Praying the Communion Antiphon Series: Second Monday of Lent

 Praying the Communion Antiphon

Praying the Communion Antiphon

A Time Set Apart: Monday Second Week of Lent

Perfect Love Is Mercy

Communion Antiphon (Luke 6:36)

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

 

Thinking About the Words

Last Saturday we heard:

“Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

It is as though the Church lets the command settle for a day…
and then clarifies what “perfection” actually looks like.  It is not flawlessness bur rather Mercy.

Today, the Church gives us the interpretation.

What is that perfection?

 

“Be merciful.”

The Greek word carries the sense of compassion that moves toward another’s weakness. It is not sentiment. It is action shaped by tenderness.

“Just as your Father is merciful.”

The measure again is not comparison with others. It is resemblance to God.

And today’s Gospel provides the method:

Do not judge.
Do not condemn.
Forgive.
Give.

Mercy is not vague kindness. It is disciplined generosity of heart.

Perfection is not unreachable idealism. It is merciful love made practical.

At Communion, we receive the mercy of the Father in the Person of the Son.

Then we are asked to mirror it.

 

Reflection

• Where am I quick to judge rather than understand?
• Is there someone I need to forgive in order to resemble the Father more closely?
• What would mercy look like in one concrete action today?
• Do I measure myself by standards of performance — or by resemblance to God’s compassion?

 

Prayer

Merciful Father,
shape my heart after Yours.
Teach me to forgive,
to give generously,
and to love without calculation.

 

Praying the Communion Antiphon series: Saturday First Week of Lent

 Praying the Communion Antiphon Series

Praying the  Communion Antiphon

A Time Set Apart – Saturday, First Week of Lent

As the Father Is

Communion Antiphon (Matthew 5:48)

Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

 

Thinking About the Words

“Be perfect.”

This word can unsettle us.

In English, perfect suggests flawlessness — no mistakes, no weakness. The Greek word teleios carries a fuller meaning: complete, mature, brought to fulfilment. It is about wholeness rather than faultlessness.

Jesus speaks these words at the end of the teaching on love of enemies. The “perfection” He describes is not moral performance. It is love that reflects the Father.

“As your heavenly Father is perfect.”

The measure is not comparison with others.  It is resemblance to God.

We may ask ourselves: what is the Father’s perfection in this passage?

He gives sun and rain to both the just and the unjust. He loves without calculation.

At Communion, we receive the Son who perfectly reveals the Father. The call to perfection is not an impossible command — it is an invitation to participate in divine love.

Lent is not about polishing ourselves into spiritual trophies.  It is about allowing our love to grow wider, steadier, less selective.

 

Reflection

• When I hear “be perfect,” do I feel pressure — or invitation?
• Where is my love still conditional?
• Do I measure myself against others rather than against the generosity of the Father?
• What would “maturity in love” look like in one concrete situation this week?

We began the week with mercy.
We end it with perfection — defined as love.

That arc is deeply Lenten.

 

Prayer

Father,
shape my heart in Your likeness.
Teach me to love without measure
as You love me.

 

 

Ps Sorry for the lateness of this post.

Collect Series: Second Sunday Lent Year A

 Collect Series

The Mass: Collect Series Icon

COLLECT SERIES

 

 

COLLECT

The Collect for the Second Sunday of Lent reads as follows:

 

O God who have commanded us to listen to Your beloved Son,

Be pleased we pray, to nourish us inwardly by Your word,

That with spiritual sight made pure, we may rejoice to behold Your glory.

Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, Your Son,

Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

One God, for ever and ever.

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

 

In making this prayer more tangible for during the week, the following reflection questions emerged.

 

1.    What does it mean to hear and what does it mean to listen?

2.    Am I following the command to listen to Jesus- the beloved Son?

3.    What excuses/obstacles do I make/are in the way of spending time to listen to Jesus?

4.    How do I study and pray God’s word?

5.    How will I listen/prayer and study God’s word this coming week?

6.    What are the sins/obstacles and problems in my life hindering my spiritual sight?  What will I do about at least one of these sins/obstacles/problems this coming week?

Entering The Week

 

·         What has begun to surface in me during this Lenten journey so far?

·         Where am I finding it easy to pray — and where am I encountering resistance or distraction

 

GOSPEL REFLECTION

Matthew 17:1–9

Theme: “Listen to Him”.

 

Setting the Scene

Midway through the journey of Lent, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up a high mountain. Away from the crowds and daily demands, something extraordinary unfolds before them.

Jesus is transfigured before their eyes. His face shines like the sun and His clothes become dazzling white. Moses and Elijah appear beside Him, representing the Law and the Prophets, now fulfilled in Christ. Overwhelmed by what they see, the disciples wish to remain in this moment of glory.

Then a cloud overshadows them, and a voice is heard: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.” The moment is both radiant and unsettling. As quickly as it comes, the vision passes, and Jesus leads them back down the mountain.

 

Gospel Reflection: Light Given for the Journey

The Transfiguration is not an escape from the reality of suffering; it is a preparation for it. Just before this Gospel, Jesus speaks openly about His Passion. The light revealed on the mountain strengthens the disciples for what lies ahead.

Lent follows this same pattern. Moments of clarity, consolation, or peace are not given so that we cling to them, but so that we may continue the journey with trust. God offers light, not to remove the cross, but to help us carry it.

The voice from the cloud does not say “understand everything” or “remain here”, but “listen to Him.” Discipleship is rooted in attentiveness — learning to listen to Jesus even when the path becomes difficult or unclear.

 

Personal Reflection

This Gospel invites us to reflect on the moments when God has revealed something of Himself to us — moments of insight, joy, or reassurance. Like the disciples, we may wish to stay in those moments and avoid returning to ordinary life.

Yet Lent reminds us that faith is lived not on the mountain alone, but in daily faithfulness. The memory of light sustains us when prayer feels dry or when the journey becomes demanding.

As Week 2 of Lent begins, this Gospel asks us a simple but profound question: Am I listening to Jesus? Not only when His words are comforting, but when they call me to trust, change, and deeper surrender.

 

Questions for Reflection

·         What moments of light or clarity have strengthened my faith?

·         Where do I resist leaving the “mountaintop” behind?

·         What does it mean for me to listen to Jesus in my daily life?

·         How do I respond when faith requires trust rather than certainty?

·         What might God be preparing me for through this Lenten journey?

 

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus,
You reveal Your glory
not to overwhelm us,
but to strengthen us for the journey.

Help me to listen to You
in moments of light and in moments of shadow.
Give me the courage to walk forward in trust,
carrying Your word in my heart
as I continue this Lenten path.
Amen.

 

 

 

 

Praying the Communion Antiphon series: Friday first week of Lent

 
Praying the Communion Antiphon

Praying the Communion Antiphon series

A Time Set Apart – Friday First Week of Lent

Turn and Live

Communion Antiphon (Ezekiel 33:11)
As I live, says the Lord God,
I have no pleasure in the death of the sinner

but that the wicked turn from his way and live.

 

Thinking About the Words

“As I live…”

This is covenant language. It is an oath. God swears by His own life. This is not a passing sentiment — it is solemn declaration.

“I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked.”

This line corrects many false images of God.

God is not eager to condemn.  He is not waiting to punish.  He does not delight in downfall. 

Some translations use the word wicked and others use the word sinner.  Both are translations of the Hebrew rashaʿ — which carries the sense of one who is in the wrong, one out of alignment, one acting unjustly.

“Wicked” feels strong — Old Testament covenant language.

It evokes:

• Golden calf.
• Desert grumbling.
• False gods.
• Breaking covenant.
• Ten Commandments as boundary lines of life.

“Sinner” feels more personal and relational.

 

“But that the wicked turn… and live.”

The heart of the verse is not death — it is turning.

In Hebrew, the word suggests repentance, yes — but more literally, a change of direction. A return.

Lent is not about fear of death.  It is about movement toward life. Notice: this is prayed at Communion. The One who gives Himself to us declares that He desires life for us. As we receive Christ, we are receiving the One who longs for our turning, not our failure. This is not harshness. It is invitation.

We may ponder: What is turning back to me?

In Hebrew, the word is shuv — return.  It is directional. Notice something beautiful:

God says He desires that the wicked “turn from his way and live.”

The emphasis is not on moral accounting.  It is on direction.

Lent is not:  “Prove you are not wicked.”  It is:“Turn and live.”

In the Old Testament we think of the desert generation. During their time through the desert, they turned away — toward fear, toward idols.  In the New Testament, the disciples during the Passion except John ran, denied and hid.

Were they wicked/sinners? Were they afraid?  Peter wept bitterly — and that was the beginning of his turning.  When we think of the parable of the prodigal son , the younger son says “I will arise and go…” That is shuv.

Turning begins in the heart before it becomes visible in behaviour.

He died and rose so that we could live. Am I alive or in the grave?

That is deeply Lenten.  Sometimes “wickedness” is not dramatic evil.

Sometimes it is:

• Numbness.
• Resignation.
• Spiritual fatigue.
• Living as if resurrection hasn’t happened.

Turning might mean:

• Leaving self-protection.
• Leaving pride.
• Leaving indifference.
• Leaving despair.

Ezekiel also speaks elsewhere of:

“I will give you a new heart.”

Turning is not self-generated moral strength.  It is responding to divine invitation.

 

And the Eucharistic Context

This is the key. At Communion, we hear: “I have no pleasure in your death.”

The One who says this is about to give Himself. He dies so that we may live.

So “turn and live” is not threat.  It is promise.

 

Reflection

• Do I secretly imagine God takes pleasure in my failure?
• Where is the Lord inviting me to turn rather than remain stuck?
• Is my repentance rooted in fear — or in the desire for life?
• What one small turning could I make today?

Friday in Lent often feels weighty. This antiphon is not heavy. It is hopeful. It places life at the centre.-not just life for life sake, but life with Jesus.  As I live. When we pray it and not say it at communion

 

 Prayer

Living God,
You desire that I turn and live.
Give me courage to change direction
and walk toward life in You.

 

Praying the Communion Antiphon Series: Thursday First Week Lent Mt7:8

 Praying the Communion Antiphon Series.

Praying the Communion Antiphon 

A Time Set Apart – Thursday, First Week of Lent

Ask. Seek. Knock.

Communion Antiphon (Matthew 7:8)
Everyone who asks receives;
the one who seeks finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

 

Thinking About the Words

There is movement here.

Ask.
Seek.
Knock.

Lent is not passive waiting. It is active turning.

To ask requires humility. It means to ask without an expectation but with hope.
To seek requires effort. We must have the desire to seek what it is we want to find.
To knock requires persistence. It also implies that we think that someone is there on the other side. When the door is opened, Jesus is always read to receive us.

And notice the promise:
“Everyone.”

There is no narrowing clause. No spiritual elite. The door is not reserved for the already perfect.

In the Gospel context, Jesus is teaching about trust in the Father. The One who invites us to knock is the One who intends to open.

And this is prayed at Communion.

We approach the altar having asked for mercy.
We have sought reconciliation.
We knock at the door of grace.

And the door opens.

Lent is not about proving ourselves worthy to enter.  It is about learning to ask more honestly.

 

Reflection

• What am I truly asking God for this Lent?
• Am I seeking Him — or simply solutions?
• Where have I grown tired of knocking?
• Do I believe the door will open — even if not as I expect?

Activity today 

Keeping this gospel in mind and keeping an inner awareness of what you are thinking and feeling, try:

ask someone for something that you might like ( or not). What do you notice about your thoughts and how does your body feel? How does these thoughts and feelings creep into our relationship with Jesus.

Seek:Look for something you desire. Notice the feelings and the drive/motivation you may have to find what you are looking.   How do I respond when I am seeking Jesus?

Knock on a door today..what do you notice about yourself just before you knock and whilst waiting for a response 'come in'.. take note of these thoughts and feelings.  How do they relate to your relationship with Jesus? 

Prayer

Lord, teach me to ask with humility,
to seek You with perseverance,
and to trust that Your door will open in mercy.

Praying trhe Communion Antiphon series: Wednesday First Week Lent Ps 5:12

Praying the Communion Antiphon Series

Praying the Communion Antiphon series.

A Time Set Apart – Wednesday, First Week of Lent

Taking Refuge

Communion Antiphon (Psalm 5:12)

All who take refuge in you shall be glad, O Lord,

and ever cry out their joy,

and you shall dwell among them.

 Thinking About the Words

“Take refuge.”

This is deeply Old Testament language.

To take refuge is not casual belief. It is deliberate movement. It is stepping out of exposure and into shelter. In the Psalms, refuge suggests protection from enemies, from fear, from inner turmoil.

Lent is often spoken of as a desert. But deserts can be harsh places. The psalm reminds us that God Himself is shelter within the wilderness.

“All who take refuge… shall be glad.”

Notice the order.

Gladness is not the starting point. Refuge is.Joy growing from trust. Then the most beautiful line: “You shall dwell among them.” This is covenant language. Presence. Communion.

At Mass, as we receive the Eucharist, the promise becomes tangible. The One in whom we take refuge truly dwells among us — and within us.

Lent is not withdrawal into isolation.It is movement into deeper dwelling.

 Reflection

• Where do I instinctively seek refuge when I feel pressure?
• Do I turn first to distraction — or to God?
• What would it mean today to consciously take refuge in the Lord?
• Do I believe that joy can grow even in the discipline of Lent?

 This one is gentle and steady — a good tone for midweek. If we are feeling pressured or frantic, this Communion Antiphon  can help us destress physically, emotionally and spiritually because ot the words and its tone. Let the words work on you at Communion.

 Prayer

Lord, be my refuge today.
Dwell within me.
Let my trust become quiet joy.

 

 

Praying the Communion Antiphon Series Tuesday First Week of Lent Ps 4

 Praying the Communion Antiphon Series

Praying the Communion Antiphon Series

A Time Set Apart – Tuesday First Week of Lent

In the Silence of the Heart

Communion Antiphon (Psalm 4:4)

When I called, the God of justice gave me answer;

from anguish you released me; have mercy, O Lord, and hear my prayer.

 

Thinking About the Words

“When I called…”

This is not a theoretical prayer. It is remembered experience.

The psalmist is not asking in abstraction. He is recalling: I have called before and I was heard. It also reminds us that we have a loving Father and He is ready to listen when I call.

Lent often exposes anguish not always dramatic suffering, but interior tension, restlessness, things we would rather not face.

“From anguish you released me.”

The word suggests being widened after constriction. Anguish narrows us. It traps us within our own spirals of thought. Anguish can be at a physical, emotional and spiritual level. Release is spaciousness again. This phrase can become our prayer throughout the day and throughout Lent.

There is also something important in the title “God of justice.”

Justice here is not punishment. It is right-ordering. God restores what is disordered. He sets things straight within us.

And notice: this antiphon is prayed at Communion.

The One we receive is the One who has already heard our cry.
We do not approach unheard.
We approach remembered and loved so much that He died and rose again for us so that we could have eternal life..

 

Reflection

• When have I called on God and truly experienced His answer?
• What anguish currently narrows my heart?
• Do I allow myself to remember past release or do I live only in present tension?
• Do I remember to thank God from past releases or do I accept them as gifts and not the giver?
• What would it mean to trust God as the One who restores right order within me?

 

There is something very gentle about this Antiphon.  It is not dramatic repentance or heavy instruction. It is just honest calling.

How do you experience this Antiphon today?

Prayer

God of justice, hear my prayer.
Release what is constricted within me.
Restore my heart in Your mercy.

 

Want to know more:

“God of Justice” — Old Testament Tone

In Hebrew Scripture, justice (Hebrew mishpat) is not merely legal fairness. It means:

• Setting things right
• Restoring what is disordered
• Defending the vulnerable
• Acting faithfully according to covenant

You see it constantly in:

• Psalms (e.g., Ps 7:11; 9:8; 50:6)
• Isaiah (“The Lord is a God of justice” — Is 30:18)
• The Prophets calling Israel back to right order

So as a title, it feels strongly Old Testament.

 

Does the Gospel speak this way?

The Gospel in the New Testament does not usually use  the phrase “God of justice.”

However, the theme is everywhere.

The Just Judge

In Lent especially, we hear:

• Matthew 25 (Sheep and Goats) — Christ judging the nations.
• The parable of the unjust judge (Luke 18) — where Jesus contrasts human injustice with God’s true justice.

Even when the word “justice” is not highlighted, the concept is central.

 

The Father Who Sets Things Right

Think of:

• The Prodigal Son — justice and mercy meet.
• The cleansing of the Temple — restoring right order.
• “Seek first the kingdom and his righteousness” (Matt 6:33).

Righteousness in Greek (dikaiosynē) carries the same family meaning as justice — right relationship, right order.

 

What Changes in the Gospel?

In the Old Testament, Justice often appears majestic, covenantal, kingly.

In the Gospels Justice becomes incarnate.  Jesus does not merely speak about justice. He embodies it.

In Lent, especially, we see Justice and mercy are not opposites. They converge at the Cross.

 

Why the Antiphon Keeps the Title

The Communion Antiphon using “God of justice” reminds us:

The One we receive in the Eucharist is the same covenant God of Israel.

Lent is not keeping the rules of fasting, almsgiving and prayer out of obligation. No, Lent is a season of Love. It is covenant renewal at a personal level.

God’s justice is not harshness. It is restoration.  The psalm calls Him “God of justice” — a title rooted in Israel’s prayer. In the Gospel, that justice becomes personal in Christ, who sets hearts right rather than merely judging them.

 

If you wish to understand more about Psalm 4 you may wish to read my post here. There is the second part to the series for Psalm 4.

Let us pray again the Communion Antiphon.

Communion Antiphon (Psalm 4:4)
When I called, the God of justice gave me answer;
from anguish you released me; have mercy, O Lord, and hear my prayer.