The Best Guide

~~~ Nahum 2:1, 3; 3:1-3, 6-7 ~~~ (Psalm) ~~~ 

Deuteronmy 32:35CD-36AB, 39ABCD, 41

~~~ Matthew 16:24-28 ~~~

"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,

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

Guided tours...hike through the forest...mountain trail...

A tour guide alerts you to what is important

 to notice in the present environment.

A tour guide often carries a flag pole so you can 

see to follow him/her.

The guide knows the material...they are familiar with the space.

I know with a guide I get so much more information.

I have many friends that find zip lining to be exhilarating.

Having followed the path to the high point

they get into a harness and zip down along the cable line.

When you are ready to find a guide you check 

for the person with the highest ratings...the best reviews. 

Jesus is the perfect guide...

He asks us to follow him. He knows the way.
He has so much wisdom and knowledge he wants to share with us.

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

This is where we are tempted to pass up the
opportunity to follow Jesus the perfect guide.

We are never quite sure we can take up our cross...never
sure we want to carry our cross.

But even those who follow a guide
 through the woods carry their backpack.
Sometimes this backpack can be a very heavy load.

The interesting thing is that you become so engaged
in listening and following the guide that soon
the backpack no longer seems such a burden.

The same is true when we accept the invitation to follow Jesus.
We must take up our cross, but he quickly makes the journey
 so incredible that the cross seems to become lighter.

Jesus is the most wonderful guide for us.
He leads us into the most breathtaking places.

He leads us to everlasting life with him...
where all beauty, truth, and love awaits for us.

Blessings to take up your cross and follow Jesus.
The load of the cross will seem lighter
and you will be
in peace.

Penniless, Homeless, Hungry

~~~ 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 gives an answer that surprises the young man...

'Keep the commandments'

But then the man asks which commandments.

There are only ten commandments;

if each one were not important then God 

would not have given them to Moses.

On this day Jesus chooses to focus on the commandments

dealing with how he interacted with others.

killing, adultery, stealing, lying, honoring our parents

 and finally loving his neighbor.

The young man is quick to respond,

 confirming he keeps these commandments.

There must be more he can do...

We too can identify with this young man.

We keep the commandments...we are good people...

we love our neighbors, well sometimes.

But then Jesus goes deeper...

“If you wish to be perfect, go,

sell what you have and give to the poor,

and you will have treasure in heaven.

Then come, follow me.”

When Jesus presents leaving everything behind to follow him,

the young man panics and quickly runs away.

I am not sure if we should take this verse literally

 or embrace the spirit of the words.

If we take it literally then we would all be living in tents.

We would not have a thriving economy.

We would be growing our own food...

making our own clothes.

We would not have doctors or higher education.

The list could go on and on.

On the other hand if we realize the spirit of this verse

it takes on a different meaning.

We must share what we have, acknowledging that 

all has come from God.

Some people are poor in their heart.

We are being asked to draw from the abundance

 within our own heart and give to those in need.

Jesus did not have monetary wealth as went about his ministry.

Jesus had wealth of spirit, given to him from the Father.

The Father filled the heart of Jesus 

with much more than money could buy.

We too have this same spirit within because

  the Lord is one with us.

The only way for us to follow Jesus

 is to reach into that spirit 

and make it real in our daily lives.

If we want our treasure in heaven

 we must look outside ourselves...

We must find a way to be more like Jesus. 

To follow Jesus...to enter into the kingdom of heaven

does not mean that we must be penniless, homeless, and hungry.

To follow Jesus means we walk humbly with him.

We cannot follow Jesus if we turn and run in the other direction.

You are Blessed each day

 with the necessary grace to follow Jesus.

He is there to support and guide you.

~~~Peace~~~

Humbly Follow the Teacher

 

~~~ Genesis 18:16-33 ~~~ Psalm 103 ~~~ Matthew 8:18-22 ~~~

 

Yesterday we heard Luke's account of the same message we read today.

The scripture reference to follow Jesus.

 

Jesus crosses to the other side of the lake...

what do you think may be the significance is about the other side of the lake?

The crowd was growing larger...perhaps he was in fear for his safety.

Perhaps he thought it would be easier for the crowd

to see him better from the other side.

 

It is a scribe who addresses Jesus as 'teacher'.

This scribe wants to commit to follow Jesus.

 He is an unlikely candidate to be following Jesus.

 

In Biblical times the scribes were the teachers.

They were the ones who were the most educated.

They were often seen as being elevated above others.

They could write, which also made them command respect.

 

The scribes were THE teachers because

they were among the few would could read and write.

The people looked to the scribes to teach them about the laws of Moses.

Because he could write, the scribes preformed a useful function

within the community.

If you needed something to be written,

a scribe could do it for you.

 

A scribe approached and said to him,
“Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

 

This proclamation, coming from a scribe, was huge.

He was placing Jesus higher than himself.

This was his own choice.

 

How many times do we want to place ourselves

 higher than those around us?

How many times do we judge ourselves to be the better person?

 

 

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.

 

Following Jesus gives you countless reasons

to Bless the Lord.

How can we begin to thank him for all he has done for us?

The best we can give back to our Lord

is to respond be spreading his love and mercy to those

we meet along the path.

 

If a scribe can decide to follow Jesus then so can you.

Blessings come through sending his love forward.

No Excuses Allowed

~~~Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time~~~

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

The gospel also presents us with procrastination

 as a reason to not 'following' Jesus.

While God is certainly patient with us, when he calls

we should answer as quickly as possible.

 

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

Jesus is not static; he moves on.

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

 

Following Jesus…

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

You cannot retreat to the desert alone.

You cannot lock yourself away in the upper room.

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

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

You must accept ownership of your contribution in his crucifixion.

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

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

If you are following Jesus you must get close enough

to experience his glory and his pain.

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

 Following Jesus means walking the dusty roads.

 Following Jesus means knowing when to kick off the dust…

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

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

not as you may desire. Following Jesus means you are

 strong and convicted in your faith.

Every day you follow Jesus you open yourself up

to possibilities beyond your wildest imagination.

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

Every day you follow Jesus he showers you

with sufficient grace to make it through one more day.

Every day you follow Jesus you are abundantly blessed.

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

He leads us to green pastures.

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

 

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

Will You 'Sync' With Jesus?

~~~Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

 

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

 

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

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

 

This is the question we must answer for ourselves.

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

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

 

Some will quickly claim Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

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

suffering, rebuke, death, and finally resurrection.

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

our data from one device to another.

With Jesus it is not quite as easy.

We cannot just tap our phones together.

 

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

It requires taking up your cross daily.

 

When you reflect on the question 

who do you say that I am

you may be somewhat reluctant to answer.

You may instead want to shy away from responding;

lest you must also accept the accompanying cross of suffering.

 

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

We are one with Christ,

 we are united with him in his suffering too.

 

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

 

Blessings are in your personal answer...

Who do YOU say that Jesus is?

What is Enough?

~~~ Sirach 35:1-12 ~~~ Psalm 50 ~~ Mark 10:28-31 ~~~

 

Peter began to say to Jesus,
‘We have given up everything and followed you.”

 

For most of us this is a difficult verse to reflect upon.

We gloss over it quickly because we are picky about what we are willing to give up.

 

The idea of giving up everything is overwhelming and scary.

 

Peter and the others did give up pretty much everything.

They left their fishing business.

They left their homes.

They left their families.

 

They followed Jesus and he was always on the move.

Jesus never really set down roots in one place.

He was a missionary and they joined him.

 

How do you know how much is enough to give up?

Is it really something to be measured?

Is it possible to measure how much someone is giving up?

 

Everything for one may not be much for another.

 

Some believe giving from their wealth is sufficient;

but I wonder if that is truly giving anything up.

 

Some give up all of their material belongings to enter religious life;

but I wonder if that is truly necessary.

 

Where is the happy medium?

Where is the middle?

 

It may have been necessary for Peter and the others to give up everything 

to follow Jesus,

they had a great task before them.

 

 

So where does that leave us today?

I think what you give up can only be determined

by the person making the sacrifice.

 

If what you give up is imposed upon you then your attitude

 may deteriorate into something

far less then Jesus intended.

 

If you do not have the right spirit of the heart in what you sacrifice,

is it a sacrifice at all?

 

Was Peter just whining?

Did he just want to make Jesus aware of the sacrifice they had made?

 

Jesus says whatever you give up you

will get a hundred times more in return...

...and eternal life in the age to come...

 

Honestly it makes me a little uncomfortable to reflect on exactly

what I am 'giving up' to follow Jesus.

 

I may never be able to truthfully determine if it is enough.

I may never be able to admit just how selfish I really am.

 

All I can do is make the decision daily to follow Jesus accepting

what that decision encompasses.

I place my trust in where he leads me.

I pray to have the strength needed to sacrifice what is asked of me.

Perhaps I should consider adding a day of fasting each week to my prayer life.

Giving up food for a day pales in comparison

to what some have given up.

 

'...Appear not before the LORD empty-handed...'

Farewell Words

 

~~~ Isaiah 49:1-6 ~~~ Psalm 71 ~~~ John 13:21-33, 36-38 ~~~

 

 

Be careful what you say lest your own words

come back to haunt you at a later time.

This is what happens to Peter.

He is so sure that his love for Jesus would not allow him

 to even deny him. Peter said to him,
“Master, why can I not follow you now?
I will lay down my life for you.”

 

Jesus gives Peter a chance to change his mind.

“Will you lay down your life for me?..."

 

Jesus is saying to Peter

did you really mean to say that you would

actually be willing to die for me...

do you really love me that much?

 

Jesus continues to reveal to Peter that he would in fact

deny him three times before dawn.

Peter must have been thrown into a state of disbelief

hearing this prediction from Jesus himself.

After Jesus dismisses Judas to prepare for his betrayal,

he tells the others his farewell.

 

 

My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.
You will look for me, and as I told the Jews,
‘Where I go you cannot come,’ so now I say it to you.”

This handful of men had spent the last three years of their lives

following Jesus all across the lands.

They had seen him perform many miracles.

They had shared regular meals in fellowship with him.

They had created their own community of believers.

And now he is telling them that he is going away and they cannot follow him.

 

“Where I am going, you cannot follow me now,
though you will follow later.”

 

He gives them one small consolation for his departure.

'you will follow later'.

They most likely were scratching their heads trying to understand

what he meant about following later.

In time they will understand

 

these words Jesus spoke that night.

Today we can follow Jesus.