The Office of Readings from the Divine Office, the liturgical prayer life of the Church and her priests often contain great little nuggets for reflection. The second reading for this Tuesday of the First Week of Lent is from a treatise on the Lord's Prayer by Saint Cyprian. Cyprian was an early bishop and martyr who lived in Carthage in North Africa and died in 258. Here is his opening paragraph.
"Dear brothers, the commands of the gospel are nothing else than God's lessons, the foundations upon which to build up hope, the supports for strengthening faith, the food that nourishes the heart. They are the rudder for keeping us on the right course, the protection that keeps our salvation secure. As they instruct the receptive minds of believers on earth, they lead safely to the kingdom of heaven."
The gospel message, the witness by Jesus of the Father's love for us, is the lesson that we should strive to understand better and live more fully this Lenten season. Promise yourself this blessing.
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