15 Mar Thu 2nd Week of Lent Jer. 17:5-10 Ps. 1:1- 2, 3, 4, 6 Lk. 16:9-31 How To Pray With Shalom Home Page of Shalom Index of This Month        In Matthew's Gospel we read the Sermon on the Mount, in which we hear Jesus proclaim a series of "Beatitudes". Precious though this teaching is, we would miss a great deal of the consolation of the word of God if we failed to see the great number of beatitudes scattered all through the Bible. The very first words of the Book of Psalms are a beatitude: "Blessed the one who does not follow the counsel of the wicked." Jeremiah has something similar to say, and he highlights the greatness of this blessedness by reminding us of the curse, the absolute lack of blessedness, which follows upon turning our hearts away from the Lord. Though the words of the Bible can at times sound severe and uncompromising, the intention of God is always that we should experience blessedness. This intention of God that humanity should come to blessedness was manifested to Israel in the Covenant and the Law. It is manifested for us in the mystery of the life, passion, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus our Lord, the Word of God, the Truth of God, the Wisdom of God.           Guide us, Lord, along the everlasting way. May we always be blessed as we delight in Your Word and Your Truth. May we find our true happiness in the mystery of Jesus. DAILY OFFERING Eternal Father, I offer You everything I do this day; my thoughts, words, joys and sufferings. Grant that, vivified by the Holy Spirit and united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, my life this day may be of service to You and to others. I also pray that all those preparing for marriage discover in Sacrament the source of Christ's grace for living a fithful and fruitful love. Amen. PRAYING WITH THE CHURCH INTENTION That, with the committed help of all believers, the scourge of poverty may come to an end, eliminating the intolerable social and economic inequality in the world Elaboration
- END - P R A Y I N G    W I T H    T H E    C H U R C H     INTENTION : That, with the committed help of all believers, the scourge of poverty may come to an end, eliminating the intolerable social and economic inequality in the world One might also say that poverty is the negation of economic and social rights and that the poor who suffer from absolute poverty are denied the most fundamental right which is the right to life. The international community too is becoming progressively more aware of the gravity of the problem and has declared solemnly to fight and reduce extreme poverty by 2015. Besides, how can we not realise the situation growing worse in spite of the increase in available resources. The problem of unequal distribution of resources in its correct setting is an ethical one, since it is a problem of justice: the poor are in the first place victims of injustice. In the era of globalisation we can no longer tolerate a world in which the very rich live side by side with the poor, the property less who lack even the essentials with people who shamelessly waste what others desterately need. One of the more evident worrying consequences of this phenomenon is in fact the progressive increase instead of the decrease of inequalities, in both poor countries and rich countries, and between the North and South. Let us pray that the scourge of poverty may come to an end - END -