"'Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future." During the Lenten season, the Master of the Garden does deep work within us so that we may bear the good fruit of eternal life.

"This is my chosen Son. Listen to him." At the Transfiguration, the disciples experienced a glimpse of Jesus' divine glory.

"Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil." On our Lenten journey, we are inspired by Jesus' openness to the Holy Spirit.

"Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense." We begin the solemn season of Lent by acknowledging how we have fallen short of our call to be conformed into the image and likeness of Christ.

"Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother's eye." When we have encountered the mercy of God, especially in the Eucharist, we are compelled to offer mercy to others.

"Love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." As people who have experienced the Father's mercy, we are to offer mercy and forgiveness to others.

"Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours... But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation." Jesus' Great Sermon in the Gospel of Luke is a challenge for disciples yesterday and today.

"When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him." Jesus calls us to join the Apostles and go fishing for the Kingdom.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, it is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests . . . Love never fails." As Love itself, God never fails us. As we seek to be conformed into the image and likeness of Love, we seek to never fail in loving God and in loving others.

"Now you are Christ's body, and individually parts of it..." Incorporated into Christ's body, we take up the full mission of the Christ through his Church. We serve his purpose through the gifts we have been given.