No Excuses Allowed

~~~Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time~~~

 

~~1 King of Kings 19:16b, 19-21~~Psalm 16 ~~Galatians 5:1, 13-18~~Luke 9:51-62~~

 

Why was it easier for uneducated fishermen to leave their nets behind to 'follow' Jesus?

Today we find the invitation to 'follow him' so challenging.

We, like the two people in the gospel, can find so many excuses.

 

What excuses have you given yourself for not 'following' Jesus faithfully?

 

The gospel also presents us with procrastination

 as a reason to not 'following' Jesus.

While God is certainly patient with us, when he calls

we should answer as quickly as possible.

 

What are you waiting for? What if the invitation only comes once?

Jesus is not static; he moves on.

 

I have often wondered why his apostles 'followed' him so promptly...

was it his voice, his demeanor, his eyes, the expression on his face?

 

They certainly did not 'follow him' for any of his earthly possessions...

for he did not even have a place to lay his head.

 

 

Following Jesus…

If you are following Jesus, you cannot stay in the garden praying.

You cannot retreat to the desert alone.

You cannot lock yourself away in the upper room.

You cannot become stuck in fear. You cannot live paralyzed unable to walk.

If you are following Jesus you must go all the way to the foot of the cross.

You must accept ownership of your contribution in his crucifixion.

You must take up your cross and carry it to the foot of his cross.

You must let the salvific drops of his blood splash on you.

If you are following Jesus you must get close enough

to experience his glory and his pain.

Following Jesus is not sitting at home in your comfy arm chair.

 Following Jesus means walking the dusty roads.

 Following Jesus means knowing when to kick off the dust…

...knowing when to move forward….knowing when to leave.

Following Jesus means allowing him to mold you and use you as he wills;

not as you may desire. Following Jesus means you are

 strong and convicted in your faith.

Every day you follow Jesus you open yourself up

to possibilities beyond your wildest imagination.

Following Jesus is not for wimps; it requires stamina and perseverance.

Every day you follow Jesus he showers you

with sufficient grace to make it through one more day.

Every day you follow Jesus you are abundantly blessed.

He is the way, the truth, and the life.

He leads us to green pastures.

He is the light for the path. He always shows us the way to love.

 

When you commit to 'following Jesus' your cup will be overflowing with Blessings.

Saved by the Light

 

The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul

 

~~Acts of the Apostles 12:1-11 ~~Psalm 34~~2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18~~Matthew 16:13-19~~

'...prayer by the Church was fervently being made
to God on his behalf.'

 

Peter and Paul both saw the light...one was freed from physical chains

the other was physically blinded by the light.

 

Peter was imprisoned, shackled and guarded by soldiers on each side. 

There were additional guards outside.

 

There is no way Peter was going to escape from this prison.

Only by the grace of God and his angels is Peter released from his chains.

 

Even though the presence of the angels filled the cell

with light Peter did not wake up.

How many times have I 'slept' through a situation 

that was filling the space with light?

God's light streams into my soul and yet I still can miss it.

 

Prayer has power...

keep prayer on your lips and in your heart. 

 

Why is it that I am not able to identify the source of the light?

 

The angel of the Lord actually tapped Peter on the shoulder an told him to get up.

How I long for the angel of the Lord to come and tap me on the shoulder

with a direct message from God.

 

 

 

The gates opened so Peter could safely escape to safety.

Paul's eyes were opened so that he could see his new calling in life.

 

Both Peter and Paul give us beautiful and strong examples

of how much they loved the Lord.

 

Paul changes from persecuting Christians to being 

 a fervent proclaimer of the way of the Lord.  

Peter openly confesses his love for Jesus;

with all of his human short comings.

 

These two saints made the ultimate sacrifice

for their love of Jesus.

 

'...who do you say that I am?'

 

They answered the question with the pouring out of their blood.

They both finished the race and kept the faith.

They kept the faith for us.

 

Ultimately we each must answer the same question.

At the end of my life

 I want to be able to look into the eyes of Our Lord

 and hear the words,

'...my beloved daughter, you have

finished the race...you have kept the faith well.'

 

Blessings come in light from God.

Who Has the Last Word?

 

~~~ Genesis 17:1, 9-10, 15-22 ~~~ Psalm 128 ~~~ Matthew 8:1-4 ~~~

 

 Abraham prostrated himself and laughed as he said to himself,
“Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old?
Or can Sarah give birth at ninety?”

 

It is probably not a good idea to laugh at the words of God.

When God is determined to get your attention,

he sometimes makes use of what we would consider outrageous.
All things are possible with God.
We never need to wonder if God will do what he says.
It is God that changes names...
today he changes Sarai to Sarah.

Most parents I know spend much time picking
 just the right name before their baby is born.
When God changes someone's name it indicates he has
 simultaneously changed their life.

God wanted Sarah to see herself as a new woman
even though she was at the end of her life.

 

 

The woman formerly known as Sarai was old, and barren.
Sarah was rejuvenated from within...
God blessed her with new life.
She would from then on know herself as a mother.
 From that day forward she would not question God's plan.
From that day forward she was given a new passion for life.
I think life begets more life.

Her despair was turned to a joy filled hope beyond her imagination.
She had given up the hope of conceiving...
but God changed everything.
God gave Isaac to Sarah and Abraham.
If there is any part of your life where you have lost hope
trust that God has his plan still to come.

God has the last words of blessing.
He alone gives life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Obedience to God

 

~~~ Genesis 16:1-12, 15-16 ~~~ Psalm 106 ~~~ Matthew 7:21-29 ~~~

 

Living most of my life along the coast,

I am very much aware of the best place to build your house.

The closer you build your house to the sandy beach

 the more likely the next hurricane will wash it away.

 

The sand washes in with the high waters and is quickly swept out to sea.

Once the sand has become unstable the greater the chance

 it will be unable to hold your foundation.

 

The opposite is also true, if you anchor your foundation firmly into rock

it will be much more stable even under the attack

of hurricane force winds.

 

If we hear the words of God and do not act according to his will

 it will be as if we have built our house on the sand. 

The first crisis life hurls at us we will be down on the dirt.

 

'Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house 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.'

 

  

...only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 

 

 Paying Sunday lip service to God will not be enough to get you into heaven.

 You must conform yourself to the will of God.
Doing the will of God even when you mat not understand.
Doing the will of God when it is difficult;
as in the case of Hagar.
She was near the living spring waters when she heard God's message.
She fled her abusive mistress, but God's messenger sent her back.
She was pregnant with Abram's son, Ishmael.
God had given her new life...she carried it in her womb.

God blessed her with a child and heard her prayers
Blessed are they who observe what is right,
who do always what is just.

Hagar was blessed because she was obedient to God.
She was obedient in the face of difficult circumstances.
It is easy to do the will of God when his will and our desires coincide.
The real test of obedience comes
when we must obey even though his will is not our will.

 

God will never put us in a situation to do wrong.
Doing the will of God is right and just even when we cannot see with his eyes.

Blessings come through obedience to God's will.

Antioxidants for the Soul

~~~ Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 ~~~ Psalm 105 ~~~ Matthew 7:15-20 ~~~

 

The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

 

By their fruits you will know them.

 

The Lord is forever faithful to his promises.

God made a covenant with Abram that he would have offspring as numerous

 as the stars in the sky.

 

At times we would like to be known by what we produce, if all is going well.

Other times we would like to disown our own offspring, resulting from poor decisions.

 

Saint Monica spent years praying for Saint Augustine.

He was the fruit of her womb and he was enticed by worldly pleasures for many years.

She was a good and holy mother who never gave up on her son.

 

She was confident that her son would be a good person.

She was expecting to reap the benefits of her fervent prayers.

Eventually she saw her son transformed by God's grace.
 

Must all of our works produce a harvest?

Is it our fault if our works do not yield fruit?

Is it acceptable to perform without producing anything of value?

 

These are tough questions.

By now you must know that God does not call the qualified to work for him.

Instead God qualifies those he has called to work for him.

He showers his chosen with sufficient grace,

but sometime we open up our umbrella in defense?

 

 

 

 We try to deflect his grace.

It is expected for God to keep up his half of the covenant.
We, on the other hand, often fall short of doing our part.

We complain about the least little sacrifice we are asked to make.
We want to walk away from our cross,
leaving it lying there on the ground behind us.

We want to pick the ripe juicy fruit without shedding one drop of blood.
We want to avoid all of the thorn bushes and thistles.

When I think of the wild blackberry bushes,
 I am reminded of the sweetness of the berry if you can get past the many thorns.

Too many times we may not see the fruit because of the thorns.
I believe that God does make all things for good.

It is up to me as an individual to follow through.
It is up to me to bear good fruit.

The fruit that I bear and that which you produce may be very different;
but fruit just the same.
If keeping your side of the covenant means bearing good fruit
then I can only pray for the grace to make God proud.

I have heard it said...God does not make junk.

So by their fruits you will know them.

What do your fruits say about who you are?
We can always improve the quality of our fruits.
We have many aids at our finger tips...
the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, come to mind.

Others will know we are Christians by our love.
Love is the super fruit...loaded with antioxidants for your soul.

Reap the many Blessings of your Faith.

Natural Beauty

~~~ Genesis 13:2, 5-18 ~~~ Psalm 15 ~~~ Matthew 7:6, 12-14 ~~~

 

Holiness...dogs....pearls...swine...

How are these things related?

Holiness is associated with the beauty of the soul.

Pearls are worn to enhance a woman's physical beauty.

One is invisible;

 the other draws attention to the person who wears them.

 

Holiness of the soul causes one to radiate a beauty from above...heavenly.

A woman's physical beauty is enhanced by the pearls she wears.

Beauty from wearing pearls comes from the material world.

 

Holiness comes through following Christ and daily carrying your cross.

Pearls are formed because of an irritation within the muscle shell.

 

You would not want to intentionally damage the beauty

of either the pearls or your holiness.

 

Dogs and especially swine were considered

 unclean during Biblical times.

If your holiness were to become infected

with fleas from the dogs this would taint the beauty.

Sin of any sort,

but perhaps even venial sin

 is like the first couple of fleas on the dog.

Within a short time the fleas multiply and the problem is serious.

 

Swine wallow in the cool mud, their preferred spot of repose.

Who would take a beautiful strand of pearls and intentionally

drag them through a puddle of mud?

 

 

Using your holiness and appreciating the beauty of your pearls

may inspire you to treat others better than they might expect to be treated

by you or anyone else.

 

Keep your holiness free from sinful indulgences.

Keep your pearls free from dust and dirt; retain their luster.

 

Take care to seek the narrow gate leading toward eternal life.

Holiness will guide your way while the beauty of the pearls

will help keep you focused.

 

Consciously guard your holiness and your pearls.

Keep them away from all that is harmful to them.

Grace from God supplies your soul with the natural beauty of holiness.
When you see a string of pearls be reminded of the natural
inner beauty bestowed upon you.

Let your actions reflect your
Natural Inner Beauty.

 

The Potential Within

~~~ Nativity of John the Baptist ~~~

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

 

'...I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.'
 

The conception of a child is always a miraculous event,

but for Elizabeth it was exceptional.

She was beyond normal child bearing age and her husband was very skeptical.

John the Baptist was 'wonderfully made'.
He was the last prophet to proclaim the coming of the Messiah.
His vocation in life was to prepare the way for Jesus.
John is the voice crying out from the desert...the desert,
where he spent most of his life.

 

Birthdays can be a time of excitement and celebration in families.

This is surely the case for the parents of John the Baptist.

He brought great joy to his parents.

Zechariah's rejuvenated faith is followed by the return of his voice.

He quickly blesses God for his new born son.

The neighbors were also touched by this surprising birth.

All who heard these things took them to heart...

realizing he was destined for something greater than they knew.

John physically grew, but more importantly he grew in spirit.

God was at work in John's life from the moment of his conception.

Before he could go out, the Lord filled him with the spirit.

As soon as Mary brings Jesus to Elizabeth, the spirit of John begins his mission.
John never doubts or questions God's plan.
He knew God had plans for him to be a great prophet.  

 God prepared John so that John could prepare the way for Jesus to come.

 

 

 God chose John and formed him to be the one to prepare the way.
The coming of the Messiah was such a historical event
it would take years of intense preparation.

Today we celebrate the recognition of the unborn Christ by the unborn John.
This is a day to rejoice in the Lord.
Two people chosen by God to bring Jesus into this world come together.
The mother and the prophet meet and share their uncommon calling.

John and Jesus brought together through their mother's relationship.
Today we celebrate the Vocation of Prophet.
His name is John.
Give us the vision, Lord, to see the unborn Christ in those we meet.
The potential within is such a special blessing.

Will You 'Sync' With Jesus?

~~~Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

 

~~Zechariah 12:10-11; 13:1~~Psalm 63~~Gal 3:26-29~~Luke 9:18-24~~

 

Jesus gets personal today with not only Peter but each of us.

'...who do you say that I am?'

 

This is the question we must answer for ourselves.

Jesus wants a direct answer not a string of empty words grouped together.

Jesus wants us to look at his face and speak to him.

 

Some will quickly claim Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Jesus goes on telling Peter what the future holds for him...

suffering, rebuke, death, and finally resurrection.

 

Those who confess belief in Jesus will also endure suffering and hardships.

 

 

"If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow me."

 

Following Jesus is not like belonging to some elite country club.

Following Jesus is not a life of lounging around the pool sipping mint juleps.

Following Jesus is not sailing off to an exotic paradise island.

 

If you want to follow Jesus you must synchronize your life with his.

Now days in this age of technology we hear about 'syncing'

our data from one device to another.

With Jesus it is not quite as easy.

We cannot just tap our phones together.

 

Syncing your life to the life of Jesus requires pain and suffering.

It requires taking up your cross daily.

 

When you reflect on the question 

who do you say that I am

you may be somewhat reluctant to answer.

You may instead want to shy away from responding;

lest you must also accept the accompanying cross of suffering.

 

St. Paul tells us we are all one in Christ through our Baptism.

We are one with Christ,

 we are united with him in his suffering too.

 

Are you willing to 'sync' your life with Jesus?

 

Blessings are in your personal answer...

Who do YOU say that Jesus is?

Worry Versus Trust

~~~ 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 ~~~ Psalm 34 ~~~ Matthew 6:24-34 ~~~

 

...do not worry about your life...
 

...Are not you more important...

 

....will he not much more provide for you...

 

...So do not worry...

 

...Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself...

 

No matter how many times in the same passage
we hear about having faith and trust,

we still worry.

 

Worry robs you of the present moment in time.

When we worry we are in effect saying we do not believe

God will take care of us or our loved ones.

 

We do see how all of nature is provided for by God,

but we see our state as different.

We pretend to take all the credit for our well being.

The truth is we only work in concert with God.

Ask God to remove the plague of worry from your life.

Instead entrust your would be worries to God.

He is always there listening. 

 

 

I recently received this in an email.

It has a beautiful message about embracing the present...

living in the present.

 

I AM

 

I was regretting the past

and fearing the future

Suddenly my Lord was speaking:

My name is I AM.

When you live in the past,

with its mistakes and regrets,

it is hard. I am not there.

My name is not I Was.

When you live in the future,
with its problems and fears,

it is hard. I am not there.
My name is not I Will Be.
When you live in this moment,
it is not hard. I am here.
My name is I AM.

(Helen Mallicoat)

 

Does your worrying remove any of your fears?

I admit I am guilty at times of worrying about things that never come to pass.

Being prepared for the unforeseen event is not the same

as worrying about what could happen.

The time we spend worrying will never make a difference in the future.
The real blessings lie in trusting in the present.

Where is Your Treasure?

~~~ 2 Corinthians 11:18, 21-30 ~~~ Psalm 34 ~~~ Matthew 6:19-23 ~~~

 

'...store up treasures in heaven...

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

 

What do you truly treasure?

Is it your friends and family? Is it your faith in God?

Is it your material possessions? Is it your social status? Is it your acquired wealth?

Is it your reputation? Is it your health?

Perhaps your answer is a combination of all of the above.

Our heart leads us to live with passion.

You cannot treasure something without having space for it in your heart.

 

A treasure holds specific value.

Something treasured is protected from damage.

 

After a natural disaster we often see people carefully

 combing through the remains of their life.

They are compelled to salvage whatever they can...

What they find now becomes their treasure.

Many come to treasure life itself a little more...just having survived.

 

Jesus wants us to look beyond our earthly treasures.

They will all pass away.

The treasures that matter most are not visible with the naked eye.

The treasures that matter most have one thing in common;

love is always part of the equation.

Only those treasures inspired by love can be stored in heaven.

We can only withdraw from our treasure chest of love.

Whatever else we think we have stored up will not survive...

only love will remain.

Love is more precious than gold, silver, or jewels.  

 

 

  And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.

 

 I find this verse to be particularly disturbing.

If the only 'light' in your heart is darkness then you have no light.

If you have no light how then are you to see anything?

Physically our eyes need a light source to function properly.

 

Jesus is the light of the world without him we are truly 'in the dark'.

We are children of the light.

Treasure this light.

Let this light of Christ shine forth from your heart.

 

If you treasure his light it will be reflected out toward others.

If you have light in your heart it will seep out.

You cannot keep it contained. 

 

Blessings are in what you treasure within your heart.

Can you see them? 

Foolishness: Songs and Wood Curls

 

~~~ 2 Corinthians 11:1-11~~~ Psalm 111 ~~~ Matthew 6:7-15 ~~~

 

Brothers and sisters:
If only you would put up with a little foolishness from me!
Please put up with me.

 

I love these opening verses from St. Paul.

Perhaps it is not necessary to always take ourselves seriously.

Is it acceptable to have fun and act foolishly, occasionally?

I say, yes.

We do not hear too much in the Bible about Jesus having fun.

He did attend wedding feasts which usually are fun-filled events.

He shared meals with his apostles.

How can you gather for a meal without sharing some good laughs?

 

Jesus grew up in a home where his mother, Mary probably sang to him.

Jesus grew up in a home where his father, Joseph worked with wood.

Tiny little curls of wood shavings probably twirled across the floor.

 

Singing and playing with curls of wood can be very fun.

 

Paul reveals his sense of humor here in the final verses...

By the truth of Christ in me,
this boast of mine shall not be silenced...
And why? Because I do not love you?
God knows I do!

Thanks for putting up with me...

thanks for listening to me boast about my outstanding qualities.

In the end Paul confirms his love for his  friends and faithful followers.

 

 

Jesus gives us the perfect prayer; a prayer spoken from the heart.

Jesus says you do not need lengthy, wordy prayers.

He wants us to pray to our heavenly Father.

The Our Father is a simple prayer of praise, petition,

surrender, and mercy.

Giving to God what belongs to God.

 

God does indeed put up with much foolishness from us.

The difference is that we usually do not even realize we are being foolish.

 

Sincerely pray the Lord's Prayer;

it is not foolish or a waste of your time.

One day as you recite this familiar prayer

you may be blessed with new sight.

You may receive something

from these words that revitalizes your heart.

 

God is equally at work in the familiar

as well as the unknown spaces of our heart.

He is at work in the mother's song and among the scattered curls of wood.

The 'Aha' may even appear as foolishness for the moment.

 

Thank you for stopping by this page today!

The Triple Crown of Christian Life

~~~ 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 ~~~ Psalm 112 ~~~ Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 ~~~

 

Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving...

the trifecta of the Christian life.

Prayer acknowledging that there is a God who cares and listens to us.

Fasting a means to become better focused on listening to the voice of God.

Almsgiving a generous way to give from our personal abundance.

 

These three have been valued throughout all times across varied cultures.

 

The readings today spotlight almsgiving.

There is even a touch of what we might consider cliché verbiage...

God loves a cheerful giver.

 

I had a close relative who was very generous with his money,

 but there were always strings attached.

I will give you this; if you promise to do such and such.

Somehow these little strings placed a damper over the gift.

It sometimes made me wonder if it really was a gift...or just bribery in disguise.

At times I felt like I did not want to accept the gift

because of the accompanying stipulations.

 

I think God has a very different idea when it comes to our almsgiving.

He instead ties it to farming.

Gift giving is like planting seeds which will bear fruit in the future.

One does not sow a seed only if it will produce the most perfect fruit.

Instead we sow many seeds knowing that some will not bear fruit...

some will never even take root, but still they are planted.

 

God is able to make every grace abundant for you...

 

Jesus gives us direct guidelines on these three pillars of a holy life.

 

Almsgiving...

But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

Prayer...

But 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.

Fasting...

But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to others to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”

 

These three actions have one very obvious thing in common;

they should all take place in secret.

We are not to broadcast what we are doing.

 

Drawing attention to ourselves for what we are doing detracts

from the purpose God had in mind.

 

Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are best undertaken in privacy.

There is no benefit from boasting about how much you have given to the poor.

There is no benefit in proclaiming your denial through fasting.

There is no benefit is broadcasting how much time you spend in prayer each day.

 

If we are blessed with riches then they should

cause us to give thanks for the generosity of God.  

All that we have has come to us through Our Lord Jesus Christ...

from whom all good things come.

 

Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving...the triple crown of Christian life.

Each one holds its unique blessings.

Complete...Whole...Perfect

~~~ 2 Corinthians 8:1-9 ~~~ Psalm 146 ~~~ Matthew 5:43-48 ~~~

 

So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

 

Matthew just sort of throws in this little verse for good measure.

If you are a believer then you might as well go all the way...

that is you might as well strive to be perfect.

Actually this is not what the writer meant.

 

In the ancient text perfect meant to be whole...to be complete.

It is only in Christ that we can come close to being perfect.

We can only reach this state of wholeness

when we are united with Jesus in heaven.

For now it is our daily task.

It is compounded by the fact that most of us do not realize

ourselves as being less than complete.

 

We do not view ourselves in the deficit column.

Most of the time we are half of what we could be;

certainly not perfect.

We have been offered something great to strive toward.

 

We do not love completely.

We do not give completely.

We do not forgive completely.

 

What is whole and complete in our lives?

The truth is nothing.

What a disappointment...to not have one whole thing in our life.

 

 

The closest we can come in this world to perfection

 is when we remove the focus from our self.

When we are no longer infatuated with ourselves;

then we come closer to being whole...perfect.

It sounds like a contradiction but it is the truth.

We cannot be complete until we go outside of ourselves...

until we look to those around us who are in need.

 

Every person we come in contact with

is in need of something that we can offer.

You are in each others life for a reason...to bring one another

 closer to wholeness; that is perfection.

 

Jesus came down to live among us

...he became poor although he was rich,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.

 

Jesus shows us what it means to be complete...whole...perfect.

He clothed himself with our fragile human form.

Through this supreme sacrifice he brought to perfection the will of the Father.

He made it possible for us to once again be whole and complete...

to enter into everlasting life with him in heaven.

 

The depth of our relationship with God

will be fleshed out in the wholeness of who we become.

Unless we have this God relationship

we can never be complete,

whole or perfect.

 

Work on this relationship with God and you will be

on your way to becoming perfect.

The more we come to realize how much God loves us

the more we will be able to love others.

Blessings of wholeness

stream down from the perfection of God.

Retaliation or Mercy?

~~~ 2 Corinthians 6:1-10 ~~~ Psalm 98 ~~~ Matthew 5:38-42 ~~~

 

When I first began teaching

 I was expected to administer corporal punishment

to unruly students in my third grade classroom.

I remember one day in particular standing in the Principal's office

 with a young boy who was mostly non compliant.

 I was handed the wooden paddle, told him to bend over,

hooked a finger from my left hand into one of his belt loops

and the swats commenced.

 

On this particular day after the child

was sent to sit in the foyer to wait

I was informed by the principal that I did not paddle hard enough.

 From that day forward I never brought another student

 to the office to be disciplined with the paddle.

I could never understand how such a display of power, control,

and pain belonged in our schools.

 

Physical punishment connected to education seems to send

the wrong message to the child.

Violence is not the way to get cooperation.

 

In today's gospel we have the well known verse...

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

Jesus is suggesting that his followers take the complete opposite approach.

When you have been wronged do not retaliate in kind.

There is wisdom in the saying two wrongs do not make a right...it is not logical.

Certainly Jesus never reacted with violence.

 

He reached out to those who disagreed with him and later

 to those who persecuted him.

When someone wrongs you this is your opportunity to rise above

what your initial reaction of retaliation might dictate.

 

 

As a follower of Christ we know

 that we are given the sufficient grace to respond with mercy.

No one said this would be easy.

No one said this would feel right at first.

We all want justification for our actions, especially when we have been wronged.

 

Paul is such a beautiful example of what our attitude should be...

We cause no one to stumble in anything,
in order that no fault may be found with our ministry;
on the contrary, in everything we commend ourselves
as ministers of God...

 

It takes a certain amount of detachment

to control ones desire to justify our taking 'an eye for an eye'.

 

Proverbs 24:29 sums it up for us...

Do not say, “As they did to me, so will I do to them;

I will repay them according to their deeds.”

 

If we retaliate, then we are contributing

 to the continuation of the culture of wrong doing.

 

It is only possible to follow Jesus

 if we are determined to respond to our enemies with kindness and mercy.

This may never come as our natural response,

but rather our response through the intention of our heart.

 

Our commitment to Christ requires us to also be merciful.

My prayer is that I will be up to the task when I am challenged to engage mercy.

I know there will be times when I will need an extra helping of grace.

So I ask, 'which is easier; retaliation or mercy?'

A Tale of Two Women

~~~ 2 Samuel 12:7-10, 13 ~~~ Psalm 32 ~~~ Galatians 2:16, 19-21 ~~~ Luke 7:36—8:3 ~~~

 

David lusted after Uriah's wife, Bathsheba.

He became so intent on possessing her for his own

that he set up the death of her husband.

 

The sins of David were serious, but God never hesitated to forgive him.

God waited patiently until David came to an understanding

of the gravity of his sins.

 

Then David said to Nathan,
“I have sinned against the LORD.”
Nathan answered David:
“The LORD on his part has forgiven your sin:
you shall not die.”

 

Bathsheba was taken in the sin of adultery by her murderous King.

As a woman she had to obey when summoned by David.

Of course this does not excuse her part in their sin of adultery.

 

 

I think we are given these two serious sins, murder and adultery,

 in the same reading today so that we might better understand.

There is no sin, no matter how grave or serious,

 that God is not capable of forgiving. 

 

Paul says

...I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me...

 

The woman in today's gospel realized she was a sinful woman.

She came to pay homage to the one she believed to be the Messiah.

 

'...she stood behind him at his feet weeping...' 

 

 She did not want to interrupt his meal she just wanted to serve him.

She came in repentance for her sins.

She came bringing the finest ointment she had.

She did not leave her gift sealed in the jar.

She cracked it open revealing the fragrant ointment.

This was the fragrance of her remorse for hers sins.

Her tears fell upon the feet of Jesus.

She used her hair, symbolic of her feminine beauty, to wipe his feet.

These feet that had walked down the dusty dirty road to the house.

 

Her humility was greater than her concern for protocol.

 She proceeded to kiss his feet.

Whose feet would you kiss today?

Tiny baby feet are typically the feet I would most likely want to kiss.

 

I can only imagine this woman's joy when she heard these words form Jesus...

“Your sins are forgiven.”

 

“Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” 

She came to Jesus because in her heart she believed

 he would accept her as she was...

a sinful woman. 

 

Bathsheba was ordered to appear before David.

They committed their sin together.

Two women one coming for forgiveness the other coming to commit sin.

 

God forgives all sin if we seek his forgiveness.

If we do not seek this forgiveness

how can we expect to be forgiven?

 

Two women one with beauty the other with tears.

God draws us into his presence

so that we will desire his forgiveness. 

Once forgiven we too can join Paul in proclaiming...

...I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me...

Can You Let Go?

~~~ 2 Corinthians 5:14-21~~~ Psalm 103 ~~~ Matthew 5:33-37 ~~~

 

So whoever is in Christ is a new creation:
the old things have passed away...

Perhaps this is why some refer to becoming Christian as being born again.

If we live our life in and for Christ we are putting aside our old selfish ways.

If we are to be a part of this 'new creation' then we too must be changed.

 

What are the old things that must pass away?

How do we identify the old things?

How do we slough them off?

How can we leave them behind; they represent our areas of comfort.

 

Do you really want to be a new creation?

There is something soothing about the tried and true...the old.

 

...given us the ministry of reconciliation...

Part of the new creation is our ministry of reconciliation.

Reconciling our differences with another person

removes the burrs from your heart.

Reconciling differences with another does not mean that you are the patsy

 who caves in to confrontation.

Reconciling promotes progress and good will. toward others.

When we do not reconcile our differences

we cannot possibly be included in the new creation.

Instead we are part of the stagnant waters of creation.

 

Reconciliation encourages spiritual growth and development.

Christ gave us this ministry of reconciliation

because it goes against human nature.

We are firmly attached to our feelings and beliefs

about things in our life.

Reconciliation must come from a firm desire deep within our heart.

 

 

So we are ambassadors for Christ,
as if God were appealing through us.

 

One of the best ways that we can be genuine ambassadors for Christ

may be precisely through our ability to practice

 the ministry of reconciliation.

I say practice because it does take practice

before it comes part of who we are.

 

We have a merciful God who sent his beloved son,

Jesus, to prove the importance of reconciliation.

Jesus was a living example of reconciliation right up until his last breath

hanging on the cross.

 

In our society today we give too little emphasis on reconciling our differences...

just consider our high rate of crimes and our divorce rate.

It is much easier to walk away rather than come to an agreement

on neutral or middle ground.

 

You are called to be an Ambassador for Christ.

The blessings in return are abundant.

First be Reconciled

Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua

~~~ 2 Corinthians 3:15—4:1, 3-6 ~~~ Psalm 85 ~~~ Matthew 5:20-26 ~~~

 

You cannot come to the table of the Lord and harbor

anger and hatred in your heart.

The action of walking up with your gift

 does not blot out ill will towards your neighbor.

 

Jesus went to the cross without carrying the added burden

of anger, bitterness, and hatred.

He always teaches us through his own actions and attitudes.

He always gives us access to sufficient grace to put aside

our differences with another.

We have grace available, but we may not draw from

 it when we most need it.

We can become blinded by our emotions.

 

Jesus tells us, no matter how great our gift may be for the Lord

if we are not reconciled with our neighbor

we are wasting our time.

 

 

'...leave your gift there at the altar,
go first and be reconciled with your brother,
and then come and offer your gift.'

 

If you carry ill feelings in your heart

eventually you will become a bitter person.

I have had experience with a bitter person; gradually they lose sight

of how to really love. It is sad to see.
 

Jesus does not want us to hold things in our heart that will act as barriers

 to loving like he taught us to love...

like he wants us to love.

Do not let evil blind your eyes to the light of the glory of God.
 

 Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.

 

 These are not just empty words...these are words of wisdom.
If you are to be reconciled with you neighbor
it will take kindness, truth, justice, and peace.

But above all it will take humility and love.
I pray that I am up to this task of being reconciled when required.
I pray for those I find difficult to love.

Afflicted in Every Way

 

~~~ 2 Corinthians 4:7-15 ~~~ Psalm 116 ~~~ Matthew 5:27-32 ~~~

 

The Gospel passage from Matthew seems a little extreme initially.

Cut off your hand, committing adultery with your eyes,

marrying someone previously divorced

also considered an act of adultery...

So what does all of this mean for us today?

 

I think we are being admonished to be vigilant;

some sinful aspects of our life are less obvious than others.

 

Cutting a hand off or choosing to walk around blindfolded

will certainly not guarantee you will be free of sin.

Most of the time our sins begin first within our own hearts.

We are damaged merchandise when it comes to sin,

but we can practice conditioning our hearts to what is good.

 

If we practice being aware to the presence of God in our heart;

we will have more strength to avoid those occasions of sin.

 

The opportunity to sin never leaves

us whether we are alone or with others.

Certainly any part of our human flesh has the potential...

the potential for either sinfulness or holiness.

What matters is the state of your heart...your mental attitude.

Because we are basically weak it is easier to sin than to avoid sin.

 

We must be strong in our resolve

 to renounce sin in whatever form it may present itself.  

Putting God first above earthly pleasures is not easy.

 

Too many times it is our tongue that gets us into closest contact with sin.

Matthew falls short of suggesting you should cut off your tongue

 if it causes you to sin.

This is where we must remain cognizant of the words

we are using and the tone of our voice. 

 

 

St. Paul says we are but earthen vessels;

implying that we are fragile...

capable of being broken.

He says we carry within this earthen vessel the very death of Jesus.

For if we carry the death of Jesus we also carry his life.

 

Which will it be?

We are afflicted in every way...

 

What will dominate within our soul?

...always carrying about in the Body the dying of Jesus...

 

Do we truly want life to flourish in our heart or

will we tolerate the stench of death.

...so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.

 

Sin decays the soul.

The foul odor will permeate your entire being....

if you let it remain unchecked.

 

O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son (daughter) of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.

 

Bestow your grace upon me O Lord, so that I may care for the holiness of my soul.

Help me, O Lord to make your presence a reality in all parts of my life.

 

I am ready to receive your blessing and you grace.

Back to Basics

~~~ 2 Corinthians 3:4-11 ~~~ Psalm 99 ~~~ Matthew 5:17-19 ~~~

 

  Holy is the Lord our God.

Jesus sees that the elders at the time had decided to impose
more and more laws on the people...
in effect oppressing them.

In those days the people
could not pull up an app on their smart phone
 to remind them of each individual law.
We can only imagine how easily it was to unintentionally
violate one of the laws.

Jesus said, look I do value the law...
the law from God.
You know the ones written on the stone tablets given to Moses...
the Ten Commandments.

 Let's get back to the basics...let's focus on how well we are observing just those ten.
They are the laws given to us by God himself.
Who has more authority than God?

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.

 

 

Jesus makes the laws even more perfect and in doing so makes them simple.

He sums up the laws in just a few words.

A few words easy enough for anyone to easily remember...

First, Love God with your whole heart, mind, body, and soul.

Second, Love your neighbor as yourself.

 

If you faithfully keep these two basic 'laws' the ones written

on stone will naturally follow.

You will be able to keep the laws given to the prophets.

 

 Jesus was not trying to criticize the current elders
as much as he was trying to show them a better way.

 

Jesus has always been about showing us a better way to live our lives.
He modeled it for us by so many real concrete examples...
just open up the New Testament to any page.
The examples of how to live a holy life jump off the pages.

As Paul says, the 'ministry of the Spirit' will be 'glorious'.

 

 The laws of God are meant to give life...
eternal life in heaven.
 

If you love God and love your neighbor all else will fall into place.

We thank you Lord for coming to show us the Way...
for coming to fulfill the law in your perfect example.

Be a Blessing for someone today.

Seasoned and Shining

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 11:21b-26; 12:1-3 ~~~ Psalm 98 ~~~ Matthew 5:13-16 ~~~

 

It is curious that Jesus would speak of salt and light in these few short verses.

He could have easily spent more time elaborating on either topic.

 

As humans we cannot live without salt or light.

They are both equally important.

For the early followers they were very important.

Salt was a commodity.

It was used in many different ways including to seal deals between individuals.

Once their salt was mixed the deal was finalized.

Having no refrigeration, salt preserved foods from spoilage.

 

'...You are the salt of the earth...'

Today we really like the taste of salt on our foods.

Most of the snack foods on the market have a heavy dousing of salt.

We miss salt when it is omitted from a recipe.

Just a pinch of salt can bring balance to a recipe, even a dessert recipe.

 

'...You are the light of the world...'

 

Light; what can we possibly say about light

except that without light there would be no life.

One tiny match or a dying ember can ignite and entire forest.

In recent years we have seen countless forest fires

devouring our trees and homes as if they were a consumable product.

 

The power of light from any source can be harnessed for life or death.

Today Jesus is bringing to our attention that we are light in this world of so much darkness.

We can be that tiny match or even the barely glowing ember.

It takes very little for light to crack the darkness.

In the darkness our eyes search for the least little glimmer of light.

We are attracted to light.

 

 

If you truly love Jesus; it will be impossible to hide your light from others.

Not a bushel or any other object can keep the light from escaping.

Your eyes themselves shine with the love and joy you have for the Lord.

 

'...your light must shine before others...'

 

 Jesus is inviting us to be both salt and light to this world we live in now...today.

We can spread the gospel message.

For some it may be just the right sprinkling of salt,

for others it may be the light they have been searching for in their life.

 

You can be salt and or light to others in your life.

God is at work in you!

In a world full of darkness, should we not be part of the light?