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View this email in your browser A daily Lenten e-mail with lessons of hope and courage, inspired by a variety of resources to encourage us in these confusing and turbulent times from St. Luke’s Church, Lebanon. Saturday - Fourth Week in Lent Society is filled with good people whose desire is, for the most part, to lead happy lives. Those in power make a big mistake when they underestimate the inner wisdom of the people. The powerful can fool the people once or twice but in the end the people catch on and reveal hypocrisy when they see it. Unless they have been completely brainwashed, most people recognize truth when they see it or hear it. We know from recent history that promises made during political campaigns often don’t turn into action. Perhaps we were mesmerized by a new rhetoric that hadn’t been seen before; or, perhaps, some of us may have simply dozed off in our complacency. But, as the saying goes, “the chickens will come home to roost.” I don’t know when, but slowly bit by bit, the great ship of state rights itself (or so we always hope). Ultimately Truth will rule - maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but Scripture teaches us that in the end, God makes it right. So it is just a matter of time before genuine seekers of the truth will find it and begin to take action. This search, however, takes effort. It takes discipline. If I blindly believe in someone or something without verifying that in which I believe, then I become my own worst enemy. In fact, I become complicit in the untruth I seek to destroy. I become like a sheep. ,So too, believing blindly in the loudest voice that may blast through to my psyche needs verification. Again, you will know Truth when you see it. The people of Jesus time, upon hearing what he had to say, proclaimed him a prophet. Others saw danger in his words, a danger that might undercut their power and their hold on the people.  The truth shall set you free. Be discerning. Lies repeated often enough begin to sound like the truth. Exercise the test of ages for those who claim to be prophetic - is what they say True. If so, follow. If not, call them out. Scripture Lessons appointed for the day (Click on the lesson for the text) Jeremiah 11:18–20 John 7:37–52 Psalm 7:6–11   “We should not be ashamed to acknowledge truth from whatever source it comes to us, even if it is brought to us by former generations and foreign people. For him (sic) who seeks the truth there is nothing of higher value than truth itself” ― Albert Hourani Seeking Truth . . .  Do you ever follow someone blindly? Why? If someone espouse an idea that at first sounds attractive, do you seek verification for it? If the Scripture contain Truth, how often do you seek verification in its pages?   Come to the water John Foley, SJ Lift Up Your Hearts - Vol. 1 The Orchard Music (on behalf of OCP)  BMI - Broadcast Music Inc.     “I have been finding treasures in places I did not want to search. I have been hearing wisdom from tongues I did not want to listen. I have been finding beauty where I did not want to look. And I have learned so much from journeys I did not want to take." ― Suzy Kassem  Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.