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Wednesday, August 10, 2022 Feast of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr Readings for Today

Video Jesus said to his disciples: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.”  John 12:24 This is a catchy phrase, but it reveals a truth that is hard to accept and live.  Jesus speaks directly about the need to die to yourself so that your life will bear abundant good fruit.  Again, easy to say, hard to live. Why is this hard to live?  What is hard about it?  The hard part begins with the initial acceptance of the fact that dying to yourself is necessary and good.  So let’s look at what that means. We begin with the analogy of a grain of wheat.  That grain must detach from the head and fall to the ground.  This image is one of complete detachment.  That single grain of wheat must “let go” of everything.  This image tells us that if we want God to work miracles in us, we must be ready and willing to let go of all to which we are attached.  It means we enter into a true abandonment of our will, our preferences, our desires and our hopes.  This can be very hard to do because it can be very hard to understand.  It can be hard to understand that detaching from all that we want and desire is actually good and is actually the way that we become prepared for the new and much more glorious life awaiting us through the transformation of grace.  Death to ourselves means we trust God more than the things we are attached to in this life.  It means we believe that God’s plan is infinitely better than any plan we can come up with. When the grain of wheat does die and enters the ground, it fulfills its purpose and grows into so much more.  It is transformed into abundance. Saint Lawrence, a third century deacon and martyr whom we remember today, presents us with a literal image of one who gave up everything, including his very life, so as to say “Yes” to God.  He gave up all his wealth, and when commanded by the prefect of Rome to turn over all the treasures of the Church, Lawrence brought to him the poor and the sick.  The prefect, in anger, sentenced Lawrence to death by fire.  Lawrence gave up everything to follow His Lord. Reflect, today, upon that which God may be calling you to let go of.  What is it that He wants you to surrender?  Surrendering is the key to letting God do glorious things in your life. Lord, help me to let go of my own preferences and ideas in life that are not in accord with Your divine will.  Help me to always believe that You have an infinitely better plan.  As I embrace that plan, help me to trust that You will bring forth an abundance of good fruit.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Becoming Like Children

August 9, 2022 Tuesday of the Nineteenth Week of Ordinary Time Readings for Today Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), Virgin and Martyr—Optional Memorial

Video “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.”  Matthew 18:3-5 How do we become like children?  What is the definition of being childlike?  Here are a few synonyms that most likely apply to Jesus’ definition of becoming like children:  trusting, dependent, natural, spontaneous, awe-inspired, without airs, and innocent.  Perhaps some of these, or all of them, would qualify for what Jesus is talking about.  Let’s look at a few of these qualities in regard to our relationship with God and others. Trusting: Children trust their parents without question.  They may not always want to obey, but there is very little reason for children to lack trust that a parent will provide and care for them.  Food and clothing are presumed and not even considered as a concern.  If they are in a large city, or shopping mall, there is safety found in being close to a parent.  This trust helps eliminate fear and worry. Natural: Children are often free to be who they are.  They are not overly concerned about looking silly or being embarrassed.  They will often naturally and spontaneously be who they are and not worry about the opinions of others. Innocent: Children are not yet skewed or cynical.  They do not look at others and presume the worst.  Rather, they will often see others as good. Awe-inspired:  Children are often fascinated by new things.  They see a lake, or mountain, or a new toy and are amazed at this first encounter.   All of these qualities can easily be applied to our relationship with God.  We must trust God to care for us in all things.  We must strive to be natural and free, expressing our love without fear, not worrying if it will be accepted or rejected.  We must strive to be innocent in the way we see others not giving into prejudice and bias.  We must strive to be continually in awe of God and of all the new things He does in our lives.   Reflect, today, upon any of these qualities in which you find yourself most lacking.  How does God want you to become more childlike?  How does He want you to become like children so that you can become truly great in the Kingdom of Heaven? Lord, help me to become childlike.  Help me to find true greatness in the humility and simplicity of a child.  Most of all, may I have absolute trust in You in all things.  Jesus, I do trust in You.

Avoid Offending Others

August 8, 2022 Monday of the Nineteenth Week of Ordinary Time Readings for Today Saint Dominic, Priest—Memorial

Video “But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up.  Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax.  Give that to them for me and for you.”  Matthew 17:27 This is an interesting situation.  The tax collectors of the temple come to Peter and ask him why Jesus doesn’t pay the normal temple tax.  Peter, in turn, asks Jesus this question and Jesus makes it clear that He does not owe tax, given who He is.  However, He sends Peter to obtain a coin miraculously from the mouth of a fish so that others are not offended. One thing this story reveals is that, at times, the foolish and unimportant concerns of others (such as collecting taxes) are not worth fighting about.  This basic principle may apply to many other situations in life.  It’s easy to allow unimportant issues to get in the way of our service of God.  It’s not an uncommon experience for people to turn trivial concerns into major issues.  We, as Christians, need to keep our eyes on what is important in life and not allow ourselves to be drawn into these foolish battles.   Humility, when fully embraced, will help us to avoid “offending” people even if we are in the right.  Humility, as seen in this situation with Jesus, enables us to see that this or that battle is not worth fighting.  Certainly we cannot compromise on the truth, but we can and ought to compromise on more trivial and unimportant demands of others rather than allowing conflicts to rise for foolish reasons. Reflect, today, upon those “issues” in life that seem to get more attention than they are worth.  Reflect upon how you can diffuse these situations by humbling yourself before others.  You may be called to accept small injustices at times for the sake of the bigger picture.  Look at what those may be in your life and ask the Lord to give you the grace to follow His example. My humble Lord, fill my heart with true humility.  Help me to turn away from unimportant conflicts in life, even to the point of embracing injustice in a sacrificial way.  May I never claim my rights over the joy of embracing deep humility.  Jesus, I trust in You.

The « Little Flock »

Sunday, August 7, 2022 Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C Readings for Today

Video Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.”  Luke 12:32 This short statement from Jesus reveals three things to us. First of all, we hear Jesus offer the familiar reminder that we ought not allow fear to take hold of our lives.  There are so many things in life that can have the effect of causing fear, worry, anxiety and the like.  Overcoming fear is a matter of humility, in that humility enables us to turn our eyes from ourselves and the problems we face and to put our eyes upon our Lord.  When we put our eyes on Him, fear dissipates and trust takes its place. Second, this is also a very tender statement from Jesus in that He calls His disciples, and all of us, His “little flock.”  This is a term of endearment and reveals our Lord’s gentle and compassionate heart.  This term of endearment reveals not only that we belong to Jesus, it also reveals how His love for us is intimate and heartfelt.  If we understand this love of His we will be compelled to love Him back with the same depth of intimacy.   Lastly, this line points us to the Kingdom of our Father in Heaven.  The Father, whom we must trust and with whom we must have an intimate relationship, invites us to share in His most glorious Kingdom.  His Kingdom becomes ours, and when we can see and understand how glorious this calling is, we will be filled with hope and excitement as we seek to obtain it. Reflect, today, upon the heartfelt invitation of our compassionate Lord Jesus to put your eyes upon His Kingdom.  As you do so, allow this revelation to cast out fear from your life, strengthening you to overcome that burden.  Put your trust in God and allow Him to transform you. My Divine Shepherd, I accept Your invitation to put my trust in You.  Please free me from the many fears that I am tempted with in life.  Help me to have confidence in You and Your grace as I seek to put my eyes on the glory of Your Kingdom.  Jesus, I trust in You.

The Glory of God

Saturday, August 6, 2022 Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, August 6 Readings for Today

Video Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.  Mark 9:2-3 Do you see the glory of God in your life?  Oftentimes this is a real struggle.  We can easily become aware of all the problems we face and can focus in on them.  As a result, it is often easy for us to miss seeing the glory of God in our lives.  So do you see God’s glory in your life?   The feast we celebrate today is a commemoration of the fact that Jesus literally revealed His glory to three of the Apostles.  He took them up a high mountain and was transfigured before them.  He became dazzling white and radiant with glory.  This was an important image for them to have in their minds in preparation for the very real image of the suffering and death Jesus was about to undergo.   One lesson we should take from this feast is the fact that the glory of Jesus was not lost on the Cross.  Sure, His suffering and pain was made manifest at that time, but it doesn’t change the fact that His glory was still just as real while He suffered on the Cross.   The same is true in our lives.  We are blessed beyond measure and God still desires to transform our souls into glorious beacons of light and grace.  When He does this, we must strive to constantly see it.  And when we suffer or face some Cross, we must never take our eyes off the glorious things He has done in our souls.   Reflect, today, upon the beautiful and profound transformation that God has done and continues to desire to do in your soul.  Know that He wants you to fix your eyes upon this glory and forever remain grateful for it, especially as you endure any cross you are given. Lord, may I see Your glory and the glory that You have bestowed upon my own soul.  May my eyes forever remain fixed on that grace.  May I see You and Your glory especially in difficult times.  Jesus, I trust in You.

How Far Will You Go

August 5, 2022 Friday of the Eighteenth Week of Ordinary Time Readings for Today Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major—Optional Memorial

Video “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” Matthew 16:24 There is a very important word in this statement of Jesus.  It’s the word “must.”  Note that Jesus did not say that some of you may have to follow me by carrying your cross.  No, He said that whoever wishes to follow me must… So the first question should be easy to answer.  Do you wish to follow Jesus?  In our heads that’s an easy question.  Yes, of course we do.  But this is not a question we can answer only with our heads.  It must be also answered by our choice to do what Jesus said was a necessity.  Namely, wishing to follow Jesus means denying yourself and taking up your cross.  Hmmm, so do you wish to follow Him? Hopefully, the answer is “Yes.”  Hopefully, we resolved deeply to embrace all that is involved in following Jesus.  But that’s no small commitment.  Sometimes we fall into the foolish trap of thinking that we can “kinda” follow Him here and now and that all will be fine and we’ll certainly get into Heaven when we die.  Maybe that’s true to a certain extent, but if that’s our thinking then we’re missing out on what life is all about and all that God has in store for us. Denying yourself and taking up your cross is actually a far more glorious life than we could ever come up with on our own.  It’s a blessed life of grace and the only path to ultimate fulfillment in life.  Nothing could be better than completely entering into a life of total self-sacrifice by dying to ourselves.   Reflect, today, on whether or not you are willing to say “Yes” to this question not only with your head, but also with your whole life.  Are you willing to embrace the life of sacrifice to which Jesus is calling you?  What does that look like in your life?  Say “Yes,” today, tomorrow and every day through your actions and you’ll see glorious things take place in your life. My glorious Lord, I do wish to follow You and I choose, today, to deny all my selfishness.  I choose to carry the cross of selfless living to which I am called.  May I embrace my cross with joy and be transformed by You through that choice.  Jesus, I trust in You.

The Keys of the Kingdom

August 4, 2022 Thursday of the Eighteenth Week of Ordinary Time Readings for Today Saint Jean Vianney (the Curé of Ars), Priest—Memorial

Video “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.  I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.  Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”  Matthew 16:18-19 The following is an excerpt from My Catholic Faith!,Chapter 7:  So was Jesus just being complementary to Peter, trying to build up his ego?  Was He just thanking Peter for acknowledging who He really is?  Or was Jesus doing something more?  Was He making Peter a promise that would one day come to fulfillment?  Certainly it was the latter of these.  Jesus was telling Peter that he would become the rock foundation of the Church and that Peter would enjoy a unique spiritual power of the Keys of Heaven.  Whoa!  What an incredible gift that was! Jesus says, “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven…”  This is no small gift to have.  We should take this as a literal commitment from Jesus to Peter.  So, when Jesus did found His Church, when He did “breathe” on the Apostles after His Resurrection, He also bestowed this promised gift of supreme authority within His Church to Peter–the power to bind and loose. I’m sure that at first Peter did not fully understand this unique gift.  Perhaps as the Church began, within the first few years, the other Apostles would have been reminded by the Holy Spirit that Jesus said this.  Perhaps Peter in his humility would have been reminded by the Holy Spirit that Jesus said this.  And as time went on there should be no doubt that Peter began to embrace and own this unique gift of supreme authority.  We see the first clear exercise of this authority in Acts 15, at the Council of Jerusalem, when there was a disagreement about circumcision.  After much debate, Peter stood up and spoke with authority.  From there, others followed and we see that the question they were debating was clarified and settled. From that time on, the Apostles continued their work of teaching, shepherding and sanctifying.  Peter eventually went to Rome to preach and to become the first bishop there.  It is in Rome that he died and it was every successor of the Apostle Peter, in Rome, who took on this unique gift of the supreme authority within the Church.  Certainly Jesus did not intend this gift of supreme authority to last only as long as Peter lived.  That’s why we see this authority passed on to all his successors who are the bishops of Rome.  And that’s why we call our Church the Roman Catholic Church.  Interestingly, if Peter would have gone to Malta, or Jerusalem, or Asia we would today most likely have the Malta, or Jerusalem, or Asian Catholic Church instead.  So the Church is Roman primarily because that’s where Peter went and, therefore, that’s where the supreme authority lies. Over the centuries we have come to understand this unique gift of supreme authority and have defined it more clearly.  It means that St. Peter, and all his successors, enjoy full and immediate authority to teach definitively on faith and morals and to govern, or shepherd, according to the mind and will of Christ.  So if the pope says something is true regarding faith or morals then, quite frankly, it is true.  And if he makes a decision on the governance of the Church then, quite simply, that’s what God wants done.  It’s as simple as that. This gift of supreme authority, in regard to teaching on faith and morals, is called “infallibility.”  It’s used in various ways.  The most powerful way it’s used is when the pope speaks “ex cathedra” or, “from the chair.”  This means symbolically from the chair of Peter.  In this case he teaches what’s called a “dogma” of the faith.  Every dogma is true and certain and we are bound in faith to believe. Lord, I thank You for the gift of Your glorious Catholic Church!  I pray that I may always be faithful to all that You reveal through Your Church and I pray that the leaders of Your Church, especially the pope, will always seek to grow daily in holiness of life.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Humility + Faith = Mercy

August 3, 2022 Wednesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today

Video But the woman came and did him homage, saying, “Lord, help me.” He said in reply, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”  Matthew 15:25-27 Did Jesus really imply that helping this woman was like throwing food to dogs?  Most of us would have taken great offense at what Jesus said as a result of our pride.  But what He said was true and was not rude in any way.  Jesus obviously cannot be rude.  Nonetheless, His statement has the superficial appearance of being rude.   First, let’s look at how His statement is true.  Jesus was being asked by this woman to come heal her daughter.  Basically, Jesus tells her she is not deserving of this grace in anyway.  And that’s true.  No more than a dog deserves to be fed from the table do we deserve the grace of God.  Though this is a shocking way to say it, Jesus says it this way so as to first illustrate the truth of our sinful condition and unworthiness.  And this woman takes it. Second, Jesus’ statement allows this woman to react with the utmost humility and faith.  Her humility is seen in the fact that she does not deny the parallel to a dog eating from the table.  Rather, she humbly points out that even dogs eat the scraps.  Wow, this is humility!  In fact, we can be certain that Jesus spoke to her in this somewhat humiliating way because He knew how humble she was and He knew that she would react by letting her humility shine forth so as to manifest her faith.  She was not offended by the humble truth of her unworthiness; rather, she embraced it and also sought out the abundant mercy of God despite her unworthiness.   Humility has the potential to unleash faith, and faith unleashes the mercy and power of God.  In the end, Jesus speaks for all to hear, “Oh woman, great is your faith!”  Her faith was made manifest and Jesus seized the opportunity to honor her for that humble faith. Reflect, today, upon your own humility before God.  How would you have reacted if Jesus spoke this way to you?  Would you have been humble enough to acknowledge your unworthiness?  If so, would you also have enough faith to cry out for God’s mercy despite your unworthiness?  These wonderful qualities go hand in hand (humility and faith) and unleash the mercy of God! My most merciful Lord, I am unworthy.  Help me to see that.  Help me to see that I do not deserve Your grace in my life.  But in that humble truth, may I also recognize Your abundance of mercy and never fear to call upon You for mercy.  Jesus, I trust in You.

When Faith Falters

August 2, 2022 Tuesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Years B&C) Readings for Today Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, Bishop—Optional Memorial Saint Peter Julian Eymard, Priest—Optional Memorial

Video Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.”  Matthew 14:28-29a What a wonderful expression of faith!  St. Peter, caught in stormy conditions on the sea, expressed his complete confidence that if Jesus were to call him out of the boat to walk on water, it would happen.  Jesus does call him to Himself and St. Peter begins to walk on water.  Of course we know what happened next.  Peter was filled with fear and began to sink.  Fortunately, Jesus caught him and all was well. Interestingly, this story reveals much to us about our own lives of faith and much more about the goodness of Jesus.  So often we begin with a faith in our head and have every intention of living that faith.  Like Peter, we often make firm resolutions to trust in Jesus and to “walk on water” at His command.  However, all too often we experience the same thing Peter did.  We start to live the trust we express in Jesus, only to suddenly waver and give in to fear in the midst of our hardship.  We begin to sink and have to cry out for help.   In some ways, the ideal would have been if Peter expressed his faith in Jesus and then walked to Him without faltering.  But, in other ways, this is the ideal story in that it reveals the depth of Jesus’ mercy and compassion.  It reveals that Jesus will catch us and draw us out of our doubts and fears when our faith gives way.  This story is much more about Jesus’ compassion and the extent of His help than it is about Peter’s lack of faith. Reflect, today, upon any way that you have had great intentions of trusting Jesus, started down that path and then have fallen.  Know that Jesus is full of compassion and will reach out to you in your weakness just as He did to Peter.  Let Him grab your hand and strengthen your lack of faith out of His abundance of love and mercy. My compassionate Lord, I do believe.  Help me when I falter.  Help me to always turn to You when the storms and challenges of life seem to be too much.  May I trust that, in those moments more than any other, You are there reaching out Your hand of grace.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Jesus is Always There

August 1, 2022 Monday of the Eighteenth Week of Ordinary Time Readings for Today Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church—Memorial

Video When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.  Matthew 14:13-14 Humanly speaking, Jesus’ heart was grieved by the death of John the Baptist.  He loved John and was deeply saddened by his beheading.  So He withdrew in a boat to a deserted place alone.  But the crowds were hungry for more!  They wanted to see Jesus and listen to Him.  They knew many who were ill and wanted Jesus to heal them.  So they sought Him out despite the fact that He had withdrawn from the crowd to be alone. What was Jesus’ reaction?  Did He look at them and sigh, saying to Himself, “Why don’t they leave me alone.  Don’t they know I am grieving?”  No.  Instead, Jesus was filled with mercy and compassion for them, and He went to them to heal many of their sick. This gives us insight into the heart and compassion of our Lord.  Many times, we are afraid to go to God.  We are afraid to turn to Him because of our sin.  We are afraid of what He will think and say to us.  We feel guilty and ashamed and, as a result, fail to seek Him out. But just as Jesus had compassion for those who sought Him out in this story, so also He will ALWAYS have the deepest of compassion for us every time we seek Him out.  If we find our lives steeped in sin, but run to Him anyway, He will look at us with compassion and mercy.  He never tires of us returning to Him, seeking His healing and mercy.  We should always have hope in Him and turn to Him with the greatest confidence. Reflect, today, upon how comfortable you are in turning to Jesus just as you are.  Are you afraid or worried about what He thinks of you?  Are you ashamed of your sin or weakness?  Do you worry He will judge you and not care?  Have confidence in His abundance of mercy and run to Him without fear. My most compassionate Lord, help me to trust in Your love and compassion.  Help me to know that You always long for me to come to You.  As You never tire of me coming to You, may I never tire of coming to You.  Jesus, I trust in You.