Thursday in the Fourth Week of Lent: Daily Lenten Meditations

All Meditations are taken from the book Minute Meditations, from Angelus Press: https://angeluspress.org/products/minute-meditations?mc_cid=517d5bdeb0&mc_eid=1ea5146073

DO YOU LOVE ME?

It was on the shore of the Sea of Tiberius. The golden beams of the morning sun came dancing merrily over the waters hand in hand with the fresh crisp breeze as it gently skimmed the silvery surface and awakened the tiny wavelets from their slumber. Breakfast was over—that wonderful breakfast prepared and served by Jesus after the miraculous draught of fishes. The Master had drawn Peter aside and the two were strolling along the sandy beach. For a time they were silent. Then Jesus spoke and His voice was full of tender pathos: “Simon,” He said, looking gently upon the once faithless, now deeply repentant Apostle, “Simon, do you love Me?”

“Do you love Me?” It was a question that spoke of the unfathomed depths of ardent yearning in the dear Heart of Jesus. It was a question that told of wounded affections, yet still all-forgiving and faithful.

“Do you love Me?” Ah, how often I, too, hear it—that same touching question, whispered by Jesus in accents no less pathetic than when Peter first heard it!

“Do you love Me?” Softly it comes in moments all unexpected, the voice of the Master patiently pleading.

When the path of godliness grows painful and I would desire to abandon it for the broad way that leads to death; when virtue has lost its attraction and willful nature demands pleasure at whatever price; when the flesh rises up against the spirit and my truant affections rebel against restraint; in the hour of darkness and discouragement or the hour of sunshine and success, softly it comes, that same pleading question, now tenderly urging, now gently reproving: Child of My Heart, do you love Me?

And dare I answer with Peter: “Lord, You know that I love You”? Dare I?

O Divine Light, be my Light! 

EPISTLE AND GOSPEL: Taken from the Angelus Press 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

EPISTLE:  IV Kings 4:25-38

Eliseus, who is a figure of Christ, raises the son of the Sunamite woman.

Thus saith the Lord God: Wash yourselves, be clean, take away the evil of your devices from Mine eyes: cease to doIn those days a Sunamite woman came to Eliseus to Mount Carmel: and when the man of God saw her coming towards him, he said to Giezi his servant: Behold that Sunamitess. Go therefore to meet her, and say to her: Is it well with thee, and with thy husband, and with thy son? And she answered: Well. And when she came to the man of God to the mount, she caught hold on his feet: and Giezi came to remove her. And the man of God said: Let her alone: for her soul is in anguish, and the Lord hath hid it from me and hath not told me. And she said to him: Did I ask a son of my lord? Did I not say to thee: Do not deceive me? Then he said to Giezi: Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thy hand and go. If any man meet thee, salute him not: and if any man salute thee, answer him not: and lay my staff upon the face of the child. But the mother of the child said: As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. He arose there-fore, and followed her. But Giezi was gone before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child, and there was no voice nor sense: and he returned to meet him, and told him, saying: The child is not risen. Eliseus therefore went into the house, and behold perversely, learn to do well: seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge for the fatherless, defend the widow. And then come and accuse Me, saith the Lord: if your sins be as scarlet, they shall be made white as snow: and if they be red as crimson, they shall be white as wool. If you be willing, and will hearken to Me, you shall eat the good things of the land: saith the Lord almighty. the child lay dead on his bed: and going in he shut the door upon him, and upon the child: and prayed to the Lord. And he went up and lay upon the child: and he put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands, and he bowed himself upon him: and the child’s flesh grew warm. Then he returned, and walked in the house, once to and fro: and he went up and lay upon him: and the child gaped seven times, and opened his eyes. And he called Giezi, and said to him: Call this Sunamitess. And she being called, went in to him. And he said: Take up thy son. She came and fell at his feet, and worshipped upon the ground: and took up her son, and went out, and Eliseus returned to Galgal.

GOSPEL:  Lk. 7:11-16 (From the 15th Sunday of Pentecost)