‘words (λόγοι, logoi) of THE WORD (Του Λόγου, Tou Logou)’ponders the Sacred Scriptures, the Sacred Liturgy,Fathers of the Church and RCIAas a response to the call for a New Evangelizationthat by the grace of God the Holy Spiritall may encounterGod the Son, Jesus the Incarnate Wordand be drawn in love as adopted children toGod our Father Who is Merciful Love. 

LENT, Week 5: Wednesday

“Now, if you are ready to fall down and worship the statue I made, whenever you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, zither, dulcimer, harp, double-flute, and all the other musical instruments, then all will be well; if not, you shall be instantly cast into the white-hot furnace; and who is the God who can deliver you out of my hands?”” ( Daniel 3:15.) 

“But I say all this now, and select all the histories that contain trials and tribulations and the wrath of kings and their evil designs, in order that we may fear nothing except offending God.  For then also was there a furnace burning; yet they derided it but feared sin.  For they knew that if they were consumed in the fire, they should suffer nothing that was to be dreaded, but if they were guilty of impiety, they should undergo the extremes of misery.  It is the greatest punishment to commit sin, though we may remain unpunished - it is the greatest honor and repose to live virtuously, though we may be punished.” ( Homilies Concering the Statues, 6)

Collect

Enlighten, O God of compassion,
the hearts of Your children, sanctified by penance,
and in Your kindness
grant those You stir to a sense of devotion
a gracious hearing when they cry out to you. 
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.  Amen. 

Glory to the Father
and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever.  Amen

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About Me

Fr Mark is a Roman Catholic diocesan priest of the Philadelphia Archdiocese teaching full-time as an Associate Professor of Religious Studies and as an Instructor in the Graduate Counseling Program at Holy Family University in Philadelphia, PA.  Having earned a doctorate in Sacred Theology under the guidance of the late Fr Ambrose Eßzer OP at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Rome), Fr Mark also serves the Church as an adjunct professor at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary teaching Patrology and Sacramental Theology.  In October 2016, he began serving a term as a consultant to the Communications Committee, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.  When not engaged in teaching, he pursues scholarship in the areas of Teilhard de Chardin, Eastern Patrology, Sacred Scripture, Liturgy, RCIA and the New Evangelization.  He also devotes some time to increasing skills in the areas of html5, php, mysql, Wordpress and apps as an Apple® and Helix (Macintosh database) developer.  Over the years, he has dabbled in the ‘man cave’ of his cabinetry and welding tool shop and, as a former electrician and boilermaker, did volunteer work for a non-profit housing organization.