He appeared first to Mary Magdalene

Saturday within the Octave of Easter

The Scripture Readings for today can be found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/042217.cfm.

In this Resurrection gospel of Christ first appearing to Mary Magdalene we can learn a lot about ourselves and how we are to approach our encounter with Christ.

Mary was met with disbelieve when she went to the disciples with the news of Christ being alive. After he appeared to Mary, he appeared to two others, who in turn went to the disciples.  They, too, were met with disbelief. It wasn't until the disciples encountered the risen Christ that they came to believe that Christ has indeed risen from the dead.

Then Christ gave them the command to "Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15) We, too, are given the command to proclaim the Gospel to every creature. But do we follow out this command of Jesus? We encounter the Risen Jesus every time we go to Church and receive him in the Eucharist. But then we leave him at the doors of the church to wait for us to return to Eucharist the following Sunday.

We are called to go into the world where we live to share the good news that Christ has indeed risen from the dead and we are called to live a life of love of God and love of neighbor.

All too often, though, when we get home from Church on Sunday, we get into the regular routine of our lives and problems. Instead of making Christ part of our family life, He's left out of it.

Then on Monday morning, when we return to work, do we share the positive experience we had at Church, or do we talk about the baseball or football game that occurred on Sunday afternoon? We are quick to idolize those sports hero that we see in those sports, but yet we ignore the One that should be most important in our lives: Jesus Christ!

Too often we are afraid of being criticized for our faith in Christ. We should be proud to acknowledge that Christ is the center of our lives and how we live. We are called to live a life of love towards God and those around us. This is how we are to proclaim the Gospel to every Creature!

When you next attend Mass and receive Him in Holy Communion, ask Him for the strength to share your faith in Him with others. This way this world will be a little bit better by the loving example of who you are as you share the news that Christ has indeed risen from the dead.

 

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday

Scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at  http://usccb.org/bible/readings/040917.cfm

Today we start the most important week of the church year: Holy Week. During this week we journey with Jesus as he goes from the joy of being proclaimed “King of the Jews” on Palm Sunday to His suffering and death on His Holy Cross.

As Jesus enters Jerusalem just days before being betrayed, we hear the crowds cry out, "Hosanna to the Son of David;blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in thehighest” and "This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth inGalilee."

Then we see, within a few days to a week after this, the betrayal of Judas, the agony in the Garden, and the arrest of Jesus. This all came about due to the jealousy of the scribes and Pharisees, the greed of Judas, and sinfulness of those around Jesus that led him to his death on the Cross.

The gospel of St. Matthew, from the beginning, was told and retold because it contains the very heart of the Christian message: the saving activity of Jesus carried out through his suffering, death, and resurrection.

In this gospel we hear of Jesus sharing a final Passover meal with his disciples wherein he institutes the Eucharist; the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus is betrayed and handed over to his enemies; the trial before the Jewish Sanhedrin; the trial before Pilate; crucifixion and death; the guarding of the tomb.

Jesus is rejected by the very people he came to save. He is betrayed and denied by two of his own handpicked apostles. He is killed as an insurrectionist, but he is really a king. His saving power is activated through his death.

Through our reading of the Passion, we can identify with Peter’s denial, with Judas’ betrayal, with the disciples’ flight, with Pilate’s cowardice, with the leaders’ cynicism or with the crowd’s mindless frenzy. We all have a place in the Passion story.

But throughout the reading of this gospel, with all this betrayal towards Christ, we are reminded that Christ loves us. Despite what all these people did to Him, Jesus died for all of them. His love, His truth, His forgiveness. His grace is the foundations on which we can rely. Despite our failures, in Him we can have a new strong life.

As you approach the Eucharist at Mass today, place your cares and love into the hands of Jesus. Thank Jesus for dying for you on that Good Friday 2,000 years ago, and for rising again on Easter Sunday morning.

Lazarus, come out!

Fifth Sunday of Lent

The readings for the Fifth Sunday of Lent can be found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/040217.cfm,

What do people on their deathbeds wish they had done - or not done? Like Lazarus, we will die. Unlike Lazarus, we probably won't get a second chance at living. Father Nelson Medina, of Bogata, Columbia, once listed the top 20 regrets he heard from people who were dying. None were, "I wish I'd spent more time at my office." Many were what we would call matters of conscience. I know a mother facing death who wished she had played more with her children - and not only when they were small. Father Medina couched this in terms of "I thought I always had to be useful more than joyful."

This 5th Sunday in Lent, so near to the feast of Easter, still leaves us time to consider regrets, and how to reverse them while we have a chance. Then we will be ready to celebrate with joy.

Ezekiel didn't need to be a prophet to know that the Israelites were filled with regrets. It's as though they were already dead: they have no hope. They had wasted their time on nothing. They hadn't kept their promises. They had ignored their Maker.

In our 2nd reading from St. Paul, he reminds us that Baptism can strengthen us to live without regrets - if we remember to count on the Holy Spirit for help.

We learn in today's gospel that Martha, Mary, and Lazarus were very good friends of Jesus. They were special to our Lord. Further, they didn't ignore Jesus, a regret that people whisper as  they are dying. They neglected to pray, they hurt people rather than befriending them, they didn't offer encouragement and uplift, but weighed others down with complaints or even vulgarity and rudeness. The family of Lazarus isn't like that.

Yet they don't "get" Jesus really. His teaching, his miracles, his example of forgiveness and healing: None of this has been enough for even his friends to acknowledge him as the one who unties, the one who raises up, the one who loves to the full capacity of the heart!

And the end is coming. "Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?" (John 11:40). This is Jesus' regret - that he hasn't gotten through to his dear friends and that he, like Lazarus, will be called to face death. His will not be a "natural" death from illness, but from the forces of darkness and sin.

What perturbs Jesus and troubles Jesus is the very thing that can free us from regret, now and at the hour of our death. He can let us go. He can raise us up. If you have sensed any regrets as we heard and saw the witness of Ezekial, Paul, Martha, Mary, Lazarus, and Jesus, now is a good time to hear your friend Jesus call you to "come out." Come away from regret and move towards the celebration of rising. The time is at hand.

Jesus told his friends that their faith in him would lead them to see the glory of God. They saw a glimpse. In the Holy Eucharist, we see the reality. This sacrament raises us to eternal life and gives us strength to live this life without regret, trusting in the power of the one who raised Lazarus from the dead.

Fourth Sunday of Lent

Forth Sunday of Lent

Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Lent can be found at http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/032617.cfm.

In the story of the man born blind, we see a number of people reacting negatively to a miracle of healing. We might wonder why no one sees what Jesus is doing. But our own reactions to the wonders of God's world can be similarly obscured. Our faith calls us to learn to see the wholeness that God sees.

Many people have laser eye surgery to correct vision and reverse conditions such as cataracts and glaucoma. It's become quite commonplace. I even heard of a woman who took her young dog to the vet because he was having trouble seeing. The vet asked her about bringing the dog to an ophthalmologist. She had no idea such a specialty existed, but before long the dog was having a laser procedure to relieve the pain of glaucoma, and his sight returned. The advantages in medical technology continue to improve the quality of life for people and even their pets, but we rarely regard these advances as miracle.

Visual sight is a powerful metaphor for our attitudes towards the world around us and the people who come into our lives every day. Although our medical technology is far advanced from the time of Jesus, our spiritual blindness hasn't always changed.

In our first reading for today we hear of the anointing of David as Israel's first king, Samuel is ready to anoint one of the handsome and powerful sons of Jesse. He never suspects that God's anointed would be the youngest, the least, the shepherd boy from the hills. God tells him he's judging according to human, not divine, standards. Too often we prefer good looks, celebrity, and power to humility, virtue, and care for the common good when we're choosing our leaders. Our media-driven world has made us far too reliant on the superficial and the sensational.

In the Gospel for today, few people recognize the healing that's at the center of the story. Jesus heals because life and healing are his very nature. The man who is healed moves from physical to spiritual sight. But nearly everyone else misses the point.

The disciples are puzzling over the sin that must be at the heart of the man's blindness. The religious leaders see only a threat to their power and status quo. Even the man's parents prefer to disown their son rather than risk trouble with the authorities.

We can get so get so caught up in our own priorities, our anxieties, and our various ideologies that we miss the wonder of the world around us: the loved ones in our lives, the glories of the changing seasons and the natural world, the goodness  and kindness that people show to one another on a daily basis. Blind to these things, we see  only the darkness and the negativity conjured up by our fears.

God sees healing, wholeness, and life. God dwells in the divine light and shares that light with all of us. What  will it take for us to open our eyes to this reality? As we move through the end of the Lenten season into Holy Week and Easter, we might heed the words of St. Paul when he says, "Live as children of the light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth."

We should spend today looking for signs of God's love and mercy in the people we meet, in the natural world, and, yes, even in the daily news. Goodness is there if we open our eyes to it.

As we approach the Eucharist today, we are reminded that our eyes see bread and wine, but our faith knows the Body & Blood of our Lord. May our participation in this miracle open our eyes to God's presence in the world.

Humility

Readings for Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent can be found at http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/031417.cfm,

Jesus was careful to recognize that certain people were appointed to lead and direct others. But at times those leaders were at fault because of their pride, vanity, and bad example. Therefore, Jesus says the people should not imitate them.

We see Jesus pointing out the faults of the scribes and Pharisees. They were quick to put heavy burdens on ordinary people and give them no help (or good example) on fulfilling those burdens. For example, they have made fasting a basis for holiness when the people could never match the Pharisees' twice weekly fasts. Also, some of the Pharisees paraded around, seeking to be noticed, and to receive praise and adulation for how great they were in their religious observances. They placed themselves on a higher level then the ordinary folks they were called to serve.

Jesus was the opposite. Jesus was humble and urging humility in his followers. Too many leaders loved titles and honor, causing them to consider themselves better than anyone else.

In the end, Jesus insisted that the one who is great must be servant just as Jesus was. He was the Son of God, and yet He was a foot washer. The greatest virtue of a leader with authority is humility. We recall Pope Francis' many addresses to his own cardinals and bishops, the pastors of the people, urging them to be true shepherds and avoid acting as though they are anything other than servants and shepherds.

First Sunday of Lent

The Scripture Readings for today can be found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/030517.cfm.

What does the devil look like? Does he carry a pitchfork and have horns and a long tail? Is he the image that Flip WIlson's Geraldine made famous with her comment: "The devil made me do it"? Or is he a reality with whom we need to deal in our journey with God toward eternal life? Pope Francis seems to believe in the latter.

The devil, as a force for evil , plays a major role in today's first reading and Gospel. In each instance, the devil appeals to human weakness and offers false promises. In Jesus, we have the power, through grace, to withstand the lies and temptations of the devil.

Mankind is created from the earth but enjoys the breath of life. Thus, humans are living beings intended by God for life to the full. We are earthly but filled with the breath of life.

God blesses Adam and Eve with his protective word to not eat of the tree of knowledge. God gave his command not to limit, but to protect, human freedom. God cares for his creatures.

The devil, who cares nothing about the welfare of humans and is the "Father of Lies," says that by eating of the fruit  of the tree of knowledge, humans will gain knowledge, the knowledge of what is good and what is evil; something God jealously wants to reserve for himself.

The consequences were dramatic. They see everything - God, themselves, and nature, in a different light. They now know evil and sin. And to know implies being responsible for what is known.

St. Paul clearly says that death entered the world through the first man's sin, but grace and life through the obedience of Jesus. Man's disobedience led to death and sin. Christ's obedience leads to life and good. Christ, because he is divine as well as human can, and did, make the perfectly obedient response to the Father. Thus, he reversed the disobedience of humankind.

In St. Matthew's gospel we hear of the temptations of the devil towards Jesus. The temptations are worded as conditional causes - IF you are the Son of God. The devil does not believe that Jesus is the son of God. The devil does not have faith, which is required to believe that Jesus is who he says he is.

The first temptation is to turn stones into bread. A good thing to do, but the nourishment that Jesus brings is found in the Word of God, and in obedience to that word.

The second temptation asks Jesus to prove his divinity by throwing himself off the parapet of the Temple and, thus, put his life on the line. Jesus will indeed put his life on the line by obediently laying down his life in the crucifixion. Jesus will die because he is the son of God, not in order to prove it. Jesus remains obedient to his mission. The third temptation has to do with power and prestige, wealth, and domination. Jesus makes it clear that his mission is to be found in humility and service. Israel, as a nation, had failed in these areas; Jesus does not.

Lent is a time for us to follow our call to prove that we are creatures filled with God's breath of life and to live obediently. Because we are baptized, we have the life of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. Jesus won the victory for us. We need not - and, in reality, cannot - reverse the effects of evil and sin in our lives by our own efforts. But, then again, we don't have to.

Lent is a time to "turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel."

Humility

The readings for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time can be found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/012917.cfm

In today's gospel from St. Matthew we have the very familiar Beatitudes. A beatitude, as a literary form, is found frequently in the Old Testament wisdom literature and the Psalms. The Greek word for beatitude is "makarios" and can be translated as "blessed," "happy," or "fortunate" It describes a very positive situation for a person wherein the significant aspects of one's life have come together producing joy and well being. In a religious context this usually indicates a positive relationship with God.

To have a positive relationship with God, we are called by Jesus to have a positive relationship with those around us.

In order to do this, Jesus explains that we need to be humble. Humility is the key to our relationship with God and with others. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:3) Jesus is teaching us that we need to think less of ourselves and more of God and others in our lives. We are to be less "self-centered" and more "God-centered". Jesus goes on to teach us that we are to seek out righteousness, to be clean of heart, and to be merciful. Righteousness is thinking of others as God would think of them: with love and kindness. To be clean of heart is to remove any hatred towards our neighbors and replace it with love and respect. To be merciful is to show mercy towards those in need.

Will this be easy? Certainly not.  "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." (Matthew 11-12)

Today's gospel is challenging us to live a life of love towards God and our neighbor. God is challenging us to change our attitudes with the "beatitudes". In today's gospel, Jesus reminds us of the two great commandments: Love of God and Love of neighbor.