RELIGION AND ART

THURSDAY WEEK FIVE OF LENT YEAR C: COVENANT IN PERPETUITY First Reading Genesis 17:3-9   Abraham, the father of a multitude of nations Readings Abram bowed to the ground and God said this to him, ‘Here now is my covenant with you: you shall become the father of a multitude of nations. You shall no longer be called Abram; your name shall be Abraham, for I make you father of a multitude of nations. I will make you most fruitful. I will make you into nations, and your issue shall be kings. I will establish my Covenant between myself and you, and your descendants after you, generation after generation, a Covenant in perpetuity, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. I will give to you and to your descendants after you the land you are living in, the whole land of Canaan, to own in perpetuity, and I will be your God.’ Responsorial Psalm: The Lord remembers his covenant for ever Lectures Gospel  John 8:51-59  Your father Abraham saw my Day and was glad Jesus said to the

First Reading Wisdom 2 :1,12-22 Let us lie in wait for the virtuous man and condemn him to a shameful death The godless say to themselves, with their misguided reasoning: Readings ‘Our life is short and dreary, nor is there any relief when man’s end comes, nor is anyone known who can give release from Hades. Let us lie in wait for the virtuous man, since he annoys us and opposes our way of life, reproaches us for our breaches of the law and accuses us of playing false to our upbringing. He claims to have knowledge of God, and calls himself a son of the Lord. Before us he stands, a reproof to our way of thinking, the very sight of him weighs our spirits down; his way of life is not like other men’s, the paths he treads are unfamiliar. Lectures In his opinion we are counterfeit; he holds aloof from our doings as though from filth; he proclaims the final end of the virtuous as happy and boasts of having God for his father. Let us see if what he says is true, let us observe what

Be good to me, your servant, so that I may live and obey your teachings.   Open my eyes, so that I may see the wonderful truths in your law. Thoughts of Solitude My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.   I cannot see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end.   Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.   But I believe that the desire to please you does, in fact, please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.   And I know that if I do this, you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore, will I trust you always, though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. Prayer   Heavenly Father, let me feel close to Thee.   G