Discovering the Riches of Heaven

July 28, 2021 Wednesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today

Video Jesus said to his disciples: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Matthew 13:44 Today’s Gospel presents us with two very short and similar parables. In the first, quoted above, the Kingdom of Heaven is likened to a “treasure.” In the second parable, the Kingdom of Heaven is likened to a “pearl of great price.” Though these parables are very similar to each other, there are also subtle differences worth pondering. It appears that the treasure mentioned in the first parable is discovered almost by accident. The person simply “finds” it. This is in contrast to the second parable, in that the merchant who finds the pearl of great price did so after “searching” for it.  We often encounter the Treasure of the Gospel without even looking for it. We do so anytime God intervenes in our lives without us seeking His intervention. For example, if someone were to offer an act of charity to you without you seeking it out, this is God giving you a treasure of His Kingdom. Or if someone shares with you their faith, or an inspiration they received, this is indeed a treasure given to you by God. The problem is that many times when we are given these treasures of the Gospel, we do not always see them as treasures. Imagine, for example, if the person in this parable were to stumble upon the treasure in the field and fail to open it out of indifference. They see it from a distance, have a bit of curiosity about what is in the box, but they are not energetic enough to actually open the box and look inside. In that case, the person would have no reason to go and sell all that they have so as to buy the field in which the treasure is found. One clear message that this first parable reveals is that we must be attentive to the countless treasures of God’s graces given to us each and every day. God is so prolific in offering us grace, that we truly do stumble upon His grace all the time. Thus, having eyes to perceive His actions and ears to Hear His Voice is essential. A second message clearly given in both of these parables is that once we discover the graces God gives us every day, we must foster within ourselves a desire for those graces that is so strong that we are willing to do anything necessary to obtain them. The discovery is made through the gift of faith, but the discovery by faith must then be followed with a zeal that drives our will to conform to that discovery. Reflect, today, upon two things. First, have you discovered the treasures God has given to you? If you hesitate in answering this, then it’s most likely the case that there is much you have yet to discover. Secondly, as you do discover the riches that come with the gift of faith, then have you allowed that which God has spoken to you to consume you to such a point that you are willing to sell all you have, meaning, do whatever it takes to further accept all God wants to bestow? Resolutely determine to go forth on this holy search and you will find that the riches of grace that you obtain are of infinite value. My Lord of all riches, You bestow upon me and upon all Your children countless graces every day. The treasures of Your mercy are of infinite value. Please open my eyes so that I can see and my ears so that I can hear so as to discover all that You wish to bestow. May You and the riches of Your Kingdom become the one and only, all-consuming focus of my life. Jesus, I trust in You.

Our Final Destiny

July 27, 2021 Tuesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today

Video “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear.”  Matthew 13:43 This passage concludes Jesus’ explanation of the Parable of the Weeds in the Field. Recall that in this parable there were good seeds sown in a field. The Sower is the Son of Man, Jesus, and the seed He sows are the children of the Kingdom, which includes all those who are in a state of grace. The field is the whole world. Thus, Jesus is saying that He has sent His followers, each one of us, into the world to build His Kingdom. But the evil one also sows his “children,” which refers to all of those who live evil lives that are contrary to the will of God. The passage above refers to the reward that the children of the Kingdom receive, whereas the passage just prior to this points out that at the end of the age, the children of the evil one will be condemned and sent “into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” The end result of being the children of the Kingdom is quite hopeful. “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father.” This promise from our Lord should be pondered, believed and become the driving force of our hope in life. Hope is an essential virtue that we often do not speak of enough. The gift of hope is not simply wishful thinking, such as when one hopes they win the lotto. The theological virtue of hope is a gift from God that is based on truth. The truth that it is based on is the promise of eternal life in Heaven if we accept all that God speaks to us and if we fulfill His glorious will in our lives. By analogy, say that you have a large mortgage on your home. And say that the bank was doing a promotion in which they were going to pay off the mortgage for one lucky family. And that family was yours. They contacted you and let you know that all you need to do is fill out an application for this grant and that it would then be given to you. What would you do? Of course you would go and fill out the application. The bank is trustworthy, and you are confident that if you do what they ask, a small task of filling out the application, then they will follow through with the promise they made of paying off your mortgage. In a sense, there is hope established within you once you learn of this offer; and that hope, which is based on a true promise, is what drives you to do the small task of filling out the application. So it is with God. The “mortgage” that He promises to pay is the debt of all our sin. And the requirement to receive this promise is fidelity to all He commands of us for our good. The problem is that we often do not fully understand the reward we are promised. That is: to “shine like the sun” in the Kingdom of our Father in Heaven. Having your mortgage paid off by the bank is something concrete and clear and very desirable. But the reward of shining like the sun in the Kingdom is of infinitely greater value. Do you believe that? The best way to strengthen the virtue of theological hope in our lives is to become more and more certain of the truthful promise of our Lord. We need to understand Heaven and the infinite value we receive by obtaining it. If we truly understood what Jesus was promising us, we would become so intensely driven to do all that He commands us to do that this would become the single focus of our life. The hope would become a strength so strong that we would become consumed with doing anything and everything necessary to obtain such a reward. Reflect, today, upon the depth of hope you have in your life. How driven are you by the promises made by our Lord? How clearly do you understand those promises? If you struggle with hope, then spend more time on the end reward that is promised you by Jesus. Believe what He says and make that end goal the central focus of your life. My glorious King, You invite all people to share in the glories of Heaven. You promise us that if we are faithful, we will shine like the sun for all eternity. Help me to understand this glorious gift so that it becomes the single object of my hope and the drive of all that I do in life. Jesus, I trust in You.

Transformed by Grace

July 26, 2021  Monday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today Saints Joachim and Anne—Memorial

Video He spoke to them another parable. “The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.” Matthew 13:33 Yeast is powerful. Though it often accounts for only about 1% of a loaf of bread, it causes that loaf to more than double in size. Of course, it also has the amazing effect of turning the dough soft and flexible as it rises. Without yeast, the dough would remain stiff and much smaller in size. The dough would not become the bread it was meant to be. The Church Fathers offer many interpretations of this short, one-sentence parable. Some say that the three measures of flour represent the spirit, soul and body into which the Gospel is inserted. Others say the three measures of flour represent either three different kinds of persons or three levels of fruitfulness in our lives. The yeast is understood by some as the message of the Gospel in the Scriptures and by others as charity that must permeate our lives and the world as a whole. Of course, the parables of Jesus, as well as every teaching contained within the Scriptures, offer us many levels of understanding and meaning that are all correct and consistent with each other. One of the most important questions to ponder is this: What does God want to say to you through this parable? If you consider yourself to be the three measures of flour, and the yeast to be God, His holy Word and His gentle but clear Voice speaking to you, in what concrete ways do you see your life rising as a direct result? How do you see yourself becoming that which you are intended to be as a result of God entering your life? And do you see the effect as one that is truly transforming and even exponential? Sometimes the Word of God has little to no effect on our lives. That, of course, is not the fault of the Word of God; rather, it’s because we do not allow God to do His transforming work. For yeast to work, the dough has to sit still for a while. So in our lives, for God to do His work, we must allow Him to gently and powerfully work. This process requires that we internalize all that God speaks to us. Then His actions must prayerfully be permitted to work within us, and we must allow the change to be slow and certain in accord with His divine plan. Sometimes we can also become impatient with the workings of God. Again, the yeast takes time to work. If we are impatient with God’s grace, then it may be like taking the dough and kneading it over and over before it even has a chance to work. But if we are prayerfully patient, allowing God to do His work in our lives according to His will and in His time, then little by little we will experience the transformation that He initiates. Reflect, today, upon this short but powerful parable. See yourself as that dough and see God and His action in your life as the yeast. As you sit with that image in a prayerful way, let God reveal how He wants to work in you and how He wants to transform you. Pray for patience. Trust that if you receive His transforming Word into your soul, then He will do what He wants to do. And trust that if this happens, you will indeed become the person God wants you to become. My transforming Lord, You desire to enter deeply into my life and to permeate all that I am. You desire to change me, little by little, making me into the person You want me to become. Please help me to be attentive to all that You desire to do in me and to patiently await the transformation that You have already begun. Jesus, I trust in You.

Facing the “Impossible?”

July 25, 2021 Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) Readings for Today

Video “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people recline.”  John 6:9–10a Have you ever been faced with what seems to be an “impossible situation?”  Jesus was, but He proved He could overcome any apparent obstacle He wanted to.  Sure, He is God, but the fact remains that He can do all things He wills.  And He can do so in our lives, too! This passage above reveals His confidence in His ability to feed many thousands with only five loaves and two fish.  Humanly speaking, this is not possible, but divinely speaking, it’s easy. Jesus’ miracle speaks to His commitment to “feed us” in every way.  Yes, this was a feeding with food, but it’s symbolic of Him being able and willing to feed our souls with His grace to face whatever hardship or challenge life throws at us.  His grace is enough! The problem is often twofold.  First, we face some challenge in our lives, and we see it as something we do not know how to overcome.  This can lead to despair and disillusionment.  But when this happens, we must reflect upon miracles like this one and realize that all things are possible for God. The second problem we often face is the ability to distinguish between God’s will and our own limited ideas.  Too often we come up with our own ideas of what we think is good and right, and we start praying for that.  But what if God’s idea and will is much different and, of course, much greater?!  What if God has a plan that we never could have come up with on our own?  The truth is that He does have a far more perfect plan for our lives than we could ever dream up.  He knows what is best for us, and He can bring that plan to fruition.  For our part, we must seek that plan, surrender to it and have faith in His perfect love, mercy, and power.   Reflect, today, on your future.  What is it that seems to worry you the most?  What is it that seems to fill you with anxiety?  God has a perfect plan for that situation.  Your job is to seek out that plan and trust it will be brought to fruition. Lord, I know You can do all things and that You will the good in all things.  Help me to turn and to surrender to Your perfect divine will.  As I surrender to it, help me to have perfect faith that You will bring Your will to fruition.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Vigilance with Gospel

July 24, 2021 Saturday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today Saint Sharbel Makhlūf, Priest, Hermit—Optional Memorial

Video Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. “The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.” Matthew 13:24–25 This parable begins in a very good way. It states that good seed was sown. In other words, the pure Gospel was preached into good soil. This should be understood as any situation where the preacher is truly effective and where the Gospel reaches many ears and is planted in many hearts. This is worth rejoicing over. But this parable quickly points out that those responsible for guarding the good soil in which the Word of God was planted, failed in their duty to protect it. As a result, the “enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat.” In other words, the evil one also had sown his lies into the hearts of those who heard the Word of God, and those lies took root and began to grow. This is a clear description of the world we live in today. First, it’s a description of the hearts of many Christians who have heard the Word of God and have responded, only to also struggle with doubts, confusions and lies sown by the evil one. But it is also a clear description of the world as a whole and even of the Church on earth. There are many divisions within societies and even within the Church. There are many competing voices. And among those whose hearts are good soil, it can be hard to distinguish between that which is from God and that which is a subtle deception from the evil one. The weed referred to in this parable is called cockle. Cockle was a weed that, as it grew, looked much like wheat. It was very difficult to distinguish from wheat until the grain began to appear. But when the grain did begin to appear, it was clearly distinguishable. And if the cockle were to accidentally be ground in with the wheat, it would cause nausea when eaten. The parable is quite clear. The lies that the evil one sows in the hearts of the faithful, those with fertile hearts, are very subtle, especially at first. It is easy for those subtle lies to confuse us. The evil one rarely succeeds in misleading the faithful through grave and obvious errors. Therefore, he deceives with small errors. As a result, the error is often not understood until much later as the fruit is born. The result is division, confusion, conflict and the like. Conflict within our own souls, within our world and even within our Church. What is the solution? Vigilance. We, as followers of Christ, must be exceptionally vigilant in regard to that which we allow our hearts to receive. Just because something sounds good at first doesn’t make it good. This is why we have the Scripture, the Magisterium of the Church and the teachings of the saints. We must constantly examine all that we allow into our hearts, our families, our world and our churches in the light of the pure and consistent teachings of our faith. And when we see divisions, this is a clear sign of some subtle error that has crept in. In the end, at the harvest time, when we all face Christ our Lord at our judgments, He will separate the good from the bad. But for our part, vigilance is essential so that only the pure seed of God’s Word is received by us and sown by us. Reflect, today, on your own soul as fertile ground. What “seed” is sown there? What do you allow to penetrate your heart and take root? Are you vigilant, remaining attentive to the ways that the evil one tries to mislead you through subtle lies and errors? Ponder these questions honestly, and if you find conflict and confusion in your life, look more deeply at the source of these troubles. If there are lies that you have allowed into your own life, then turn them over to our Lord so that He can remove them at the proper time. Most holy Word of God, You are the living Word who sows seed upon the fertile ground of our Hearts. You plant Yourself in the hearts of those who believe so that Your life can bear good fruit in the faithful. Please sow the seed of Your Word in my own heart, dear Lord, and protect me from the deceptions of the evil one. As You do, I pray that You bring forth an abundance of good fruit through me. Jesus, I trust in You.

SQUATTER KIDS AS CHRIST’S 12 DISCIPLES

Joey Velasco painted a giant mural of the Last Supper with squatter kids as Christ’s 12 disciples. As he painted them on by one, he interviewed them, discovering the utter pains they endured, their broken lives. Then the kids asked him why he was in tears. He said, “Because I can feel all your pains”.

eastwind journals – March 26, 2021

By Bernie V. Lopez, eastwindreplyctr@gmail.com

Share by sending this link – https://eastwindjournals.com/2021/03/26/squatter-kids-pose-as-christs-disciples/

This article is in memory of the late Joey Velasco, artist, evangelist, author.

Joey Velasco painted the mural HAPAG NG PAG-ASA (Table of Hope, shown below), which became an overnight sensation because of its powerful social message – the 12 apostles depicted as squatter kids. Painstakingly, Joey interviewed the 12 ‘apostles’ and made them pose for the painting one by one. Subsequently, he spent hours interviewing them, and wrote a book depicting their painful lives, entitled THEY HAVE JESUS, STORIES OF THE CHILDREN OF HAPAG“.

It was not an easy job. He had to go around various squatter areas, searching for his models, the 12 apostles. He had to plod through the mud, risk dangerous streets were tattooed teenagers stared at him, toying with darts made from barbed wire used as weapon during gang wars. He had to park his car two blocks away to avoid attention.

The 12 apostles were a rowdy dirty bunch. Joey was in tears when he interviewed them, discovering the utter pains they endured, their broken lives. They lived in a world of violence and hunger. Joey said he wished Jesus was around to rescue them. When the kids were surprised, asking why he was crying, he just smiled. They did not know he was in tears for them.

Ten-year-old Jessica (all names changed), one of the 12, was a boyish-looking girl (holding a bag on the left side of the painting). She slept atop a tomb in a cemetery with her grandmother. She was abandoned when she was five months old by her mother who eventually went crazy. She made a living by crawling on jeepney floors, wiping passengers’ shoes with a rag. She came home at eleven every evening after ‘work’.

Rene (second to the rightmost) was nine years old. In the painting, he looked like he was 30 years old due to extreme daily stress. He had to bring home two cans of sardines every evening as his ‘assignment’, otherwise his father hits him with a GI pipe. Once, his elder brother poured hot water over his head. The day Rene posed for Joey for the painting, he did not go home because he did not have the two cans of sardines, he told Joey a year later. You could discern see in the painting the fear in his eyes.

Rita (behind Jessica) was pregnant at 13 years old. She lived in a crowded squatter colony where a teenage boy slowly seduced and took advantage of her. She had a nine-month old baby. That was about 30 years ago as of this writing. Now she would be old and her daughter a full grown woman.

Tonio, eleven years old (to the right of Jesus) was a professional padlock picker and a petty thief. He was good in mathematics even though he had not gone to school. He was jailed four times. His father was jobless and his mother washed clothes for a living, if she was not playing bingo or pusoy. It was so unfortunate that children were forced into petty crimes by sheer poverty and by parents who could not cope.

Joey said it was easy to see these kids in a painting, but you had to see their homes and witness their lives if you really want to understand their pains. Joey wanted so much to live with them to really know them, but that was impossible. It was enough that he painted them as ‘apostles’ to send a message to the world. You could also love them from a distance, he added.

When the painting was almost over, he decided to treat the kids to Chicken Joy at Jollibee. Joey discovered that none of them were ever been inside a Jollibee restaurant before. They ate rowdily and ravenously, except one quiet tiny kid who could not even finish his one-piece chicken. Joey asked why he was not eating. The kid said he was saving it food for his mother who was sick and had never tasted it before. Joey bought a separate order for all the kids for their parents.

Joey had cancer of the liver. Sr. Raquel Reodica, RVM, the acclaimed healer, healed him. In return, he donated a giant mural of HAPAG, the Last Supper with the 12 ‘apostles’ to the healing center. Joey did dozens of paintings for the Lord before he died a few years after he was healed.

See related photos at “Squatter Kids Pose as Christ’s Disciples” –https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=608449560097236&set=pcb.608450270097165&__cft__[0]=AZXpTe1fdqIyRKNyncotvJw0635QQ0ii8FayJiFek4dALFKYaZPVCmOr7gd_ujVilASK1ym1_AKJeWNDV68-lm4IFVh3H85yXLs_BIlOLtvYzeWKG-BLJbYbnsilQ7EPBpY&__tn__=*bH-R === Photos – p454 p453 p452 p451

Understanding Youth and Fighting Social Evil

Shay Cullen

24 July 2021

 

The condition of many hundreds of thousands of youth in the Philippines today is a sorry and pain-filled situation of neglect, physical, emotional, verbal, psychological and sexual abuse. They are a lost generation as broken homes proliferate, hundreds of thousands of couples live together without the commitment of marriage and child protection and child support. Teenagers and adults have children and abandon them. Men and women go their own ways and leave the children with aging grandparents unable to cope with emotionally disturbed and parentless teenagers.

 

The abandoned youth are without money, are hungry, need support, friendship, care and the chance of a normal life. They join street gangs to survive. Politicians condemn them as youth with criminal minds.They feel unwanted, rejected and without any positive future. They seem to have been abandoned by both church and government.

 

Alice is the victim of broken home. Her father abandoned her mother and when she was a 14-year old teenager, he showed up again and took her to live with him in Subic. There, he sexually abused her. When she could take it no longer, she did not find a welcome or assistance in the church to help her or in the government agency but she bravely got help and protection from a friend and was brought to a charitable child protection shelter and later filed charges against her biological father.

 

She is one of hundreds of thousands of children sexually abused daily. An estimated 100,000 girls are trafficked into the sex industry, annually according to Unicef. Since the pandemic hit the Philippines, much of the evil business has gone online. There, the children are sold like commodities to sex customers and delivered to their hotel rooms or apartments for rape as regular as a pizza delivery. That's how corrupt this country has become, a children’s playground for online pedophiles sending money for sex from abroad. Local pedophiles are having a continual “fiesta of child abuse.” 

 

The machismo culture has a motto: “Get them young.” The children are sometimes supplied by their parents and frequently abused by their biological father or live-in partner of the mother. Then, they are farmed out to others to abuse. You may not know it but child abuse is as common and as frequent as riding a bus.

 

The abusers claim the child give consent and they are legally covered. The children in reality cannot freely give consent at a young age but the Philippine law allows sex with a child from 12 years old, one of the lowest in the world. In Japan, it is 13 years old. The accused use this provision of the penal code as a defense if ever they are charged in court which is rare and unusual. Parents can pressure the child to say she “loves the older man.” That provision of the penal code is one reason for the proliferation of child sexual abuse and human trafficking of children. Hopefully, the bill that will change the law will be speedily approved by the Senate and it will change the age of consent to 16 years.

 

One in every four youth- boys and girls- are victims of sexual abuse by biological fathers, live-fathers, grandfathers, relatives, clergy and local pedophiles. Some parents and relatives sexually abuse their young children online to earn money. Every five minutes, a woman or child is raped, according to the research done by Center for Women's Resources. The degradation and abuse is so pervasive in society that seven- to ten-year old boys are influenced and have been caught having raped five- and six-year old girls.They have been influenced by the child sexual abuse material allowed on the servers of the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and viewed on cellphones and the internet.

 

What kind of society has the Philippines become? Certainly, not a more virtuous, innocent and morally strong society. A serious negative and corrupt influence has eroded the higher moral values that once infused the culture formed by Gospel values of Christianity that was once a faith that was socially active.That has radically changed. It is now more a faith without action. One that is dead in many ways.

 

The institutional church seems to have abandoned its duty to protect and stand for human rights and children’s and family rights and dignity. Many bishops and conservative priests are silent about clerical child sexual abuse, abuse in the family and society, the spread of sex hotels and trafficking of children and youth. They ignore the plight of young people jailed in sub-human conditions, tortured and abused behind bars.

 

Those true Christians, priests, bishops and lay people that are living out the social message of Jesus of Nazareth with the true spirt of the gospel are being harassed, threatened, jailed and killed.

 

The government has for the past many years descended into a quagmire of corruption and moral degradation. Killing suspects with impunity and violating human rights. Too many local governments have supported the sex industry by issuing licenses and permits to bars and clubs and sex hotels, allowing the human trafficking and child abuse to continue and spread.

 

The children and youth need a vigorous defense from the abuse they suffer. It is all too easy to blame the youth for leaving their homes and living on the streets and stealing to survive. When they have been abused, kicked and beaten and rejected by their unloving parents, where else can they go and survive when all they have is a t-shirt and shorts? They need to be welcomed, understood, sheltered, affirmed and given a chance to find a life when they have no loving, caring family. That is the one thing that we all desire above all else. It is our duty to give them that chance.

 

We are called to speak out to protect the children from abuse and take a stand and live out the moral values of the gospel, the sacredness of life and the well-being and human rights and dignity of the people and speak and rally against moral evil in society.

 

www.preda.org

Bearing Good Fruit One Hundredfold

July 23, 2021 Friday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today Saint Bridget of Sweden, Religious—Optional Memorial

Video “The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.” Matthew 13:22–23 Today, Jesus clarifies for His disciples the meaning of His parable told to the crowds. He explains the meaning of the seed sown on the path, on the rocky ground, among the thorns and on the rich soil. Quoted above are the last two of those explanations. When we look carefully at the meaning of the seed sown into the rich soil, we see that these are those who hear, understand and bear fruit. And the fruit that is born is in varying degrees. One thing that this parable tells us is that hearing and even understanding the Word of God is not enough. There are many temptations we will face that will hinder God’s Word in our lives. Let’s briefly consider each. First, there are many people who have been blessed to hear the Word of God. There are many who have been to religious education classes, have been taught by parents and others, have attended Church services but have failed to allow what they have heard to penetrate deeply to the point that they understand. To hear the Word of God is very different from understanding the Word of God. One reason for this is that the pure Word of God, when heard and understood, challenges us to the core of our being. If one truly understands God’s Word, then that person cannot remain indifferent. They must change. And they must change in a complete way. Failure to do so means that it is impossible for good fruit to be born in their life to the degree God wants. But understanding and changing is not even enough. This is because the enemies of our soul, traditionally spoken of as the world, the flesh, and the devil, will powerfully attack any person who receives the Word of God and decides to abide by that Word. For example, if you were to fully accept the teachings of Jesus regarding forgiveness of others, as soon as you make the choice to forgive, there would most likely be numerous temptations to abandon that practice. Pride, anger, hurt, the lies of the evil one and the world will all try to deter you from an act of complete forgiveness of others. Or take, for example, the call to live completely detached from “riches.” Jesus’ teachings on true spiritual poverty versus true spiritual riches require a depth of conversion that is difficult to obtain. Thus, the “lure of riches” is very hard to overcome. In the end, if your soul is truly fertile ground and if you allow the most pure and complete teaching of the Gospel to penetrate your soul so as to change you in every way God wants to change you, then this means that you have overcome each and every temptation thrown at you. You have rejected the temptations that come from greed, pride, anger and the like. You have embraced humility, rejected worldly esteem, dismissed anxiety and worry and are directed only by the powerful, gentle, holy, and clear Voice of God in your life. This requires much prayer, much interior purification, total dedication and unwavering obedience to the Word of God spoken to you both through the Gospels and in the depths of your conscience. And even among those who achieve this level of holiness, the fruit born in their lives is dependent upon how fully and habitually they live by the guiding Word of God. Reflect, today, upon this high calling from our Lord. Achieving the goal of having exceptionally rich soil in your heart for the Word of God requires unyielding commitment and determination. There are numerous temptations that will fight against the creation of a fertile heart. Try to look at your own heart today. Be honest. How fertile is it? Does the Word of God grow there? And if so, does it grow to superabundance? Commit yourself to the goal of becoming that rich soil in which the Word of God is sown that not only bears good fruit but bears good fruit that is a hundredfold. My demanding Lord, You desire that every soul of every person You have created become the most pure and most fertile ground in which the seed of Your Word can grow and produce fruit in superabundance. Please help me to commit myself to this radical depth of holiness, dear Lord. My life is Yours. Please purify me, change me, mold me and produce in me an abundance of good fruit. Jesus, I trust in You.

Unwavering Fidelity

Thursday, July 22, 2021 Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene Readings for Today

Video Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been. John 20:11–12 Early in His ministry, Jesus cast seven demons out of Mary of Magdala. As a result, she became an exceptionally faithful follower of Jesus. She was most likely one of His followers who provided for Jesus and the disciples out of her own resources as they traveled. She listened to His teachings, witnessed His miracles, was present when He was condemned, stood at the foot of the Cross with Jesus’ mother, helped to prepare His body for burial and was the first person recorded in Scripture to whom Jesus appeared after His Resurrection. The Gospel for today’s Mass tells the story of Mary going to the tomb early Sunday morning to complete the anointing of Jesus’ dead body as He laid in the tomb. But much to her surprise, the tomb was empty. Therefore, she ran to tell the Apostles, which makes Mary Magdalene the first of His followers to witness to the Resurrection. After telling the Apostles, she returned to the tomb with Peter and John; and, after Peter and John left, she remained outside the tomb weeping, as is mentioned in the Gospel passage quoted above. Mary’s tears are beautiful. They are an expression of her deep devotion to her Lord. She did not yet understand that He had risen, but her fidelity to Jesus is a testimony to her love. Jesus had restored her dignity. He freed her from the seven demons who tormented her. She most likely had been a sinful woman in the past, but now she was singly devoted to the Savior of the World. The witness of Mary of Magdala is one that should inspire us all. Though few people are possessed by seven demons, we are all tormented in one way or another. We all sin. We all are weak. We all have a past we regret. And we all are invited to do better. Mary’s “better” was a life that was given to Jesus with the utmost fidelity. She didn’t care if the authorities saw her at the foot of the Cross. If they were to persecute her as a result, it did not matter. She was faithful. She didn’t care if the soldiers would have harassed her when she went to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus—she only thought of that last act of love she could offer Him. And when she saw Jesus risen and thought He was the gardener, she didn’t care if He saw her heartbroken and in tears—she only wanted to see the body of her Lord. As a result of her unwavering fidelity, Jesus gave her a gift beyond imagination. He appeared to her, after being resurrected from the dead, and sent her to be an apostle to the Apostles. He sent her to go to the Apostles to tell them that Jesus had risen and that He was preparing to go to His Father in Heaven. Reflect, today, upon the holy soul of this woman. She was a repentant sinner who turned her whole life around. She devoted everything to Jesus and, in return, received even more. In Heaven, Mary Magdalene will forever cling to Jesus and adore His Sacred Heart. May we all strive to imitate her by turning from our own life of sin and becoming unwaveringly faithful to our Lord. My resurrected Lord, You appeared first to Mary of Magdala after Your Resurrection. You now invite her to share in Your glorious life in Heaven. Help me to learn from her by turning away from all sin and becoming deeply devoted to You. May my fidelity to You, dear Lord, be absolute and unwavering, so that I, too, will one day share in the glory of Your Resurrection. Jesus, I trust in You.