The Kingdom of Heaven

The Scripture readings for today can be found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/073017.cfm
If Jesus was telling the parable today, He may compare the Kingdom of Heaven to winning the lottery. I've seen many people spend large sums of money in order to hit the lottery. To them winning that big lottery jackpot is all they want out of life. To them, it would be like "heaven" hitting that big one and not worrying about anything for the rest of their lives. They would be on "easy street". What they fail to realize is that happiness is more than just having all this money. We have heard of lottery winners that, after a few years, are back to having nothing again, misusing the money they won. Or we know people that go to the lottery agent with their LONG list of lottery numbers, only to not win anything. They walk away frustrated and feel empty at not winning that jackpot.

What Jesus is talking about in today's gospel is true wealth. True wealth is relationship with God, and knowing that God will bring us that happiness and contentment. King Solomon in the first reading from the first book of Kings knew what true happiness is.  He "hit it big" when he assumed the throne of King David, his father. But he knew that he needed help from God in order to rule fairly and responsibly. He asked God for an understanding heart to judge people, and to distinguish right from wrong. (1 King 3:9)

St. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, is talking about the same thing. He tells us, "that all things work for good for those who love God." (Romans 8:28)

We are all called, like Solomon, to turn to God and ask for an understanding heart, to love others as God loves them, and to live a life trusting that God  the one who will bring us true wealth and happiness: the kind that will last for all eternity. We are to love God and love our neighbor.

Saint Martha

The Scripture Readings for the Feast of St. Martha can be found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/072917.cfm

Which person can you relate to? Martha, the busy one, or Mary, the one at the feet of Jesus?

Martha is all about being busy, making sure that things are ready for her special guest, Jesus. I can imagine her banging those pots and pans around the kitchen making sure that all is perfect for Jesus. After all, He IS special and things need to be right for Him, right?

Well, yes, but....  we need to make sure things are just right for Jesus. But are we slowing down to listen to His message of love and repentance? Jesus tells her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried about many things!" He goes on to say that Mary has chosen the better part.

What is that "better part"? It's taking time out of all our busyness to settle down and become "quiet" in order to hear what Jesus is trying to teach us in scripture. What Mary was doing was allowing Jesus to become intimately part of her life and becoming more "God-centered."

We all have things in our lives that are important. Families, jobs, things that need to be done in our lives. We are also involved in different church activities, doing things for Jesus in the different ministries we may be involved in. In all this activity (important as they may be) we need to take time out each day to be alone with our Lord. Whether it's reading scripture, praying and meditating on the mysteries of the rosary, or just time to be quiet and try to listen to what Jesus is calling us to do in our lives. Then from there, we are to be more Christ-like in our relationship with others, and to have Him at the center of all we do. That is the "better part!"

Saints Joachim and Anne

Scripture readings for today can be found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/072617.cfm.

Today we celebrate the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and grandparents of Jesus.

According to a 2nd-century tradition, Anne and Joachim conceived Mary as a gift from God after years of infertility. Devotion to Anne dates back to around 550, when Emperor Justinian built a church in St. Anne's honor. In most artwork of Saint Anne and the child Mary, we see Saint Anne teaching Mary to read the scriptures.

Because of the love and devotion Joachim and Anne had towards God, they were blessed with the gift of the Blessed Virgin Mary. By sharing their love and faith in God with Mary, Mary in turn became the most honored Mother of God. Because of the influence her parents had on her, Mary was always able to be open to the will of God in her life.

Mary learned from St. Anne of the promises of God to send the Messiah to the people of Israel. Mary knew scripture and was able to live out her faith in God with love and trust. This love of scripture and trust in God allowed Mary to respond to the Angel Gabriel, "I am the maidservant of the Lord. Be it done to me according to your word."

The story of Joachim and Anne teach us to always to have God and scripture in the heart of all we do. God was the center of their lives and as a result God was able to work through them to bring about His plan for salvation.

Let us, like Joachim and Anne, always study scripture and allow God to work through us to bring His message of love and healing to those in our lives.  Like Mary, we are called to bring Christ into a world that is in most need of His salvation and forgiveness. Let us allow His love and healing penetrate us and those we know and love.

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit exults in God my savior!”

Today we commemorate the great mother of God under the title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. In the Old Testament in the first book of Kings, we hear of the beauty of Mount Carmel, where 900 years before Christ, the prophet Elijah defended the faith of Israel in the living God. It was at Mount Carmel that Elijah, inspired by God, went to the people of Israel to have them turn back to the true worship of God. By this point, the Israelites were worshiping a false god. Through Elijah, God showed forth His glory to the people of Israel, and they returned to worship of God, proclaiming “The Lord is God! The Lord is God!”

During the thirteenth century, under the title of “Saint Mary of Mount Carmel,” the Order of Carmelites had its beginnings. These early Carmelites built a life of community in silence and solitude, having the Lord Jesus as the center of their activity in the Eucharist and Scripture. They imitated the prayerfulness of Mary, always reflecting on how God was touching their lives, and the devotion of Elijah in defending the true worship to the living God.

Mary’s prayerfulness is evident in Scripture. When the angel Gabriel explained to Mary how she was to be the mother of the Savior, her response was “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” When the angel first came to her, I could only imagine her surprise at having such a heavenly being before her. But being open to God’s working in her life, she listened to Gabriel as he explained how God was to work in her. Then, very bravely, accepted what God had in mind for her: “I am the handmaid of the Lord.” She was able to be open to the prompting of God’s will for her because she was able to contemplate on His presence in her life.

Then knowing her elderly cousin was in need of help, Mary traveled to Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, to be with her in her time of need. Mary’s response to Elizabeth’s greeting was “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.” Mary was always aware of God working within her and was always ready to respond to what God expected her to do.

We are called to follow Mary’s & Elijah’s examples in being open to God’s will in our lives. First we are called to reflect on God’s Word to us in scripture. Then we are called to go and be of service to others in our lives that may need us. We are to bring God’s love to all we are to come into contact with, whether it’s a relative in need, a friend or co-worker that may need someone to just be present in their time of need. We are to share the love of God with others with the words that Mary said: “I am the servant of the Lord” and “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.” By bringing the love of God to others in our lives, we are making this a world a better place to live. We are imitating both Elijah in being zealous for the Lord God and of Mary’s openness to doing His Holy Will.
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