Catholic New Media

Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles

Jesus went up to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles.

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus chooses the Twelve Apostles. The reading from Luke names each of them. From the Greek word apóstolos, apostle means “one who is sent forth.” Able to trace this apostolic lineage all the way back to the Twelve, Jesus also calls us to be apostles sent forth on a special mission. Just as Jesus went up to the mountain to pray before choosing the Twelve, he continues to intercede for us to his Father that we may be the ones who are sent forth to accomplish the mission he gives us.

God, help me understand my apostolic mission, just as you entrusted Saints Simon and Jude with a mission. It seems overwhelming to think that Jesus calls me by name to be an Apostle, and that I stand in the company of Peter, Andrew, James, John, and the other apostles. Help me understand that it is Jesus himself who calls me and sends me and that, as Saint Paul says, Jesus as the capstone in which “the whole structure is held together.” In the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus says, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations . . . teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

Lord, I have neither the knowledge or strength to understand the mission you have given me. Deepen my dependence on you so that I am open to your Word. Through your grace, let my words and actions be a selfless witness for the glory of your name. Free me from all distress today that would turn my eyes away from you; let my trust in you be firm in the knowledge that I am one of, as Paul says, the “fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God.” We praise you, O God, we acclaim you as Lord; the glorious company of Apostles praise you.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Someone asked Jesus, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” He answered them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.”

Imagine the person who timidly asks Jesus this question. In the question itself is a longing to know the answer and trembling expectation. Not everyone will enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus himself says in today’s reading, “And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God and you yourselves cast out.” What is the difference between those who will not be saved and those who will? One word: strive. The English translation from the Greek term means to struggle. How do I struggle? Elsewhere in the Bible, Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.” Does God see me daily striving to enter?

God, help direct my gaze toward the narrow gate. Even if I keep it in sight, it doesn’t mean I will strive to enter. Give me the grace to fight the good fight and enter the narrow gate. Lord, will I be the one knocking at the locked door, saying, “Lord, open the door for us”? Twice you say to those at the door: “I do not know where you are from.” By my words and actions today, Lord, let it be that you recognize where I am from—that is, always falling short—and that I need you to lift me up.

God, thank you for the words of your Son. At first the words “strive to enter” seem harsh to me, and taste of rejection. But coming straight from the mouth of Jesus and intrinsic to the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love, they call me to go on, to move forward in love of the Eucharist, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the teachings of the Bride of Christ, the Church. Lord, open the door for us.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Tuesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like? To what can I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden. When it was fully grown, it became a large bush and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.” Again he said, “To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was leavened.”

Jesus compares the Kingdom of God in two ways: the mustard seed that is planted and the yeast that is mixed into a batch of dough. In both parables, Jesus describes what his Father’s kingdom is like; in both, he describes a man and a woman taking action: planting seed and adding yeast. Is this God’s way of inviting everybody to take part in growing and nurturing the Kingdom of God? Do a little; let God take that offering, bless it, and make it grow. It takes a bit of effort to cooperate with God’s Word. How the Word of God spreads, how his kingdom grows is a mystery—one that I would understand better with the mind of a child. As the Gospel acclamation says, “You have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.”

God, help me understand my part in making your kingdom grow. On the grand scale, there is little I can do to broaden and deepen your kingdom. How can I help it grow? In my own family and among those around me on any given day, it seems enough to be mindful of the reality of your kingdom and trust in its existence. As Paul says in the first reading, “Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ. . . . This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the Church.” Let me not look to myself or be concerned about the little I do; instead, out of reverence for Christ, let me be subordinate to your Divine Will. Give me the grace to know and do your will to grow your kingdom.

Dear God, be with me today. Stay with me in the fight of the day as I struggle to bring your kingdom into my limited sight and restless hands. By my words and actions, through your grace, show me where to plant and what to leaven for the sake of your glory.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Monday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath. And a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect. When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said, “Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.” He laid his hands on her, and she at once stood up straight and glorified God.

After Jesus had cured the woman, the leader of the synagogue approached him, indignant that Jesus cured on the sabbath. Jesus replied by calling the leader a hypocrite and saying how it was fitting that the woman be healed from bondage by Satan on the sabbath day, the day when God rested from all the work he had done in creation. In the many healing miracles Jesus performs, most of the time people approach Jesus to be healed; they raise their hand and call for help. In today’s Gospel reading, however, Jesus calls to the woman to come to him to be healed. There is great comfort in knowing that there may be times when I don’t know well enough to ask God for healing; instead, when I am crippled by a spirit, he comes to me out of love. As Jesus says of the woman, I could say of myself: “ought she have not been set free on the sabbath day from this bondage?"

God, you know me better than I know myself. Wherever I am crippled by a spirit and have infirmity because of it, come heal me even if I am not fully aware of the kind of healing I need. Free me, so that as the woman stood erect and glorified you, I can cease from being stooped over and do the same. Whatever prevents me from living in your love, shatter the obstacles that bind; break through that darkness and bring healing so that the glory may be yours. As Paul says in the first reading: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.”

Lord, you bring me in your presence the foundation on which I long to build this day. You are the light that leads me out of confusion and darkness as I take on tasks and interact with others. How will I live in love, compassion, and forgiveness today, as Paul encourages? Teach me to please you in my words and actions, and teach me to desire this more and more today and every day.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus said, “But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, Jesus addresses a parable to those, as Luke says, convinced of their own righteousness and despising everybody. Two people went to the temple to pray, a Pharisee and a tax collector. In his prayer, the Pharisee thanked God that he was not like the rest of humanity. He was not greedy, dishonest, or adulterous and fasted twice a week and paid tithes. The tax collector stood off at a distance, did not even raise his eyes to heaven, beat his breast, and prayed, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.” How often has the congregation at Mass been a place to observe all who are present and say of some of them, “Thank God I am not like them.”

God, help me take to heart interiorly the posture and demeanor of the tax collector. Jesus says the tax collector stood off at a distance, perhaps not to be noticed but also because he was aware that he was a sinner. Rather than looking around at Mass and positioning myself in relation to others’ status, let me look to you, Lord, and bring all of my sins before you to see. This is not an act born out of shame; it is acknowledgment of my own dysfunction—when I have failed to love you above all else.

Act in me today, God, through your Divine Will. Show me the ways I can put others’ needs ahead of my own, and give me the grace to do this with a joyful heart. As I recognize my shortcomings, let that give me greater certainty that I need to stay near you at all times for your protection from harm. Lord, let me put my faith in proclaiming your Divine Will, as Saint Paul did, saying: “But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength. . . . The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/frted/5445613926

Ted: Icon of The Publican (Tax Collector) and Pharisee. flickr.

Saturday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. He said to them in reply, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!”

In today’s Gospel reading, people describe to Jesus the brutal violence under Pilate of Galileans whose blood was spilled as they offered ritual sacrifices. Exactly what happened is not clear. Jesus gives another example of people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them. In both instances, Jesus says it is not that these people were more guilty than anyone else but that what is needed—what he calls them to—is repentance. The Greek word from which repent is translated is metanoia, or a transformative change of heart. The Gospel acclamation expresses this in this way: “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord, but rather in his conversion that he may live.”

Help me understand, Lord, this conversion of heart that your Son calls me to. It is easy to brush off the violent events of the past as irrelevant and completely unlike those of today. Beneath that, though, is the message of your mercy. And then in the parable, your Son says of the barren fig tree: “Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.” One more gift of mercy you give to us for change of heart, one more call to return to you.

Lord, you are beautiful to behold in the Blessed Sacrament. Although it is not practical for me to be before you throughout the day in adoration, teach me to return to you with my whole heart through the people I meet and in my words and actions. Blessed be God. Blessed be His Holy Name. Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man. Blessed be the Name of Jesus.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpuJ5WytCOA

Friday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west you say immediately that it is going to rain–and so it does; and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south you say that it is going to be hot–and so it is. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time?”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus calls the crowd hypocrites because they are unable to judge the present time, that the Son of God is in their midst. Yet, in Jesus’ words is a kind of encouragement: you are smart enough to read events in the natural world, he seems to say; why are you not able to read events in the supernatural world? What Jesus said to the crowds, he says to people of the present: “You hypocrites.”

Offering a way to acknowledge that God is among us, Jesus goes on to encourage the crowd to settle conflicts before they escalate. And in the first reading, Saint Paul provides a means of bringing peace in his letter to the Ephesians: “I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace.” Through this and through your grace, God, bring clarity of these readings to me; help me see, as the psalmist says, how to ascend the mountain of the LORD.

Jesus, teach me to interpret the present time; that is, your presence among us as true God and true man and the love made manifest in the relationship of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Help me remember to turn to you, Lord, in my moments of distress; teach me peace so that I can get outside of myself and see you.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Thursday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus said to his disciples: “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.”

The division Jesus came to establish on the earth doesn’t remain in the past but still works today between individuals and among society. The great anguish Jesus felt was to establish the truth of the Gospel as a basis for authentic relationships. Through this truth, Saint Paul says in the first reading, the Father grants that we come to know “what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.” In that, Saint Paul then says, we may be filled with the truth and fullness of God.

Help me understand, God, that when there are situations where the truth of the Gospel appears to bring division, it is actually God’s prompting to bring me into greater union with him. As a member of a household, I don’t want to fear division for the sake of keeping peace, as Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers suggests in his reflection on today’s readings; rather, I want to be faithful to what I know is true and bring others into that truth.

Jesus, stay with me today. There is certain to be division as the day unfolds. Pour forth your grace so that I can see that as an opportunity to be confident that you are with me so that I can bring others to you. I ask for the grace to remember you throughout the day, come rain or shine. It won’t be easy to be a means of God’s peace, but let me remember the words of the psalmist: “But the plan of the LORD stands forever; / the design of his heart, through all generations.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Memorial of Saints John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions, Martyrs

Jesus said to his disciples: “Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

Jesus tells his disciples something that they can remember in all situations. It is a dynamic command he gives them: always be prepared for the coming of the Son of Man. These words are especially challenging because they speak to the end of life as well as life as it will be lived today.

God, give me greater assurance that I can be prepared for you today by being attentive to your will. At times during the day, I not only feel unprepared to receive you but completely unaware of your presence. Jesus, give me the grace to see you in others as a way to remind me that you are right there. Everyday responsibilities of work and family life create a structure that seems to stand on its own. Help me understand, Lord, that you can break into that at any moment, but will I be prepared?

It is difficult for me today to sit still with God. Therefore, Lord, I ask for your grace so that you can act through me in the people and work I encounter today. Let the stillness and peace that is your very being animate my thoughts and actions. Help me be prepared today for the coming of your Son.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beUfzVKLiN4

Feast of Saint Luke, evangelist

Jesus said to the seventy-two disciples, “Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.”

Jesus instructs his disciples on how to go out into the world and tell people that the Kingdom of God is at hand for them. He is specific about the austerity of being sent: “no money bag, no sack, no sandals.” And, Jesus says, “first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you.” These first disciples were sent literally on mission out into the world. Although it’s unlikely I will ever go out the same way as an evangelist, the literal world I face as an evangelist is my family, my church, my coworkers, and with people I happen to meet every day.

Help me understand, Jesus, that when a family member or someone I encounter asks for help, I am literally sent out in the same way you sent out the disciples. I tend to want to take my own aims into that situation, but let me remember “no money bag, no sack, no sandals.” Before helping someone, is it so much for me to say interiorly “Peace to you” and let that peace rest on them? Jesus, you say to me, “I am sending you like lambs among wolves”—that is, among my family, my fellow parishioners, my coworkers, and people I happen to meet every day. In the first reading, Saint Paul says that Alexander the coppersmith strongly resisted his preaching. Despite situations like this, give me the grace, Lord, to see and proclaim the Kingdom of God.

It’s unsettling, Lord, but true to think that I am at times like Alexander the coppersmith, doing wrong and resisting the splendor of your kingdom. For this reason, God, you sent your Son, and in that ocean of mercy my sins are drowned. Thank you, God, for the gift of your mercy! Teach me to be a means of your peace.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am72_e-h9d8

Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr

Then [Jesus] said to the crowd, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.”

From among the crowd that followed Jesus, someone said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.” Jesus replied, “Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?” He then told the parable of the man who had fertile land and a bountiful harvest. To store all that he gathered, he decided to tear down his old barns and build larger ones. After that, he decided to enjoy himself. “Rest, eat, drink, be merry!” he said to himself. But God said to the man that same night that his life would be taken from him and asked him who will own all of his things. “Thus will it be,“ God said, “for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.”

Today's Gospel reading is clear with little explanation. But, Lord, how do I look to how it applies to my own life, my own possessions? What treasures do I store up for myself that will someday—perhaps today—be taken from me when I die? “Take care to guard against all greed,” Jesus says, “for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” There are other riches mentioned by Saint Paul in the first reading: “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ . . . that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” God, I do not ask for the comfort of your mercy but to be rich through your grace and to have the faith to see it and know it.

At times I know my smallness, Lord; at other times, the realization fades. Help me to see that there is no false humility in that but the recognition that all is your gift and that my life is worth nothing if it is not for love of you and for your greater glory. From you I came to be and to you I will return. The psalmist writes, “Know that the LORD is God; he made us, his we are; his people, the flock he tends.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

https://youtu.be/tpuJ5WytCOA

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Lord said, “Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

Jesus tells the parable of the judge in a certain town and a widow who would come to him and ask him to make a just decision against an adversary of hers. For a long time, the widow kept coming to him, and eventually he gave in to making a just decision for her. Before telling this parable to his disciples, Jesus says to them that it is necessary to pray always without becoming weary.

How is it possible, Lord, to pray always? There are moments during the day where I am engaged in something or with someone and am hardly aware of anything else. Help me understand that through your grace, the disposition I take toward things and toward others can be a form of prayer. And what is it the widow wanted from the judge? A just decision. God is always good, always just, and I sometimes lose sight of that. As Jesus says at the end of the Gospel reading, “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of your presence! Be a light to me throughout the day, and teach me to seek you out in quiet prayer and in my disposition toward all I know and experience, which is pure gift.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

“When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what your defense will be or about what you are to say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.”

Speaking to the disciples, Jesus says things that comfort and warn them. Everyone who acknowledges Jesus will be recognized in heaven, but everyone who denies him will be denied in heaven. Everyone who speaks a word against Jesus will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. Jesus then tells his disciples not to worry about what to say in defense before synagogue officials and authorities. The Holy Spirit will teach you what you should say.

God, help me take to heart the words “do not worry.” There are many instances throughout the day where I will believe and fear that I need to say something to maintain order or give direction. Help me understand that it is the Holy Spirit I should listen to in those moments. Today, on the Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, let me remember to pray for her help and pray as she prayed: “Let nothing frighten you, / All things pass away: / God never changes. . . . He who has God / Finds he lacks nothing; / God alone suffices.”

Lord, thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Teach me not to worry today about the things that I know you can take care of. May it be as Saint Paul says in the first reading: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, grant a spirit of wisdom and revelation. Lift the ordinary burdens of the day, God, so that I can be joyful in the presence of others and give glory to your name.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpuJ5WytCOA

Friday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time

“There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed on the housetops. . . . Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God. Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.”

In today’s Gospel reading, the crowds press in on Jesus, and he warns the crowd and the disciples of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. Whatever they do in darkness, Jesus says, will be revealed; whatever they say will be proclaimed from the housetops. Be afraid, Jesus says, of those who have power to kill not the body but the soul. And twice in the passage Jesus says, “Do not be afraid.” By comparing his disciples—and by extension all of humanity—to sparrows sold in a marketplace, Jesus would seem to be expressing the little worth of human lives and all of life’s torments. Instead, the comparison expresses God’s tender love for us in every single dimension of our lives. When sin disrupts that relationship, the Sacrament of Reconciliation restores us through grace to God’s constant presence.

God, help me understand the depth and breadth of your love. It is so great that I would venture to see it in only one aspect, in one splinter of my life as it is lived. How is it present in my relationship with my family? Where is that depth and breadth when others share their fears and concerns with me? “Do not be afraid," Jesus says. Let me be a living means of that message. Nothing escapes the notice of God.

Lord, let me be aware today that in your great love that you take notice of my coming and my going and my inmost thoughts. Let that awareness bring me joy that is visible to others for the sake of your glory.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpuJ5WytCOA

Thursday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time

Therefore, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and Apostles; some of them they will kill and persecute’ in order that this generation might be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who died between the altar and the temple building.

These words of Jesus from today’s Gospel reading are difficult to hear. Jesus tells the scribes, Pharisees, and scholars of the law that their ancestors are responsible for killing the prophets and that later generations built them memorials. The hypocrisy Jesus points to comes out of generations and generations of the Chosen People’s disobedience to God, whom God tested in various ways. Jesus directs the gaze of those who hear him to his Father in heaven. “Therefore, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and Apostles; some of them they will kill and persecute.’ ” In the same way, Jesus charges the scribes, Pharisees, and scholars of the law with the shedding of blood since the foundation of the world. Why would Jesus go so far to condemn those who killed the prophets, the ones God called to speak his words to the Israelites? In the first reading, Saint Paul makes this clear, also referring to the “foundation of the world.” He says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him.” Jesus condemns, but in that condemnation, he calls to adoption those who hear him to be without blemish, to be holy. Or as Paul says, “in love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ.”

God, help me make sense of this. There is a lot here to take in and make meaningful in my own life. I have to wonder about my own hypocrisy and actions from my past that you would condemn. You treat me not as I deserve to be treated but as a merciful, forgiving father through the redemption of your Son and the grace of the sacrament of Reconciliation.

Jesus, I know you are truly present in the Blessed Sacrament. Don’t let me fool myself into thinking today is about what I want out of it. Teach me to know and do your will. Help me see where I can let go of judgment and instead show mercy.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd7YbWyPcQo

Tuesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time

The Lord said to him, “Oh you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil. You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside? But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you.”

It’s hard to imagine in what tone Jesus says these words to the Pharisee who invited him to dinner. Rude, accusative, and authoritarian are just some of the terms someone at that moment might have used to describe Jesus. Yet, it was the Pharisee who was amazed at Jesus not following the prescribed ritual of washing before the meal. The Greek word Luke used to describe the Pharisee is ἐθαύμασεν (ethaumasen), “to wonder” or “to marvel.” The Pharisee’s amazement was based on his adherence to the law and Jesus’ disobedience to the law. In the first reading, Saint Paul faces the same strict adherence to the law that Jesus say, when he said, “every man who has himself circumcised . . . is bound to observe the entire law.” Instead, Jesus says, “Give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you.”

Only faith working through love is what counts, Saint Paul says. To avoid the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, I have to consider areas in my life where I am strict and unrelenting. God, help me understand that on my own, I am incapable of avoiding hypocrisy and being a complete, loving person made in your image. It is you, who make everything clean for me. It is my faith and your love that will make everything whole. “Give alms,” Jesus says. What can I do, Lord, to help the poor today? Make that clear to me, and give me the opportunity to act.

Thank you, Lord, for your presence by making clear where love is needed. Sometimes I see presented to me two ways: one, where I act out of love and look in another’s eyes and see what is needed; another, where I respond rudely or rigidly or with sarcasm and look over what is most needed—love. Teach me to see so that I choose love.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpuJ5WytCOA

Saturday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

Today’s short Gospel reading echoes the words Elizabeth spoke on greeting her cousin Mary: “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Mary carried and bore Jesus, the Incarnate Word of God. For that reason, Mary was born free of original sin to be the Ark of the New Covenant. When Jesus replies to the woman, the word of God he refers to includes Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

God, help me understand the mystery of your Incarnation. To hear and observe your word should be my primary aim every day. On my own, I will fail time after time, but through your grace—or as Saint Paul put it, “clothed with Christ”—it makes hearing and observing your word possible. Lord, I ask for that grace today; help me see.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6ufFVFbOvU

Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary

Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

In today’s Gospel reading, again on how Jesus teaches his disciples to pray, Luke tells of Jesus driving out a demon. The crowd confronts Jesus, saying that he drives out demons by the power of Beelzebul. Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house. And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?”

Understanding perfectly the course of division, Jesus offers unity through him, with him, and in him by saying, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” The Gospel acclamation echoes this in the words of Jesus from the Book of Revelation: “The prince of this world will now be cast out, and when I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all to myself, says the Lord.” Help me understand, God, that I need to stay close to you so that when you come again you will draw me to you.

Thank you, God, for the gift of your presence in the Gospel, at Mass in the Eucharist, and in the Blessed Sacrament. I’m not confident that I know what it means to gather with you; through your grace, I ask that you give me an example today. I want to be with you and not against you. Stay with me, Lord, and guide me.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpuJ5WytCOA

Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Today’s Gospel reading from Luke follows immediately after Jesus teaches the disciples the Lord’s Prayer. In praying, Jesus tells his disciples, be persistent. The parable that tells about the man who goes to his friend’s house at midnight for three loaves of bread describes approaching God in prayer. Because every moment on earth may be our last, it is always the midnight hour when we approach God, who is always ready to receive the ones who seek him out.

Not everything I ask God to give me will be given to me. In the parable, Jesus makes clear that what we pray for that is in accord with the will of God will be given. The friend will give his persistent friend three loaves of bread, which he will in turn share with his friend who is on a journey. In seeking God, the will of God will be found; in knocking, the door will be opened; in asking, God will give every good thing there is to receive. In the Our Father it is the same perfect unity and abandonment to the will of God. “Thy will be done” and “give us this day our daily bread.” Help me discern, Lord, whether what I ask you in prayer is one with your will.

God, teach me today to know your will. I know you want me to know your will, not because it shackles and confines my will but because to do your will is to live in the truth and freedom of your divine love. When I say I want to do your will, let it not be as if I am fulfilling another’s human wish. Let me see instead that your will is woven into the very fabric of existence. Your will simply is; it is the way things work on earth as in heaven—a mystery. Job said it best: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be hindered. I have dealt with great things that I do not understand; things too wonderful for me, which I cannot know.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpuJ5WytCOA

Wednesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”

Jesus teaches his disciples to say the Our Father, the Lord’s prayer. As one of the disciples came to Jesus to ask him how to pray, he must have asked out of true humility. The disciple also shows a certain observance to tradition that comes across by his asking to be taught to pray just as John the Baptist taught his disciples to pray. Jesus then prays what we know as the Our Father.

Saint Paul says, “We do not know how to pray as we ought.” Lord, help me understand how this applies to me. When I pray the Our Father, let me realize that I am saying the same prayer you said from the heart to be in union with God the Father. Every line of the Our Father is a meditation on the glory of the Father and the mercy he shows us. As a whole, it is complete abandonment to God’s will even for our daily needs. Lord, when I struggle with prayer and distractions crowd my mind, let me remember to ask you as the disciple asks: “Teach me to pray.”

The Gospel acclamation for today is “You have received a spirit of adoption as sons through which we cry: Abba! Father!” With a spirit of adoption, we pray: Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpuJ5WytCOA

Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi

Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

Jesus makes clear in today’s Gospel reading that one thing is necessary: to sit beside the Lord at his feet and listen to him speak. While Martha was busy serving and preparing, Mary sat at the feet of the Lord. I imagine Martha in the kitchen taking account of things she still has to do before everybody can sit down, eat, and rest. Being burdened means completing a seemingly endless list of things, exacting tasks that must be done before taking a breath. Mary chooses the better part, and it will not be taken from her. Another way of saying that: being present before God and listening to him gives what is everlasting and can’t be taken away even amid the demands of a day.

God, you know how I will deceive myself today in the seemingly endless list of things I have to do before I rest. Help me understand that there will always be more to do that drains and leaves me feeling burdened with many cares. Yet, if I return to you in the day through prayer—even a few quiet moments—I will choose something that will not be taken from me. Let me be mindful that you will supply the grace I need in order to sit beside you and listen to you speak.

On this memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi, teach me, Lord, to measure my success not by how much I acquire in the world and how much surplus I possess. I know you are rich in mercy, and I am poor to whatever degree I dismiss that. As Saint Paul says, “For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” Show me, Lord, how to succeed in listening to you and doing your will by letting go of excess—all that places an obstacle between you and me.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Monday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them.

In the well-known parable from today’s Gospel reading, Jesus responds to a scholar of the law who asks him, “Who is my neighbor?” A priest and Levite separately passed by the man who had been stripped and beaten, but a Samaritan saw him, stopped, and eventually took him to an inn. Jesus finishes the parable and asks the scholar which of the three was the neighbor. “The one who treated him with mercy,” he says. And Jesus replies, “Go and do likewise.”

God, help me understand your mercy. There will be opportunity today to show mercy to someone in need—probably not in a dramatic or memorable way—but nonetheless in a way that through my actions, another may receive your mercy. The question is whether I will be too busy to notice or find justification in some other necessary task. The readings from a few days ago describe Jesus and his disciples trying to pass through a Samaritan village on their way to Jerusalem, but they were not welcome so went another way. Here, Jesus places the Samaritan in the role of giving tender care to a wounded human being. Rather than demonize Samaritans, Jesus shows one of them giving mercy where mercy is sorely needed.

Lord, amid all the necessities and distractions of the day, put in my path the means to show someone your mercy. You know me, Lord; unless you make things very clear to me, I will miss it. Be with me today, and show me how I can please you best.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

The apostles ask Jesus for the gift of faith, and he reassures them with his reply. Just as Jesus heals those who called out to him in their illness or distress by reaching out for him, so it is with the apostles. Only a little faith is necessary for God to supply what is lacking.

God, help me understand that the little faith I have is enough as long as I desire you. Lord, I believe; help my unbelief. Help me see the mulberry trees in my life that the mustard seed of faith can move. I can do little, but as Job says in yesterday’s reading: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be hindered.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

“At that very moment he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. . . . No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son.”

On hearing from the seventy-two disciples Jesus sent out that even the demons are subject to them, Jesus rejoices. One of the translations from Greek for rejoice is to jump for joy. Jesus acknowledges the power the he has given his disciples through God the Father and the Holy Spirit and quickly adds, “Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” Because of the power Jesus gives the disciples, they could face Satan and not be harmed and rejoice that he had a place for them in heaven.

God, what is it about childlike faith that brings you more closely into view? It means being able to see you beyond the veil or hear you, as Job did, speaking through the storm. Surely childlike faith does not mean returning to the faith I had as a child; it means returning to a mature faith that is childlike in trusting in your gracious will, in recognizing that you are my God and I am your child. To be childlike means to see beyond the veil what remains hidden to the wise and learned. How often, Lord, I count myself among the wise and the learned? Help me return to you and put that aside so that your Son can rejoice in saying to me: “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.”

From the Psalms today, we hear “The revelation of your words sheds light, giving understanding to the simple.” And from the refrain: “Lord, let your face shine upon me.” Just as the sun bathes me in light and warms me, let me bask in your love, God. Teach me childlike wisdom and learning, even in the midst of trials so that I can say as Job did: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be hindered. I have dealt with great things that I do not understand; things too wonderful for me, which I cannot know.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am72_e-h9d8

Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church

And as for you, Capernaum, “Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus says, “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!” He speaks to the people of the region where he called his disciples and preached the Gospel. The people he addresses he would have known and loved as his own. How is it, then, that he says: “Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.” Is this to say in another manner that whoever exalts himself will be humbled? The woes toward the towns close to his heart are perhaps caused by human frustration that, although he worked mighty deeds, the people did not repent and return to God. In the first reading from Job, God expresses the same sentiment when he says, “Have you ever in your lifetime commanded the morning and shown the dawn its place. . . ? But from the wicked the light is withheld, and the arm of pride is shattered.”

God, help me understand how to take the grand scope of your actions in the world to see how they apply to my life, to this very day. As the people of Capernaum rejected Jesus, they rejected you, God. In turn, whoever listens to your Son, listens to you. As Jesus said elsewhere in the Gospel: “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” Let me give glory to you, Lord, that is due to you as God the Father Almighty, creator of the universe.

You are God, and I am not. Let me remember throughout the day, God, as the psalmist says, that it is you who guide me along the everlasting way. Give me the grace to hear your voice.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels

Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Jesus is able to say to Nathanael, “You will see greater things than this” because Jesus sees through the eyes of his divinity. In this Gospel reading from John, Jesus’ encounter with Nathanael comes after he chooses the first disciples. There is a giddiness in Jesus’ response to Nathanael, as if he can’t wait to show Nathanael where he comes from and who he is.

God, you sent your Son, who always accomplished your will perfectly and showed us the way to you. “You will see greater things than this,” Jesus tells us. Help me to see him today in the so-called ordinary events of the day; help me to see your divine work with the eyes that Jesus sees heaven opened. Today, on the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, help me understand that the greater things that you work through the world are visible but also invisible and no less real, such as the work of his angels. Michael means “who is like God,” Gabriel means “hero of God,” and Raphael means “God has healed.”

Jesus, let me trust in your care of me today. When will I be able to see as you see “the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man”? It is more than I can imagine and enough that you stay with me today, keeping me sure-footed as you guide me throughout the day. Saint Michael, defend me in battle; Saint Gabriel, champion my faith; Saint Raphael, heal my soul!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Wednesday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time

As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding on their journey, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus answered him, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." And to another he said, "Follow me." But he replied, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father." But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God."

Today’s Gospel reading follows yesterday’s reading, right after the passage where the Samaritan village did not allow Jesus and his disciples to pass through it on their way to Jerusalem. They then journeyed to another village. Today, then, the theme of moving on, moving forward, is consistent with yesterday. If you follow me, Jesus seems to say, you will always be on the move and have no place to rest. In this way, Jesus models for us the pilgrim life. Recognizing such an existence means that in this life, we are just passing through on our way to a new Jerusalem, the Kingdom of God.

“Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests.” How does that describe me, Lord? Help me understand how I can live in relative luxury and have a place to rest my head and follow you? Someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Given all the comforts I have in this life, how can I say as this person did that I will follow you wherever you go? Jesus, when you say, “Let the dead bury their dead,” that is harsh and unpleasant to hear. But as is clear in the Gospel, you know others’ intentions and see right through our excuses. Help me remember today, Lord, that those moments of self-sacrifice, feeling displaced, and made uncomfortable will come. When they do, give me the grace to see that this too is an opportunity to let go and simply follow you. As Saint Augustine said, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”

Thank you, God, for this day! Thank you for the chance to leave what is dead to the dead. Father in heaven, hear my prayers! As I pass through the day, a pilgrim on my way to a new Jerusalem, let me use your gift of time selflessly and in a way that gives you glory. Where I am needed, God, let me be present; where I am rejected, show me another way to witness to you.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest

When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of him.

From today’s short Gospel reading, Jesus acts in two ways: first, he resolutely determines to go to Jerusalem to fulfill his purpose through his passion, death, and resurrection; second, he rebukes James and John for wishing to call down fire from heaven on a Samaritan village, which did not welcome Jesus because his destination was Jerusalem. In both actions, Jesus chooses to respect the free will of those who reject him; in doing so, he serves those who wish to do the will of the Father. The Gospel acclamation, the same as yesterday, says, “The Son of Man came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Many, but not all. Jesus can serve only those who desire to receive him.

In what way, God, do I make myself ready to receive your Son? He resolutely determines to serve and and does not impose his will on anyone who would reject him. If he is resolute and changeless—determined to fulfill his passion, death, and resurrection—in what ways do I respond to that in order to follow him? How do I go about receiving him on a daily basis, and whom am I receiving? The source and summit of our faith, the Eucharist, is one way. In body and blood, soul and divinity, Jesus is present in the Eucharist and there to be received. Another way? Saint Mother Teresa makes clear a path. “Whenever I meet someone in need,” she said, “it’s really Jesus in his most distressing disguise.” God, help me see where the need is today and be ready to receive you. Saint Vincent de Paul, pray for us!

I will forget you, God, as I go about this day. When I do remember you, past experience tells me that it will be weakly and in passing. I ask that you make clear to me then through grace when the opportunity comes to receive you. Stay with me, Lord; let me know and do your will.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Monday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time

An argument arose among the disciples about which of them was the greatest. Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child and placed it by his side and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. For the one who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest.”

The first reading from Job and the Gospel reading go hand in hand in a subtle way. Job loses everything he has, is humbled to the ground, yet says, "The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD!” In the Gospel reading, Jesus addresses the argument among the disciples about which is the greatest. Jesus’ answer? The least. To follow God means to put on humility. All is God’s gift, and that recognition comes out of humility. “Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb,” Job says, “and naked shall I go back again.”

God, help me be grateful for the gifts that you surround me with daily. If I recognize them, there is a chance that I will see how I depend on you for everything I am and everything I have. Even more, help me recognize the gift of your grace whether it is in giving or taking away.

The Gospel acclamation says, “The Son of Man came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Lord, your disciples wanted to know who was the most powerful among them. Seeing their intentions, you took a child beside you and taught them that the least is the greatest. Take me today and place me by your side. Keep me in your care as I imitate you, serving you humbly in my words and actions (and if it be your will, serving as a ransom for the needs of others I meet today). Help me remember to see all that you have given me; let me receive you and receive the one who sent you, your Father in heaven.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Abraham replied, “My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus tells the parable of the poor man Lazarus and the rich man whose door Lazarus would lie outside of. The rich man would have needed to step over Lazarus every time he left or entered his house, yet there he let the man lie, covered with sores and longing for scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. To what extreme did the rich man go to ignore Lazarus, and to what extreme do any of us go to ignore the poor, and not only the materially poor but the spiritually poor? The Gospel acclamation says, “Though our Lord Jesus Christ was rich, he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.”

God, help me see the poor who lie outside my door and need care. Just as Abraham said to the rich man in the parable, Jesus might say to me: “Remember that you received what was good during your lifetime.” Help me recall this and be inspired by the Holy Spirit to act when the time is ripe. As Saint Mother Teresa said, “Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the action that we do. It is to God Almighty—how much we do it does not matter, because He is infinite, but how much love we put in that action. How much we do to Him in the person that we are serving.”

Thank you, Lord, for this day of rest; let me keep this day holy. As Saint Paul says in the second reading, may I pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness and “keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Stay with me today, Lord.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Saturday of the Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

While they were all amazed at his every deed, Jesus said to his disciples, “Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.”

In today’s Gospel reading, the disciples surely listened closely to Jesus as he said to them “pay attention,” yet they did not understand what he meant by saying he would be handed over to men. Even more, they were afraid to ask him what he meant. The darkening days described in the first reading from Ecclesiastes serve as a backdrop for these words of Jesus. The sun is darkened, and the light of the moon and stars is darkened. This sounds like imagery that suits Good Friday, where all the light and hope that Jesus brought to his disciples seemed to be overshadowed by the horror of the cross and by death. Yet, unlike his disciples, we know the story doesn’t end in darkness and death but in new life and resurrection.

Like Qoheleth expresses in Ecclesiastes, there are days when I feel the shortness of this life and the days that come when there is no pleasure, where darkness comes and all things are vanity. But, God, clear my mind to understand that this is not all there is, that there is a time for this life to end and a new one to come. The Gospel acclamation says, “Our Savior Christ Jesus destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel.” The shortness of life, Lord, I often lament, but help me keep at hand the words of your Son who asks that I pay attention: “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” It was after that, at the Last Supper, that Jesus institutes the Eucharist. In the aftermath of his crucifixion, in your Son’s resurrection, darkness gives way to dawn, death is destroyed, and eternal life is brought to life. Thanks be to you, Father in heaven!

God, I know you love me. Be present with me today. Give me the grace to recognize your presence, and in the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, know and do your will.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.” In today’s Gospel reading, the words the disciples use to describe who people think Jesus is are nearly identical to those that Herod had been hearing: “John has been raised from the dead”; others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”; still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.” This is to say that only Mary, Joseph, and a few close followers knew who Jesus was, as Peter said: “The Christ of God.”

Every day, Lord, I face the battle of the seen versus the unseen; that is, I know you are alive and present, but I give precedence to things seen and sensed. While Peter and others saw you face to face in his present reality, that seeming advantage is surpassed by your presence in the sacraments, in your real presence in the Eucharist. Thank you, God, for these gifts that Jesus instituted by his life. At various times, I have wondered about my faith in you, Jesus, and doubted my beliefs. I want to see you with the certainty of sight that the eyes of faith give. Help me see you and know who you are.

Jesus, thank you for asking the disciples the same question you ask me: “Who do the crowds say that I am?” It causes me to question in what or in whom I place my identity. As the Psalms say, what am I that you take notice of me? “Man is like a breath; his days, like a passing shadow.” Yet, Lord, you have put the timeless into our hearts. As Padre Pio says, “Admire the heavenly regions which can be reached by no other road than that of suffering. This is our true home.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Thursday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

“But Herod said, ‘John I beheaded. Who then is this about whom I hear such things?’ And he kept trying to see him.” In the Gospel reading according to Luke, Herod is perplexed by Jesus. Who is this Jesus he kept hearing about, and what does it mean that he kept trying to see him?

The first reading from Ecclesiastes might have given Herod some consolation as he restlessly sought answers: “The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor is the ear satisfied with hearing.” Nothing anybody could have told Herod about Jesus would have satisfied his restlessness. Even when Herod and Jesus met before his crucifixion, Herod was hoping to see Jesus perform a miracle. But it wouldn’t have satisfied him. The eye is not satisfied with seeing. I wonder how I am like Herod as each day passes. The despair that Qoheleth expresses in Ecclesiastes I would rather not participate in, yet I go on participating every day. “All speech is labored; there is nothing one can say.” What thing is there that has not been? What can be said that has not been said, or what can be done that has not been done? “Nothing is new under the sun.”

God, help me understand that the restlessness that Herod feels and the resignation of Qoheleth are realities that life presents. Yet, standing at the edge of this chasm of discontent and futility is the Good Shepherd, protecting his flock. There, amid the perplexity of human thought and worldly wisdom is the Son who sits at the right hand of God the Father and who says, “‘Behold, I make all things new.’ Then he said, ‘Write these words down, for they are trustworthy and true.’” The end of human thought and wisdom is not a place of futility; at its end is a person—the risen Christ. Help me remember this, Lord, and to understand that you are not only present at the limits of human reason but present in the midst of daily thoughts and yearnings.

Jesus, I know that you want for me to have peace that is based on truth. “Consecrate them in the truth,” you say in prayer to your Father. “Your word is truth.” Teach me today to live in the truth of God the Father. Herod kept trying to see you. Show me how to see the truth of your word and live in it.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

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