Reading 1
Neh 2:1-8
In the month Nisan of the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,
when the wine was in my charge,
I took some and offered it to the king.
As I had never before been sad in his presence,
the king asked me, “Why do you look sad?
If you are not sick, you must be sad at heart.”
Though I was seized with great fear, I answered the king:
“May the king live forever!
How could I not look sad
when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins,
and its gates have been eaten out by fire?”
The king asked me, “What is it, then, that you wish?”
I prayed to the God of heaven and then answered the king:
“If it please the king,
and if your servant is deserving of your favor,
send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors’ graves,
to rebuild it.”
Then the king, and the queen seated beside him,
asked me how long my journey would take
and when I would return.
I set a date that was acceptable to him,
and the king agreed that I might go.
I asked the king further: “If it please the king,
let letters be given to me for the governors
of West-of-Euphrates,
that they may afford me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah;
also a letter for Asaph, the keeper of the royal park,
that he may give me wood for timbering the gates
of the temple-citadel and for the city wall
and the house that I shall occupy.”
The king granted my requests,
for the favoring hand of my God was upon me.
Gospel
Lk 9:57-62
As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding
on their journey, someone said to him,
“I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus answered him,
“Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
And to another he said, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead.
But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.”
And another said, “I will follow you, Lord,
but first let me say farewell to my family at home.”
Jesus answered him, “No one who sets a hand to the plow
and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.”
Meditation: Nehemiah 2:1-8
Just as Nehemiah mourned when he saw the once glorious Temple abandoned and in ruins, we too can be tempted to feel sad if we look at the state of the church in too narrow a way.
There are so many divisions among us, so many ways we reject one another or become polarized on issues. There are so many apparent weaknesses on moral teaching, so many examples of real failures to care for the poor or treat one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. We may begin to wonder what happened to the concept of the church as the body of Christ on earth.
In the face of this grief, we may not know what God wants from us. St. Francis of Assisi, in his enthusiasm, misunderstood Jesus’ words to him: “Rebuild my church.” He began literally rebuilding the run-down church of San Damiano. But over time, Francis came to see that God was calling him to renew the whole church—and to do it by preaching the gospel.
When we feel unsure of how to respond to discouragement, Nehemiah can be our model. When the king questioned him, he prayed before answering. As we lift up our hearts to the Lord, he can give us clarity.
Maybe you are saddened to see others gossiping about a fellow parishioner or priest. Is it possible that God is inviting you to rebuild by entering the conversation and redirecting it toward compassion or patience? If you are disheartened when you see opposing parties demonizing each other, you can be an agent for reconciliation by encouraging everyone to listen respectfully. Maybe there are groups with whom you or others feel uncomfortable or whom you downright reject. Reconciliation can begin as you see them as equals by virtue of baptism, and pray for a resolution according to God’s plan.
God wants you to rebuild his church. He has given you unique gifts. He has brought things to your attention and placed issues on your heart. You can be an agent of healing today. Ask the Lord what he wants from you, and take whatever steps you need to start down his path of reconciliation.
“Lord, I want to see your church glorious. Show me how I can help to rebuild it according to your vision.”
Psalm 137:1-6; Luke 9:57-62
30 September 2009
29 September 2009
29 Sep 09, Tuesday - Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels
Reading 1
Dn 7:9-10, 13-14 or Rv 12:7-12ab
As I watched:
Thrones were set up
and the Ancient One took his throne.
His clothing was bright as snow,
and the hair on his head as white as wool;
His throne was flames of fire,
with wheels of burning fire.
A surging stream of fire
flowed out from where he sat;
Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,
and myriads upon myriads attended him.
The court was convened, and the books were opened.
As the visions during the night continued, I saw
One like a son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
When he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
He received dominion, glory, and kingship;
nations and peoples of every language serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.
or
Rv 12:7-12ab
War broke out in heaven;
Michael and his angels battled against the dragon.
The dragon and its angels fought back,
but they did not prevail
and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
The huge dragon, the ancient serpent,
who is called the Devil and Satan,
who deceived the whole world,
was thrown down to earth,
and its angels were thrown down with it.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed.
For the accuser of our brothers is cast out,
who accuses them before our God day and night.
They conquered him by the Blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
love for life did not deter them from death.
Therefore, rejoice, you heavens,
and you who dwell in them.”
Gospel
Jn 1:47-51
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
“Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him.”
Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
Nathanael answered him,
“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this.”
And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see heaven opened
and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Meditation: John 1:47-51
Feast of the Archangels
What thoughts were going through Nathanael’s mind as he sat under that fig tree? He obviously noticed what kind of tree it was. Clearly being familiar with Scripture, he was probably drawn to meditate on Micah 4:1-4, where the prophet promises that peoples and nations shall stream to “the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, that we may walk in his paths.” Micah says that swords and spears will give way to plowshares and pruning hooks and “every man shall sit under his own vine or under his own fig tree, undisturbed.” Perhaps Nathanael prayed, “Lord, hasten that day! I want to learn your ways and walk in your paths.”
Being an Israelite was very important to Nathanael. He knew that his ancestor Jacob, later named Israel, had seen angels ascending and descending a ladder (Genesis 28:10-15), and had even wrestled with an angel (32:23-31). Yet Nathanael also knew Jacob was a devious man who tricked his brother out of their father’s blessing and his father-in-law out of his best livestock (25:29-33; 27; 30:28-43). Nathanael prided himself on being different, an Israelite without duplicity.
In the midst of these musings, Nathanael was summoned by Philip to meet Jesus of Nazareth. At first he was annoyed (“Can anything good come from Nazareth?”), but Jesus looked at Nathanael with love and spoke to him of his deepest longings. He addressed Nathanael as a true, straightforward Israelite. He knew what this man had been thinking about as he sat under his fig tree. And Jesus invited him to experience “greater things than this,” new things important enough to involve angelic messengers (John 1:46,50).
Jesus knows each one of us intimately. He sees us both when we pray and when prayer is the furthest thing from our minds. He knows the deepest longings of our hearts, and he wants to fulfill them. Like Nathanael, we too can see “greater things” than we ever imagined if we stay close to him.
”Jesus, you have legions of angels at your command, but you have chosen to build your kingdom with the sweat and labor of human beings like me. Thank you for knowing me, loving me, and inviting me to be a part of your kingdom.”
Daniel 7:9-10,13-14; Psalm 138:1-5
Dn 7:9-10, 13-14 or Rv 12:7-12ab
As I watched:
Thrones were set up
and the Ancient One took his throne.
His clothing was bright as snow,
and the hair on his head as white as wool;
His throne was flames of fire,
with wheels of burning fire.
A surging stream of fire
flowed out from where he sat;
Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,
and myriads upon myriads attended him.
The court was convened, and the books were opened.
As the visions during the night continued, I saw
One like a son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
When he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
He received dominion, glory, and kingship;
nations and peoples of every language serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.
or
Rv 12:7-12ab
War broke out in heaven;
Michael and his angels battled against the dragon.
The dragon and its angels fought back,
but they did not prevail
and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
The huge dragon, the ancient serpent,
who is called the Devil and Satan,
who deceived the whole world,
was thrown down to earth,
and its angels were thrown down with it.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed.
For the accuser of our brothers is cast out,
who accuses them before our God day and night.
They conquered him by the Blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
love for life did not deter them from death.
Therefore, rejoice, you heavens,
and you who dwell in them.”
Gospel
Jn 1:47-51
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
“Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him.”
Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
Nathanael answered him,
“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this.”
And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see heaven opened
and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Meditation: John 1:47-51
Feast of the Archangels
What thoughts were going through Nathanael’s mind as he sat under that fig tree? He obviously noticed what kind of tree it was. Clearly being familiar with Scripture, he was probably drawn to meditate on Micah 4:1-4, where the prophet promises that peoples and nations shall stream to “the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, that we may walk in his paths.” Micah says that swords and spears will give way to plowshares and pruning hooks and “every man shall sit under his own vine or under his own fig tree, undisturbed.” Perhaps Nathanael prayed, “Lord, hasten that day! I want to learn your ways and walk in your paths.”
Being an Israelite was very important to Nathanael. He knew that his ancestor Jacob, later named Israel, had seen angels ascending and descending a ladder (Genesis 28:10-15), and had even wrestled with an angel (32:23-31). Yet Nathanael also knew Jacob was a devious man who tricked his brother out of their father’s blessing and his father-in-law out of his best livestock (25:29-33; 27; 30:28-43). Nathanael prided himself on being different, an Israelite without duplicity.
In the midst of these musings, Nathanael was summoned by Philip to meet Jesus of Nazareth. At first he was annoyed (“Can anything good come from Nazareth?”), but Jesus looked at Nathanael with love and spoke to him of his deepest longings. He addressed Nathanael as a true, straightforward Israelite. He knew what this man had been thinking about as he sat under his fig tree. And Jesus invited him to experience “greater things than this,” new things important enough to involve angelic messengers (John 1:46,50).
Jesus knows each one of us intimately. He sees us both when we pray and when prayer is the furthest thing from our minds. He knows the deepest longings of our hearts, and he wants to fulfill them. Like Nathanael, we too can see “greater things” than we ever imagined if we stay close to him.
”Jesus, you have legions of angels at your command, but you have chosen to build your kingdom with the sweat and labor of human beings like me. Thank you for knowing me, loving me, and inviting me to be a part of your kingdom.”
Daniel 7:9-10,13-14; Psalm 138:1-5
28 September 2009
28 Sep 09, Monday - 26th Week in Ordinary Time, Year I
Reading 1
Zec 8:1-8
This word of the LORD of hosts came:
Thus says the LORD of hosts:
I am intensely jealous for Zion,
stirred to jealous wrath for her.
Thus says the LORD:
I will return to Zion,
and I will dwell within Jerusalem;
Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city,
and the mountain of the LORD of hosts,
the holy mountain.
Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and old women,
each with staff in hand because of old age,
shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem.
The city shall be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets.
Thus says the LORD of hosts:
Even if this should seem impossible
in the eyes of the remnant of this people,
shall it in those days be impossible in my eyes also,
says the LORD of hosts?
Thus says the LORD of hosts:
Lo, I will rescue my people from the land of the rising sun,
and from the land of the setting sun.
I will bring them back to dwell within Jerusalem.
They shall be my people, and I will be their God,
with faithfulness and justice.
Gospel
Lk 9:46-50
An argument arose among the disciples
about which of them was the greatest.
Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child
and placed it by his side and said to them,
“Whoever receives this child in my name receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
For the one who is least among all of you
is the one who is the greatest.”
Then John said in reply,
“Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name
and we tried to prevent him
because he does not follow in our company.”
Jesus said to him,
“Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you.”
Meditation: Zechariah 8:1-8
Devastation. Desolation. No Temple. No altars.
No place to worship the Lord. Such was the state of Jerusalem in the second year of the reign of Darius the Mede (529 b.c.). Had God abandoned his people? Had their sin finally provoked him to give up on them and leave them to the cruelty of their captors?
No. Through the prophet Zechariah God spoke. He told Zechariah to cry out to the remnant of Jerusalem and tell them to return to him, and he would return to them. He would take pity on them and make Jerusalem his own once again. He promised that his Temple would be rebuilt, and that when other nations witnessed his work, they would all come, seeking his mercy and favor.
God had not abandoned his people. In fact, no matter how far Jerusalem had fallen, no matter how grave her sin, Yahweh would remain faithful to his covenant with them. Forgiveness, healing, peace, and security would once more cover the land, and the people would once more be exalted in his eyes.
But it would not be all one-sided. Through Zechariah, God also gave instruction and guidance to the people. They were to speak the truth to one another. They were to put away plotting against each other and swearing false oaths. They were to treat one another with the integrity and respect due to members of God’s special, chosen people.
We can take great solace from the words of Zechariah. He teaches us that there is no such thing as an unpardonable sin. Neither is there any situation or challenge that is too big for God to handle if we turn to him. Even if we have experienced our own kind of exile by ignoring the many promptings of the Spirit, God is still with us, waiting for us to seek him once more. He is right beside us, ready to pour out his healing power. God’s love truly does endure forever. Have you experienced it yet today?
“Father, you are truly a God of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and abounding in love. Do not treat us as our sins deserve. You are a merciful God, and we are your people redeemed by the blood of your beloved Son. Father, we thank you and praise you for everything you have done in our lives!”
Psalm 102:16-23,29; Luke 9:46-50
Zec 8:1-8
This word of the LORD of hosts came:
Thus says the LORD of hosts:
I am intensely jealous for Zion,
stirred to jealous wrath for her.
Thus says the LORD:
I will return to Zion,
and I will dwell within Jerusalem;
Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city,
and the mountain of the LORD of hosts,
the holy mountain.
Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and old women,
each with staff in hand because of old age,
shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem.
The city shall be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets.
Thus says the LORD of hosts:
Even if this should seem impossible
in the eyes of the remnant of this people,
shall it in those days be impossible in my eyes also,
says the LORD of hosts?
Thus says the LORD of hosts:
Lo, I will rescue my people from the land of the rising sun,
and from the land of the setting sun.
I will bring them back to dwell within Jerusalem.
They shall be my people, and I will be their God,
with faithfulness and justice.
Gospel
Lk 9:46-50
An argument arose among the disciples
about which of them was the greatest.
Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child
and placed it by his side and said to them,
“Whoever receives this child in my name receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
For the one who is least among all of you
is the one who is the greatest.”
Then John said in reply,
“Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name
and we tried to prevent him
because he does not follow in our company.”
Jesus said to him,
“Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you.”
Meditation: Zechariah 8:1-8
Devastation. Desolation. No Temple. No altars.
No place to worship the Lord. Such was the state of Jerusalem in the second year of the reign of Darius the Mede (529 b.c.). Had God abandoned his people? Had their sin finally provoked him to give up on them and leave them to the cruelty of their captors?
No. Through the prophet Zechariah God spoke. He told Zechariah to cry out to the remnant of Jerusalem and tell them to return to him, and he would return to them. He would take pity on them and make Jerusalem his own once again. He promised that his Temple would be rebuilt, and that when other nations witnessed his work, they would all come, seeking his mercy and favor.
God had not abandoned his people. In fact, no matter how far Jerusalem had fallen, no matter how grave her sin, Yahweh would remain faithful to his covenant with them. Forgiveness, healing, peace, and security would once more cover the land, and the people would once more be exalted in his eyes.
But it would not be all one-sided. Through Zechariah, God also gave instruction and guidance to the people. They were to speak the truth to one another. They were to put away plotting against each other and swearing false oaths. They were to treat one another with the integrity and respect due to members of God’s special, chosen people.
We can take great solace from the words of Zechariah. He teaches us that there is no such thing as an unpardonable sin. Neither is there any situation or challenge that is too big for God to handle if we turn to him. Even if we have experienced our own kind of exile by ignoring the many promptings of the Spirit, God is still with us, waiting for us to seek him once more. He is right beside us, ready to pour out his healing power. God’s love truly does endure forever. Have you experienced it yet today?
“Father, you are truly a God of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and abounding in love. Do not treat us as our sins deserve. You are a merciful God, and we are your people redeemed by the blood of your beloved Son. Father, we thank you and praise you for everything you have done in our lives!”
Psalm 102:16-23,29; Luke 9:46-50
26 September 2009
27 Sep 09, Sunday - 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year I
Reading 1
Nm 11:25-29
The LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses.
Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses,
the LORD bestowed it on the seventy elders;
and as the spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied.
Now two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad,
were not in the gathering but had been left in the camp.
They too had been on the list, but had not gone out to the tent;
yet the spirit came to rest on them also,
and they prophesied in the camp.
So, when a young man quickly told Moses,
"Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp, "
Joshua, son of Nun, who from his youth had been Moses’aide, said,
"Moses, my lord, stop them."
But Moses answered him,
"Are you jealous for my sake?
Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets!
Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!"
Reading II
Jas 5:1-6
Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries.
Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten,
your gold and silver have corroded,
and that corrosion will be a testimony against you;
it will devour your flesh like a fire.
You have stored up treasure for the last days.
Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers
who harvested your fields are crying aloud;
and the cries of the harvesters
have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure;
you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter.
You have condemned;
you have murdered the righteous one;
he offers you no resistance.
Gospel
Mk 9:38-43, 45, 47-48
At that time, John said to Jesus,
"Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us."
Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.
Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.
"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"
Meditation: Mark 9:38-43,45,47-48
Wait a minute.
Didn’t Jesus come to bring good news? If we were to interpret today’s Gospel literally, it sounds a lot more like bad news. Since they cause us to sin, our eyes would have to be plucked out, and our hands and feet would have to be chopped off. Imagine how ghastly we would look if every part of our body that led us into sin were cut off: no hands, no feet, no eyes, no ears, nothing. That’s quite a gruesome plan God has for those who want to go to heaven!
Not really. Passages like this one—and the Gospel reading from last Tuesday—show us how much God wants us to use our minds when we read the Scripture. They tell us to guard against reading the Bible without sensitivity to the author’s original intent.
Jesus doesn’t want us to pluck out our eyes or cut off our hands. He wants us to hate sin. He wants us to see that it separates us from him and from one another. Sin is a distraction that diverts us from God and, if left unchecked, can cut us off from him completely.
Today’s readings tell us that we can even be distracted by our good intentions. When Moses heard that people wanted to stop Eldad and Medad from prophesying, he said how much he wished that the Spirit of the Lord would come upon everyone. When Jesus saw his disciples distracted by a rival, he put them back on track, saying, “Whoever is not against us is for us” (Mark 9:40).
As we meditate on the readings today, let’s ask the Lord to help us be vigilant against everything that distracts us and separates us from him. Let’s not let our eyes wander where they do not belong. Let’s not touch things that will cause us to sin. Let’s remain true to our ultimate goal in Christ—to be holy, to evangelize, and to serve his church.
“Jesus, give me a greater determination to say no to sin and to say yes to you. Lord, I want nothing to come between us!”
Numbers 11:25-29; Psalm 19:8,10,12-14; James 5:1-6
Nm 11:25-29
The LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses.
Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses,
the LORD bestowed it on the seventy elders;
and as the spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied.
Now two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad,
were not in the gathering but had been left in the camp.
They too had been on the list, but had not gone out to the tent;
yet the spirit came to rest on them also,
and they prophesied in the camp.
So, when a young man quickly told Moses,
"Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp, "
Joshua, son of Nun, who from his youth had been Moses’aide, said,
"Moses, my lord, stop them."
But Moses answered him,
"Are you jealous for my sake?
Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets!
Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!"
Reading II
Jas 5:1-6
Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries.
Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten,
your gold and silver have corroded,
and that corrosion will be a testimony against you;
it will devour your flesh like a fire.
You have stored up treasure for the last days.
Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers
who harvested your fields are crying aloud;
and the cries of the harvesters
have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure;
you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter.
You have condemned;
you have murdered the righteous one;
he offers you no resistance.
Gospel
Mk 9:38-43, 45, 47-48
At that time, John said to Jesus,
"Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us."
Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.
Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.
"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"
Meditation: Mark 9:38-43,45,47-48
Wait a minute.
Didn’t Jesus come to bring good news? If we were to interpret today’s Gospel literally, it sounds a lot more like bad news. Since they cause us to sin, our eyes would have to be plucked out, and our hands and feet would have to be chopped off. Imagine how ghastly we would look if every part of our body that led us into sin were cut off: no hands, no feet, no eyes, no ears, nothing. That’s quite a gruesome plan God has for those who want to go to heaven!
Not really. Passages like this one—and the Gospel reading from last Tuesday—show us how much God wants us to use our minds when we read the Scripture. They tell us to guard against reading the Bible without sensitivity to the author’s original intent.
Jesus doesn’t want us to pluck out our eyes or cut off our hands. He wants us to hate sin. He wants us to see that it separates us from him and from one another. Sin is a distraction that diverts us from God and, if left unchecked, can cut us off from him completely.
Today’s readings tell us that we can even be distracted by our good intentions. When Moses heard that people wanted to stop Eldad and Medad from prophesying, he said how much he wished that the Spirit of the Lord would come upon everyone. When Jesus saw his disciples distracted by a rival, he put them back on track, saying, “Whoever is not against us is for us” (Mark 9:40).
As we meditate on the readings today, let’s ask the Lord to help us be vigilant against everything that distracts us and separates us from him. Let’s not let our eyes wander where they do not belong. Let’s not touch things that will cause us to sin. Let’s remain true to our ultimate goal in Christ—to be holy, to evangelize, and to serve his church.
“Jesus, give me a greater determination to say no to sin and to say yes to you. Lord, I want nothing to come between us!”
Numbers 11:25-29; Psalm 19:8,10,12-14; James 5:1-6
26 Sep 09, Saturday - 25th Week in Ordinary Time, Year I
Reading 1
Zec 2:5-9, 14-15a
I, Zechariah, raised my eyes and looked:
there was a man with a measuring line in his hand.
I asked, “Where are you going?”
He answered, “To measure Jerusalem,
to see how great is its width and how great its length.”
Then the angel who spoke with me advanced,
and another angel came out to meet him and said to him,
“Run, tell this to that young man:
People will live in Jerusalem as though in open country,
because of the multitude of men and beasts in her midst.
But I will be for her an encircling wall of fire, says the LORD,
and I will be the glory in her midst.”
Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion!
See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD.
Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day,
and they shall be his people and he will dwell among you.
Gospel
Lk 9:43b-45
While they were all amazed at his every deed,
Jesus said to his disciples,
“Pay attention to what I am telling you.
The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.”
But they did not understand this saying;
its meaning was hidden from them
so that they should not understand it,
and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
Meditation: Zechariah 2:5-9,14-15
When we want a description of heaven, we usually turn to the Book of Revelation, but the Old Testament prophets also have many striking descriptions of the city they call the new Jerusalem.
Isaiah 54 talks about a pavement and foundations made of precious stones. Ezekiel 47 describes the life-giving stream flowing out of the restored Temple.
Today’s passage is just as descriptive. It tells us that this restored city will need no walls, for the Lord himself will be an encircling wall of fire. God’s glory in the midst of the city will be all the light it needs.
Heaven indeed! Or is it?
While we can certainly picture heaven in these terms, the prophet Zechariah lived at a time when not many Jews were sure there was even much to look forward to after death. His words had a much more immediate purpose. He lived in a ruined Jerusalem among the returned exiles, who faced the formidable task of rebuilding their city and their Temple. He challenged them to build a sanctuary where God could live among them, receiving their worship and directing their work. Even though this Temple was little more than a hope or a misty memory, Zechariah called them to rejoice and celebrate the real presence of God among them.
We who live in the Christian era have so much more cause to celebrate! In Jesus, God has come to make his permanent dwelling among us here on this earth. We can easily find him in Scripture, in the Blessed Sacrament, and in our hearts. What’s more, we belong to a church where God has indeed gathered people from every tongue and nation to be united in him.
While we can certainly find comfort in the prospect of heaven, God’s coming to dwell among us isn’t just a future event. Even though the world isn’t yet all God wants it to be, he is here, and he invites us to work with him to make his presence more manifest. He is already on the move: gathering, ransoming, blessing. May we all respond by dancing—and by getting to work!
”Jesus, you are here! I rejoice in your presence. I want to live with you and with your people in such a way that I will feel right at home when you finally open heaven to me.”
(Psalm) Jeremiah 31:10-13; Luke 9:43-45
Zec 2:5-9, 14-15a
I, Zechariah, raised my eyes and looked:
there was a man with a measuring line in his hand.
I asked, “Where are you going?”
He answered, “To measure Jerusalem,
to see how great is its width and how great its length.”
Then the angel who spoke with me advanced,
and another angel came out to meet him and said to him,
“Run, tell this to that young man:
People will live in Jerusalem as though in open country,
because of the multitude of men and beasts in her midst.
But I will be for her an encircling wall of fire, says the LORD,
and I will be the glory in her midst.”
Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion!
See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD.
Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day,
and they shall be his people and he will dwell among you.
Gospel
Lk 9:43b-45
While they were all amazed at his every deed,
Jesus said to his disciples,
“Pay attention to what I am telling you.
The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.”
But they did not understand this saying;
its meaning was hidden from them
so that they should not understand it,
and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
Meditation: Zechariah 2:5-9,14-15
When we want a description of heaven, we usually turn to the Book of Revelation, but the Old Testament prophets also have many striking descriptions of the city they call the new Jerusalem.
Isaiah 54 talks about a pavement and foundations made of precious stones. Ezekiel 47 describes the life-giving stream flowing out of the restored Temple.
Today’s passage is just as descriptive. It tells us that this restored city will need no walls, for the Lord himself will be an encircling wall of fire. God’s glory in the midst of the city will be all the light it needs.
Heaven indeed! Or is it?
While we can certainly picture heaven in these terms, the prophet Zechariah lived at a time when not many Jews were sure there was even much to look forward to after death. His words had a much more immediate purpose. He lived in a ruined Jerusalem among the returned exiles, who faced the formidable task of rebuilding their city and their Temple. He challenged them to build a sanctuary where God could live among them, receiving their worship and directing their work. Even though this Temple was little more than a hope or a misty memory, Zechariah called them to rejoice and celebrate the real presence of God among them.
We who live in the Christian era have so much more cause to celebrate! In Jesus, God has come to make his permanent dwelling among us here on this earth. We can easily find him in Scripture, in the Blessed Sacrament, and in our hearts. What’s more, we belong to a church where God has indeed gathered people from every tongue and nation to be united in him.
While we can certainly find comfort in the prospect of heaven, God’s coming to dwell among us isn’t just a future event. Even though the world isn’t yet all God wants it to be, he is here, and he invites us to work with him to make his presence more manifest. He is already on the move: gathering, ransoming, blessing. May we all respond by dancing—and by getting to work!
”Jesus, you are here! I rejoice in your presence. I want to live with you and with your people in such a way that I will feel right at home when you finally open heaven to me.”
(Psalm) Jeremiah 31:10-13; Luke 9:43-45
25 September 2009
25 Sep 09, Friday - 25th Week in Ordinary Time, Year I
Reading 1
Hg 2:1-9
In the second year of King Darius,
on the twenty-first day of the seventh month,
the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai:
Tell this to the governor of Judah,
Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel,
and to the high priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak,
and to the remnant of the people:
Who is left among you
that saw this house in its former glory?
And how do you see it now?
Does it not seem like nothing in your eyes?
But now take courage, Zerubbabel, says the LORD,
and take courage, Joshua, high priest, son of Jehozadak,
And take courage, all you people of the land,
says the LORD, and work!
For I am with you, says the LORD of hosts.
This is the pact that I made with you
when you came out of Egypt,
And my spirit continues in your midst;
do not fear!
For thus says the LORD of hosts:
One moment yet, a little while,
and I will shake the heavens and the earth,
the sea and the dry land.
I will shake all the nations,
and the treasures of all the nations will come in,
And I will fill this house with glory,
says the LORD of hosts.
Mine is the silver and mine the gold,
says the LORD of hosts.
Greater will be the future glory of this house
than the former, says the LORD of hosts;
And in this place I will give you peace,
says the LORD of hosts!
Gospel
Lk 9:18-22
Once when Jesus was praying in solitude,
and the disciples were with him,
he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah;
still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’”
Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.”
He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.
He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.”
Meditation: Haggai 2:1-9
A little while, and I will shake the heavens and the earth. (Haggai 2:6)
As you read Haggai’s prophecy, think about what it means to be patient. The people of Israel were devastated. Although they had returned from exile, they were still ruled by a foreign king, and their Temple was in ruins. Yet Haggai told them to have courage and get to work! He assured them that God was still with them. His plans for them were just beginning. He would restore their Temple, and they would finally know peace. They just had to wait a “little while.”
And how did the people respond to these words? Certainly not by waiting idly! “They came and set to work on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God” (Haggai 1:14). God had given them the grace to persevere, and they acted on it. They finished rebuilding the Temple in only three years. And they kept pursuing God, even as they suffered further persecutions under the Greeks and Romans. Even when their Temple was desecrated and their people martyred, they still kept their faith.
As Christians, we know something about patience too. We are waiting for Jesus’ return in glory. But there is another way to think about it: Jesus is waiting for us! He has won eternal life for us. He has poured his Holy Spirit on us. He has endowed us with gifts and talents that we can use to build his kingdom. As a farmer is anxious about growing his crops, Jesus is anxious to see us grow in holiness.
As you go through your day, you may not see God’s vision for your future. You may not care much for the present, either. But his plan for you certainly includes aspects of what you are doing right now—and he wants you to be excited about it! You may be working and caring for your family. You may be a student carrying a heavy course load. Whatever you’re doing, think of it as your mission field. It’s a golden opportunity to demonstrate God’s love in action. If you do it for his glory, waiting patiently for the fruit, you won’t be disappointed!
“Lord, give me your joy in everything I do today. Thank you for the challenges I face, as well as the blessings I receive. No matter what comes, may my heart remain focused on you!”
Psalm 43:1-4; Luke 9:18-22
Hg 2:1-9
In the second year of King Darius,
on the twenty-first day of the seventh month,
the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai:
Tell this to the governor of Judah,
Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel,
and to the high priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak,
and to the remnant of the people:
Who is left among you
that saw this house in its former glory?
And how do you see it now?
Does it not seem like nothing in your eyes?
But now take courage, Zerubbabel, says the LORD,
and take courage, Joshua, high priest, son of Jehozadak,
And take courage, all you people of the land,
says the LORD, and work!
For I am with you, says the LORD of hosts.
This is the pact that I made with you
when you came out of Egypt,
And my spirit continues in your midst;
do not fear!
For thus says the LORD of hosts:
One moment yet, a little while,
and I will shake the heavens and the earth,
the sea and the dry land.
I will shake all the nations,
and the treasures of all the nations will come in,
And I will fill this house with glory,
says the LORD of hosts.
Mine is the silver and mine the gold,
says the LORD of hosts.
Greater will be the future glory of this house
than the former, says the LORD of hosts;
And in this place I will give you peace,
says the LORD of hosts!
Gospel
Lk 9:18-22
Once when Jesus was praying in solitude,
and the disciples were with him,
he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah;
still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’”
Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.”
He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.
He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.”
Meditation: Haggai 2:1-9
A little while, and I will shake the heavens and the earth. (Haggai 2:6)
As you read Haggai’s prophecy, think about what it means to be patient. The people of Israel were devastated. Although they had returned from exile, they were still ruled by a foreign king, and their Temple was in ruins. Yet Haggai told them to have courage and get to work! He assured them that God was still with them. His plans for them were just beginning. He would restore their Temple, and they would finally know peace. They just had to wait a “little while.”
And how did the people respond to these words? Certainly not by waiting idly! “They came and set to work on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God” (Haggai 1:14). God had given them the grace to persevere, and they acted on it. They finished rebuilding the Temple in only three years. And they kept pursuing God, even as they suffered further persecutions under the Greeks and Romans. Even when their Temple was desecrated and their people martyred, they still kept their faith.
As Christians, we know something about patience too. We are waiting for Jesus’ return in glory. But there is another way to think about it: Jesus is waiting for us! He has won eternal life for us. He has poured his Holy Spirit on us. He has endowed us with gifts and talents that we can use to build his kingdom. As a farmer is anxious about growing his crops, Jesus is anxious to see us grow in holiness.
As you go through your day, you may not see God’s vision for your future. You may not care much for the present, either. But his plan for you certainly includes aspects of what you are doing right now—and he wants you to be excited about it! You may be working and caring for your family. You may be a student carrying a heavy course load. Whatever you’re doing, think of it as your mission field. It’s a golden opportunity to demonstrate God’s love in action. If you do it for his glory, waiting patiently for the fruit, you won’t be disappointed!
“Lord, give me your joy in everything I do today. Thank you for the challenges I face, as well as the blessings I receive. No matter what comes, may my heart remain focused on you!”
Psalm 43:1-4; Luke 9:18-22
24 September 2009
24 Sep 09, Thursday - 25th Week in Ordinary Time, Year I
Reading 1
Hg 1:1-8
On the first day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius,
The word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai
to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel,
and to the high priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak:
Thus says the LORD of hosts:
This people says:
“The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.”
(Then this word of the LORD came through Haggai, the prophet:)
Is it time for you to dwell in your own paneled houses,
while this house lies in ruins?
Now thus says the LORD of hosts:
Consider your ways!
You have sown much, but have brought in little;
you have eaten, but have not been satisfied;
You have drunk, but have not been exhilarated;
have clothed yourselves, but not been warmed;
And whoever earned wages
earned them for a bag with holes in it.
Thus says the LORD of hosts:
Consider your ways!
Go up into the hill country;
bring timber, and build the house
That I may take pleasure in it
and receive my glory, says the LORD.
Gospel
Lk 9:7-9
Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening,
and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying,
“John has been raised from the dead”;
others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”;
still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.”
But Herod said, “John I beheaded.
Who then is this about whom I hear such things?”
And he kept trying to see him.
Meditation: Psalm 149:1-6,9
The Lord takes delight in his people. (Psalm 149:4)
Do you believe that? He takes delight in his people—in you!
Long ago, God established a covenant with us, a covenant founded on his love and Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Now, because of that covenant, he crowns you with salvation. He offers you a relationship of friendship and reveals himself and his word to you. Every day you can taste his delight: in the warmth of the sun or a gentle breeze, in the quiet peace of his presence, in the praise that rises spontaneously from your heart.
“The Lord … honors the poor with victory” (Psalm 149:4). Victory! Yes, God gives you victory through Christ: victory over sin and patterns of sin. Victory over lust, deception, pride, and anger. Victory over shame and guilt through the blood that Jesus shed on the cross. He can even bring victory over fear and discouragement as you root yourself in his love and presence. In baptism, you were born of God, and he promises that those who are born of him and live in him will overcome (1 John 5:4).
“Let the faithful rejoice in their glory” (Psalm 149:5). Oh, sing his praises, you his faithful ones! Declare the wonders he has worked in your life. Seek him out. Pursue his victory over sin. Ask him to heal your wounds and to strengthen your weaknesses. He will do it! Let him deliver you from bondage to sin. And above all, thank him. Exult in him. Glorify him. And where you don’t yet experience victory, declare your faith in God’s mighty power and authority to set you free. He will do it in his time and according to his wisdom.
Brothers and sisters, God loves you! He wants you to know him, to walk and talk with him every day. He has given you his body and blood at Mass. He offers you forgiveness, healing, and deliverance through Reconciliation. He confirms his life in you by his Holy Spirit. Take hold of all these privileges. Receive the glory that is yours in Christ!
“Father, thank you for your friendship. Thank you for the victory I can experience through the cross. Thank you for the amazing things you have done in me. But mostly, thank you for loving me and delighting in me.”
Haggai 1:1-8; Luke 9:7-9
Hg 1:1-8
On the first day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius,
The word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai
to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel,
and to the high priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak:
Thus says the LORD of hosts:
This people says:
“The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.”
(Then this word of the LORD came through Haggai, the prophet:)
Is it time for you to dwell in your own paneled houses,
while this house lies in ruins?
Now thus says the LORD of hosts:
Consider your ways!
You have sown much, but have brought in little;
you have eaten, but have not been satisfied;
You have drunk, but have not been exhilarated;
have clothed yourselves, but not been warmed;
And whoever earned wages
earned them for a bag with holes in it.
Thus says the LORD of hosts:
Consider your ways!
Go up into the hill country;
bring timber, and build the house
That I may take pleasure in it
and receive my glory, says the LORD.
Gospel
Lk 9:7-9
Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening,
and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying,
“John has been raised from the dead”;
others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”;
still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.”
But Herod said, “John I beheaded.
Who then is this about whom I hear such things?”
And he kept trying to see him.
Meditation: Psalm 149:1-6,9
The Lord takes delight in his people. (Psalm 149:4)
Do you believe that? He takes delight in his people—in you!
Long ago, God established a covenant with us, a covenant founded on his love and Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Now, because of that covenant, he crowns you with salvation. He offers you a relationship of friendship and reveals himself and his word to you. Every day you can taste his delight: in the warmth of the sun or a gentle breeze, in the quiet peace of his presence, in the praise that rises spontaneously from your heart.
“The Lord … honors the poor with victory” (Psalm 149:4). Victory! Yes, God gives you victory through Christ: victory over sin and patterns of sin. Victory over lust, deception, pride, and anger. Victory over shame and guilt through the blood that Jesus shed on the cross. He can even bring victory over fear and discouragement as you root yourself in his love and presence. In baptism, you were born of God, and he promises that those who are born of him and live in him will overcome (1 John 5:4).
“Let the faithful rejoice in their glory” (Psalm 149:5). Oh, sing his praises, you his faithful ones! Declare the wonders he has worked in your life. Seek him out. Pursue his victory over sin. Ask him to heal your wounds and to strengthen your weaknesses. He will do it! Let him deliver you from bondage to sin. And above all, thank him. Exult in him. Glorify him. And where you don’t yet experience victory, declare your faith in God’s mighty power and authority to set you free. He will do it in his time and according to his wisdom.
Brothers and sisters, God loves you! He wants you to know him, to walk and talk with him every day. He has given you his body and blood at Mass. He offers you forgiveness, healing, and deliverance through Reconciliation. He confirms his life in you by his Holy Spirit. Take hold of all these privileges. Receive the glory that is yours in Christ!
“Father, thank you for your friendship. Thank you for the victory I can experience through the cross. Thank you for the amazing things you have done in me. But mostly, thank you for loving me and delighting in me.”
Haggai 1:1-8; Luke 9:7-9
23 September 2009
23 Sep 09, Wednesday - 25th Week in Ordinary Time, Year I
Reading 1
Ez 9:5-9
At the time of the evening sacrifice, I, Ezra, rose in my wretchedness,
and with cloak and mantle torn I fell on my knees,
stretching out my hands to the LORD, my God.
I said: “My God, I am too ashamed and confounded to raise my face to you,
O my God, for our wicked deeds are heaped up above our heads
and our guilt reaches up to heaven.
From the time of our fathers even to this day
great has been our guilt,
and for our wicked deeds we have been delivered up,
we and our kings and our priests,
to the will of the kings of foreign lands,
to the sword, to captivity, to pillage, and to disgrace,
as is the case today.
“And now, but a short time ago, mercy came to us from the LORD, our God,
who left us a remnant and gave us a stake in his holy place;
thus our God has brightened our eyes
and given us relief in our servitude.
For slaves we are, but in our servitude our God has not abandoned us;
rather, he has turned the good will
of the kings of Persia toward us.
Thus he has given us new life
to raise again the house of our God and restore its ruins,
and has granted us a fence in Judah and Jerusalem.”
Gospel
Lk 9:1-6
Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority
over all demons and to cure diseases,
and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God
and to heal the sick.
He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey,
neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money,
and let no one take a second tunic.
Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.
And as for those who do not welcome you,
when you leave that town,
shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.”
Then they set out and went from village to village
proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere.
Meditation: Luke 9:1-6
Anyone who has been present at the birth of a baby would have to admit it’s a breathtaking experience.
Just seeing that new life brought forth, hearing the strong cry coming from one so fragile, and watching tears of joy wash away the effort of labor is awe-inspiring. How privileged we feel to behold it! But how much more awesome it is to witness the life of Jesus coming to birth in someone as he or she turns to the Lord in conversion. How amazing that we can behold heaven touching earth in so dramatic and personal a fashion!
What is even more amazing is that we are not simply onlookers; we can be active participants in the process. We are nothing less than essential, necessary coworkers with Jesus in his plan for salvation. In fact, Jesus has called each of us to become his hands, feet, and voice in our world today. As he did with the twelve, he has summoned us, given us a share in his power, and sent us out.
Granted, we are merely jars of clay—cracked pots, as one author put it. Still, in our weakness and frailty, Jesus wants to make us into vessels of honor, carrying within ourselves his presence and his promises. He knows that we are sinners, but he also knows that he has redeemed us. And in that redemption, he has made us a new creation. There is far more to us now than our human weakness or failings! The question is, “Will I take hold of my heritage as a child of God?”
The apostles in today’s Gospel reading “went from village to village proclaiming the good news” (Luke 9:6). They didn’t sit around waiting for something magical to happen. Limited novices though they were, they went out looking for people to convert. And guess what? God went with them and worked through them—despite their flaws.
Follow the apostles’ lead. Embrace your calling to bring people from death to life. It doesn’t take much more than an eager heart and a touch of courage. As you step out and try, you’ll find God filling the gaps in you—and changing you in the process!
“Lord, I am amazed at your awesome calling. Empty me of myself and fill me with you so that I can bring your life wherever I go!”
Ezra 9:5-9; (Psalm) Tobit 13:2-4,7-8
Ez 9:5-9
At the time of the evening sacrifice, I, Ezra, rose in my wretchedness,
and with cloak and mantle torn I fell on my knees,
stretching out my hands to the LORD, my God.
I said: “My God, I am too ashamed and confounded to raise my face to you,
O my God, for our wicked deeds are heaped up above our heads
and our guilt reaches up to heaven.
From the time of our fathers even to this day
great has been our guilt,
and for our wicked deeds we have been delivered up,
we and our kings and our priests,
to the will of the kings of foreign lands,
to the sword, to captivity, to pillage, and to disgrace,
as is the case today.
“And now, but a short time ago, mercy came to us from the LORD, our God,
who left us a remnant and gave us a stake in his holy place;
thus our God has brightened our eyes
and given us relief in our servitude.
For slaves we are, but in our servitude our God has not abandoned us;
rather, he has turned the good will
of the kings of Persia toward us.
Thus he has given us new life
to raise again the house of our God and restore its ruins,
and has granted us a fence in Judah and Jerusalem.”
Gospel
Lk 9:1-6
Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority
over all demons and to cure diseases,
and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God
and to heal the sick.
He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey,
neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money,
and let no one take a second tunic.
Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.
And as for those who do not welcome you,
when you leave that town,
shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.”
Then they set out and went from village to village
proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere.
Meditation: Luke 9:1-6
Anyone who has been present at the birth of a baby would have to admit it’s a breathtaking experience.
Just seeing that new life brought forth, hearing the strong cry coming from one so fragile, and watching tears of joy wash away the effort of labor is awe-inspiring. How privileged we feel to behold it! But how much more awesome it is to witness the life of Jesus coming to birth in someone as he or she turns to the Lord in conversion. How amazing that we can behold heaven touching earth in so dramatic and personal a fashion!
What is even more amazing is that we are not simply onlookers; we can be active participants in the process. We are nothing less than essential, necessary coworkers with Jesus in his plan for salvation. In fact, Jesus has called each of us to become his hands, feet, and voice in our world today. As he did with the twelve, he has summoned us, given us a share in his power, and sent us out.
Granted, we are merely jars of clay—cracked pots, as one author put it. Still, in our weakness and frailty, Jesus wants to make us into vessels of honor, carrying within ourselves his presence and his promises. He knows that we are sinners, but he also knows that he has redeemed us. And in that redemption, he has made us a new creation. There is far more to us now than our human weakness or failings! The question is, “Will I take hold of my heritage as a child of God?”
The apostles in today’s Gospel reading “went from village to village proclaiming the good news” (Luke 9:6). They didn’t sit around waiting for something magical to happen. Limited novices though they were, they went out looking for people to convert. And guess what? God went with them and worked through them—despite their flaws.
Follow the apostles’ lead. Embrace your calling to bring people from death to life. It doesn’t take much more than an eager heart and a touch of courage. As you step out and try, you’ll find God filling the gaps in you—and changing you in the process!
“Lord, I am amazed at your awesome calling. Empty me of myself and fill me with you so that I can bring your life wherever I go!”
Ezra 9:5-9; (Psalm) Tobit 13:2-4,7-8
22 September 2009
22 Sep 09, Tuesday - 25th Week in Ordinary Time, Year I
Reading 1
Ez 6:7-8, 12b, 14-20
King Darius issued an order to the officials
of West-of-Euphrates:
“Let the governor and the elders of the Jews
continue the work on that house of God;
they are to rebuild it on its former site.
I also issue this decree
concerning your dealing with these elders of the Jews
in the rebuilding of that house of God:
From the royal revenue, the taxes of West-of-Euphrates,
let these men be repaid for their expenses, in full and without delay.
I, Darius, have issued this decree;
let it be carefully executed.”
The elders of the Jews continued to make progress in the building,
supported by the message of the prophets,
Haggai and Zechariah, son of Iddo.
They finished the building according to the command
of the God of Israel
and the decrees of Cyrus and Darius
and of Artaxerxes, king of Persia.
They completed this house on the third day of the month Adar,
in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
The children of Israel–priests, Levites,
and the other returned exiles–
celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.
For the dedication of this house of God,
they offered one hundred bulls,
two hundred rams, and four hundred lambs,
together with twelve he-goats as a sin-offering for all Israel,
in keeping with the number of the tribes of Israel.
Finally, they set up the priests in their classes
and the Levites in their divisions
for the service of God in Jerusalem,
as is prescribed in the book of Moses.
The exiles kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
The Levites, every one of whom had purified himself for the occasion,
sacrificed the Passover for the rest of the exiles,
for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.
Gospel
Lk 8:19-21
The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him
but were unable to join him because of the crowd.
He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside
and they wish to see you.”
He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers
are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”
Meditation: Luke 8:19-21
My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it. (Luke 8:21)
Did Jesus really reject his relatives? Was he really telling Mary to let him be? No more than he really wanted his followers to pluck out their eyes or cut off their hands. Jesus often used exaggeration to teach his listeners an important point. In Jewish culture, family bonds were vital to a person’s identity, social standing, and even legal status. Without these connections, you were alone and adrift in the world.
Because he seemed to be publicly denying his own family, Jesus got the crowd’s attention. He knew that he was doing a new work here, and he wanted to spell it out for them clearly. He was forging a new path for Israel, showing them how closely related he was to Yahweh. To be in Jesus’ clan, to be united to him as family, means to listen attentively to the word of God and then to take action. It’s not enough to know what God’s will is. We must also embrace his will with all that we are, acting on it in our day-to-day lives.
Of course, Jesus’ mother already had this attachment to God, and many of his relatives would follow him into the Father’s embrace after his death and resurrection. The question for his listeners was whether they wanted to do the same thing. Was a relationship with God attractive enough for them to want to direct their whole lives toward doing his will?
Remembering that Jesus often used exaggeration to make his point, let’s examine our relationship with God. Are we hearing his word and acting on it? Let’s also examine our relationship with our family. We shouldn’t use this passage as a loophole to distance ourselves from difficult relatives. In fact, embracing God’s will is the surest path to healing and unity. It is the best way to purify our love. God wants to guide all of us into life-giving relationships so that we are truly free to follow him and build his kingdom!
“Holy Spirit, teach me to place Jesus first in my life so that he can form me in his image and equip me for service. Purify the love I have for anyone or anything else so that nothing keeps me from him.”
Ezra 6:7-8,12,14-20; Psalm 122:1-5
Ez 6:7-8, 12b, 14-20
King Darius issued an order to the officials
of West-of-Euphrates:
“Let the governor and the elders of the Jews
continue the work on that house of God;
they are to rebuild it on its former site.
I also issue this decree
concerning your dealing with these elders of the Jews
in the rebuilding of that house of God:
From the royal revenue, the taxes of West-of-Euphrates,
let these men be repaid for their expenses, in full and without delay.
I, Darius, have issued this decree;
let it be carefully executed.”
The elders of the Jews continued to make progress in the building,
supported by the message of the prophets,
Haggai and Zechariah, son of Iddo.
They finished the building according to the command
of the God of Israel
and the decrees of Cyrus and Darius
and of Artaxerxes, king of Persia.
They completed this house on the third day of the month Adar,
in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
The children of Israel–priests, Levites,
and the other returned exiles–
celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.
For the dedication of this house of God,
they offered one hundred bulls,
two hundred rams, and four hundred lambs,
together with twelve he-goats as a sin-offering for all Israel,
in keeping with the number of the tribes of Israel.
Finally, they set up the priests in their classes
and the Levites in their divisions
for the service of God in Jerusalem,
as is prescribed in the book of Moses.
The exiles kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
The Levites, every one of whom had purified himself for the occasion,
sacrificed the Passover for the rest of the exiles,
for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.
Gospel
Lk 8:19-21
The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him
but were unable to join him because of the crowd.
He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside
and they wish to see you.”
He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers
are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”
Meditation: Luke 8:19-21
My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it. (Luke 8:21)
Did Jesus really reject his relatives? Was he really telling Mary to let him be? No more than he really wanted his followers to pluck out their eyes or cut off their hands. Jesus often used exaggeration to teach his listeners an important point. In Jewish culture, family bonds were vital to a person’s identity, social standing, and even legal status. Without these connections, you were alone and adrift in the world.
Because he seemed to be publicly denying his own family, Jesus got the crowd’s attention. He knew that he was doing a new work here, and he wanted to spell it out for them clearly. He was forging a new path for Israel, showing them how closely related he was to Yahweh. To be in Jesus’ clan, to be united to him as family, means to listen attentively to the word of God and then to take action. It’s not enough to know what God’s will is. We must also embrace his will with all that we are, acting on it in our day-to-day lives.
Of course, Jesus’ mother already had this attachment to God, and many of his relatives would follow him into the Father’s embrace after his death and resurrection. The question for his listeners was whether they wanted to do the same thing. Was a relationship with God attractive enough for them to want to direct their whole lives toward doing his will?
Remembering that Jesus often used exaggeration to make his point, let’s examine our relationship with God. Are we hearing his word and acting on it? Let’s also examine our relationship with our family. We shouldn’t use this passage as a loophole to distance ourselves from difficult relatives. In fact, embracing God’s will is the surest path to healing and unity. It is the best way to purify our love. God wants to guide all of us into life-giving relationships so that we are truly free to follow him and build his kingdom!
“Holy Spirit, teach me to place Jesus first in my life so that he can form me in his image and equip me for service. Purify the love I have for anyone or anything else so that nothing keeps me from him.”
Ezra 6:7-8,12,14-20; Psalm 122:1-5
21 September 2009
21 Sep 09, Monday - Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist
Reading 1
Eph 4:1-7, 11-13
Brothers and sisters:
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit
through the bond of peace:
one Body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.
But grace was given to each of us
according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets,
others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,
to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,
for building up the Body of Christ,
until we all attain to the unity of faith
and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,
to the extent of the full stature of Christ.
Gospel
Mt 9:9-13
As Jesus passed by,
he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed him.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners came
and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,
“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
He heard this and said,
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
Meditation: Matthew 9:9-13
St. Matthew
Everyone must have known and despised Matthew. He was the guy who collected duty from local farmers and craftsmen whenever they took their products to or from the territory of Herod Antipas. He probably also collected taxes for the Romans. If he was like most tax collectors of the time, he had grown wealthy by extracting extra payments from his own people.
The disciples must have been horrified when Jesus called this collaborator and extortionist to join him! Imagine the conversion it required—not just for Matthew but for those who had to live with him. The evidence of their success—the fact that all were praying together in the upper room (Acts 1:13-14)—should give us hope that no division is too hard for God to overcome.
According to tradition, Matthew became a missionary and a martyr. It’s unlikely, though, that he went on to write the gospel that bears his name. The words “according to Matthew” were not added until the second century. Most scholars think the author was a Greek-speaking Jewish Christian—maybe a disciple of Matthew’s—who wrote around a.d. 85, probably from the city of Antioch.
If so, this author belonged to a community that faced its own big challenge to unity. The founding members of the Antioch church were Jewish converts who were still following Jewish laws and practices. But then came a great wave of gentile conversions (Acts 11:19-26) and with it, challenging questions. Did the new converts have to become Jews? Were Jewish Christians still bound by the Law of Moses?
Working out these questions was no simple matter. Tensions ran high, and at one point, Paul even accused Peter of cowardice and hypocrisy for going back on his original practice of sharing meals with Antioch’s gentile Christians (Galatians 2:11-14). But gradually, guided by the Holy Spirit, the apostles learned how to steer the church toward unity.
What challenges to Christian unity do you see—in your parish, religious community, or the church at large? Don’t let them get you down! The same Holy Spirit who taught Matthew and the other apostles how to live together can do the same for you.
“Jesus, thank you for Matthew and the other apostles. Help me to love unity and work for it, as they did. Make your people one, Lord!”
Ephesians 4:1-7,11-13; Psalm 19:2-5
Eph 4:1-7, 11-13
Brothers and sisters:
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit
through the bond of peace:
one Body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.
But grace was given to each of us
according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets,
others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,
to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,
for building up the Body of Christ,
until we all attain to the unity of faith
and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,
to the extent of the full stature of Christ.
Gospel
Mt 9:9-13
As Jesus passed by,
he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed him.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners came
and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,
“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
He heard this and said,
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
Meditation: Matthew 9:9-13
St. Matthew
Everyone must have known and despised Matthew. He was the guy who collected duty from local farmers and craftsmen whenever they took their products to or from the territory of Herod Antipas. He probably also collected taxes for the Romans. If he was like most tax collectors of the time, he had grown wealthy by extracting extra payments from his own people.
The disciples must have been horrified when Jesus called this collaborator and extortionist to join him! Imagine the conversion it required—not just for Matthew but for those who had to live with him. The evidence of their success—the fact that all were praying together in the upper room (Acts 1:13-14)—should give us hope that no division is too hard for God to overcome.
According to tradition, Matthew became a missionary and a martyr. It’s unlikely, though, that he went on to write the gospel that bears his name. The words “according to Matthew” were not added until the second century. Most scholars think the author was a Greek-speaking Jewish Christian—maybe a disciple of Matthew’s—who wrote around a.d. 85, probably from the city of Antioch.
If so, this author belonged to a community that faced its own big challenge to unity. The founding members of the Antioch church were Jewish converts who were still following Jewish laws and practices. But then came a great wave of gentile conversions (Acts 11:19-26) and with it, challenging questions. Did the new converts have to become Jews? Were Jewish Christians still bound by the Law of Moses?
Working out these questions was no simple matter. Tensions ran high, and at one point, Paul even accused Peter of cowardice and hypocrisy for going back on his original practice of sharing meals with Antioch’s gentile Christians (Galatians 2:11-14). But gradually, guided by the Holy Spirit, the apostles learned how to steer the church toward unity.
What challenges to Christian unity do you see—in your parish, religious community, or the church at large? Don’t let them get you down! The same Holy Spirit who taught Matthew and the other apostles how to live together can do the same for you.
“Jesus, thank you for Matthew and the other apostles. Help me to love unity and work for it, as they did. Make your people one, Lord!”
Ephesians 4:1-7,11-13; Psalm 19:2-5
19 September 2009
20 Sep 09, Sunday - 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year I
Reading 1
Wis 2:12, 17-20
The wicked say:
Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings,
reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our training.
Let us see whether his words be true;
let us find out what will happen to him.
For if the just one be the son of God, God will defend him
and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
With revilement and torture let us put the just one to the test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
for according to his own words, God will take care of him.
Reading II
Jas 3:16-4:3
Beloved:
Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist,
there is disorder and every foul practice.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure,
then peaceable, gentle, compliant,
full of mercy and good fruits,
without inconstancy or insincerity.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace
for those who cultivate peace.
Where do the wars
and where do the conflicts among you come from?
Is it not from your passions
that make war within your members?
You covet but do not possess.
You kill and envy but you cannot obtain;
you fight and wage war.
You do not possess because you do not ask.
You ask but do not receive,
because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
Gospel
Mk 9:30-37
Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee,
but he did not wish anyone to know about it.
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
“The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.”
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.
They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,
he began to ask them,
“What were you arguing about on the way?”
But they remained silent.
They had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest.
Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
“If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”
Taking a child, he placed it in the their midst,
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me.”
Meditation: Mark 9:30-37
It seems that we have a lot in common with the apostles.
We love Jesus; they loved Jesus. We want to follow him; they followed him. We want to please him, and so did they. And like the apostles, we too are bound by our human weaknesses. Today’s Gospel tells us that Jesus was trying to teach the apostles, but they weren’t really listening. They were discussing—arguing—about who was the greatest. Doesn’t this sound like the self-concerns that can keep us far from the Lord and his people?
We shouldn’t look down on the apostles. Like us, they had the natural human tendency to place themselves above those around them. Like us, they had the natural human tendency to think about their needs and desires more than the needs and desires of others. In other words, their hearts needed to be shaped and purified, just as ours do!
When Jesus asked about the conversation, the apostles kept quiet. They knew that he didn’t like senseless arguments, so they were reluctant to own up to them. So let’s ask ourselves: “How many times do I engage in senseless arguments? How many times have I tried to prove my point while knowing all the time that the argument was trivial?”
The apostles eventually outgrew these fallen mind-sets. They realized that they were God’s children and that they were being entrusted with God’s work. They understood that what counted most was to show people how to love God and one another.
As Jesus did with the apostles, he wants to do with us. He wants to show us a higher way to live. He wants to show us how noble and pleasing it is to serve others above ourselves. He wants to teach us how to avoid getting caught up in senseless arguments and how to redirect our conversations so that they help promote virtue and love over envy and jealousy.
“Jesus, teach me how to put others ahead of myself. I want to be like you, Lord.”
Wisdom 2:12,17-20; Psalm 54:3-6,8; James 3:16-–4:3
Wis 2:12, 17-20
The wicked say:
Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings,
reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our training.
Let us see whether his words be true;
let us find out what will happen to him.
For if the just one be the son of God, God will defend him
and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
With revilement and torture let us put the just one to the test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
for according to his own words, God will take care of him.
Reading II
Jas 3:16-4:3
Beloved:
Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist,
there is disorder and every foul practice.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure,
then peaceable, gentle, compliant,
full of mercy and good fruits,
without inconstancy or insincerity.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace
for those who cultivate peace.
Where do the wars
and where do the conflicts among you come from?
Is it not from your passions
that make war within your members?
You covet but do not possess.
You kill and envy but you cannot obtain;
you fight and wage war.
You do not possess because you do not ask.
You ask but do not receive,
because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
Gospel
Mk 9:30-37
Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee,
but he did not wish anyone to know about it.
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
“The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.”
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.
They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,
he began to ask them,
“What were you arguing about on the way?”
But they remained silent.
They had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest.
Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
“If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”
Taking a child, he placed it in the their midst,
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me.”
Meditation: Mark 9:30-37
It seems that we have a lot in common with the apostles.
We love Jesus; they loved Jesus. We want to follow him; they followed him. We want to please him, and so did they. And like the apostles, we too are bound by our human weaknesses. Today’s Gospel tells us that Jesus was trying to teach the apostles, but they weren’t really listening. They were discussing—arguing—about who was the greatest. Doesn’t this sound like the self-concerns that can keep us far from the Lord and his people?
We shouldn’t look down on the apostles. Like us, they had the natural human tendency to place themselves above those around them. Like us, they had the natural human tendency to think about their needs and desires more than the needs and desires of others. In other words, their hearts needed to be shaped and purified, just as ours do!
When Jesus asked about the conversation, the apostles kept quiet. They knew that he didn’t like senseless arguments, so they were reluctant to own up to them. So let’s ask ourselves: “How many times do I engage in senseless arguments? How many times have I tried to prove my point while knowing all the time that the argument was trivial?”
The apostles eventually outgrew these fallen mind-sets. They realized that they were God’s children and that they were being entrusted with God’s work. They understood that what counted most was to show people how to love God and one another.
As Jesus did with the apostles, he wants to do with us. He wants to show us a higher way to live. He wants to show us how noble and pleasing it is to serve others above ourselves. He wants to teach us how to avoid getting caught up in senseless arguments and how to redirect our conversations so that they help promote virtue and love over envy and jealousy.
“Jesus, teach me how to put others ahead of myself. I want to be like you, Lord.”
Wisdom 2:12,17-20; Psalm 54:3-6,8; James 3:16-–4:3
19 Sep 09, Saturday - 24th Week in Ordinary Time, Year I
Reading 1
1 Tm 6:13-16
Beloved:
I charge you before God, who gives life to all things,
and before Christ Jesus,
who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate
for the noble confession,
to keep the commandment without stain or reproach
until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ
that the blessed and only ruler
will make manifest at the proper time,
the King of kings and Lord of lords,
who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light,
and whom no human being has seen or can see.
To him be honor and eternal power. Amen.
Gospel
Lk 8:4-15
When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another
journeying to Jesus, he spoke in a parable.
“A sower went out to sow his seed.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled,
and the birds of the sky ate it up.
Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew,
it withered for lack of moisture.
Some seed fell among thorns,
and the thorns grew with it and choked it.
And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew,
it produced fruit a hundredfold.”
After saying this, he called out,
“Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”
Then his disciples asked him
what the meaning of this parable might be.
He answered,
“Knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God
has been granted to you;
but to the rest, they are made known through parables
so that they may look but not see, and hear but not understand.
“This is the meaning of the parable.
The seed is the word of God.
Those on the path are the ones who have heard,
but the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts
that they may not believe and be saved.
Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear,
receive the word with joy, but they have no root;
they believe only for a time and fall away in time of temptation.
As for the seed that fell among thorns,
they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along,
they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life,
and they fail to produce mature fruit.
But as for the seed that fell on rich soil,
they are the ones who, when they have heard the word,
embrace it with a generous and good heart,
and bear fruit through perseverance.”
Meditation Luke 8:4-15
There’s something miraculous about the growth of a seed.
When planted in rich soil and watered regularly, this small, hard pellet slowly turns into something completely different. We don’t have to tell the seed how to do it. It just knows what to do. And in that mysterious process, we see God’s handiwork.
There’s also something miraculous about the seed of God’s word. When it is planted in our hearts, it sprouts and transforms us into something more than we once were—a reflection of Jesus himself. We don’t know exactly how it happens, but we do know that it is also God’s handiwork.
As you pray about this familiar parable of the sower and seed today, try imagining yourself as the sower. You have been entrusted with the word of God, and he is calling you to plant the seeds of his gospel through your actions and words. It’s really a privileged calling, for when you do sow these seeds, you are beginning the process of growth and transformation for whoever will receive them—the “good soil” of the people around you.
So how exactly should you sow? It begins in your own heart. When you pray the Scriptures, you begin to take on God’s mind, making you more likely to think and act like him. You are more willing to forgive, or you are more able to speak in a kind and gentle tone—even in a stressful situation. When someone sees you acting this way, they get a glimpse of God at work in you, and they are touched by it. You have sown a seed!
You can also sow by telling someone about your experience of the Lord. Maybe someone you know—maybe even your own child—is searching for meaning in life. Be bold, and find an opportunity to talk to him or her about your journey. Offer to pray with someone who is sick, discouraged, or bound up in fear and anxiety. Share about a time when you saw God answering your own prayer.
You don’t have to worry if these seeds fall on rocky or dry ground. As St. Paul once wrote: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:6). God always takes our seeds and turns them into something beautiful!
“Lord, help me see all the opportunities to sow the seeds of your love. As I plant these seeds, I trust in you to cause the growth.”
1 Timothy 6:13-16; Psalm 100:1-5
1 Tm 6:13-16
Beloved:
I charge you before God, who gives life to all things,
and before Christ Jesus,
who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate
for the noble confession,
to keep the commandment without stain or reproach
until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ
that the blessed and only ruler
will make manifest at the proper time,
the King of kings and Lord of lords,
who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light,
and whom no human being has seen or can see.
To him be honor and eternal power. Amen.
Gospel
Lk 8:4-15
When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another
journeying to Jesus, he spoke in a parable.
“A sower went out to sow his seed.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled,
and the birds of the sky ate it up.
Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew,
it withered for lack of moisture.
Some seed fell among thorns,
and the thorns grew with it and choked it.
And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew,
it produced fruit a hundredfold.”
After saying this, he called out,
“Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”
Then his disciples asked him
what the meaning of this parable might be.
He answered,
“Knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God
has been granted to you;
but to the rest, they are made known through parables
so that they may look but not see, and hear but not understand.
“This is the meaning of the parable.
The seed is the word of God.
Those on the path are the ones who have heard,
but the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts
that they may not believe and be saved.
Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear,
receive the word with joy, but they have no root;
they believe only for a time and fall away in time of temptation.
As for the seed that fell among thorns,
they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along,
they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life,
and they fail to produce mature fruit.
But as for the seed that fell on rich soil,
they are the ones who, when they have heard the word,
embrace it with a generous and good heart,
and bear fruit through perseverance.”
Meditation Luke 8:4-15
There’s something miraculous about the growth of a seed.
When planted in rich soil and watered regularly, this small, hard pellet slowly turns into something completely different. We don’t have to tell the seed how to do it. It just knows what to do. And in that mysterious process, we see God’s handiwork.
There’s also something miraculous about the seed of God’s word. When it is planted in our hearts, it sprouts and transforms us into something more than we once were—a reflection of Jesus himself. We don’t know exactly how it happens, but we do know that it is also God’s handiwork.
As you pray about this familiar parable of the sower and seed today, try imagining yourself as the sower. You have been entrusted with the word of God, and he is calling you to plant the seeds of his gospel through your actions and words. It’s really a privileged calling, for when you do sow these seeds, you are beginning the process of growth and transformation for whoever will receive them—the “good soil” of the people around you.
So how exactly should you sow? It begins in your own heart. When you pray the Scriptures, you begin to take on God’s mind, making you more likely to think and act like him. You are more willing to forgive, or you are more able to speak in a kind and gentle tone—even in a stressful situation. When someone sees you acting this way, they get a glimpse of God at work in you, and they are touched by it. You have sown a seed!
You can also sow by telling someone about your experience of the Lord. Maybe someone you know—maybe even your own child—is searching for meaning in life. Be bold, and find an opportunity to talk to him or her about your journey. Offer to pray with someone who is sick, discouraged, or bound up in fear and anxiety. Share about a time when you saw God answering your own prayer.
You don’t have to worry if these seeds fall on rocky or dry ground. As St. Paul once wrote: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:6). God always takes our seeds and turns them into something beautiful!
“Lord, help me see all the opportunities to sow the seeds of your love. As I plant these seeds, I trust in you to cause the growth.”
1 Timothy 6:13-16; Psalm 100:1-5
18 September 2009
18 Sep 09, Friday - 24th Week in Ordinary Time, Year I
Reading 1
1 Tm 6:2c-12
Beloved:
Teach and urge these things.
Whoever teaches something different
and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ
and the religious teaching
is conceited, understanding nothing,
and has a morbid disposition for arguments and verbal disputes.
From these come envy, rivalry, insults, evil suspicions,
and mutual friction among people with corrupted minds,
who are deprived of the truth,
supposing religion to be a means of gain.
Indeed, religion with contentment is a great gain.
For we brought nothing into the world,
just as we shall not be able to take anything out of it.
If we have food and clothing, we shall be content with that.
Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap
and into many foolish and harmful desires,
which plunge them into ruin and destruction.
For the love of money is the root of all evils,
and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith
and have pierced themselves with many pains.
But you, man of God, avoid all this.
Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion,
faith, love, patience, and gentleness.
Compete well for the faith.
Lay hold of eternal life,
to which you were called when you made the noble confession
in the presence of many witnesses.
Gospel
Lk 8:1-3
Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another,
preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God.
Accompanying him were the Twelve
and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities,
Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza,
Susanna, and many others
who provided for them out of their resources.
Meditation: 1 Timothy 6:2-12
The love of money is the root of all evils. (1 Timothy 6:10)
We all know that money can be a source of temptation. But how can it be “the root of all evils”—especially these days, when it’s so scarce? In his Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius of Loyola gives us an answer. His meditation on the kingdom of Satan reveals how the devil seeks to enslave us through riches. In fact, riches are his very first temptation, followed by the false prestige that comes from them. From there, it’s not a big step to pride, which is the mother of all sins. The issue isn’t really our wallets—it’s our hearts.
By design, we are made to worship something. And if we get too focused on our possessions, they can become idols. If we’re blessed with abundance, we can start thinking, “I have it all!” But the problem is that we always seem to want more, because our hearts are made for an infinite God, not finite wealth. The same can be true if we are very poor or just going through hard times. We can become overwhelmed with our lack, to the point of envying those who have more. We can lose sight of the loving Father who holds us in his hands.
The antidote to the false pride that can come from riches—and the antidote to the envy and covetousness that can come from lack—is what Ignatius called “spiritual poverty.” It’s the humility to accept that everything we have comes from God. It’s the same poverty that Jesus showed in his incarnation: Though he was God’s Son, he “emptied himself, taking the form of a slave” (Philippians 2:7). When we follow Jesus and surrender everything to God, we find that we are truly free to serve him.
In prayer today, focus on your spiritual riches. God has blessed you with “every spiritual blessing in the heavens” (Ephesians 1:3). You are his child! By the cross, you have been forgiven and made whole. You are in the care of a loving Father. Nothing that this world offers can ever take his place!
“Lord, thank you for your goodness! I want to follow you and to serve you with everything that I have. May I regard all as worthless compared to knowing you!”
Psalm 49:6-10,17-20; Luke 8:1-3
1 Tm 6:2c-12
Beloved:
Teach and urge these things.
Whoever teaches something different
and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ
and the religious teaching
is conceited, understanding nothing,
and has a morbid disposition for arguments and verbal disputes.
From these come envy, rivalry, insults, evil suspicions,
and mutual friction among people with corrupted minds,
who are deprived of the truth,
supposing religion to be a means of gain.
Indeed, religion with contentment is a great gain.
For we brought nothing into the world,
just as we shall not be able to take anything out of it.
If we have food and clothing, we shall be content with that.
Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap
and into many foolish and harmful desires,
which plunge them into ruin and destruction.
For the love of money is the root of all evils,
and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith
and have pierced themselves with many pains.
But you, man of God, avoid all this.
Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion,
faith, love, patience, and gentleness.
Compete well for the faith.
Lay hold of eternal life,
to which you were called when you made the noble confession
in the presence of many witnesses.
Gospel
Lk 8:1-3
Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another,
preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God.
Accompanying him were the Twelve
and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities,
Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza,
Susanna, and many others
who provided for them out of their resources.
Meditation: 1 Timothy 6:2-12
The love of money is the root of all evils. (1 Timothy 6:10)
We all know that money can be a source of temptation. But how can it be “the root of all evils”—especially these days, when it’s so scarce? In his Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius of Loyola gives us an answer. His meditation on the kingdom of Satan reveals how the devil seeks to enslave us through riches. In fact, riches are his very first temptation, followed by the false prestige that comes from them. From there, it’s not a big step to pride, which is the mother of all sins. The issue isn’t really our wallets—it’s our hearts.
By design, we are made to worship something. And if we get too focused on our possessions, they can become idols. If we’re blessed with abundance, we can start thinking, “I have it all!” But the problem is that we always seem to want more, because our hearts are made for an infinite God, not finite wealth. The same can be true if we are very poor or just going through hard times. We can become overwhelmed with our lack, to the point of envying those who have more. We can lose sight of the loving Father who holds us in his hands.
The antidote to the false pride that can come from riches—and the antidote to the envy and covetousness that can come from lack—is what Ignatius called “spiritual poverty.” It’s the humility to accept that everything we have comes from God. It’s the same poverty that Jesus showed in his incarnation: Though he was God’s Son, he “emptied himself, taking the form of a slave” (Philippians 2:7). When we follow Jesus and surrender everything to God, we find that we are truly free to serve him.
In prayer today, focus on your spiritual riches. God has blessed you with “every spiritual blessing in the heavens” (Ephesians 1:3). You are his child! By the cross, you have been forgiven and made whole. You are in the care of a loving Father. Nothing that this world offers can ever take his place!
“Lord, thank you for your goodness! I want to follow you and to serve you with everything that I have. May I regard all as worthless compared to knowing you!”
Psalm 49:6-10,17-20; Luke 8:1-3
17 September 2009
17 Sep 09, Thursday - 24th Week in Ordinary Time, Year I
Reading 1
1 Tm 4:12-16
Beloved:
Let no one have contempt for your youth,
but set an example for those who believe,
in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.
Until I arrive, attend to the reading, exhortation, and teaching.
Do not neglect the gift you have,
which was conferred on you through the prophetic word
with the imposition of hands by the presbyterate.
Be diligent in these matters, be absorbed in them,
so that your progress may be evident to everyone.
Attend to yourself and to your teaching;
persevere in both tasks,
for by doing so you will save
both yourself and those who listen to you.
Gospel
Lk 7:36-50
A certain Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him,
and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table.
Now there was a sinful woman in the city
who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee.
Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment,
she stood behind him at his feet weeping
and began to bathe his feet with her tears.
Then she wiped them with her hair,
kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself,
“If this man were a prophet,
he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him,
that she is a sinner.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“Simon, I have something to say to you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
“Two people were in debt to a certain creditor;
one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty.
Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both.
Which of them will love him more?”
Simon said in reply,
“The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.”
He said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon,
“Do you see this woman?
When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet,
but she has bathed them with her tears
and wiped them with her hair.
You did not give me a kiss,
but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered.
You did not anoint my head with oil,
but she anointed my feet with ointment.
So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven;
hence, she has shown great love.
But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”
He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
The others at table said to themselves,
“Who is this who even forgives sins?”
But he said to the woman,
“Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Meditation: Luke 7:36-50
As she wept at Jesus’ feet, bathed them with her tears, and anointed them, the woman in today’s Gospel reading shamelessly demonstrated her love for Jesus.
She didn’t hesitate. She didn’t fear rejection. Her actions overflowed from a conviction deep in her soul that Jesus loved her, and she wanted to return that love.
Why was this woman so confident in what Jesus thought of her? The answer is simple: She experienced his mercy! Surely she must have had some encounter with Jesus before this dramatic episode. Maybe she heard him preach or saw him healing the sick. Whatever it was, Jesus’ words and deeds moved her deeply, and she embraced his message of God’s overflowing mercy. It wasn’t that her repentance made God love her; rather, it opened her heart to the covenant love God had for her. She was transformed because she saw that Jesus had accepted her and was committed to her, no matter how dark her previous life had been.
This story can give us an image of how powerful the Sacrament of Reconciliation can be. We all know that sin puts up barriers between God and ourselves. It blocks our experience of the covenant love God has for us. But we also know that we can tear down these walls by bringing our faults and failings to Confession. That’s where the heavenly floodgates can open, releasing a shower of God’s grace. Confessing our sins and receiving God’s forgiveness really can transform us. Beyond feelings of warmth or happiness, this sacrament can give us the certainty of Jesus’ unflinching commitment to us as he takes us by the hand, calls us his brothers and sisters, and tells us that our sins are forgiven.
The next time you prepare for Confession, be expectant. As you confess your sins, imagine a wall being torn down brick by brick, unleashing the power of God’s covenant of love. As you hear the words of absolution, picture Jesus putting his arm around your shoulder and drawing you close to his side. You are forgiven, and you can go in peace. Jesus still loves you and rejoices to have you draw closer to him. Finally, as you walk away from the sacrament, know that Jesus is walking with you, telling all the angels and saints that you are his!
“Jesus, I am yours! I want to remove all obstacles of sin so that I will know your love.”
1 Timothy 4:12-16; ? Psalm 111:7-10
1 Tm 4:12-16
Beloved:
Let no one have contempt for your youth,
but set an example for those who believe,
in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.
Until I arrive, attend to the reading, exhortation, and teaching.
Do not neglect the gift you have,
which was conferred on you through the prophetic word
with the imposition of hands by the presbyterate.
Be diligent in these matters, be absorbed in them,
so that your progress may be evident to everyone.
Attend to yourself and to your teaching;
persevere in both tasks,
for by doing so you will save
both yourself and those who listen to you.
Gospel
Lk 7:36-50
A certain Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him,
and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table.
Now there was a sinful woman in the city
who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee.
Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment,
she stood behind him at his feet weeping
and began to bathe his feet with her tears.
Then she wiped them with her hair,
kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself,
“If this man were a prophet,
he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him,
that she is a sinner.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“Simon, I have something to say to you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
“Two people were in debt to a certain creditor;
one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty.
Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both.
Which of them will love him more?”
Simon said in reply,
“The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.”
He said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon,
“Do you see this woman?
When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet,
but she has bathed them with her tears
and wiped them with her hair.
You did not give me a kiss,
but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered.
You did not anoint my head with oil,
but she anointed my feet with ointment.
So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven;
hence, she has shown great love.
But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”
He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
The others at table said to themselves,
“Who is this who even forgives sins?”
But he said to the woman,
“Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Meditation: Luke 7:36-50
As she wept at Jesus’ feet, bathed them with her tears, and anointed them, the woman in today’s Gospel reading shamelessly demonstrated her love for Jesus.
She didn’t hesitate. She didn’t fear rejection. Her actions overflowed from a conviction deep in her soul that Jesus loved her, and she wanted to return that love.
Why was this woman so confident in what Jesus thought of her? The answer is simple: She experienced his mercy! Surely she must have had some encounter with Jesus before this dramatic episode. Maybe she heard him preach or saw him healing the sick. Whatever it was, Jesus’ words and deeds moved her deeply, and she embraced his message of God’s overflowing mercy. It wasn’t that her repentance made God love her; rather, it opened her heart to the covenant love God had for her. She was transformed because she saw that Jesus had accepted her and was committed to her, no matter how dark her previous life had been.
This story can give us an image of how powerful the Sacrament of Reconciliation can be. We all know that sin puts up barriers between God and ourselves. It blocks our experience of the covenant love God has for us. But we also know that we can tear down these walls by bringing our faults and failings to Confession. That’s where the heavenly floodgates can open, releasing a shower of God’s grace. Confessing our sins and receiving God’s forgiveness really can transform us. Beyond feelings of warmth or happiness, this sacrament can give us the certainty of Jesus’ unflinching commitment to us as he takes us by the hand, calls us his brothers and sisters, and tells us that our sins are forgiven.
The next time you prepare for Confession, be expectant. As you confess your sins, imagine a wall being torn down brick by brick, unleashing the power of God’s covenant of love. As you hear the words of absolution, picture Jesus putting his arm around your shoulder and drawing you close to his side. You are forgiven, and you can go in peace. Jesus still loves you and rejoices to have you draw closer to him. Finally, as you walk away from the sacrament, know that Jesus is walking with you, telling all the angels and saints that you are his!
“Jesus, I am yours! I want to remove all obstacles of sin so that I will know your love.”
1 Timothy 4:12-16; ? Psalm 111:7-10
16 September 2009
16 Sep 09, Wednesday - 24th Week in Ordinary Time, Year I
Reading 1
1 Tm 3:14-16
Beloved:
I am writing you,
although I hope to visit you soon.
But if I should be delayed,
you should know how to behave in the household of God,
which is the Church of the living God,
the pillar and foundation of truth.
Undeniably great is the mystery of devotion,
Who was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated in the spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed to the Gentiles,
believed in throughout the world,
taken up in glory.
Gospel
Lk 7:31-35
Jesus said to the crowds:
“To what shall I compare the people of this generation?
What are they like?
They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another,
‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance.
We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.’
For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine,
and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said,
‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.
Meditation: Luke 7:31-35
We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not weep. (Luke 7:32)
At some time in your life, you may have experienced communication problems with someone close to you—perhaps a spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend, or a relative. You tried to talk to them, and they wouldn’t respond. You said nice things, but they only became more withdrawn. You told them you were upset, but it didn’t make any difference. At that point, you may have felt like giving up. You wondered, “Why can’t I get through?”
You may think that Jesus felt that way about those who weren’t accepting him. For whatever reason, they had their minds made up about him. He spoke of God’s mercy, and also warned of his judgment—yet they still found excuses not to follow him. They called John the Baptist possessed and labeled Jesus a hypocrite (Luke 7:33-34). But Jesus didn’t give up on them. In fact, he went to the cross, died, and rose again in order to convince them of his love!
You may also know someone who is resisting God’s love. Any mention of the gospel seems to irritate them. Maybe something in their past has caused them to become cynical about faith. Perhaps you’ve already concluded that they will never come around. But if Jesus gave his last breath for them, then we should have hope for them too! No one is beyond the reach of his mercy.
How can we preach the gospel to those who are closed to it? If we just quote a few verses from Scripture or a line from our catechism, we probably won’t get very far. But if we risk a little and share our lives, our witness will be far more effective. By spending time with someone, listening to them, and simply being their friend, we are sharing Christ with them—because he is in us! We can be God’s word to the broken and the hard-hearted. As in everything else, love is the ultimate answer.
“Lord, your love for me is beyond measure. Give me that same love for my brothers and sisters who are far from you. Show me how I can reach them with your message of salvation.”
1 Timothy 3:14-16; Psalm 111:1-6
1 Tm 3:14-16
Beloved:
I am writing you,
although I hope to visit you soon.
But if I should be delayed,
you should know how to behave in the household of God,
which is the Church of the living God,
the pillar and foundation of truth.
Undeniably great is the mystery of devotion,
Who was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated in the spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed to the Gentiles,
believed in throughout the world,
taken up in glory.
Gospel
Lk 7:31-35
Jesus said to the crowds:
“To what shall I compare the people of this generation?
What are they like?
They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another,
‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance.
We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.’
For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine,
and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said,
‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.
Meditation: Luke 7:31-35
We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not weep. (Luke 7:32)
At some time in your life, you may have experienced communication problems with someone close to you—perhaps a spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend, or a relative. You tried to talk to them, and they wouldn’t respond. You said nice things, but they only became more withdrawn. You told them you were upset, but it didn’t make any difference. At that point, you may have felt like giving up. You wondered, “Why can’t I get through?”
You may think that Jesus felt that way about those who weren’t accepting him. For whatever reason, they had their minds made up about him. He spoke of God’s mercy, and also warned of his judgment—yet they still found excuses not to follow him. They called John the Baptist possessed and labeled Jesus a hypocrite (Luke 7:33-34). But Jesus didn’t give up on them. In fact, he went to the cross, died, and rose again in order to convince them of his love!
You may also know someone who is resisting God’s love. Any mention of the gospel seems to irritate them. Maybe something in their past has caused them to become cynical about faith. Perhaps you’ve already concluded that they will never come around. But if Jesus gave his last breath for them, then we should have hope for them too! No one is beyond the reach of his mercy.
How can we preach the gospel to those who are closed to it? If we just quote a few verses from Scripture or a line from our catechism, we probably won’t get very far. But if we risk a little and share our lives, our witness will be far more effective. By spending time with someone, listening to them, and simply being their friend, we are sharing Christ with them—because he is in us! We can be God’s word to the broken and the hard-hearted. As in everything else, love is the ultimate answer.
“Lord, your love for me is beyond measure. Give me that same love for my brothers and sisters who are far from you. Show me how I can reach them with your message of salvation.”
1 Timothy 3:14-16; Psalm 111:1-6
15 September 2009
15 Sep 09, Tuesday - Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
Reading 1
1 Tm 3:1-13
Beloved, this saying is trustworthy:
whoever aspires to the office of bishop desires a noble task.
Therefore, a bishop must be irreproachable,
married only once, temperate, self-controlled,
decent, hospitable, able to teach,
not a drunkard, not aggressive, but gentle,
not contentious, not a lover of money.
He must manage his own household well,
keeping his children under control with perfect dignity;
for if a man does not know how to manage his own household,
how can he take care of the Church of God?
He should not be a recent convert,
so that he may not become conceited
and thus incur the Devil’s punishment.
He must also have a good reputation among outsiders,
so that he may not fall into disgrace, the Devil’s trap.
Similarly, deacons must be dignified, not deceitful,
not addicted to drink, not greedy for sordid gain,
holding fast to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
Moreover, they should be tested first;
then, if there is nothing against them,
let them serve as deacons.
Women, similarly, should be dignified, not slanderers,
but temperate and faithful in everything.
Deacons may be married only once
and must manage their children and their households well.
Thus those who serve well as deacons gain good standing
and much confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus.
Gospel
Jn 19:25-27 or Lk 2:33-35
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary Magdalene.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved
he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”
Then he said to the disciple,
“Behold, your mother.”
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
or
Lk 2:33-35
Jesus’ father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
and you yourself a sword will pierce
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
Meditation: John 19:25-27
Our Lady of Sorrows
If you have ever visited St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, you’ve probably spent a few moments admiring Michelangelo’s Pietà. And even if you’ve only seen a picture of this well-known sculpture, you know how poignantly it portrays Our Lady of Sorrows. A powerful meditation in marble, it shows Mary tenderly holding Jesus’ body, looking down at her son with an expression that suggests both anguish and acceptance.
Who can imagine what Mary felt as Jesus was placed in her arms? Any loving mother’s heart is crushed when her child’s life is cut short. But Mary watched Jesus die a brutal death—naked, taunted, scourged, pierced by nails.
This was the son she had loved, fed, taught, and then surrendered so that he could carry out his special mission. And after three years of healing, teaching, and announcing the kingdom of God, it had come to this: He died rejected, seemingly abandoned, even by his own Father. Jesus’ cry—”Why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)—must have cut Mary to the heart.
Even if Mary had an inkling that this wasn’t the end of the story, it didn’t shield her from pain and confusion. “Nothing will be impossible for God,” the angel had told her (Luke 1:37). But not knowing exactly how God would intervene, Mary had to walk by faith, trusting against all the outward evidence.
There are many times in our lives when we have to walk by faith as well. Especially then, we can turn to Mary as our guide and companion. She teaches us that the way to persevere is to keep our eyes on Jesus and not on ourselves. She encourages us to contemplate the mystery of Jesus’ death—not shrinking from the pain but joining our suffering to his sacrifice of love for the salvation of the world.
If you have a picture of Mary at the cross, try using it to help you pray sometime this week. Sit quietly, and let yourself get absorbed in the scene. Speak to Mary heart-to-heart, asking her to intercede for you or for someone you know who is suffering right now. Mary, the tender mother who weeps with those who weep, will point you to Jesus and help you walk the path laid out for you.
“Mary, you stood at the cross and were not overcome by sorrow and darkness. Help me to stand with you in faith, trust, and surrender.”
1 Timothy 3:1-13; Psalm 101:1-3,5-6
1 Tm 3:1-13
Beloved, this saying is trustworthy:
whoever aspires to the office of bishop desires a noble task.
Therefore, a bishop must be irreproachable,
married only once, temperate, self-controlled,
decent, hospitable, able to teach,
not a drunkard, not aggressive, but gentle,
not contentious, not a lover of money.
He must manage his own household well,
keeping his children under control with perfect dignity;
for if a man does not know how to manage his own household,
how can he take care of the Church of God?
He should not be a recent convert,
so that he may not become conceited
and thus incur the Devil’s punishment.
He must also have a good reputation among outsiders,
so that he may not fall into disgrace, the Devil’s trap.
Similarly, deacons must be dignified, not deceitful,
not addicted to drink, not greedy for sordid gain,
holding fast to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
Moreover, they should be tested first;
then, if there is nothing against them,
let them serve as deacons.
Women, similarly, should be dignified, not slanderers,
but temperate and faithful in everything.
Deacons may be married only once
and must manage their children and their households well.
Thus those who serve well as deacons gain good standing
and much confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus.
Gospel
Jn 19:25-27 or Lk 2:33-35
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary Magdalene.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved
he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”
Then he said to the disciple,
“Behold, your mother.”
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
or
Lk 2:33-35
Jesus’ father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
and you yourself a sword will pierce
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
Meditation: John 19:25-27
Our Lady of Sorrows
If you have ever visited St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, you’ve probably spent a few moments admiring Michelangelo’s Pietà. And even if you’ve only seen a picture of this well-known sculpture, you know how poignantly it portrays Our Lady of Sorrows. A powerful meditation in marble, it shows Mary tenderly holding Jesus’ body, looking down at her son with an expression that suggests both anguish and acceptance.
Who can imagine what Mary felt as Jesus was placed in her arms? Any loving mother’s heart is crushed when her child’s life is cut short. But Mary watched Jesus die a brutal death—naked, taunted, scourged, pierced by nails.
This was the son she had loved, fed, taught, and then surrendered so that he could carry out his special mission. And after three years of healing, teaching, and announcing the kingdom of God, it had come to this: He died rejected, seemingly abandoned, even by his own Father. Jesus’ cry—”Why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)—must have cut Mary to the heart.
Even if Mary had an inkling that this wasn’t the end of the story, it didn’t shield her from pain and confusion. “Nothing will be impossible for God,” the angel had told her (Luke 1:37). But not knowing exactly how God would intervene, Mary had to walk by faith, trusting against all the outward evidence.
There are many times in our lives when we have to walk by faith as well. Especially then, we can turn to Mary as our guide and companion. She teaches us that the way to persevere is to keep our eyes on Jesus and not on ourselves. She encourages us to contemplate the mystery of Jesus’ death—not shrinking from the pain but joining our suffering to his sacrifice of love for the salvation of the world.
If you have a picture of Mary at the cross, try using it to help you pray sometime this week. Sit quietly, and let yourself get absorbed in the scene. Speak to Mary heart-to-heart, asking her to intercede for you or for someone you know who is suffering right now. Mary, the tender mother who weeps with those who weep, will point you to Jesus and help you walk the path laid out for you.
“Mary, you stood at the cross and were not overcome by sorrow and darkness. Help me to stand with you in faith, trust, and surrender.”
1 Timothy 3:1-13; Psalm 101:1-3,5-6
14 September 2009
14 Sep 09, Monday - Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Reading 1
Nm 21:4b-9
With their patience worn out by the journey,
the people complained against God and Moses,
“Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert,
where there is no food or water?
We are disgusted with this wretched food!”
In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents,
which bit the people so that many of them died.
Then the people came to Moses and said,
“We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you.
Pray the LORD to take the serpents from us.”
So Moses prayed for the people, and the LORD said to Moses,
“Make a saraph and mount it on a pole,
and if any who have been bitten look at it, they will live.”
Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole,
and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent
looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
Reading II
Phil 2:6-11
Brothers and sisters:
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Gospel
Jn 3:13-17
Jesus said to Nicodemus:
“No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Meditation: Philippians 2:6-11
The Triumph of the Cross
Today is a day that testifies to the power of God’s infinite love for us. It is a day to celebrate the awesome fact that God spared nothing to save us, not even his only Son, to rescue us. So let’s lift up our hearts with songs of praise and gratitude as we ponder all that he has won for us.
When Jesus gave his life on the cross two thousand years ago, he ushered in a whole new life for all who would believe in him. His victory over sin and death was complete and definitive. He bore every sin—past, present, and future—and took every evil inclination of our hearts and nailed them to his cross. By his death, he defeated the power of Satan and destroyed death forever. He triumphed over the ways of the world that are opposed to God. He opened up heaven and poured out unlimited grace and mercy.
That’s all fine and good, as far as theology is concerned. But there is more to this day than bold statements of spiritual victory. This is a day to celebrate Jesus’ touch upon every person who believes in him. Let’s imagine what Jesus might say to each of us right now as we gaze upon his cross:
“My beloved child, heaven has been opened up for you. Because of my cross, you have been forgiven and cleansed of all sin. You are justified and made righteous. You are protected from Satan’s evil schemes. You have been rescued from darkness and the ungodly ways of the world, and you now have power to live a holy life on earth. Do you believe this, my child? Place your faith in me, and you will see my victory.”
Jesus’ triumph really is our triumph. So let’s tell him that we are sinners. Let’s tell him that we are grateful for his sacrifice for us. Let’s look to his cross and receive the life that he offers to us. May we surrender our hearts to Jesus, who loves us so deeply!
“Jesus, I rejoice in the power of your cross. You who are pure and holy took my sin upon yourself. Thank you, Lord! Today, I want to receive the life and power that flow from your cross. Come, Lord, and make me new!”
Numbers 21:4-9; Psalm 78:1-2, 34-38; John 3:13-17
Nm 21:4b-9
With their patience worn out by the journey,
the people complained against God and Moses,
“Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert,
where there is no food or water?
We are disgusted with this wretched food!”
In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents,
which bit the people so that many of them died.
Then the people came to Moses and said,
“We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you.
Pray the LORD to take the serpents from us.”
So Moses prayed for the people, and the LORD said to Moses,
“Make a saraph and mount it on a pole,
and if any who have been bitten look at it, they will live.”
Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole,
and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent
looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
Reading II
Phil 2:6-11
Brothers and sisters:
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Gospel
Jn 3:13-17
Jesus said to Nicodemus:
“No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Meditation: Philippians 2:6-11
The Triumph of the Cross
Today is a day that testifies to the power of God’s infinite love for us. It is a day to celebrate the awesome fact that God spared nothing to save us, not even his only Son, to rescue us. So let’s lift up our hearts with songs of praise and gratitude as we ponder all that he has won for us.
When Jesus gave his life on the cross two thousand years ago, he ushered in a whole new life for all who would believe in him. His victory over sin and death was complete and definitive. He bore every sin—past, present, and future—and took every evil inclination of our hearts and nailed them to his cross. By his death, he defeated the power of Satan and destroyed death forever. He triumphed over the ways of the world that are opposed to God. He opened up heaven and poured out unlimited grace and mercy.
That’s all fine and good, as far as theology is concerned. But there is more to this day than bold statements of spiritual victory. This is a day to celebrate Jesus’ touch upon every person who believes in him. Let’s imagine what Jesus might say to each of us right now as we gaze upon his cross:
“My beloved child, heaven has been opened up for you. Because of my cross, you have been forgiven and cleansed of all sin. You are justified and made righteous. You are protected from Satan’s evil schemes. You have been rescued from darkness and the ungodly ways of the world, and you now have power to live a holy life on earth. Do you believe this, my child? Place your faith in me, and you will see my victory.”
Jesus’ triumph really is our triumph. So let’s tell him that we are sinners. Let’s tell him that we are grateful for his sacrifice for us. Let’s look to his cross and receive the life that he offers to us. May we surrender our hearts to Jesus, who loves us so deeply!
“Jesus, I rejoice in the power of your cross. You who are pure and holy took my sin upon yourself. Thank you, Lord! Today, I want to receive the life and power that flow from your cross. Come, Lord, and make me new!”
Numbers 21:4-9; Psalm 78:1-2, 34-38; John 3:13-17
13 September 2009
13 Sep 09, Sunday - 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year I
Reading 1
Is 50:5-9a
The Lord GOD opens my ear that I may hear;
and I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
my face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.
The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
He is near who upholds my right;
if anyone wishes to oppose me,
let us appear together.
Who disputes my right?
Let that man confront me.
See, the Lord GOD is my help;
who will prove me wrong?
Reading II
Jas 2:14-18
What good is it, my brothers and sisters,
if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
Can that faith save him?
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear
and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them,
“Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well, ”
but you do not give them the necessities of the body,
what good is it?
So also faith of itself,
if it does not have works, is dead.
Indeed someone might say,
“You have faith and I have works.”
Demonstrate your faith to me without works,
and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.
Gospel
Mk 8:27-35
Jesus and his disciples set out
for the villages of Caesarea Philippi.
Along the way he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that I am?”
They said in reply,
“John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others one of the prophets.”
And he asked them,
“But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said to him in reply,
“You are the Christ.”
Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.
He began to teach them
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days.
He spoke this openly.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the gospel will save it.”
Meditation: Mark 8:27-35
Peter had a striking insight and dared to express it to Jesus and his fellow disciples: “You are the Messiah!” (Mark 8:29).
In Matthew’s account (Matthew 16:13-19), Jesus calls Simon “blessed” for being open to divine revelation. However, Jesus doesn’t let Peter bask in this moment. Right away, he begins to describe what being Messiah means: suffering and death for Jesus.
Peter’s reaction is swift and understandable: horror. Jesus in turn rebukes him for thinking like a human being rather than thinking with God. Peter has begun to see things from God’s perspective, and that should change everything.
Next, Jesus calls Peter to leadership. But Peter has to understand that leading doesn’t mean lording it over others but laying down his life for them (Mark 10:42-45). He can’t be a leader like this based on his own strength and wisdom. He must bring these things to Jesus and receive the gift God is offering him: a new heart, a new mind, a new way of life.
One specific way of denying ourselves and taking up our cross is to put aside our natural but fallen ways of thinking and ask God to help us see things as he does. The obvious example here is that suffering and death aren’t the ultimate evil; far worse are sin and failure to do the Father’s will.
What other ways of thinking might you need to adjust? Perhaps the judgment that this (career, security) is very important, or that (taking care of home and children, keeping church laws) is not so important. Perhaps the commonsense but inadequate approach that I can’t love others unless I first love myself; that my needs, then the needs of my family, come before the claims of the poor; or that material needs are more fundamental than spiritual ones.
Spend a few moments today asking God to show you one way in which you need to change your mind so that you can make room for his love and his way of thinking.
”Father, fill me with the riches of your wisdom. I want to see everything and everyone as you see them.”
Isaiah 50:4-9; Psalm 116:1-6,8-9; James 2:14-18
Is 50:5-9a
The Lord GOD opens my ear that I may hear;
and I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
my face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.
The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
He is near who upholds my right;
if anyone wishes to oppose me,
let us appear together.
Who disputes my right?
Let that man confront me.
See, the Lord GOD is my help;
who will prove me wrong?
Reading II
Jas 2:14-18
What good is it, my brothers and sisters,
if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
Can that faith save him?
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear
and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them,
“Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well, ”
but you do not give them the necessities of the body,
what good is it?
So also faith of itself,
if it does not have works, is dead.
Indeed someone might say,
“You have faith and I have works.”
Demonstrate your faith to me without works,
and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.
Gospel
Mk 8:27-35
Jesus and his disciples set out
for the villages of Caesarea Philippi.
Along the way he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that I am?”
They said in reply,
“John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others one of the prophets.”
And he asked them,
“But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said to him in reply,
“You are the Christ.”
Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.
He began to teach them
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days.
He spoke this openly.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the gospel will save it.”
Meditation: Mark 8:27-35
Peter had a striking insight and dared to express it to Jesus and his fellow disciples: “You are the Messiah!” (Mark 8:29).
In Matthew’s account (Matthew 16:13-19), Jesus calls Simon “blessed” for being open to divine revelation. However, Jesus doesn’t let Peter bask in this moment. Right away, he begins to describe what being Messiah means: suffering and death for Jesus.
Peter’s reaction is swift and understandable: horror. Jesus in turn rebukes him for thinking like a human being rather than thinking with God. Peter has begun to see things from God’s perspective, and that should change everything.
Next, Jesus calls Peter to leadership. But Peter has to understand that leading doesn’t mean lording it over others but laying down his life for them (Mark 10:42-45). He can’t be a leader like this based on his own strength and wisdom. He must bring these things to Jesus and receive the gift God is offering him: a new heart, a new mind, a new way of life.
One specific way of denying ourselves and taking up our cross is to put aside our natural but fallen ways of thinking and ask God to help us see things as he does. The obvious example here is that suffering and death aren’t the ultimate evil; far worse are sin and failure to do the Father’s will.
What other ways of thinking might you need to adjust? Perhaps the judgment that this (career, security) is very important, or that (taking care of home and children, keeping church laws) is not so important. Perhaps the commonsense but inadequate approach that I can’t love others unless I first love myself; that my needs, then the needs of my family, come before the claims of the poor; or that material needs are more fundamental than spiritual ones.
Spend a few moments today asking God to show you one way in which you need to change your mind so that you can make room for his love and his way of thinking.
”Father, fill me with the riches of your wisdom. I want to see everything and everyone as you see them.”
Isaiah 50:4-9; Psalm 116:1-6,8-9; James 2:14-18
12 September 2009
12 Sep 09, Saturday - 23rd Week in Ordinary Time, Year I
Reading 1
1 Tm 1:15-17
Beloved:
This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance:
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
Of these I am the foremost.
But for that reason I was mercifully treated,
so that in me, as the foremost,
Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example
for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life.
To the king of ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only God,
honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Gospel
Lk 6:43-49
Jesus said to his disciples:
“A good tree does not bear rotten fruit,
nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit.
For every tree is known by its own fruit.
For people do not pick figs from thornbushes,
nor do they gather grapes from brambles.
A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good,
but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil;
for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command?
I will show you what someone is like who comes to me,
listens to my words, and acts on them.
That one is like a man building a house,
who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock;
when the flood came, the river burst against that house
but could not shake it because it had been well built.
But the one who listens and does not act
is like a person who built a house on the ground
without a foundation.
When the river burst against it,
it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.”
Meditation: Luke 6:43-49
“Tell me who your friends are, and I’ll tell you who you are.”
This old adage has much gospel truth within it. In fact, today’s reading about fruit reflecting the kind of tree it comes from says something very similar. How and where you are rooted shows the way you will grow and determines the kind and quality of fruit you will bear. We get a certain degree of support and nourishment from our friends and associates, and thus reflect their influence. Where you turn for information upon which to base decisions says something about your approach to life.
Going a step further, we can apply this to family life. More than anyone else, parents are the initial and most influential source of development and formation for their children. The home is the “soil” where they will take root—the soil that will probably have the most significant impact on the kind of fruit the children will bear.
It stands to reason, then, that parents who are rooted in Christ will bear the fruit of children who are secure in who they are and who are open to the Lord. So the question is, “How am I doing in giving my children the proper grounding in the Lord?”
The answer doesn’t have to be grandiose or excessively evangelistic. Sometimes, the smallest things make the biggest impact. Let your children see you praying. Speak to them in a way that they know that Jesus is your best friend and the source of your strength. Show them how forgiveness is the path to the wholeness we need in life as we admit our failings and move on. Even something as minor as saying, “I forgive you” instead of “That’s okay” can have a great impact on a child.
Of course, the goal is that our children find their security and nourishment in the Lord more than in us. But that will happen as we provide the right kind of environment. When their world expands beyond the family, children will look for sources that will continue to nourish the growth you started. They may try some other paths, but they will always know what is really capable of producing the wholeness and peace they long for. Be assured, your efforts at forming and evangelizing your children will be with them wherever they go.
“Father, I don’t always know the best way to keep you present to our family. I trust you to show me the way.”
1 Timothy 1:15-17; Psalm 113:1-7
1 Tm 1:15-17
Beloved:
This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance:
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
Of these I am the foremost.
But for that reason I was mercifully treated,
so that in me, as the foremost,
Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example
for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life.
To the king of ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only God,
honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Gospel
Lk 6:43-49
Jesus said to his disciples:
“A good tree does not bear rotten fruit,
nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit.
For every tree is known by its own fruit.
For people do not pick figs from thornbushes,
nor do they gather grapes from brambles.
A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good,
but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil;
for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command?
I will show you what someone is like who comes to me,
listens to my words, and acts on them.
That one is like a man building a house,
who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock;
when the flood came, the river burst against that house
but could not shake it because it had been well built.
But the one who listens and does not act
is like a person who built a house on the ground
without a foundation.
When the river burst against it,
it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.”
Meditation: Luke 6:43-49
“Tell me who your friends are, and I’ll tell you who you are.”
This old adage has much gospel truth within it. In fact, today’s reading about fruit reflecting the kind of tree it comes from says something very similar. How and where you are rooted shows the way you will grow and determines the kind and quality of fruit you will bear. We get a certain degree of support and nourishment from our friends and associates, and thus reflect their influence. Where you turn for information upon which to base decisions says something about your approach to life.
Going a step further, we can apply this to family life. More than anyone else, parents are the initial and most influential source of development and formation for their children. The home is the “soil” where they will take root—the soil that will probably have the most significant impact on the kind of fruit the children will bear.
It stands to reason, then, that parents who are rooted in Christ will bear the fruit of children who are secure in who they are and who are open to the Lord. So the question is, “How am I doing in giving my children the proper grounding in the Lord?”
The answer doesn’t have to be grandiose or excessively evangelistic. Sometimes, the smallest things make the biggest impact. Let your children see you praying. Speak to them in a way that they know that Jesus is your best friend and the source of your strength. Show them how forgiveness is the path to the wholeness we need in life as we admit our failings and move on. Even something as minor as saying, “I forgive you” instead of “That’s okay” can have a great impact on a child.
Of course, the goal is that our children find their security and nourishment in the Lord more than in us. But that will happen as we provide the right kind of environment. When their world expands beyond the family, children will look for sources that will continue to nourish the growth you started. They may try some other paths, but they will always know what is really capable of producing the wholeness and peace they long for. Be assured, your efforts at forming and evangelizing your children will be with them wherever they go.
“Father, I don’t always know the best way to keep you present to our family. I trust you to show me the way.”
1 Timothy 1:15-17; Psalm 113:1-7
11 September 2009
11 Sep 09, Friday - 23rd Week in Ordinary Time, Year I
Reading 1
1 Tm 1:1-2, 12-14
Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our savior
and of Christ Jesus our hope,
to Timothy, my true child in faith:
grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father
and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord,
because he considered me trustworthy
in appointing me to the ministry.
I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and an arrogant man,
but I have been mercifully treated
because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief.
Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been abundant,
along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Gospel
Lk 6:39-42
Jesus told his disciples a parable:
“Can a blind person guide a blind person?
Will not both fall into a pit?
No disciple is superior to the teacher;
but when fully trained,
every disciple will be like his teacher.
Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye,
but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?
How can you say to your brother,
‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’
when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye?
You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first;
then you will see clearly
to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.”
Meditation: 1 Timothy 1:1-2,12-14
I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and an arrogant man. (1 Timothy 1:13).
What a graphic, but accurate, picture this passage paints of St. Paul before his conversion! He supported and even enabled the execution of the deacon Stephen (Acts 8:1). He “persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it” (Galatians 1:13). He occupied himself with “murderous threats” against the first Christians and actively sought their arrest (Acts 9:1-2). As the early church continued to grow, Paul became more and more filled with anger and violence against a faction that seemed to threaten the faith he served.
The fact is, in any age, in any culture, ancient prejudices can poison people’s view of those who have different convictions and who act and believe differently. Human passion, ignited by fear or hatred, flares into violence and bloodshed. And people die—in first-century Palestine, in twenty-first-century England, Spain, Iran, Bali, America. And all the while, Jesus weeps.
God alone is sufficiently wise to extinguish the flaming hatred that blazes around the world. So pray! Pray that people will be moved to seek God’s wisdom for restoring peace. Pray that faithful men and women will rise up, wherever terrorism rages, to know and act according to his wisdom. Pray for all whose lives are filled with anger, hatred, terror, and violence. Pray for their healing and deliverance. Pray that they will come into a living relationship with the God who loves them. Pray that they will be set free to receive his mercy, just as Paul did.
For many of us, violence and terror are but distant threats. We should ask, then, that God show us how he can use us as servants of peace at home. We all know someone who is filled with anger, someone whose life is brittle with hatred or prejudice. Ask the Lord how you can speak a word—perhaps of forgiveness or comfort, of understanding or simple kindness—into their life. Pray for patience, forbearance, and fortitude in difficult relationships. Let September 11th become a day on which we all extend God’s love and grace and mercy to others!
“Father, let a tidal wave of your love wash over the earth today. Show me how to share that love in everything I do today.”
Psalm 16:1-2,5,7-8,11; Luke 6:43-49
1 Tm 1:1-2, 12-14
Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our savior
and of Christ Jesus our hope,
to Timothy, my true child in faith:
grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father
and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord,
because he considered me trustworthy
in appointing me to the ministry.
I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and an arrogant man,
but I have been mercifully treated
because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief.
Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been abundant,
along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Gospel
Lk 6:39-42
Jesus told his disciples a parable:
“Can a blind person guide a blind person?
Will not both fall into a pit?
No disciple is superior to the teacher;
but when fully trained,
every disciple will be like his teacher.
Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye,
but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?
How can you say to your brother,
‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’
when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye?
You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first;
then you will see clearly
to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.”
Meditation: 1 Timothy 1:1-2,12-14
I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and an arrogant man. (1 Timothy 1:13).
What a graphic, but accurate, picture this passage paints of St. Paul before his conversion! He supported and even enabled the execution of the deacon Stephen (Acts 8:1). He “persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it” (Galatians 1:13). He occupied himself with “murderous threats” against the first Christians and actively sought their arrest (Acts 9:1-2). As the early church continued to grow, Paul became more and more filled with anger and violence against a faction that seemed to threaten the faith he served.
The fact is, in any age, in any culture, ancient prejudices can poison people’s view of those who have different convictions and who act and believe differently. Human passion, ignited by fear or hatred, flares into violence and bloodshed. And people die—in first-century Palestine, in twenty-first-century England, Spain, Iran, Bali, America. And all the while, Jesus weeps.
God alone is sufficiently wise to extinguish the flaming hatred that blazes around the world. So pray! Pray that people will be moved to seek God’s wisdom for restoring peace. Pray that faithful men and women will rise up, wherever terrorism rages, to know and act according to his wisdom. Pray for all whose lives are filled with anger, hatred, terror, and violence. Pray for their healing and deliverance. Pray that they will come into a living relationship with the God who loves them. Pray that they will be set free to receive his mercy, just as Paul did.
For many of us, violence and terror are but distant threats. We should ask, then, that God show us how he can use us as servants of peace at home. We all know someone who is filled with anger, someone whose life is brittle with hatred or prejudice. Ask the Lord how you can speak a word—perhaps of forgiveness or comfort, of understanding or simple kindness—into their life. Pray for patience, forbearance, and fortitude in difficult relationships. Let September 11th become a day on which we all extend God’s love and grace and mercy to others!
“Father, let a tidal wave of your love wash over the earth today. Show me how to share that love in everything I do today.”
Psalm 16:1-2,5,7-8,11; Luke 6:43-49
10 September 2009
10 Sep 09, Thursday - 23rd Week in Ordinary Time, Year I
Reading 1
Col 3:12-17
Brothers and sisters:
Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one Body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Gospel
Lk 6:27-38
Jesus said to his disciples:
“To you who hear I say, love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,
pray for those who mistreat you.
To the person who strikes you on one cheek,
offer the other one as well,
and from the person who takes your cloak,
do not withhold even your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks of you,
and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
For if you love those who love you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners do the same.
If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners,
and get back the same amount.
But rather, love your enemies and do good to them,
and lend expecting nothing back;
then your reward will be great
and you will be children of the Most High,
for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.
“Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you.”
Meditation: Colossians 3:12-17
Have you noticed that so many of the great stories include epic struggles between forces of good and forces of evil?
There is a widespread appeal to these tales that captivates the reader’s imagination and draws him or her into the drama. On one level, these tales resonate because we all sense that we are called to play a vital role in the ultimate struggle between the flesh and the spirit, between the call of the Holy Spirit and the pull of our fallen, self-centered natured.
We have all experienced the tension between showing compassion or contempt, practicing patience or intolerance. Yet by far, the fiercest struggle is the interior fight to forgive someone who has wronged us and hurt us deeply. The open jaws of bitterness and resentment are too great a foe to overcome by our own strength or natural generosity. Here is where St. Paul equips us with the mightiest of weapons: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16). The powerful sword of the word of God teaching our minds and filling our hearts can guide us through the minefield of natural impulses and into the mind of Christ.
By dwelling on God’s word throughout the day, we can keep our contact with the Lord and begin to take on his mind. By taking the time to sit quietly with the Bible, we give the Spirit the chance to write his words on our hearts. Then, not only will we find ourselves more merciful, we will also become agents of mercy for others who are finding it hard to forgive.
Do you want to put on the “heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” that are at the core of divine mercy (Colossians 3:12)? Then immerse yourself in God’s word! Read it closely, deeply, and prayerfully. Imagine yourself in the scene you are reading. Ask God what he is saying about himself and about you. Let his word dwell in you richly, and you will indeed “put on love, that is, the bond of perfection” (3:14).
“Lord, I marvel at your faithful-ness. As I read your word, fill me with your love and mercy. Teach me to forgive as you forgive. Help me to become a witness to your perfect, life-giving mercy.”
Psalm 150:1-6; Luke 6:27-38
Col 3:12-17
Brothers and sisters:
Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one Body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Gospel
Lk 6:27-38
Jesus said to his disciples:
“To you who hear I say, love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,
pray for those who mistreat you.
To the person who strikes you on one cheek,
offer the other one as well,
and from the person who takes your cloak,
do not withhold even your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks of you,
and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
For if you love those who love you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners do the same.
If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners,
and get back the same amount.
But rather, love your enemies and do good to them,
and lend expecting nothing back;
then your reward will be great
and you will be children of the Most High,
for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.
“Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you.”
Meditation: Colossians 3:12-17
Have you noticed that so many of the great stories include epic struggles between forces of good and forces of evil?
There is a widespread appeal to these tales that captivates the reader’s imagination and draws him or her into the drama. On one level, these tales resonate because we all sense that we are called to play a vital role in the ultimate struggle between the flesh and the spirit, between the call of the Holy Spirit and the pull of our fallen, self-centered natured.
We have all experienced the tension between showing compassion or contempt, practicing patience or intolerance. Yet by far, the fiercest struggle is the interior fight to forgive someone who has wronged us and hurt us deeply. The open jaws of bitterness and resentment are too great a foe to overcome by our own strength or natural generosity. Here is where St. Paul equips us with the mightiest of weapons: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16). The powerful sword of the word of God teaching our minds and filling our hearts can guide us through the minefield of natural impulses and into the mind of Christ.
By dwelling on God’s word throughout the day, we can keep our contact with the Lord and begin to take on his mind. By taking the time to sit quietly with the Bible, we give the Spirit the chance to write his words on our hearts. Then, not only will we find ourselves more merciful, we will also become agents of mercy for others who are finding it hard to forgive.
Do you want to put on the “heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” that are at the core of divine mercy (Colossians 3:12)? Then immerse yourself in God’s word! Read it closely, deeply, and prayerfully. Imagine yourself in the scene you are reading. Ask God what he is saying about himself and about you. Let his word dwell in you richly, and you will indeed “put on love, that is, the bond of perfection” (3:14).
“Lord, I marvel at your faithful-ness. As I read your word, fill me with your love and mercy. Teach me to forgive as you forgive. Help me to become a witness to your perfect, life-giving mercy.”
Psalm 150:1-6; Luke 6:27-38
09 September 2009
09 Sep 09, Wednesday - 23rd Week in Ordinary Time, Year I
Reading 1
Col 3:1-11
Brothers and sisters:
If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ your life appears,
then you too will appear with him in glory.
Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly:
immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire,
and the greed that is idolatry.
Because of these the wrath of God is coming upon the disobedient.
By these you too once conducted yourselves, when you lived in that way.
But now you must put them all away:
anger, fury, malice, slander,
and obscene language out of your mouths.
Stop lying to one another,
since you have taken off the old self with its practices
and have put on the new self,
which is being renewed, for knowledge,
in the image of its creator.
Here there is not Greek and Jew,
circumcision and uncircumcision,
barbarian, Scythian, slave, free;
but Christ is all and in all.
Gospel
Lk 6:20-26
Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for the Kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are now hungry,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who are now weeping,
for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you,
and when they exclude and insult you,
and denounce your name as evil
on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!
Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.
For their ancestors treated the prophets
in the same way.
But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
But woe to you who are filled now,
for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will grieve and weep.
Woe to you when all speak well of you,
for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.”
Meditation: Colossians 3:1-11
If Paul ever needed a second job, he could have easily found a position writing technical manuals.
He could be clear and concise when he needed to, and he never minced words. Just as a manual tells you how to use a particular appliance or gadget, Paul tells us clearly how to take hold of the new life that Jesus has won for us. It’s as simple as A+B=C—look to heaven, put off the “old self,” and put on the “new self.” He even gives real-life examples of what the old self looks like so that we can identify it and deal with it—just like the illustrations in a user’s manual!
If Paul is so clear, why are we so muddled? Why do we find it hard to put into practice what he lays out in such step-by-step detail? We want to do good. We want to overcome our old lives. But we just can’t seem to get very far.
One answer is that it takes time. After all, sin is deeply rooted in our minds and hearts. We can’t be naïve enough to think it will all go away overnight. That’s why God has given us the gift of Confession, as well as the spiritual nourishment of the Eucharist. We need all the mercy we can get. And we sorely need the strength, comfort, and grace that come from receiving Jesus in his body and blood!
But there is another answer. Paul was so clear because he was determined to do whatever it took to get closer to the Lord. His clarity did not come only from deep theology or intellectual inquiry. It was also forged in the daily spiritual battle that he willingly took up.
If we follow Paul’s lead and take up the battle ourselves, we will find ourselves transformed. We will discover the power of the Holy Spirit, encouraging us, strengthening us, cheering us on, and convincing us more and more of God’s love for us. And as a result, we too will become clear about the gospel, ready to share it with everyone we meet.
“Lord, I choose to yield myself to you today. I want to follow the example of all your saints and enter into the spiritual battle today. So come, Holy Spirit, and clothe me in the armor of God. I so want to become like Jesus!”
Psalm 145:2-3,10-13; Luke 6:20-26
Col 3:1-11
Brothers and sisters:
If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ your life appears,
then you too will appear with him in glory.
Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly:
immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire,
and the greed that is idolatry.
Because of these the wrath of God is coming upon the disobedient.
By these you too once conducted yourselves, when you lived in that way.
But now you must put them all away:
anger, fury, malice, slander,
and obscene language out of your mouths.
Stop lying to one another,
since you have taken off the old self with its practices
and have put on the new self,
which is being renewed, for knowledge,
in the image of its creator.
Here there is not Greek and Jew,
circumcision and uncircumcision,
barbarian, Scythian, slave, free;
but Christ is all and in all.
Gospel
Lk 6:20-26
Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for the Kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are now hungry,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who are now weeping,
for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you,
and when they exclude and insult you,
and denounce your name as evil
on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!
Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.
For their ancestors treated the prophets
in the same way.
But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
But woe to you who are filled now,
for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will grieve and weep.
Woe to you when all speak well of you,
for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.”
Meditation: Colossians 3:1-11
If Paul ever needed a second job, he could have easily found a position writing technical manuals.
He could be clear and concise when he needed to, and he never minced words. Just as a manual tells you how to use a particular appliance or gadget, Paul tells us clearly how to take hold of the new life that Jesus has won for us. It’s as simple as A+B=C—look to heaven, put off the “old self,” and put on the “new self.” He even gives real-life examples of what the old self looks like so that we can identify it and deal with it—just like the illustrations in a user’s manual!
If Paul is so clear, why are we so muddled? Why do we find it hard to put into practice what he lays out in such step-by-step detail? We want to do good. We want to overcome our old lives. But we just can’t seem to get very far.
One answer is that it takes time. After all, sin is deeply rooted in our minds and hearts. We can’t be naïve enough to think it will all go away overnight. That’s why God has given us the gift of Confession, as well as the spiritual nourishment of the Eucharist. We need all the mercy we can get. And we sorely need the strength, comfort, and grace that come from receiving Jesus in his body and blood!
But there is another answer. Paul was so clear because he was determined to do whatever it took to get closer to the Lord. His clarity did not come only from deep theology or intellectual inquiry. It was also forged in the daily spiritual battle that he willingly took up.
If we follow Paul’s lead and take up the battle ourselves, we will find ourselves transformed. We will discover the power of the Holy Spirit, encouraging us, strengthening us, cheering us on, and convincing us more and more of God’s love for us. And as a result, we too will become clear about the gospel, ready to share it with everyone we meet.
“Lord, I choose to yield myself to you today. I want to follow the example of all your saints and enter into the spiritual battle today. So come, Holy Spirit, and clothe me in the armor of God. I so want to become like Jesus!”
Psalm 145:2-3,10-13; Luke 6:20-26
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