Holy Sunburn

Memorial of Saint Ignatius Loyola

~~~ Exodus 34:29-35 ~~~ Psalm 99 ~~~ Matthew 13:44-46 ~~~

 

Holy is the Lord our God.

Moses found the kingdom of heaven, not in a field or in the market place.

Moses found it on a mountain top, in a burning bush, and in a cloud.

Moses becomes so united with the presence of God that

his face becomes radiant with heavenly glory.

So radiant was his face that those who looked upon it were shocked.

He chose to cover his face from then on with a veil

whenever he was with the people.

 

...the children of Israel would see
that the skin of Moses’ face was radiant;
so he would again put the veil over his face
until he went in to converse with the LORD.

Moses hid his face from the people, but he did not hide from God.

God would come to Moses in the cloud; temporarily hiding himself.

 

Jesus tells the disciples about the kingdom of heaven

in words they could comprehend.

The kingdom of heaven is like a buried treasure in a field

or a pearl of great treasure.

We know that there are no words to describe the kingdom of heaven.

From his analogy we do get a feeling...a sense of the wonder.

We can all understand what it means to treasure something.

 

 

The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field...

the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls.

 

Moses was a treasure for the Israelites.

He was found hidden among the tall grass in a basket.

 

Our faith is a treasure...a treasure to be shared.

Perhaps we can only point in the direction of the field.

Each person must do their own searching for the buried treasure.

 

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

what about the special fine pearl.

Is it too judged by the one who finds it?

 

When we find the special treasure in the field

will our face too become radiant with God's glory?

We cannot find the great treasure of the kingdom of heaven

only to bury it once again.

 

We must return as Moses did to share.

If you  have in your possession a pearl of great price,

do you consider it a treasure?

Do you really value it? Or do you simply take it for granted?

The face of Moses was evidence of his finding.

 

There are blessings in the searching,

but the greater blessings are when the treasure is found.

All who find the treasure of the kingdom of heaven

are filled with overwhelming joy.

 

And 'yes' your face will surely show it.

Saint Ignatius, pray for us.

Sunflowers and Good Seed

 

~~~ Exodus 33:7-11; 34:5b-9, 28 ~~~ Psalm 103 ~~~ Matthew 13:36-43 ~~~ 

 

If you wish to speak with the Lord

you must leave the comforts of your tent.

You must remove yourself from all distractions.

You must devote yourself to the Lord.

This is what Moses did time after time.

He left the group.

The place where God communicated

with him was set apart.

 

As Moses entered the tent, the column of cloud would come down
and stand at its entrance while the LORD spoke with Moses.

 

God's presence is made visible by a cloud.

That does seem a bit contradictory to me.

God is present but he is covered by the cloud.

(food for thought)

 

In our personal lives God also comes to us in the cloud.

The cloud of the unknown...the cloud of doubt...the cloud of sadness.

But when God comes to us in the cloud he also brings clarity.

The cloud changes our attitude about God.

 

The cloud shrouded the blinding glory of the Lord.

The people were not ready to see God face to face just yet.

God used Moses...

Moses was granted permission to see the face of God.

They spoke to one another...man to man...

friend to friend...teacher to student.

 

The people needed a sign that God was present,

 so he gave them the cloud.

The cloud was a visible sign hiding the actual face of God.

 

Moses, when seeing the cloud, knew that God was with him.

The cloud gave Moses the courage he needed

 to remain in his leadership role.

The grumbling Israelites made for certain difficult days.

 

Moses finds comfort within the cloud of the Lord.

This is often quite the opposite for us.

When we are in the cloud we want to get out as quickly as possible.

We struggle with finding God there.

 

 

For most it is easier to find God in the bright sunshine...in the happy times.

We have a kind and merciful God who teaches us with stories.

Today it is the good seed and the weeds in the field.

 

Jesus explains...

...the good seed (are) the children of the Kingdom...

 

Personally if I could chose which good seed to represent me

I would choose the sunflower.

The sunflower holds too many seeds to count.

The sunflower holds the potential to spread its beauty far and wide.

The sunflower looks to the sun...holding its head high...confidently standing.

 

If we are to be like the good seed

 then we must freely give our good seeds away.

Then the righteous will shine like the sun
in the Kingdom of their Father.

We must be eager to share about our kind and merciful Lord.

We look forward to the day when we will

'shine like the sun'

in the Kingdom of God.

Until that day comes we must emulate the sunflower.

Look for the Blessings

in happily scattering your good seeds.

Like the sunflower, keep your head turned to the Lord.

Engraved by God

 

~~~ Memorial of Saint Martha ~~~

~~~ Exodus 32:15-24, 30-34 ~~~ Psalm 106 ~~~ John 11:19-27 ~~~

 

When you have something engraved it becomes personal.

A few years ago my husband bought me an iPod.

He had it engraved with my favorite scripture verse...Jer. 29:11.

 

...engraved by God himself...

 

Engraving something is permanent...it marks ownership.

The tablets of stone given to Moses were marked by God for his people.

God engraved stone one of the hardest most durable material.

An engraved object is no longer the same as it was before...

it ha been permanently changed.

 

The Israelites had not yet been permanently changed.

They were fickle...they were not committed to God.

 

In the absence of Moses, the people became restless;

 Aaron, being weak himself, gives in to their demands.

He collects their gold jewelry tosses it into the fire and waits...

almost as if he had no control over the situation.

 

...I threw it into the fire, and this calf came out.

 

Evil does indeed have power.

With today's technology the cinema could make this golden idol

 literally appear to rise up from the flames.

Even reading the text as written makes it seem mysterious and mystical.

But it does not come from God.

This molten calf came from the earth...God sent his message from heaven.

 

See, upon the palms of my hands I have engraved you.

Isaiah 49:16a

 

 

Martha's heart was engraved by God.

She was permanently changed

I have come to believe...

 

She had come to believe so strongly

in Jesus that she could speak to him as a close friend.

She could express her frustrations to him.

She could tell him of her heart's longing.

Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died...

 

We see Martha once again expressing her frustrations to Jesus.

The Israelites were frustrated too, but their hearts had not been engraved.

Martha turns to Jesus with her anguish.

The Israelites turned to their material treasures...

objects made of gold.

 

Have you allowed God to engrave your heart?

Yes, this engraving may be painful at times.

God, himself, must write upon your heart

joys as well as sorrows.

 

Martha was not fickle; she was convicted by her belief.

Martha was a Believer!

 

The more God engraves upon your heart the deeper your faith.

 

Blessings come through the engraving...

 Engraved by God himself.

He claims you for his own so that you can be strong.

A.S.K...Ask, Seek, Knock

 

~~~ Genesis 18:20-32~~Psalm 138~~Colossians 2:12-14~~Luke 11:1-13~~~

~~~Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

 

From fifty to ten; Abraham keeps reducing the number of good people.

How many are too few for the Lord to save?

“For the sake of those ten, I will not destroy it.”

In reality it is probably fair to say

 if there was one good person left the city would have been spared.

God was listening to Abraham each time he spoke.

He never said to him be quiet you are bothering me.

He never said go away and leave me alone.

He never said this is my final decision I will not change it.

 

What does it mean to be innocent?

Today our courts sometimes send mixed messages.

Our laws are open to argument and interpretation.

Often it is confusing to determine the difference between

 innocent and guilty.

 

In the end it is only God who determines guilt or innocence.

God never says tell me your side of the story.

He already knows.

 

 

Suppose one of you has a friend...who says in reply...

‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked
and my children and I are already in bed.
I cannot get up to give you anything.’
I tell you,
if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves
because of their friendship,
he will get up to give him whatever he needs
because of his persistence.

Jesus simply says do not be discouraged; just keep asking...

keep seeking...keep knocking.

Jesus restores our hope, not just in him,

 but also in our neighbors.

 

Abraham hopes that the Lord will find

some good left in the city slated for destruction.

 

The friend hopes that the neighbor will find some

good within to help him.

God is always looking for the good in each of us.

He knows it is there even if it is hidden from others.

 

“Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”

 

Teach us to pray, Lord, because at times we are just not sure.

We sometimes question our ability to pray,

 when we do not received the answers we expect.

 

Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.

Three-fold Blessings...

Ask, Seek, Knock

You are never bothering the Lord.

Harvested Together

~~~ Exodus 24:3-8 ~~~ Psalm 50 ~~~ Matthew 13:24-30 ~~~ 

 

Moses listened, recorded, proclaimed, built twelve pillars,

 and sprinkled the people with the blood offering.

 

“This is the blood of the covenant
that the LORD has made with you
in accordance with all these words of his.”

He did all of this to impress upon the people God's covenant with them.

 

God sowed good seed throughout the land,

but the weeds grew up in the same land.

If God did not allow 'weeds' to mingle with the good seeds;

the good seeds may not be as healthy.

 

In like it is normal to have a contrast between things.

 

The farmer planted good seed only to discover later the presence of weeds.

The weeds introduced themselves among the good seed.

The weeds went undetected until they were already established.

The weeds were rooted in the same soil as the good seed.

 

...at harvest time I will say to the harvesters,
“First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning;
but gather the wheat into my barn.”

 

The master permits the weeds to grow beside the good seeds.

Sometimes we do not realize what we consider a minor fault

may become just like the weeds in this gospel.

 

We may not be able to remove all of the 'weeds' from our life.

We can, however, ask God for clarity

so that we may recognize

the difference between the good seeds and the weeds.

 

Blessings come in the harvest when the good is preserved.

The good will be protected in the barn of the Master.

Keeping Rich the Soil

Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne,

Parents of Blessed Virgin Mary

~~~ Exodus 20:1-17 ~~~ Psalm 19 ~~~ Matthew 13:18-23 ~~~

 

I have long believed that Mary's parents should be honored

for the way they taught their daughter, Mary.

They must have had tremendous faith themselves.

Just consider the simplicity of Mary's willingness to hear the message from God.

She was encouraged by her parents to listen to God.

She was taught the scriptures; evident in the text of her Magnificat.

 

On July 24 from Brazil, Pope Francis said...

The values they (the youth) need to see and learn are

"spirituality, generosity, solidarity, perseverance,

fraternity and joy."

 

The essence of joy must have been present in Mary's family life.

 

“Honor your father and your mother,
that you may have a long life in the land
which the LORD, your God, is giving you.

We recognize how faithfully Mary kept this commandment

as we all honor her parents today.

Mary is living in the land which the Lord gave to her...

She is in heaven along with her beloved Son.

 

 

But the seed sown on rich soil
is the one who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”

Mary grew to be a model woman of grace;

due in part because of her parents.

 

Joachim and Anne heard the word.

They not only heard the words,

but they took those words into the rich soil of their hearts.

 

They heard and understood the inspired words of the prophets.

Their love for Mary bore more than just fruit...

for she bore our Lord Jesus Christ.

Mary bore the Messiah and Savior.

I would say the yield continues to be beyond

 all numerical computations.

 

Harvesting the rewards of hearing the word of God

cannot be limited

by our physical environment.

 

That seed which falls on rich soil has everlasting benefits.

The blessings of heart rich soil are immeasurable.

 

I invite you to make the time to daily read scripture.

Let the words speak to where you are this day.

Scripture creates the best environment for keeping the soil rich.

Just as a newly wed couple runs through a shower of bird seeds,

so too the words of scripture shower within your soul.

 

The blessings of heart rich soil are immeasurable.

Blessed with Joy and Laughter

 

Feast of Saint James
~~~ 2 Corinthians 4:7-15~~~ Psalm 126 ~~~ Matthew 20:20-28 ~~~

We hold this treasure in earthen vessels...
 

Our fragile human bodies are the earthen vessels.
From dust we came and unto dust we will return.
What is important between is how we live our life.
Paul tells us, in this wonderful reading to the Corinthians,
that what we call living is really our dying.

Every day that we are 'alive' we are one day closer to our dying day.
Paul does not want this to be depressing...
....always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.

The death of Jesus is a part of who we are because he died for us.
But the death of Jesus was not the end.
The death of Jesus was actually the beginning.

It takes a leap of faith for us to consider death as a beginning,
whether it is that of a loved one or our own.
Death seems like complete closure.

For we who live are constantly being given up to death
for the sake of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
Paul is actually rejoicing in this letter;
he is almost giddy over our close relationship with Jesus.
It is because of our close relationship with Jesus Paul says, that...
I believed, therefore I spoke,we too believe and therefore speak,
knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus
will raise us also with Jesus
and place us with you in his presence.

 Can you hear the excitement in these words?
I can almost picture him dancing around his room
between writing each sentence of this letter.

 

 

He goes on to say,
Everything indeed is for you,
so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people
may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.
Can you believe this?
Everything is for you so that you can give God more praise and glory. 

 The more excited you can be about God
the more people will be drawn to him through you.
They will want to know
why you are giddy about Jesus.
They will want know
why you are at peace with death.

 

Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing. 

 

We can confidently go forth with laughter
rejoicing in the great things God has done.
We can forth carrying inside of us the seeds of great joy.
Joyful seeds are meant to sown every where we walk.
Do not pass a place without leaving joy in the air. 

 

The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed. 

 

We are Blessed with Joy and Laughter.
Saint James, pray for us.

No Grumbling Allowed

 ~~~ Exodus 16:1-5, 9-15 ~~~ Psalm 78 ~ Matthew 13:1-9 ~~~

 

It is a wonder how Moses managed to put up with the grumbling Israelites.
They were much like spoiled children.

God chose Moses to be their leader.
He protects their sons.
He protects them from the Egyptians.
He allows Moses to part the water so they can escape safely.

Here in the desert the whole assembly of the children of Israel
grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 

 

There seems to be nothing that can make them happy.
They are constantly wanting more or something different.

At one point they even say they should have just stayed
where they were and lived as slaves.
The Lord, once again takes care of his chosen people.

Then the LORD said to Moses,
“I will now rain down bread from heaven for you.

Of course life is not easy day after day in the desert.
They are enduring a real hardship, but the reward is freedom.
God is taking care of them...he is showing them who he is.
He is proving that he is not the God of
but the God of providential care.

God does respond this day in the desert, but not because of their grumbling.
God responds because he keeps his covenant with his people.

God has a covenant with us too.
God  provided quail and flakes.
This story was probably the inspiration for frosted flakes.
The thought does make me smile.

 

 The gospel today is one we are very familiar...
the parable of the Sower and the Seed.
The Sower...God... goes out to plant the Seed...the Word...
Some of the seeds were eaten by the birds...our material world...
Some were scorched by the sun...our own selfishness...
Some were choked by thorns...our personal sinfulness...

But joyfully some seed fell upon rich fertile soil
and the harvest was abundant.
The harvest was more than abundant it exceeded the expected yield.

Back to the Israelites, not all of them were grumbling and complaining.
Some of them had hearts of fertile soil.
These were the ones who came to recognize
their great gift of friendship with God.

Where does this all leave us?
What can we do to prepare our heart to participate
in the abundant harvest?

Jesus says, 

Whoever has ears ought to hear.
 

Hear that God provided flakes of manna from heaven.
Here that he will never abandon his people.
Hear that today we have his words of spirit and life.
We have his presence in the Eucharist.
He comes down to us from heaven during the Consecration of each Mass.

Blessing come with ears that hear well.

We Are Family

 

~~~ Exodus 14:21—15:1~~~ Exodus 15:8-9, 10 and 12, 17 ~~~ Matthew 12:46-50 ~~~

 

 Moses stretched out his hand and the seas parted.
The Israelites were able to escape from the pursuit
of the mighty Egyptian army.

The Israelites had no power against this army
of fast chariots and sharpened swords.
God shattered their lack of faith.
He expanded their understanding of what it meant
to have God on your side...
He proved to them that he would take
extreme measures because they were his chosen people.
 

 

 Among many other things Jesus teaches us to expand our thinking.
He was the original 'out of the box' thinker.

He includes all of us in his family...as his sisters, brothers...

And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said,
“Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father
is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
Just as Moses stretches out his hand to save the Israelites,
Jesus stretches out his hand and saves us.
He gathers us into his family. This is personal.
A family shares more than friends...family shares genetic material.
We do share genetic material with Jesus because he
took on our humanity....flesh and blood.
He was born of a woman, Mary.

Today our priests stretch out their hands sending blessings upon us.
We are their sister and brothers too.

I pray that I will never take for granted
this blessing of being part of the family of Jesus.

Blessings in being adopted as part
of the family of Jesus.

Covered in Glory

~~~Memorial of Saint Mary Magdalene~~~

 

~~~ Exodus 14:5-18 ~~~ Exodus 15:1bc-2, 3-4, 5-6 ~~~ John 20:1-2, 11-18 ~~~

 

Mary does not want to let go of Jesus.

The greater your sense of gratitude the more difficult it is to let go.

 

Mary could not bare the thought of not having the human person of Jesus with her.

She was experiencing the grief of a broken heart.

She wanted to be near where she had last seen his body laid to rest.

After having witnessed his death and crucifixion

she would not have been surprised had the authorities removed his body.

Did they desire to further desecrate his remains?

She was suspicious.

 

“Sir, if you carried him away,
tell me where you laid him,
and I will take him.”

 

Wrapped tightly in her sorrow she is startled

when the risen Jesus speaks to her.

She wants to cling to him...not trusting what her eyes were seeing.

Jesus speaks to her with one last request...

...go to my brothers and tell them,
‘I am going to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.’”

 

He gave her purpose. He sent her on a mission.

He gave her something to do...to occupy her mind and body.

 

 

 “Woman, why are you weeping?”

 

Suddenly her tears no longer seemed important.

Now she could ask herself...why was she weeping?

 

She felt much like the Israelites in the desert when they cried out to Moses.

 

Why did you do this to us?

Why did you bring us out into the desert to die?

We have nothing here in the sand, not even a place to bury the dead.

 

But Moses answered the people,
“Fear not! Stand your ground...

 

Moses had trust in God's protection...

His plan had one slight flaw; they were not to stand still.

Moses was to lead the people forward.

 

Jesus sent Mary forward to bring the news of his resurrection to the guys.

 

God instructed Moses to lift up his arm.

The power of God passed through Moses and the waters parted.

The Israelites passed safely on dry land,

but the Egyptians perished in the returning waters.

 

Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.

This is the same glory that Mary Magdalene witnessed

that morning just outside the tomb.

 

God's glory is present today.

Blessings lie in opening our eyes to see his glory.

 

Choose something that you witness every day,

  let that be your reminder of God's glory.

 

The Israelites had the parting of the sea...

Mary had the meeting in the garden.

Where can you experience this glory of God?

Martha Tries the Guilt Card

 

~~~ Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

 

~~Genesis 18:1-10a~~Psalm15~~Colossians 1:24-28~~Luke 10:38-42~~

 

Martha and Mary are typical sisters...each one has her own agenda.

Often times they are not the same.

Certainly they love each other, but one, Martha,

 has expectations to what the other should be doing.

Martha wants to have everything perfect for Jesus' visit.

She wins the hospitality award...oops...

I don't think Jesus is concerned about the appearance of their house.

He is not anxiously awaiting their finest dish placed upon the table.

 

He is there to visit with them...to share with them...

to show his affection for his friends.

 

Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
“Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
Tell her to help me.”

 

These two devout women interact with Jesus in very different ways.

 

Martha is concerned about herself. Martha is complaining to Jesus.

Martha stands above Jesus as he sits. Jesus must look up

into the face of Martha.

Martha is focused on the external...how things appear.

Martha does the talking to Jesus. Martha tries to tell Jesus how to act.

Martha actually tries to make Jesus feel guilty...

This is almost comical for her to play the guilt card with Jesus.

 

 

Mary wants to be as close as she can get to Jesus.

She sits in a lowly place at his feet.

Mary sits humbly on the ground.

She does not worry herself about the dirt on his feet.

Mary gazes up into the face of her dear friend.

Mary wants to listen

to every word he has to say.

Mary wants to know about his travels, about his power to heal. 

Mary allows Jesus to do the talking...she recognizes him as the teacher. 

 

 Jesus wastes no time responding to Martha...

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her.”

If Martha had truly been listening to Jesus

she would have let go of her need for perfection.

She would have quickly joined her sister at his feet. 

 

Mary has chosen the better part...

Sitting at the feet of Jesus is the better part.

Opening your heart to hear his words is the better part.

Quietly being present to him is the better part.

 

Martha and Mary each attempt to show their love for Jesus.

He is very clear about which is better.

 

There is only need of one thing...

Blessings come sitting at the feet of Jesus...

being near to him.

Partially Cooked Bacon

 

~~~ Exodus 12:37-42 ~~~ Psalm 136 ~~~ Matthew 12:14-21 ~~~

 

If you have ever had to evacuate in an emergency

you can identify at some level with the great exodus.

I remember as a young child we had to evacuate our home

because of a dangerous chemical spill. I remember thinking how odd

it was that my parents left the partially cooked bacon

 in the skillet on the stove.

We literally all piled into the car and fled the area.

 

As a child this was huge, but we just went

to my grandmother's across town.

Although I don't recall it probably turned out to be a fun day.

The people who fled with Moses across the desert

 took only what they were able to carry with them.

They did not have a car, they were on foot.

They did not have a fun day.

They were on the move crossing the desert for the rest of their life.

 

How much do you think you could carry in your arms

if you had to flee your home right now?

Could you leave the partially cooked bacon on the stove?

 

They had rushed out of Egypt and had no opportunity
even to prepare food for the journey.

They were headed to the land of milk and honey,

but in the mean time they had very little.

As we know God provided for them along the way.

Today when I see pictures of the thousands of refugees in Syria

it paints this scene for me of the Egyptians.

 

 

Jesus spent much of his energy contradicting the Pharisees.

They remind me of those birds of prey we see

circling high above in the sky.

They watch and wait for just the opportunity to swoop

down for the catch.

 

But Jesus was never caught off guard

 he always has an answer for them.

He always forces them to confront themselves in a different light.

On this occasion he withdraws, but he continues

 to cure people along the way.

 

It must have been easy to track Jesus...

just follow the foot prints of those who had been cured.

He had his own global positioning system or 'gps'

it was his healings.

 

Jesus fulfilled, in every way, all that the Father sent to accomplish.

Isaiah speaks these beautiful words many years

before the coming of the Messiah.

 

Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved in whom I delight;
I shall place my Spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

God has chosen you for himself.

You are his beloved.

He does take delight in you.

Every day he Blesses you with his Spirit.

He proclaims justice for all.

Greater Than the Temple...

~~~ Exodus 11:10—12:14 ~~~ Psalm 116 ~~~ Matthew 12:1-8 ~~~

 

I say to you, something greater than the temple is here.

Worship in the temple was important to the people.
The temple is where they went to hear the scriptures.
The temple is where they received instruction in the many laws and rituals.
The temple is a building...an inanimate object.

Jesus was indeed greater than the temple.
 He was the living breathing walking talking temple.
He was the personification of the temple.
 

Jesus was responding to criticism for breaking the law
concerning keeping the Sabbath holy.
He and his followers picked a few handfuls of grain
as they walked across the field.
For this they were greatly judged as breaking the law.

When you have Jesus in your midst; whatever he does
is okay to follow likewise.
The Pharisees, however, were preoccupied
with the rules...each and every little letter of the rules.
We can even find this happening today.
Could it be that Jesus wants us to be understanding and compassionate?
The disciples were hungry...they were out on the road...
they may not have even been thinking about what day it was.

I know people who get confused about what day it is after they retire.
If they were out traveling with Jesus they had abandoned their regular routine.
They were on his schedule...they were following him.

Jesus says he wants more than dotted i's and crossed t's,
 he wants mercy, not sacrifice. 

 

The God who changes names and is unbound by time tells
Moses and Aaron the calendar was to be changed.
He is marking the calendar with his redemption story.

'...This month shall stand at the head of your calendar;
you shall reckon it the first month of the year...' 

 

 God is delivering his people out of the land of slavery.
As slaves they had no need of a calendar
because they were only allowed to do what they were told.
A calendar is useful for making plans...
keeping appointments.

You cannot set your own life as a slave.
But in the land of milk and honey everything would be different.

The blood of their paschal lamb would be the mark that would save them.

The psalmist sings my favorite psalm 116 today.
How can I make a return to the Lord
for all the good he has done?

 

 The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.

 

Blessings for us today are in the cup of salvation...
the very blood of our Paschal Lamb, Jesus.
Take the cup of salvation for he is greater than the temple. 

 He is here leading us through the fields of grain.
How I cherish the Eucharistic Celebration
of receiving his body and blood.

The I AM Connection

 

~~~ Exodus 3:13-20 ~~~ Psalm 105 ~~~ Matthew11:28-30 ~~~

  

God replied, “I am who am.”

 

Taking those words at face value, God is present now.

For God the present is always right now.

God has not needed time since he began Creation. 

 

But we are very much united with our concepts of time.

It is hard for us to let go of what time means for us.

We are always making a reference to time.

We have a time for everything.

 

Today God tells Moses when they ask my name tell them....

I AM.

That hardly seems like a name.

It seems more like a state of being.

 

In school we learn about verb tenses and the different forms

 of a verb to use when denoting time.

 

So when God refers to himself as I AM; we may be puzzled.

 

God is telling us that he is indeed present right now.

We are to come to him in the now.

 

God was in the past days of our lives,

 but he wants us to focus on the present time.

God will be with us in the future, but the future is not here now.

 

If God has been present to Abraham. Isaac, Jacob, and Moses;

he is present to us right now in the same way.

 

In the present, God express concern for the people

he has chosen Moses to lead.

I am concerned about you
and about the way you are being treated in Egypt...

 

 God wants to change things now, not tomorrow.

We have a God of the present, there is no need to wait for him.

 

God wants us to believe, that he is with us all of the time.

There is only the present with God.

 

Go forward today from where you are, take God's hand

it is reaching out to you.

 

I will stretch out my hand...

 

If God is stretching out his hand to us

and we are living in the past or anxious about the future

we might miss it.

 

How many times have you been looking for something

that was there in front of you all along?

It happens to all of us. We even make jokes about how 'blind' we can be.

 

 

The gospel today is reminding us to make the connection...

If God is the I AM then he is also aware of our burdens.

 

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest...

 

If God is the I AM then it should be easy to come to him with our burdens.

There is no need to look for him...he is present.

There is no need to fear that he has abandoned us...he is present...

his hand in outstretched towards you.

There is no reason to worry that God will not be with you,

because he never leaves you.

 

He is the great  I AM...

The only one who claims to be the I AM.

The very same God of all who gone before us.

The very same God who will be for all those who come after us.

 

The I AM God is the God of all ages...of all times...

for all peoples.

 

Most importantly he is the God for you, the God for me.

Ever Present...the one and only

I AM.

 

Blessings in confidently

 knowing that God is with you at every moment.

He is the all present God.

He is the God who stretches out his hand to you...

grab hold of it and you will find rest and peace.

God's Attention Getters

 

~~~ Exodus 3:1-6, 9-12 ~~~ Psalm 103 ~~~ Matthew 11:25-27 ~~~

 

'...no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.'

The Father, before coming to known as the Father revealed himself to Moses.

Moses hears the voice of God coming from the burning bush.

 

God presented himself in a remarkable sight...

a fire burning but not consuming.

Fire is one of the primary forces of nature it;

 consumes as it feeds to perpetuate itself.

 

Moses was curious...inquisitive...he wanted to find

out more about this mysterious fire.

 

If this fire was not enough; a voice comes forth from the bush.

A talking bush, is this a science fiction story?

 

God calls out to Moses by name.

And Moses responds, 'Here I am', as a good child would.

 

God tells Moses that he is standing on Holy Ground

 instructing him further to remove his sandals.

 

The act of removing his sandals is a sign of reverence and respect

for the holy ground upon which he was standing.

 

Removing his shoes put his feet directly in contact with the ground....

the holy ground...the ground where God was present.

God had made himself present in the fire,

the voice, the call,

and now required bare feet.

 

The bare feet to me indicate your willingness to get your feet dirty

when doing God's work.

Moses was being called to lead the people on foot

across the desert for many difficult years.

 

Their journey would be long and challenging.

He would have to face much criticism and self doubt.

He would need to know that he was doing the will of God.

 

I am the God of your father,” he continued,
“the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.

 

God assured him that he was indeed hearing the voice of God.

When God calls you into his service how much convincing do you need?

Imagine hearing God call you by name

 the next time you are walking

from your car to the store or to church.

 

How does God get your attention?

For Moses it was the burning bush.

 

What is 'holy ground' for you?

Where would you be willing to take off your shoes?

 

Is it before the Blessed Sacrament during Eucharistic Adoration?

Is it when you come before the priest for reconciliation?

 

Taking off your shoes could mean your complete surrendering to God.

 

Some people have trained themselves to walk on glowing hot coals,

but God only asked that Moses remove his sandals.

 

 

 Removing your sandals may indicate your willingness

to remove any barriers between you and God.

 

 What keeps you from being able to answer God's call more confidently.

 

God finally tells Moses...I will be with you...

 whenever you have questions...I will be with you...

whenever you are afraid...I will be with you...

whenever you feel  like things are hopeless..I will be with you.

 

...this shall be your proof that it is I who have sent you

 

Sometimes it would be so nice to have the same kind

of verbal reassurance right from God.

While we cannot hear his actual words

 we do have this very same guarantee.

The guarantee, that he will be with us

 as proof that it is he who has called us... 

Proof that we are doing his work...

proof that we are standing on holy ground.

 

Blessings come from standing on holy ground.

Just a Basket Among the Reeds

~~~ Our Lady of Mount Carmel ~~~

 

~~~ Exodus 2:1-15a ~~~ Psalm 69 ~~~ Matthew 11:20-24 ~~~

 

Carmel is a place where Elijah lived in service to the Lord.

This feast of Our Lady was instituted for the Carmelites in the fourteenth century.

It honors the day in 1251 when the Blessed Mother gave the brown scapular to Saint Simon Stock.

This brown scapular symbolizes our relationship with the Blessed Mother of Carmel

entrusting ourselves into her protection.

 

I have a special affection for Our Lady of Mount Carmel

since that was the name of my parish

and where I went to school growing up.

 

 

Today's reading from Exodus is the beautiful story of the baby Moses.

It is a story of the far reaching providential care of God.

It is a story of sacrifice on behalf of a mother who loved her son.

She was willing to give him up in order to save his life.

It is a story of sibling love...Miriam protects her little brother.

It is a beautiful story of adoption.

The Pharaoh's daughter took in this male baby knowing

he was of Hebrew parents. 

This is a story of creativity...Moses was carefully placed in a basket

among the reeds where the young princess would come to bathe.

 

It is a story of love...

 

It is hard to picture Moses as a baby

 because we usually see him portrayed as the old man

 receiving the stone tablets from God.

God had plans for Moses from the moment he was born.

In spite of the fact that he was male and should have been killed

 like so many others his age,

God protects him.

 

This is a story of bravery...it took much courage for

the sister of Moses to approach the daughter.

She risked her own life to save her brother's life.

Her actions were also able to bring much happiness to their mother.

Miriam offers to recruit a 'nursing mother' to care for the baby.

 

This is a story of how a helpless infant floating in a basket

affected a young princess who was the 'enemy'.

 

Noticing the basket among the reeds, she sent her handmaid to fetch it.
On opening it, she looked, and lo, there was a baby boy, crying!
She was moved with pity for him and said,
“It is one of the Hebrews’ children.”

 

Moses, as we know, becomes one of the key figures of the Old Testament.

He is the leader of the people out of the desert.

Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt...he gave them manna from heaven...

he provided water from the rock...and so much more.

Moses cooperated with God in good times and in discouraging times.

 

Working for God is no guarantee for an easy life.

Just look at the life of Moses. 

Moses lived a long life; God had lots for him to accomplish.

Tomorrow we hear more of the incredible story of Moses.

 

Blessings today...

the next time you look at an infant remember that God does indeed

have plans for this one little life.

Tip the Scales

 

~~~ Exodus 1:8-14, 22 ~~~ Psalm 124 ~~~ Matthew 10:34—11:1 ~~~

 

Jesus broadened the scope, by showing us

 that our neighbor may be a stranger.

While this seems contradictory, it is what Jesus

gives us to reflect upon.

 

If a stranger can be considered our neighbor

worthy of our compassion;

then our family may likewise be a source of evil.

Sometimes the best way to get your point across

 is to polarize the issue at hand.

Presenting the extremes helps us to identify where we fall in between

or where we want to strive towards.

 

Jesus said to his Apostles:
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.
I have come to bring not peace but the sword.

 

The sword????

 

Jesus wants to rid the world of darkness...of all evil influences.

He uses examples concerning those we may not even consider...

fathers, mothers, daughters, sons etc.

 

Our true peace does not lie within our family members.

Our true peace lies within our personal relationship with God.

Can we honestly say that we love God above all else?

 

 

We are being invited to evaluate our personal relationship with others.

 

Consider how much you love your parents.

Consider how much you love your siblings.

Consider how much you love your spouse.

Consider how much you love your children.

 

Imagine that no matter how great your love is for others in your life;

you must love God even more.

 

This is hard to determine because love

is not something we can measure.

Love initially springs forth from the heart via chemicals

released into the blood stream.

We have the feelings associated with 'being in love'.

Eventually as these chemicals dissipate

we must use our mind to make the intention to love.

 

The chemical induced love cannot sustain our love for another.

Loving God requires effort on our part

because we are constantly being presented with reasons not to love.

 

We fall into the trap of blaming God for whatever

does not go well in our lives.

There are so many temptations in this world hiding in plain sight

that we actually miss them.

 

Jesus tells his disciples...open your mind...

expand your vision of that which is good,

 but also of that which is potentially evil.

 

We live in a world where it sometimes appears

that evil is stronger than good.

We must make the commitment to live in such a way

as to have no doubt

of our intentional commitment

to that which is good.

Our help is in the name of the Lord.

 

Our Blessings come in

what we do to make love stronger than evil.

How are we living our conviction

 to love God above all else

and our neighbor as ourselves?

 

This week be aware

 of how you can love with greater depth.

Tip the scales with your love for what is of God.

Who is the Good Samaritan?

~ Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~

 

~~Deuteronomy 30:10-14~~Psalm 69 or 19~~Colossians 1:15-20~~Luke 10:25-37~~

 

Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

 

The 'words' God gave to Moses we know as the Ten Commandments.

Ten rules to guide you in the way of God.

 

Moses himself describes the law of the Lord...

For this command that I enjoin on you today
is not too mysterious and remote for you.

It is normal for us to see that God does have laws.

If we look at nature we see many examples of the these laws.

The laws of God make sense.

Already within our hearts is a sense of a higher power.

A higher power that deserves our love, honor and praise.

Moses also says to the people referring to the laws...

 '...it is something very near to you,
already in your mouths and in your hearts;
you have only to carry it out.'

 

If what you have in your hearts is not supported by your actions

 then you are not being true to your heart.

 

In the Gospel today Jesus is questioned by a scholar of the law.

This scholar is asking if the old law are still to be obeyed.

Jesus never had the intention of abolishing

the laws given to Moses.

As a scholar of the law this person knew

the laws given to Moses.

 

Loving God with your whole heart, being, strength, and mind...

this is not mysterious...

this is already in your hearts.

Just as Moses was preaching.

It is the next part that causes us the greatest difficulties.

 

'...and your neighbor as yourself.”

 

This causes us problems because we are left to determine

who our neighbors are.

Most of the time we chose the easy most comfortable

 definition of our neighbors.

Our neighbors...

who are they?

The family next door, our friends,

 the people in our book club or bible study,

those who go to the same church;

these people are our neighbors.

But are these our only neighbors?

Jesus goes on with the example of the Good Samaritan.

Here we see the definition of neighbor greatly expanded.

 

It seems that our definition of neighbor is very controlled;

we set our own boundaries.

We want to be comfortable with our neighbors.

 

The definition of neighbor that Jesus presents is far from ours.

The Good Samaritan goes above and beyond what most of us would

consider doing for a friend much less a neighbor.

 

The Good Samaritan is an example for all of us to reach toward.

 

We are challenged to view our neighbor with compassion.

We are challenged to go out of our comfort zone to help our neighbor.

 

To me the person that comes closest to the Good Samaritan

would be Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

She enlarged her circle to include all kinds of people as her neighbors.

She said...

"Intense love does not measure, it just gives."
 

It seems that loving our neighbor as ourselves requires us to consistently

reevaluate if someone meets the guideline to be our neighbor.

Loving our neighbor as ourselves is not something carved in stone

rather it is in the folds of our heart.

God Meant It for Good...

~~~ Genesis 49:29-32; 50:15-26a ~~~Psalm 105~~~ Matthew 10:24-33~~~

 

Jacob having been reunited with his son,

Joseph, gives his burial instructions.

He wishes to be buried with the rest of his ancestors.

 

When I was a child, every Easter we would bring

my grandmother to the cemetery.

I never could understand why she wanted to go to grandpa's grave.

He was not there. We had to be careful not to walk

 on the marking stones in the grass. 

 

I still do not think it is important to visit a cemetery.

Unless it is a way to show that you do remember a person you loved.

Jacob wanted to be placed with his ancestors as a symbol

 of his inheritance or his heritage. It was important to him.

 

Jacob also leaves instructions for Joseph to not

hold a grudge against his brothers.

The father is interceding on behalf of his other children.

One thing parents want most is for their children to get along.

You know the old saying about not choosing your family, I'm sure. 

Jacob wanted some reassurance that before his death

his sons would be reunited.

 

Joseph, being a man of God had anticipated his responsibility.

 

The brothers are counseled by their father to seek

forgiveness from their brother.

Now it was their turn to came to Joseph, admit their guilt,

and seek his forgiveness.

 

'...Jacob begs you
to forgive the criminal wrongdoing of your brothers,
who treated you so cruelly.'
Please, therefore, forgive the crime that we,
the servants of your father’s God, committed.

 

 

It does take a certain amount of humility to admit your offenses.

It takes courage to ask for the person's forgiveness.

It takes courage because, they might not be ready to forgive you.

You open up yourself to their possible anger.

 

But this is not the case here...

 

Joseph replied to them:
“Have no fear. Can I take the place of God?
Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good,
to achieve his present end, the survival of many people.
Therefore have no fear.
I will provide for you and for your children.”

 

God meant it for good...

What?

Can you wrap your head, much less your heart, around those five words?

Joseph remained the protector of his family

until he was one hundred ten years old.

 

We too can rejoice with the psalmist...

 

Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!

 

Sometimes we must wait many years

for a Blessing to become a reality.

 

God allowed Jacob the blessing to die a happy man;

his family was reunited at last.

If you are waiting for a family member to admit guilt for hurting you,

I invite you to pray for your heart to be softened.

The Surprising Family Reunion

~~~ Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30 ~~~ Psalm 37 ~~~ Matthew 10:16-23 ~~~

 

'...do not worry about how you are to speak
or what you are to say.
You will be given at that moment what you are to say.
For it will not be you who speak...'

 

It is God the Father who speaks through Joseph

 as he finds himself in an awkward situation.

The very family members who wanted him dead were standing before him. 

Joseph does not respond in a typical human way instead

because it is God speaking through him he shows compassion to his brothers.

 

Because God is giving Joseph the words eventually

he is reunited with his elderly father, Israel.

 

 Jacob's name was changed to Israel after wrestling with an angel.

Jacob, the son who deceitfully received his father's blessing.

 

God upholds this blessings bestowed on Jacob...years later.

 

Jacob must have been overjoyed when he was told that Joseph was alive.

Not only is Joseph alive, but he is now in a position

 to save his family from starvation.

 

God assures Jacob that he should return to Egypt.

...Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt...

 

God was working in the lives of all parties in this story for generations.

 

 

In many ways Joseph is foreshadowing the qualities

we would see in the person of Jesus.

 

This is a mirror of the return of the prodigal son.

The difference is the son goes out to welcome his father.

...Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot
and rode to meet his father Israel in Goshen.
As soon as Joseph saw him, he flung himself on his neck
and wept a long time in his arms.

 

When our eyes are opened to our sins, 'running' to reconciliation

is the way we 'run' to meet our Father.

 

When we are forgiven,

 we too want to cling to our Father in gratitude and love.

We want to experience the arms of our Father surrounding us.

 

Israel can finally find rest in the God of his father.

He is humbled by how God had fulfilled his father's blessing.

A blessing that he truly did not deserve.

 

God shows Israel, now late in his life, just how a brother

should treat another brother.

Joseph acts with love, compassion, and justly.

 

God will provide for all that we need.

Not only will he protect us in times of turmoil;

he will give us the correct words to say.

 

Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart’s requests.

 

Blessings are available whether you are the father

running out to meet your prodigal or

if you are the son rushing

out to meet your estranged father.

 

Blessings are in peaceful reunion.