Freedom From Fear

February 17, 2022 Thursday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order—Optional Memorial

Video Jesus began to teach the Apostles that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days.  He spoke this openly.  Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.  Mark 8:31-32 Why would Peter take Jesus aside and rebuke Him?  Was it a rebuke of anger at Jesus?  No, it was most likely a rebuke based in the fear that Peter was experiencing in his heart. This passage says that Jesus “began to teach” the Apostles that He would soon suffer greatly, be rejected and killed.  This would have been difficult for the Apostles to accept and understand.  At first, they would have experienced all the emotions and thoughts that we all go through as we are processing some difficult news.  We may start with denial, then become angry, look for a way out, panic, be confused, etc.  Going through stages of grief and acceptance are normal and it appears that this is what Peter was experiencing. Out of his interior struggle in coming to an acceptance of what Jesus was starting to reveal to them, Peter tried to put up a block.  In Matthew’s account of this story we hear the actual words of Peter, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you” (Mt. 16:22).  Peter’s words were certainly words of concern for Jesus, but it’s important to note that, just because Peter was concerned about Jesus, this doesn’t mean that his words were helpful. As the story continues, Jesus rebukes Peter sternly, but it’s done out of love for Peter to help rid him of his fear and confusion.  It’s understandable that Peter is fearful of the prediction of the Cross.  It’s understandable when any one of us experiences fear in the face of some grave cross or hardship.  The key here is to know that Jesus does not want us to sit in fear.  He does not want us to run from the crosses we are given based on our human weakness.  Instead, He wants us to turn to Him and try to think as He thinks, to act as He acts, and to face our hardships as He did by embracing His Cross. Reflect, today, upon your own reaction to the difficult things God calls you to do.  Yes, you can be certain that He does daily call you to actions that require great sacrifice and great love.  This can be experienced as painful.  But you should never allow the pain of any cross to deter you from carrying it.  Pray that you have courage to face your crosses and, if needed, be open to the loving rebuke of Jesus when you find that you need a rebuke to set you on the path to freedom from fear. Lord of strength, I know that You courageously and fearlessly faced the holy sacrifice of Your glorious Cross.  As I am invited to follow in Your footsteps, I find that fear can overwhelm me as it did Peter.  Please strengthen me in those times and give me the grace I need to say “Yes” to You no matter what You ask.  Jesus, I trust in You.

One Step at a Time

February 16, 2022 Wednesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today

Video Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his hands on him and asked, “Do you see anything?”   Looking up the man replied, “I see people looking like trees and walking.”  Then he laid hands on the man’s eyes a second time and he saw clearly; his sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly.  Mark 8:23-25 This story is very unique for one reason.  It’s unique because the first time Jesus tried to cure the blind man it only worked half way.  He could see after Jesus’ first attempt to heal his blindness, but what he saw were “people looking like trees and walking.”  It took Jesus laying His hands on the man’s eyes a second time for him to be fully cured.  Why is that? Consistently, throughout the Gospels, when Jesus cures someone it is done as a result of the faith they have and manifest.  It’s not that Jesus couldn’t heal someone without faith; rather, it’s that this is what He chose to do.  He made healing contingentupon complete faith. In this miracle story, it appears that the blind man has some faith, but not much.  As a result, Jesus does something very telling.  He allows the man to be healed only part way so as to illustrate his lack of faith.  But He also reveals to us that a little faith can lead to more faith.  The man, once he could see a little, clearly began to believe some more.  And once his faith grew, Jesus laid hands on him again, bringing his healing to completion. What a great illustration for us!  Some people may have complete faith in God in all things.  If that is you, then you are truly blessed.  But this passage is especially for those who have faith, but struggle nonetheless.  To those who fall into this category, Jesus is offering much hope.  The action of healing the man twice in a row tells us that Jesus is patient and merciful and will take the little we have, and the little we offer, and use it the best He can.  He will work to transform our little faith so that we can then take another step closer to God and grow in faith. The same could be said of sin.  Sometimes we have imperfect sorrow for sin and sometimes we sin and have no sorrow for it, even though we know it’s wrong.  If that is you, then try to take at least one small step forward toward the healing of forgiveness.  Try, at very least, to desire that you will grow in a desire to be sorry.  That may be the bare minimum, but Jesus will work with it. Reflect, today, upon this blind man.  Ponder this twofold healing and twofold conversion the man undergoes.  Know that this is you and that Jesus wants to take you one step further in your faith and in your repentance of sin. Lord of mercy, I thank You for the incredible patience You have with me.  I know my faith in You is weak and must increase.  I know my sorrow for my sins must also increase.  Please do take the little faith I have and the little sorrow I have for my sins and use them to draw me one step closer to You and Your merciful heart.  Jesus, I trust in You.

What’s Your Leaven?

February 15, 2022 Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today

Video Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”  Mark 8:15 What is this “leaven” Jesus is speaking of?  After giving this warning to His disciples, Jesus then gives an explanation to them of what He means and what He doesn’t mean.  But even the explanation seems to be over their heads.  So He concludes by saying, “Do you still not understand?”  To this day, Jesus is still asking this question to each one of us. This was certainly Jesus trying to get them to think, to listen and to look deeper.  He was warning them, “Watch out!”  Watch out for this leaven.  It’s a warning of love to help them see and understand a very real danger. Everyone who bakes bread knows the effect of just a little leaven (such as yeast) in the dough.  Add just a little bit and it affects the whole loaf.  If a child is helping with the baking, this child may return several times, watching the dough rise little by little.  It can become a fascinating thing to watch.  And it all resulted from just this little yeast. So what is this leaven of the Pharisees and Herod?  It’s the evil words, evil intent and errors that they spread.  For the Pharisees, it may be that it’s just a little misconception or misrepresentation of what Jesus said or did.  They may twist His words or may simply give non-verbal opinions to others.  This is contagious and has potential to affect everyone.  Little by little their small seeds of doubt and dissent take a toll on others. We may tend to be thinking about all of “those” people we know who do this.  But we’d miss an important opportunity for growth if we failed to first look at ourselves.  Do I do this sometimes?  Do I say things that mislead in small or subtle ways?  Or do I mislead others by my non-verbal negative attitudes?  Am I a “negative person” sometimes? No need to feel guilty or get down on ourselves if we feel convicted.  Rather, we should look at this little lesson of Jesus to realize the great power of our words.  The smallest of words can do great harm over time.   But that’s not all we should focus on.  It’s just as important to realize that the small loving words we say also have potential to make a huge difference over time.  Perhaps it’s just that small smile we give or a kind action that we think goes unnoticed.  These little actions and words are the leaven of the Gospel.  They do make a difference and they can become contagious, also.   Reflect, today, upon the small things in life.  Know that these small sins and small acts of love make a huge difference in the end. My attentive Lord, help me to be honest and see what sort of leaven I sow each and every day.  Help me to be purged of the bad and filled with the good.  May You inspire me to be that good leaven in all the many daily interactions I have.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Jesus Sighed... Deeply

February 14, 2022 Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today Saints Cyril, Monk, and Methodius, Bishop—Memorial

Video The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”  Mark 8:11-12 Jesus “sighed from the depth of His spirit.”  It is clear this was no ordinary sigh.  It was a sigh that was more than emotion.  It was from the “depth of His spirit.”  What was going on with Jesus? This sigh reveals a pain and suffering in Jesus that was spiritual in nature.  It was a pain and suffering that came as a result of being rejected by others.  But it wasn’t just that He was hurt or offended, because He wasn’t.  The suffering He felt was from His love.  It came as a result of Him loving the Pharisees deeply and realizing that they were rejecting the grace He wanted to offer them.  This hurt not because Jesus was sensitive to being hurt; rather, it hurt because of His boundless love for them. It’s interesting that we rarely think of Jesus’ love for the Pharisees.  Often, we only think of Him being harsh to them and condemning them.  But every strong word He directed toward them was aimed at converting them out of love.  It was an attempt, on His part, to shake them out of their indifference and rejection of grace.  It was an act of love. Reflect, today, upon the “Pharisees” in your life.  Perhaps you do not encounter those who are proud or haughty, or maybe you do.  The Pharisees in your life are those who reject the free gift of love you try to offer.  They are those who are so hurt, confused or bitter that they find it very hard to let love in.  They throw up every sort of defense there is to avoid letting your love in.  And when you see this rejection, it hurts.  It may then tempt you to have anger or condemnation. But how should you react?  You should do as Jesus did!  You should sigh, and “sigh deeply.”  You should feel the hurt of their rejection and feel holy sorrow for them.  At times, you may need to confront them as Jesus did.  But never out of your wounded pride.  You should confront only because you judge that it’s the best way to win them over.  You will know that this is an act of love when you feel that deep sigh within your spirit. Loving Lord, help me to love with a pure and holy love.  Help me to feel a holy sorrow over my sins and the sins of others when I encounter their sins.  Let that holy sorrow compel me to love more deeply.  Jesus, I trust in You.

It Takes a Lot of Faith!

February 13, 2022 Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C Readings for Today

Video “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man.  Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.”  Luke 6:22-23 It takes a lot of faith to “rejoice and leap for joy” after experiencing hatred and persecution from another.  Even when one is persecuted on account of his/her faith in Christ, it takes a lot of faith and a lot of love to sincerely rejoice.  But with that said, this level of faith and love is possible!  If it were not, our Lord would not have given this teaching.  It is a teaching to live the highest ideal.  It’s a calling to live in Beatitude. Though it would be worth it to spend time on each and every one of the Beatitudes and to try to apply them to our lives, it’s also helpful to look at the more general fact that Jesus does not call us to mediocrity; rather, He calls us to the heights of perfection.  It is within those heights that our souls find the greatest reward. Reflect, today, upon this Beatitude.  Perhaps you have never experienced persecution and hatred as a result of following Jesus.  But even if you haven’t, try to put yourself into this situation and try to honestly discover how you would react.  Would you be able to allow persecution to “roll off your back” so to speak?  Would you be able to accept injustice in your life without allowing it to disturb your interior peace?  Or would you turn bitter and angry as a result of the hurt you would feel? Try to put your eyes upon the ideals of the Christian life.  If you aim for anything less, you run the risk of actually attaining that lower goal.  But if you put your eyes upon the high calling of the Beatitudes, then you will find that our Lord will continually draw you closer to His heart, cleansing you, strengthening you, filling you with more faith, hope and love, and bringing you to an increasingly blessed level of holiness.  It’s worth it to aim for the ideal! Lord of perfection, please make me holy.  Help me to keep my eyes upon You and upon the virtues and Beatitudes that You call me to live.  May I never settle for a mediocre life.  Instead, may I strive only for a life of perfection and holiness making You the center of all I long for.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Drawn to Jesus Drawn to Mercy for Others

February 12, 2022 Saturday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today

Video “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat.  If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will collapse on the way, and some of them have come a great distance.”  Mark 8:2-3 This passage reveals some interesting points to reflect upon.  Let’s look briefly at three of them. First, it’s important to note that the crowds were so drawn to Jesus that they were willing to spend three days with Him, listening to Him in a deserted place despite the fact that they were without food.  They chose Jesus and His teaching over food and over the comfort of their own homes.  This reveals the unwavering interest that the people had in Jesus and in His teaching.  It reveals how drawn they were to Him.  It’s as if nothing else mattered.  They simply wanted to be with Jesus. Secondly, this passage reveals Jesus’ deep concern for the people.  His heart was moved with pity for them.  He was grateful for their presence but He was more concerned for their physical well-being than they were.  Third, it also reveals something quite subtle but profound.  Jesus, in identifying the problem of people being without food for so long, invites the Apostles to see the problem.  Note that He doesn’t solve the problem right away.  He doesn’t immediately tell them what to do.  Instead, He simply explains the problem.  Why is that? Perhaps one reason is that Jesus was trying to foster love and concern for the people in the hearts of the Apostles.  Perhaps it was a moment in which He was testing them and training them to think about the needs of the people.  By simply posing the question at first, the people were set before the Apostles so that they, too, could grow in heartfelt compassion for them.  Jesus may have wanted their hearts to be “moved with pity for the crowd” just as His was. Reflect, today, upon three things.  First, are you drawn to Jesus with such intensity that He becomes the central focus of your life?  Does a longing for Him flood your heart and consume your soul?  Second, are you aware of the deep concern that Jesus has for you?  Are you aware that His heart is “moved with pity” for you every day?  Third, are you able to allow the love and compassion that Jesus offers to you, in turn be offered to others?  Can you see the “dilemma” of the needs of others?  And as you see these needs, do you seek to be there for them in their need?  Commit yourself to these three teachings.  If you do, you will also be worthy of being called one of His disciples. All-consuming Lord, help me to be drawn to You with intensity and longing.  Help me to see You as the source of all that I long for and need in life.  May I choose You above all else, trusting and knowing that You will satisfy my every desire.  As I turn intensely to You, fill my heart with an abundance of mercy for all.  Jesus, I trust in You.

The Authority of God

February 11, 2022 Friday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today Our Lady of Lourdes—Optional Memorial

Video “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)  And immediately the man’s ears were opened.  Mark 7:34-35 How often do you hear Jesus say this to you?  “Ephphatha! Be opened!”  Or how often do you hear Him speak to you with such authority? Did Jesus say this only because this man was physically deaf and He wanted to physically cure him?  Or is there a deeper significance?  By healing this man unable to hear physical sounds, Jesus was revealing something to us about what He wants to do for us.  Jesus is giving us a clear and deeper message in this healing.  Certainly there are many messages we can take from this passage.  Let’s look at one. The message is in Jesus’ command: “Be opened!”  These are powerful words commanding action.  They are not optional words.  They are clear and definitive.  “Be opened” is not a question, not an invitation, it is a command.  This is significant! These two little words reveal the fact that Jesus has made up His mind to act.  They reveal that He is not hesitant in the least in this choice.  He has made up His mind and has spoken His will.  And this action, on His part, is what makes a difference.  These two little words reveal that God is not indecisive when He speaks.  He is not shy or uncertain.  He is absolute and clear. This understanding should give us great comfort.  Comfort in the sense that Jesus is ready and willing to exercise His all-powerful authority.  He does have all-power and He is not afraid to exercise this authority when He wants to.  Most importantly, He wants to exercise His authority when it will bring about the greatest good in our lives. It should give us great comfort in the sense that we can trust that this all-powerful God is all-powerful and is in control.  If He is even in control of the natural world (physical hearing), then He is most certainly in control of the spiritual world, too.  He is able to do all things good. When we find that we are in the presence of one who is not only all-powerful, but also all-loving and all-merciful, we should be able to breathe a huge sigh of relief and turn our absolute trust over to Him.  He is able and fully willing to be in control.   Reflect, today, upon these two little words.  Let this holy and divine authority of Jesus take control over your life.  Let Him command you.  His commands are perfect love and mercy.  They are words that will direct you to your ultimate good.  And this all-powerful God is worthy of all your trust. All-powerful Lord, I do trust You and I know that You can do all things.  I know that You desire to have perfect authority in my life.  Help me to turn my life fully over to You and to trust You enough to direct and to command every action of my life.  Jesus, I fully trust in You!

A Manifestation of Faith

February 10, 2022 Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today Saint Scholastica, Virgin—Memorial

Video Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him. She came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, “Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” Mark 7:25-27 Why did Jesus talk to this woman that way?  She comes to Him, probably in fear and trembling, falls down at His feet, and begs Him to help her daughter.  At first, one might expect Jesus to reach out in gentleness and compassion, ask her about her daughter, and say to her, “Oh, most certainly I will help your daughter.  Bring me to her.”  But that’s not what He says.  He tells her, that “it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.”  Ouch!  Really?  Did He really say that?  Why would He say such a thing? First of all, we have to know that whatever Jesus says is an act of love.  It’s an act of the greatest kindness and mercy.  We know this because this is who Jesus is.  He is love and mercy itself.  So how do we reconcile this apparent contradiction? The key to understanding this interaction is to look at the final result.  We must look at how this woman responded to Jesus and how the conversation ended.  When we do this, we see that the woman responds with incredible humility and faith.  What Jesus says is true.  In a way, we can interpret what He says to mean that no one has a right to His grace and mercy.  No one, including her and her daughter, “deserve” to have God act in their lives.  Jesus knows this and, by saying what He says, gives this woman a wonderful opportunity to manifest her deep faith for all to see.  His words allow her to shine forth as a beacon of faith, hope and trust.  This is Jesus’ goal and it worked.  It worked because, when she came to Him, He was immediately aware of the fact that she did indeed have a deep faith.  He knew that she would respond with humility and trust.  The woman did and thus we are able to witness the manifestation of her faith and humility. Reflect, today, upon the beautiful faith of this humble woman.  Try to put yourself in her shoes and hear Jesus speak these same words to you.  How would you respond?  Would you respond with anger or agitation?  Would your pride be wounded?  Or would you respond with an even deeper humility, acknowledging the fact that all God gives is a gift which we have no right to receive.  Responding this way is most likely the act of faith God is waiting for from each of us and is the key to that outpouring of His mercy we so need. Lord of true humility, please humble me.  Strip away my pride.  Help me to fall at Your feet.  Help me to trust You so deeply that You are compelled, by my love of You, to open Your storehouse of grace and pour it down upon me.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Why Do We Do What We Do

February 9, 2022 Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today

Video “Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.”  Mark 7:15 Conversely speaking, that which comes from within is what makes a person holy! Often, we are more concerned about that which is on the outside than that which is on the inside.  We often worry excessively about how we are perceived by others, how we look, or what our reputation is in the eyes of the world.  This Gospel specifically addresses the charge of the Pharisees that eating certain foods defiles someone.  Jesus isn’t buying that.  He is pointing our attention to our hearts.  What is there in our hearts?  And what is it that comes forth from the heart?  This is what makes us who we are. Though this deals with the worries that certain foods will defile, it also deals with much more.  It addresses the tendency of purely external observances of God’s law. Thus, it addresses the tendency of the Pharisees to be excessively worried about how they are perceived by others.  Their external observance of the law reveals the fact that they seem to be overly concerned about what others think about them and what others say about them.  They want to look holy.  They want to look like they are beyond the smallest of indiscretions.  But it’s all an appearance and not reality. For that reason, Jesus puts the attention on the internal.  God sees what is in our hearts.  Even if no one else sees this we should never forget the fact that God sees all. That’s all that matters.  That which is in our hearts can either do great damage to us or do great good.  There are those who, in the public perception, are way off base.  But from God’s perspective they are right on target. Conversely, there are those in public opinion who are shining stars, but from God’s perspective are way off base.  There is only one thing that matters: What does God think? Reflect, today, upon that which is inside your heart.  This introspection should also challenge you to look at your motivations.  Why do you do what you do and why do you make the decisions you make?  Are they choices that come from an honest and sincere heart?  Or are they choices that are based more on how you will be perceived?  Hopefully your motives are pure.  And hopefully those pure motives come from a heart that is deeply united to the heart of Christ. Lord of all purity, please make my motives pure.  Help me to live only out of a pure heart.  Help me to always realize that holiness is found only in serving You and not in serving my public image.  I love You my Lord.  Jesus, I trust in You!

The Danger of Hypocrisy

February 8, 2022 Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today Saint Jerome Emiliani, Priest—Optional Memorial Saint Josephine Bakhita, Virgin—Optional Memorial

Video “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.”  Mark 7:6-8 Once again, Jesus spoke the hard truth that the Pharisees needed to hear.  He told them directly that they were hypocrites and that they were the ones of whom Isaiah spoke in the quoted passage.  It most certainly was a tense scene. Setting aside the drama of the encounter, let’s look more clearly at the actual quote from Isaiah.  It says four things:  1. This people honors me with their lips. 2. Their hearts are far from me. 3. They worship in vain. 4. They present their own human laws as if they were God’s. What would the ideal transformation of these hypocritical errors look like?  If the Pharisees were to completely change, what may Jesus say of them?  Perhaps He would say the following: 1. Your worship of me is holy because you truly embrace my divine will in your life. 2. Therefore, the honor you give me with your lips flows from your pure heart of faith and love. So what is the key message we should take from this for our own lives?  We should take from it two simple facts.  First, the will of God must take hold of our lives and become the basis and foundation of everything.  His will, His law, His precepts are our rock foundation.  God has established His truth as the basis of human life and we must strive to humbly embrace His law.   His law includes all publicly revealed teachings of our faith, found in Scripture and in the Church, and it includes all that we hear God speaking to us in our own lives.  The Pharisees, in their lack of humility, could not see these truths.  Instead, they held onto their own ideas and convictions alone.  God chastised them harshly for this out of love. Secondly, we should realize that when we embrace the divine law, and His particular will for our lives, we will be pure of heart and will be freed to love Him with outward expressions.  We will worship Him from our hearts and this will flow through our words and actions.  But this will never happen if we do not start with His divine law. Reflect, today, upon whether or not you are willing to humbly embrace all of the truths that God has revealed and whether you are willing to make them the foundation of your life.  If you do this, all else will flow forth in love and worship. Lord of all Truth, help me to love Your holy and divine law.  Help me to embrace it with my whole heart.  I do believe in You and in all that You have spoken through the ages.  I believe in what You speak to my heart regarding my own life.  Give me the grace to embrace Your holy will and, in that embrace, to be transformed both interiorly and exteriorly.  Jesus, I trust in You.