Does our imperfect understanding of love sometimes lead us to be another's tempter?

 

READING

Mark 8:31-38

Jesus began to teach his disciples that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

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. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

 

PRAYERS

Jesus Christ intercedes for us at all times.  Together let us remember and pray to God through Christ,

For the church universal, that the fasting of these forty days may clear away much that is needless and so open our eyes to the bright glory of the cross.

For all the children of Abraham and Sarah, that we might find blessing and see our common inheritance as God’s beloved.

For all who suffer in conflict, that God in mercy may turn our hearts toward one another and bring us to end our faithless reliance on weapons and violence.

For all who have sought our prayers,

For prisoners and all who are bound in body, mind, or spirit, that they may be delivered from their bondage

For ourselves, for all who hear these prayers, that we may walk in Jesus’ path.

For all who have died, that they be at peace.

God, whose ways are beyond our knowing or approving, place the world’s troubles ever in our plain sight, and be yourself in our seeing and in our praying:  We ask this always through Christ our Lord.  Amen

 

MUSIC

Jordan’s Shore, Rose Ensemble

Lord who throughout these 40 days, Chris Brunelle

Poor Wayfaring Stranger, Hillbilly Thomists