Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist

 Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082926.cfm

Today we commemorate the beheading of St. John the Baptist, the precursor to Jesus 

John the Baptist is cousin to Jesus Christ. John is the son of Saint Elizabeth. Even from the time when Elizabeth and Mary met at the visitation, John, in Elizabeth’s womb, was leaping for joy at the presence of Jesus in  Mary’s womb. He knew, even in the womb, that Jesus was present. 

Years later when John was baptizing in the Jordan River, he saw Jesus approach and said, “Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world.” These are familiar words that we, as Catholics, hear at every Mass as he holds up the consecrated host. 

John’s whole life was to tell people to turn away from sin and point them towards Jesus Christ. He was not afraid to speak the truth, even if it got him in trouble.

In today’s gospel from Mark John was not afraid to tell of the sinfulness of Herod in  committing adultery with his brother’s wife. This cost John his life. 

John’s whole life was to live in God’s presence, and was never afraid to speak the truth, even if it meant loosing his life. 

We are, in on our own vocations as Christians,  called to be like John the Baptist. We need to be always willing to point people towards Jesus as true God and true man. And we are to always speak the truth that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. Furthermore, we need to be brave enough to let people know when they are sinning, even if it means that it’ll cause us problems or issues with the people we love. 

Let us pray to the Lord to have the courage of John the Baptist to bring others to Christ. 

Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.

  Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/080926.cfm

In our first reading for today from the first book of Kings we hear of the prophet Elijah. In the chapter just proceeding this he was on Mt. Carmel and showed that there’s one true God. He proved that there was no god other than God. The people were following the false god Baal. At proving that there is only one true God, the people were upset at Elijah and started attacking him and he escaped. In today’s reading he was feeling alone and forsaken. Searching for the Lord, he didn’t hear him in the wind or the crashing rocks. Rather he heard the Lord in the tiny whispering sound. 

We can follow Elijah‘s example by looking for the Lord not in big dramatic ways, but in the silence of our prayers. It is then the Lord will speak with us. 

In the gospel for today, Matthew chapter 14, we hear of the Lord going off by himself to pray. It is there that the Lord opens his mind and heart to the Father  to continue his ministry. Then, knowing the disciples were in the midst of the storm he walks on the water towards them. The disciples were scared, thinking he was a ghost. Peter said if it is you, Lord, bid me to walk to you on the water. As long as Peter‘s eyes were on Jesus, he was walking on the water. Then, as soon as he got distracted, he started to sink. Jesus reaches out to him and saves him.

The lesson for today’s readings is to keep our eyes always focused on God through Jesus Christ. No matter what problems or storms we are facing, we can always turn to God to be with us and to help us.

The LORD sustains him on his sickbed, you turn down his bedding whenever he is ill.

 I am approaching my fourth week for recovering from my knee replacement surgery. During the last four weeks of my recovery has been a form of Retreat and teaching me to be patient. I pray the divine office every day and on Friday afternoon I came across Psalm 41. Verse six reads as follows. “The LORD sustains him on his sickbed, you turn down his bedding whenever he is ill.” This has been very reassuring and has helped me get through the pain that I had a few weeks back. Thankfully, the pain has diminished greatly. 

Then in the gospel for today I heard, “…and he cured their sick.”  (Matthew 14:14). During this month of healing, the Lord has been restoring me to health, not only through the doctors and nurses, but also through my wife, Dinorah. She’s been there every step of the way, showing me patience and love, even when I was cranky and impatient because of the pain. Dinorah is a true blessing from God. 

I’m also grateful for a visiting priest to St. Michael’s, Fr. Samuel, for bringing me Holy Communion and the Anointing of the Sick; for Fr. Robert Rodriguez from St. Lucy’s who took time to visit me, give me Holy Communion and hear my confession; my brother deacon, Candido for visiting, and for my pastor, Fr. JP for visiting me, and finally Sr. Mary who brought Holy Communion on a few occasions.

Though it’ll be a while before I’m healed, I see the Lord’s presence in all these people. 

Dear Lord, bless all those who have contributed towards my healing and help me to full recovery. 

Recovery

 This past Monday, July 6, 2026, I went for a knee replacement surgery. Anticipation of what to expect before that was really driving me crazy. The day came and next thing I know I’m in recovery. It’s  six days since the surgery. The first 24 hours was really rough. But here I am coming up to almost a week, I am starting to feel better. Thankfully, I have my beautiful wife to help me in my road to recovery. Without her I would be lost. She’s a blessing from God.

The pain and anxiety was not a fun thing. But as I was meditating on it before, and since then, I have reminded myself of the suffering that our Lord went through for our salvation. The agony in the garden, the scourging, and his walk with the cross to Calvary reminds me that the suffering I went through doesn’t compare to what he went through. In Collosions 1:24 we hear Paul say, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I’m filling up what is lacking the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church.”

I pray for continued recovery so I can return to serving God and his people as deacon at church. I pray for the doctor and all the medical people that took care of me while I was in the hospital and will continue to take care of me.

Keep me in your prayers. 

The Will of the Father

Our Scripture readings for today can be found at Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB

We hear in our gospel for today Jesus teaching us, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus is teaching us that our actions and our words must coincide. We can say all the right things, but if our lives do not match the words that we are saying, it is meaningless. In chapter 7 of the gospel of Saint Matthew, Jesus is attempting to show his followers how to live a life of faithfulness to God in a way that’s pleasing to Him. Our actions must match our words.

Jesus explicitly states that merely calling Him "Lord, Lord" does not grant entry into the kingdom of heaven. Even outwardly impressive deeds, such as prophesying or casting out demons in His name, are insufficient if a person's life lacks true, loving obedience to the Father's will. 

Let’s be like the wise man the Lord talks about in today’s gospel and build a house on a rock. Let us offer all our prayers to the Lord with sincere love for Him. Let us also love our neighbors as ourselves. Our following Jesus is meant to be both vertical and horizontal. We are to look up towards God with true love and devotion and look towards our neighbors with the love God expects us to have for all those people made in his likeness. It will be then that our relationship with God will be on a rock foundation. 

Pope John Paul II heavily relied on Matthew 7:21-29 to challenge young people and the faithful worldwide. He connected the parable of the "house built on rock" to Jesus Christ as the solid foundation, calling believers to actively live the Gospel rather than simply paying it lip service.

May the Lord fill our hearts with true love for Him and for our neighbor.

St. Barnabas

Scripture readings may be found at Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle | USCCB

Today we celebrate the feast Saint Barnabas, apostle. He was one of the first followers after the ascension of Jesus into heaven. He preached the gospel at Antioch and was a companion of Saint Paul. 

As we hear from in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, many people came to know Jesus through his preaching. It was in Antioch that the early followers were called Christians.

It was during this time the Christians were being persecuted following the death of Saint Stephen, deacon and the first martyr.  So, as a result, it took a great deal of courage for Saint Paul and Barnabas to continue preaching, even though they knew they could face certain death for preaching Jesus Christ. What helped Saint Barnabas, St. Paul and the others was that that they were filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gave them strength and courage to continue to preach about Jesus Christ, and the fact that he is Savior and Messiah. In their own ways Barnabas and St. Paul were devoted to the Sacred Heart. It is through them that we have our faith today. We are called in some way to do as Saint Barnabas and Saint Paul did in sharing our faith in Jesus Christ with those in our lives. We may meet with resistance, but we are called to be vigilant in letting others know about Jesus Christ, and our faith in him. Through our baptism and confirmation, we are, too, are filled with Holy Spirit.

In anticipation to celebration Sacred Heart of Jesus tomorrow, let’s pray the words that Padre Pio gave us in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus:

O Sacred Heart of Jesus,
for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted,
have pity on us miserable sinners
and grant us the grace which we ask of you,
through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary,
your tender Mother and ours.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

 Scripture reading for this reflection can be found at https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060426.cfm

In our Gospel for today, our Lord is teaching us the most central meaning of what it means to be his follower: Love of God and love of neighbor. At first, it sounds easy, but it really isn’t as easy as it sounds. 

Love of God needs to be primary in our lives. In all our daily activities we need to act in ways that clearly show that we are followers of Jesus Christ.  We need to love God with our whole mind, heart and soul. God must be central in all our thoughts and activities. We need to act with love and integrity in all our activities during the day  

The next challenge is to love our neighbors as ourselves. This can be very difficult since many people are challenging to even to like. But we are not called to like them, we are called to love them.

As you go through your day today, try to keep God central in your  thoughts as you do your daily activities. Also, as you deal with people, treat them with love and respect as children of God. In this way we are bringing God’s love to all that we encounter. 

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Fifth Sunday of Easter | USCCB

The gospel for this Fifth Sunday of Easter from John chapter 14, verses 1-12, I think is one of the most comforting parts of Scripture. It's a gospel I read often at both wakes and funerals. Jesus is reassuring us that he will be there for us and is telling us not to be troubled.  Just have faith in God and faith in Him. 

Whenever I read this at a wake, I encourage all the family members to pray for the deceased and to let their hearts not be troubled. I assure the family that the deceased loved one is in the loving embrace of Jesus and is being led to a place prepared for them by the Lord. Jesus promises, "I am going to prepare a place for you." John 14:3. I encourage regular prayer for our deceased loved one to help them during their journey with Jesus towards heaven. 

As we ourselves journey throughout this life here on earth, let us remember that Jesus is walking along side us. In whatever troubles we may face, let us place our troubles into the loving hands of Jesus. He will be present to us in good times and bad times. We just need to trust that He'll be with us every step of the way.

Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.

 

 The scripture readings for today can be found at Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter | USCCB

In our gospel for today from St. John, we hear of the scene at the Last Supper of Jesus washing the feet of the Disciples. This act of humility was our Lords way of teaching the disciples of service to others in their lives as followers of Him. By this point in the gospel, it is getting close to the Lord being betrayed by Judas and being turned over to the authorities to die on the Cross. The Gospel of St. John doesn’t focus on the institution of the Eucharist but on that of service to others.

What’s interesting in today’s gospel is that it takes place just before Judas betrays the Lord. So, the Lord, in fact, had also washed the feet of Judas, knowing full well that he was about to betray him to the Scribes and Pharisees. This act of love to not only the other disciples, but to Judas, as well, gives us an example of how we are to treat all people, even those that we may have problems with. The Lord loved Judas and was willing to wash his feet even though the Lord knew Judas was about to betray him. This ultimate humility towards Judas teaches us how we are to treat all people in our lives, even those that we may feel betrayed by.

Further in today’s gospel we hear the Lord make it clear that he was not only truly man, but truly God. The Lord says, “From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM.” (John 13:19) These words, “I AM” are the words that God used with Moses when God sent Moses to the people and declared that he is God, using the phase, “I AM WHO AM.” So, this helped make it clear to the disciples of who Jesus truly is: true God and true man.

As we meditate on this scripture, let us truly remember that we are to serve others in our lives, even those that we may have issues with, and also remember that Jesus is true God and true man. Let us always pray to the Lord to ask him to not only have love for God, but to have love for all those people in our lives, even those we may find it difficult to deal with.

I am the bread of life.

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/042326.cfm

In our gospel for today we continue with the Bread of Life discourse.  Throughout John chapter 6 Jesus is teaching about how we will be fed on His Body and Blood in the Eucharist. The Lord goes on and teaches that unless we eat of his body and drink of his blood we will have no life in us. Jesus tells us in today’s reading,  “Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die.” 

Many of those listening to Jesus had a problem understanding and accepting this teaching, thinking he was talking about cannibalism. We know that Jesus is able to give us His Body and Blood at every Mass. It’s not symbolic, but truly His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. 

Let us be truly grateful for this wonderful gift of the Lord each time we attend Mass. 

"We must obey God rather than men.”

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Thursday of the Second Week of Easter | USCCB

In our first readings from the Acts of the Apostles, we hear of the ongoing persecution of the apostles as they continue to proclaim that Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. They faced imprisonment and harassment for proclaiming the Risen Lord.

The apostles persisted in preaching the Risen Lord and so serve as an example of how we are to live out our faith in Jesus Christ. When challenged by the religious leaders (who could not bring themselves to mention Jesus' name), Peter famously says, "We must obey God rather than any human authority" (Acts 5:29). There will always be people in our families and friends that may say to us, “…to stop teaching in that name.” People simply don’t want to hear about Jesus and the fact that he is Lord and Messiah. But we must be persistent in our sharing our faith in Jesus Christ. It doesn’t need to be as dramatic as with the apostles where we may be arrested and thrown in jail. Or we may not be called to stand on the street corner with bible in hand preaching Jesus. But we are called to live out our lives in a way that people will know that we are followers of Jesus Christ. We are called to preach Jesus by loving God and loving our neighbor. Like the apostles, we are to be counter-cultural in living out our Christian Faith, which is contrary to how society sees things.

Frequent attendance at Daily and Sunday mass, regular time for daily prayer and treating people with love and respect is how we are to preach Jesus Christ to a world that may reject who the Lord is. But, like the apostles we are to be persistent in our faith in the Risen Lord. We are to place God first in all our actions.

The Lord has Risen, indeed he has Risen from the Dead.

GOD OF THE OPEN ARMS

Savior, King, Messiah, LORD, 

JESUS, our Emmanuel

So many names, such mystery!

But on this Christmas morn I see 

Another name You are to me

And have been throughout history:

You're the GOD of the open arms.

 

Since Eden You've extended grace

So we could turn and seek Your face.

Your people failed and turned away,

But when they turned to You and prayed,

If only with a fleeting glance, 
You'd offer them a second chance:

You're the GOD of the open arms.

 

At last You came at Bethlehem

To Mary, shepherds and Wise Men.

Your tiny arms were open wide

To welcome all who came inside 

The stable, then the house.

God Incarnate, in Your flesh we see

What You've been from eternity:

The GOD of the open arms.

 

You grew, and then as a grown man

You proved that all could come to You

With burdens, sorrows, sin and pain

And in You we'd be born again.

You taught us the unchanging love

Comes from the Father up above,

For prodigal returning home

Find the GOD of the open arms.

 

Then one dark day at Calvary

Your loving arms stretched open wide

Were nailed upon the Cross to be

Embracing all humanity.

You died to save the world from sin

For anyone who'll let You in.

Your death to be the seal to prove

You're the GOD of the open arms.

 

And when You rose from death You came

To frightened friends who saw Your face,

And once again felt Your embrace

As the GOD of the open arms.

 

And still Your arms are open wide

To welcome all to come inside.

You touch us in Your Word and prayer

And Sacrament abiding there.

 

Someday I trust I'll see Your face

And run into Your warm embrace,

When I am finally HOME to dwell

With my GOD of the open arms.

 

(c) Copyright 2014 by Arlene B. Müller (Arlene Clare Müller, OSF).

“Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Daily Bible Reading - April 8, 2026 | USCCB

In our gospel for today we read of another Resurrection encounter with Jesus.  This story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus has always been one of my favorite stories of an encounter with the Risen Jesus. 

These two disciples, grieving over the death of Jesus, have no idea that he rose from the dead. They seemed to have forgotten the times before Good Friday when the Lord predicted his death and resurrection. Then a beautiful thing happens on the Road to Emmaus: Jesus joins them and enters into conversation with them and starts explaining scripture to them about all that was predicted about His Death and Resurrection. Wanting to hear more, as they approached where they were staying in the village, something wonderful happens: Jesus blesses the bread, breaks it, and gives it to them. It was then that their eyes were opened. Then Jesus vanishes. They were so overjoyed that they had to return to Jerusalem to share the good news with the other disciples, who in turn had their own resurrection story.

This gospel story of the Apostles on the Road to Emmaus reminds me of what we encounter each time we go to Mass. First, we hear scripture readings, then the priest or deacon attempts to explain the meaning of the Scripture, then we move on to the Eucharist, the Breaking of Bread. We, like these men on the Road to Emmaus, encounter Jesus each time we attend Mass, both through Scripture and through the Eucharist. We are called, like these disciples, to go and bring the Good News of the Risen Jesus to all those in our lives. 

As we live out our lives as Christians, let us always be open to share with others the Good News that Jesus took our sins to the Cross, died for us and rose glorious on Easter Sunday. Let us always say, like the apostles, “The Lord has truly been raised..." (Luke 24:34)

Mary went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord."

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Daily Bible Reading - April 7, 2026 | USCCB

On this Tuesday in the Octave of Easter, we hear in the Gospel of John Mary Magdalene's encounter with the Risen Jesus at the Tomb. She's there in front of the empty tomb, crying and weeping due to the death of Jesus on Good Friday. Then she has a vision of angels telling her that the Lord has been raised from the dead. At first, she finds it hard to believe. Then Jesus approaches her. At first, she doesn't recognize him. She only comes to recognize him when he calls her by name. After her encounter with Jesus, he instructs her to share the Good News of His Resurrection with the disciples!!

Overjoyed, she runs to the disciples to bring the Good News of the Risen Lord. We, like Mary, are each called by name by Jesus to bring the Good News of the Risen Jesus to those in our lives. We experience the Risen Jesus each time we receive Him in Holy Communion at Mass and each time we study scripture and meet him in our daily prayer routine. 

During this time of Easter, let us not be afraid to share the Good News of the Risen Jesus with all those in our lives. Say to them, “I have seen the Lord,” and share with them the Love that Jesus has for each one of us. 

They paid him thirty pieces of silver…

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Wednesday of Holy Week | USCCB

Every year the Wednesday of Holy Week is known as Spy Wednesday. It’s the day when we hear of Judas meeting with the Jewish leaders to turn Jesus over for the cost of 30 pieces of silver.

I often wonder what made Judas betray Jesus to those in authority. He was one of the 12 apostles and spent three years with Jesus hearing him preach and seeing him heal people and bring them back into relationship with God. Couldn’t he see that Jesus was indeed the Messiah? Why was he disappointed with Jesus?

We know that Jesus was destined to die for our sins on the cross. As a result, Judas had his part in having that come about. We do hear in today’s gospel Jesus saying, “Woe to the man would betray me.” (Matthew 26:24) Judas did regret betraying Jesus and attempted to return the 30 pieces of silver. The scribes and pharisees refused to accept the money back, and unfortunately Judas would go off and commit suicide.

Had Judas not committed suicide, when Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday, he, like Peter would have received forgiveness.

As we meditate upon Judas’ part in the betrayal of Jesus, let us remember that we, too, betray Jesus every time we sin. But, fortunately for us, the Risen Lord is waiting for us to turn to him in the sacrament of confession to forgive us.

In confession the Lord is asking us, like he asked Peter, “Do you love me?” We respond, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. Please forgive me.” Jesus then forgives our sins.

As we approach Good Friday and Easter Sunday, let us turn to the Lord with love in our hearts and know that he is always waiting for us to bring us forgiveness and salvation.

Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.”

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032626.cfm 

In our gospel for today we see another confrontation between Jesus and the Jews. Jesus was teaching that he is indeed the Messiah and God and to believe in him mean that you have eternal life.

The Jews had a problem accepting the fact that Jesus was both God and Man. They only saw the fact that he was man and considered him possessed for teaching that he is God and as a result were ready to stone him to death.

During this time of Lent as we journey towards Holy Week and Easter Sunday, we can ask ourselves what is our attitude towards Jesus? Is our faith strong in believing that he is the Messiah and our Lord and Savior? Or do we sometimes have doubts as to who Jesus really is in our lives.

There could be many reasons why we would doubt Jesus and his divinity. We daily face issues that we feel frustrated over and may not feel his presence in our day-to-day existence. In our own confusion and pain, it can be hard to hear, hard to see God with us. What might you be clinging to so tightly that you’re not seeing? What’s getting in the way of receiving Jesus?

During the remainder of Lent and during Holy Week, turn to Jesus and pray for help in our issues and pain. Ask the Lord for an increase your faith. Pray: “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.” Amen.

"By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons."

 

Scripture for this reflection can be found at  Thursday of the Third Week of Lent | USCCB

In our gospel for today, we see how people had a problem with who Jesus was and what he was doing regarding the healings he was performing. They assumed it was through the Evil One that the Lord was doing these healings. They had trouble accepting the fact that he was the Messiah they have been waiting for and had power over good and evil. Because he is both fully God and fully man, he had this power to heal people and to expel demons. Yet the people were blinded to this truth and rejected him. Jesus rightly points out, “…if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?”

What is our attitude towards Jesus? Do we accept him as Messiah and God? Or do we have our doubts about who he and what he can do in our lives. In today’s gospel and throughout all the gospels we can see and come to know that Jesus is our Lord and Savior. We just need to put our trust in him and know that he will be there for us in all our needs. Our needs may not be as dramatic as in today’s gospel where Jesus is expelling a demon, but Jesus is there for us in all our problems, whether emotional or physical. We just need to turn to him and ask him for his help and healing in whatever we are facing, whether for ourselves or for our families or friends.

In our first reading we hear Jerimiah give us this message from God: “Listen to myvoice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people. Walk in all the waysthat I command you, so that you may prosper.” Let us always have God in the center of who we are so that we can receive the emotional or physical healing we need. God will always answer our prayers in a way that we need. We my not get the answer we expect but we will always get the answer or healing God feels we need. We just need to be open to God’s voice in every aspect of our lives.

Praise be Jesus Christ now and forever.

 

She came and fell at his feet.

 

Scripture for this reflection can be found at Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB

In today’s gospel Jesus originally just wanted to be there unnoticed, but as soon as people heard he was there, it was hard for Jesus to be left alone. The gospel goes on to tell us of Jesus paying attention to a non-Jewish woman who needed her daughter to be healed of the demons that were plaguing her. As we hear, he was reluctant at first to respond to the woman.

Jesus saying to her, “Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs” sounds harsh to my ears. At this point, Jesus had been mainly ministering to people who were of Jewish background. But what I think was happening here was that Jesus was starting to reach beyond the Jewish circles and reaching out to the Gentiles to bring his teachings of faith in God and the fact that He’s the savior not only of the chosen people, but for everyone. Once she responds that “even dogs get the scraps from the children’s table,” Jesus sees her faith and grants her request. Central to all of Jesus’s healings in the gospels is faith in Him and His power to cure. He saw in this non-Jewish woman faith in His power to cure her daughter and He granted her request.

This woman is also an example for all of us who may have children that may need our prayers. This woman’s daughter is seriously sick with a demon, and Jesus heals her. We may not have children or relatives as sick as this child, but they may be away from the practice of the faith and still need our prayers for healing and to return to the church. This woman serves as an example of what we should be doing for those people we love: our prayers for them.

During this upcoming season of Lent, let us encourage all those in our lives to return to church on Ash Wednesday, or anytime throughout Lent, to receive the healing that is waiting for them in the sacrament of confession and of Holy Communion. Our prayers and encouragement for those away from Church can be all they need to come back into relationship with God through his Holy Church.

Beatitudes or Be Attitude

 

Scripture reading for today's reflection is from Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time | USCCB

In our gospel for today, we hear the familiar Beatitudes. We are all familiar with these teachings of Jesus. We’ve heard the beatitudes numerous times throughout our lives, so much so they have become like second nature. But the question is: do we really pay attention to what the Lord is trying to teach us in them?

In these teachings from the Lord, he is teaching us what our attitudes in life should be, in other words: “Be-attitudes.” The Lord is calling us to a life of humility. He’s calling us to be more faithful to our calling as His followers. It’s a way of life that will bring us closer to God.

The Lord starts off by saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus is inviting us to humility. In other words, we are to think less of ourselves and more of God and of others in our lives. We are to focus on the command of “Love of God and love of neighbor.” By focusing on serving God and that of others will lead us to the rewards of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” We all come across those in our lives that are struggling due to various issues or problems. We are called to bring comfort to these people by being available to them, whether by listening or by just being present and showing compassion to them in their time of need. Sometimes we don’t need to say anything to those who are suffering, we just need to be “good listeners” to those who needs someone who is dealing with a problem.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” is another teaching that our Lord expects us to follow. If there’s any dispute or problem within our family or among our friends, we are called to bring the peace of God into whatever way we can. Bringing the love of God into any dispute or problem can help solve the issue.  

Finally, our Lord reminds us that being his followers is not easy. He says, “Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.” As we live out our lives as followers of Jesus Christ, let us always remain focused on doing what is right according to the Lord and His teachings. People may not understand where we are coming from and attack us for it. Our focus should always be on doing the Will of God. Pleasing God is more important than worrying about what other people may think of us.

Let us rejoice that we are followers of Jesus Christ and pray for those in our lives that may be away from the Lord for whatever reason. Our reward, then, will be great in heaven.

The Kingdom of God

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found Friday of the Third Week of Ordinary Time | USCCB

In our gospel for today the Lord is comparing the Kingdom of God to that of seeds being scattered and growing day by day. The farmer is unaware of how this will happen. He would do his part to nurture the seed by watering and cultivating the ground and allowing the sun to do its part in order for the seeds to grow into full plants, rising towards the sun. The Lord also mentions the mustard seed going from the smallest seeds to the largest of plants.

The seeds mentioned in today’s gospel is comparable to that of our faith in God. The seed was planted at our baptism, whether we were baptized as children or as adults, the seed was planted in us when the water was poured over us and the words of baptism was said by the priest or deacon. Our faith at the time of baptism is small and needs nurturing for it to grow. It is through those around us that our faith is watered and we can grow in relationship with the Lord. As we grow and mature in our faith, we need to take an active part in cultivating it by the regular study of scripture and the precepts of the church. It is through regular study that we can come to a better understanding of who the Lord is in our life and our relationship with Him.  

Further, the regular use of the sacraments, such as receiving Holy Communion often, or going to confession on a regular basis can keep our faith alive and growing. This will be pleasing to God. This is how the Kingdom of God will grow within us and we can get closer to the Lord Jesus.

Further, our own lives can be “seeds” for other people in their faith journey to the Lord. By sharing our faith with others, or by simply praying for them, it will help the kingdom of God grow in them.

Let us continue to grow in our faith by turning to God daily to lead us closer to him. Let us always be open to how God is talking to us through scripture and with His Sacraments. It will be then that we can grow in a way pleasing to God.