16; Matthew 20:17-28

Daily Meditation:
Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant.
Jesus is telling us about his Passion, Death and Resurrection - for us.
Too often we are fighting over which of us is the greatest.
To take this journey with him, is to take a journey
that draws us to be with him in it and like him:
a servant of love for others.

"The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Today's Daily Reflection

Intercessions:
Let us give thanks to God, our Father:
through the power of the Spirit he purifies our heart and strengthens us in love. Let us humbly ask him:
Lord, give us your Holy Spirit.

Help us to receive good things from your bounty with a deep sense of gratitude;
-and to accept with patience the evil that comes to us.
Teach us to be loving not only in great and exceptional moments,
-but above all in the ordinary events of daily life.
May we abstain from what we do not really need,
-and help our brothers and sisters in distress.
May we bear the wounds of your Son,
-for through his body he gave us life.

Closing Prayer:
God of Love,
through this Lenten journey,
purify my desires to serve you.
Free me from any temptations to judge others,
to place myself above others.
Please let me surrender even my impatience with others,
that with your love and your grace,
I might be less and less absorbed with myself,
and more and more full of the desire
to follow you, in laying down my life
according to your example.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

The Second Week of Lent
Daily Lent Prayer
“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”

Collect:
O God, who delight in innocence and restore it,
direct the hearts of your servants to yourself,
that, caught up in the fire of your Spirit,
we may be found steadfast in faith
and effective in works.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. *

The Readings
Jeremiah 17:5-10; Psalms 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6; Luke 16:19-31

Daily Meditation:
Bring us back to you.
The story of the Rich Man and Lazarus is our lesson today.
We beg to be open to the workings of the Spirit,
that we might not settle for the consolations of this life alone.

Jesus then said, "I am the one who raises the dead to life!
Everyone who has faith in me will live, even if they die.
And everyone who lives because of faith in me will never really die.
Do you believe this?"
-- John 11

Today's Daily Reflection

Intercessions:
God has revealed himself in Christ.
Let us praise his goodness, and ask him from our hearts:
  Remember us, Lord, for we are your children.

Teach us to enter more deeply into the mystery of the Church,
 - that it may be more effective for ourselves and for the world as the sacrament of salvation.
Lover of mankind, inspire us to work for human progress,
 - seeking to spread your kingdom in all we do.
May our hearts thirst for Christ,
 - the fountain of living water.
Forgive us our sins,
 - and direct our steps into the ways of justice and sincerity.

Closing Prayer:
Loving God,
I hear your invitation, "Come back to me"
and I am filled with such a longing to return to you.
Show me the way to return.
Lead me this day in good works I do in your name
and send your Spirit to guide me and strengthen my faith.
I ask only to feel your love in my life today.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

The Second Week of Lent
Daily Lent Prayer
“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”

Collect:
Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that, purifying us by the sacred practice of penance,
you may lead us in sincerity of heart
to attain the holy things to come.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. *

Today's Readings
Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a; Psalms 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21; Matthew 21: 33-43, 45-46

Daily Meditation:
Help us open our hearts to you.
W e hear of the vineyard owner whose tenants killed his servants and then his son.  
Let us be called open our hearts and lives
to the challenge of your Gospel. 
It is possible to say it every day

"Therefore, I say to you,
the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and be given to a people that will produce its fruit."
-- Matthew 21

Today's Daily Reflection

Intercessions:
Let us pray to Christ our Savior, who redeemed us by his death and resurrection::
  Lord, have mercy on us.
You went up to Jerusalem to suffer and so enter into your glory,
 - bring your Church to the Passover feast of heaven.
  Lord, have mercy on us.
You were lifted high on the cross and pierced by the soldier's lance,
 - heal our wounds.
  Lord, have mercy on us.
You made the cross the tree of life,
 - give its fruit to those reborn in baptism.
  Lord, have mercy on us.
On the cross you forgave the repentant thief,
 - through which we are cleansed of our sins.
  Lord, have mercy on us.

Closing Prayer:
Loving God, Caring parent,
I am a child who so often turns my back
on your love.
Please accept my small acts of sorrow today
and help to release me from the self-absorption
that closes my heart to you.
As I journey through Lent,
let me remember the feast you have prepared for me
in the resurrection
and let me be filled with thanks to you.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

The Second Week of Lent
Daily Lent Prayer
“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”

Collect:
O God, who grant us by glorious healing remedies while still on earth
to be partakers of the things of heaven,
guide us, we pray, through this present life
and bring us to that light in which you dwell.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. *

The Readings
Micah 7:14-15, 18-20; Psalms 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12; Luke 15:1-3,11-32

Daily Meditation:
We must celebrate and rejoice.
The Saturdays of Lent have a wonderful spirit.
Our lesson today takes us to the parable of the two sons:
 - one who is ungrateful and leaves, but returns, and
 - one who will not accept the forgiveness
   the father lavishes on the other.

The Lord is loving and merciful,
slow to anger, and full of love;
the Lord is kind to all, and compassionate
to all his creatures.

Today's Daily Reflection

Intercessions:
Let us always and everywhere give thanks to Christ our Savior, and ask him with confidence:
  Lord, help us with your grace.

May we keep our bodies pure,
  - as temples of the Holy Spirit.
May we offer ourselves this day to the service of others,
  - and do your will in all things throughout the day.
Teach us to seek the bread of everlasting life,
  - the bread that is your gift.
May your Mother, the refuge of sinners, pray for us,
  - and gain for us your loving forgiveness.

Closing Prayer:
God of infinite love,
you shower me with limitless gifts in my life.
In my every thought and action today
guide me to the bright and loving light of your kingdom.
Help me to be aware of
the many ways you allow me
to share in your life so intimately today.
Thank you for the gifts you have placed in my life.
Let me be grateful every moment of this day.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.