A time of Lexio devena for the discerning heart.

Thursday of the second week in Lent.

As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly.

For the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of this stay to the Lord.

Say slowly from your heart, Jesus, I trust in you.

You take over.

Because Become aware that he is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting to be heard deep within your heart. A reading from the Holy Gospel, according to Luke,

Chapter 16, verses 19 through 31.

Jesus said to the Pharisees,

There was a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen and feast magnificently every day.

And at his gate there lay a poor man called Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to fill himself with the scraps that fell from the rich man's

table. Dogs even came and licked his sores. Now the poor man died and was carried away by the

angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In his torment in Hades, he looked up and saw Abraham a long way off

with Lazarus in his bosom. So he cried out, Father Abraham, pity me and send Lazarus to dip the tip

of his finger in water to cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames.

My son, Abraham replied, remember that during your life, good things came your way, just as bad

things came the way of Lazarus. Now he is being comforted here while you are in agony. But that is not all.

Between us and you, a great gulf has been fixed to stop anyone if he wanted to,

crossing from our side to yours, and to stop any crossing from your side to ours.

The rich man replied, Father, I beg you then to send Lazarus to my father's

house, since I have five brothers, to give them warnings so that they do not come to this place of

torment too. They have Moses and the prophets, said Abraham. "'Let them listen to them.'

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