Friday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus answered them, “Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.”

Is this the time in my life when the bridegroom Christ is with me, or is it the day when he has been taken away from me? Do I celebrate the presence of Christ in my life, or do I fast because he is absent? At the start of the day, I feel a little bit of both of these. How can I make Christ more present today?

God, help me understand that the scribes and Pharisees scrutinized everything Jesus and his disciples did. As I try to piece together how today will play out with many moving pieces, help me understand that you are with me and will not be taken away unless I allow it. Thank you for your presence, Lord!

In receiving the Eucharist this morning, teach me to let go of the oppressive weight of things I cannot change, things I cannot at the moment get to that are gathering dust. It is enough to turn and face the people who are present today and be with them. Jesus, you are the new wine; stay with me today.

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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Thursday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

They came and filled both boats so that the boats were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man."

In today’s Gospel reading from Luke, Peter’s faith in Jesus grows when he experiences a miracle. After Peter and his partners had been fishing all night, working hard, Jesus says to him, ”Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Peter demonstrates his faith in Jesus by saying that at his command, he will lower the nets. After he did this, they caught such a great number of fish that the boat was in danger of sinking. Peter then falls at the knees of Jesus and says, ”Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” In Peter’s initial response to Jesus, there is a trust that lacks faith; in witnessing the miracle, Peter recognizes his shortcoming, loses faith in self-reliance, and comes to put his faith in the Lord.

God, thank you for the example of Peter, who recognized gains made in something other than self-reliance and hard work. He realized the limits of faith in self and would ultimately profess to Jesus, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” First, however, he listened as Jesus got into his boat and taught the crowds pressing in on him. Every day I try to understand the task you set before me, often in the form of work that I am given to complete. I want to understand, Lord, how to invite you into this, my own boat, to be by my side as I accomplish these tasks and work toward understanding your will for me in relation to my dreams and wishes. I have to say that that is not always clear for me to discern or easy to do. Help me learn how to say, “At your command, I will do this.”

What you say to Peter, Lord, I can hear you say to me: ”Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” I hear what you say, but I don’t know what that means in relation to my own identity. Teach me the meaning of “putting out into the deep.” You know every vain attempt I have ever made, every good thing I have tried to grasp and wouldn’t let go. And I know you smile at me, not in pity but out of love. Let me consider the times I pursued material gain to the point of idolatry. Have I looked for honor instead of you? You know I have. When I seek what puffs me up with pride, that automatically excludes you, and I seek you in vain. Stay with me, Lord; show me in what waters I need to put out into the deep. Let me learn to trust you more and more.

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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Pope May Meet with Putin During UN visit

PanARMENIAN.Net - President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia could have an audience with Pope Francis on the sidelines of the development summit meeting here this month — but only, the Vatican envoy to the United Nations said Wednesday, September 9, if Putin gets to the UN in time, the New York Times reports.

According to diplomatic protocol, the pope is to hold a bilateral meeting with the country that presides over the United Nations Security Council and only with its head of state. In September, that is Russia. Hence, Putin.

The pope is scheduled to speak on the morning of Friday, Sept. 25, when he will address world leaders before the official opening of the development meeting. Putin is scheduled to address the group two days later.

The Russian mission said Wednesday, September 8, that Putin was not expected to arrive as early as Sept. 25. That appeared to make the prospect of a meeting with the pope unlikely.

The Vatican’s top diplomat in UN, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, said the pope would speak to the General Assembly in Spanish and address a range of issues, including terrorism, climate change, poverty and the movement of refugees and migrants across the world.

As a measure of the significance of the pope’s address, it was the first news conference organized by the mission, officials said. Pope Francis’ predecessors have addressed the General Assembly four times since the inception of the United Nations. The last was Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.

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Catholic Treasury of Prayers

Catholic Treasury of Prayers

This treasury of prayers, now released on Kindle, will help you go to the Lord with courage and pray to receive God's grace.

Sometimes, the Pope said of prayers and devotions, one goes to the Lord "to ask something for someone;" one asks for a favor and then goes away. "But that," he warned, "is not prayer," because if "you want the Lord to bestow a grace, you have to go with courage and do what Abraham did, with that sort of tenacity."

This comprehensive treasury of Catholic prayer includes everyday prayers, devotionals, how to pray the rosary, litanies, the Stations of the Cross, Eucharistic prayers, prayers to prepare for confession, prayers to the saints, Marian prayers, family prayers, and more.

From Saint Benedict Press: Prepare the Way