Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Luke 9:51-56  

When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village. 

Reflection: 

The going gets tough for all of us at some point.  We each experience rejection in any of its forms: from our family, our friends, our co-workers, even from members of our own church community.   Rejection is not a pleasant thing to confront.  It can cause us to feel anger and resentment.   This feeling of rejection happened to Jesus too, as we see in today's  reading from Luke.  He was not welcome in the Samaritan village even though he was going to share his Good News with them.  Instead of being upset, Jesus does not get angry with the Samaritans.  Instead he chastises his disciples who would rather have gotten back at the Samaritans for not allowing Jesus to enter the village.   The message for us is to respond with respect whenever we are rejected or someone does not want to hear what we are trying to say, especially if we are trying to spread the word of God by our words or actions.  Jesus shows us how to deal with rejection in a way that is successful.  This is a lesson that we can apply to many different aspects of our lives.  

Prayer: 

Loving God, all of us face rejection in our daily lives.  Give us the grace to see this as an opportunity to  learn to love and serve you better.  Let me always trust you enough to let you lead me through all the days, especially the ones where everything seems to go wrong.  Amen.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Gospel JN 1:47-51

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,

“Here is a true child of Israel.

There is no duplicity in him.”

Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”

Jesus answered and said to him,

“Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”

Nathanael answered him,

“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”

Jesus answered and said to him,

“Do you believe

because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?

You will see greater things than this.”

And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you,

you will see heaven opened

and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Reflection…

Jesus explains that Nathaneal is a true child of Isreal; he speaks the truth.  Nathaneal is confused when Jesus approaches and calls him by name and says he saw him under the fig tree.  However, this acknowledgement somehow serves Nathaneal as a revelation of Jesus and his existence as the Son of God.  Because Jesus had knowledge of Nathaneal’s thoughts and whereabouts, Nathaneal believed in Jesus. 

Nathaneal tells Jesus that he is the King of Isreal, and Nathaneal has no deceit in his heart.  Jesus tells Nathaneal that because he is able to recognize this, he has opened himself up to greater things.  His faith will allow him to reach heaven and all that eternal life with God and the angels can bring.

This Gospel passage makes me think of a recent homily by Father Philip.  He was talking to the kids about faith and explaining how you only need to have it until you reach heaven.  He explained that if faith is belief in something you can’t see, you would no longer need it once you came face to face with Jesus.  You wouldn’t need faith to believe; you would just believe. 

I always enjoy the homily at our school Mass, as the homily is intended for the children, it is always presented on a simpler level.  I think when it comes to religion and faith, we often need to put ourselves in a childlike state of mind.  Children are very open to things they cannot see.  They have such great imaginations.  As adults, we often look for everything to have a reason, to be concrete, to be visible. 

Nathaneal put his faith in what he could not see, until, one day, he saw.  Jesus was revealed to him.  He was given the greatest gift of all, eternal life in heaven. 

Prayer…

Go….believe….have faith in that which you cannot see or even fully understand.  Pray for the strength to be open-minded, like the children.  Pray that the realization of your faith will bring you joy and happiness.  Go…believe…have faith.

Amen

9/26/14

Gospel LK 9:18-22

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude,
and the disciples were with him,
he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah;
still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’”
Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.”
He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.

He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

Reflection

Today's Gospel reading comes on the heels of King Herod asking a similar question to his servants about Jesus that Jesus asks His disciples: "Who then is this about whom I hear such things?" (Luke 9: 9). Herod also mentions the belief that some people think of Jesus as John the Baptist resurrected or Elijah or a prophet. 

To this Herod responds, "John I beheaded." In other words, Herod is saying that he himself had John killed; it's not John. Hungry for power and desiring to ensure his total control of it, Herod seems frustrated and jealous about these stories of the sick being healed and unclean spirits being humbled. Herod would gladly accept such dominion, power and authority and is threatened by its presence within his borders.

Yesterday's reading ends, "And he (Herod) kept trying to see him (Jesus)." Whether out of curiosity, disbelief or even as part of a plot to kill Him, Herod 'tries' to see Jesus. 

Unlike Peter, though, and many who saw Jesus with their physical eyes, heard about Him or from Him with their actual ears and even had their hearts enlivened by His message / miracles / ministry, Herod desires to see Jesus but nothing else. He is fascinated, intrigued, angered, and...unmoved.

In the same way that we can hear something without listening, we can see without noticing. We can see images on our TV's, computers, phones and devices but not notice the violence, objectification, degradation and dehumanization happening 

on the screens. We can see poverty on our streets but not notice it enough to do anything to alleviate it. We can see pain and hurt in our loved ones, friends and neighbors but remain stuck in our compassion and forgiveness towards them. We can see the specks in the eyes of others but remain blind to the planks protruding from our own! We can see the abundant good in our lives but fail to notice them as blessings. We can see Jesus, but fail to notice Him as anything but a sideshow, magician or fascination. 

Let us, like Peter, have the heart to see Jesus as our Savior. 

Let us awaken to the signs and sounds and messages of Jesus all around us and let us be moved. 

Let us awaken to our sins and let us be transformed by repentance.

Let us awaken to God's call for our hearts and let us respond with humility.

Jesus is asking us, "Who do you say that I am?" 

He asks, "Can you see me?"

"Will you follow me?"

With open eyes, open hearts and conviction let us awaken to these questions and answer as Peter did,

"You are the Christ, the Son of God."

And let us be moved...to change, to forgive, to transform, to empower, to strengthen, to heal, to comfort, to bloom, to nurture, to inspire, to challenge, to live, to serve, to follow, to love.

Open up your eyes.

GO: Awaken.

9/25/14

Luke 9:7-9

Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening,
and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying,
“John has been raised from the dead”;
others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”;
still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.”
But Herod said, “John I beheaded.
Who then is this about whom I hear such things?”
And he kept trying to see him.

Reflection

Is seeing believing?  Do we have to witness something happening with our eyes to know that it is true? Our answer might be “Yes, we do to need see something to believe it.” Although when we finally see whatever it is we are looking for, that particular instance becomes a fact, the truth, something indisputable. We no longer have to decide whether or not we want to believe it because we know the true outcome.

Is that why Herod wanted to see Jesus? Did he need visual confirmation that he was real and that the stories of the miracles he was preforming were actually true? Did he need to make sure people were not mistaken Jesus for Elijah or even John the Baptist, the man he himself beheaded? If he saw Jesus with his own eyes would he then believe that he was the Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary? Was his pursuit to see Jesus driven by his desire to want to believe or was it derived from the fact that he wanted to do whatever he could in his power to prove Jesus could not be our Savior?

Regardless of Herod’s answer to these questions, he was trying to come up with excuses so that he could properly rationalize who Jesus was and what Jesus was doing.   

The problem is that you can not rationalize FAITH! We can and may be able to rationalize why something may be either important or not so important to us, why we need something now, or why it is ok to act in a certain way.

However, we can not and we should not ever try to rationalize Jesus. The rationalization we would do will not lead us to what we are looking for. Are minds can not imagine the unimaginable; that’s why we have Faith! We should not need to know the answers to these questions to believe, just as Herod should not have had to see Jesus to believe. We, instead, need to believe because our Faith gives us the power to, because we know the truth, have heard the truth, are present to the truth, and will one day be witness of the truth, Jesus Christ!

9/24/14

Gospel LK 9:1-6

Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority
over all demons and to cure diseases,
and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God
and to heal the sick.
He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey,
neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money,
and let no one take a second tunic.
Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.
And as for those who do not welcome you,
when you leave that town,
shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.”
Then they set out and went from village to village
proclaiming the Good News and curing diseases everywhere.

Reflection

GO: AWAKEN. 

God is calling you. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, His messages to you don't come in the form of Twitter feeds or texts or Facebook status posts. His call comes through people He brings into your life and the circumstances into which He brings you. 

Can you hear Him? 

Are you listening?

​In the same way that you wouldn't expect to lose weight without starting some sort of exercise program or diet, we can't expect to hear God's call for our lives without coming into a relationship with Him. We wouldn't expect to understand the heart of our spouse or child without forming a relationship with that person. Furthermore, if we're not engaged in the conversation, if we are not listening, we could be putting on the pretenses of intimacy without actually arriving at it. 

God is calling. Are we listening?

Or, are we distracted? Do we turn to mindless pursuits as opposed to things that will strengthen us? Do we fill our schedules with practices and games and clubs and activities but fail to etch out time for God? Do we rush through a meal without thanking the Lord for the food? Do we trudge through our careers with little care or concern for those with whom we work? Do we anxiously respond to a text within seconds but ignore God's ever constant attempts to win your heart? 

Are we listening? 

Like the disciples, God has a magnificent plan in store for all of us. He promises us power and authority over demons, the ability to cure the sick and the right to proclaim His message to others. 

He is summoning you. 

Go.

Preach.

Cure.

Heal.

Love.

Awaken to God's call for your life and in turn, awaken others.

GO: Awaken. 

9/23/14

Luke 8:19 – 21

The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him
but were unable to join him because of the crowd.
He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside
and they wish to see you.”
He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers 
are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”

Reflection

HOME!

Our 2013-2014 ICS school theme was “Home.”

Jesus emphasizes the power of our “Home” theme by referring to us as his “brothers” and “sisters.” His words tell us that we can have a relationship with him just as strong as the one we share with our mother, father, brothers, and sisters. 

He is seeking this relationship with each one of us! In fact, he yearns for this type of relationship with us! He prayed for this type of relationship with us on earth and continues to pray for this type of relationship with us in Heaven. God wants us to be a part of his family!  He is inviting us to live in his “Home” with him permanently. 

All we are asked to do to cultivate this relationship with God is to do his will. He wants us to listen to his word with our ears and our heart, and respond to it in a kind, loving, patient, truthful, and gentle way.  By doing this, we will be a brother and/or sister to God. A sibling of his who not only serves the Lord, but one that lives in his “Home,” the Kingdom of Heaven!

Always allow our 2013- 2014 school theme of “Home” to resonate with us and help it lead us into the “Home” of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

9/22/14

Gospel LK 8:16-18

Jesus said to the crowd:
“No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel
or sets it under a bed;
rather, he places it on a lampstand
so that those who enter may see the light.
For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible,
and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.
Take care, then, how you hear.
To anyone who has, more will be given,
and from the one who has not,
even what he seems to have will be taken away.”

Reflection

One of my favorite hymns is "This Little Light of Mine." Furthermore, I've always been fascinated by the concept of light - no matter how faint it always overpowers even the darkest dark instantaneously. So, it would be easy for me to focus in on the analogy of our lives being a light and how we have the power to overcome evil.

In fact, had this been last year, I would have settled for that response, and in many ways it would have been sufficient.

My faith has grown, however, over the course of the past year and as such I felt inspired to challenge myself for a deeper and newer insight into a reading that has always resonated with me.

As I reflected on the passage, my mind wrestled with the last part of this scripture from Luke: "To anyone who has, more will be give, from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away." This seems to contradict other pieces of scripture including the Beatitudes (blessed are the...) as well as Matthew 20:16:

Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last. 

Why then, would Jesus tell us that those who have a lot will get more and those who have little will have their meager resources stripped from them? How is that fair? How does that jive with Jesus's other messages?

For the answer, we must hone in on Jesus's words immediately after finishing the analogy of the light: "Take care, then, how you hear." Jesus isn't necessarily talking about our gifts and talents as He refers to the light. Instead, He references the Word of God, and how once we hear it, we should be so inspired so as to illuminate these truths to others. Take care, then, Jesus warns, how we hear. We must also listen.

We hear lots of things. Right now I can hear the copier in the office, I can hear the hum of other electronics and I can hear the ticking of the clock. As students pass in the hallways, I can hear their shuffling and their chuckling. But, I don't always listen to those things. When I do, I can notice that the copier has jammed (for the 17th time today!), I can notice that students aren't just moving but are causing some sort of a problem. My hearing, when I listen, moves from the noise just entering my eardrums to the sensations actually having an effect on and moving into my brain. Usually, upon listening to either a dysfunctional copier or dysfunction in the hallways, I'm also moved to literally move...and to do something.

The Word of God, when we have the heart to listen, inspires us to want more. In this way, we continue to seek out God's message. We continue to search for more and more of His goodness. If God's Word merely passes into our ears but never reaches our hearts, even the little that we have received will be taken away.

Let us be careful how we hear, then. Let us be sure to listen. Not with our ears or even our minds but with our hearts.

Let us listen. Let us listen. Let us listen.

9/19/14

Gospel LK 8:1-3

Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another,
preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God.
Accompanying him were the Twelve
and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities,
Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza,
Susanna, and many others
who provided for them out of their resources.

Reflection

God is for everyone. He doesn't discriminate. He doesn't hold a grudge. He won't turn His back on us no matter how many times we do to Him. He loves us unconditionally and all are welcome in His house. 

The Gospel from today's Mass explicitly names three women among the company of Jesus's closest followers. This inclusion shouldn't be worthy of special recognition. Of course Jesus would have had female followers and disciples. However, given the patriarchal society that existed during Jesus's time (and in many ways still continues today) it is marked that Jesus does not exclude or select based on any criteria. All are welcome. It's even more impressive that the oral tradition that passed these stories on from one generation to another preserved this important component of Jesus's ministry - all are called, all are welcome. 

As churchgoers, we can easily fall into the trap of considering ourselves "better" or "holier" than those who never darken the doors of a place of worship. Similarly, as members of a Catholic school we can easily fall into the trap of only admitting the elite - the richest, smartest and most privileged of our applicant pool. 

But, all are welcome. All are called. Let us open our hearts and our minds and churches and schools to everyone.

Most importantly, let us open our hearts and minds and churches and schools and home and lives to God. 

9/18/14

Luke 7:36-50

A certain Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him,
and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table.
Now there was a sinful woman in the city
who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee.
Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment,
she stood behind him at his feet weeping
and began to bathe his feet with her tears.
Then she wiped them with her hair,
kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself,
“If this man were a prophet,
he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him,
that she is a sinner.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“Simon, I have something to say to you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
“Two people were in debt to a certain creditor;
one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty.
Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both.
Which of them will love him more?”
Simon said in reply,
“The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.”
He said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon,
“Do you see this woman?
When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet,
but she has bathed them with her tears
and wiped them with her hair.
You did not give me a kiss,
but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered.
You did not anoint my head with oil,
but she anointed my feet with ointment.
So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven;
hence, she has shown great love.
But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”
He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
The others at table said to themselves,
“Who is this who even forgives sins?”
But he said to the woman,
“Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Reflection

Having great pride in who we are and in what we do is something that we all strive for. We want to be proud of ourselves and of the qualities that make us a unique child of God. This is a message that we not only pass on to others, but one that others pass back on to us. 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus shows us two different ways in which we can have and use our pride. The women who washed Jesus feet is not only prideful, but she is also humble. She understands that she has made mistakes, but she humbly puts herself before the Lord to seek forgiveness. The pride of Simon the Pharisee, the man who invited Jesus into his home, is also on display for us. However, instead of being humble in the presence of the Lord, he allowed for his ego to control him when he pointed out to Jesus the pervious actions of the women washing his feet.   

It is visible through the women washing Jesus feet and Simon the Pharisee that our personal actions can change when we combined a different character trait with our sense of pride. When our pride causes us to think only of ourselves, we have a tendency to bring others down to lift ourselves up.  Although, when we combined our pride with humility, we typically aspire to put others before ourselves.

When we begin to put others before ourselves in our lives, like the women washing Jesus feet, we enhance the greatest of all the spiritual gifts, love.  Love is the gift that allows us to go beyond our wants and needs and gives us the opportunity to serve others. The love we feel and the love we spread will never wither away, rather it will help us know ourselves fully, just as God fully knows us!

Allow us to be proud of the way we serve others through our love of one another just as our God loves us!