A time of Lexio devena for the discerning heart.

Wednesday 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 day to the Lord.

Say slowly from your heart,

Jesus, I trust in you. You take over. 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 Matthew,

chapter 20, verses 17 through 28.

Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the twelve to one side and said to them,

Now we are going up to Jerusalem, and the son of man is about to be handed over to the chief priests and scribes.

They will condemn him to death, and will hand him over to the pagans to be mocked and scourged and crucified,

and on the third day, he will rise again. Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came with her sons to make a request of him, and bowed low, and he said to her, what is it you want?

She said to him, promise that these two sons of mine

may sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your kingdom. You do not know what

you are asking, Jesus answered. Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?" They replied, we can.

Very well, he said, you shall drink my cup, but as for seats at my right hand and my left,

these are not mine to grant.

They belong to those to whom they have been allotted by my father.

When the other ten heard this they were indignant with the two brothers.

But Jesus called them to him and said,

...