Celebrant: All have sinned and are deprived of God's glory. In Christ, however, we find our salvation, and with confidence in him we bring our petitions to the Father.

Deacon/Lector:

That the pastors of the Church may both live and teach the solid foundation of the Word of God and guide their people to build their lives upon it, we pray to the Lord...

That international efforts for peace and justice may be guided by the commandments of God and transformed by the redemptive power of Christ's blood, we pray to the Lord...

That the upcoming Lenten season may be a time of spiritual renewal for our parish and our families, we pray to the Lord...

That we may not only hear but also do the Lord's will by caring for the poor, the sick, the marginalized, and the unborn, we pray to the Lord…

For all who have never heard the Gospel, that they may be reached with this good news of salvation and embrace it with faith, we pray to the Lord...

That the sick may be healed, and the deceased freed from sin and admitted to heavenly glory, we pray to the Lord...

Celebrant:

Father,
As we present you our needs,
Keep us firmly rooted
On the solid foundation of your Word.
Fulfill our needs,
And keep us faithful to you. 
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

"I come from a family of four. I lived next door to a family of 10 children, and those children were always happy! They were happy within themselves. My mother comes from a family of twelve. [Children in large families] seem to have things that money can’t buy." …From an interview with Lucille Dippolito, mother of 20 children. 

Dt 11:18, 26-28, 32
Rom 3:21-25, 28
Mt 7:21-27

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The readings today reveal the theme that the grace by which we are freely justified (2nd reading) leads to a life of obedience, and that obedience is linked to life. By following the Lord’s commandments (1st reading) and by doing the will of the Father (Gospel), God’s people flourish, withstand the trials of life, and ultimately inherit the life that never ends. 

The first reading comes from the 11th chapter of Deuteronomy; its theme is repeated in the well-known “Choose life” passage of Deuteronomy 30. 

The scene of the judgment given in Matthew 7 raises a distinction which at first is surprising. One might think that those who exercised gifts of prophecy or exorcism knew the Lord and were close to him. But it is not the gifts one is given or the skills one has that make him holy. It is obedience, union with the will of God. 

We see striking examples in the culture of death where the external symbols of Christianity coexist with actions that take human lives. More than one set of rosaries have been seen hanging from the rear view mirrors of cars heading into abortion facilities. The challenge of today’s readings focuses on allowing the externals of our faith shape our interior lives, and the source of our decisions.