Feast of Saints Simon and Jude

 

Scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles | USCCB

Jesus called his disciples to himself, and from those he chose Twelve, whom he named Apostles

 

Today we commemorate two of the Apostles of Jesus Christ: Simon and Jude. Jude is so named by Luke and Acts. Matthew and Mark call him Thaddeus. He is not mentioned elsewhere in the Gospels, except of course where all the apostles are mentioned. Scholars hold that he is not the author of the Letter of Jude. Actually, Jude had the same name as Judas Iscariot. Evidently because of the disgrace of that name, it was shortened to “Jude” in English.

Simon is mentioned on all four lists of the apostles. On two of them he is called “the Zealot.” The Zealots were a Jewish sect that represented an extreme of Jewish nationalism. 

We, like the Simon, Jude, and the other Apostles and disciples of Jesus Christ, are called to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to all those we encounter. We’re not called to travel to various places, like the apostles, to go and preach. Further, we’re more than likely are not called to be martyred for our Faith in Jesus Christ as all the apostles were, with the exception of John, the beloved disciple. But we’re called to be visible witnesses to the those in our family and friends that we’re followers of Jesus Christ. St. Paul, in the first reading today, tells us that we are “fellow citizens and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus as the capstone.” We are to bring Christ to those in our lives who may not know the love of Christ and the salvation He brings to everyone.

Nothing is known of Simon and Jude beyond what we read in the gospels. But we can be certain that they fulfilled their call to bring Christ to the world beyond Jerusalem and eventually were martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ.

Let us, like Simon, Jude, and the other apostles, have the courage to share our faith in Christ Jesus, even when it seems to be not welcomed by those we encounter. And let us turn to St. Jude, patron of the impossible, to pray for those who may reject faith in Jesus Christ so that they, too, will come to faith in the love and salvation that the Lord has for them.

 

'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.'

 

The scripture for today's reflection can be found at Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time | USCCB

There's an old country song that came out a number of years ago that goes, "It's hard to be humble when you're perfect in every way." I imagine that the Pharisee in today's gospel would be able to relate to that sentiment. There he is bragging to God about all the good things he's done. He's proud that he's not like everyone else, but rather fasts twice a week and pay tithes on his whole income. He's saying to God, "Look at how great I am!" And he goes on further, "I'm glad I'm not like that guy over there. HE'S A GREAT SINNER!! I'm glad I'm not like him. See, God, how GREAT I am!" He fails to see his own dependance of God.

Meanwhile, the tax collector realizes his dependance on God and how imperfect he is: "O God, be merciful to me a sinner." The tax collector realizes his need to depend on God for forgiveness. He recognizes his shortcomings and sinfulness and sees the need to turn away from sin and to turn to God to seek forgiveness.

Further, things that the Pharisee is bragging about: the fasting and tithing, are all good things to do, if done in the right spirit. They need to be done out of love of God and in gratitude for all the blessings and good things that come from God. Instead, the Pharisee was taking attention away from God, and was showing a lack of humility.  He was proud, boastful and judgmental of other people and how he felt they fell short in their relationship with God. The Pharisee lacked the love and compassion towards the tax collector that God expects us all to have towards everyone.

In our relationship with God, let us remember that we are all sinful people, all falling short of what we should be in the eyes of God. Let us continue to develop that relationship with God through the regular use of prayer and reflection on scripture, frequent reception of the Eucharist, and the regular use of the sacrament of confession. We are to realize our need of God's love and forgiveness in our lives.

Finally, let us not judge other people in our lives. Everyone is on a journey towards God, and we are all in different places during that journey. We are to pray for others, and possibly help them in this road to God, even if it's only through prayer for them. But we are not to judge them in their relationship with God. It is only God that can judge where a person is at in their relationship with Him.

Let us sometime today take time to re-read this gospel, reflect on what the Lord Jesus is trying to teach us in our journey towards better relationship with God. And let us, with the tax collector, say, "O God, be merciful to me a sinner. 

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

 

Scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at Friday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB

In our first reading, we continue to listen to St. Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians. Earlier in the week we heard St. Paul tell the Ephesians, from chapter 2, that we have been brought to life in Christ, and that by grace we have been saved. This grace from God is a gift for us to grow ever closer to Jesus Christ. We are not to boast in our own works, but in the salvation that we have received from Christ.

Then on Wednesday, Paul goes on to tell us that God’s grace was given to us for our benefit. Further, Paul teaches us that this grace is not only for the Jewish people, but ALL people, including the Gentiles. Everyone, Jews and Gentiles, are co-airs to God’s grace. We are all chosen by God to live in relationship with Him and to gain salvation. Then yesterday, in chapter 3 from Ephesians, we hear of the love of Christ that surpasses all understanding.

Today Paul is reminding us that we are called to always live in a way that’s pleasing to God. With humility and gentleness, with patience, and bearing with one another through love. This exemplifies the teachings of the Lord that we are to love not only God with our whole minds and hearts, but we are to love one another as we love God and ourselves. This is the challenge of being a follower of Jesus Christ. It’s not always easy to love other people that may be difficult to get along with. But that is what the Lord is calling us to do. We are not to be a Christian in name only, but in action.

In a familiar hymn that all should know, it says, “They’ll know we are Christians by our love.” Can people recognize that we are Christians by how we love and respect those around us? As challenging as it may be, we are called to bear with one another through love. We are to show the love and respect towards those in our lives that we would show to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us pray for the gift of patience and gentleness that Paul talks about in today’s letter to the Ephesians that we may not only love God who we can’t see, but to also love and respect those people in our lives that we can see. “They’ll know we are Christians by our love.”

Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time | USCCB

In this gospel from Luke 17 we hear of the 10 lepers being healed. They begged the Lord for healing, and it was granted to them according to their request. Jesus told them to show themselves to the high priests. On their way, they were healed. Then one, a Samaritan, returned glorifying God in a loud voice and fell at the feet of Jesus. 

I often wondered why Jesus questioned why the others did not return to Him. Jesus did tell them to go to the high priests to show and prove that they were healed. They were obedient to Him and His command. I know for myself, if Jesus told me to do something, I would do it. Maybe, just maybe, Jesus saw in their hearts that, though they were grateful for the healing, they didn't really have that faith that would save them for eternal life. They may have gone back to their usual lives and did not give God a second thought. 

The one who returned to Him was a Samaritan. The Samaritans were very much looked down upon by the Jewish people of the time. There was a great deal of hatred and animosity between the two groups. And here he is, this Samaritan, returning to Jesus, praising God, and being truly grateful for the gift of healing. Jesus tells him that "... your faith has saved you."

As wonderful as the healing from leprosy was, what was more important to Jesus was faith in Him and in God the Father. Faith in God and developing that relationship with a loving, healing God, is what Jesus was emphasizing. Further, Jesus was using a foreigner, someone the Jews really disliked, as an example of how to have faith and trust in God. This must have really gotten on the nerves of the Jews around Him. 

You may recall this is not the first time he praised a Samaritan. There's the story of the Good Samaritan that showed how we are to not only love God with our whole minds and hearts, but how we are to treat others, especially when they are in need. We are to be neighbor to all people, even to those that we may not feel comfortable being around.

What we're learning here from the Lord is of the importance of Faith in God and relationship with God. And this faith and relationship with God is open to all people, not just to a select few. 

Let us turn to the Lord, and, with the 10 Lepers, say, "Jesus, Master! Have mercy on us!" Then let us have the faith that Jesus will not only heal us of whatever is afflicting us (physically or emotionally) but that we will also have the faith necessary to gain eternal salvation.

THE GOSPEL & THE GOSPEL OF LIFE

 

We have a guest blogger today: Arlene Muller. Arlene is a lector and EM at St. Pancras Church in Glendale, I sing in the choir at St. Margaret's Church in Middle Village, I am the newly elected Formation Director of St. Adalbert's Secular Franciscan fraternity in Elmhurst, and I am a part time itinerant speech/language therapist working with preschool children with delayed language development. I enjoy singing & writing & promoting our faith & the pro-life cause on FACEBOOK.

In striving to live the Gospel, to turn our lives and our society (especially our country) from the culture of death to the Gospel of life, and to make abortion not merely illegal but UNTHINKABLE, we require the necessary tools in the acronym P.L.E.A.: P = PRAYER, L = LEGAL/LEGISLATION/POLITICAL, E = EVANGELIZATION & EDUCATION, & 

A = ADVOCACY.

In my previous articles we covered the topics of Prayer, Legal/Legislation/Political & Evangelization & Education. The final and extremely essential--even crucial--tool is ADVOCACY. Besides prayer, which is necessary to undergird all our efforts, and by which we acknowledge our dependence upon GOD to guide, direct, and give success to our efforts, and trust that with Him all things are possible, it is extremely important that we advocate for the women in crisis pregnancies and their babies so that they will receive all the help, support and resources they need to choose life for their babies, to have healthy and safe pregnancies, labor and delivery, and to care for their babies after they are born. For this we need to support and promote the many faith-based pregnancy resource centers and pro-life organizations, especially those who continue to provide help for as long as needed by the mother and her family.

It would be extremely cruel and heartless if all we did was to preach against abortion and legislate against it without giving desperate women viable alternatives to abortion and surrounding them with compassionate care. Thank the LORD that many Catholics and other Christians have "stepped up to the plate" from the earliest days that abortion became legal. I remember as an 8th grader in 1967 when NY passed a very liberal abortion law, a Catholic organization called BIRTHRIGHT was there to help women in crisis pregnancies to choose life for their babies.

Senator Elizabeth Warren has "lamented" that pregnancy resource centers outnumber abortion clinics by a ratio of 3:1. That is NOT a reason to lament, but a reason to thank GOD that there are more people who are working to save the lives of babies and their mothers than people who are working to kill babies! Because these organizations give women in crisis pregnancies a way to save their babies and have the support and resources at their disposal and don't force anyone to stay or to do anything, people who attack pregnancy resource centers and pro-life organizations should no longer hide behind the euphemistic label "pro-choice" but call themselves "pro-abortion", because the only "choice" these attackers honor & want to allow us abortion!

It is VITAL that as Christians, as Catholics & as Secular Franciscans living the GOSPEL of Our LORD JESUS CHRIST and the GOSPEL OF LIFE we do all that we can to make people aware of the available help for women in crisis pregnancies and to pray for, promote (in person, via social media, etc.), and support by financial and other means of support (e.g., donating material goods, volunteering) these wonderful faith-based pro-life organizations.

One wonderful pro-life organization located here in Queens, NYC is THE BRIDGE TO LIFE. One of the members of our Secular Franciscan fraternity, Cathy W., has been a dedicated volunteer at THE BRIDGE TO LIFE for the past 19 years, and I believe one or more of our other fraternity members has volunteered there as well. THE BRIDGE TO LIFE is a place where women in crisis pregnancies can go not only during their pregnancy but after the child has been born and receive not only counseling but plenty of material resources as well. The available resources include not only baby clothes, layettes, and other supplies (e.g., infant seats, car seats), but also maternity clothes, toddler clothes, children's clothes, non-maternity women's clothes, bedding--all either new or gently used. Cathy and other volunteers meticulously inspect every single donated item to ensure that it is in perfect condition (no stains, no pulls, no holes and not torn in any way). When I moved into my current apartment and when I had to clean out my Mom's house in 2019/2020, I was able to donate MANY bags of my clothing, Mom's clothing, sheets, comforters, baby clothes, shoes and even jewelry. I continue to donate clothing from time to time.

To learn more about THE BRIDGE TO LIFE you can visit their website, www.thebridgetolife.org. I am very happy that our fraternity has agreed to become a regular monthly donor to THE BRIDGE TO LIFE from our common fund.

Another wonderful pro-life organization helping women in crisis pregnancies is GOOD COUNSEL HOMES, founded by Christopher Bell. The late Father Benedict Joseph Groeschel, renown spiritual author and founder of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, was their first spiritual director. GOOD COUNSEL HOMES first opened its doors at a New Jersey location on Sunday, March 10, 1985, the same evening when I was prayed over for Baptism in the Holy Spirit at my Catholic Charismatic prayer group, so I feel a special spiritual bond with this organization, and I am blessed to be able to give them a recurring automatic monthly donation on my credit card.

GOOD COUNSEL HOMES provides group homes at several locations in the NY/NJ area where women in crisis pregnancies can stay and even bring any other children they already have. GOOD COUNSEL HOMES provides a wonderful loving home--shelter, food, clothing, spirituality, counseling, child care, educational opportunities and job training--not only during pregnancy, labor and delivery, but for as long as needed after the birth of the baby, until the mother can fully support herself and her children in a suitable apartment on her own. They also follow up with the mothers and children and give birthday parties.

To learn more about GOOD COUNSEL HOMES you can visit their website, www.goodcounselhomes.org.

The Sisters of Life, an order of consecrated religious sisters founded by the late John Cardinal O'Connor in the Archdiocese of NY, offers a variety of services and loving and compassionate care.

Women in crisis pregnancies don't need abortion--a seeming "quick fix" that not only kills innocent and helpless human lives, but also devastates the lives of women as well, often resulting in PTSD, depression, addictions, abusive relationships and even suicide. Women in crisis pregnancies need compassionate care, unconditional love, hope, affirmation, encouragement, spiritual guidance, support, and plenty of material resources and opportunities to live with a promising future of hope, love, provision, growth, security, and stability for themselves and their children. This is the type of advocacy that faith based pro-life organizations provide.

Now that our almost 50 years of prayer has been answered, and the heinous Roe v Wade decision has FINALLY been overturned to allow the states to restrict abortion, our pregnancy resource centers and pro-life organizations are needed more than ever and their employers, employees and volunteers are eager to meet the challenge and welcome, love and serve more expectant mothers and their babies. So our faith based pro-life organizations will need our prayers, referrals, publicity, promotion, and financial and material support more than ever.

As Christians, Catholics and Secular Franciscans committed to the GOSPEL of OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST and the GOSPEL of LIFE we need to do whatever we can to support, promote and publicize these wonderful organizations as they advocate for women in crisis pregnancies and their children, both before and as long as needed after birth.