St. Margaret of Clitherow
St. Margaret Clitherow was born in Middleton, England around the year 1555 to a protestant family. Margaret was known throughout the town for her wit and good looks, and in 1571 she married John Clitherow, and together they bore two children.
Several years after her marriage to John, Margaret was introduced to the Catholic faith, and converted.
She was a zealous defender of Catholicism and hid fugitive priests in her home. Eventually, Margaret was turned in to the sheriff and tried for the crime of harboring Catholic priests.
While Margaret was on trial, many efforts were made to encourage her to deny the Catholic faith, but she held firmly.
Finally, Margaret was condemned to be pressed to death upon sharp rocks. She was executed on March 25, 1586.Pope Paul VI canonized Margaret in 1970.
Daniel 3:25, 34-43
25 In the fire Azariah stood up and prayed aloud:
34 For your name's sake, do not deliver us up forever, or make void your covenant.
35 Do not take away your mercy from us, for the sake of Abraham, your beloved, Isaac your servant, and Israel your holy one,
36 To whom you promised to multiply their offspring like the stars of heaven, or the sand on the shore of the sea.
37 For we are reduced, O Lord, beyond any other nation, brought low everywhere in the world this day because of our sins.
38 We have in our day no prince, prophet, or leader,
no holocaust, sacrifice, oblation, or incense, no place to offer first
fruits, to find favor with you.
39 But with contrite heart and humble spirit let us be received;
40 As though it were holocausts of rams and bullocks,
or thousands of fat lambs, So let our sacrifice be in your presence
today as we follow you unreservedly; for those who trust in you cannot
be put to shame.
41 And now we follow you with our whole heart, we fear you and we pray to you.
42 Do not let us be put to shame, but deal with us in your kindness and great mercy.
43 Deliver us by your wonders, and bring glory to your name, O Lord:
Matthew 18:21-35
21 Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how
often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as
seven times?"
22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.
23 "Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.
24 When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents;
25 and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be
sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be
made.
26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, `Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.'
27 And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.
28 But that same servant, as he went out, came upon
one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing
him by the throat he said, `Pay what you owe.'
29 So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, `Have patience with me, and I will pay you.'
30 He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt.
31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place,
they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord
all that had taken place.
32 Then his lord summoned him and said to him, `You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me;
33 and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?'
34 And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt.
35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."
Psalms 25:4-9
4 Make me to know thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me, for thou art the God of my salvation; for thee I wait all the day long.
6 Be mindful of thy mercy, O LORD, and of thy steadfast love, for they have been from of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth, or my
transgressions; according to thy steadfast love remember me, for thy
goodness' sake, O LORD!
8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9 He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.
Lord, teach me your paths
Tue 26th March 20193rd Week of Lent
Dan. 3:25,34-43;Ps. 25(24):4-5,6,7,8-9;
Mt. 18:21-35 (Ps Wk III)
“Your
ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me your paths”. In the Reflection
above for Wednesday of the Second week of Lent, we spoke of the way
Jesus continued to teach and form his disciples. Today in response to
the Responsorial psalm’s plea to God to teach us and guide us, let us
continue that reflection today, for the third time that Jesus spoke to
the disciples about his Passion and death, as we read especially in Mark
9:32. They did not understand what Jesus said and were afraid to ask
him, but at least there was no longer any rejection of the idea of
Jesus’ death.
It is only really at the resurrection and then
with the coming of the Spirit that they will fully understand and accept
the mystery which they revolted against:Our faith is enlightened and
strengthened by the resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit and
so teaches us not to be afraid to ask God to teach us, for there is much
about life and death that we do not fully understand.
Because
of Jesus’ resurrection and the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are formed to
go beyond any lack of understanding to a full acceptance of what Jesus
meant, for he is the truth incarnate and “to whom else can we go since
he has the words of eternal life” as Peter affirmed (Jn 6:67).
Father, when we are lost and do not understand, continue with the patience of love to form us.
