The Two Shall Be One Flesh

~~~ James 5:9-12 ~~~ Psalm 103 ~~~ Mark 10:1-12 ~~~

All things are passing...there is no time
to waste on petty things such as...

complaining and judging others.

Have perseverance like that of Job, never tire
 of returning to the Lord.

The Lord is kind and merciful.

God is more kind, compassionate, merciful, and just
than any one person is capable of being.
He does not hold grudges against us.
He looks to see how we are doing well.
He is waiting with words of encouragement when we fail.

Not sure what Jesus was teaching about the day the Pharisees
decided to bring up the whole issue of divorce.

Clearly it was just another attempt on their part to trip Jesus up.
They have tried several times before to get him
to openly contradict the existing laws;
today it is concerning whether
or not a man is allowed to divorce his wife.

Divorce then simply meant
the husband was tired of his wife or unhappy with her.
He simply signed a paper releasing her from her union with him.

They were both free to go about their merry ways.

But Jesus goes back to the beginning of creation.
He quotes the book of Genesis...
God made them male and female.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
So they are no longer two but one flesh.

Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate.”

Marriage is the joining of a man and a woman;
becoming one flesh.
God has brought them together to live as one.

Divorce even today is a very touchy situation.
No one can say two people should never get a divorce,
but on the other hand should it be so easy to get divorced.

Adultery tied so closely to divorce seems very
 counter-cultural in society today.

Remaining in a marriage requires a great deal
 of selfless love on the part of each party.

The traditional marriage sums it up...
until death do us part...
in sickness and in health...
for richer or poor...
until death.
Be kind and merciful as the Lord;
you will be able to persevere in your marriage.
Blessed to receive daily the grace to
 gladly honor my wedding vows.

Peace.

Salty for Christ

~~~ James 5:1-6 ~~~ Psalm 49 ~~~ Mark 9:41-50 ~~~

“Everyone will be salted with fire.
Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid,
with what will you restore its flavor?
Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another.”

Those who are salt of the earth and dependable and unpretentious.
Salt does not have to claim to be something it is not.

Salt adds flavor.
Salt preserves preventing bacteria growth.
Perhaps in our diet today we are encouraged to curtail our salt intake,
but the salt that comes from God remains pertinent.

We who have been seasoned with the fire
and salt of Christ are to keep it alive and live accordingly.

Salt cannot loose its chemical compounds which give it the salty taste.
But we can loose our ability to taste the salt.
If we do not taste the salt we will not know we possess that which is salty.

We are to be seasoned with the love of Christ.
We are to be on fire for sharing the love of Christ.

We are to seasoned and burning for Christ.
Our actions and our attitudes will be evident of the salt and the fire.

As followers of Christ we can bring out the best
 in ourselves and in others.
The words we say to one another must be words
 that preserve the understanding that Christ lives in each of us.

Carrying the presence of Jesus
in your mind, heart, soul, and body will insure
the integrity of the salt.
The salt shall not lose its flavor.

Blessed to be seasoned with the love of Christ.
Blessed to be on fire with the love of Christ.
Peace.

Tomorrow is Not Guaranteed

~~~ James 4:13-17 ~~~ Psalm 49 ~~~ Mark 9:38-40 ~~~

...you have no idea what your life will be like tomorrow.

Do not wait...do good today.
We have no guarantee what tomorrow will bring.
Too often we put off today what we think we can do in the future.
For some they are living their future right now.
Since we have no prior knowledge of what lies ahead for us
we must carefully make good use of today.
If there is something you need to take care of
 in your personal relationships do it soon.

There is never the ideal time to forgive and mend broken relationships.
Too often I have seen the pain of a loved one
standing at the coffin filled with sorrow over unfinished business.

This is a perfect time to heal old wounds
 as we are a few days away from Lent.

Forgiveness leads to healing your own heart.
Forgiveness is always the work of God.
If you can forgive you are doing the work of God.

There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.”

You cannot be against God and do good toward others.
The one who does these good works may not declare a relationship with God,
but we believe all that is good comes from God.

What if you have no tomorrow?
Would you live today differently?
Thoughts to ponder today.

Blessed to have no knowledge about tomorrow.

This should not stop us from setting goals though.
Carpe Diem...Seize the day
with good works and open hearts.
Peace.

Servant of the Poor

~~~ James 4:1-10 ~~~ Psalm 55 ~~~ Mark 9:30-37 ~~~

We must make the daily commitment
to submit ourselves to God,
because it is not easy.
Submitting oneself to God is the only real gift
we can give back to him.
Total giving of our will in submission to his will.
We pray this in the Our Father,
but do we really consider the impact
of 'thy will be done'?
We cannot squirm out of the full meaning of those words.
So submit yourselves to God.

Submitting your will to God's does not render you helpless.
The opposite is closer to the truth.
It takes great courage and trust to submit to God.
Just as the lambs submit to the shepherd,
because some how they know it is the best thing to do.

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

Psalm 55 today reminds us to give all of concerns to God
for he alone is the one who can make all things better.

When we remain close to the Lord
we come to believe that he is always beside us.

Humble yourselves before the Lord

and he will exalt you.

If you can believe with all of your heart that God cares for you,
then emptying yourself before him will give you peace.

In the end he will raise you to be with him in heaven.

“If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” 

Jesus humbled himself giving up his rightful place
in heaven to come down to live with us.
He came down to live among us.

He took on all of our human frailty, with the exception of sin.
He, the creator, took part in our human existence.
There is no greater act of humility
 than for God to become flesh and blood.
He completely embraced our physical wants and needs.
He had to have food, he had to have water to drink,
he became tired at times and needed to rest.
He had a family, friends, and personal relationships just like us.

Jesus blessed us with his presence among us;
not as a King
but rather as a servant.
How can we consider ourselves
 to be more deserving then our Lord?
Peace.

Not for the Faint of Heart

~~~ James 3:13-18 ~~~ Psalm 19 ~~~ Mark 9:14-29 ~~~

Let him show his works by a good life in the humility
 that comes from wisdom.

The closer we walk humbly with the Lord the greater
wisdom and power he will give.
When we are in the Spirit
 it is the Spirit that will work through us.

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure,
then peaceable, gentle, compliant,
full of mercy and good fruits...

Jealousy and self -serving ambition are in opposition to the wisdom of God.
There is no spirit of competition in the Spirit.
There is, however, the need for a great deal of faith.
The wisdom of God manifests itself according to our depth of faith.

You know the saying...if you think you can then you can
and if you think you cannot then you cannot.
Which ever one holds true for you is true. 

Everything is possible to one who has faith.

Since there is nothing impossible for God we must act accordingly.
The frustrated woman in the Gospel today presented her child to be healed.

She first takes her child to the disciples.
 But they were not able to overcome the evil spirit possessing the child.

The magnitude of the evil was too great for the novice disciples.
They had the power given to them by God, but were lacking,
perhaps in their belief.
Perhaps they did not truly believe in themselves enough.
Against this evil spirit it took the powerful belief of Jesus himself.

We must focus our attention
on keeping our faith not just alive, but active.
The more we are called to rely on our faith
 the more we will come to see its inherent strength.
Faith is a gift, but it is not for the faint of heart.

We are Blessed to have the opportunity to put our faith into practice every day.
There is nothing we should take for granted,
the truth is it could all be gone in a flash.

Pray for God to increase your faith,
so that we faced with great challenges your faith
will be up to the task.
Peace.

Transparent Honesty

~~~Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time~~~

~~Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18~~Psalm 103~~1 Corinthians 3:16-23~~Matthew 5:38-48~~

Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.

This seems like an impossible directive to follow.
We are not asked to go out searching for the illusive holiness.
In fact this holiness is not something we find in isolation.
This holiness is found in how we radiate God to others.
God manifests his holiness through all of his actions...
through all of creation.
We are called to live our holiness, not on our knees,
but on our feet and with our hands.
Our holiness is made evident in how we view others.
Can we see all peoples with the eyes of God.

Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.

Holiness is being in a constant state of gratitude.
All that we have and all that we will have
comes from the abundance of God.
Having a relationship with God does come with its perks...
He showers us with his gifts of love and mercy.

Brothers and sisters:
Do you not know that you are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

Worthy or not we cannot stop our God from
wanting to dwell within us.

Without this indwelling of the Spirit of God we would not exist.
When God dwells in us we become his hands and feet here on the earth.
It is with his hands that we clasp the hand of a loved one.
It is with his arms that we give the hug of hope.
It is with his voice that we speak words of forgiveness.

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

It is true, in the traditional understanding of perfection,
we can never be perfect while on this earth.
But this perfection we are desiring is about being aligned
with God in mind, body, and spirit.

Having our whole being in tune with him.
In perfection, in wholeness there is no place for duplicity.
There can be no trace of deceit.
There must be only transparent honesty as to who we are...
For we are dust and to dust we shall return.

Perhaps we do not stop to appreciate just how Blessed
we are to be considered as the dwelling place of the Lord.

For in him we live and breathe and move.
Without him we are nothing.
May the peace of the Lord envelope you.

Tending the Flock

~~~ 1 Peter 5:1-4 ~~~ Psalm 23 ~~~ Matthew 16:13-19 ~~~

I exhort the presbyters among you...
Tend the flock of God in your midst,
overseeing not by constraint but willingly,
as God would have it...

The priests of the church are being told to pay attention.
To notice how a shepherd tends to his flock.
There is no coercion only loving care and concern.
The Lord takes care of our needs even better than the best shepherd.
There is nothing I shall want for because the Lord can be trusted.
With the Lord all of our wants and needs are met.

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life...

A good shepherd leads his sheep to the safe path.
A good shepherd handles his sheep with kindness and they follow him.

...you are Peter,

and upon this rock I will build my Church...

Jesus gave the authority to rule over the church to Peter.

He gave Peter the position of the head of the church.
Along with that title comes responsibilities to the people.

The model of the head of the church is that of a Good Shepherd.

A good shepherd that always looks out for his sheep.
He cares for his sheep...he loves his sheep.
His sheep are a treasure to him.

If the shepherd has no sheep then he has no reason to be a shepherd.
If the church has no members; there is no reason to have a head.

We are blessed to have a wonderful Good Shepherd...
 in Pope Francis.

He leads us through the darkness to the restful waters.
God Bless the Pope as he guides us, the church.
Peace.

Get Your Hands Dirty

~~~ James 2:14-24, 26 ~~~ Psalm 112 ~~~ Mark 8:34-9:1 ~~~

Do you want proof, you ignoramus, that faith without works is useless?

Saint James is knocking down the bowling pins
with his strong bowling ball statements.

He does not mince his words.
He was not a bit concerned about whether or not
he was politically correct.
He just laid the facts down on the line.
...faith is useless unless you put it into your actions.
James might even be considered rude.
His style and convictions made people stop and listen.
He got their attention.
No one wants to called an 'ignoramus';
it would be insulting to say the very least.

The life and the spirit of our faith is manifested through our goods works.

“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,

take up his cross, and follow me..."

It is not enough to have faith without the action parts;
the action includes taking up our cross.
It is in the taking of our personal cross that we may
 best put our faith into action.
It is how we model our faith;
by the manner in which we carry our cross.
There is no one who has chosen to follow Jesus
 that does not also have their own cross to carry.

We cannot escape the trials of this human existence.

Faith is not a collector's item to be displayed in a glass case.
Faith is digging in the dirt...getting your hands dirty.
Faith is reaching out to others even when we don't feel like it.

Faith...good works...denying self...taking up our cross
all become vital components of following Christ.

We are Blessed to have Jesus to help us carry our cross.
We are not alone; he is with us.
Peace.

Can You Answer the Question?

~~~ James 2:1-9 ~~~ Psalm 34 ~~~ Mark 8:27-33 ~~~

“But who do you say that I am?”
Every year we are given this one small verse of scripture.
Jesus is having a conversation with the disciples as
they are walking along the road.

At first his question is very general and global...
Who do people say that I am?

It is easy for them to answer with what they have heard from others.
As they have traveled around with Jesus and mingled with the people,
they hear what is being said about Jesus.

It is safe for them to repeat this to him because it is not personal.
They are simply reporting to him what they have been told
or what they have heard.

But Jesus presses farther...deeper. He then asks the personal question.

“But who do you say that I am?”

Now they cannot simply parrot back the words of others.
Now they must share their own decision.
Who is Jesus to me?

We must hear that very question many times through out our lives.

Who is Jesus to me?
It is easy to listen to the response of others.

We can read inspiring literature, but we must form our own answer.

Imagine for a moment, Jesus standing before you.
He looks lovingly into your eyes and asks...
________ who am I to you?

Am I your constant companion?
Am I your 'in case of emergency' God?
Am I your disappointing God...
disappointing because I seem not to hear your prayers?

How we answer this personal question should not waiver,
but in truth it may fluctuate like the changing seasons.

Sometimes God may seem far away...distant.
Sometimes it is almost as if his hand is on your shoulder.

It is by the Blessing of Grace
 that we can stay the course and know that God is God.

It is by grace that we can sing
God you are my God...
I will ever praise your name.

Sit with Jesus...allow him to love you...
and you will know in your heart the answer to the question.
“But who do you say that I am?”

Peace.

Dual Gatekeepers

~~~ James 1:19-27 ~~~ Psalm 15 ~~~ Mark 8:22-26 ~~~

The readings given to us today make me think of
those affected with mental illness and those who are getting senile.

James tells us that if you only hear the word
and do not put them into action you are..
...like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror.
He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets
what he looked like.

Unfortunately some diseases of the mind, in their advance stage, robs
the person from recognizing themselves and others.
James humbly welcome the word into your heart,
but it is not to stagnate there.
The words in your heart must root and flourish
blossoming through your actions.

The words of the Lord or equivalent to your list of action items
generated at any business meeting.

Looking up the man replied, 
“I see people looking like trees and walking.”

This statement is not intended
to be an observation about someone who is delusional.
Perhaps it is referencing someone who needs corrective glasses.
We all have the experience in our lives of not being able to see clearly.
God takes his time to fully open our eyes...
to sharpen our vision.
God needs us to be patient...to wait...
to wait for his timing.
He alone will correct our vision.
The vision with which he wants us to see the world.
His vision, with his eyes.

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue

but deceives his heart, his religion is vain.

Along with this hearing and clear vision comes our tongue.
God rightly gave us teeth and lips to guard our tongue.
The tongue needs dual gatekeepers and that is often not enough.

Some believe that the tongue is the strongest muscle in the body.
When you think about it we need to use our tongue
 immediately when we are born.
We need our tongue to suckle.
The tongue is also the most flexible muscle.
Flexible...it can be used to build up
or to tear down another person.

The heart is also a strong contender for the strongest muscle in the body.
The heart begins to beat soon after conception.

Too many times our wagging tongue
breaks done the gates and deceives the heart.

...to keep oneself unstained by the world...

means we must let our words
come from his words
that have been fixed in our heart.

God Blesses us with his words so that we can in-turn
bless others with his words.

Peace.

The Father of Lights

~~~ James 1:12-18 ~~~ Psalm 94 ~~~ Mark 8:14-21 ~~~

...all good giving and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights...

James must have been an inspirational person to those who knew him.
His writings bring us the fleshy beauty of the essence of God.
The words we hear today clearly states that everything good
comes down to us from the Light of the Father.
In reflecting on the properties of light, specifically white light...
White light is composed of the entire color spectrum.
white light is the balance of all the colors.
Can you name them? ROYGBIV...
red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.

No matter the nature of gift or grace
 it all comes from the pure light of the Father.
His light is made visible to us through the good in our life.
And if we receive this goodness we can then pass it on to others.

Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out,
guard against the leaven of the Pharisees
and the leaven of Herod.” 

The disciples are concerned that they may not have packed enough bread.
Jesus is more concerned about the spreading of evil in the land.
Jesus compares this evil with something they are familiar...bread making.

It only takes a small amount of yeast to leaven the whole batch of bread.
The leaven causes the bread to rise...even triple in volume.
The most common source of leavening was to retain a piece of dough
from the previous day to use as a form of sour dough bread.
Jesus does not want to use any previous leavened dough.
He is the one who was sent to make all things new.
He still wants there to be bread, but he wants fresh leaven.

So he is urging the disciples to wary
of what the Pharisees and Herod are spreading.
What they are spreading is definitely not coming from the Father of Light

Blessings in all good things
coming down from the Father of Lights.
Peace.

Choose JOY

~~~James 1:1-11 ~~~ Psalm 119 ~~~ Mark 8:11-13 ~~~

Consider it all joy, 

my brothers and sisters,

when you encounter various trials,
for you know that the testing of your faith 

produces perseverance.

It is impossible to fool yourself into believing 

that you could make it through life without some trials and struggles.

It is how we handle these difficult times that 

determines our strength of character.

God never promised us that life would be easy because we had faith.

It is because of our faith that we can come through our difficult times.

If you want to grow in holiness retain your attitude of joy 

in the face of pain and disappointment.

We can learn to find joy in all things with his constant blessings.

C.S.Lewis wrote...

Joy is the serious business of heaven.

Joy is bringing the presence of our loving God

 into every possible situation.

Henri Nouwen wrote...

Joy does not simply happen to us. 

We have to choose joy and keep choosing it everyday.

Joy brings the light of Christ into our darkest nights.

May you be blessed with the spirit of JOY.

Peace.

Authenticity

~~~Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time~~~

~~Sirach 15:15-20~~Psalm 119~~1 Corinthians 2:6-10~~Matthew 5:17-37~~

Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’

Sometimes we say 'yes' when we really want to say 'no'.
Sometimes when we say 'no' we feel like
we have to give a lengthy explanation as to the reason we did not say 'yes'.

One thing for certain is that Jesus never said anything he did not mean.
Perhaps it was this authenticity that has attracted people to him for so many generations.
Authenticity is something lacking in our culture today.
Art dealers look for authentic works; copies are not as valuable.
The courts produce authentic documents when probating the will of the deceased person.
Banks keep your authentic signature on file as proof of your identity.

Jesus always presented himself as authentic...
when he says something it is to be.
If your answers are not authentic then why would you bother to respond at all?
Our choices, our responses, our words of 'yes' or 'no'
validate our authenticity.

Claim your authenticity by choosing good over evil...
life over death...and following the
commandments.
Be authentic....
let your 'yes' mean 'yes' and your 'no' mean 'no'.

God blesses us with the grace to mean
what we profess with our lips.
Peace!

Seven Baskets Left Over

~~~ 1 Kings 12:26-32; 13:33-34 ~~~ Psalm 106 ~~~ Mark 8:1-10 ~~~

“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,
because they have been with me now for three days
and have nothing to eat.

Jesus is now hanging out with the Gentiles.
What has he been doing for three days?
How has he kept them wanting to remain,
ignoring their hunger pains?
Was he healing people of common afflictions?
Was he speaking words so touching
that they dare not want to miss a single one?

All we do know is that they remained
with him night and day without food for three days.

Jesus is concerned about the people as they journey back to their homes.
It does not matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile;
everyone has the same need for food.

The disciples give him the seven loaves of bread
they have carried with them.
They also had a few fish which would hardly be enough
 to feed such a large group.

Jesus stands before this crowd of Gentiles and does what any good Jewish host
would do he gives thanks to God for providing the bread,
breaks it, and distributes it.

He also blesses the fish and has it distributed to the people.

This should remind you of the same ritual he uses during the Last Supper.
The same ritual that has become the central part of our Mass.

Do you think it was the blessing that Jesus prayed
that miraculously multiplied the offerings of bread and fish?
Or was it because of his strong connection with the Father?

They ate and were satisfied.
They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets.

Seven baskets of left over food was collected...seven.
The number representing fullness, wholeness and completeness.
The four thousand left that day
more complete and whole
than they were at the beginning of the first day.

How much does it take to make you feel whole and complete?
Would you be satisfied with the left overs?
God blesses us with his wholeness;
it is he alone who can complete us for all of eternity.
Peace.

The Unhygienic Healing

~~~ 1 Kings 11:29-32; 12:19 ~~~ Psalm 81 ~~ Mark 7:31-37 ~~~

I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.

Jesus traveled on foot throughout this predominantly Gentile region.

Was Jesus just wanting to get away from the crowds?

Was he making a statement that his words 

and healing was also given to the Gentiles?

Had the woman he had just encountered caused him 

to broaden his intended audience?

We can only speculate since we are not told.

...people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him.

The people were seeking out Jesus.

Word was spreading about the others he had healed.

I cannot imagine being both deaf and dumb.

In Mark's Gospel this is the only deaf person to be healed by Jesus.

Jesus takes this man off by himself.

Jesus had such a compassionate heart

 that he wanted to cure everyone who came to him, 

but at the same time he had to avoid being killed.

It was not yet time for his passion and death.

Today using spittle to heal would never even be considered.

It would be viewed as unsanitary and very crude.

Today conventional healing takes place in a very sterile space.

But Jesus is never conventional.

He makes physical contact with the ears and tongue of this man.

When you are deaf and dumb you appear to be a normal person.

You cannot see deafness or dumbness.

Perhaps Jesus used his own spit as a sign of his personal healing.

The power which came forth from Jesus even extended to his clothing.

After touching this man Jesus looked up to heaven; in prayer to his Father.

He speaks the words...“Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)

Jesus acknowledges his obedience to the will of the one who sent him.

He is also fulfilling a prophecy of Isaiah 35: 5-6

...the ears of the deaf be cleared...the tongue of the dumb will sing...

Jesus makes the request that this healing be kept quiet, 

but it has just the opposite effect.

The people could not contain their words of what they had witnessed.

He has done all things well...

The people seem to be shocked by his abilities...

but then again Jesus is perfect.

But on the other hand here he is in the region of the Gentiles not the Jews.

This specific healing 

How has God Blessed you with better hearing?

Would you allow Jesus to touch your tongue with his spittle?

Peace.

Crevices of the Heart

~~~1 Kings 11:4-13~~~Psalm 106~~~Mark 7:24-30~~~

Have you ever tried to hide your whereabouts from someone?

That was exactly what Jesus was hoping he could do...hide.

He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it...

Jesus wanted some alone time, but by now he was too well known

 to hide for any length of time.

He has gone so far as to leave the mostly Jewish area

 to venture in the Gentile community.

Thinking he would be less likely to be recognized there.

But even the local Gentiles have heard of his healing powers.

Jesus hears the only woman to question his intentions...

“Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.”

He responds by granting her request...her daughter is healed.

Jesus commanded it to be so and it was done.

He let his heart dictate his actions for good.

Solomon, on the other hand let his corrupt wives 

bore little holes into his heart.

Little by little he turned away from the God 

who had been so supportive of him.

For the sake of keeping his wives content

 he is swayed into joining their worship of idols,

which was forbidden by God.

Solomon lets the evil tentacles of his pagan wives 

reach deep into heart and loses his favor with God.

If Solomon could not keep his wives

 from worshiping idol gods he should have been able 

to restrain his own actions.

He fails miserably and his family will suffer for generations to come.

It is the little things that often become what defines 

who we are in the end.

The woman in the Gospel only wanted the scraps from the ground.

She humbles herself at the feet of Jesus.

The Blessings come not from the big things we do, 

but often rather from the small things.

Peace.

Long to be Breathless

~~~1 Kings 10:1-10~~~ Psalm 37~~~Mark 7:14-23~~~

God granted Solomon the gift of profound wisdom.

The wealthy queen of Sheba sought him out;

she wanted to see for herself.

The queen had heard many rumors of his great wisdom.

She arrived ready to put him to the test.

She stood in his presence asking him question after question

to which he quickly and confidently gave his answers.

...she was breathless.

Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report I heard.

The queen recognized and acknowledges

 the greatness of Solomon's wisdom...

a gift for which he asked God to bestow upon him.

What renders you breathless?

Jesus explains that it is not what we consume that corrupts us.

Our corruption does, however, begin from within.

Only those things which we harbor in our heart can we spew forth.

If we have hatred, anger, greed, jealousy, 

arrogance...these come from within.

 ...the things that come out from within are what defile.

If we let darkness fill the unattended 

or ignored spaces in our heart,

this will become the source of our corruption.

But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him.
From within the man, from his heart,
come evil thoughts...

It is of vital importance that we keep ourselves vigilant.

What goes in will ultimately come out.

I have been around people who routinely cuss and curse;

this is the steady diet they have fed their heart.

If necessary limit the time you spend with this person. 

How many times we begin to mimic the actions

 and the sayings of those we hang out with.

If you want to be breathless, like the queen,

be aware of with whom you are spending the most time.

Plan to spend time with those who emulate

that which you admire most.

God blesses us with the ability to push the evil from our hearts.

He offers to replace it with his light and goodness. 

Draw goodness from those who have goodness.

You can strengthen one another.

Peace.

...to be Breathless...

We Lift Up Our Hearts

~~~ Our Lady of Lourdes ~~~

~~~1 Kings 8:22-23, 27-30 ~~~ Psalm 84 ~~~ Mark 7:1-13 ~~~

Look kindly on the prayer and petition of your servant, 

O LORD, my God...

All those who travel great distances to Lourdes are petitioning 

God to look kindly on them.

Many times they are pouring out their heart 

with prayers of petition.

Petitioning for their own healing, but

also on behalf of those loved ones 

who could not be present there.

The waters of Lourdes remind us of the healing power of God.

The waters flow, covering the body, totally immersing you in pure love.

May your eyes watch night and day over this temple,
the place where you have decreed you shall be honored;
may you heed the prayer which I, your servant, offer in this place.
Listen to the petitions of your servant and of your people Israel
which they offer in this place.
Listen from your heavenly dwelling and grant pardon.”

This is a beautiful prayer from our reading today from the book of Kings.

As I read the first line I began to think not of the stone temple structure,

but rather of ourselves as being the temple of the Holy Spirit.

We are often asked to pray for another person.

This prayer often originates from within our heart.

The heart is the center of our human temple.

The heart is where we express our honor and praise for God.

It is from the heart that we pray for others...

where we petition on their behalf.

I invite you to take a moment now and remember

 those you have promised to pray for...

hold them tenderly in your heart.

Ask God to allow you to love them with his compassionate heart.

We believe with all of our heart that God does indeed hear

and more importantly we believe that he does listen to our petitions.

God is in heaven but he never ceases to care for us.

God Blesses us 

with his watchful eyes day and night.

God Blesses us with his listening heart from age to age.

Peace.

So Much More

~~~ 1 Kings 8:1-7, 9-13 ~~~ Psalm 142 ~~~ Mark 6:53-56 ~~~

King Solomon and the entire community of Israel
present for the occasion
sacrificed before the ark sheep and oxen
too many to number or count.

The special feast honoring the ark of the covenant

 is taking place and people from all around have came together for this event.

The ark is surrounded by beauty...

suspended above are the large wings of the cherubim...

There was nothing in the ark but two cold 

stone tablets etched with the Ten Commandments. 

When the priests left the holy place,
the cloud filled the temple of the LORD
so that the priests could no longer minister because of the cloud...

In the Gospel today we see Jesus in a familiar spot, a boat. 

He is not surrounded with any special ornamentation;

just himself. There is such a stark contrast between the ark and Jesus.

The ark was inanimate and Jesus was alive, Jesus was a real person.

Jesus attracted the people because of who he was not because of what he was.

Seeing the ark was almost like going to a museum to see a precious object.

It is true that the people believed that God resided in that space.

When Jesus attracted a crowd, they came to see him.

They came to listen to his words.

They came presenting their brokenness.

They came to be healed.

Again we see crowds coming from all around the countryside.

They are carrying the sick on mats.

They firmly believed that merely

 touching a small tassel of his garment was enough

 to make them whole again.

Jesus did not exercise his loving compassionate 

heart under a dark cloud.

Jesus openly expressed his compassion... 

even through the very tip of his clothing.

What Jesus could do would never 

compare to the grandeur of the ark;

Jesus was so much more.

The ark was separated with the people...set apart.

But Jesus was out among the people.

Jesus walked with the people.

Jesus Blessed the people in every way he possibly could;

just as he Blesses us today.

Jesus wants you to see him walking with you

just as much as he wants you to see him in the Eucharist.

Whenever you happen to see a tassel or some fringe 

consider your many blessings.

Peace.

Your Light Must Shine

~~~ Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

~~Isaiah 58:7-10~~Psalm 112~~1 Corinthians 2:1-5~~Matthew 5:13-16~~

You are the light of the world.

God created the light and this light dispelled the darkness.
God gave us the night and the day.
God sent his Son, Jesus, to be the Light of the World.
Jesus has called us to be children of the light.
The light that we are given during our baptism is a living light.
A burning candle representing God's burning love for us.
This light we are given during our baptism is meant to be shared.
I am sure you have met children that share this light through their joy.
The delight of a child is a sharing of this light form God.

We often say things like "she lights up the room" with her presence.
Whether or not we radiate a visible light we can shine with God's love.

...your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds

and glorify your heavenly Father.

God did not say shine your light if you feel like.
God did not say shine your light on Sunday.
God did not say shine your light when you are around your friends.
God did not say shine your light on your birthday.

God said...your light must shine... 
...must shine...we are not allowed to keep our light under cover.
We are not to put our light away in the attic.
We are not to put our light locked away for safe keeping. 

Your light is meant to be shared, shared by the way you care for others.
You cannot keep your light to yourself.
Sharing your light pleases our heavenly Father.
Sharing your light gives Glory to God, because
after all the light you have was a gift from him.

What better way to show your appreciation for a gift than to use.
Use your light for goodness and you will be blessed.
Light is Life.
Glorifying God
through our good deeds brings our soul life.

Peace.

Give Yourself Permission to Rest

~~~ 1 Kings 3:4-13 ~~~ Psalm 119 ~~~ Mark 6:30-34 ~~~

Solomon is presenting himself in humility before God.
God is wondering why the new king has not made any requests of him.
But Solomon is filled with gratitude for all that God has already given him.

I give you a heart so wise and understanding
that there has never been anyone like you up to now,
and after you there will come no one to equal you.
In addition, I give you what you have not asked for,
such riches and glory that among kings there is not your like.

The Apostles gathered together with Jesus
and reported all they had done and taught.
He said to them,
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” 

The twelve Apostles have just returned from their very first mission trip.
They are excited at how God was able to work through them.
They are physically and emotionally exhausted.
Jesus knows exactly what they need...
they needed time away...
time to recharge themselves.
We all need time away to rest...we need time away
from all of our social media.
We need time to disconnect...
Time away to listen for the voice of God.
When you go away to a deserted place there are no distractions.
You can relax and abandon your stress.
You can forget about keeping a strict schedule.

Jesus blessed the Apostles by taking them away for a rest.
Jesus wants you to find a deserted place to rest in his presence.
He wants to bless you just because you are you,
not because of how much you can get done in twenty-four hours.

“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” 

You will be glad you took the time off.
Peace.

Tainted Love

~~~ Sirach 47:2-11 ~~~ Psalm 18 ~~~ Mark 6:14-29 ~~~

This is February, the month we celebrate Valentine's Day...
the month dedicated to love.
Oddly enough according to those who keep wedding statistics
 June is the most popular month for weddings.

The first reading lists all of the wonderful things David did;
making him one of the most loved leaders.
He tackled beast and man.
He slew the giant with a slingshot.
He was favored by God...God loved him.
The women sang his praises; in other words they loved him.

David did love God too.

With his whole being he loved his Maker
and daily had his praises sung;
What is not to love about David...he sings to the Lord in prayer.

The LORD forgave him his sins
and exalted his strength forever...
Love was the driving force for all that David
did for his people and his God.
This deep love made his personal failings that much more painful for him.

The gospel has an undercurrent of tainted love...
love that has gone sour...
love that has broken hearts...
love that has turned to taking another's life.

Herod is so confused by his sin
that he cannot identify the beautiful qualities of love.

His sinful love affair leads him to the brutal sin of murder.

Love never leads one into sin.
Herod does not even demonstrate healthy love with his daughter.
The mother daughter relationship is warped.
The daughter is willing to entertain her mother's revengeful heart.
She went out and said to her mother,
“What shall I ask for?”
Her mother replied, “The head of John the Baptist.”

Herod expressed his love by ordering
the beheading of someone he respected, John the Baptist.

He gave the head of John to the girl.
The girl gave the head to her mother.
This evil domino effect takes precedence over love.

God always blesses us with love.
What do we offer in return to him?
How do you love others?
Peace.

The First Missionaries

~~1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12~~(Psalm)1 Chronicles 29:10, 11ab, 11d-12a, 12bcd~~Mark 6:7-13~~

The day of commissioning has arrived for the Apostles.
Jesus summoned them and sent them out two by two,
and gave them authority.
Jesus conferred upon the Apostles some of his
personal authority and abilities.
He made them like himself in many ways.

Now they too could preach, cast out demons,
anoint the sick, cure and heal them.
They were sent out in different directions
with only a few simple items.
When did they practice?
How did Jesus teach them the manner in which
 they were to go about these new things?
Were they afraid?
How did they even believe they could
cast out demons or cure the sick?
Did they physically feel any different?
Did Jesus take them on little side trips and coach
them on how to cast out a demon?
So many questions...

Was it just possible that once he sent them out they
also received the necessary faith they needed?

The Apostles had to have faith, not only in Jesus, but in themselves.
You must believe in yourself or you cannot do such great things.

He sent them away with nothing.
 He did not want them to be distracted with 'their' things.
He wanted them to rely on his ability to work through them.
For all of the things he commissioned them to do
he had himself been carrying out in their presence.

He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick
–no food, no sack, no money in their belts.

Why were they allowed to take a 'walking stick'?

The Walking Stick

In a previous post here I wrote specifically about the walking stick.
I invite you to click on the link above to reach that post.

The closer we are to God the better prepared
we will be to be one of his missionaries.

The twelve apostles had listened and watched Jesus
every day for days, weeks, months and years.

They only needed his blessing to release them to go forth
preaching and healing.

You now have his blessing to go forth.

The closer you get to him the more ready
 you will be when the time comes.

Peace.

"Grown Up" Jesus

~~~ 2 Samuel 24:2, 9-17 ~~~ Psalm 32 ~~~ Mark 6:1-6 ~~~

Where did this man get all this? 

Jesus came from the small insignificant village of Nazareth.
In the time of Jesus there may have only been 200 inhabitants living there.
It was a small farming village like many others in that time.

Jesus returns home accompanied by his disciples;
he is not home for a sabbatical from his ministry.
He is there to heal and to preach to his neighbors and friends.

Those who heard him were impressed, but skeptical at the same time.
How did he acquire all of this knowledge?

It is not unusual to be skeptical of a local person
who returns to their old neighborhood as a changed person.
There is no reason for the local people to believe that Jesus is a special person.
His actions, not necessarily his words, will be their proof.
They will see in his healing who
Jesus has 'grown up' to be.

He is no longer just the kid from the neighborhood.

How would people receive you
 if you were to return to your childhood community?

Are you a different person today?
How have you changed?

If we want to grow in our relationship with God
change is inevitable.
Whether or not we make the conscious effort to change it does happen.
It is up to us to manage the manner in which we change.
Do you want to become a bitter person resisting any change?
Do you want to embrace change in your life as coming from God?

Today I invite you to consider
those things which have changed in your life so far.

What feelings rise up in your heart?

God blesses us with his invitation
 to become all that he sees we already are.

Peace.

Sorrow...Loss

~~~ 2 Samuel 18:9-10, 14b, 24-25a, 30-19:3 ~~~ Psalm 86 ~~~ Mark 5:21-43 ~~~

More than anything a parent wants what is best for their child.
David now mourns over the death of Absalom as a result
of his hair getting tangled in a tree.

Who could have guessed?
The beauty of his long flowing hair would result in his death.

Because he cannot escape from the tree branches,
 Absalom becomes an easy target.

The king was shaken,
and went up to the room over the city gate to weep.
He said as he wept,
“My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom!

No matter how much we are hurt by our children
 the underlying love mostly remains constant.
Even though Absalom wanted to over throw his father,
David still loved him.
His love was made evident in his weeping at the death of his son.

The Gospel today is one I have written about many times here on this blog.

Living Faith the Hemorrhagic Woman

Here is one previous post about this passage...
an official, an ill child, and a desperate woman
joined together for one purpose...calling out for God
to hear their broken hearts.

How does one's heart heal after losing a child?
This is not the death order we often imagine.
We believe the young should be allowed
to have their future days before them.

The undercurrent is always driven by great love.

How can we begin to express
our gratitude for every way in which God finds to bless us?
So many times in ways we could not envision on our own.
Peace be with you.

Conspiracy of Death

~~~ 2 Samuel 15:13-14, 30; 16:5-13 ~~~ Psalm 3 ~~~ Mark 5:1-20 ~~~

The third son of David, Absalom, suffers from over active ambition.
He conspires to strip his father of his kingship.
He carefully carries out his plot until David flees in despair.

David and his loyal armies leave the city of Jerusalem.
David leaves weeping and with his head covered.
He is devastated and probably did not see this coming from his own son.

As David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, 
he wept without ceasing. His head was covered, 
and he was walking barefoot. 
All those who were with him 
also had their heads covered and were weeping as they went.

David is deeply disturbed by the actions of his son taken against him.
He had only recently agreed to restore his relationship with Absalom
after he killed his own brother.

One of the most somber places we might go is a cemetery.
A cemetery is usually a fairly quiet place...
a place where only a handful of people frequent on a regular basis.
A cemetery, is where we find the main characters in the Gospel today.
Jesus gets out of the boat and is confronted with a myriad of evil spirits.

...a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him.
The man had been dwelling among the tombs,
and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.

This poor soul was alive, but completely consumed by these demons.
The demons never let him rest;
they tortured and tormented him night and day.

But when they see Jesus they know with certainty
 that he has come for them.

Jesus walking among the dead cast the demons into the herd of swine.

Swine were already considered unclean and not fit for human consumption.

In this cemetery Jesus has a confrontation about life and death
 in the very location where death remains.

The tormented man wants to be given life.
The evil demons had robbed him of his life,
just as sin robs us of life.

Jesus restores life no matter what the situation.
He is life...he has conquered death.
Absalom conspired with his own demons of death.
The legion of demons conspired to draw their life from the poor man.

Jesus wants us to  have life...life everlasting.
The life Jesus restores is the most amazing life;
a life like never before experienced.

“Go home to your family and announce to them
all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.”

God wants to bless us in telling others of his great love and mercy.

Praise and Thanks to the Lord

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

~~Malachi 3:1-4~~ Psalm 24~~Hebrews 2:14-18~~Luke 2:22-40~~

And suddenly there will come to the temple
the LORD whom you seek...

Simeon, one who listens, is waiting in the temple for the Lord.
Simeon knew of this prophecy from Malachi.
God blesses him with longevity of life.
After seeing and touching the Lord he can die a happy peaceful death.
To me Simeon represents the presence of the Holy Spirit
as our Lord, Jesus is being consecrated in the temple.

Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord

The parents of Jesus are devout Jews.
Joseph and Mary follow the prescribed laws for purification.
According to the Mosaic law (Lv 12:2–8),
the woman who gives birth to a boy is unable for forty days
 to touch anything sacred or to enter the temple area
by reason of her legal impurity. At the end of this period
she is required to offer a year-old lamb
 as a burnt offering and a turtledove or young pigeon
as an expiation of sin.

If a woman could not afford a lamb then she was
 to bring two turtledoves or two pigeons, as Mary does.

Jesus was taken to the temple and consecrated to the Lord.
Jesus was formally presented back to his Father.

Anna, means favor or grace. She is quite an unusual woman,
she recognizes the child Jesus for who he is
even as a child.

Anna, like Simeon, is also old. God places
them both in the temple for the presentation of this child.
Simeon takes young Jesus in his arms and gives praise to God.

While Anna, called the prophetess, gives thanks.

In the presence of Jesus we too
are called to give his praise and thanksgiving.

Spirit, wisdom, grace, and salvation along
with young and elderly come together in the temple this day.

Jesus became flesh to bless us with eternal salvation.
Peace!