Discipleship Causes Enlargement of the Heart

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For 4 March 2023, Saturday of Week 1 if Lent, based on Deuteronomy 26:16-19, Matthew 5:43-48

Deuteronomy 26:16-19

This very day the Lord your God is commanding you to observe these statutes and ordinances; so observe them diligently with all your heart and with all your soul. Today you have obtained the Lord’s agreement: to be your God; and for you to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, his commandments, and his ordinances, and to obey him. Today the Lord has obtained your agreement: to be his treasured people, as he promised you, and to keep his commandments; for him to set you high above all nations that he has made, in praise and in fame and in honour; and for you to be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised.

Matthew 5:43-48

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.


Scripture passage from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright 1989, 1993, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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About Honora Werner, O.P.

Honora is a Dominican Sister from Caldwell, NJ. She has been an itinerant preacher for years, doing retreats, parish missions, and other pulpit preaching. She teaches preaching to deacon candidates and lay pastoral ministry students. She serves her congregaton as a member of their leadership team. She has studied history, educaton, music, scripture and theology in her life as a formal student! In ministries, she has taught many from first graders through grad students and elders, been a campus minister, and a co-director of the Parable Conference for Dominican Life and Mission.