Photo by author, 09 February 2023.

Tuesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Homily by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II

On this final day of Ordinary Time as we begin tomorrow our Lenten journey into Easter, we pray to you, God our loving Father, to give us the grace to stay committed to you in your Son Jesus Christ.

In this journey of life which is characterized by the 40 days of Lent, let us be focused on the words and teachings, and life of your Son Jesus Christ.

Let us stay committed in him, in you like a child to his father.

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, he began to ask them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they remained silent. They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest.

Mark 9:33-34

Like the psalmist today, we pray that we may commit our lives to you, Lord; let us heed the teachings of Ben Sirach to “prepare ourselves for trials” by being “sincere of heart and steadfast, listening to your words” and most especially, to “wait on God with patience, cling to him, forsake him not” (Sirach 2:1-2, 3).

May we truly prepare ourselves this day internally for tomorrow’s Ash Wednesday so that we may focus more on God than on ourselves and on the externalities of the rich rituals of Lent meant to touch our hearts and soul in order to find you in our brothers and sisters.

Let that be our commitment to you today and always.

Amen.