Friday after Ash Wednesday
As I have gotten older, the preparation seasons (Advent & Lent) have become more and more attractive to me. My 13-year-old self would like to punch me for saying that. What was Lent to teenage Brandon? Fasting equals being hungry all the time and no meat on Fridays. I hated fasting; being hungry is hard and miserable. When we are hungry, we can become more irritable, prone to arguments, and generally grumpy. I’ll never get the old Snickers slogan and commercials out of my head, “You’re not you when you’re hungry”. In my experience, this holds true with our children as well. There is a noticeable tension that builds (and sometimes bursts) when they haven’t had a snack after school or dinner isn’t ready yet. But to return to my opening statement, in the last 10 years, I have come to recognize all of the clutter, distractions, and excess that gets in the way of my relationship with God, my spiritual life, my physical and mental health, and my connection to the world around me. The need for a season of preparation is a reset process to empty ourselves out so that we might be filled up with God’s grace at Easter.
Thursday after Ash Wednesday
In our Gospel reading for today, we don’t get much in the way of good news. If I’m a disciple receiving this message from Jesus, I’m gonna have second thoughts. So, here’s the rundown:
- This Messiah I am following is going to be reviled, especially by the higher-ups.
- He’s then going to be executed and die.
- And if you follow him, you can expect your own version of suffering.
- You’ll have to take up your own cross—and you have to do it daily.
- If you can pull it off, your life will have meaning.
You don’t have to be a biblical scholar to get the point. Ours is a suffering savior. And He asks us to prepare ourselves to suffer also, in order to be true to Him.
Ash Wednesday
I’ve been focusing much prayer and thought recently on what it means to follow Christ closely every step of the way. Our earthly lives ought to be a true participation in every aspect of Christ’s life, ministry, prayer, relationship with the Father, suffering, dying, rising . . . Today we enter the desert with Jesus. Just as Jesus spent 40 days in the desert praying and fasting and undergoing temptation, we too participate with him in his desert experience during Lent. Jesus came out of the desert ready to begin his earthly ministry. As we begin Lent today, let us not only prepare ourselves for this season of penitence, but also for whatever God has prepared for us on the other end. What is our Lenten experience preparing us for?
Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
It happened again yesterday. My grocery list was clear. Somethings listed were given extra detail like found in a can. Clarity above and beyond, yet I still came home with two things on the list that I thought met the bill. Instead, I overlooked the details and now find myself going back to the store to get the correct product. What made matters worse was my wife had even shown me the product before I left the house.
Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
“Less is more.” “Lay your egg and get off the nest.” “This is not a hostage situation.” “If you want to teach a class, get a classroom.” “Be brief. Be bold. Be gone.”
Memorial of Saint Scholastica, Virgin
Today’s Gospel reminded me of when I was cooking dinner recently for the birthday of one of the Sisters in my community. As I looked at the ingredients and started chopping vegetables, I wondered if this was enough food for them and our guests. Turns out, it was too much food. I had to transfer my cooking to bigger pots and pans, and we had leftovers. Somewhat similarly, the disciples didn’t have much to feed the crowd, but Jesus was able to serve the several loaves and few fish to feed thousands. As I read and reflect on this reading, I see two lessons. One is that following Jesus Christ means to give generously even if we have very little. Generosity includes entrusting God with the gifts that we have and being assured that what we have is enough. Jesus challenges us to recognize and discern how to use our talents and time.
Friday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
“He took him off by himself away from the crowd…” and having healed the man, “He ordered them not to tell anyone.” Jesus, in this gospel passage from Mark (7:31-37), is performing a miracle and gaining “followers,” but clearly not through self-promotion like we see on social media. True, those who witnessed this healing were “exceedingly astonished” and said, “He has done all things well”, but he wasn’t looking to gain popularity or trying to impress. Jesus was not a performer, was not a self-promoter, was not a social media influencer, at least not of his own making. “But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it.”
Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
There are many people around the world who are exploited by human trafficking. Today is the Memorial for St. Josephine Bakhita who is the patron saint for the victims of human trafficking. In today’s gospel, Jesus reminds us that all people deserve the mercy and freedom that He brings to this world.
Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Jesus speaks to us from today’s Gospel about our hearts. As we approach the beginning of Lent on February 14, today’s text invites us to do some pre-Lenten examination of our hearts. Do we come before him today with purity of heart? Or do our hearts, perhaps, need healing of some vices, stains, and sin that prevent us from loving God more perfectly? Let us bring our hearts before the Lord who knows us better than we know ourselves and ask him to reveal the condition of our hearts.
Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs
Today’s Psalmist describes how great it is to spend time in the Temple, praising and singing to God. Almost a thousand years later in today’s gospel reading, Jesus criticizes what the practice of faith has become for many: a set of actions without meaning. We in the Church are also at risk for the same sin. We have a rich tradition with some required practices and many available devotionals, prayers, and blessings of all kinds. They were designed by the Holy Spirit, Saints, and our spiritual leaders to incarnate what we believe: God is loving, just, and merciful. Jesus wants us to be transformed by the Paschal Mystery, to be dead to sin and alive in the good works of Christ. Unfortunately, it’s easy to practice without true focus on a holy life. We can come to Mass every week and miss the grace the Spirit offers through that Holy Sacrifice. We can write a small check to a charity while spending thousands on luxuries for ourselves. We can pray a rote thanksgiving prayer at mealtime and forget that we receive all good things not through our strength, but through God’s generosity.
Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr
Today we give thanks for Agatha, a 3rd century Sicilian martyr. Because of her great courage, the Church included her in the first Roman Canon along with fellow virgin martyrs Anastasia, Agnes, Cecilia, & Lucy. Today we call it Eucharistic Prayer I.
Saturday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Have you ever asked God for anything? Sometimes God doesn’t grant what we ask for or at least in the way we expect. Today’s first reading shows us an example of petitionary prayer. God asked Solomon what he wanted. Then, Solomon asked for wisdom so that he may be able to serve his people well. It was a selfless request, a gift that helps others rather than himself. In our own prayer, God too asks us what we want. This might seem strange especially if you are used to thinking of a relationship with God in which you are the one giving to God rather than the other way around. On the other hand, this might not seem strange to you. Sometimes I think we ask God for things before God asks us what we want. However, when confronted with that question, we are asked to discern our answer. When God asks you what you want, what will your answer be?
Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
The weather patterns recently in southwest Ohio have been particularly gloomy. A barrage of cold, rain, and clouds, the shroud of darkness can easily drive us to despair. We long for the light, some sunshine, rays of hope and joy. Today, we celebrate the presentation of Jesus in the temple. The beautiful tradition is honored by Mary and Joseph and fulfills both the Jewish law and the great prophecy in the first reading from Malachi. This truly is a cause for great rejoicing and that is exactly what Simeon and Anna do when they meet the child Jesus on this day.
Thursday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
“Leave there and shake the dust off your feet.”
These sound like mentoring words. Even therapy words.
Memorial of Saint John Bosco, Priest
As we’ve begun making our way through the Gospel of Mark this liturgical year, I’ve noticed how often the word “astonished” or “amazed” occurs. In fact, Mark uses these terms fourteen times to describe people’s reaction to Jesus – to his words, his teaching, his innate authority, and his actions. Even Pontius Pilate is amazed by Jesus. Jesus himself is amazed at the people’s lack of faith. In today’s passage, the people are astonished/amazed at Jesus, but they also take offense at him. Today, let us consider our own reactions and responses to Christ and the Gospel. Are we amazed or offended?
Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Our approach in life varies depending of course on the situations in which we find ourselves. Most people are who they are until a crisis seems to change the rules. When we look inward and truly reflect on our reality, we begin to understand we need an approach connected to something bigger than ourselves.
Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
“I am Legion for we are many.” (Mark 5:9)
Since the beginning of his papacy, Pope Francis has been warning that following Jesus meant confronting the Devil. The life of every Christian is a battle against evil, just as Jesus had to struggle against the Prince of Darkness and his temptations. And what the Devil desires, above all else, is that we don’t believe in his existence.
Saturday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
As I was reading today’s Gospel, I imagined its scene: the big storm, the boat being tossed about and filling up with water, Jesus sleeping, the disciples rushing to Jesus and waking him up, and then Jesus calming down the storm. The evangelist Mark wasted no time in telling us the good news that the kingdom of God is bursting into human life by showing us Jesus’ power over nature.
Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, bishops
“...I recall your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and that I am confident lives also in you.” I love this phrase from Paul’s second letter to Timothy that we are given in today’s First Reading (1:1-8). What do I love about it? I love that it’s very personal – it seems Paul knows Timothy well enough that he knows his mother’s and grandmother’s faith. I also love that he mentions them by name – Lois and Eunice – maybe he even knew them personally. The names of women appear much less frequently overall in the bible, so it seems extra special to me and, again, very personal. I also love how it is implied that their faith was passed on, “your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother…and in your mother…and that I am confident lives also in you.”
Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle
Today’s liturgy celebrates the conversion of St. Paul. The definition of conversion indicates a “change” or a turning away from certain ways to new beliefs. St. Paul’s experience of conversion was remarkable and resulted in a man who was on fire with sharing Jesus with the world. Every day we are given opportunities to bring about conversion in our lives. Like St. Paul, we are then called to share this new “way” with those around us.