Shine Like Lights in the World

~~~ Philippians 2: 12-18 ~~~ Psalm 27 ~~~ Luke 14: 25-33 ~~~

 

The Lord is my light and my salvation.

 

The light of the Lord continues to shine forth today

because we have accepted the challenge.

The light of the Lord continues to be bright because

we have accepted the invitation.

We must be committed to keep the flame burning.

If we lose focus or turn away from tending to this light;

we will become contributors to the darkness.

 

"...My beloved, obedient as you have always been,
not only when I am present but all the more now when I am absent..."

 

God is not dead, as some might want you to believe.

Though we may struggle to see him present among us, we must still

maintain his light of love.

We must be the flickering light in the darkness.

We must believe that God has a bigger plan than we can see,

even with our light shining brightly.

 

Now more than ever it is time for us to be the hope of the world.

It is time for us to believe in the Light of the World.

 

"...shine like lights in the world..."

We know how to tap into the source of all light.

The Lord is our strength and the source of our light.

 

The Lord is my light and my salvation.

 

 

 

"...Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple."

 

The only way we can continue to shine our light in the world today is

to also be willing to take up our cross.

Following Jesus requires you to carry your lamp in one hand

even as you struggle to carry the weight of your cross.

 

Without the cross what is the point of keeping the light glowing?

Without the cross, where are we going?

 

Plan...seek peace...denounce possessions...

taken from Luke's gospel today.

 

This is not a formula for doom and gloom

but rather one of complete trust and hope in the Lord.

We are in a period when we must truly walk by faith.

We are prevented from seeing, even with our light,

 what plans he has in store for us.

 

May God continue to guide us and

bless us each and every day.

May God give us the conviction necessary

 to burn brightly

in a world of increasing darkness.

You are the Light of the World...

Are you up to the task?

I pray that we are.

Consider Me Excused?

~~~ Philippians 2:5-11 ~~~ Psalm 22 ~~~ Luke 14: 15-24 ~~~

 

 

"...though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself..."

 

What does it mean to 'empty oneself'?

I am sure we could have a lively discussion around those two words.

Just the word empty by itself has vast implications.

We use the word empty in so many contexts.

We empty the trash, the dishwasher, the bathtub etc.

We empty things in the kitchen, the bathroom, the garage...

we even empty bladder and intestines.

But Jesus in order to become human had to empty himself of his

'Godness' perhaps even his Divinity.

He had to become one of us.

 

Would you be willing to become an ant to save all of the ants in the world?

I doubt you would.

That may be an outlandish example,

but humans are certainly no comparison to being God.

 

Jesus emptied himself, while retaining the qualities of

who he actually was; God the Son.

 

He knew why the Father sent him to be among us.

He knew he was sent to do the will of the Father.

Doing the will of the Father required his giving us parables in hopes

we would grasp the essence of the message.

The banquet story is one he chose to implement.

 

Is your social calendar so full of engagements that you have

no time left for God?

 

Luke writes today about the many excuses we can find

to keep ourselves from the presence of God.

Perhaps it is more comfortable to busy ourselves with other things.

Perhaps it is easier to give our attention to those things

which appear to be more pressing.

 

Taking care of property, and your animals seems to be valid concerns.

But perhaps the most worthy of your attention would be your spouse.

Each person invited had the same request...

'consider me excused'

 

In all my years of teaching I certainly received many excuses

for why a student should miss class or be given extra time.

And also excuses for why an assignment was not completed by the due date.

 

Some parents were quick to provide an excuse,

but some allowed their child to suffer the consequences

for their lack of action.

 

I think Jesus is making it pretty clear how he feels about excuses...

about how he will react when you refuse his invitation.

 

 

God is not looking to grant you excuses.

While he is certainly merciful, kind, caring, and compassionate

 he is serious when it comes to your salvation.

He is serious about the path you must take to get to eternal life.

 

We would be horrified if God responded to our prayers with excuses...

 

Everyone is invited to the banquet of the Lord.

There will always be room for one more person.

I pray my actions will never imply for God...

to consider myself excused.

 

Empty yourself of those things which in the end do not

positively contribute to your relationship with God.

 

Remember,

God will never consider you excused from his desire to love you.

Lame and Blind

~~~ Philippians 2: 1-4 ~~~ Psalm 131 ~~~ Luke 14:12-14 ~~~

 

Paul is imploring his listeners to be united in heart with him.

The emphasis of loving our neighbor is carried forward

from yesterday through Paul's letter.

He is writes about love, compassion, and mercy being extended to others.

He writes about putting yourself in a place of less importance.

 

"...humbly regard others as more important than yourselves,
each looking out not for his own interests,
but also everyone for those of others."

 

The way to achieve true peace is to place all in the Lord.

It is only in God can our heart be content.

It is only in God that our soul can be a rest.

 

In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.

 

Jesus, while dining in the home of one of the Pharisees,

 speaks of the banquet that he ultimately prepares.

The banquet that Jesus prepares for us can never be returned in kind

and certainly not matched.

 

"...when you hold a banquet,
invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.
For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

 

Jesus is talking about us here.

We are the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.

We only have ourselves to give back to God for all that he has done for us.

The banquet of the Lord is for the soul, not the body as are earthly banquets.

 

 

 

The only motivation God has for inviting us to his banquet is love.

Others may have hidden agendas behind their invitations,

but not the Lord.

Even though we cannot see clearly, God never has hidden agendas.

He always wants what is best for us.

He wants us seated with him at the banquet table.

He wants us to come, lame and blind as we are.

He wants us to experience his love so that we can pass it on to others.

 

To give freely with no expectation of return

is good for the heart and soul.

 

"...Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory..."

 

We must make the intention to act out of love and not selfishly.

A true gift is one that cannot be repaid.

A true giver expects nothing in return.

The day of Resurrection awaits each of us.

Is Loving God Enough?

~~~ Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

 

~~~ Deuteronomy 6:2-6 ~~~ Psalm 18 ~~~ Hebrews 7: 32-28 ~~~ Mark 12: 28b-34 ~~~

 

 "...love the LORD, your God,
with all your heart,
and with all your soul,
and with all your strength."

 

The Old Testament speaks of loving God alone

with all that you are and all that you have...

mind, body and soul.

Those who lived during that time were not encouraged to love

their neighbors or themselves.

 

They only had part of the great equation of love.

The commandment of love is more meaningful when you include

your neighbors and also yourself.

 

In a way loving God alone is a cop out.

If all you had to do was love God

you would not have to consider your actions toward others.

If you only had to love God

and not yourself you could miss the blessing of who

you were made to become.

 

Jesus came to complete the Old Testament laws...

loving God is essential but it is not all there is to loving.

 

Jesus modeled through out his public ministry

what it means to love your neighbor.

In his mission to server others he expressed his love for them.

Every miracle he performed was an extension of his love and compassion.

 

 

 "...to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself'
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

 

The foundational building block of the commandment of love

is loving yourself.

There are so many people who do not love themselves.

There are many people who were never taught

 or encouraged to love themselves.

If we are created in the image and likeness of God

how can we love him if we do not love ourselves.

 

If we do not value ourselves how can we begin to love those around us?

How can we love those who irritate us by their actions or beliefs?

 

Loving ourselves makes it more likely that we can move to the next level

of loving our neighbors...all of our neighbors.

This is so often the area of love where we impose boundaries.

Jesus did not say only love those who are just like yourself.

Jesus did not qualify who you should or should not love.

You never hear Jesus tell you not to love anyone.

 

The love Jesus spoke of was all inclusive.

It is the total package of love.

 

Loving God and loving our neighbor as ourselves may sound easy,

 but most of us are never able to completely accomplish such love.

 

Perhaps our inability to love as Jesus wants us to love is why

we hear about love so often in the scriptures.

The more we hear about how to love the more

we will be able to put it into practice.

 

Where do you need more love in your life?

Is it in loving yourself?

Is it in loving your neighbor?

Is it in loving God?

 

These three are not optional...

they are requirements....commandments.

Caught Between Two Worlds

~~~ Philippians 1:18b-26 ~~~ Psalm 42 ~~~ Luke 14:1, 7-11 ~~~

 

My soul is thirsting for the living God.

When shall I go and behold the face of God?

 

These two verses from the psalm accurately reflect the sentiments

about which Paul is writing in his letter to the Philippians.

Paul is torn between wanting to die and be joined with God in heaven

and passionately preaching the word of God.

 

The psalmist too is thirsting to experience the living God

in his daily life while

desiring to see the face of God in heaven.

 

I think as believers we have the same challenges in our lives.

We want to spread the word of the Lord.

We want to be used by God to carry the message of his love to others.

We want to know that God is truly alive in our individual lives.

We live the daily goal of our life being a witness for the Lord.

 

All goes well as long as we are not met with those who

would ridicule us for our beliefs.

We are able to keep moving forward as long as we keep

ourselves surrounded by those who already share similar beliefs as we do.

 

But is that how we are to practice our faith?

 

Paul was not always so lucky.

He was on ground breaking quests more often than not.

Perhaps the real challenge comes when we must boldly

speak up for what we believe.

 

I think of those who are missionaries

in particularly hostile environments.

I ask myself,

would I have a strong enough conviction

to stand firm in my faith.

As I sit here today I can only hope

that I would be granted the necessary grace.

 

 

Paul writes with such confidence as seen in his words today...

 

"...Christ will be magnified in my body,
whether by life or by death.
For to me life is Christ, and death is gain."

 

Sounds like the sentiments of those who were martyred

for their unparalleled faith in God.

 

Paul is caught between the two...

living in the flesh and living in the spirit..

the ultimate communion with God.

 

The spirit of the Lord led Paul throughout his life.

This same spirit is working in us today.

This same spirit will lead us as well if we cooperate.

St. Paul cooperated with God as soon as God grabbed hold of him.

Once surrendering to God there was no stopping Paul.

He was extravagant in his preaching and love for the Lord.

 

Are you willing to let God grab hold of you?

Are you willing to be bold and extravagant in the Lord?

 

God will always bring about goodness in your lives...

pass it on...

let others know what he has done for you.

Fireflies of Love

Commeration of All Souls

 

~~~ Wisdom 3:1-9 ~~~ Psalm 23 ~~~ Romans 5: 5-11 ~~~ John 6: 37-40 ~~~

 

As a little child, and honestly still today,

I have been excited when I see firefly.

Several years ago, walking in Central Park, I was surprised to see

them flying among the shadows of the foliage in the late afternoon.

 

Sadly we no longer see them in the suburbs as we did when I was young.

They are a most unique tiny flying insect...we do have an amazing Creator.

 

Just last week a friend told me,

with a twinkle in his eye and a child like smile,

how he had seen fireflies on his property in the country.

 

It may sound silly, but it thrilled me to know that the fireflies

 are flourishing not far away from where I live.

 

All of this about these tiny 'lightning bugs'

come to me each time I hear the Wisdom reading we have today.

 

"...In the time of their visitation they shall shine,
and shall dart about as sparks through stubble..."

 

Just as fireflies dart about the dark sky,

the embers from a fire send rising up tiny glowing particles.

These tiny sparks of fire are even capable of igniting

another source on their own.

What we see as light is really the energy of the fire itself.

 

This thought of rising up from the energy and yet

retaining a portion of the energy is wonderful.

I say wonderful because when a person dies the energy

that we knew as their life seems gone.

It is the energy of their spirit that leaves their earthly body.

They are returning to the Spirit of God that gave them life.

 

When I see fireflies darting around today

 I think of those who have gone before me.

While we may not see their light hear on earth they are

darting about like sparks through stubble.

They have been released from the bodily confines.

They are free to move about unemcunbered by their body.

Their soul lives on in a different way.

They still have energy from the Creator...

God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

 

 

 

I like many of you I suspect see death a transition from this life to the next.

A transition from what we know to what we know not.

A transition for the spirit of our soul from this body

 to state of being as free as a firefly.

 

Free to dart about, eager to praise God.

Free to truly express our love and gratitude

for the life we had on earth.

 

For us the lose of a loved one causes sadness to well up within

our heart, but for the deceased person I suspect it is quite the opposite.

 

Fireflies never cease to fill me with excitement

and joy each time I get to see them.

 

I am also reminded today that just over a year ago

this was one of the readings chosen to be read

for my best friend's funeral Mass.

So for me it will always have a special place in my heart.

The imagery is so alive and powerful.

She is darting about as a tiny spark of God's love now

just as she darted about while here spreading his love to everyone she met.

 

If you have doubts about what happens after a loved one dies

read these verses from the book of Wisdom.

Visualize your loved one rising from the fire as a tiny spark

of energy...light.

God is light and so we return to the source of all light.

 

I also remember my paternal grandmother who was born on this day

more than 100 years ago. May she rest in peace.

I love you Grandmother.

Saints of God, Pray for us

Feast of All Saints

~~~ Revelation 7:2-4, 7-14 ~~~ Psalm 24 ~~~ 1 John 3:1-3 ~~~ Matthew 5:1-12a ~~~

 

 

Today we remember and honor all those

who have gone before us in the presence of the Lord.

All those men and women who have been canonized by the church.

All those who are in heaven and not officially named

as a saint of the church.

 

Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me,
"Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?"
I said to him, "My lord, you are the one who knows."
He said to me,
"These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;
they have washed their robes
and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb."

 

Today we honor all of those who lived a life

in testimony of what they believed.

All those fought the good fight.

All those who perseverance in the face of difficulties.

All of those who inspire us to live our lives in a better manner.

 

The saints sought the face of God until the end of their earthly life.

They loved the Lord with their whole heart, mind, body, and soul.

Young or old, rich or poor, man or woman, white, brown, black, or yellow

they loved God. They believed the words he promised of eternal life.

 

They are God's children now standing before his throne...

singing his praises of glory.

They have been made pure with the holy ones.

 

 

We cannot yet know what God has in store for us,

as his believers.

But I join the saints in believing that what the Lord has prepared

for us will be beyond comprehension.

The most glorious and luminous scene I can imagine

surely pales incomparison to the glory

surrounding our Lord and Father.

 

Heaven is populated with those who fully lived

the Beatitudes...

 

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven."

 

Today we join all the Saints in heaven rejoicing with

gladness at the goodness of the Lord.

Jesus came to show us the way to heaven.

He secured our entrance into heaven with each drop of his blood.

 

Someday we too will seek entrance into his glorious presence.

Saints of God, pray for us.