Greek Orthodox Arch-Diocese of America Daily Scripture Readings for Thursday, 1 March 2012

From goarch.com:

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Daily Scripture Readings and Lives of the Saints for Thursday, March 1, 2012

Strict Fast

Feasts and Saints celebrated today:

    Eudokia the Martyr of Heliopolis
    Andonina the New Martyr


Readings for today:

    Isaiah 2:11-21
    Genesis 2:4-19
    Proverbs 3:1-18


Eudokia the Martyr of Heliopolis

Reading from the Synaxarion:

This Saint, who was from Heliopolis of Phoenicia (Baalbek in present-day Lebanon), was an idolater and led a licentious life.  Being beautiful beyond telling, she had many lovers, and had acquired great riches.  Yet brought to repentance by a monk named Germanus, and baptized by Bishop Theodotus, she distributed to the poor all her ill-gotten gains, and entered a convent, giving herself up completely to the life of asceticism.  Her former lovers, enraged at her conversion, her refusal to return to her old ways, and the withering away of her beauty through the severe mortifications she practiced, betrayed her as a Christian to Vincent the Governor, and she was beheaded, according to some, under Trajan, who reigned from 98 to 117, according to others, under Hadrian, who reigned from 117 to 138.

Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone
In thee the image was preserved with exactness, O Mother; for taking up thy cross, thou didst follow Christ, and by thy deeds thou didst teach us to overlook the flesh, for it passeth away, but to attend to the soul since it is immortal. Wherefore, O righteous Eudokia, thy spirit rejoiceth with the Angels.


Kontakion in the Fourth Tone
When thou wast brought up from the mire of transgression, like a most precious stone whose brightness is darkened, repentance made thee shine again with godliness; and when thou hadst reached the height of ascetical striving.  Christ made thee illustrious with the glory of contest, and hath bestowed on thee His grace to heal, O wise Eudokia, thou rival of angel-kind.


This content is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved:
    Reading (c) Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA 
    Apolytikion (c) Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA 
    Kontakion (c) Holy Transfiguration Monastery - Brookline, MA 



Old Testament Reading

The reading is from Isaiah 2:11-21

The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the pride of men shall be humbled; and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.

For the Lord of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up and high; against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up; and against all the oaks of Bashan; against all the high mountains, and against all the lofty hills; against every high tower, and against every fortified wall; against all the ships of Tarshish, and against all the beautiful craft.  And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled, and the pride of men shall be brought low; and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.  And the idols shall utterly pass away.  And men shall enter the caves of the rocks and the holes of the ground, from before the terror of the Lord, and from the glory of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth.

In that day men will cast forth their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats, to enter the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs, from before the terror of the Lord, and from the glory of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth.

    (c) 2012 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Old Testament Reading

The reading is from Genesis 2:4-19

These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.

In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up -- for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground -- then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.  And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed.  And out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers.  The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which flows around the whole land of Hav'ilah, where there is gold; and the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there.  The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one which flows around the whole land of Cush.  And the name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria.  And the fourth river is the Euphra'tes.

The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.  And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die."

Then the Lord God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."  So out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.

    (c) 2012 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Old Testament Reading

The reading is from Proverbs 3:1-18

My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; for length of days and years of life and abundant welfare will they give you.

Let not loyalty and faithfulness forsake you; bind them about your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.  So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.  Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.  It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.

Honor the Lord with your substance and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.

My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.

Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gets understanding, for the gain from it is better than gain from silver and its profit better than gold.  She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her.  Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.  Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.  She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called happy.

    (c) 2012 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland (EKD) (German Evangelical [Protestant] Church) Evangelium Tag für Tag (Daily Scriptural Readings) für Donnerstag, am 1en März 2012 (for Thursday, the 1st of March 2012)

From ETfT:

EVANGELIUM TAG FÜR TAG

«Herr, zu wem sollen wir gehen? Du hast Worte des ewigen Lebens.» Joh. 6,68

Donnerstag, 01 März 2012

Donnerstag der 1. Fastenwoche

Heiligen des Tages : Hl. Roger 



Donnerstag, 01 März 2012

Hl. Roger

 Die anderen Heiligen des Tages...

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Hl. Roger

Erzbischof von Bourges

* um 1285 im Schloss in Les Ternes im Département Creuse in Frankreich
† 1368 (?) in Bourges in Frankreich

Roger studierte Jura, wurde 1316 Stiftsherr in Rouen, 1317 Domdechant in Bourges, dann Professor der Rechte in Orléans, 1321 Bischof von Orléans, 1328 Bischof von Limoges und 1343 Erzbischof von Bourges. Er kümmerte sich um Arme und Kranke, errichtete in Bourges ein Spital und in Ternes ein Priorat der Cölestiner.

http://www.heiligenlexikon.de

Donnerstag, 01 März 2012

Hl. Albinus

 Die anderen Heiligen des Tages...

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Hl. Albinus

Bischof von Angers

* um 496
† 554

Albinus war Augustiner-Chorherr bei Angers, wurde Abt im Kloster Tincillacense in Westfrankreich und 529 Bischof von Angers. Er stellte die religiöse Zucht in seiner Diözese wieder her und wurde durch Wundertaten bekannt.

www.heiligenlexikon.de

Donnerstag, 01 März 2012

Hl. David von Menevia

 Die anderen Heiligen des Tages...

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Hl. David von Menevia
Einsiedler, erster Bischof von Mynyw / Menevia
* um 520 an der St Brides Bay, in der heutigen Grafschaft Pembrokeshire in Wales
† 1. März 588, 589 oder 601 in Mynyw, dem heutigen St. David's in in Pembrokeshire in Wales
David wird in der walisischen Sprache Dewi genannt. Die wichtigste Informationsquelle über ihn ist die von dem walisischen Gelehrten Rhygyfarch um 1090 verfasste Biographie. Nach diesem Bericht wurde Dewi als Sohn von Adligen in der Nähe der St Brides Bay in der heutigen Grafschaft Pembrokeshire geboren. Er lebte als Einsiedler und strenger Asket in den Bergen von Wales. Nachdem er die Priesterweihe empfangen hatte, unternahm er Missionsreisen, die ihn schließlich in das Heilige Land führten, wo er zum Bischof geweiht wurde. Nach seiner Rückkehr nach Wales spielte er 560 und 569 eine führende Rolle in zwei Synoden, die sich gegen den Pelagianismus richteten, welcher die Erbsünde verneint.
Dewi soll viele Kirchen überall in Südwales gegründet haben. Ein ihm zugeschriebenes Bußbuch war seit dem 8. Jahrhundert auch auf dem Kontinent verbreitet. Sein Grab in St David's - dem ehemaligen Mynyw / Menevia -, war bis zur Reformation ein bedeutender Wallfahrtsort. 966 wurden Gebeine von Menevia nach Glastonbury überführt, im 10. Jahrhundert wurde von den Walisern das Eingreifen Dewis und der Heiligen von Britannien in den Kampf zur Vertreibung der Engländer erfleht.


www.heiligenlexikon.de

Donnerstag, 01 März 2012

Hl. Suitbert (Swidbert) von Kaiserswerth

 Die anderen Heiligen des Tages...

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Hl. Suitbert (Swidbert) von Kaiserswerth
Glaubensbote, Klostergründer, Abt von Kaiserswerth
* in England
† im März 713 im heutigen Kaiserswerth nördlich Düsseldorf in Nordrhein-Westfalen
Die Legende von Suitberts Geburt erzählt, wie ein Stern, zwei Strahlen aussendend, vor seiner Geburt auf das Lager seiner Mutter stürzte; Bischof Aidan von Lindisfarne deutete ihr den Traum: der Knabe, der zur Welt käme, sei berufen, in zwei Ländern - Gallien und Germanien - zu wirken.
In York wurde Suitbert als Schüler von Egbert ausgebildet. Mit 12 angelsächsischen Gefährten kam er 690 als Glaubensbote unter Willibrord in das südliche Friesland. 692/693 wählten ihn seine Gefährten zum Bischof, er kehrte in seine Heimat zurück und wurde von Wilfrid von York zum Missionsbischof geweiht. Nach erneutem Aufenthalt in Friesland wandte er sich dann aber - wie Kirchengeschichtsschreiber Beda Venerabilis berichtete - einer selbständigen Missionstätigkeit in dem von den Brukterern besiedelten Bereich an Ruhr und Lippe. Suitberts Arbeit blieb erfolglos - auch weil die einfallenden Sachsen seine Anlagen zerstörten. Er verlegte nun seine Tätigkeit auf fränkisches Gebiet und gründete 695 auf der ihm vom Majordomus der Merowinger, Pippin dem Mittleren, und dessen Frau Plektrudis geschenkten Rheininsel das Benediktinerkloster Swidbertswerth, das später Kaiserswerth genannt wurde, dem er als Abt vorstand.
Nach seinem Tod bildeten sich um den bald als heilig verehrten Suitbert zahlreiche Legenden. Traditionell wurde Suitbert auch als Apostel des Bergischen Landes bezeichnet, neuere Forschung hat aber erkannt, dass sich sein Einfluss nur auf die engere Umgebung seiner Gründung Swidbertswerth und die angrenzende Rheinebene erstreckt haben kann. Seine Gebeine liegen in einem kostbaren Schrein von 1264 in der Stiftskirche in Kaiserswerth.


www.heiligenlexikon.de

Kommentar zum heutigen Evangelium -
Hl. Johannes Chrysostomos : «Bittet, dann wird euch gegeben»

Buch Ester 14,1.3-5.12-14.

Auch die Königin Ester wurde von Todesangst ergriffen und suchte Zuflucht beim Herrn. Sie legte ihre prächtigen Gewänder ab und zog die Kleider der Notzeit und Trauer an. Statt der kostbaren Salben tat sie Asche und Staub auf ihr Haupt, vernachlässigte ihren Körper, und wo sie sonst ihren prunkvollen Schmuck trug, hingen jetzt ihre Haare in Strähnen herab. Und sie betete zum Herrn, dem Gott Israels:
Herr, unser König, du bist der Einzige. Hilf mir! Denn ich bin allein und habe keinen Helfer außer dir; die Gefahr steht greifbar vor mir.
Von Kindheit an habe ich in meiner Familie und meinem Stamm gehört, dass du, Herr,Israel aus allen Völkern erwählt hast; du hast dir unsere Väter aus allen ihren Vorfahren als deinen ewigen Erbbesitz ausgesucht und hast an ihnen gehandelt, wie du es versprochen hattest.
Denk an uns, Herr! Offenbare dich in der Zeit unserer Not, und gib mir Mut, König der Götter und Herrscher über alle Mächte!
Leg mir in Gegenwart des Löwen die passenden Worte in den Mund, und stimm sein Herz um, damit er unseren Feind hasst und ihn und seine Gesinnungsgenossen vernichtet.
Uns aber rette mit deiner Hand! Hilf mir, denn ich bin allein und habe niemand außer dir, o Herr! 

Psalm 138(137),1-2a.2bc-3.7c-8.

[Von David.] Ich will dir danken aus ganzem Herzen, dir vor den Engeln singen und spielen;
ich will mich niederwerfen zu deinem heiligen Tempel hin und deinem Namen danken für deine Huld und Treue. Denn du hast die Worte meines Mundes gehört, deinen Namen und dein Wort über alles verherrlicht.
Du hast mich erhört an dem Tag, als ich rief; du gabst meiner Seele große Kraft.
Gehe ich auch mitten durch große Not: du erhältst mich am Leben. Du streckst die Hand aus gegen meine wütenden Feinde, und deine Rechte hilft mir.

Der Herr nimmt sich meiner an. Herr, deine Huld währt ewig. Laß nicht ab vom Werk deiner Hände!

Evangelium nach Matthäus 7,7-12.

Bittet, dann wird euch gegeben; sucht, dann werdet ihr finden; klopft an, dann wird euch geöffnet.
Denn wer bittet, der empfängt; wer sucht, der findet; und wer anklopft, dem wird geöffnet.
Oder ist einer unter euch, der seinem Sohn einen Stein gibt, wenn er um Brot bittet,
oder eine Schlange, wenn er um einen Fisch bittet?
Wenn nun schon ihr, die ihr böse seid, euren Kindern gebt, was gut ist, wieviel mehr wird euer Vater im Himmel denen Gutes geben, die ihn bitten.
Alles, was ihr also von anderen erwartet, das tut auch ihnen! Darin besteht das Gesetz und die Propheten.

Auszug aus der liturgischen Übersetzung der Bibel



Kommentar zum heutigen Evangelium :

Hl. Johannes Chrysostomos (ca. 345-407), Priester in Antiochia und später Bischof vonKonstantinopel, Kirchenlehrer
Homilien zur Unergründlichkeit Gottes, Nr. 5

«Bittet, dann wird euch gegeben»

Das Gebet ist eine mächtige Waffe, ein unvergänglicher Schatz, ein nicht versiegender Reichtum, ein vor Stürmen sicherer Hafen, ein erholsamer Ort der Ruhe. Das Gebet ist Wurzel, Quelle und Mutter zahlloser Güter... Das Gebet, von dem ich spreche, ist aber weder dürftig noch unachtsam gesprochen, sondern leidenschaftlich; es entspringt seelischer Bedrängnis und geistiger Anstrengung. So beschaffen ist das Gebet, das zum Himmel emporsteigt... Höre, was der Psalmist sagt: „Ich rief zum Herrn in meiner Not und er hat mich erhört“ (Ps 120,1). Wer in seiner Pein so betet, wird am Ende des Gebeteseine tiefe innere Freude empfinden...

Unter Gebet verstehe ich nicht nur das gesprochene Gebet, sondern das Gebet, das aus der Tiefe des Herzens kommt. Wie tief verwurzelte Bäume, selbst wenn Stürme sie tausendfach angreifen, sich nicht knicken oder entwurzeln lassen, so steigen auch Gebete, die aus tiefstem Herzen kommen und tief verwurzelt sind, sicher zum Himmel auf und werden nicht durch irgendeinen Mangel an Zuversicht oder Verdienst abgelenkt. Deshalb sagt der Psalmist: „Aus der Tiefe rufe ich, Herr, zu dir“ (Ps 130,1)...

Wenn es dich schon erleichtert, wenn du dein eigenes Missgeschick und die dir auferlegten Prüfungen Menschen mitteilen kannst – ganz so, als käme durch Worte eine erfrischende Brise auf – umso mehr wird es dich trösten und stärken, wenn du den Herrn an den Qualen deiner Seele teilhaben lässt. Freilich fällt es uns oft schwer, Menschen zu ertragen, die sich bei uns über andere beklagen und ausweinen. Wir gehen ihnen aus dem Weg und weisen sie zurück. Gott aber macht es nicht so. Im Gegenteil, er lässt dich näher kommen und zieht dich an sich. Auch wenn du den ganzen Tag damit zubringst, ihm dein Elend darzulegen, hat er dich deswegen noch lieber und erhört noch bereitwilliger deine Bitten.    

Mind Like a Mirror

From Tricycle:

Mind Like a Mirror

The shimmering reflections of consciousnessAndrew Olendzki

 “The mind is luminous, but is polluted by the toxins that are dumped into it.” This is a translation, updated for our times, of a well-known passage found in the early discourses of the Buddha (Anguttara Nikaya 1.6). It has been taken by some to point toward a transpersonal consciousness that is somehow abiding below, behind, or above the consciousness arising each moment in a person’s experience when a sense object impinges upon a sense organ, but it does not seem to have this sense in the early literature. Rather we find the image of a pool of limpid water that, when still, can clearly reflect the nature of whatever impinges upon it. Consciousness is not a force larger than ourselves but a process taking place within ourselves, with no individualizing characteristics beyond the basic function of “knowing” an object. Mind is thus neither the source of light, like a shining sun, nor the reflected light of something greater, like the moon, but a shimmering pool of contingent potential, capable of reflecting sun, moon, and any other object that happens to dance upon its surface. Its function is more important than its essence, and is influenced significantly by the nature of what gets stirred into its pristine waters. 

The diversity of experience comes not from consciousness itself but from the other four aggregates in the mix: an apparently infinite array of physical and mental objects; the interpretation of these by means of the symbolic language of perception; their texturing with varying shades of pleasant and unpleasant feeling tones; and both the active intentions and passive dispositions that respond each moment to the impingement of these objects with the enactment of karma. In this sense, consciousness itself is like a mirror whose only function is to reflect whatever it encounters—the content of experience is provided by other mental processes. In particular it is the karma formations of the sankhara aggregate that color the experience of an object with mental states and emotional responses. Whenever we see, hear, smell, taste, touch, or think of an object, we do so with a particular attitude or emotion that gets stirred in like an additive to consciousness. These can be either wholesome or unwholesome— healthy or toxic—and can thus either clarify or contaminate the mind’s ability to know itself and its environment. 

The image of polluted water is elaborated upon in the Numerical Discourses (Anguttara Nikaya 5.193). “Suppose there is a bowl of water,” says the sutta, going on to describe the water as impinged upon in some way by an external factor that pollutes its depths or agitates its surface. Under such circumstances, “If a man with good sight were to examine his own facial reflection in it, he would neither know nor see it as it really is.” The text goes through a list of mental states called the five hindrances, showing how each one of them can be seen to obscure the natural luminosity and reflective ability of the mind. 

Sense desire, the subtle inclination of the mind toward alluring objects, is said to be like a bowl of water “mixed with lac, turmeric, blue or crimson dye.” The pellucid quality of the mind is ruined by dumping such distorting and obscuring substances into its clear waters. 

Ill will, the equally subtle inclination of the mind away from all disturbing or unpleasing objects, is said to be like “water being heated over a fire, bubbling and boiling.” Even in English we refer to this sense of anger and hatred as fires that heat the mind up with destructive emotions. Boiling furiously, the mirroring potential of the mind is lost. 

Sloth and torpor, those mental factors contributing to sluggishness, sleepiness, or laziness of mind, are likened to “water covered over with water plants and algae.” Such growths take root in indolence and a lack of diligence, and so encumber the mind that its surface becomes obscured. 

Restlessness and remorse, their opposite qualities, are identified with “water stirred by the wind, rippling, swirling, churned into wavelets.” When the mind is agitated by gales of anxiety, hyperactivity, multitasking, or incessant internal chattering, it is no longer capable of seeing things as they are. 

Doubt is the hindrance that causes us to lack confidence, questioning ourselves, our actions, our teachers, and almost everything else. It is said to be similar to “water that is turbid, unsettled, muddy, or placed in the dark.” Here too, the conditions for the mind’s natural reflectivity are hampered so much that it can no longer function. 

Such a model of the mind encourages us always to take on the dual projects of tranquilization and purification. Meditation can be understood as an enterprise of quieting the mind, in order to allow its surface to settle into a reflective plane. But the quality of the water itself also needs attention. This involves, among other things, examining its depths for the presence of toxins, neutralizing these contaminants at every opportunity, and developing diligent moral habits to ensure that new pollutants are dumped into the mind as little as possible. Fortunately, the texts also offer a set of antidotes for each of these poisons, so pouring in such dispersants as non-attachment, lovingkindness, energy, tranquility, and confidence, is sure to have a wholesome, purifying effect. 

It can be exceedingly difficult to entirely shut off the source of toxic influxes into the mind, especially those that flow in from the deepest reaches of the psyche. This is finally accomplished only by an arahant or a buddha. Yet there are plenty of ways in which we can stem the flow, working each moment to calm the waters, siphon out the debris, and catch glimpses of what the world looks like when the mind is able to let it all come and go without attachment, appropriation, or interference. Everything becomes luminous when we clarify the waters and let all things be just what they are. 

Andrew Olendzki, Ph.D., is the executive director and senior scholar at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies in Barre, Massachusetts, and the editor of Insight Journal. He is the author of Unlimiting Mind.

Image 1: Photograph by Gaetan Charbonneau / Millennium Images, UK

Catholic Liturgical Year--Lent--Overview for February 29, 2012 to March 14, 2012

From CatholicCulture.org:

Overview for February 29, 2012 to March 14, 2012

Lent February Feb. 29 Wednesday of the First Week of Lent "Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to ... Weekday March Mar. 1 Thursday of the First Week of Lent Today the Church in Wales and England celebrates the feast of St. David, bishop and patron of Wales. Very little is known about the life of St. David (Dewi Sant). He belonged to that great monastic movement which became ... Weekday Mar. 2 Friday of the First Week of Lent Historically today is the feast of Blessed Charles the Good, the Danish prince, son of the holy king Canuto IV, gained the crown of the Count of Flanders from his maternal lineage. After an initial brief interval, his reign was ... Weekday Mar. 3 Optional Memorial of St. Katharine Drexel, virgin (USA) Today the dioceses of the United States celebrate the optional memorial of St. Katharine Drexel. Born into a wealthy Philadelphia family, Katharine took an avid interest in the material and spiritual well-being of African and ... Opt. Mem. Mar. 4 Second Sunday of Lent Between Moses and Elias Jesus shows forth His divine glory, thus foreshadowing His resurrection. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end of all things. Today's Mass places before us the transfigured Lord and the ... Sunday Mar. 5 Monday of the Second Week of Lent Historically today is the feast of St. John Joesph of the Cross who was born on the Island of Ischia in Southern Italy. At the age of sixteen years he entered the Order of St. Francis at Naples , amongst the Friars of the ... Weekday Mar. 6 Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent "If your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:20)." The need to make reparation is a vital, inescapable urge of a free person. His very nature ... Weekday Mar. 7 Memorial of Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, martyrs The account of the martyrdom of Sts. Perpetua and Felicity forms one of the finest pages of the history of the first centuries of the Church. It shows us clearly the wonderful sentiments of these two women when they heard that ... Memorial Mar. 8 Optional Memorial of St. John of God, religious  "God is love! Whoever abides in love; abides in God and God in him" (motto of St. John's community). St. John of God, who was of Portuguese descent, was first a shepherd, a dealer and then a soldier. At the age of forty he was ... Opt. Mem. Mar. 9 Optional Memorial of St. Frances of Rome, religious; Feast of St. John Ogilvie, priest and martyr (Scotland) "I give you a new commandment: Love one another as I have loved you, says the Lord (Jn 13:34)." In the fifteenth century St. Frances, among the noble ladies of Rome, showed herself an example of what a Christian wife should be. ... Opt. Mem. Mar. 10 Saturday of the Second Week of Lent According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of the Forty Holy Martyrs of Sebaste, a group of forty soldiers who suffered a martyr's death for their steadfast faith ... Weekday Mar. 11 Third Sunday of Lent He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money-changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins ... Sunday Mar. 12 Monday of the Third Week of Lent According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of Pope St. Gregory the Great. His feast in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite is celebrated on September ... Weekday Mar. 13 Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent  On the Cross, Christ is both priest and victim; he fulfills Isaiah's description of him as the suffering servant. And the whole of his teaching is to make us ready to live our sacramental life in his spirit of sacrifice. He ... Weekday Mar. 14 Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent Lent should be seen not only as a season in preparation for the Passover of Our Lord Jesus, but also as a time and a path of grace, as we make our way, amidst temptation and struggle with sin, towards the encounter with the ... Weekday

The liturgical year resources on CatholicCulture.org are currently complete through Thursday, May 31, 2012.