Friday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Today's first reading (1 Timothy 6:2c-12) emphasizes two distinct ways Christians can understand religion: as a way to gain stuff, or as a way to follow Christ.
Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist
Immediately after college I was blessed to be able to do a year of service in Phoenix, AZ at a place called Maggie's Place. I've written of it a couple of times before. At Maggie's Place those of us who committed to do service committed to live our lives with those we served. Who did we serve? Pregnant women who were homeless - some were recovering drug addicts, some were prostitutes, some were victims of abuse, some suffered from mental illness - but all - every single one was a child of God.
Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Priest, and Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs
One of my favorite songs has a refrain, “How great is our God, sing with me, how great is our God, and all will see, How great, How great is our God.” This hymn is reflected in our responsorial for today, “How great are the works of the Lord.” Indeed this psalm reminds us that one of the best ways to reflect Christ is to praise God with our whole heart. This praise can take the form of remembering all of the good things the Lord has done for us in our lives. What are the things or people for which we are grateful right now?
Tuesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
To become a widow during Jesus’ time must have been a terrifying thing. If, like most women in Jesus’ time, you had no independent income or way to make one, you were incredibly vulnerable. Perhaps your extended family would support you. But what if they couldn’t?
Monday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
As I was reading today’s gospel reading I was struck by the phrase “he deserves to have you do this.” This makes me wonder, “What do we deserve and do we always receive what we deserve?” As I look around at our nation and the world, I see people suffering from natural disasters, violence, poverty and war. Do these people deserve this? In no way do I believe that God designs these circumstances because the people involved somehow deserve to be punished. As we see so often from the life of Jesus, God’s vision is so far beyond our understanding and expectation. God is always ready to give us His love, grace and mercy. This does not mean that our lives will be without difficulties, but it does mean we will always have what we need- God’s presence in our lives- if only we ask and believe.
Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Besides “Love one another, as I have loved you,” no other teaching of Jesus is more definitive of Christianity than his teaching on forgiveness. There are no ‘ifs’ and 'buts' attached to Jesus command to forgive. This makes the teaching of forgiveness challenging for the holiest of Christians. It is simple, it is straight, and it is uncompromising. Jesus’ parable of the unforgiving servant in today’s gospel reading ends with this saying, “So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.” As far as Christian spirituality is concerned, the unconditional demand for forgiveness is where the rubber hits the road.
Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs
There was a young man who was at home when a friend ran by and said, “there is a flood, run and escape with me.” The young man unmoved said, “God will save me” and went back inside his house. Another friend came by in a rowboat and invited his friend get into his boat. The man once again stated, “Do not worry God will save me.” Finally a helicopter came by and tried to rescue this young man off the roof of his house. Again the young man refused saying, “God will save me.” Then the young man passed on and went to heaven. In heaven he asked God, “Why did you not save me?” God responded, “I sent a friend, a row boat and a helicopter. What more do you want?”
Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
As a Lay Marianist and someone who works at an institution run by the Marianist order (the University of Dayton), today’s Gospel reading from John holds a lot of significance. Vowed religious and members of the Marianist family across the world make an effort to say a prayer called the Three O’Clock prayer which recalls the imagery of Mary and John standing at the foot of the cross.
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
It is striking how, in today’s first reading, the people are made well after simply looking at the bronze serpent. Why would simply looking at a sculpture be recorded in our salvation history as the way the people were saved from the wrath of the snakes’ bites? In the Israelite camp, there were thousands and thousands of people, and there was only 1 bronze snake. So, to see it, the people would need to seek it out. The pilgrimage to go and see the snake was a sign of belief, the opposite of their unbelief that caused the snake problem in the first place. It’s a pretty low-key miracle compared to the quail, water from the rock, walls of water, and ten plagues that the people saw earlier. God was helping the people understand that they need a two way relationship with God; they need to seek the Lord to be saved.
Memorial of Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
‘Dealing with addiction is enough for me to want to end it all.’ The desire of this person whom I encountered was that they be restored to their old self who lived solely for the faith in Christ who was their Lord and savior. They implied that because of their journey into sin that they must have caused God to turn their back on them. Although I assured this person that Christ, this dichotomous understanding that many of us, myself included can enter into. The sentiments of this person’s feelings reminded me of today’s first reading. Paul challenges us to put to death, to end anything in our earthly selves that causes us to take our focus off of Christ who has saved us. All forms of sin, and any actions that are impure are a form of idolatry that must be put away so that we can put on new self, renewed in the image of God who made us.
Tuesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
The text from Luke for today is simple and breathtaking. Jesus spends a night in prayer. In the morning, he names the twelve apostles from among his disciples. Together, Jesus and his newly appointed apostles join a large crowd that had gathered. Jesus heals many there who sought liberation from their diseases and unclean spirits.
Monday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
A friend of mine lost her brother recently following a very short illness. She traveled for hours back and forth to be with him during the weeks of his hospitalization. She also found herself unwittingly immersed a family situation very difficult to navigate. The day after his funeral she was suffering a great deal and the only thing she needed was someone to simply listen to her. It seemed to be how God would be present to her in that moment. Raw pain and grief—suffering—is very difficult to endure or witness in others. But suffering, an inescapable part of being human, can be recognized as an invitation from God. Unsuspecting as we are, every meaningful relationship in life opens us to this painful, yet life giving reality.
Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, Priest
I have good parents. They love my siblings and me (and our spouses). They desire to know what is happening in our lives, even when it has been a while since I’ve checked in with them. They worked hard to set good examples, and provide us with great educations. Most of all, they were not afraid to have us kids groan at them about the [good] choices they made. The example that came to mind as I reached the end of the Gospel today was ‘Vacation Church’.
Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Today is the day the Church celebrates the birthday of Mary. We honor Mary in many different ways because she is so essential to God’s plan of salvation for us. Her willingness to have her life changed so radically when God asks her is an inspiring and humbling witness to her faith. Mary models so much for us, including discipleship, selfless love, and courage. She is the first disciple because she said yes to Jesus before he was even born; she is selflessly loving, putting the salvation of others before her own comfort by saying ‘yes’ to God; and she is courageous in both these things, willfully opening herself to scorn and stigma by essentially becoming an unwed mother in a time when this almost surely meant social exclusion.
Thursday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
Years ago, I read with my youngest son a wonderful children’s book, beautifully illustrated, about Mother Teresa’s life (Mother Teresa, by Demi, 2005). One of the things that stood out to me was that she did not set out to start her own order of sisters and brothers, or to earn the Nobel Peace Prize, or to be known and loved throughout the world, she simply listened to God’s voice, God’s call within her, and took little steps to answer that call. She even had what she referred to as “a call within a call”. While she had already answered the call to become a religious sister and went from teaching in Calcutta to eventually becoming the principal of the school, she became aware of the people suffering in the slums near the school and began to visit and help them in whatever ways she could. Then, while on a train to her summer retreat, she heard the call to leave the convent and “help the poorest of the poor while living among them.” Her first “school” among the people living in the slums was simply under a tree with five “street orphans” who she began to teach by writing with a stick in the dirt.
Wednesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
A good friend of mine is one of the kindest, gentlest and holy souls I know. It is fascinating how many people come to me and talk about how this man has healed their lives and given them hope. Often I remind the people that I hear their feelings of gratitude, and ask them to consider sharing these deep heartfelt feelings directly with this person. Many of them realize this and then endeavor to tell this person. In Paul’s letter to the Colossians’ many people, had been telling Paul about the faithfulness of the people in Colossae. As he writes the Colossian’s, he expresses gratitude for the ways their faithfulness to the Word is bearing great fruit. What are the ways of sharing our gratitude that might bear great fruit?
Tuesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
The text that comes to us today from Luke is dramatic! Jesus is teaching on the Sabbath in Capernaum when he encounters a man who is possessed by a demon. The man cries out to Jesus and even challenges him, suggesting that Jesus has come on a mission of destruction. Jesus responds with force and authority, telling the demon to be quiet and come out of the man. The demon does, and does so without harming the man in any way. The people who witness this ask, “What is there about his word?”
Monday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
In today’s gospel Jesus uses the phrase, “Physician cure yourself” as He addresses the people of Nazareth. Every time I come across this reading, I wonder exactly what Jesus is trying to say. After some reflection, it seems that Jesus is suggesting that people who are His followers need to have humility, openness, and the ability to find the supernatural in the most ordinary and familiar. Without a proper receptiveness, God does not force His mercy and healing on those who refuse to believe, and therefore they cannot experience His power.
Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
I am a cradle Catholic. I was twenty, and about two-and-a-half years in the seminary, when I had my first deep spiritual experience. I made a good confession, I resolved to spend time in prayer each day, and also make some serious life-changes. Because I felt close to God, and because I was earnest about living my new life, I expected life to get a lot easier. The opposite happened. I lost some friends and I found my new existence to be a struggle. Like me, most people who newly become Christians or have had a conversion experience, expect life to get easier. They expect temptations to go away, their prayer to be answered easily and their strained relationships to get smooth. Their rational is very logical. As they move closer to God, and as they embrace holiness, they expect a turn around. The expectation makes perfect sense. If you take medication for an ailment and do everything the doctor asks you to do, you are supposed to get better. In spiritual life, often, the opposite happens. Life actually becomes harder. It is counterintuitive, but this is exactly what happens.
Saturday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
A few important things have happened on September 2. World War II formally ended with the signing of the documents for Japan’s surrender in 1945. Keanu Reeves of The Matrix was born in 1964, “Woah.” Finally, my daughter, Hosanna, was born. As we celebrate her second birthday, she’s going to help us break open the Parable of the Talents.