Fervent Prayer of Faith

~~~ Lamentations 2:2, 10-14, 18-19 ~~~ Psalm 74 ~~~ Matthew 8: 5-17 ~~~

We have permission to cry out to the Lord. We are encouraged to pour out our heart before the Lord. In our tears are often carried the most fervent of prayers. Prayers with tears are most certainly pouring out from the heart. God wants our heart felt prayers. they are more precious to him than our mindless rote prayers.

"...Worn out from weeping are my eyes...

...Cry out to the Lord...

...Pour out your heart like water
in the presence of the Lord;
Lift up your hands to him..."

In today's Gospel we hear the source for the verse we say right before receiving Eucharist during every Mass. This is a slight change from what we said for many years, but the meaning remained the same.

When Jesus entered Capernaum,
a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying,
"Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully."
He said to him, "I will come and cure him."
The centurion said in reply,
"Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;
only say the word and my servant will be healed.

The centurion did not feel that he was worthy for Jesus to actually visit his home. He believed that just he words of healing would indeed cure his suffering servant.

Jesus wants to come to our house...it is in our heart.

Eucharist is the healing of Jesus entering under our roof...the roof of our heart.

"Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.

How would God rate your faith?

I hope you will think about this Gospel scene next time you are attending Mass and it comes time to speak the line of not being worthy.

Now it will make much more sense; at least it does to me.

Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and we a certainly not worthy to have Jesus enter into our bodies...but he does...and he comes in to heal us as well.

Can You Answer the Question?

~~~ Acts 12: 1-11 ~~~  Psalm 34 ~~~ Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18 ~~~ Matthew 26: 13-19 ~~~ 

 

Paul is confiding in his friend Timothy about the hard times he has endured. He says, 'I have kept the faith' and because of my faith I will be rewarded by God.

"...The Lord stood by me and gave me strength..."

Paul is giving any credit for his accomplishments to the Lord. It was the Lord and not Paul himself who should be applauded and praised.

Paul seems to be comfortable with the knowledge of who God is. He never hesitates to humbly reference God.

To compliment this excerpt from the letter to Timothy we have Mattew's account of Jesus asking a question...

"Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"

At first the question is fairly vague...who do people say...

Jesus quickly makes it a much more personal question...

"But who do you say that I am?"

Now the disciples must commit to an answer. They can no longer just give him answers based on hear say. Now they must decide for themselves. Who is this person named Jesus? Of course we are not surprised when Peter shouts out his answer.

That is just the way Peter is...he often acts before thinking.

But this time Jesus is do pleased with his answer he gave him a new name...

"...you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church..."

We do not need a new name to answer the very same question today.

Original photo: the word believe in gold script.

Who do you say Jesus is?

Who is he for you?

Is he as personal as he was to Peter?

Did you have to hesitate when you read that question?

Are you confident in your answer? 

Maintain the Foundation

~~~ 2 Kings24: 8-17 ~~~ Psalm 79: 1b-2, 3-5, 8-9 ~~~ Matthew 7:21-29 ~~~

Jesus has some harsh and disappointing words for his disciples.

Making yourself busy does not assure that you are doing the will of the Father.

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

Jesus gives me the impression that much of what people were saying they had done in his name was insincere. They were really just scam artists using the name of Jesus.

You cannot fool Jesus. He casts them away and calls them evildoers.

Jesus wants the genuine you. He wants the real you.

"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined."

In this section of the Gospel of Matthew Jesus is giving a couple examples.

Would you choose to build your house on a sturdy rock foundation or one of sand?

If you have a foundation built on faith and a strong belief system it makes it much easier to get through the tough times. You really do not know for sure how strong your faith is if you never have to weather a storm. You see when your life is 'perefect' you start to take things for granted. When you take things for granted you start neglecting the care of those things.

How you handle the storms in life are a good indication of how well you have kept up with your maintenance schedule. When the storms of life come; if your foundation is on sand you are more apt to get blown away. It is much more difficult to believe God is present even in the midst of floods and winds when you foundation is weak.

Maintain your faith so that when storms are upon you there will be no doubt in your mind about doing the will of the Father. You cannot pretend to have a strong foundation when the storms of life are crashing at your door.

Pray for strength in times of plenty so that in dark times you will be at peace.

Make the time for routine maintenance.

False Prophets Still Exist

~~~ 2 Kings 22: 8-13, 23: 1-3 ~~~ Psalm 119 ~~~ Matthew 7: 15-20 ~~~

The response for the psalm today acknowledges that Jesus is the master teacher.

"Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord."

The psalm continues with petitions for instruction by the Lord.

'Give me discernment...Lead me in the path...Incline my heart...

Turn away my eyes...Give me life...'

"Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord."

The gospel is alerting us to some things we should be aware of as we are searching for the Lord's true decrees.

In today's religious climate people are appointing themselves as the ones who can interpret the decrees of the Lord for others.

We can look sround and see evidence of this by the numerous independent churches cropping up each year.

We have only one great teacher who knows fully well the decrees of the Lord.

That of course would be Jesus. If God really thought we could do a good job of teaching the decrees of Christianity he could have kept sending his prophets

and continued to speak to us in our dreams.

But God knew that without sending his Son to become our earthly teacher we would have gotten it all confused. And so here we are today still trying to discern what is really coming from God and what is coming from our own human fraility.

The picture give to us of false prophets as ravenous wolves is rather disturbing.

We have no real gaurantee other than their fruits. But even then I have seen some not so nice people produce good results.

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing,
but underneath are ravenous wolves.
By their fruits you will know them.
Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Just so, every good tree bears good fruit,
and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,
nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down
and thrown into the fire.
So by their fruits you will know them."

These words just cannot be taken literally for I have seen a good tree produce bad fruit.

Sometimes bad things happen to good trees which result in them bearing 'bad' fruit.

Life is not so simple that we can just throw a things away in the fire.

No, often we reach out and help revive the unfortunate tree...we water...

we fertilize...we care for the tree.

So that some day they too can be known by their fruits.

Fruits that have been made possible because someone cared

enough to make a difference.

Original photo: three dead trees captured on a sunny, blue sky day.

  

So by 'your' fruits you will be known.

Are you okay with that decree from today's Gospel?

Peace, my friends. The false prophets are not extinct.

We still need to be praying Psalm 119...asking for guidance and discernment

in the spirit for the true path to Life.

The Narrow Gate

~~~ 2 Kings 19: 9b-11,14-21, 31-35a, 36 ~~~ Psalm 48 ~~~ Matt. 7:6, 12-14 ~~~

Hezekiah... went up to the temple of the LORD,
...he prayed in the LORD's presence:

"...Incline your ear, O LORD, and listen!
Open your eyes, O LORD, and see!

Sometimes it seems as though your prayers are just a waste of time.

Sometimes it seems as though no one is out there listening.

I have felt like asking, 'Are you there, Lord?'

'Do you see me?
Hezekiah laid his concerns first on the ground before the Lord.
Then he began his prayer by giving praise to God for his being wonderful and almighty. Never hurts to complement before you make your request. That even works todya in the corporate world. Anyway it is most appropriate when praying to God.
After praising God he wastes no time getting to the reason for his prayer.
He is respectful and intense at the same time in his prayer.

Sometimes I want to say 'Lord, can you see what is happening here?'

Surprisingly to Hezekiah, but not common today, he gets an answer right away.
The timing in the Bible is so misleading but makes a point...God does answer your prayers...jus maybe not immediately.

The Gospel of Matthew speaks of the narrow gate:

"Enter through the narrow gate;
for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction,
and those who enter through it are many.
How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life.
And those who find it are few."

It takes vigilance and courage to consistently do the right thing, which may suggest the narrow gate concept. As weak humans it is tempting at times to take the easy way out.
It takes sacrifice to  then stay on the road to life. We are speaking of eternal life here;
attainable through diligent practice of loving one another and treating them the way you would want to be treated. Sound familiar? It should.

We can use this image of a gate and expand it to include any entrance or doorway

as a reminder of our chosen path of life.

We are here for one purpose to love God and get ourselves through the narrow gate

by loving others.

Clearly We Can Be Blind

~~~ 2 Kings 17:5-8 ~~~ Ps. 60:3, 4-5, 12-13 ~~~ Matt. 7: 1-5 ~~~

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Stop judging, that you may not be judged.
For as you judge, so will you be judged,
and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.
Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye,
but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?
How can you say to your brother,
'Let me remove that splinter from your eye,'
while the wooden beam is in your eye?
You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first;
then you will see clearly
to remove the splinter from your brother's eye."

In Matthew's writings beginning with chapter five on the Beatitudes he highlights the various teachings of Jesus. His writings give us quick resource to access the expectations of Jesus for how we are to live our daily lives.

I am sure this particular scripture passage has many different points of view.

Let's consider who Jesus is telling to stop judging...If we take the literal context he is spekaing to his disciples. Often we are so busy scrutinizing those around us that we conveniently overlook our own faults and short comings.

Not necessarily intentionally; it just happens.

It is much easier to censor the other guy than oneself.

We have reality shows that encourage us to judge others from their performance to their appearance. We have advertisements making us believe that to judge our own appearance makes us desire plastic surgery.

We are never satisfied it seems.

Judging others implies that you are making some assumptions about that person.

Asumptions are dangerous since we cannot really know the intentions of a person's heart....only God knows their heart. And we usually do not have all of the facts.

Years ago I was panelled to be on a murder trial where the mother killed all of her children. Thank God I was not chosen because I was not sure I could have convicted her of manslaughter. In my mind I could not imagine a mother killing her children unless she was extrememly mentally ill.

The prosecution took that as an opportunity to strike me f$orm the jury pool.

I can honestly say I was glad to not have to serve on that trial.

But even in a jury trial the jury does not have all of the facts. Many times you are mandated by the judge to only consider certain sections of the testimony.

Judging others is a pretty risky undertaking.

We get what we sow very often in life.

Giving others the benefit of the doubt is more Christian

than judging and condemning.

Judging others can also be an attempt to divert attention from yourself.

If you make enough noise with your judgement of others

people will be distracted and not focus on your issues.

So which side of the fence do you fall on?

Are you quick to judge?

Do you seek the truth?

Do you give others the benefit of the doubt?

These are not easy questions.

Sometimes past experiences with a person can frame

your attitude of judgement toward them.

Even a tiny splinter can cause great pain and discomfort.

Wonderfully Made

~~~ Isaiah 49:1-6 ~~~ Psalm 139 ~~~ Acts 13: 22-26 ~~~ Luke 1: 57-66, 80 ~~~

If you hear nothing else from today's scripture take into your heart Psalm 139.

R. (14) I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
O LORD, you have probed me, you know me:
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother's womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
My soul also you knew full well;
nor was my frame unknown to you
When I was made in secret,
when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.
R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.

This is only part of this most beautiful psalm. The words of this psalm serve to remind us of the wonders of the human body. It is truly amazing how wonderful indeed are the details of each human cell.

Even in the Isaiah reading today we hear:

"The LORD called me from birth,
from my mother's womb he gave me my name."



 Pray with Psalm 139 today and give thanks.

Pay attention to the wonders of your body from head to toe...

inside and outside...

seen and unseen.

Worry About Tomorrow

~~~ 2Chronicles 24: 17-25 ~~~ Psalm 89 ~~~ Matthew 6: 24-34 ~~~

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink,
or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

It never ceases to amaze me at how the daily scriptures can fit so perfectly with what is happening in my life. Does the Holy Spirit really care enough about me to plant a message inside these universal verses?

Well this is exactly how I feel today. My life is so filled with worry

about the future that it is churning up my very gut.

Worry impairs your thought prosesses. Worry distracts you. Worry diverts your attention. Worry is like a program running in the background of your computer. You may not even realize that it is running except that your other programs are slower.

That is how I feel...'my other programs' are slower. Perhaps that would explain why just this week I had my first ever automobile accident that was my fault. I did not think I was distracted but, I have been driving for a long time.

Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?

Of course intellectually I know that worry serves no purpose. Worry cannot improve your quality of life; of that I am certain. So why do I worry? I tell myself God has a plan here and this plan is for good...somehow. I just really do not see it and maybe I do not even want to see it.

I keep this mantra from Julian of Norwich in my heart...'All will be well'.

But I am not sure I really believe it. It might just be more of the bable in my heart.

I am not anxious about clothes or food. I am anxious about...well relationship things and living arrangements. I lives are filled with many different chapters. As we get older the book of our lives is pretty thick with pages of past experiences.

Right now I know another chapter is about to be added, but the title keeps changing.

Most of the possible titles I am not happy with, by the way. 

I know God will provide but I feel as if I am walking in the dark.

"...will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?"

Ouch! That stings a bit. Maybe the truth is I am a woman of little faith.

Maybe my faith is not what it should be. Maybe God is trying to teach me

once again to let him lead my life.

Well it would be a lot easier if he were here in the flesh, but he is not.

How ironic that next week I will be on a retreat with the theme...

"Daughter, your faith has saved you." Mark 5:34

Lord, help my unbelief as I walk in this valley of darkness. Help me to accept whatever you are leading us into. Give me the strength to keep walking forward on this unknown path...which I would not have chosen.

"...Do not worry about tomorrow;

tomorrow will take care of itself..."

The closing verse of today's gospel.

Are you sure these verses are not written just for you?

What Treasures are Stored in Your Heart?

~~~ 2 Kings 11: 1-4, 9-18, 20 ~~~ Psalm 132 ~~~ Matthew 6: 19-23 ~~~

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,

Just this part of the Gospel gives me plenty on which to reflect.

I know I am aprt of a group of individuals who store up too much stuff.

At one time or another everything I have decided to keep seemed to be a 'treasure'.

Granted it may not have been a true treasure just a perceived one at that time.

where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.

Years later as time passes on things that you thought were treasures no longer hold the same significance. Time changes us...our earthly treasures at least vary from year to year. Something I may have treasured in my younger days now  does not appear to be important. A couple years ago my sister's house was burgularized and watched how distraught she became over her things. Her computer alone stored many of her treasures. We take many of our treasure for granted until we no longer have them.

It is natural over time for things to decay. Old paper photographs can literally fall into many little pieces and eventually turn into dust. 

But store up treasures in heaven,

Here Jesus is saying...forget about all of those material earthly things you consider to be treasures. In reality these item are not your treasures nor should they be you treasures. Jesus purposefully included heaven in this verse. He knew that here on earth there is no place safe enough. So if I am to store treasures in heaven I must have a kind of hope chest. Treasures need to be stored in a protective safe. A fire proof place...a place bolted into the foundation.

 where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

 If our treasures are only material then we have no guarantee of keeping them completely safe. But if we look deep into our own heart there we can find the treasures that are most important. For if we only value and treasure earthly things; then our heart will forever be living in fear...the fear of losing these things.

Just last night I caught an interview with a woman who lost all of her earthly treasures in a house fire. She not only lost her things, but she also lost her three daughter and both of her parents. I have no idea how you go on after such a loss.

She spoke so beautifully about how her loved ones lived on in her heart.

For her, the treasures of her lost loved ones would always be preserved.

Stories such as this make me stop and take a mental inventory of what it is I truly treasure. What is in your heart is ultimately what you treasure.

What you store up in your heart for all eternity is safe from moths, decay, theives, and robbers. Nothing can remove a treasure from your heart you must freely let it go.

The treasures of the heart stored there day after day make you who you are.

These treasures make you a beloved daughter or son.

These treasures of the heart are fleshed out

in how you live all aspects of your life.



Today, I invite you to take inventory of what you have carefully stored in your heart.

Is there anything that you have stored which no longer contributes to your being a more loving person? If you do find something there that is no longer for your good; then sweep it away. You take control do not wait for the moths or thieves.

It is much better to do it for yourself.

Now is the time to become more aware of what treasures you are storing in your heart.

These treasures form you into who you are to be; they set the standard.



For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

Is it Just Idle Chatter?

~~~ Sirach 48: 1-14 ~~~ Psalm 97 ~~~ Matthew 6: 7-15 ~~~

"...You were destined, it is written, in time to come
to put an end to wrath before the day of the LORD,
To turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons,
and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob.
Blessed is he who shall have seen you
And who falls asleep in your friendship.
For we live only in our life,
but after death our name will not be such..."

The book of Sirach was used extensively in the early church in presenting moral teaching to both those enquiring and to the faithful followers. 

This book has always been accepted by the Catholic church.

This particular section is hailing the heroes of Israel; honoring them for all that they had accomplished during their life. In this chapter we are hearing about Elijah and Elisha; an historical cliff note hitting the significant events of their lives.

It is good to remember those who have gone before us. With conscious appreciation we increase our own faith and hope.

Chapter 6 from the Gospel of Matthew is mostly focused on the Our Father prayer.

There is not really anything I could share with you about this beautiful prayer that is prayed universally by so many. I would encourage you to really pray the Our Father as opposed to reciting the rote words.

I want to spotlight the words said by Jesus as the preface to his

giving us the words with which to pray.

Jesus said to his disciples: today that would be us...

"In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
Do not be like them.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him..."

While I certainly do not consider myself a pagan I do sometimes feel my prayers are nothing but 'babble'. The dictionary defines babble as uttering a meaningless confusion of words or sounds. In other words commonly referred to as 'baby talk' by the parents of infant children. The dictionary further states To talk foolishly or idly; chatter.

Yes, that does explain exactly how I feel sometimes when I am trying to pray.

My prayers often do not make sense, because I do not have the proper 'words' or I do not even know what to pray for.

If my prayers are seemingly just babble; am I still in the infant stage of my prayer life?

Does one ever progress out of the babble stage?

Do we pass in and out of the babble prayer stage?

Is it our own feelings of inadequacy that hinders our prayer?

"...to utter sounds or words imperfectly, indistinctly...", this definition fits as well.

My prayers are certainly imperfect and more often indistinct. It is amazing that God can decipher these attempts at praying at all.

On the other hand I find the sounds of a babbling brook quite soothing

and not confusing at all.

Sometimes I cannot even babble in my prayers

Somtimes the best I can do is raise my hands ans eyes up to heaven and say,

"I give up, God. I do not know what you are trying to teach me here"

Maybe this kind of surrendering prayer is not babbling to God.

Maybe this is exactly where he wants us to be...in the state of release.

If you release all to God then just maybe that is enough of a prayer for the time being.

God knows what I need before I ask; so it is written.

When is he going to let me in on the secret?

I try to pray the best I can knowing that sometimes those prayers are just

Bable...nonsense.

Gog is God and he alone knows my heart.

So I trek on reciting my daily prayers.

PS. Lord, if my words are confusing bable I am open to trying sign language.

Please, RSVP!

God is Here

~~~ 2 Kings 2:1, 6-11 ~~~ Psalm 31 ~~~ Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-18 ~~~

The bases are loaded...God has them all covered...you are up to bat...you cannot miss the ball...a home run is within your realm of possibilities.

That is exactly what comes to mind as I reflect on today's readings. They are two very different extreme readings. God wants us to see that he is in every part of our lives. He wants us to see him in the 'whirlwind'...'parting waters'...'flaming chariots'...'behind closed doors'...'hidden in silence'.

Whatever you could imagine happening in your life God is there.

When I read about Elijah being drawn up to heaven in a 'whirlwind' I cannot help but recall the many scenes of tornadoes. Tornadoes pick up everything in their path, destroying and splintering whatever is in their way.

But even out of this devastating destruction; we hear stories of how God was present keeping people safe from harms way. Sometimes the stories are truly amazing, maybe only one small piece of a structure remains standing in the middle of complete annihilation.

God is making a really bold statement here with Elijah's flaming chariot and horses.

Elisha has no doubt; his prayers were answered. He would indeed be granted his prayer request for a 'double portion' of the spirit.

The psalmist encourages us to remember...

"Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord."

The gospel gives us the stark contrast.

"...when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door,
and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you."

I personally feel more comfortable praying in an inner room.

But I do recognize that praising God through vibrant song and even dance is also acceptable. There are as many ways to pray as there are people to pray.

Earlier in the first book of Kings:

"Then the LORD said: Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will pass by. There was a strong and violent wind rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind; after the wind, an earthquake—but the LORD was not in the earthquake; after the earthquake, fire—but the LORD was not in the fire; after the fire, a light silent sound.

When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. A voice said to him, Why are you here, Elijah?"

(1 Kings 19:11-13)

Even in the midst of whirlwinds and flames God comes as a whisper or even in the silence of you inner room....your heart.

Listen for his voice even when you think you cannot hear it.

God is here...He has all the bases covered!

The Limbo Game

~~~ 1 Kings 21:-17-29 ~~~ Psalm 51 ~~~ Matthew 5: 43-48 ~~~

Raising the bar!

Have you ever played the Limbo game?

I am not very good at it but the idea is to see how low you can go and still get under the bar "stick". In the book of Kings we continue with the story of Ahab who thought he had indeed safely passed under the bar. He and his wife together lowered the bar and resorted to murder to get what they wanted...the neighbor's vineyard.

God on the other hand is about raising the bar. While he does indeed accept Ahab's attempt at repenting, his justice is reserved until the son of Ahab comes into power.

Sometimes it seems to us that God allows evil and does nothing about it, but we cannot know how or when God will restrain evil.

Remember we do have a loving and just God.

Love does not does not automatically erase justice or punishment.

The psalmist has good reason to sing in prayer:

"Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned"

Often your sins are only between you and God. Others may not be aware that you have sinned. We alone will present ourselves before God for our final judgement. Then perhaps God will allow us to see just how our sins affected others.

Jesus raises the bar...

"...love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you..."

Whoa! pray for those who express evil towards you.

Jesus is not saying to hang out with these people, but he is calling us to a higher form of prayer. It really is easy to pray for those you love...for those who love you...even for stangers, but enemies is another thing.

Jesus raises the bar, but unlike in the game of Limbo when Jesus raises

the bar it makes the game of life more difficult and challenging.

In Limbo when the bar is high you easily slip right under to the other side.

When God raises the bar it takes courage, determination,

and great love to make it to the other side.

In Limbo if you touch the ground to keep your balance

you may be disqualified.

When Jesus raises the bar you most certainly

will touch the ground,

but he will give you the grace you need

to get up and try once again.

So with each passing day we are presented with opportunities to love

those we would rather not...to even love those who do not love us

...to love those who would do us harm.

We fail and we succeed over and over again

throughout our life such is the struggle.

We keep getting up and trying

because the reward we have been promised is so great.

The Limbo game strategy has reversed. The 'bar' is now getting higher

and more difficult to pass under at the same time.

So...are you in the game or just a spectator on the side?

Evil for Evil or Good for Good?

~~~ 1 Kings 21: 1-16 ~~~ Psalm 5 ~~~ Matt. 5: 38-42 ~~~

Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow."

This particular Gospel passage is one of the more challenging ones to follow.

at first reading is seems to be advocating us to be passive in the face of injustice.

Are we to surrender to the evil abounding in this world today or is there a better way to respond? Is it possible to support what is right?

Of course it would not be prudent to act in kind to one who has done wrong to you are your family, but we do see this happen all too often. Much of the violence in our society today would diminish if people did not feel it was their 'right' to react in kind. Evil for evil will never solve our problems. When we respond in kind we are in effect no better than the one who initially committed the offense.

Without delving into the Biblical history and their system of punishment.

I would like to purpose that we return one good deed for another.

One kindness...one act of charity...one act of compassion...one expression of love...one note of appreciation...one sincere offer of forgiveness

...one phone call of caring...one courtesy on the highway

...one gift of prayer...one smile to a stranger...one empathetic embrace

in exchange for an eye for an eye and evil for evil.

Instead return to the fifth chapter of Matthew and review the 8 Beaitudes.

Especially pray with the third Beatitude:

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the land...

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you

and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me.

 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.

 Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matt.5: 5, 11-12

It requires more grace to live a life following the Beatitudes.

It is much easier just to react to the situations which empact our self worth.

Our whole life must be lived from the point of forgiveness, not getting even.

How many times are we to forgive?

May your days here be filled with peace in spite of what erupts from

today's wounded and crippled world.

The Seeds of Faith

~~~~ Ezekiel 17: 22-24 ~~~ Psalm 92 ~~~ 2Cor. 4: 6-10 ~~~ Mark 4: 26-34 ~~~

Even if our faith is as small as a mustard seed we must still walk forward on our journey. The readings today speak of majestic Cedar trees and sprawling Mustard trees, really bushes. Tucked in between is Paul telling us to walk by faith and not by sight because in the end we will stand before the Lord.

We will be judged by what we did in the body...good or evil.

If we stay the course we will be rewarded...we too will bear fruit...we too will grow tall strong and even majestic in our conviction...others will flock to walk with us because we are walking in faith.

It is because of faith that we can be courageous.

We believe in our hearts that we truly belong with the Lord.

It is a fact though that in spite of this belief we struggle with what our flesh desires.

We are not perfect. We are always a work in progress.

Hopefully we are always growing and developing our faith.

If you have ever planted a garden you know that when the seeds are placed into the ground and covered over with the dirt they are invisible.

So it is with our faith; at first we may not realize that we believe. We may not be sure what we believe. When we plant the seeds we know the kind of plant they will become. It tells us on the package, but the seeds of our faith may not be as clearly labeled.

Even if our seeds of faith were planted by our parents there is no guarantee they will develop as they desire. I recently met some people who are questioning their faith, their beliefs. It is sad really to listen to why they do not believe.

It is as if they are pushing away what beliefs they had earlier.

It seems to be taking more energy not to believe than it does to believe.

We live in the age of information and technology, but googling faith does not give you a satisfactory answer. We tend to be skeptical of things we can not see or understand.

Faith is such a mysterious gift that it frightens some people, I think.

They simply cannot surrender to the unknown.

Faith is something we can either accept or reject.

I choose to believe that there is more to who we are than what we can see.

I choose to believe that we are living here in this body to do good.

I choose to believe that this is not all there is.

I choose to believe in Heaven...the majestic house of the Lord.

Ave Maria

The Immaculate Heart of Mary

~~~ Isaiah 61: 9-11 ~~~ Luke 2: 41-51 ~~~

~~~1 Samuel 2~~~

"My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior."

Mary, the first person of our kind that is human to love Jesus.

Mary consented for her young body to become the dwelling place for her Lord.

Mary nourished and protected Jesus before he was fully formed as a human within her body. As a mother I can confirm that during those nine months of pregnancy you form a close bond with your yet unborn child.

Mary's heart was already filled with love for her baby, Jesus, before she even got to feel him move or see his beautiful face.At the time of her Immaculate Conception her heart was filled with light and unbelievable joy.

She already had the love of scripture in her heart.

Now she would become a living part of the holy words of scripture.

I wonder. Did she ponder that at all?

Artists depict Mary's heart with flames of fire bursting from the top,

a sword piercing completely through from on side to the other,

and wreath of roses encircling her heart.

Imagine bringing your baby to church for Baptism and being told that you would be given great sorrows that would pierce you heart. I think I would be shocked and maybe even leave in disbelief. No mother holding her infant would want to be told the sadness that the future held.

"Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart."

Luke 2:19

She kept more in her heart than we can even imagine. His early years as a young child, Jesus, must have brought her great happiness. She could hold him in her arms and kiss him sweetly. She could sing him soothing lullabies as he drifted off to sleep.

She could look into his eyes and say, "I love you."

I think we tend to take for granted how normal the early life of Jesus was and

how close his relationship with Mary, his mother, must have been.

Mary loved Jesus with all of her mind, body, heart, and soul.

She more than anyone else knows what it means to have both a joyful and

a sorrowful heart. She experienced the greatest joy in surrendering

to God's will with her "Yes".

She experienced the greatest sadness as the soldiers placed the lifeless body

of her son into her arms at the foot of the cross.

Mary has a heart buring with love.

Mary has a heart pierced with the sword of sadness.

Mary has a heart adorned with the beauty of roses.

At least for today, honor Mary for all that she carried in her heart.

She was the container, but Jesus was the precious cargo.

Her great love allowed a greater love to walk this earth.

We love you, Mary and we thank you for your sacrifice.

Sacred Heart of Love

The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

~~~ Hosea 11:1, 3-4, 8c-9 ~~~ Eph. 3:8-12, 14-19 ~~~ John 19: 31-37 ~~~

Hosea is speaking inspired words about God's providential care given to him by God.

God uses these words in order for us to get a clear picture of who he is...our God.

God is using nation of Israel as his example, but we can actually use our name to replace Israel.

"...When Israel was a child I loved him,
out of Egypt I called my son.
Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
who took them in my arms;
I drew them with human cords,
with bands of love;
I fostered them like one
who raises an infant to his cheeks;
Yet, though I stooped to feed my child,
they did not know that I was their healer."

Below is my rendition of the Hosea prayer:

When you were a child I loved you,

out of darkness I called you, my daughter/son.

Yet it was I who taught you to walk,

who took you in my arms;

I drew you with human (umbilical) cords,

with (wedding) bands of love;

I fostered you like one

who raises an infant (you) to his cheeks;

Yet, though I stooped to feed you, my child,

you did not know that I was your healer.

I knit you into your mother's womb.

I have loved you with an everlasting love.

I will never leave you.

"...For I am God and not a man,
the Holy One present among you;
I will not let the flames consume you."

With St. Paul we too have been given grace

"...to bring to light for all what is the plan of the mystery
hidden from ages past in God who created all things,
so that the manifold wisdom of God

might now be made known..."

Today we celebrate the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

How would you commemorate the heart of a person?

The heart is actually the center of what makes us human. When the Word became flesh he gave eternal life to the heart. The heart may be more important than the brain.

The heart holds what we love inside hidden from all others.

God the Father sent Jesus to earth, gave him a human heart.

God placed within the human heart of Jesus his love for each one of us...

yes even you.

God knew his love incarnate in the body of Jesus would

compel him to the greatest of all love. This great love would ultimately

carry him to the cross. 

His Sacred Heart would be crucified, crowned with thorns,

and pierced all for the love of us.

Join me in praying that we may be

 "...strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self,
and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
that you, rooted and grounded in love

may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones..."

I invite you to pray the verses given to us from Hosea today.

Pray with wonder and awe for how God has loved you.

Allow yourself to be amazed that the Sacred Heart of Jesus

contained real love for you.

First Be Reconciled

~~~ Kings 18: 41-46 ~~~ Psalm 65 ~~~ Matt. 5: 20-26 ~~~

I heard today's gospel verses with new ears. As I have written before scripture is truly the living word of God. It meets us wherever we are...it takes us to new heights and depths of understanding.

The words I most often remember hearing from this gospel are...

"Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar,
and there recall that your brother
has anything against you,
leave your gift there at the altar,
go first and be reconciled with your brother,
and then come and offer your gift."

Those words had always made an impact on me because it shows how directly connected we must be with our prayer life and our daily life,

We cannot just come to church and pretend all is right in our lives

when we are harboring ill feelings toward another.

If you know that someone is holding something against you;

it just might be up to you to make the first move.

You may be the one who has to reach out in forgiveness and understanding.

And this is often very hard to do...

believe me I know I have been in that place.

I previously thought this passage was referring to actual hatred.

Yes, I know we are to love one another so I usually let this gospel

tumble down beside me.

Hating someone is really not in my nature, no matter how upset I am.

But today the words that popped out to me were those from earlier in the passage...

"...whoever is angry with his brother
will be liable to judgment..."

Anger...what is the driving force behind anger? Why do we hold on to it?

How does it serve us? Is it ever justifiable?

Being angry does not mean that you are ready to kill someone, but it tarnishes your soul. Anger makes you less likely to appreciate even your own relationship with God.

Anger gets in the way. Anger is like a huge weight attached to your heart and soul.

Anger is so huge that we have classes for anger management. Anger left to run unbridled can result in serious consequences. Road rage comes to mind.

Taking one's anger into the car and acting it out

behind the wheel can literally kill someone.

What an awful thought.

Anger cannot be left to its own outcomes, because it has no built in controls.

Anger is like a snowball rolling down hill. It keeps gaining speed and increasing in size until it either hits bottom or crashes into a larger obstacle.

Anger must be controlled from without through a conscious effort and hard work.

Uncontrolled anger can lead us to a place we would otherwise never have ventured.

People say love is blind; well anger takes this concept of blindedness to a whole different dimension.

"...leave your gift there at the altar,
go first and be reconciled..."

Leaving your gift at the altar requires you to think about the other person. Leaving your gift at the altar means leaving your ego there as well. If you do not leave your gift of yourself then reconciling with another is more difficult.

Reconciling without your self means setting aside your agenda, your feeling...your ego. Do not carry anger with you to the altar. It will only make you feel like a hypocrite on the inside; even if only you know.

Anger cannot become a part of one who is completely in love with God.

For our wel-being of mind body and spirit we must train ourselves to let go of anger.

Anger deeply held for years can cause serious health complications.

If you are troubled with anger issues seek guidance. It may take professional counseling. Don't let anger eat up your insides and tarnish your heart.

 The greatest commandment is love

because it is both

easy and difficult to love

depending on the circumstances.

"...be reconciled...
and then come and offer your gift."

Anger shatters your gift before you are able to give freely of yourself.

The Test of Fire

~~~ Kings 18:20-39 ~~~ Psalm 16 ~~~ Matt. 5:17-19 ~~~
St. Anthony of Padua
Priest and Doctor of the church

The test of fire! Make up your minds..."How long will you straddle the issue?"

What were the people waiting for? why was it so difficult for them to decide?

Were they fearful of making the wrong decision? Did they need proof?

Elijah organizes a contest of fire between the gods...the Lord God and Baal.

Elijah was going to prove his point be using pyrotechnics.

Elijah was confident that his God would ignite the fire and that Baal would do nothing.

The local people were more than eager to enter into this contest of fire.

They followed all of the set up guidelines; refraining from lighting the fire themselves.

The more they danced and cried out to Baal the more frustrated they became at his silence and lack of response. 

God does not answer just because we scream and holler, dance around or inflict injury upon ourselves. Elijah called the people to himself and
demonstrated how to prepare for the Lord.

"He took twelve stones, for the number of tribes of the sons of Jacob,
to whom the LORD had said, "Your name shall be Israel."
He built an altar in honor of the LORD with the stones,
and made a trench around the altar
large enough for two measures of grain.
When he had arranged the wood,
he cut up the young bull and laid it on the wood.
"Fill four jars with water," he said,
"and pour it over the burnt offering and over the wood."
"Do it again," he said, and they did it again.
"Do it a third time," he said,
and they did it a third time.
The water flowed around the altar,
and the trench was filled with the water."

When all was prepared Elijah prayed to the Lord.

"LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,
let it be known this day that you are God in Israel
and that I am your servant
and have done all these things by your command.
Answer me, LORD!
Answer me, that this people may know that you, LORD, are God
and that you have brought them back to their senses."
Well if you continue to read this passage you see that God does indeed ignite the fire right before their very eyes. And this fire consumes everything it reaches the water.

In our own lives we can be consumed with the fire of God's love.
It is possible just look at the lives of the saints.

The key element in Elijah's prayer is that he relinquishes all credit
submitting it to God. He clearly states that he is the servant of God.
Mother Teresa considered herself a mere pencil in the hand of God.
We will certainly run into problems when we try to take credit for those things accomplished through God alone. Who are we without God?

For whatever reason the people needed proof of the power of God to believe.
Blessed are those who believe without seeing.
No matter how much I may want God to reveal himself in my life
or to answer a prayer request for a loved one;
 all things are in his time.
Scripture tells us in Ecclesiastes there is a time for everything.

God alone knows the timetable.
God alone knows what we need.
God alone is our hope.
In him we place our trust.

Do you believe, God alone is enough?

Salt and Light

~~~ Kings 17: 7-16 ~~~ Psalm 4 ~~~ Matt. 5: 13-16 ~~~

Salt and Light...two things very important and familiar to the early Christians.

Salt as we know is important even for us today. In Biblical times salt was used to create a covenant with another individual.

Salt is a preservative; so without the luxury of refrigeration meat was encased in salt to keep it from spoiling. Salt is necessary for our body to function properly. Without salt your body suffers grave consequences.

Salt is as important as water for the human body.

Back to the covenant of salt used in the Bible. A Biblical salt covenant was unbreakable with the penalty being death.

In Pauls letter to the Colossians he say, "Let you speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you know how you should respond to each other."

The words we speak to one another when seasoned with salt will be words of kindness

...words used to preserve the relationship between you and the other person.

Honoring a salt covenant implies being honest and trustworthy.

You would not blindlessly or carelessly enter into a salt covenant.

If for some reason a salt covenant is to be dissolved then it would no longer be

useful for either participant. A broken trust would break the covenant. Later of course through reconcilliation another convenant could be agreed upon.

Immediately following this example of the salt covenant Jesus speaks of light.

Back in thise days it got really dark once the sun set. They did not have the modern conveniences we have today...electricity. Fire provided their source of light either on a torch or in the form of an oil lamp.

On occasion when our power has been out I have experimented with lifting the candle or the flashlight up higher as opposed to waist level. What I discovered is that when to light is lifted higher it casts light on a wider area.

So it makes sense that the oil lamp would be placed on a lampstand.

The lampstand would also serve as place of safety for the fire.

Naturally it is difficult to hide an open flame especially under a basket.

Perhaps Jesus is saying you cannot hide what I have given you. Plus you should not want to hide your gifts. Instead let your light shine for all to see just as your words are seasoned with salt. You light must illuminate the path as you journey with your sisters and brothers.

Whatever gifts God has given you must be taken out and used not kept hidden under a basket. For even under a basket tiny bits of light will still escape. Light is powerful.

Even the smallest source of light pierces the darkness.

No matter what you may think about your gifts when we join our gifts together for one cause the combined light created will shine like a beacon into the darkness.

Jesus is the Light of the World he came to dispel all darkness.

We needed him to bring us his light otherwise we would still be stumbling in the darkness. Even today, we have those who do not want to see the light and keep themselves closed off in the darkness.

Just as the widows flour and jar of oil was replenished;

our light souce will never run out of fuel. We only have to return to him often

and our light will be made bright once again.

Keep the flame burning!

Encouraged By Others

~~~ Acts 11: 21b-26; 13: 1-3 ~~~ Psalm 98 ~~~ Matt. 10: 7-13 ~~~

Barnabas was encouraged by what he saw and experienced

with the faithful in Antioch.

Even though Barnabas was a good man, filled with Holy Spirit and faith,

 he still benefited from seeing how the grace of God was working

in and through the people of Antioch.

I think this perhaps holds true for our clergy and ministers today. When you can witness God and the Spirit working and moving among your community;

you must be encouraged in your own faith and ministry.

The opposite holds true for the community. When the community experiences

the faith and commitment of their ministers they too are encouraged.

We are here to build up one another. It works both ways...

minister to community and community to minister.

How frustrating it would be for a minister

who saw no growth or faithfulness within his own small community.

These first Christians were on fire with the spirit and were hungry to learn more.

How encouraging would it be for our ministers today to have a similar experience.

Barnabas could not take credit for what he experienced. He could however,

rejoice in what he found to be evident.

When you are part of a faith filled community

it is easier to believe these words of Jesus,

"The kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Go out into the world and do good works because you have been given gifts.

You have been given the gift of faith without cost. Take nothing with you as you go out not even sandals or a walking stick.

The Lord will provide all your needs.

The Lord will guide your steps, do not inhibit them even with sandals.

Do not obstruct the path with sandals between your feet and the road.

There is no need of a walking stick because the Lord will lead the way.

 He will clear the path you will take. Trust in him to keep you steady on your feet. Loving the Lord is what keeps you balanced in all your undertakings.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.

Mark 5:12

Corpus Christi: Jesus Shares Himself

Corpus Christi

The Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Exodus 24: 3-8 ~~~ Psalm 116 ~~~ Heb. 9: 11-15 ~~~ Mark 14:12-16, 22-26 ~~~

I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.

How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?

These words from psalm 116 are so beautiful. There is no way that we can truly make a return to the Lord. The Lord wants us to believe and to follow as best as we can in his footsteps of love, compassion, and forgiveness.

The best we can do is to be forever thankful for all that he has done for us.

The gospel today reads like a screenplay for a movie...

Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying s jar of water.

Follow him.

When they do arrive at the chosen house they are led to a large upper room furnished and ready. Everything has been prepared ahead of time for the feast of Passover; for Jesus and his disciples were devout Jews.

Tucked into this annual Passover celebration was the nucleus of what we believe.

Jesus pronounces the words of consecration of the Eucharist.

Our ministers today are still using those very words spoken many years ago in this upper room. Words which Jesus intentionally uses to institute the the Bread and Wine into his very being.

"While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, gave it to them, and said, 'Take it, this is my body.' Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, 'This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many'."

As we recite during the Mass...

'When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim your death,

Lord Jesus Christ, and your rising to eternal life.'

Jesus is the Bread of Life whoever believes has eternal life.

Jesus himself says, I am the Bread of Life. 

Today we rejoice in the Eucharist...

the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ

that was given up;

sacrificed for our salvation.

He alone was the perfect sacrifice offered for the atonement of our sins.

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life because he is the conduit

through which we pass to our promised eternal inheritance.

We have been saved and nourished through the mystery of the Body

and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Each time we take and drink from the cup and each time we take and eat the bread we enter into this great Divine Mystery. We become part of the mystery;

because we consume this precious Body and Blood.

This bread and wine are processed into our bodily cells for food.

Physically and spiritually we are fed. He gave himself to us as bread and wine for the journey. The journey; returning back to him where we belong. 

  

Prepare your upper room for the Lord wants to remain in you.

Believe that you might have life eternal.

Jesus shares his very essence with us each time we eat and drink

at his table. Your 'Amen' is your verbal conviction to his presence.

It is by Faith that we Believe.

Pray for God to decrease any disbelief you may harbor silently within.