But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you

 

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

In our gospel for today the Lord is teaching us about the gospel of love for all people, even those we don't like or who we may consider our enemies. It's interesting that he uses the word "enemy." There are those I know that may not be my "enemy," but I would rather not have anything to do with. Loving these people is not easy, is it?

As our Lord points out, it's easy to love those that we find "lovable" in our lives. But we have to remember that all people we encounter are made in the image and likeness of God. God loves them unconditionally. God loves those people that we may consider to be "jerks!" There are those in our circle of life, whether it's family or people we encounter during the day, that know how to press our "buttons". They know how to say or do things that can hurt our feelings and get under our skin. Further, it is during this time of year when we may be discussing who should win the presidential election. We may get wrapped up in our particular political point of view and hate those who may disagree with what we consider to be true or correct. Or we may hate the candidate that doesn't fit in line with our political point of view. We need to view all people through the lens of love. Then we need to pray for them and their intentions.

Regarding those that may be good at pressing our buttons, it may be best for our own peace of mind to keep our distance from them. But we are still expected to love them and pray for them. We don't have to "like" them, but we need to love them. 

So, let's "So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect" and love all people as the Lord is calling us to love them.

After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound

 

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

Over the last few days during daily Mass our first reading was from the First Book of Kings in the Old Testament, chapters 17 – 18. We have been hearing of the prophet Elijah, and the struggles he was having in being a prophet for the Lord God. As we heard in today’s readings, Elijah is quoted as saying, "I have been most zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts.” 1 Kings, CHAPTER 19 | USCCB (1 Kings 19:14). Elijah’s love for God was central to who he was as a prophet.

He was anxious to bring the Jewish people away from worshiping false gods to the worship of the one, true, God of Israel. Earlier this week, we heard of the struggle between Elijah and prophets of Baal, and how Elijah was able to prove that there was only one true God. Though at first the people said, “The Lord is God, the Lord is God,” Elijah was eventually rejected by the people, and he ran for fear of his life.

In today’s reading we see Elijah facing his problems and how he was trying to figure out what to do next in his service to God. He was having problems hearing the voice of God above the noise and distractions of all the things going on around him. It wasn’t until he settled down in silence that he hears God’s voice and was able to determine what God was calling him to do.

We can use Elijah as an example of how to live our lives. He was zealous in serving the Lord God of Israel but still had problems with those around him that he was called to serve. We, too, are called to be zealous for the Lord God in all our struggles. People may reject us and our message of love of God, and we may be facing our own problems when we are attempting to live out a God centered life. We need to take time from our busy lives and make quiet time in prayer in order to hear what God is calling us to do in our lives. Further, God will comfort us in our struggles. By having God as the center of who we are and living out our lives zealously for the Lord God, we then can have that peace that can only come from the God the Father, through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

“Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary | USCCB

Today we celebrate the beautiful story of Mary’s visitation to her elderly cousin, Elizabeth. We see in today’s gospel how God is working through both Mary and Elizabeth, and the two unborn cousins, Jesus and John.

The first words that Elizabeth says when Mary approaches is, “Most blessed are you among woman, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Words that we are most familiar with when praying the Hail Mary. Elizabeth recognized that Mary was open to God’s Will and was carrying the Savior in her womb. Further, John, in Elizabeth’s womb leaped for joy at the approach of Jesus and Mary. Both Elizabeth and John recognized the presence of holiness in the form of Mary, the mother of the Lord, and of Jesus, true God and true man, in her womb.

Mary would go on to pray the beautiful canticle known as the Magnificat, where she proclaims, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my savior.” These beautiful words, prayed daily during Evening Prayer, showed how God was always the center of who Mary was. She was always open in doing the Will of God, no matter how difficult it may seem. As a result, she became the mother of the Savior. And as a result of Mary’s yes to God’s will, salvation came into the world.

One name for Mary is Theotokos, which is Greak for God-bearer.  We, as followers of Christ, are called to imitate Mary in bringing Christ into the world. Mary bore Jesus in her womb and brought him physically into the world. We are called to bring Christ into the world spiritually. With each Holy Communion we receive we become “Christ-bearers”. Let us remember that as we leave church following Holy Communion, we are, like Mary, bringing Jesus to all we meet. Let us be true examples of what it means to be Christian to all we meet in our families and those we meet daily.

Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate.

 

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

In our gospel for today we see once again the confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees. The Pharisees were always looking for ways to trip up Jesus in His teachings on the Laws of God. After asking about whether it’s lawful or not for a man to divorce his wife, Jesus teaches very clearly that once married, the man and woman become as one flesh. We hear the familiar teaching from Jesus, “What God has joined together, no human must separate. 

When a couple is discerning marriage, like any vocation, they must have God in the center of their decision. The love of a man and woman towards each other is to mirror the love God has for all of us.

The example that the Pharisees mention in today’s gospel about Moses permitting a husband to write a bill of divorce and dismiss the woman shows the selfishness of their outlook towards marriage. The man in this instance has all the rights and the woman is left with nothing. Our Lord is reminding Pharisees that once married, in God’s eyes, the couple become as one flesh. Both the man and woman are equal in God’s eyes.

The Church, with this scripture in mind, is always attempting to be careful in the preparation of a couple considering marriage. The couple needs to understand that God must be part of their decisions to marry. And that, as the marriage vows says, it’s for good times and bad times, in sickness and in health. The couple needs to have the love of each other always utmost in their minds and hearts and to have God as the center of their marriage. Marriage is not to be taken lightly.

In paragraph 1601 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church we read, "The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament."

Let us pray for all married couples and for those considering marriage to remember the love they have for each other is meant to be everlasting in the eyes of God.

“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.”

 

“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in different tongues,
as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.” Acts 2:3-4

This is a reflection I submitted to my Lay Carmelite Community for the Feast of Pentecost: Today we celebrate the feast of Pentecost, considered the birthday of the Church. It’s when Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and they were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit to go and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to the whole world. It is through the Holy Spirit that these men, once afraid to go beyond the upper room for fear of the Jews, were able to go in the whole world and proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Each one of us, at the time of our confirmations, received the same Holy Spirit that the Apostles did. We, too, are called to go and proclaim our faith to others with the same courage the Apostles did on that first Pentecost. Through our Lay Carmelite community, through our families, and through the people we encounter, either at work or our day-to-day activity, we are called to share our faith in Jesus Christ and to bring others into relationship with Christ in His Holy Catholic Church.

In the gospel of John chapter 20, vs 21, we hear Jesus say, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you." Jesus is sending each one of us into the world to bring others to knowledge of His love for all, and that salvation comes through faith in Him and His Catholic Church. 

Let us continue to bring Jesus to all we meet in our lives and pray for those who may find it hard to embrace this faith we love so much.

Praise be Jesus Christ, now and forever.

"Simon, son of John, do you love me?"

 

Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter | USCCB

In our gospel for today we hear the familiar story of the Risen Lord at the seashore with Peter and the other apostles. As we recall, Peter, the night Jesus was arrested, denied the Lord three times, as Jesus had predicted during the Last Supper. Peter ran off to be by himself once he realized His betrayal of His Lord and Master.

Now, here he is facing Jesus, the one he denied. Yet, the Lord still loves Peter. The Lord see that Peter was regretful of his betrayal, and Jesus forgives him. To counter the three denials of Peter, Jesus asks, “"Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Jesus then invites Peter to “feed my sheep.” The Lord, during this encounter with Peter, was showing to Peter his love and forgiveness. Peter was indeed forgiven for the betrayal of Jesus during the time leading up to the Lord’s crucifixion.

Peter would go on, as the first Pope, with the help of the other apostles, to bring the Good News of salvation throughout the world.

On Pentecost, just 10 days after the Lord Ascended to heaven, the Apostles would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Still frighted in the upper room for fear of the Jews, the disciples receive the gifts of the Holy Spirt and boldly go to proclaim that salvation can be found in Jesus Christ.

The love Jesus has towards Peter is the same love he has towards all of us. Peter deeply regretted denying Jesus. We, when we sin, in effect, are denying Jesus. We then can turn back to Jesus in the Sacrament of Confession and receive forgiveness of our sins. In confession, Jesus asks us, “Do you love me?” Then, we, like Peter, tell Jesus, “Lord, you know that I love you.” We will then be forgiven for our sins and then we are able to go into the world to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to all.

Let us seek out Jesus and his love in confession and receive him frequently in Holy Communion. It is then that we, like the apostles, can go into the world to share our faith in the Risen Lord.

Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.

 

Scripture readings can be found at Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter | USCCB

In our gospel for today we are assured by the Lord that we can turn to him in all our needs. Being a follower of Jesus Christ is not always easy since most people we know may not understand our love and devotion to Jesus Christ. Being a follower of Jesus Christ has always been counter cultural. We are attempting to live out the love of God as taught by Jesus Christ. We are called as Christians to put Jesus as the center of all who we are and to live a life dedicated to the love of God and love of neighbor. This has never been easy. But it’s our call as Christians to do so.

There will always be some suffering associated with being a Christian due to others not understanding our motives in following Jesus Christ. But the inner peace we receive because of being His follower is the gift we receive from Him. The Lord mentions in the gospel today of the world rejoicing while we weep and mourn. The reason for this is that the way of the world is that of sinfulness and self-centeredness. They have no concept of who Jesus is. They are only interested in their own self-satisfaction and personal pleasures.

We, as Catholic Christians, see the world in a more spiritual way. Those who live by worldly desires are only interested in the here and now. But we are called to live out our lives with our eyes towards heaven as our final reward. We, as Christians, are called to love God with our whole mind, heart and soul, and love others as we love ourselves. By doing so, we will move beyond whatever pain or hurt that we may be struggling with in this world and receive the peace that can come only from the Lord Jesus.

In our first reading from Acts, we hear the Lord tell Paul, "Do not be afraid. Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you.” As we go through our days, let us continue to speak of God’s love for all people, for He is always with us.