Five, Two, One

~~~ 1 Thessalonians 4:9-11~~~ Psalm 98 ~~~ Matthew 25:14-30 ~~~

 

'Well done, my good and faithful servant.'

 

I think it is part of human nature to respond to positive feedback.

In my classroom I tried to give my students honest

positive feedback as often as I could.

 

Yesterday we heard about the foolish virgins

who did not prepare for the long night.

They ran out of oil.

Today we hear about the wicked, lazy servant who buried his talent.

He wasted what he had been given by the master.

This man had to relinquish his talent because he did not put it to good use.

The master does not tell him 'well done'.

 

God gives each of us gifts and talents, not necessarily

 in the form of currency but gifts just the same.

It is up to us to discern how we can put them to good use.

Certainly it is not a good idea to hide them away.

In this case the coins did not decay; they were taken out of circulation.

As most people know who have money, it does not

increase in value if it is buried in the back yard.

 

...to work with your own hands,
as we instructed you.

Working with your own hands implies that you are the one responsible.

You make the decisions concerning your gifts and talents.

 

It is up to you to increase what you have been entrusted with by the master.

The more we invest in developing our gifts

the more likely we are to hear the rewarding words from the master...

 

'Well done, my good and faithful servant.'

 

I do not believe that God is the sort of bookkeeper

 depicted in this parable,

but I do believe that he has expectations for us.

 

I pray that I recognize, accept, and develop the talents given to me by God.

I must confess I do want to get positive feedback from God when I die.

God gave each of different talents and gifts to use for his benefit.

 

The number of talents may not be as important as what you do to develop them.

Five talents, two talents, or one talent all entrusted to our hands

to multiply for the glory and honor of the Divine Master.

 

How are you increasing the value of your gifts?

 

Blessings in the actions you take regarding your talents.

Be Prepared

~~~ 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8  ~~~ Psalm 97 ~~~ Matthew 25:1-13 ~~~

 

This is a lesson in opposites...prepared/not prepared...light/darkness...awake/asleep.

Is having oil for your lamps a lot like stocking up on bottled water

before a hurricane heads your direction?

Was this a beauty pageant? They were all virgins.

They all represented feminine purity.

 

The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

Five of them were foolish and five were wise.

 

Some were prepared and some waited until the last minute.

Those who are prepared may even be made fun of for being ready.

Those who wait until the last minute may not be able to get what they need.
Sometimes I feel sorry for the five virgins who miscalculated
how much oil they would need.
They did after all bring their lamps.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path“
Psalm 119

 Perhaps it is not enough to just bring your lamp.
You must also carry with you the necessary fuel to keep the fire burning.

 

...all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.

Before you can trim your lamp you must extinguish the flame.

So you no longer have your source of light.

Once the flame is out then you trim, cut off the burned part of the wick.

After this used part has been removed the oil is replenished

 and can be lit once again.

The fresh wick can now burn more brightly.

  

 

The Bridegroom does not come until midnight...most people
may reasonably be asleep by then.
Midnight is in the middle of the night; darkness prevails.
Any tiny flicker of light can be seen from a distance away.
Midnight is when one day begins and the new day begins.
 

...stay awake...

When the Bridegroom comes it will be the beginning of a new day.
It will be a new glorious day of celebration for those who are prepared...
those who have enough oil to keep their lamps lit. 

 Scripture never tells us who makes the cry announcing the Bridegroom's arrival,
because it is not important who made the cry.

 

 If the Messiah is the Bridegroom then when he comes
 it is the end of our old life and the beginning of our new life.

 

 ...for you know neither the day nor the hour.

 

Being prepared is something that takes daily attention.
Since we do not know exactly when the Lord will come to the banquet.
If we are diligent about being prepared then the midnight hour will not catch us off guard.
We will have the extra oil to keep our lamps burning brightly.
We will have taken the time to trim our wicks.
Our light will be burning brightly. 

Blessings come in trimming the wick as well as
carrying with you extra oil.

Toxic Obedience

Saint John the Baptist, pray for us.

 

~~~ 1 Thessalonians 3:7-13 ~~~ Psalm 90 ~~~ Mark 6:17-29 ~~~

 

A few months ago I met a young man, we will call Jack.  

Jack was on the move fleeing his home, his sister, and his parents.

He was searching for a safe place to live.

He was going from city to city staying with friends hoping

 to find a place to make his home.

He needed to then look for a job.

He told me he could not stay with his family any longer.

He could not even stay in the same city.

He was obviously anxious about his future.

You see Jack was in a toxic family.

His parents were drug users. They also sold drugs to support their habit.

His sister was a prostitute most likely to support her drug habit as well.

Jack told me he tried to live with them, but he just could not

do it any longer.

He knew in his heart that he had to get out;

he had to get away from their influence.

I told him how much I admired his courage and strength.

I told him I would remember him in my prayers.

 

 

In the Gospel today we have the extreme example of the toxic family.

Herod's daughter, Salomé, had great love for her mother.

She trusted her mother. She sought counsel from her mother.

But on this particular day it was not good for her

 to heed her mother's advice.

 

To honor your father and mother does not absolve

the parents from right and wrong.

Herodias, the mother in this passage is filled with the darkness of sin.

This darkness had so clouded her soul

that nothing would stand in the way

of her having what she wanted.

 

John the Baptist spoke out against Herod

taking his brother's wife, Herodias.

Because of this, Herod had confined behind bars.

Herod thought that with John in prison he could go on with his sinful life.

Pleasure was his first goal, all types of pleasure.

 

When Salomé is presented with choosing anything

 her little heart desires,

she runs straight to mother for advice.

If committing adultery was not bad enough

 now she seizes the opportunity

to be the instigator in the murder of John the Baptist.

She descends into the depths of the ultimate sin; using her daughter.

 

Here is where I see the contrast between the young man Jack and Herod's daughter.

Salomé obeyed her mother without even questioning her request. 

Could she really have been so naïve as to think this was acceptable?  

 

When is it appropriate for a child to disobey?

Do we teach children that there are situations

when disobedience may be necessary?

 

Please join me today in praying for children all over the world

who are faced with toxic obedience decisions. 

I pray for more children to have the courage of Jack.

I pray that he has found a safe place to live in this world.

 

We hear of parents having to exercise 'tough love',

but we rarely hear of a child who must exercise the same 'tough love'.

 

Blessings for all children living in toxic family environments.

 

Herodias' daughter missed the chance

 to escape the darkness of her mother's sinfulness. 

Instead she too was caught up in the web of evil

through her toxic obedience.

A Mother's Determination

Memorial of Saint Augustine, Doctor of the Church

 

~~~ 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 ~~~ Psalm 139 ~~~ Matthew 23:27-32 ~~~ 

 

If you are a mother or have a mother, which pretty much includes everyone,

never underestimate the power of a mother's prayer.

 

Yesterday we honored Saint Monica, the mother of Saint Augustine;

if it were not for his mother's constant prayers for her son;

Augustine might never have come into such favor with God.

 

Monica always believed that her son was wonderfully made.

Monica always believed that Augustine

would come back into the love and service of the Lord.

 

You have searched me and you know me, Lord.

 

The message for us in Psalm 139 is so important

 the church gives it to us to pray for two days.

 

Finally Augustine comes to understand the ways of God.

He comes to a place on his journey

where he is given the grace to acknowledge

God's presence in his life.

Once he makes this connection there is no stopping him.

 

 

All the while back on the home front...

Monica has such a strong desire in her heart and in her prayers

 that Augustine had no chance of resisting forever.

She did her part as Paul says today...

 

...exhorting and encouraging you and insisting
that you walk in a manner worthy of the God
who calls you into his Kingdom and glory.

In those days Augustine could completely remove himself

from his mother's direct influence.

She did not have the phone, text messaging, or the internet

to reach her son. She did have her personal prayers and her faith.

 

It is a real challenge to pray for someone when you cannot see any results.

When Augustine finally opened his soul to the word of God

 he quickly made up for lost time.

He never tries to deny his inner 'wild child';

instead he moves forward with conviction

Even in his darkest moments of life God was with him.

 

For you darkness itself is not dark,
and night shines as the day.

 

The darkness of Augustine's life gives him a spiritual insight.

He can understand what it means to run away from God.

He can comprehend the desire to push God in another direction.

He can see how easy it is to take the wrong path in life.

 

Augustine writes...

" Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord,

and our heart is restless until it finds rest in thee."

 

"Too late came I to love you, O Beauty both so ancient and so new!

Too late came I to love you - and behold

you were with me all the time . . ." 

 

"...you, Lord, know everything

 about a human being because you have made him..."

 

Quotes taken from Confessions by Augustine of Hippo

 

Thus you bear witness against yourselves
that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets;
now fill up what your ancestors measured out!”

Here Jesus is telling the scribes and the Pharisees

 the way it really is with their deceitful ways and past practices.

 

Augustine fulfills the last part of the verse in becoming a saint.

His life was just the opposite of those whom Jesus was speaking to today.

For many years he was not concerned about his external appearance.

But all the while his mother prayed and God was at work

making his inside more beautiful and pleasing.

 

Both Saints Monica and Augustine were convicted

by the truth of the words of Psalm 139.

Monica knew her son was wonderfully made by God.

Augustine knew that there was no hiding from God;

even in the darkest hours.

 

Blessing in believing wherever you may go

you will find God there too.

Additional blessings in praying for your children...

it is never too late.

Cleansing the Inside of the Cup

~~~ Memorial of Saint Monica ~~~

~~~ 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 ~~~ Psalm 139 ~~~ Matthew 23:23-26 ~~~

 

When you have learned something exciting
it is hard to keep it to yourself.

A surprise party for instance is hard to keep to yourself.

 

Paul was thrilled to share with the inhabitants of Thessalonica

his affection for them.

He was more eager to share all that he had learned about God.

 During this process he also shared his very self with them. 

 

With such affection for you, we were determined to share with you
not only the Gospel of God, but our very selves as well,
so dearly beloved had you become to us.
 

God began working on Paul from the inside out

way before he was knocked off his horse...

way before his eyesight was shielded.

God knew him from his beginning.

God had created him placing in him the ideal qualities

to lead others to a conversion of heart.

Then God gave Paul the grace of acceptance.

 

O LORD, you have probed me and you know me...

 

Today we are only given a few verses from this magnificent psalm 139.

I invite you to pick up your Bible and read the entire psalm.

Make it personal; pray it mindful of yourself.

You cannot shock or surprise God;

he knows your inner most depths.

The greatest part about God knowing us

is that he patiently waits for us
to get to know ourselves as he knows us.

Maybe this is what it means to take delight in the Lord.

 

 

 ...cleanse first the inside of the cup,
so that the outside also may be clean.

 

Thinking of this cup led me to ponder translucence and transparency.
God sees us from the inside and from the outside.

...a translucent medium allows the transport of light
while a transparent medium not only allows the transport of light
but allows for the image formation.

Cleansing the inside of the cup would diminish
 the amount of distortion as the light passes through the object.
Jesus is the light which we strive to reflect.
His light first passes into our soul...
when his light enters into a 'cleansed cup' it allows
 for a better image formation.
This image which others can see through me and through you.

God created you with great care and love;
through your Baptism the inside of the cup was cleansed.
Now the maintenance is up to you.

Blessings come in cleansing the inside of the cup.

 

Saint Monica, pray for us.

Remembering You in Prayer

~~~ 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 8b-10 ~~~ Psalm 149 ~~~ Matthew 23:13-22 ~~~

 

We give thanks to God always for all of you,
remembering you in our prayers,
unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love
and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ,
before our God and Father,
knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God, how you were chosen.

 

This is one of my favorite prayers written by Saint Paul.

It expresses how I feel about the many friends I have been blessed throughout my life.

I am truly grateful for the those whom God has brought into my life.

Each person has brought something to my soul that

otherwise I would not have.

Each one of you adding a special dimension to my life.

 

Today I remember each of my friends in a special way.

I pray in gratitude for your being in my life.

I pray for the intentions you hold dear to your heart.

I also pray for those who accidently find this blog.

I pray especially for those who have joined my blog for your support

 encourages me to keep writing.

I pray also for those God has planned to bring into my life.

 

This weekend I had the blessing to attend a intimate

concert by Danielle Rose.

She has a contagious passion for life.

I was most touched by her Litany of Humility piece.

Thank you Danielle, for giving this prayer to us in music.

 

 

I give thanks to God for the faith I see through the lives of my friends.

You inspire me in so many ways...in times of sorrow,

in times of uncertainty,

and in times of joyful celebrations.

 

I thank God that you have each been chosen

 to make this world a better place...

supporting one another with love and encouragement.

 

If you are reading this know

 that as I write I am praying for you and your intentions.

I lift you up in prayer to God...may he bless you

 in every way with all things good.

 

The Lord takes delight in his people.

 

You are the people the takes delight in...

I invite you to look at those in your life today

 with new joy and appreciation.

You have enriched my life and for this I am truly grateful.

The Narrow Gate

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

~~Isaiah 66:18-21~~Psalm 117~~Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13~~Luke 13:22-30~~

 

Jesus is the way, the truth, the life, the light, the vine, the shepherd,

and today we are presented with the narrow gate and the door.

 

“Strive to enter through the narrow gate,
for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter
but will not be strong enough.
After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door,
then will you stand outside knocking and saying,
‘Lord, open the door for us.’
He will say to you in reply,
‘I do not know where you are from.

 

To me these are such harsh words.

It is disappointing to think that at the end of your life you could find

yourself standing before the wrong door.

 

I believe the path to the narrow gate is wrought with obstacles.

Before you can pass through this narrow gate you must first reach it;

furthermore you must know it even exists.

 

I pray to have the stamina to continue on this path to the narrow gate.

I pray to be able to forge ahead in the face of temptations.

I pray to have the grace to avoid that which

would lead me on a misguided detour.

 

Jesus says many will attempt to enter this gate

 but not be strong enough...

Why will some not be strong enough?

 

Is it really easier to give in to sin

than to keep our eyes fixed of Jesus?

Apparently that is the case now and was even

 in the time of Jesus.

 

Perhaps we will not be strong enough to open the gate

 even if we find it.

Oh what a shame that would be.

 

Is this gate of heavy ornamental ironwork

or is it carved from the finest wood?

Why is it difficult to pass through?

Will it be locked? Will I need to have the key?

Of course Jesus does and always has had these answers.

 

I must strive to remain near to him so that I do have the required

 strength to pass through his gate.

 

 

Once through the gate apparently we are not yet home free.

Then we must get to the house only to find the door is closed and locked.

Really? After making it through the gate

there will be another challenge to overcome.

 

I pray that I will not be too weary from getting through the gate

 by the time I reach the door.

As I call out to Jesus from outside the locked door will he hear me?

Will he recognize me, as one he so wonderfully made?

The one he made in his image is asking to come inside...to come home.

 

I pray that I will not hear the words echoing from the closed door...

'I do not know where you are from.'

 

But Lord I beg you to let your child into your house.

I want to come home. I want to be with you.

 

Blessings in striving to pass through the narrow gate.

Never give up...trust in the Lord.

He will lead the way.

...for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines...

Wisdom from the Fig Tree

 

~~~ Revelation 21:9b-14 ~~~ Psalm 145 ~~~ John 1:45-51 ~~~

 

Jesus answered and said to him,
“Before Philip called you,

 I saw you under the fig tree.” 

 

For some time I have been fascinated by the fig tree.

The fig tree is the last to produce leaves...right before summer.

The fig tree produces two crops of fruit every season.

The first is eaten fresh from the tree,

the second yield in late August is dried for the winter season.

The fig tree grows to around twenty feet and has large hairy leaves

about the size of a human hand.

 

As you recall, Adam and Eve grabbed these large

fig leaves to cover their nakedness.

The fig tree is mentioned over fifty times in the bible.

It held both nutritional and economic importance.

 

When things were going well in Israel people are described

as sitting under their own fig tree.

Today we see Jesus noticing that Nathaniel is sitting under the fig tree.

All was going well in his life.

He was a man who thought for himself.

He was a man who was opinionated about the neighboring cities.

 

“Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

 

The fig tree has been as a symbol of peace and prosperity.

The fig tree is unique that it produces fruit before it's leaves emerge.

Almost as a statement that it does not need

the leaves to produce it's fruit.

The flowers are not even visible on the fig tree

because from the beginning they are encased within the fruit.

 

Nathaniel is comfortably sitting in the shade of the fig tree.

He may be feeling a little skeptical of this person

from Nazareth called Jesus.

He is reluctant to leave the security of his 'fig tree'

 to come and see Jesus.

 

It often takes the urging of a close friend to convince him

 to leave the shade of the fig tree.

It is often up to us to reach out to a friend

who is sitting in the shade of their long held beliefs.

 

 

Jesus notices Nathaniel sitting under his fig tree, but Jesus

 is not the one who goes to him.

Jesus does not call Nathaniel to get up from his comfortable

 secure position in the shade.

Jesus waits patiently for Nathaniel to come to him.

 

Just as Jesus waits patiently for us today.

We must rely on God and not just on our fig tree.

It is God who produces prosperity in our lives.

Jesus basically tells Nathaniel you have not yet seen true prosperity.

'...you will see heaven opened and the angels of God
ascending and descending on the Son of Man.'

No matter how good we think we have it;

nothing compares to what God has prepared for us.

 

Blessings in leaving the shade of our 'fig tree'

to come and see the Lord.

The Faithful Daughter in Law

~~~ Ruth 1:1, 3-6, 14b-16, 22 ~~~ Psalm 146 ~~~ Matthew 22:34-40 ~~~

 

But Ruth said, “Do not ask me to abandon or forsake you!
For wherever you go, I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge,
your people shall be my people, and your God my God.”

Ruth was completely loyal and dedicated to her mother in law, Naomi.

Ruth chose to remain with Naomi after her husband died.

In that time if you were a widow you literally had no one

to provide for you.

You were nearly reduced to becoming a beggar.

At this time Israel was in the clutches of a terrible famine.

 

Ruth treated Naomi with unconditional love.

She modeled for us exactly how we want God to care for us.

Ruth almost became one with Naomi.

She embraced all that Naomi embraced.

 

Ruth becomes the equivalent of Naomi's care giver.

Caring for her out of love; not out of duty.

It is the Lord himself who places on the heart of Ruth

 to care so deeply for Naomi.

 

 

Jesus tells us to love God with our whole being.

He also tells us the second commandment which is to

love your neighbor as yourself.

 

Ruth exemplified both of these great commandments.

She loved God and she loved her neighbor.

 

In God's perfect book of life

The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.

Ruth remains with Naomi and shares her lose; she shares her pain.

Naomi has now lost her husband and both of her sons.

 

The beautiful vow that Ruth makes to Naomi

reminds us of the marriage vows.

In fact this passage from Ruth is used at weddings.

When you are married the couple agrees to go together, to live together,

to share one another's friends, and to worship the same God together.

 

In the end Ruth is rewarded with marriage to a man of wealth.

The story of Naomi and Ruth is one of the most beloved 

stories in the Bible.

It is a story of loyalty, love,

and faith in God.

 

Blessings tucked inside being a faithful friend

or in this case a faithful daughter in law.

Will You Follow Through?

~~~ Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~~~

 

~~~ Judges 11:29-39a ~~~ Psalm 40 ~~~ Matthew 22:1-14 ~~~

 

As a parent and a teacher I learned to never make
idle threats, especially to children.
If you tell a child something you had better
be prepared to follow through.

On the other hand, if you make grandiose threats or promises
and fail to follow through you will lose credibility.
Once that happens you will no longer be taken seriously.
When you are not taken seriously then the boundaries
will constantly be tested.

So the lesson is say what you mean and mean what you say.

If you commit to following the Lord, answering his call
then you need to follow through...
you need to keep your word.

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

 

I come to do your will...

Jephthah made a vow to the Lord
and it cost him the life of his only daughter.
His daughter made a promise
 after two months she would return to submit to her death.

The guest invited to the wedding feast were too busy.

They had no time to do the will of the Father.
They rejected their personal invitation to the big party.
  

 

It is clear that Jephthah was devastated at having made
such a vow to the Lord 

 At the time he wanted the Lord to bless him in his battles,
but he made a promise that cost him dearly.

An idle promise that he sadly did carry out.
His daughter could have run away and prevented her own death,
but she also honored her father's promise.

Luckily God does not expect us to make such foolish vows.
God would not ask us to sacrifice a loved one in response
 to answered prayer.
 

 Speak only those words which you truly believe.
Speak only those vows which you are willing to keep.
Think carefully before you make promises.

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

Can you pray this verse and really mean it?
Can you do the will of God in the face of pain and suffering?

Blessings come
 in having sufficient grace...
mean what you say and say what you mean.

Buckthorn and the Goats

~~~ Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope ~~~

 

~~~ Judges 9:6-15 ~~~ Psalm 21 ~~~ Matthew 20:1-16 ~~~

 

The readings today from the Book of Judges almost reads
 like a children's story.

Trees talking about themselves as if they had something real to say.

The people are confused...they are looking for direction.

They have given up their false idols, but what about nature.

After all God created all of nature.

Is it not alright to consider placing them in a higher position?

 

But even the trees have their excuses...

 The olive tree...Must I give up my rich oil...

The fig tree...Must I give up my sweetness and my good fruit...

The vine...Must I give up my wine that cheers gods and men...

 

These examples remind me of the many reasons

we tell ourselves that we cannot do more for the Lord 

 We too would be asked to sacrifice our rich oil, our sweetness,

our good fruit, and our cheerful wine.

 Those things which we believe are valuable to us.

 

Finally one of the trees speaks up. He is willing to lead the 'trees'...

it is the buckthorn.

Just saying buckthorn makes me feel all prickly.

Pictures of a tree full of deer antlers comes into my mind.

Why would the trees pick the buckthorn?

It is ironic when the olive, fig, and the vine have

such wonderful things to contribute.

 

The buckthorn has this to offer...

...come and take refuge in my shadow.
Otherwise, let fire come from the buckthorn
and devour the cedars of Lebanon.
 

 The buckthorn is not a tree, but an invasive troublesome bush.

It could not provide shade unless you were low down on the ground.

Buckthorns are common weeds...no one wants them in their yard.

It certainly is hardy, as is common with most weeds.

 

If the trees cannot decide among themselves

who will accept the role of leader.

Would they actually choose this weed

who has nothing of value to offer them?

 

 It is a farce. The buckthorn instead, has evil plans to set fires.

 

 

Buckthorn is a real nuisance in forests today.

It has surprisingly been found that goats

like to chow down on buckthorn...

How interesting is that? Goats of all animals.

The forest specialists can avoid nasty pesticides by just

bringing in the goats to dine.

The goats do not bother the other trees, like the oak for instance.

 

 In the parable of the workers today Jesus says again

the last shall be first and the first shall be last.

 This causes those who had been working longer to become very unhappy.

They feel they should be paid more since they had worked longer.

 

God thinks otherwise...

consider the eternal life that is waiting for us.

In the eyes of God, whether you are a life time believer

 or if you convert on your deathbed;

the same heavenly reward has been prepared for you.

 We are all given an equal opportunity to secure

our place with the Lord.

 

The sooner the goats come to rid our hearts of the buckthorn

the happier we will be serving the Lord.

Blessings in loving God yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Our reward remains the same...heaven.

All Things 'Are' Possible

 

~~~ Judges 6:11-24a ~~~ Psalm 85 ~~~ Matthew 19:23-30 ~~~

 

...for God all things are possible.

 

An angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon as he

was working in the wheat field.

The angel instructed Gideon to go and save Israel from the Midians.

Gideon had huge doubts about this message.

He never dreamed of himself as a leader in battle.

 

...for God all things are possible.

 

He goes on to explain to the angel that he and his father

are of no consequence.

They are merely going about their daily tasks.

I am the most insignificant in my father’s house.

 

Gideon must have been shaking in his boots...

first an angel is speaking to him and now he is being told

 to save his people.

So he asks for some form of confirmation.

Is this really coming from God?

Perhaps I should bring an offering and place it here before God.

Surprisingly the angel agrees to wait for Gideon's return.

 

The Lord accepts Gideon's offering consuming it in flames of fire.

 

...for God all things are possible. 

 

 

We hear Jesus telling his disciples today

that those who are last will be first and those

who are first will be last. 

 

You can find favor with God 

whether you have been born into poverty or if

you have chosen the way of poverty. 

 

Yesterday the good young man could not

 make the choice to rid himself of his possessions.

He turned and walked away from Jesus.

Today in contrast we have the apostles

 who walked away from their livelihood to follow Jesus. 

 

 Wealth is not evil in and of itself;

it just may be a hindrance if we want to follow Jesus.

It has everything to do with our attitude.

 

Jesus is promising if you walk away

from your earthly possessions you will be rewarded in heaven.

 

 And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters
or father or mother or children or lands
for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more,
and will inherit eternal life.
But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

Blessings come to us in unsuspecting ways...

The Lord comes to us when we are going about our daily duties.

It is the Lord himself who works wonders

 through those he selects, as was the case for Gideon. 

 

I invite you to be open to wherever the Lord may lead you. 

 

Have no fear or doubt.

...for God all things are possible.

The Loaded Question

~~~ Judges 2:11-19 ~~~ Psalm 106 ~~~ Matthew 19:16-22 ~~~

 

A young man approached Jesus and said,
“Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?”

 

Jesus tells this good young man to sell everything and follow him.

The young man turns and sadly walks away, perhaps feeling rejected.

This man believed he was leading a good moral life.

He obeyed the commandments, but wondered if he needed to do more.

 

I give credit to this man for asking what more could

he do to lead a holy life.

Sometimes we do not get the answers we expect.

Jesus could see deep into the soul of this man.

Jesus zeroed right in to his core values.

Jesus knew that his material possessions held the place

of importance in his heart.

 

Jesus has a way of quickly and accurately getting to the real issue.

He is like a skilled surgeon with his scalpel.

Jesus did not minimize keeping the commandments;

in fact he did not even praise the man for keeping them.

Instead Jesus conversed with this man on a personal level.

This was not some generic comment addressed to the crowd.

This reply was carefully crafted especially for this man, at this time.

 

They served their idols,
which became a snare for them. 

 

Obviously selling all of his possessions was a huge snare for him.

He was comfortable with his life, not realizing

that in order to advance in holiness he must make some sacrifices.

 

 

What possessions are you holding

that interfere with your desire for greater holiness?

 

You may not be making 'golden calves' and kneeling down before them.

But what does have a grasp on your heart?

 

We each have something; I suspect in the world today

 it might even be our smart phones.

I know they are useful and necessary, but...

It might be the games we are addicted to playing on our phones.

It might even be the amount of time social media consumes in each day.

 

If you were to stand before Jesus today and ask the same question,

...What do I still lack?

 

Would you be prepared to hear his personal answer to you?

It is a bit unsettling to reflect on such a meeting with the Lord.

It may make you feel uncomfortable

because Jesus could tell you the very thing

you do not want to hear.

 

I guess the moral of this story is...

be careful what you ask the Lord.

His answer may have you too turning and walking away sad.

 

Blessings come in being able to accept the answers God has for us.

The Blazing Fire

~~~ Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

 

~~Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10~~Psalm 40~~Hebrews 12:1-4~~Luke 12:49-53~~

 

“I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already blazing!

 

 Jesus came to ignite a love so great
that it would expand across the oceans and continents.
Jesus came to set our hearts on fire with such a love
that some would sacrifice their own life.
Jesus came to set ablaze the past beliefs and ways of doing things.

 

 The two walking on the road to Emmaus
after speaking with Jesus noted that their hearts were burning.

Jesus walked the earth with passion.
Passion for truth, mercy, justice, compassion and great love.
He warned us that when he ignited this fire of his passion
 things would forever be changed.
The world would be different; right down
to our intimate family relationships.

 

 

As we have seen so many times with forest fires,
 once a fire has been set it is powerful.
A blazing fire is like a voracious hunger;
it consumes everything in its path and keeps moving on to the next. 

 

 Jesus knew that his ways would not seem like peace in the beginning.
He upset the apple cart, he turned over the rocks,
he revealed the selfishness of the people.

Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?

 

It is difficult to feel peace when all that you had believed
was being questioned by this man from Nazareth. 

 The church officials had all of the right answers they were the authority.

Who did this Jesus think he was?
Why should they listen to him at all?

He did set them on fire, but unfortunately it was for the wrong causes.
They had equally as much passion for their way
 as did Jesus for his ways.
The one difference was that Jesus went all the way
to his death holding steadfast to his beliefs.

 

 Jesus saw beyond where he was standing.
Faith, Hope, and Love allow us to also have this vision to see beyond.
These three keep the fire kindled within our hearts.

We are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses;
they kept the fire burning through their faith and love.
May they continue to show us the way.

Blessings can be disguised as a blazing fire.

Who Does Your Household Serve?

~~~ Joshua 24:14-29 ~~~ Psalm 16 ~~~ Matthew 19:13-15 ~~~

 

As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.

 

Joshua is asking the people to make a commitment.

Either you serve the Lord with me and my household

 or you serve the god of your fathers

or the god of the Amorites.

But you must chose.

You may not meander about with no allegiance to a god.

He was forcing them to think about what they wanted to believe.

They needed to make a personal choice.

 

Joshua proudly declares his decision.

 

The people quickly reject the idea of serving other gods.

They remember historically how the Lord had led them,

protected them, and provided for them.

For it was the LORD, our God,
who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt,
out of a state of slavery. 

 

Collectively the people announce their service to the God.
Joshua warns them that they must now put away all other gods.

 

 

They must now turn their hearts to the Lord also.
Just speaking the words of serving the Lord is not sufficient.
Words can be spoken without coming from the heart.

These words were spoken amidst the crowd;
they could be influenced by those standing beside them. 

 

 Joshua made a covenant with the people that day...
... he recorded in the book of the law of God.

...he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak...

Joshua said to all the people, "This stone shall be our witness,
for it has heard all the words which the LORD spoke to us..." 

 

Joshua placed the stone as a visible sign of their
commitment that day to the Lord. 

 

Have you made the choice for your house to serve the Lord?
Have you placed a visible sign
somewhere in your house as a reminder
of your commitment to the Lord? 

Jesus blesses the little children...
for me every time I see a little child it is a reminder
of the goodness of the Lord.
It reminds me that there truly is a God and that heaven is real.

Join the people of Joshua and claim your household in service to the Lord.
Make this promise with your words and with your heart. 

Blessings come in the total package...
a household dedicated to serving the Lord.

Narrarted by God

~~~ Joshua 24:1-13 ~~~ Psalm 136 ~~~ Matthew 19:3-12 ~~~

 

Joshua presents the history of the Israelites by God.

God wants Joshua to tell the story according to his version.

God wants there to be no confusion

 as to whom is due the credit

for leading the Israelites out of Egypt.

God gives Joshua the task of presenting a divine history lesson.

Many generations had come and gone by the time

Joshua is the leader of the people.

 

Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel

 

If we are not reminded of the historical facts we tend to forget.

Many times when events are later recalled the facts get distorted,

either intentionally or because they are simply forgotten.

 

God wants the people to be mindful of all that he has done for them.

If he has done this much to protect them,

then they should continue to believe he will lead Joshua too.

 

God parted seas helped them conquer armies much greater than they.

He gave them land they did not earn.

It was God that made the land yield and produce in abundance.

 

If God is removed from the picture

the whole point of their freedom story is muted.

No one except God could have accomplished such incredible feats.

God is the one who deserves all of the credit.

 

 

When someone is doing the work of the Lord;

it is God who puts the desire into the heart of the person.

It is God that provides the person what is necessary to complete each task.

 

Without the hand of God in our life

we are much like a fish out of water;

flopping around, gasping for the next breath of air.

 

It is God who blesses

marriage between a man and a woman.

It is God who blesses those who are

called to a life of celibacy.

 

I invite you to take time in the next few days

to reflect back on your life.

Focus primarily on the times you believe God was working.

Thinking back as far as you can

 try to see how even when you were not aware

 God was there.

Your autobiography has peaks and valleys,

but in every area the presence of God has blessed you.

Today is the day to take historical inventory of your life with God. 

Assumed into Heaven

~~~Assumption of the Blessed Mother, Mary ~~~

 

~~Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab ~~Psalm 45 ~~

~~1 Corinthians 15:20-27~~Luke 1:39-56~~

 

Today we commemorate the death of Mary the Mother of Jesus.

Today we not only remember her death,

but also our belief that she was assumed

 into heaven body and soul.

 

She was reunited with the Son she conceived, bore, and birthed.

She was reunited with the Word made flesh.

Her body and soul glorified and made holy by God.

 

The beautiful words of her Magnificat hymn clearly fill the heavens.

Her motherly compassion and joy grace heaven for all of eternity.

Her tenderness and unconditional love forever

shine as stars in heaven.

 

In 1950, Pope Pius XII declared the Assumption of Mary

 into heaven a dogma of faith.

 

 

Had Mary not been receptive to being chosen by God to conceive Jesus,

he could not be the 'first fruit' of our salvation.

 

It is fitting that God, Jesus, would assume Mary into heaven.

Her body became sacred and holy the moment she become pregnant

with Our Lord and Savior.

 

Her body became the tabernacle,

the special place for Jesus to reside until his human body was perfectly formed.

 

Her womb was the new temple.

It was within her holy body that Jesus begins to fulfill the law.

Only God would allow such a process to happen.

Who would ever have thought that God would take on our

total human existence.

 

Mary knew as is evidenced in the words of her Magnificat

that she was humbly filled with the Spirit.

 

From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his Name.

 

Mary was spared the corruption of her body after her death.

She did not have to wait until the end of time to be

reunited with her physical body.

 

In the Bible there is not much more recorded about Mary

after the wedding at Cana until the crucifixion.

Certainly she spent as much time as she could following her son.

Imagine how she must have been filled with joy at hearing

 of his preaching,

 teaching, and many miraculous cures.

 

Mary was a mother who loved her son and took pride

in his accomplishments.

Mary was your traditional Jewish mother;

her son was extremely important to her.

 

As with most things concerning God,

 we cannot begin to comprehend the Assumption of Mary into heaven.

Instead we are asked to accept her Assumption with our faith.

There is no need to try and figure out how 

this could have physically taken place.

 

Since her death Mary has made numerous appearances

to individuals here on earth...

each time she always appears to have her physical body.

The same body which gave birth to the Messiah in a stable.

 

Religious artists typically portray

Mary as young,

 but when she died she was no longer a young girl.

 

By the time Mary died she had witnessed our whole salvation story...

literally from supernatural conception through natural death

and finally to the Resurrection.

 

Today I invite you to be thankful for the motherhood of Mary.

She blesses us in many ways

 with her loving words...

do whatever he tells you. 

The Soul of Community Prayer

 

Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe

~~~ Deuteronomy 34:1-12 ~~~ Psalm 66 ~~~ Matthew 18:15-20 ~~~

 

Blessed be God who filled my soul with fire!

 

Throughout all of Christianity

God has sent down the Holy Spirit to fill

the hearts of men and women.

We have every reason to believe that this continues in our world today.

The Holy Spirit is what Jesus promised to send down in his place.

Since the first Pentecost the Holy Spirit has been with us.

 

Obviously from the first reading

we can see that the actions of the Holy Spirit existed. 

 Now Joshua, son of Nun, was filled with the spirit of wisdom,
since Moses had laid his hands upon him...

 

 God filled the soul of Joshua with fire.

This fire gave him wisdom and strength to faithfully

carry out the Lord's command.

It was now the task of Joshua to step into the leadership role

for the people of Israel.

 

 

 Come and see the works of God...

 

It was a common understanding in ancient times

that witnesses were important for credibility to be established. 

 

 ...every fact may be established
on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

 

You may recall that Jesus took three with him to the mountain top 

 to witness the Transfiguration.

They witnessed the true essence of Jesus, his divine nature.

 

This is perhaps why Jesus goes on to say that where

two or three gather to pray

his heavenly Father will also be present.

 

For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them.
 

 Praying in community is giving testimony to the divine presence.

Praying together with others fills our hearts

with the fire of God's love.

We are stronger when we pray with two or three others.

The spirit of our individual prayer

combines creating a greater, more powerful prayer.

We are offering our presence as witnesses

to our time of prayer.

 

There is no stopping a person

when their soul is filled with the fire of the Spirit. 

Saint Maximilian Kolbe is one man who was undoubtedly

filled with the fire of the Spirit.

 

Blessings in praying with others.

Yound, Old or Lost?

~~~Deuteronomy 31:1-8~~Dt 32:3-4ab, 7, 8, 9 and 12~~Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14~~~

 

No matter how small or insignificant one may appear

God sees differently.

A little child...one lost sheep...

even elderly Moses at one hundred and twenty years old,

mobility impaired God does not discard those he loves..

 

Be brave and steadfast;
...for it is the LORD, your God, who marches with you;
he will never fail you or forsake you.

 

Before God we are transparent

we cannot hide either our frailties or our talents.

 

God loves all of who we are; at every stage of our life.

 

Becoming like a child does not mean

that we can have a typical two year old temper tantrum,

but if it happens God will be there patiently waiting for it to subside.

 

 He cares if we become separated from him pursuing our own selfish path,

like the lost sheep.

The lost sheep looked up from his grazing to find the others gone.

He now realizes he is all alone and begins to bleat

in his misery.

 

God takes care of us whether we are young, old or lost.

He wants us to stay with him.

He wants us to look up to him as father, as shepherd,

even as the loving care giver.

He truly is our all in all. 

 

 God fills us with the necessary grace to be brave and steadfast. 

He encourages us to march on; for he is at our side.

 

I have seen little children love with such a pure heart

that adults must respond in kind. 

 I seen elderly with more compassion than seems reasonable.

I have seen the lost crying out through their darkness for help.

 

It is the LORD who marches before you;
he will be with you and will never fail you or forsake you.

 

There is goodness within each of us;

let it rise to the surface so as

 to see the more clearly the one who marches before you. 

 

Blessings in being

like a child holding the hand of the Lord.

In the Mouth of a Fish

~~~ Deuteronomy 10:12-22 ~~~ Psalm 147 ~~~ Matthew 17:22-27 ~~~

 

Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and be no longer stiff-necked.

 

Overwhelmed with grief at hearing that Jesus must die,

now they must deal with a civil issue.

There is a long standing saying that paying taxes and dying are the only

two things you cannot get away from doing.

 

So here we have Jesus speaking about how he must die and the temple

tax collector jumps right in.

 

Jesus does not want to offend, but he also does not encourage

blindly following the letter of the law.

 

Jesus performs one of his most unusual miracles...

He pays his taxes with a coin from out of the mouth of a fish.

How odd is that?

He fed large crowds with a small handful of fish.

His first disciples were fishermen.

In a way it is almost ironic that they should get the money to pay their

temple taxes from a fish.

They were certainly familiar with catching fish...

it was their livelihood.

 

 

Jesus told Peter and the others that he would make them fishers of men.

In spreading the gospel message there are gold coins to be found.

There are treasured stories of how God

 works in the life of each person.

You may have your own treasured story of how

you came to realize the presence of God.

 

go to the sea, drop in a hook,
and take the first fish that comes up.
Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax.

 

Whatever you owe to Cesar does not compare to what

God has in store for you.

Jesus pays the ultimate 'tax' paying with his life for us.

 

Peter was to take the first fish...he was to open its mouth.

The fish did not just jump out of the water a spit up the coin.

Peter was to approach the sea with his fishing gear

 as any other normal day of fishing.

 

If you have ever been fishing you will know

that you may be waiting for that first fish for quite a while.

You must exercise patience to be a fisherman.

 

Jesus pays the expected taxes in a very unconventional way.

Jesus wants us to cut open our hearts,

even to circumcise them.

 

Jesus says give to God what is God's and to Cesar what is Cesar's.

He never says something he does not support with his actions.

Remember he did not come to abolish the law,

but rather to fulfill it as had never previously been done.

 

In the middle of their grief Jesus performs a miracle

right in the mouth of a fish.

 

When was the last time you looked in the mouth of a fish for God's blessings?

I can honestly say I have never

considered a fish as a source for tax money.

God never ceases to amaze!

He will always provide.

Are You Prepared

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

~~Wisdom18:6-9~~Psalm 33~~Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-12~~Luke 12:35-40~~

 

We are in the middle of hurricane season.

Are you prepared in the event a hurricane develops

 and heads our direction?

The public service announcements from the media

and the authorities advise

having plenty of drinking water, batteries for flashlights...

having a full tank of gas, even boarding up windows may be necessary.

 

The first responders drill and practice for high water rescue operations.

The Red Cross identifies potential shelters and their plan of action

 in the event of

a hurricane emergency.

 

Every year prior to June we are reminded

about the reality of a hurricane striking our area.

And every year some people just ignore the message.

 

Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. 

 

In a way we have our entire life to prepare for the masters arrival,

but yet many of us wait until something catastrophic happens. 

We pretend all is well until the water begins to rise up around our feet.

 

In my life I have been in several hurricanes and the worst part,

 in my opinion,is the darkness.

When the high winds and the tornadoes threaten

during the darkness it adds another layer of fear.

 

You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect,
the Son of Man will come.”

While the coming of the Son of Man will not be equal

 to an approaching hurricane,

the concept of being prepared is applicable.

 

The National Weather service is getting much better

 at predicting and then tracking a hurricane.

 

We too must strive to get better at being prepared...

Gird your loins and light your lamps...

Jesus says...make sure your have batteries for the flashlight.

The day when the Lord comes will be joyous

 if we have been vigilant with our preparations.

 

Turn on your radar for the coming of the Lord is near.

It should be visible on your radar screen...

the readings today remind us of this truth.

 

We are given sufficient Blessings to be prepared;

for at any time the Master may come.