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Contents
of Lent with Jesus
Back to St.
Brendan’s
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Hearing Jesus Gladly
“And the common people
heard him gladly”
(Mark 12:37, KJV)
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The Hard Conditions of Discipleship
34 He called the crowd with his
disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers,
let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35For
those who want to save their life will lose
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it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for
the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36For
what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their
life? 37Indeed,
what can they give in return for their life? (Mark 8:34-37) |
On Counting the Cost
26‘Whoever
comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children,
brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my
disciple. 27Whoever
does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28For
which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down
and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? 29Otherwise,
when he has laid a foundation and is not
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able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule
him, 30saying,
“This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.” 31Or
what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit
down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to
oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32If
he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a
delegation and asks for the terms of peace. (Luke 14:26-32)
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On Traveling Light
7He called the
twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them
authority over the unclean spirits. 8He
ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no
bread, no bag, no money in their belts; 9but
to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. 10He
said to
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them, ‘Wherever you enter a house, stay there until
you leave the place. 11If
any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you
leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony
against them.’ 12So
they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. 13They
cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and
cured them. (Mark 6:7-13)
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“Thy will be done?”
28‘What
do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said,
“Son, go and work in the vineyard today.” 29He
answered, “I will not”; but later he changed his mind and went. 30The
father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, “I
go, sir”; but he did not go. 31Which
of the two did the will of his father?’ [The chief priests and
elders of the people] said, ‘The first.’ (Matthew 21:28-31)
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The two ways
13‘Enter
through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy
that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. 14For
the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and
there are few who find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)
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The two sons
11Then
Jesus said, ‘There was a man who had two sons. 12The
younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the share of
the property that will belong to me.” So he divided his property
between them. 13A
few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a
distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute
living. 14When he
had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that
country, and he began to be in need. 15So
he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that
country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. 16He
would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were
eating; and no one gave him anything. 17But
when he came to himself he said, “How many of my father’s hired
hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger!
18I will get up
and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned
against heaven and before you; 19I
am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your
hired hands.’” 20So
he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off,
his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put
his arms around him and kissed him. 21Then
the son said to
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him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and
before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” 22But
the father said to his slaves, “Quickly, bring out a robe—the
best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals
on his feet. 23And
get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24for
this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is
found!” And they began to celebrate. 25‘Now
his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the
house, he heard music and dancing. 26He
called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. 27He
replied, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the
fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.” 28Then
he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began
to plead with him. 29But
he answered his father, “Listen! For all these years I have been
working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your
command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I
might celebrate with my friends. 30But
when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property
with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!” 31Then
the father said to him, “Son, you are always with me, and all that
is mine is yours. 32But
we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was
dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.”’
(Luke 15:11-32)
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Next: The Mystical Jesus
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