March 6. “I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil.” Melanie said,  “Road rage is a horrible thing and must be a sin, but surely it is so often brought on by someone breaking the law, or being selfish in the traffic,” Gordon added, ”Like some oldies who have forgotten how to drive!  Or are taxis the worst.”  Mohale said,  “Load shedding and robots out of order have messed up the traffic flow, multiplied our anger and frustration and the accident rate on the roads no end. Where exactly is the evil in all that? I ask myself how can I deal with this situation in the most “life-giving” way?“   

Reflect, share and act. Scripture: Moses said, “see I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil.  If you obey the commandments, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and keeping his commandments then you shall live. Deut 30:15-20   Pope Francis: Let us say to the Lord, “I am angry with this person. I pray for him. To pray for a person with whom I am irritated is a beautiful step forward in love. EG 101. JUBILEE.  Uncertainty about the future may give rise to conflicting feelings,  from confident trust to apprehensiveness, from serenity to anxiety, from firm conviction to hesitation and doubt. Often we come across people who are discouraged, pessimistic and cynical about the future, as if nothing could possibly bring them happiness. May the Jubilee be an opportunity to be renewed in hope. God’s word helps us find reasons for that hope.  SNC1. The elderly, who frequently feel lonely and abandoned, also deserve signs of hope. Esteem for the treasure that they are, their life experiences, their accumulated wisdom and the contribution that they can still make, is incumbent on the Christian community and civil society, which are called to cooperate in strengthening the covenant between generations.  SNC14  Pray the Family Jubilee prayer or  Choose an act of love and sacrifice from the list, also published at www.marfam.org.za/lent   

A JUBILEE PRAYER FOR FAMILIES.   

May the FAITH you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of LOVE enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, awaken in us the HOPE for the coming of your KINGDOM of love, peace and beauty.

As PILGRIMS OF HOPE and SIGNS OF HOPE in our families help us to plant the seeds of the gospel, to care for and nurture them and so transform the Church, the world and all of creation.  Amen