You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved

 

Scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at Memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin | USCCB

Being a follower of Jesus Christ is not an easy thing to do. In our gospel today we hear of the problems we will face in being true to our call as followers of Jesus Christ. Some of the things our Lord is telling us in today’s gospel doesn’t sound appealing. It may even cause some to have 2^nd thoughts in their commitment to Jesus Christ.

Our Lord goes on to tell us that he is sending us out like “sheep in the midst of wolves…” Sounds scary to me, but our Lord encourages us to be as “shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.” In other words, we have to be aware of our calling to follow Jesus, while at the same time live out our lives in the peace and love as His followers.

Jesus goes on to say that people will bring us to courts or have us scourged just for being His followers. This applies to our own time as well. Being a follower of Jesus Christ is counter to everything that is going on in our world. The Lord Jesus Christ, all throughout His ministry, has always taught us to love God and to love our neighbors. We are in a society that rejects God. Further, people today only love themselves. We’re living in a society that has become very much self-centered and hateful of anything that has to do with being obedient to the commandments of God. Love of God and love of neighbor seem to have no place today.

Our Lord goes on to predict that families will be at odds with each other just because we choose to be obedient to Jesus. This just doesn’t fit into what others in our family may think or believe. We are called to be examples of what it means to be a Christian to those in our families that may not understand our love and devotion to Jesus Christ.

In response to our society and those in our family who reject belief in God, we are called to be that example of what it means to be a true Christian and to be patient with those who will attack us for our beliefs. We are to not only surrender our lives to Jesus out of love for Him, but we are called to pray for those in our lives that reject Him and His love for them. That is how we are called to bring change into the world: through remaining faithful to our faith in Jesus Christ, and by praying for all those who are away from God’s love to come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Jesus said to him, "Follow me."

 

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

In our gospel for today we hear the familiar story of Jesus’ calling St. Matthew from collecting taxes to that of being His follower. During the time our Lord walked among us, tax collectors were greatly hated by the Jewish people. Tax collectors used any means possible to collect taxes for the Roman government. To the Jewish people these were great sinners since they were turning away from the practice of their faith to that of service to the oppressive Roman government.

So, the Scribes and Pharisees were scandalized seeing that Jesus was eating and socializing with these public sinners. They couldn’t understand why someone like Jesus would be with such horrible people. The Scribes and Pharisees had already given up trying to convince these people to turn away from their sinful activity. Further, they were being hateful and judgmental towards these children of God. They felt that by their sinful activity, tax collectors and sinners had already condemned themselves in the eyes of God.

But Jesus knew better. By showing love, compassion and forgiveness towards these tax collectors and sinners, Jesus was showing them that they, too, can enter into relationship with God and get His forgiveness.

Jesus also is turning to each one of us and invites us to follow him as he did with Matthew. We are all sinners and are in need of the forgiveness and love of God. The Scribes and Pharisees weren’t able or willing to show love to anyone they considered rejected by God. We, for our part, need to know and understand that the love and forgiveness of God, as expressed by Jesus Christ, is for all people. We should approach God with open arms and open hearts asking God for forgiveness for the times when we fell short of loving Him and others as we should.

Further, we need to be able to see that God loves all those people in our lives that we feel aren’t as good as they should be. There are people that we know that may be far from God for whatever reason. Only God can judge their hearts. We just need to remember that God’s love and forgiveness is for all people, even the people that seem the most unlovable.

Let us always show mercy towards those who may be struggling in their relationship with God. Further, let us always seek out Jesus in our lives and ask him for His love and forgiveness to fill our hearts and lives.

 

…store up treasures in heaven…

 

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

In our gospel for today our Lord is teaching us about the importance of remaining focused on heaven, our ultimate home. Material and earthly accumulations can be a distraction from what is important: happiness in heaven. By remaining faithful to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we are storing up our treasures in heaven.

All the accumulations here on earth can possibly be lost or destroyed or stolen. Owning of a large amount of wealth and other material things, our focus will be on these belongings rather than focusing on something greater: love of God and love of neighbor. In the long run, gathering material goods and riches doesn’t really bring true happiness. It may bring short term pleasure, but there will always be a possibility of losing these things that we value here on earth. We are not to make objects or valuables more important than our relationship with God. By making our objects or valuables more important than God, we have made them out to be the false gods that goes against the commandments of God. As the Lord says in today’s gospel, “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”

Is your treasure looking at how much wealth you’ve accumulated? Or is your wealth in your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ? It is our following Jesus Christ that we can truly find happiness in this world and happiness in the life hereafter.

The Lord goes on to tell us that “The lamp of the body is the eye.” If you’re focusing on things of the earth and your belongings, you will never be satisfied. True happiness comes from keeping our spiritual eyes on God and His Will for us. It is through the regular attendance at Mass, by the regular use of confession, and by regular reading of scripture and other spiritual materials that will lead us to focus on heavenly things. It is through this regular reading of scripture that will fill us with that spiritual light that the Lord is talking about in today’s gospel.

As we go through our days, once we move beyond our time at Mass or our spiritual readings, let us remain focused throughout the day that Jesus is always present with us in all our actions. By living out our lives as God-centered Christians, we can bring that light of Christ to all those we encounter as we go through our day. It is then that we will be storing up treasures in heaven.

Receive the Gospel of Christ whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you preach.

 

On Saturday, June 17th, at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, 11 men were ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacon. This beautiful ceremony brought back my own memories of being ordained deacon 13 years ago on June 19th, 2010 by Timothy Cardinal Dolan.

At each ordination, after those being ordained promised obedience to the bishop and are ordained by the Laying of Hands on each of their heads by the bishop, the bishop would hand each deacon the Book of the Gospels and tells each one individually, "Receive the Gospel of Christ whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you preach." These words are very profound and mean a lot to me, even after 13 years. It's a great responsibility. We become heralds of the Gospel of Christ; we are called to believe in the Gospel. we are called to teach others about what is in the Gospel, and, most importantly we are called to practice what we preach. In other words, if we "talk the talk" we got to "walk the walk." We have to be examples of what it means to be followers of Christ. Sometimes that is not always easy, and sometimes we may fail in being that example the Lord expects of us. For myself, it is times like this that I turn back to God with repentance and renew my commitment to "practice what I preach." It is through the Sacrament of Confession that I'm able to turn back to Christ and renew my ordination promises.

Being a deacon is that of service. Like the original deacons found in the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 6, vs 1-7, we are called to be of assistance to the priests and bishops and to serve those people that God has placed into our lives. May God bless these 11 new deacons, and all men who have answered the call to be deacons to be able to live a life worthy our call. And God bless the wives and families that are willing to share their husbands in their service of God. 

Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.

 

Scripture readings for today can be found at Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus | USCCB

On this feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, I find these words of the Lord most comforting from the gospel of St. Matthew: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28). No matter what issues or problems we are dealing with, we can take these problems to Jesus, and he will give us rest. In our usual day-to-day existence, there will be always problems or issues to deal with. There will always be a concern about the bills or a concern about our spouse or children or a relative that may be having some sort of difficulty. Further there are health concerns that we may be facing. What our Lord is telling us is that we can take all these problems to him in prayer, and he will be there to help us resolve our problems and issues in a way that is best for us. Jesus tells us that once we place our problems into his loving hands, "...you will find rest." 

Further, with the love of Jesus coming from his Sacred Heart, St. John in our 2nd reading at mass is reminding us of our duties to love one another. St. John says, "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God." (1 John 4:7)

During this Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, let us turn to Jesus, pray for his presence in our lives, and ask him to be always present in whatever problems we are facing. 

Most Sacred Hear of Jesus, have mercy upon us.

Blessed be God, and praise his great name, and blessed be all his holy angels!

 

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

In our first reading we hear the continuing story of Tobit and the healing of his eyes, thanks to the archangel Raphael. It was through Raphael that Tobit was healed, and that Tobiah found his wife, Sarah.

Earlier in the week, we heard how Tobit, while in his courtyard, was blinded by the dropping onto his eyes from the birds just above him. He was blinded for four years. Even during this affliction and suffering, Tobit remained faithful to God and prayed constantly for healing from Him. No matter how frustrated Tobit got with his blindness, he never lost his faith in God.

We also heard of Sarah, the daughter of Raquel, and her faith in God. She was married several times but became widowed each time. Her pain was truly great, and she turned to the Lord to bring her peace and to send a husband to bring her gladness and joy.

Hearing both the prayers of Tobit and of Sarah, God sent the angel Raphael to bring healing to Tobit and joy and happiness to Sarah. After Tobiah and Sarah were married, they returned to his father Tobit and his mother, Anna. Then using the medicine given to him by the angel, Raphael, Tobiah administered it to Tobit’s eyes, and Tobit was cured.

These examples of faith in God, even in the most difficult of times, can be an example of how we should live out our lives. Due to the human condition and our weaknesses, there will always be trouble or illness. But we are called to be God-centered in all the troubles of our lives. Earlier in the book of Tobit, he prays, “Lord, command me to be delivered from such anguish.” (Tobit 3:6) He was praying for death, but the Lord had other plans for him and was able to bring him the healing of his eyes, and to see the joy of his son, Tobiah, being married to Sarah.

In all our cares and concerns, we can, like Tobit, place our troubles into the loving hands of God, “Lord, command me to be delivered from anguish.” Tobit was giving up hope, but God was merciful and granted him healing. We are called to never give up hope that God is with us, even in the most difficult of times. We are to trust that God will be with us and will always answer our prayers in the way that is best for us.

Tobit gave praise to God by proclaiming to his neighbors how God had mercifully restored sight to his eyes. Let us, like Tobit and his new daughter-in-law, remain faithful to God, even in times of trouble. God will be with us to grant the healing we need, and the peace that can only come from the loving hands of God. Praise be Jesus Christ, now and forever.

Firmly I Believe