Friday of the Third Week Of Lent

GOSPEL Mark 12:28-34

‘You are not far from the kingdom of God’

One of the scribes came up to Jesus and put a question to him, Which is the first of all the commandments?’ Jesus replied, “This is the first: Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You must love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. The scribe said to him, ‘Well spoken, Master; what you have said is true that he is one and there is no other. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself, this is far more important than any holocaust or sacrifice’ Jesus, seeing how wisely he had spoken, said, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God. And after that no one dared to question him any more.

PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, you are the source of all holiness.

I want to love you with all my heart; forgive me for the times

when heart has shut you out, and I have been cold and indifferent to you.

I want to love you with all my soul:

forgive me for the times

and when my fidelity to you has grown lukewarm, and I have paid only lip-service to your commands.

I want to love you with all my strength: forgive me for the times when I have strayed from the right path and preferred to go my own way.

Give me instead a willing heart, a peaceful soul and steadfast strength in your service.

Terry Mc Namee