Joseph, her husband, … was a righteous man…

 

The scripture readings for today can be found at Friday of the Third Week of Advent | USCCB

In our gospel for today we hear of Joseph, the spouse of Mary, and his first reaction to hearing the news that she was pregnant. The first thought that came to his mind when he found out that Mary was pregnant was that she was unfaithful. Under Jewish law he could have had her put to death by stoning, but instead, since he loved Mary, he was unwilling to expose her to shame and decided to divorce her quietly. I’m sure he must have felt hurt and betrayed that the woman he loved became pregnant by someone else other than him. But he wasn’t going to allow these hurt feelings effect his love for Mary.

Joseph, being a righteous and devout man, was open to the promptings and Will of God. Joseph was privileged to have been approached by an angel through a dream, and it was there that he found out the true nature of the child that Mary was carrying. Being obedient to God he took Mary into his home and accepted the responsibility of caring for the Child Jesus. By doing so, he was saying “Yes” to God in much the same way Mary said “Yes” to God through the angel Gabriel when she found out that she was to be the mother of the Savior. Joseph was to be part of salvation history by being the foster father of the Lord Jesus.  He knew there will be problems and issues in doing so, but he acted out of love and obedience towards God to do what was needed to be done.

Throughout scripture there are no words spoken by Joseph. In today’s gospel, we hear of his concern about Mary being pregnant, followed by his desire to divorce her quietly. Then we hear of him seeing an angel in his dreams telling him of the Child Jesus. No words were attributed to Joseph, but he responds in a way that shows great faith in God. He is a man of action and is willing to do what God needs him to do to protect Mary and the Child Jesus.

Joseph is so important that Pope Francis named 2021 as the Year of St. Joseph. Pope Francis describes Saint Joseph as a beloved father, a tender and loving father, an obedient father, an accepting father; a father who is creatively courageous, a working father, a father in the shadows.

As we enter into the final week of Advent, and prepare for the birth of Jesus, let us try to live in imitation of Joseph whose entire life was in devotion to Jesus and to His Mother Mary.

Lord Jesus, help us to share with those in our lives that you are Emmanuel, God with us.

Let it be done for you according to your faith!

 

The Scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at Friday of the First Week of Advent | USCCB

In our gospel for today we hear of the two blind men approaching Jesus to be healed and receive their sight. Turning to them, Jesus asks, “Do you believe I can do this for you?” They responded, “Yes, Lord.” Then, according to their faith, they were healed. Jesus had the power to simply say the word of healing, and they would have been healed. Instead Jesus was looking to bring these men to a deeper relationship with God. Jesus didn’t want these men to simply get a quick fix for their vision problem.  He was helping them to develop their faith in Him as Lord and God. He was helping them to develop that inner vision of faith in God that they really needed. Since their eyes were opened, we can assume that they did indeed have faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

They were so overjoyed at being healed that they couldn’t keep it a secret. Even after Jesus said to tell no one that he healed them, they went out and shared this good news with everyone. They simply couldn’t keep it to themselves.

Central in the healing of these two men, and many of the other healings that Jesus performed had to do with “faith.” “Let it be done according to your faith.” We need to question ourselves as to how strong our faith in God is as we turn to Him for our own needs. We turn to God constantly with prayer requests of all sorts. Whether it’s asking for a healing, or a resolution to some sort of problem we may be facing, or for a family member or friend that is some sort of trouble, we turn to Jesus to bring healing and peace. We need to develop our faith in Jesus and know that he’s there for us no matter what our problem happens to be.

There will be times when our prayers aren’t answered in the way we expected them to be answered. These men received what they asked for and as a result had their faith in God increased. Then they felt a need share this faith in God with others. For us, there may be times when God may not give us what we ask for, but instead gives us what we truly need. We need to remain strong in our faith in Jesus and accept that His response to our prayers may not be what we want, but rather what we need. It’s during these times of unexpected blessings, blessings that we didn’t expect or ask for, but are good for us, we should be thankful to Jesus and give Him glory and praise. Further, like the men in today’s gospel, we are called to bring the good news that Jesus is Lord and Savior and is waiting for us to develop that relationship with Him and the Father.

Lord Jesus, we believe, help our unbelief. Amen

Know that the Kingdom of God is near!

 

The scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB

As we approach the end of this church year and prepare ourselves for Advent, and the preparation for the birth of Jesus on Christmas day, the readings at daily mass are focusing on the end times and the fact that eventually this world will come to an end and we will be facing the judgment seat of God. But they are also reminding us to live in the presence of God.

Our Lord in the gospel for today is reminding us that the Kingdom of God is always near to us.  It surrounds us in the different aspects of nature, whether it’s trees growing and showing the beauty of God in the spring, or by the onset of winter when the weather becomes cold and frigid. God is present in every aspect of the natural elements that surround us. God’s kingdom is also around us in the people that we encounter every day, whether it’s our family or friends. The kingdom of God is always at hand.  Our Lord is reminding us that we are always living in the presence of God and need to always remember that this life of ours is transitory. Jesus further reminds us that God’s presence is eternal. Our Lord says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

An early Carmelite saint, Brother Lawrence, who lived from 1611 until 1691, talked about living in the presence of God. He was not a priest, but rather a Lay Brother and was responsible for the daily chores in the monastery he lived in. His simple faith that God was always with him, even in the simple practice of washing the pots and pans, helped him to develop that close relationship with God. This example reminds us that in all things we do, whether it’s the small tasks of taking care of our household duties, or taking care of our family, we should remind ourselves that God is always with us. Our focus should always be looking forward to eternal life with God as we take care of our duties here in this life. We need to do all things for our salvation and the greater glory of God.

Brother Lawrence is quoted as saying, “Let us occupy ourselves entirely in knowing God. The more we know Him, the more we will desire to know Him. As love increases with knowledge, the more we know God, the more we will truly love Him. We will learn to love Him equally in times of distress or in times of great joy.”

Lord Jesus, as we approach the busy Advent season and the preparations to celebrate your birth, help us remember that you are always with us in all our activities, and help us to always live in the presence of God. Amen.

My house shall be a house of prayer

 

The scripture readings for this mediation can be found at https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/112020.cfm

As we come close to the end of the church year and get ready for the start of Advent next week and the preparation of the Christmas season next month, we hear in today’s gospel of our Lord being upset at the fact that there were those in the temple not really making God the focus of why  they were there. These money changers were making the temple into a “den of thieves.”

These money changers sold animals for the ritual sacrifice that religious Jews would need in order to offer sacrifice to God in the temple. These money changers took advantage of the people that needed the animals for the sacrifice by cheating them and overcharging them just to make a profit.

Reflecting on this passage, we can and should ask ourselves what our focus is as we enter church for Mass. What are our priorities? Are we focused and recollected on the fact that we are entering the House of God? Are we focused on giving praise and worship to God alone? Or are we distracted by the cares and concerns of what is going on in our lives outside of church? With the health issues that are still in our society and all the political bickering going on because of the recent elections, we need to be able to focus on the Lord. These problems are like the thieves in today’s gospel. These problems are stealing our attention away from prayer and worship of God.

Upon entering any Catholic Church, our focus should always be on our Lord in the tabernacle, present in a very real way: Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. We are to take with us as we enter the church our cares and concerns and place them into the loving arms of our Lord. With all that is going on in our city and world around us, it’s tempting to not to focus on our relationship with God. Let us turn from these troubles and develop that trust and prayerful relationship with our Lord.

The chief priests, the scribes, and leaders were looking for ways to put Jesus to death but saw that the people were hanging on to every word that Jesus spoke. Let us hang on to every word of Jesus by the frequent reading of scripture. With our Lord in the center of our very being we can trust in him to help us through these problems.

Lord Jesus, help us to always remember that your house is a house of prayer. Amen.

Let us love one another

 

The Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/111320.cfm

In our first reading for mass today, we hear from St John talking about what is central to what it means to be followers of Jesus Christ: love of neighbor. John tells us that this is not a new commandment, but rather one we have had from the beginning: love one another.

This message from John reflects the central teaching & message of Jesus in the gospels. In the gospel of St. Mark, chapter 12, our Lord tells us to love the Lord our God with all our minds and all our strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Our Lord clearly points out that there are no greater commandments than this: to love God and to love our neighbor.

The saint that we commemorate today, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, attempted to follow out this command of love of God and neighbor by entering religious life as a nun. After being rejected by two congregations, Frances formed the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart and were sent to the United States to bring this gospel of love of God and love of neighbor to the Italian immigrants coming to this country. These Italian immigrants lived in the slums, poorly educated and in clear need of not only physical help to get them out of poverty, but needed help spiritually to know and love God.

Mother Cabrini and her sisters would go on to establish schools, orphanages, and eventually hospitals across the United States and eventually to Latin America. In her audience with Pope Leo XIII, he told her to “hurry all over the earth if possible, in order to take the holy name of Jesus everywhere.” By being obedient to the pope, she was able to bring the love of God to those who needed to hear it here in the United States.

Mother Cabrini died on December 22, 1917, and was canonized in 1946, with a feast day of November 13^th. Mother Cabrini was a naturalized American citizen, and as a result is the “first citizen saint” of the United States.

We are called to follow Mother Cabrini’s example by bringing Christ to those in our lives by showing them the love that God has for each of them. By showing the love of God to those in our lives, we are following what St. John says in our first reading: “love one another.”

Lord Jesus Christ,  help us to bring your holy name to all we meet today!

Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ

The Scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at  https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/110620.cfm

In our first reading from St. Paul to the Philippians, we hear Paul advising the Philippians, and us, to remain focused on Jesus Christ! Paul says for us to be imitators of those who have been a model as followers of Jesus Christ. It is those people who live out their lives as followers of Christ by not being concerned with their own comfort or selfish needs, but in loving God and loving others.

One such person in recent history that lived out his life in this way was Martin Luther King Jr. who reminded the world that we are all made in the image of God and are to treat all people with love and respect. It was through this living out the gospel of love for all people that Martin Luther King lost his life.

Martin Luther King listened to Paul’s warning about not being selfish. Paul says of those who have turned away from Christ, “Their God is their stomach; their glory is in their ‘shame.’” (Philippians 3:19)  These are the type of people that go about worried about their own cares and needs without any worry or concern about others who are in need of their love, concern and help. He goes on to say, “Their minds are occupied with earthly things.”

Paul goes on to talk about a citizenship in heaven. Paul uses this analogy of citizenship to show that as citizens of heaven, we should live differently than those who are citizens of this earth. With the general elections just behind us, there has been a lot of bickering and hatred going back and forth between different points of view. There has been a great deal of hatred and back biting by everyone, no matter what the political affiliation happens to be. All throughout this recent political season, we have seen people lack charity towards those they may not agree with on different issues. We are called to live beyond the political name calling and to remember that all people, whether we agree with them or not politically, are children of God. Further, Paul is teaching us to live out our lives as followers of Jesus Christ with love and affection for all people, no matter their point of view. We are called to remember that all people are made in the image of God, and we are called to love them as God loves them.

In these politically charged times, as we attempt to live out our lives as citizens of heaven, let us remember the words of Martin Luther King Jr.: “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.”

Let us pray for ourselves and our country to bring about the healing and peace that can only come from God through Jesus Christ.

 

Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?

 

The scripture readings for this reflection can be found at https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/103020.cfm

In our gospel for today, we see another confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees and the scholars of the law. In Jewish culture the custom on the Sabbath was to avoid most every activity on the day dedicated to the Lord God. Sabbath was to be a day of rest, a day of developing that relationship with the Creator. The focus on the Sabbath was to be on God alone.

Jesus, being God, knows the law better than anyone at that table, yet he decides to proceed and do what is considered breaking the Sabbath rest. During dinner at this Pharisees house, a man suffering from dropsy was brought in and he was laid down in front of Jesus. Jesus did not immediately heal the man. First he addressed the Pharisees and the scholars of the law who were present. He asked them if it was proper or lawful to heal on the Sabbath. They do not reply; they remain silent. Jesus then healed the man and sets him free of his infirmity!

Law is important in our world. The purpose and intent of the law is to insure safety, security and peace for all people. But at times, we may put the law before what is loving and healthy for an individual, family or community. True, we may be keeping the “law” or “rule.” However we may be breaking the greatest commandment: “Love your neighbor.”

When it comes to the law, Jesus makes it clear that all law is subordinate to the one great law: that we are to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. We will never stray far from the path if we keep this commandment.

Jesus, today help us be mindful to use the “law” for the good of others and not just to “keep the rules.” Today and every day may we follow your example!

“I urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received…”

 

The Scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102320.cfm

In our first reading for today St Paul is reminding the Ephesians and us of our call to follow Jesus Christ. He says we must follow this call with “all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love…” Ephesians 4:2

Love is central to who we are as followers of Jesus Christ. All throughout his ministry here on Earth, Jesus was teaching the two central commandments: Love of God and love of neighbor. It is through this love towards God and towards others in our lives that we can live, as St. Paul says, “to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace.”

Mother Theresa of Calcutta understood this as she was ministering to those in need in Calcutta. Mother Theresa once said, “The fruit of love is service, which is compassion in action.”

Every day we can be with the Lord at Mass and to receive His love through reception of the Blessed Sacrament. It is through this daily listening to Scripture and the reception of Holy Communion that we can do what St. Paul and Mother Theresa teaches us: we can take the love that God has for all of us, and bring it to the world that is so hungry for love and the peace that can only come through the love God has for all of us.

Another saint of our time, Pope John Paul II says of love, “Open your minds and hearts to the beauty of all that God has made and to His special, personal love for each one of you.” God loves each one of us, and loves all those that He has put into our lives. We are called to bring that love to all those we encounter. St. Paul reminds us that we have “one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all.” Ephesians 4:5-6

Lord Jesus, thank you for the love you had for each of us as you died for us on the cross. Help us to bring that love into the world to bring that peace that can come only from you. Amen.

Beware of the leaven – that is, the hypocrisy – of the Pharisees

 

The scripture readings for this reflection can be found at https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/101620.cfm

There’s an old saying that goes, “Honesty is the best policy.” There’s also a saying that goes, “If you talk the talk, you better walk the walk.” I believe that this is what Jesus is talking about here in today’s Gospel. The Pharisees claimed to be good and holy men, following the teachings of God handed down to them by Moses. They were always sitting in the best seats and places of honor at the synagogues. In Luke, chapter 11 verse 43, we hear Jesus say to the Pharisees, “You love the seat of honor in synagogues and greetings in marketplaces. Woe to you! You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk” Jesus saw them for who they really were: hateful and judgmental men who condemned those around them that weren’t following God in the way they felt that they should. The Pharisees were forgetting the two-fold aspect of the commandments: Love of God and Love of neighbor.

Jesus is calling us to something greater than just following out our faith here in Church. It is great that we can be at daily and Sunday mass as often as we are. Daily Mass and frequent time going to confession are important aspects of who we are as Catholic Christians. We get the spiritual nourishment that we need to be able to leave here and to take the love that God has shown us to those in our lives at home and in our families. Our relationship with God needs to be deeper than just what we do daily at church. We need to show others in our lives that God loves them. We need to do this without judging how they live out their lives. Our love for them must be unconditional, as God’s love is unconditional for all of us.

In all our relationships, whether it’s with God or with those we encounter daily, needs to be open and honest. We can’t be hypocritical in how we live out our lives. Part of that honesty is to not only to proclaim that we love God and are doing everything that He expects us to do according to His teaching with regards to the practice of our faith. We are called to bring that love of God to all people in our lives with honesty and respect. Sometimes bringing that love requires just being a good listener to someone going through a hard time, or just by being a good friend to someone who needs a friend.

As you leave here today, remember the words of Jesus in the gospel, “Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.” Bring that love of God to all you meet today.

Those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham who had faith.

 

The following reflection is from my homily on Friday, October 9th, 2020, and the scripture can be found at https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/100920.cfm

Over the last several days, our first reading at Mass has been from the letter of St. Paul to the Galatians. There was a dispute that broke out between those who felt that you needed to be circumcised under Jewish law, before you can become a follower of Christ, and St. Paul who indicates that it is through faith, not observance of the law that brings us salvation.

Just as Abraham was justified because he believed what God had said... so we too are declared righteous by faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. God's dealings with Abraham had nothing to do with what Abraham did but rested entirely on that fact that he believed the Word of God.

And God's dealings with the Galatian Christians is no different from God's dealings with the believers of today - that our righteousness has nothing to do with what we do but rests entirely on believing in Christ and what He did. All that we are in Christ and all that we have in Him is not based on our merit. It does not rest on our good deeds or works of the law - our salvation rests on Christ and is ours by faith in the truth of God's Word.

The whole book of Galatians deals with this serious problem that we are not justified by the works of the Law, by physical heritage or an accident of birth. We are justified by faith. However certain Jewish teachers were unable to let go of their religion in the Church in Galatia but Paul taught them that the sons of Abraham are those of faith.

This teaching of Paul may seem to contradict what St. James writes in the Letter of James, chapter 2: “See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” Both what St. Paul is teaching about faith alone, and what James teaches about faith and works compliment each other. Once we have faith in the Lord Jesus, we are called by Jesus to be of service to others, out of love of God. But central to what both Paul and James are teaching is that we need faith to bring us to salvation in the Lord Jesus.

Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of faith that we have in you as our Lord and Savior. Help us to bring this faith to others in our lives in order to bring them salvation! Amen.

Wait for the LORD with courage; be stouthearted and wait for the LORD

 

Today we have a guest blogger. Arlene B. Muller (Arlene Clare Muller, OSF) is a lector and EM at St. Pancras parish, a singer in the choir at St. Margaret's parish, an itinerant speech/language therapist, and a professed Secular Franciscan at St. Adalbert's Secular Franciscan fraternity.  

See Scripture Readings for October 1, 2020: Job 19: 21-27 & Psalm 27

"Wait for the LORD with courage; be stouthearted and wait for the LORD" 

(Psalm 27)

On October 1 we celebrated the feast day of St. Therese of Lisieux, known as "the Little Flower", who is probably one of the most popular Saints in the Catholic Church. She is best known for her "little way", because she learned from the LORD and subsequently taught via her journal (which was eventually published as THE STORY OF A SOUL), that people who grow in love, trust and dependence upon the LORD can become holy by living their everyday lives and simple good works as loving offerings to the LORD, even in the most simple way. For St. Therese, even picking up a pen could be done as an act of love for God. St. Therese believed that in following her "little way" an "army of little saints" could be raised up for the glory of God.

Like many of us St. Therese aspired to do great things, but the LORD showed her as she prayed with Scripture that her vocation was not to be found in any of the ministry gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12. Rather, as she came upon 1 Corinthians 13 the LORD revealed to her that her vocation was LOVE. She realized that her love for God & for people was to be expressed in her simple chores, in simple acts of kindness toward those around her, and in bearing with the various personalities and quirks of the others sisters in her Carmelite monastery with patience, gentleness, humility and cheerfulness.

In some ways the life of St. Therese bears similarities to St. Faustina, the LORD's "secretary" of Divine Mercy, a saint who lived and died a few decades later and whose feast day is celebrated on October 5. Both were contemplative nuns who suffered trials in their religious life. Although St. Faustina was given direct visions of the LORD and St. Therese was not (as far as we know), both saints were given a revelation and a message of the LORD as Merciful Love in contrast to the more rigid concept of God that focused on His justice and judgment. Both were taught by the LORD to come to Him with trust and confidence instead of fear. Both kept journals that were published after death. Both suffered and died from tuberculosis at an early age. I recently read that St. Therese appeared to comfort St. Faustina in a dream, in answer to prayer, at a time when St. Faustina was struggling with difficult trials in religious life. 

In some ways St. Therese, about whom I learned and whom I came to love early in my life because she is my Mom's favorite saint, is associated in my mind with two things from which I recoil in horror and most want to avoid and escape: 1. living a life characterized by ordinariness and mundane chores; 2. Intense physical suffering sometimes accompanied by spiritual and emotional suffering as well. My desire is to live a long, healthy life, active in using my various gifts in Church ministry until the very end, and I really struggle with the mystery of suffering.

Personally I have always sought to avoid and escape mundane chores that seem to take so much time and energy from being able to utilize all our gifts and talents and accomplish more significant things. So I have chosen to live a celibate single life free from most domestic responsibilities in order to pursue ways to use my God given gifts of music, teaching and writing in my career in the secular world and my ministries in the Church. I am a faithful pro-life Catholic and not a radical feminist, but my primary feminist issue is that throughout the centuries women have too often been relegated to a place behind the sink, the stove, the broom and the file cabinets instead of being allowed and encouraged to make use of our intellect, gifts, talents and "feminine genius" in society and in the Church. I thank God that times have greatly changed in the Church and in the world so that we women have been given and encouraged to utilize many more opportunities. So it is difficult for me to accept the idea of being satisfied with doing mundane chores within the walls of either a home or a convent or monastery and offering them to God. However, in accepting this "little way" St. Therese, whose life would ordinarily have remained obscure, was given a way to help others develop a close personal relationship with the LORD and become holy, and during her life time God gave St. Therese the insight to realize that her journal and her "little way" would make a significant impact in the lives of many others. Typical of God's paradoxes, this simple nun who was relatively obscure during her lifetime has become of our most renown saints.

It was good to know (from the many books my Mom read about her) that St. Therese had a personal desire for priesthood, but she was obedient to God and to the Church and allowed God to mold that desire into a ministry of prayer for and correspondence (by letters) with priests and missionaries. St. Therese continues, as she promised, to spend her heaven doing good on earth, ministering to priests and missionaries, and she is known as a patron saint of the missions, along with St. Francis Xavier. Many priests and missionaries have testified to her intercession and her assistance in their lives and vocation.

St. Therese had periods of physical, spiritual and emotional suffering at different times of her life, especially in her final illness of great suffering with tuberculosis. Her trust in God was sorely tested and was not a "Pollyanna" form of trust. She is an example of great perseverance in times of suffering not only physically but with also with accompanying spiritual dryness and darkness. Hers was an enduring faith, a courageous faith, a trust that withstood many battles and conquered her circumstances and trials. She never abandoned God or her "little way" even when she experienced feelings of being abandoned, and the LORD helped her to remain strong spiritually as her physical body was wasting away.

Although there are specific readings designated for the liturgy for the Memorial of St. Therese of Lisieux, this year/cycle the readings of the day in Ordinary Time are very appropriate for our consideration of the life, trials and spirituality of St. Therese.

In the first reading from Job 19:21-27 Job expresses a wish to record his struggles in writing, which St. Therese did in her journal that became the book THE STORY OF A SOUL. Like Job St. Therese could say "my inmost being is consumed with longing", for she had great longing for God. In the midst of great suffering and temptation to lose faith St. Therese fought against temptation by acts of faith and trust, as Job said "But for me, I know that my Redeemer lives" and that one day she, like Job, would see God. Like the psalmist in Psalm 27 St. Therese held on to the belief that she would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living and continued to seek the Presence of the LORD for Whom she longed. Throughout her life, even in death, she was an excellent example of waiting for the LORD with courage. 

No matter what our station in life is--whether we are blessed with opportunities to demonstrate great talent and experience recognition in this life, or if our lives are characterized mainly by doing many little things out of love for God and people--it is our love for God and for people and our allowing the LORD through His Holy Spirit to lead us and to make us holy that really matters. We can be inspired by St. Therese's great love for God that flowed out into her love for people, her longing for Him and her determination to use every experience in her life to demonstrate love for God. As we seek to follow the LORD our faith will be tested in many ways, but although we are often frustrated and baffled because God's ways are not our ways, we will experience His faithfulness, and the LORD will help us persevere in trusting Him.

Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels

 

The Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/100220.cfm

“I say to you that their angels in heaven will always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”

These words from today’s Gospel are what the Holy Catholic Church has relied upon throughout the centuries to affirm that we all have a Guardian Angel. It is because of this belief that I’m sure we all remember the prayer that as children we would say to our Guardian Angel: Angel of God, my guardian Dear, To whom God's love commits me here, Ever this day Be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide, Amen.

It is this childlike simplicity, humility, and trust that our Lord is talking about in today’s Gospel. A child’s faith and trust in God is strong and simple. As we get older, dealing with the struggles we face with family and friends, plus with the struggle of just growing up, we tend to lose that childlike faith in God. We become hardened and attempt to put up walls around us to protect us from being hurt. This wall shuts everyone out, including God.

According to tradition, everyone, starting at conception, receives a Guardian Angel to look over us. We need not be baptized Catholic to have an angel, but God in his mercy assigns all of us an angel to help and guide us throughout life.

Throughout the Old Testament, we find numerous Biblical references in support of the fact that angels are not only executors of God's wrath, but they are protectors of individual persons. In Genesis, (chapters 18-19), we read that angels protected Lot from danger. In the book of Exodus (32:34), we read where God said to Moses, "My angel shall go in front of you." 

In the new testament, in the Gospel of Mark, we hear of the angels ministering to the needs of Jesus during his 40 days in the desert. In the Acts of the Apostles, (chapter 5, verse 19), we read of the angel who freed Peter from prison.

I also believe that buildings and objects that we hold dear have Guardian Angels. Our parish has St. Michael the Archangel looking over it. And I am sure there is                 a special Guardian Angel that is before the Tabernacle that holds our Lord in the most Holy Eucharist.

During this special day in honor of our Guardian Angels, let us be grateful for their presence in our lives. Let us ask our Guardian Angels to help us to develop that love and simplicity of faith that Jesus talks about in today’s Gospel.

Angel of God, my guardian Dear, to whom God's love commits me here, ever this day Be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide, Amen.

 

 

“Who do the crowds say that I am?”

The scripture readings for this blog can be found at https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092520.cfm

Over the last several days during daily mass we have been reading from the Gospel of St. Luke. In these readings from Luke we see that Jesus has been building up a reputation as one who heals the sick and expels demons. We also heard of Jesus giving his disciples power to heal and to expel demons. Further, King Herod was greatly perplexed when he started hearing of the reputation of Jesus, and people saying, “John has been raised from the dead.” Herod was concerned since he was the one that put John the Baptist to death. 

As a result of all that Jesus was doing, he was developing a following and a reputation as someone sent from God. People were drawn to Jesus because of all they saw him do. They assumed he was one of the great prophets from the past, or, more recently, John the Baptist raised from the dead.. When Jesus first asks his disciples, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” they respond “John the Baptist; but others, Elijah; and still others, one of the ancient prophets has arisen.’” Jesus persists in his questioning, and asked, “But who do YOU say that I am?” Peter responds, “The Christ of God!” Peter recognized Jesus as Messiah, the Son of God. Because of Peter’s relationship with Jesus, Peter was able to see Jesus for who he really was: the Messiah, the Son of God! 

In our own day and time, we have people who feel that Jesus was just a holy and devout man. They feel he was a great teacher and one who taught about peace and love, but nothing more than that. They fail to see beyond his teachings and fail to see who he really is: The Son of God. 

Our life of faith is based on the fact that we ourselves join with Peter and have made this confession of faith in Jesus. The Lord appreciates our act of faith in him, especially when we thank him for the depth of the love he has shown through his Passion, Death and Resurrection. This is the space out of which we make our prayer to God – from a place of thanksgiving in our hearts. 

As we approach the Lord in Holy Communion today, let us pray to Him, “You are the Christ of God” and thank him for His presence in our lives and for being our Savior. Amen.

“But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” 1 Corinthians 15:20

The scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091820.cfm 

 In our first reading for today St. Paul is talking about something central to our faith in Jesus Christ: the resurrection of the dead. This is something that we, as Catholic Christians, are called to believe. Every Sunday at Mass, when we pray the Nicene Creed we pray: “For our sake he suffered death and was buried and rose again on the third day.” Further, we believe that at the end of time, on judgement day, we all will rise from the dead and be brought before the Judgement seat of God. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 994, we read, “It is Jesus himself who on the last day will raise up those who have believed in him, who have eaten his body and drunk his blood.” Encountering Jesus in our lives can and should change how we live out that faith in the resurrection. 

St. Paul, before coming to faith in Jesus Christ, was well known as Saul, and for his zealousness in going after the early Christians and putting them to death because of their faith in Jesus and the resurrection. Then on the road to Damascus, Paul encountered Jesus, with a flash of a bright light, and falling to the ground Paul heard the Lord say, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” After encountering Jesus and learning that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, Paul came to faith in Jesus and the resurrection. The women in today’s gospel, after encountering Jesus, and being cured of the issues they faced, came to believe in Jesus as Messiah, and the message of the resurrection in the life to come. 

 We, too, come face to face with Jesus at every Holy Mass we attend. We encounter Him in the Most Blessed Sacrament, where we receive Him completely, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. This daily encounter with Jesus should strengthen our faith in the Resurrection. The women in the gospel provided for Jesus and the apostles out of their resources, and Paul preached the resurrection of Christ from the dead. We, also, are called to share this faith in the resurrection in whatever way we can, whether it’s with the financial support of the Church or by serving Christ in those who the Lord has placed in our lives. We are to bring the Good News of the Resurrection to everyone by how we live out our faith. 

 Lord Jesus, increase our faith in You and in Your Resurrection! Amen.

“When I preach, I offer the Gospel free of charge…”

The scripture readings for today can be found at https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091120.cfm

On this date, September 11, in the year 2001, we lived through the most horrible event of our lives. The terrorist attacks on the United States. Here in New York, thousands of people died at the World Trade Center because of this most terrible event. It is a day that none of us will ever forget.

One hero that stands out during that day is Fr. Mychal Judge, a Franciscan friar who was also a chaplain for the Fire Dept. of New York. That day he rushed down to the World Trade Center from his home at St. Francis of Assisi Church on West 31Street to bring comfort to those who were suffering, hurt, and dying. Not caring for his own safety, he rushed to the World Trade Center to give last rites to those who were in most need of the presence of God’s healing. He was there to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the victims and firefighters at the World Trade Center, not with words, but with his presence.

While administering the Sacrament of the Sick, Fr. Judge was struck in the head by debris from the buildings and died instantly. He was heard all throughout the day praying aloud, "Jesus, please end this right now! God, please end this!" You may have seen a photograph of the firefighters carrying his body from the wreckage to St. Peter’s Church that is just a block from the World Trade Center. This image of Fr. Judge being carried into St. Peter’s is an image of loving service and a message of hope during a time of fear. Fr. Judge knew well the words that St. Paul spoke, “All this I do for the sake of the Gospel, so that I too may have a share in it.”

Fr. Judge joined the Franciscans at the age of 15, and all throughout his ministry as priest and friar, he followed the call of Jesus Christ by ministering to the poor and homeless, alcoholics, those with AIDS, and those alienated from society. He was called to see Christ in all people he ministered to.

We, too, are called to be of service to others as Fr. Judge was. Like him, we need to see the face of Christ in all those that God has placed in our lives, whether they are family, friends, or those we encounter during the day. We are to be a loving presence of Christ to others as Fr. Judge was to those in his life. In doing so, we offer the Gospel free of charge to all who we meet in our day to day existence.

Lord Jesus, help us to bring your love and peace to a world full of anguish and pain. Amen.

Do Not Make Any Judgement

Following is my reflection on the scripture readings for Mass for the Friday of the Twenty-second week in Ordinary Time: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090420.cfm

We have in our gospel for today another confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees. They are comparing the apostles of Jesus to that of the followers of John the Baptist and their own followers:  “The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees dothe same; but yours eat and drink.” The Pharisees were feeling threatened by how Jesus was teaching others to live in relationship with God. They felt His teaching was deviating from how God expected people to respond to the His Commandments. Jesus was not denying that fasting and prayer is important. Rather, Jesus was indicating that there is more to relationship with God than just fasting and prayer. It is through serving others with love and charity that fulfills our call to love God with our whole heart & mind and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

All throughout His ministry, Jesus taught about love of God and love of neighbor. To Jesus, this is central to what it means to be a faithful servant of God. Further Jesus reached out to those people rejected because of their sinfulness, such as the prostitutes and tax collectors. Central to Jesus’ teaching is that all people, no matter where they are in their relationship with God, is loved by God. They are all called to repent from their sinfulness and turn to God to seek forgiveness.

In the first reading for today from Paul to the Corinthians, Paul was teaching the Corinthians not to be judgmental. Paul says, “…do not make any judgment before the appointed time.”He goes on to indicate that judgement is finally up to God, not to anyone else. The Pharisees were busy judging Jesus and his disciples for not following the laws of God as they interpreted it. Instead, what they should have been doing is to take the Law of God, which is love and mercy, and try to bring all people to God with love and understanding.

As we live out our faith in Jesus Christ, let us not only fast and pray out of love of God, but let us show love and acceptance towards all those who may not be following God in the way we feel they should.

Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour

The scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082820.cfm

Our readings today are giving us some challenges as to how to live out our vocations as followers of Jesus Christ. In the first reading, Paul focuses on the power of the cross. I’m sure those first century Christians had a challenge accepting Paul’s teachings on the cross since it was an instrument of torture and execution used by the Romans. But Paul used the cross as an effective means of addressing the disunity among the early Church, demonstrating how God chose the cross to encounter humanity and bring about salvation.

Paul’s strong statements call them and us into relationship with God, asking us to put aside our own agenda and expectations of what relationships should be. The lessen that we can learn is how the cross can be an instrument of faith. We need to pray to God for an openness to recognize how He is calling us to encounter Him in our daily lives.

In our gospel for today we hear the familiar parable of the Ten Virgins: five wise, and five foolish. Our Lord is giving us another opportunity in this parable to consider how we are living out our lives while at the same time being ready for what eventually will come. Our Lord is challenging us to be vigilant and to live our lives ready for the return of Christ. But being ready certainly doesn’t mean to be obsessed about it every moment of our days.

For us, being vigilant, or ready, for the Lord’s return means approaching our daily tasks and ministry with faith: doing what we have been “appointed” to do in preparation for Christ’s coming, be it welcoming a stranger, feeding the hungry, or even showing up to work on time and treating those at work with respect. Being vigilant also means being able to carry out our family duties with our spouses and children with the love and patience that Christ wants us to have towards them. It’s not easy, but it is the wise thing to do as followers of Christ. God doesn’t want us to be perfect, but He wants us to do the best we can in service to Him and to those in our lives.

Lord Jesus, help us to live lives worthy of our calling as your followers. Amen.

You shall love the Lord your God and you shall love your neighbor as yourself

The scripture readings for the following reflection can be found at https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082120.cfm

This response of Jesus towards the Pharisees seems simple enough to follow. But when you look at it more closely, it can be a bit complicated. Loving God is the center of who we should be as followers of Jesus Christ. But our Lord is pointing out something even deeper: if you claim to love God, you must also love your neighbor.

In another part of scripture, from the first letter of John, chapter 4, verse 20, we read, “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.”

That’s where things get complicated. With daily interactions with family, friends, and co-workers, we can really get on each other’s nerves. I know from my own experience with my family, there are times when I don’t even like them, no less love them. But our Lord is still expecting us to love them. He is not asking us to like them, but to love them. There is a difference.

Our Lord not only expects us to love everyone, including those we do not like, but he also doesn’t expect us to be in a situation that can affect us emotionally or spiritually. If there’s someone in your family or among your friends that pushes your buttons and upset you, it is okay to keep your distance from them, rather than to upset yourself and possibly start “hating” that person because of your relationship with them. You can love them and pray for them, but you don’t have to be in a situation that causes you to sin. It’s a good way to avoid that near occasion of sin: rather than get upset or angry at someone that pushes your buttons, it’s best to remain at a distance and pray for their intentions.

Further, if we do find ourselves in a situation with someone that we don’t like, as hard as it may be, we need to show them love and respect, no matter how difficult it is. That person you’re encountering may be going through a personnel problem that he or she are unable   to share. Our show of the love of God can bring them the comfort they need to get over whatever problem they are facing. Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said, “Love cannot remain by itself – it has no meaning. Love has to be put into action, and that action is service.” That service can either be that of a listening ear, or that of prayer for that person that you’re concerned with, whether family or friend.

                                                                                                                                         Lord Jesus, help us to love those in our lives with the same love you have for us. Amen.                                      

Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate

The scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/081420.cfm

Our gospel for today deals with the challenge of personal relationships and marriage. The Pharisees are looking at marriage in a very selfish way, asking Jesus: “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?” Jesus reminds them of the serious and spiritual aspect of marriage “…from the beginning the Creator made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

However, the Pharisees were not content with Jesus’ response. They asked him why Moses commanded a man to give a woman “a bill of divorce.” Jesus did not directly answer their question. Rather, he told them that Moses allowed divorce because of the “hardness of heart” that was in the people. Jesus added: “Anyone who divorces his spouse and marries another woman, commits adultery.” These are extremely strong and unsettling words!

As we know, in today’s world, divorce is very prevalent. In many ways we have become a throw-away society. If we’re not happy with something, we just toss it into the junk pile and move on to the next attraction. It’s easier to just walk away from our relationships than to try to work it out and stay together.

If a marriage is not working, the couple may decide to divorce rather than go to counseling. If a marriage is not working out, they may decide to walk away from their vows. If one spouse has hurts the other, he or she may decide to end the relationship. It would be too difficult and painful to work it out. And would they ever be able to trust each other again?

Jesus was challenging the Pharisees and is challenging us to look at our relationships through the eyes of God. Relationships with others, especially in marriage, is not always easy. As Jesus points out, not everyone is meant to be married. But once in that relationship of marriage, we need to remember that in marriage, we are but one flesh. We need to be ready to have God as the center of that relationship to work out the challenges with love and forgiveness. Further, we need to be grateful to God for the presence of that person in our lives, as we live out the marriage promise: “In good times and in bad times, in sickness and in health.”

Lord Jesus Christ bless all married couples with the gift of your love and patience. Amen.

Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me

For the scripture readings for today's mass you can go to: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/080720.cfm 

“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.”

These are challenging words from our Lord. In order be his follower, we must forget ourselves, take up our crosses and follow him. He is to be the center of who we are if we wish to be true to our calling as Christians.

Just before this part of the gospel, Our Lord indicated that he was going to Jerusalem and endure great suffering at the hands of the elders, be put to death, and then rise on the third day. The apostles, especially Peter, had trouble accepting this. Peter said, “God forbid, Lord. Such a fate must never happen to you.” Peter, out of love for Jesus, was worried about such a horrible death that Jesus was going to face. Jesus quickly rebukes him and lets Peter know that we must think with the understanding of God, not of men. Jesus was making it clear that it is part of God’s plan for Jesus to go and be crucified and die for our sins. Further, Peter and the others disciples seem to miss the good news that Jesus will rise again on the third day.

The whole life and ministry of Jesus was to bring salvation to all people, and to have us turn from our sinfulness and selfishness and to turn to God for salvation. In these trying times with the virus still surrounding us, civil unrest shaking our cities, and the worries that come with everyday living, we need to be able to turn to Jesus and place all our cares and worries upon him. These are the crosses that Jesus is talking about. We need to take our cares and worries, carry them to Him, and he will be there to help us carry them.

It is natural to be worried about all the terrible things that are going on in the world and in our lives. But Jesus wants us to look beyond the pain and suffering and to know that He is present in every situation. Eventually there will be healing and peace.  

By praying and offering our prayers to God, eventually the virus will be gone from our society and there will be peace in our cities. But in order for this to happen we have to bring our crosses, in the form of prayer to Jesus, and ask Him to enter our society to bring that healing and peace that can only come from God.

Let us each day at mass offer up our cares and worries and offer our crosses to the Lord and ask him to help us carry them. And with the great Carmelite, St. Teresa of Avila, let us pray in these words: “Let nothing disturb you, nothing frighten you, all things are passing, God is unchanging. Patience gains all; nothing is lacking to those who have God: God alone is sufficient.” Amen.

 

A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and his own house

The Scripture for today's reflection can be found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/073120.cfm


By this point in the gospel of St. Matthew Jesus has already developed a reputation as being a great teacher and healer. His fame was spreading far and wide. By this point in the gospel Jesus has already been tempted by the devil in the desert, was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jorden, healed the woman who suffered from bleeding for 12 years, raised a dead girl from death to life, heals Peter’s mother-in-law, along with a few other healings that amazed those who saw them. He was also teaching about what it means to be in a loving relationship with God. People were attracted to Jesus because he was helping them feel loved by God and our Lord was able to help increase their faith in the fact that God loved them.

As was his right, Jesus spent some time teaching in the synagogue at Nazareth. The townspeople were quite amazed to hear the local carpenter’s son speaking as he did. “Where did he get his wisdom and his miraculous powers?” All his family were well known to the people and they knew he could not have got it from them but they failed to make the next step as to the real origin of what he was saying and doing. The people of Nazareth were so impressed with Jesus, yet they rejected him! He was just too much for them to deal with. A perfect example of familiarity breeding contempt and blinding the eyes to the obvious. And Jesus sadly comments that a prophet can get a hearing everywhere except among his own.

Probably all of us have had some experience, directly or indirectly, of this! In our call as followers of Jesus, we may find it easier to share our faith with people other than those in our family. People that we have become friends with in church seem to have a better understanding of who we are in our relationship with God then the people in our family who seem to think they know us better.

The gospel for today finishes off by indicating that Jesus was not able to work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith. Throughout most all the healings that Jesus performed, faith was central to the healing. Earlier in the gospel of Matthew, chapter 8, after healing the centurion's servant, Jesus says to him, “Your petition has been granted because of your faith.” Let us keep our faith in Jesus strong and solid, no matter what the obstacles may be in our families. Jesus will bring us closer to God through our faith and grant us the emotional and physical healing that we may need. All we need is faith that He will do it for us.

Lord Jesus, I believe. Help my unbelief. Amen.

The seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it.

Following is my reflection on the gospel for the Friday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time. The scripture can be found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/072420.cfm

I think that we all can relate to the different types of responses that Jesus is talking about in today’s parable. The seed that Jesus is referring to in this parable is the word of God that each of us hears from our Lord through prayer and reflection on the word of God: The Bible. Each day that we attend Mass we hear the scripture proclaimed to us to help us grow in our relationship with God. The Church encourages us to take time out of our day to meditate on these readings to grow in maturity in our relationship with the Lord. Taking a few minutes each day to sit down and reflect on them can help us grow ever closer to God as He speaks to us through the Holy Words of Scripture.

But with the different cares and anxieties in our lives, we don’t always respond in a good and positive way to what God may be trying to teach us through scripture. It all depends on where we may be at any given time in our lives.

There are times when we hear the Words of Scripture and we really don’t understand what God may be telling us. We become frustrated that we don’t understand the scripture we are reading and how it applies to our lives. It’s as if “the Evil One comes and steals away what was sown in our hearts.”

Then there are times when we joyfully hear what God is telling us, but as soon as a problem distracts us from the Word of God, we fall away from God to dwell on whatever it is that is distracting us from our relationship with Him. This is also the case when we have worldly anxieties and the temptations of riches that takes our attention away from God and our devotion to Him. It’s very easy to get caught up in things of the world rather than continue to grow in our relationship with our Creator.

Finally, in the parable Jesus talks about the rich soil. These are the times in our lives that we listen to the Words of God and it seems easy to apply his Love and mercy in all aspect of who we are. We take the word of God and attempt to live it with Love for God and Love of our neighbor.

Let us not loose heart if there are times when we seem to be away from God and not open to what he is trying to teach us. Instead let us place our cares and concerns in God’s hands to help us through those tough times. He will be there for us.

Lord Jesus, thank you for your presence to us in scripture and help us to yield fruits that will bring us closer to you each day of our lives. Amen.