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Sunday Messages
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2009 2008 2007
October 4, 2009
The scripture readings for today address the challenges of our human nature and in particular they speak to the challenges of our sexuality. In the first reading we hear the story of God creating the woman as a complement to the man. The account proclaims God’s design of creation in which the woman and man in relationship minister to each other and together model the image of God. God’s creation of man and woman demonstrate his deep love and yet the relating of men and women can cause challenges. In the gospel Jesus addresses the issue of men and women relating to each other in the life long union of marriage. Unique from all the teachers of his day, Jesus proclaimed the absolute indissolubility of marriages. He seemed to have a unique understanding of how men and women could relate to each other in a way that would last for a life time. His words affirm the goodness of marriage and proclaim the power of being “joined by God.” His words tell us that being deeply connected to God is the source of a deep and lasting relationship with a spouse. He affirms the supernatural power of each man and each woman having a personal relationship with God. When asked about divorce, he turns the discussion toward the presence of God in a relationship. In a world where much focus is one people’s personal gain, Jesus offers a refreshing look at marriage. He roots his words in the first reading, going back to the original intend of creation. It is easy to get caught up in the thoughts and philosophies of this world and forget God’s intent for marriage. For this reason we take special care for those who are entering marriages. There is a need for preparation in communication skills, relating skills, and financial planning, but none is as important as having God at the center of each person’s life. By God’s power humans are able to relate in a way that is healthy and that will lead to a lasting union. When God keeps joining a man and a woman in marriage, no outside pressure can tear them apart.
September 27, 2009
Num 11:4-29; Jms 4:7-12; Mk 9:38-48
In today’s gospel Jesus makes an interesting statement. He says, “No one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me.” It seems as if he means that those who are busy doing the work of God will not have time to do evil. He goes on to say that if your hand or foot is an occasion of sin, “cut it off.” Why would someone’s hand or foot be an occasion of sin? Probably because it is not busy doing good. It is idle. Jesus offers a very wise way of avoiding evil, namely, keep doing good. If our hands are busy helping others and doing God’s mission for us, then we will be safe from the works of evil. In the second reading James says a similar thing. He writes, “Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” We keep evil and sin from ourselves by turning intentionally every day to God and keeping our eyes fixed on his purpose for us. We need divine power to keep ourselves free from the normal human temptations. Our best defense against evil is to offensively draw close to God, to soak in his love and his words of wisdom for our lives. If we are doing “deeds of power” drawn from God, we will not be able to speak ill of God’s name or his creation. Jesus goes on to say that even very small acts like giving someone a cup of water in his Name not only earns us a reward but keeps us from the temptation to evil deeds. When our hands, or feet, or months are doing good in God’s name, we can not be doing evil. As we listen to these words we recognize that idleness is very dangerous. It is in being idle that the devil has an open door to tempt us to sin. We do not avoid evil by trying to avoid evil. We avoid evil by fully living our God given purpose. Jesus tells us these things because he cares for us and does not want us to get pulled into the evil forces that are on earth because of sin. We stay free by drawing close to God. We will know the fullness of life by taking a step closer to God each day and actively doing his mission for us.
September 20, 2009
Wis 1:16-2:22; Jms 3:16-4:6; Mk 9:30-37
Last week we reflected on Jesus’ deep care for
his disciples and his desire to protect them.
In today’s gospel Jesus seeks to offer this disciples meaning
in life by serving The Father. He
says, “Whoever wants to be first must be the servant of all.”
We might think of servants doing all the menial tasks, but as
servants of Jesus we do the most significant work of all because we
are working for God. Our
true identity is in doing God’s mission for our lives, anything less
than that is menial work. There
is a great joy in helping someone in God’s name.
There is profound satisfaction in doing a ministry that
enhances the
September 13, 2009
Is 50:4-9; Jms 2:1-18; Mk 8:27-38
Today’s first reading and gospel speak about
determination. The first
reading is the third Servant Song about the person who was determined
to stay faithful to God despite all adversity.
The author writes, “I set my face like flint, knowing that I
shall not be put to shame.” People
were turning away from God, saying they had other things to do,
fearing ridicule of others but the author proclaims that faithfulness
to God is the only way to true peace.
The setting of the gospel is similar.
Jesus has just determined that he was going to go to
September 6, 2009
Is 35:4-7; Jms 1:17-27; Mk 7:31-37
Today’s first scripture reading proclaims the
power of God’s presence to calm fears and set people free.
We read, “Say to those whose hearts are frightened, ‘Be
strong, fear not. Here is
your God.’ Then will the
eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared, then
will the lame leap like a deer and the tongue of the dumb sing for
joy.” This is a powerful
message of hope. This is
what Jesus did. This is
our mission as followers of Jesus.
We have a treasure to offer to people and Jesus calls each of
us to give this gift. In
the gospel Jesus offers the gift of healing to the deaf man.
He proclaims that he is the Messiah by doing the work of the
Messiah. He desires to set
each person free. He
invites the man to freedom by asking him to “Be opened.”
This phrase means more than a medical term for opening of a
human organ. It is an
invitation to be liberated on the inside from the things of this world
that have bound him. Jesus
mission was bigger than just curing people.
He wanted them to live with an inner freedom that came from
being open to his love, his forgiveness, his way of life.
This freedom comes when we first hear Jesus, when we come aside
from the crowd and listen to Jesus’ voice.
Our mission is to take time to come aside from the noise of the
world and be open to Jesus’ message.
Once we have been empowered by his message, we are called to
invite other people aside and offer them the hope and freedom of being
open to Jesus’ healing love. Jesus
changed society by taking people aside one at a time and speaking
individually to their heart. Here
at
August 30, 2009
Deut 4:1-9; Eph 6:10-20; Mk 7:1-23
Today’s scripture readings focus on our behavior and the rules or laws that guide us. As in any game, the rules keep order and give everyone equal opportunity. They keep us focused on the goal. The first reading begins with showing us the power of God’s laws not only to keep us focused on God but to give witness to those who do not know God. The author writes, “Observe the laws of God carefully for thus will you give evidence of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations.” When we follow God’s laws, we stay healthy and proclaim to those around us that there is a higher value to life than just what we see. We proclaim a deeper and more profound purpose to life. It gives us an inner confidence that we belong to the Lord. With time we come to understand that God’s law is always just, and that it is for our own benefit. It guides us on the healthiest way to live. In the gospel Jesus challenges the Jewish leaders to distinguish between human laws and God’s laws. Human laws tend to focus on external behavior whereas God’s laws focus on the internal attitudes. Jesus was not concerned about the human laws of washing hands and dishes. He was concerned about behaviors which tear down at the fiber of human life. He gives examples of such things which destroy the human heart. These he names as fornication (sexual activity outside of marriage), theft, murder, adultery, greed, maliciousness, lying, sensuality, envy, slander, arrogance, and wickedness. Even though our culture might tell us that some of these things are not wrong, Jesus tells us that these activities cut down at our true self. If Jesus sees them as destructive, we might consider his wisdom. The internal laws of God are for our benefit and what we do contrary to those laws destroys our self-esteem and destroys the human spirit. Jesus’ words are challenging but they do lead to the fullness of life and an inner joy that no one can take away. We each are invited to use Jesus’ words to guide our lives, to move toward a healthier and happier life, and to confess when we cross the line. In Jesus we find true peace.
August 23, 2009
Josh 24:1-25; Eph 5:21-33; Jn 6:60-69
Today’s scripture readings focus on commitment.
In the gospel we hear the story of Jesus teaching about who he
really is. The more he
revealed what it meant to follow him, the more people started to walk
away. He challenged his
listeners to decide whether they would stay with him even when they
did not fully understand. Finally
he asked his apostles, “Are you going to leave also?”
That is the question we face today.
When being a follower of Jesus involves giving up some
convenience, or giving up something we want, will we be faithful to
Jesus or will we walk away. Peter
gives us an example of a powerful faith statement.
He says, “Lord, to whom shall we go, you have the words of
eternal life, and we have come to believe that you are the Holy one of
God.” Jesus is the only
one who has eternal truth, power to heal and the promise of eternal
life. All of our choices
in life are related to our response to Jesus’ question, are you
going to leave? Will you
stand with me when the going gets tough?
Will you ultimately choose a relationship with me over
everything else? Will you
accept inconvenience and even ridicule and suffering for my name?
Many things in this world would try to lure us away from a
total commitment to Jesus. Only
we can choose what our response will be.
In the first reading, Joshua challenges the people in his care
to the same type of commitment. He
tells them that they must choose between serving the false gods of
this world or the God of the universe. He makes it clear that we can
not do both. In the second
reading,
August 16, 2009
Prov 9:1-6; Eph 5:15-20; Jn 6:53-59
Have you ever felt a deep peace and warmth come
over you right after you receive Holy Communion?
Have you ever had a sense of love flowing through you and
filling you with energy? This
may be similar to what Jesus was talking about in today’s gospel
when he said, “Just as the Father who has life sent me and I have
life because of the Father, so the person who feeds on me will have
life because of me.” We
get life and have life from feeding on Jesus.
This “life” is larger than just breathing.
Jesus desires that we have a deep and awesome sense of his
peace with us at every moment. He
did not intend us to live with constant stress, anxiety, fear or hurt.
He offers us the gift of his presence in Holy Communion and
invites us to “feed on him” often.
When we ponder his life, we recognize that he drew life from
the Father in the same way. He
could be always giving, always patient, always empathetic,
compassionate and peaceful because he took time to draw life and love
from the Father. When we
connect to Jesus in this intimate way, we connect in an eternal way.
We begin and foster a relationship that is meant to be forever
and thus we connect to our true destiny.
This gives eternal purpose to all that we do and are.
Today we are invited again to ponder the depth of our
connection with Jesus and to discover if that connection is giving us
the life we were intended to have.
August 9, 2009
Deut 8:1-10; Eph 4:25-5:2; Jn 6:37-51
In the second scripture reading for today,
August 2, 2009
Ex 16:2-15; Eph 4:17-25; Jn 6:24-35
What did you eat yesterday? How often did you eat? What spiritual “food” did you eat? These are things we may think about as we read the scripture reading for this weekend. In the second reading the apostle Paul says that we must “acquire a fresh, spiritual way of thinking.” He challenges his readers to fill their minds with new, spiritual thoughts. He says they can no longer live like the pagans do with their minds empty. “Feeding our minds” with good thoughts and knowledge of the Lord causes our behaviors to become more like that of Jesus. We have a choice what we eat, and we have a choice about what we “feed” our mind every day. We can choose not to listen to certain conversations, not to watch certain shows, not to visit certain web sites, so that we keep our mind ready for the messages of God. We can choose to reads certain books which make us more aware of God’s presence or equip us to bring his presence to others. We can choose to talk with people who focus our attention on God’s ways. We are called to “put on the mind of Christ,” which involves daily choices about what we “feed” our mind. We can filter what goes in and what does not go in. With the explosion of knowledge in our time, it is even more important that we each carefully filter what we allow to enter our consciousness. Today in the gospel Jesus says, “I am the Bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” When we take in the knowledge of Jesus and absorb his thoughts, we feed the deepest longings of our souls and discover a life of peace and serenity. No worldly knowledge can fill our need to be fed by the Bread of Life. We must make healthy choices as to what we “feed” our minds and hearts, so that we become the healthy person that God intended us to be. Today we are challenged to ponder what we eat each day and what we feed our mind each day. We have a choice. We are invited to eat some “Living Bread” that will stay with us long after this life is over. We can eat all we want. It is a free gift from the Lord.
July 26, 2009
2 Kgs 2:1-15; Eph 4:1-16; Mk 6:45-52
Today’s second reading and gospel speak to an
important message. They
point us to finding Jesus in the midst of challenges and adversity.
The gospel is the story of the disciples crossing over the
July 19, 2009
Is 57;14-21; Eph 2:11-22; Mk 6:30-44
Today’s gospel story offers us much to ponder.
It is the familiar story of the multiplication of loaves.
The story begins with Jesus wanting to rest for a while, but
when he sees the crowd, it says his heart was “moved with
compassion.” This phrase
describes the Divine desire to save the lost.
We read in other places where Jesus is “moved with
compassion” and cures the sick.
He hurt when people were sick or lost like “sheep without a
shepherd.” These words
give us a deep insight into the heart of Jesus.
He does not want anyone to be lost or unprotected.
Further on in the story we hear the challenge to his disciples
and to us. He says to
them, “How many loaves do you have?”
Jesus requested some human input to make this miracle happen.
He invited the apostles to participate in this awesome event by
offering what they had. Alone
they could not feed the 5000, but with Jesus’ power and their
offering, all could be fed. The
question for us today is, “How many loaves do I have that I am
willing to offer to Jesus for his blessing?”
Which of my talents and resources am I willing to put in front
of Jesus for him to bless, break and distribute to others?
We each have talents and skills which could be used to
“feed” the spiritual hungers of many people.
Jesus invites us to participate in the awesome ministry of
“feeding” the hungry and bringing the lost into life with him.
Why does he ask of our “loaves”? He asks because we have
been richly blessed. In
the second reading
July 12, 2009
Amos 7:7-15; Eph 1:1-14; Mk 6:7-13
In our second scripture reading today
July 5, 2009
Ezek 2:1-7; 2 Cor 12:2-10; Mk 6:1-6
The scripture readings today focus on our real
source of strength and power.
June 28, 2009
Deut 15:7-11; 2 Cor 8:1-15; Mk 5:22-43
Today’s gospel reading invites us to ponder the question, what is life?
If we listen to the request Jairus makes of Jesus, it opens us to a divine perspective of life. Jairus says, “Come and lay your hands on my daughter so that she may get well and live.” Jesus ministry addresses a great human fallacy, namely, that if we are breathing we are alive and when we stop breathing, we are dead. Jesus changes all the definitions. From his perspective, if we are connected to Jesus, we are alive, and if we are not connected to Jesus, we are dead. Jairus asks for both a physical healing for his daughter and a spiritual healing. He seems to know that if Jesus just heals her body without giving her real life, she is not complete, she is not really alive. Jesus’ ministry was meant to bring people into real life. At times that included healing or restoration of physical life, but the ultimate goal was the fullness of life found in relationship with Jesus. If we are breathing in God’s Holy Spirit every day, we are alive and when we stop breathing in God’s Spirit, we start dying. We might ponder today, “What parts of me are dead?” What parts of me are not surrendered over to God’s Hoy Spirit? Where do I need Jesus to lay his hands on me so that I might “get well and live”? What spiritual disciplines do I use to keep myself alive in God’s Spirit? These are deep questions and yet without being alive in God, we walk around dead. Human life only has its fullest meaning in God. We have a treasure in knowing what real life is, and it is this treasure that only has value if we continually nurture it. Without a daily and weekly diet of spiritual food, spiritual nurture, we die. Think of all the people who we know who are “dead.” If we have real life, and live the fullness of life in Christ, we can give them a great treasure. Our mission is to give real life to people. The gospel tells us that we have the power and authority in Jesus to do this. Paul write, “Jesus made himself poor, though he was rich, that we might become rich by his poverty.” We can share his riches.
June 21, 2009
Job 38:1-18; 2 Cor 5:14-21; Mk 4:35-41
Today’s scripture readings deal with the mystery of God’s ways and the question of where God is in relation to suffering in the world. In the first reading we pick up where Job has just questioned the mystery of his suffering and God is making his response. We all at times wonder about the issue of suffering. The response of God in the first reading does not explain the origin of suffering and tragedies, but it presents the awesome mystery of God’s power and plan for all creation. After Job listens he recognizes that he has spoken out of turn, that he is too small to understand the mystery of God’s love, and he humbly submits to the mystery. In the gospel the disciples in the boat wonder also about Jesus’ seeming lack of concern for their difficult situation. They wonder why he is sleeping when they feel as if they are about to drown. They feel he does not care about their safety and yet nothing could be farther from the truth. Jesus’ timing and his power is way beyond their comprehension. Jesus does not ask them to fully comprehend the mystery of his care; he just asks them to trust him. Both texts invite us to examine our trust of God, especially in times of suffering. We are invited to ponder the awesomeness of his ways. The early church, for which the gospel was first written, was experiencing persecution and their leaders were being killed. They feared that the church, symbolized by the boat, was going to sink. Jesus did not explain why hard things were happening to them, but he did promise to be with them always and he challenged them to trust him unreservedly. Today we may have similar feelings at time when we face difficult situations. The scriptures clearly tell us that God does not cause us pain or illness. No matter what the situation, God assures us that if we stay connected to him, we will be safe. Understanding the mysteries of life, suffering, and healing are beyond us. We are simply called to trust that God has all things under control and in him we can find a purpose in every event, even if it was caused by someone’s sin. Through our relationship with God we can make holy the situations in life that are not holy in themselves.
June 14, 2009
Exek 31:1-14; 2 Cor 5:1-10; Mk 4:26-34
In today’s second scripture reading,
June 7, 2009 – Trinity
Ex 3:1-6; Rom 8:12-17; Jn 3:1-16
Today we celebrate the feast of the Trinity.
It is a great time to reflect on the awesome love of God
expressed in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Each aspect of God wraps us in love from the first moment we
are conceived, throughout our life, and hopefully forever in eternity.
The first reading tells us of the event when Moses first
encountered this awesome love of God in the “burning bush.”
He chose to go closer and take time to dialogue with God.
This encounter gave him courage to challenge the leader of
May 31, 2009 – Pentecost and 8 Year Anniversary
Acts 2:1-11; 1 Cor 12:4-13; Jn 20:19-23
Today we celebrate one of the major feasts of the church year. It is the feast of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came down on 120 disciples of Jesus and empowered them with the gifts to carry on his work. On this day the Church was birthed and the fire of the Holy Spirit began to fill the world as never before. Today’s first reading describes as well as words can the awesome moment when the first disciples felt Jesus’ Spirit alive within themselves. With this experience came a desire and the courage to go out and tell others of the message and power of Jesus’ love. They were fired up to do the work of God in their everyday lives. The second reading describes the gifts of the Holy Spirit which were available to them after they opened themselves to the power of the Spirit. They could speak in other tongues, offer healing to the sick, speak with words of wisdom and knowledge and discern where God was calling them in their lives. Along with these gifts came the deep Peace of Jesus which we hear about in the gospel. Jesus sent forth his Peace to his apostles and as people experienced the Holy Spirit they came to feel and know that deep inner Peace. We celebrate today because all of those gifts are available to us. When we open ourselves to the presence of God and freely choose to invite God’ Holy Spirit into our hearts and minds, we receive a deep sense of inner Peace and a new courage to go out and tell others of God’s healing love. We are equipped with all the gifts of the Holy Spirit which manifest themselves in our lives when we open ourselves to using them. We have God’s words within us to share with people we meet and we have the power of God’s love to offer healing to anyone who is in need. God invites us again today to allow his power to move through us. He invites us to stay in prayer as the first disciples did so that his Spirit could permeate our whole being. He encourages us to put our gifts at his disposal so that he can transform them into gifts for building his Kingdom. We can each keep the fire of the Holy Spirit alive by giving our talents and wills over to God for his use. We can be consumed for his glory.
May 24, 2009
Acts 1:15-26; 1 Jn 5:9-15; Jn 17:11-19
Today’s scripture readings focus on the living presence of Jesus and his commitment to us. In the first reading we hear how the early church sought to choose an apostle to replace Judas. They nominated to worthy men, but when it came time for choosing, they let God choose. They were most concerned that the person be God’s desire and not their own doing. When we ponder this idea, we realize that God is in charge of all things. The sooner we submit to his desires, the more peace fills our hearts. These words also remind us that God has specially chosen each of us to be a part of his great Kingdom. He sees something in us that made him choose us to participate in bringing others to his deep love. He trusts that despite our human weaknesses, we will be a vessel of his love and compassion to others. Each day we are invited to get our script from God and then follow his instructions. Doing his mission for our lives is the most fulfilling thing we can do, and knowing he chose us personally for this mission, is the most affirming thing that could happen to us. The Creator chose you and me! The words of Jesus in the gospel tell us that he not only chose us but he also protects us on our mission. Jesus “consecrated himself” to protect us. He keeps careful watch over us so that we do not get harmed. When we live our life under his covering, submitting to his will, we have a power and a safety that no one can overcome. As we listen to his directions daily, we feel the beauty of belonging to the Master’s team. We feel the affirmation of being chosen to help change the world and lead all people to the Father. We are truly part of the Divine Team, and our belonging to that Team gives meaning and purpose to every thing we do. No matter how much effort it takes, it is worth it to be with Jesus. Take time this week to reflect on the awesome blessing it is to be chosen by Jesus, and the joy of living each day in his protection and his love.
May 17, 2009
Acts 11:19-30; 1 Jn 4:7-21; Jn 15;9-17
Today’s scripture readings speak about the
inner strength that flows from knowing Jesus’ deep love.
The first reading begins with the statement, “Those who were
scattered because of the persecution…”
People had to flee for their lives from
May 10, 2009
Acts 8:26-40; 1 Jn 3:14-24; Jn 14:15-21
Today we celebrate Mother’s Day and remember the gift of life that God gave us through our mothers. It is the desire of every Christian mother to pass on not only physical life but the powerful spiritual life that flows from knowing Jesus. Today’s scripture readings invite us to reflect on Jesus’ desire to give us the ability to see his presence in our everyday life. He tells us in the gospel that we will be able to “see” him if we have “life.” In his terms, to have life is to know God and God’s eternal purpose for our lives. He tells his followers that those who truly want to live must open their eyes to his presence in their life. They begin to “see” by submitting to him through baptism. Life can be filled with much peace and inner joy when we submit to the will of God and “see” every situation in light of Jesus’ Love for us. In the first reading we hear how Philip in his openness to God’s will, is able to “open the eyes” of the Eunuch by explaining the scriptures to him. When we allow our eyes to be open to God’s presence, we can offer the gift of true life to those we meet. Once we have our eyes opened to God in each person we are not blinded by prejudice but can reach out to everyone with the message of life. We can allow our spirits to be moved by the Holy Spirit as Philip did, and when we are moved by the Spirit, our life becomes much more exciting. We “see” the miracles that God’s power performs in our midst. We gather each weekend to again open our eyes to the presence of Jesus and receive the empowerment to go forth and open the eyes of others. We have a precious gift to offer to those around us. Our mother’s are the instruments God used to give us life and perhaps even spiritual life. God wishes to use us to offer spiritual life and Christian insight to the many people who do not know Jesus. The gift we have received we freely give to the honor of his Name.
May 3, 2009
Acts 4:23-37; 1 Jn 3:1-8; Jn 10:11-16
In today’s gospel we hear Jesus describe himself in what came to be the most significant image for him, namely, the Good Shepherd. This image expresses the gentle care of Jesus, the personal concern he has for each one of us, and the gift of protection which he offers to each of person. The Good Shepherd is a powerful image for Christian leadership, something to which each of us I called. As we ponder this image today we can take time to feel Jesus gentle care for us. We can savor the knowledge that Jesus will never leave us and even when we leave him, he will seek to save us from the destructive forces which would destroy us when we are on our own. We can relish the protection that Jesus gives to us because he was willing to sacrifice himself for our safety and salvation. These thoughts empower us in our calling as Christian leaders. We recognize that each of us is called to be Christian leaders in our homes and places of work. This becomes even more challenging when things get hard or people ridicule us for proclaiming the message of Jesus. In the first reading we hear how the apostles found strength in their solidarity with each other. They spoke about Jesus at the risk of their lives, but they came back to the community for prayer and sharing in the Eucharist. They supported one another in being good shepherds to the people who sought to know Jesus. They did not back away from a challenge just because someone threatened or ridiculed them. They prayed for the power of the Holy Spirit to fill them as went about telling other so the message of Jesus’ saving love. They witnessed signs of God’s power, healing which demonstrated that God was indeed in their midst. Today as we listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd we are empowered to carry on this great mission of leading all people to the saving knowledge of Jesus. We pray for each other that we will each have the boldness to bring Jesus into our conversations and offer people the hope of healing and the message of salvation in him. Together we give each other courage in this great mission.
April 26, 3009
Acts 4:5-12; 1 Jn 1:1-2:2; Lk 24:36-48
This weekend our scripture readings describe how the disciples gradually grew into a deep and committed faith relationship with Jesus. In the gospel we hear the story of how Jesus appears to his disciples after the resurrection to show them that he truly was alive. This was an awesome miracle to comprehend. At first they were afraid but when they heard Jesus voice their fears began to subside. Then as Jesus ate with them they became more convinced that it was truly him and that he went from death on the cross to life again. Gradually by seeing Jesus, touching him, talking with him and listening to him, they grew into a convincing faith that would lead them to tell others of this great miracle. Once they were convinced that he was alive, they could go and convince others by demonstrating the power of his love. They cared for others with his love, they prayed for others with his love and they spoke of him with such convictions that gradually those who heard them and saw them were convinced that Jesus was alive. Deep faith in Jesus is contagious. The early apostles had a contagious faith that changed the whole world. They spoke with conviction and they spoke with the love of Jesus in their hearts. Today we are invited and encouraged to draw closer to Jesus. We are invited to touch him, to eat with him in the Eucharist every weekend. We are invited to listen to his words in the scripture and absorb his intense love for us. We are invited to listen to his quiet voice speaking within our hearts. We are invited to study his life and thirst for a greater knowledge of his presence in the world. With time we gradually develop a deep faith relationship that becomes contagious. When we speak of Jesus, people recognize that he is our friend. When we greet people, they see Jesus in our eyes. When we stand up for the principles that Jesus proclaimed, people realize that we have a living faith in him that is convincing. Convincing faith does not happen all at once, but if we keep hanging around Jesus, we will develop a faith that can not be shaken and a desire to share that faith with others.
April 19, 2009
Acts 3:12-26; 1 Jn 5:1-6; Jn 20:19-31
Today we
continue the celebration of Easter with some reflections on how the
early church came to experience Jesus as alive. In the gospel we
hear how the apostles try to tell Thomas that Jesus is alive, but
Thomas would not believe it until he could touch Jesus. We do
not get to physically touch Jesus yet we are challenged to believe in
him without touching him. It is through the word of God, the
sacraments, and our quiet prayer time that we begin to absorb his
risen presence into our hearts. We are invited to let him touch
us in these moments so that our faith will grow.
Ultimately each of us must choose to believe he is alive in us,
and when we do, there is an inner Peace that we recognize as being
deeper than anything this world can offer. Our life takes on an
eternal perspective which changes all our decisions. We can then
live life in Easter faith. With
this gift of faith, we are challenged to make Jesus “touchable” to
those who do not yet know him. We create settings where people
can come and absorb the love that God has for them. One of the
greatest joys of faith is to give it away. When our faith life
becomes contagious, we will offer a great gift to many people.
That may be what
April 12, 2009 Easter
Acts 10:34-43; Col 3:1-4; Mk 161-8
Today we celebrate the greatest day of our spiritual life as we remember the Resurrection of Jesus. By the power of the Father’s love, death was transformed into life. Jesus rose triumphant over death and opened the way for each of us to live forever with him. Easter is a celebration of hope, a celebration of life, a celebration of life we can each have in union with Jesus. The sufferings of the Passion were intense but the victory of death is even more intense. The words in today’s gospel, “He has been raised,” give hope to every situation in life. Once we know that life is eternal, all of the things we face in this life become less significant. The thing of greatest significance is fostering a love relationship with God so that when this life is over, the power of his love moving in our hearts will raise us to new life. This is the same love that heals us in this world and fills us with deep serenity. The more we allow the love of God into our hearts and minds now, the more we will “seek the things that are above,” the things that last forever. By virtue of our baptism we were given a chance to feel God’s personal love for us and to live our lives in the power of that love. The man “dressed in a white robe” in the gospel represents the people who have put on their baptismal garment. Like him, we can be people of hope, people who proclaim life even when the signs around us would indicate death. We can live in peace and offer the Peace of God to others because we know that any situation has a spark of hope since the power of God’s love can bring life out of death. Easter is the celebration of the greatest power in the world. It raises us above the things of this world and gives us a vision of life that is eternal. It gives meaning to every event. We are invited today to feel the power of that life in our lives and then offer this promise of resurrection to all we meet. In Jesus there is no darkness but only the light of life. I pray that your Easter is filled with the promise of new life and the peace of Jesus alive in you. Happy Easter!
April 5, 2009
Is 45:21-25; Phil 2:5-11; Mk 14: 32-15:47
This week-end we begin Holy Week, the special
week we remember the last days of Jesus life.
Today we recall the day Jesus entered
March 29, 2009
Jer 31:31-34; Heb 5:1-10; Jn 12:20-33
We began this Lenten season with the story of Jesus being tempted in the desert. He chose the Father’s will over any temptation. In the second week we saw how Peter tried to tempt Jesus away from going to his death, and again Jesus chose to do the Father’s will even if it meant death. The third week we felt Jesus great care for us, ready to cleanse our inner temples of any wounds we carry, so that we could have the fullness of life. Last week we heard Paul proclaim that God is rich in mercy and that he brought us to life in Christ when we were dead in sin. His sacrifice gave us Life. Jesus was tempted often to take the easy way out, but his proclamation today summarizes his saving grace. He says, “Unless the grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat, but if it dies it bears much fruit?” He is talking about his death on the cross and the glorious end of walking through death with his eyes on the Father’ purpose and his heart filled with the Father’s love. He fought off all the temptations of the “easier way” and walked the way of the cross for our redemption, our cleansing, and our eternal life. He has shown us that he will do anything so that we do not get lost or separated from the Father’s love. He is letting us know that we all will share in eternal life also if we accept the Father’s will and choose his love over any other worldly temptation. The irony of Christianity is that the fullness of life is found in the letting go, in surrender. The eternalness of life is found in the dying to self and letting our wills fall into the will of the Father. Once we do, nothing can separate us from the love of God. Our eternal purpose is complete in letting God be in charge and letting his love fill us every day. Do we trust God enough to let go? Jesus holds out his hands and waits for us to surrender into his power, his love.
March 22, 2009
2 Chron 36:14-23; Eph 2:4-10; Jn 6: 4-15
In the second reading
March 15, 2009
Ex 20:1-17; Rom 7:13-25; Jn 2:13-22
Last week we reflected on the fact that nothing
from the outside can separate us from God’s awesome love for us.
Today’s readings make us aware that inside of us are desires
and temptations which could separate us from God, yet we also hear
that Jesus wants to cleanse us of anything that would take us away
from him. He wants only
the best for us. He has
chosen us and offers us preferential treatment.
He gives us the power of his love to heal and be forgiven.
He gives us his protection by laying out a path that keeps us
safe. He gives us
knowledge of our eternal destiny and he gives us an identity as his
sons and daughters. Then
he waits for us each day to choose this new life.
He waits for us to choose his love and his way over any other
options which come to us in the world.
He knows that only his presence can fill the deepest longings
of our heart. He knows
that we have been affected by sin coming down through the generations.
In the second reading
March 8, 2009
Gen 22:1-14; Rom 8:31-39; Mk 8:31-38
This past week we have been thinking about our
decisions and how each one moves us closer or further from God.
Today we ponder the treasure of a grace-filled life of intimacy
with God. In the second
reading,
March 1, 2009
Gen 9:8-17; 1 Pet 3:18-22; Mk 1:9-13
This year through Lent we will ponder the purpose of our life. What drives our life choices? We each make very many decisions every day. We may think that we have to do certain things, but in each decision we choose one thing over another. Many decisions are related to the vision of our life purpose. Some are small decisions and some are life changing decisions. White or whole wheat? Healthy meal or junk food? Watch TV or take quiet time with God? Answer the phone or stay focused on listening to a friend? Go to church or sleep in? Name my addiction and take steps to get free or stay imprisoned?” Every choice in some way is either me-centered or God-centered. Our composite of choices either leads us to greater serenity and inner peace or it destroys inner peace. Like Jesus in the desert we experience a conflict of wills. We like pleasure and an easy fix, but immediate pleasure often causes long term pain and destruction. In the gospel Jesus chooses to receive the baptism of John and commit his life to the Father’s will. Immediately after that the devil tempts him for forty days to change his decision. Jesus accepts the immediate pain to live out the Father’s will and redeem us. We have decisions to make also if the redeeming love of Jesus is going to have a saving effect on us. If we have sinned, we either choose to repent and be set free or stay locked in the destructive effects of sin. Today we either choose to turn our lives more toward God’s will or live as we are. No one can make our life choices for us, but God’s presence does surround us trying to protect us from destructive choices. Because we have free will, we must give consent for God’s power to effect our choices. This week we consider all our past and present choices, our decisions, and ponder which of them would we like to do differently? Then we ask God to give us strength to change what needs change to become more of who God wants us to be.
February 22, 2009
1 Kgs 19:9-18; 2 Pet 1:16-21; Mk 9:2-9
Today we begin getting ready for the holy season of Lent. Lent is a holy time.. It is 40 days of listening to God and allowing God’s voice to speak to the deepest parts of our being. The gospel offers a powerful picture of how Jesus went up the mountain to listen to the Father’s voice just before his passion and crucifixion. We begin this holy season by a decision to come away from the noise of this world and quiet ourselves. It is the voice of God’s love that empowers us to look within and surrender ourselves more completely to God. God’s unconditional love fills us so completely that we can let go of all the other distractions in life. Spiritual growth begins with our willingness to let God have his way with us. He will only move into the areas of our life where we invite him and yet without him our life is a dead end road with no purpose. In today’s gospel Jesus shows his willingness to let the Father direct the last days of his life. He goes up the mountain to pray and surrenders to the Father. The Father anoints his surrender with the assurance that Jesus is his Beloved. In the first reading, Elijah also willingly surrenders to God’s will. He shows his surrender by listening to God. His listening empowers him for the next phase of his ministry. For us our willingness is made evident by honestly and humbly assessing the choices in our life. Do we try to fill our spiritual center with something other than God? Are our choices God centered or pleasure centered? Are we willing to make changes this lent so that God’s life can show through us more clearly? Are we willing to acknowledge our sins and open the door to God’s grace in our life? Our choices set the stage for God to do a new thing in our life. God can make all things new if we allow him. Are we willing to go deeper with God during these next six weeks? If so, then be ready for a fresh anointing of God’s Holy Spirit.
February 15, 2009
2 Kgs 5:1-15; 1 Cor 9:24-27; Mk 1:40-45
Today’s scripture readings reveal the healing power of God’s love and invite us to ponder the gifts we have to offer healing to others. The first reading gives us a colorful and powerful story of healing. An army commander, Naaman, who is powerful and rich, has leprosy. A slave girl working in his house intercedes for him by telling of Elisha the prophet in
February 8, 2009
2 Kgs 4:8-37; 1 Cor 9:16-23; Mk 1:29-39
The gospel reading today proclaims the central
mission of Jesus. He came
to heal and set people free. The
whole focus and purpose of his life was to bring redemption to the
world. If we observe the
response of the crowd we recognize that many people longed fro this
new freedom. It says that
after Jesus healed Peter’s mother in law, the whole city gathered
outside the door. They
wanted to be free of illness and the demons tht kept them from the
fullness of life. Jesus
continually gave life because he knew where to receive life.
He had power to change people’s lives because he was in touch
with the source of all real power.
The gospel says that in the morning he went off to a deserted
place and was “absorbed in prayer.”
He received his power and his direction from the Father.
He was willing to listen and submit to the Father’s will each
day. He lived his purpose
because he took time to hear his purpose.
In the second reading
February 1, 2009
Deut 18:15-20; 1 Cor 8:1-13; Mk 1:21-28
In our gospel today, the people recognize a “new kind of teaching” coming from Jesus. We might wonder, “What is this new kind of teaching.” They refer to the fact that he teaches with a unique authority as different from the scribes. Jesus had a connection that empowered him to teach the truth with a greater power than the other teachers of his day. He knew the Author of life more intimately than the other teachers. Jesus knew the Father through a deep relationship which is a greater knowledge than just knowing about God. This gospel reminds us that when we take time to experience God’s love and allow his love to fill our hearts and change our lives, we can teach with the same authority. We can study about God, but knowing the heart of God is what gives us authority to teach the treasure of his love. It is our personal relationship with Jesus which also gives us the power to do the works of Jesus, healing and freeing people from evil. As the gospel continues we read how Jesus’ deep connection with the Author of life gave him power to expel the demon from the possessed man. The power to do miracles flows from the depth of a love relationship with God. As followers of Jesus our main mission is to daily nurture a deep personal relationship with God so that we can bring the power of heaven to earth. This is the gift we have to offer to the world. In the last part of the gospel we hear the people’s response to Jesus’ casting out of the demon. They say what a great teacher he is. This would not be considered a teaching action unless we realize that the apostles we watching. Jesus modeled how to bring the power of heaven to earth by doing it. He taught by example. We teach by our example as well. Parents will teach more to their children by their example than by their words. As Christians we are accountable for our behavior because every action either speaks of our love for God, or it detracts from that message. Living a life in love with Jesus says more than any words.
January 25, 2009
Jer 3:21-4:2; 1 Cor 7:17-23; Mk 1:14-20
The scripture readings today lead us to consider God’s purpose for our life and the fruits of following that purpose. The first reading describes the destructive things that happen to people who get out of touch with God’s plan for their life. They think life is easier and perhaps more fun, but they end up lost and alone. Another part of that reading gives hope in that God continues to wait for them to repent and return to him so that he can again fill their lives with blessings. The Gospel relates the story of how Jesus walked along and called his disciples into a new and fuller life. They were not lost as such, but they were not living life to the fullness which Jesus intended for them. Once they let go of the old life, they could start to see a much bigger picture for their life. They had to change many things in their lives and relationships, but the result was a mission that had eternal significance for them and for others. Today Jesus walks along our lives and invites us to let go of anything that keeps us living a life just for us. He invites us to open up to the bigger life that he holds for us. We might ponder, “What keeps us from following him totally? What “nets” would we need to let go of in order to connect more closely with him? Perhaps we are already deeply connected and need only renew that connection every day. Perhaps we have some things in our life that hold us back from the fullness of life that the Lord wishes for us. Perhaps we need healing of some memories before we can totally commit our life to Jesus. Wherever we are at, Jesus simply invites us to have more, he encourages us to let go, and he assures us that no matter what our path has been, he desire to have us close to him. Only we can let the call of Jesus impact our lives. Only we can surrender our wills to his purpose for our lives.
January 18, 2009
1 Sam 3:1-10; 1 Cor 6:11-20; Jn 1:43-51
Today’s scripture reading each talk about
God’s calling in our life. This
calling is not just a one time event but a daily calling inviting us
to live our life in the power of the Holy Spirit.
God wants only the best for us and when we respond to his
calling with openness, we discover the much more that he has in mind
for us. The first reading
indicates that we need to learn what the voice of God sound like.
At first Samuel does not even know that it is God speaking to
him but with the help of a spiritual director, he learns what God is
asking of him. What he
hears from God is challenging to do, but if he does not hear God, his
life is mundane and without purpose.
The gospel reading also speaks about Philip hearing the call of
Jesus and following it. Jesus
words, “Follow Me” changed his life forever. Being a Christian and
following the voice of God every day makes life exciting and give us a
deep sense of purpose and meaning.
Doing something eternal for the glory of God is the greatest
thing we can accomplish in our lives.
The second reading reminds us that we are temples of the Holy
Spirit and that we have been sanctified by the love of Jesus.
We are called to let others know that Jesus died for them also
and that they have been sanctified for their life purpose.
Each of us has a personal mission to demonstrate the Love Jesus
has for us. Part of
manifesting Jesus’ love is to belong to a church community.
Our mission here in
January 11, 2009
Today we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus which is described in our gospel reading. This was the event that began the public ministry of Jesus. On this occasion he heard the Father’s affirmation with the words, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
Jesus experienced the power of the Holy Spirit and the personal love of the Father in such a way that it thrust him into his public ministry. This event models for all believers the power that is available to each person who chooses to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Throughout history this decision has opened believers to all the gifts of the Holy Spirit. They felt empowered to do the kind of ministry that Jesus did. They prayed with people for healing and saw people get healed in his name. They praised God with enthusiasm and at times prayed in languages they did not understand. They saw miracles happen and even had courage to accept death for proclaiming the gospel. This power of the Holy Spirit is available to each of us if we take time to open ourselves to it and surrender to it. It is an experience of the awesome, personal love that God has for each of us. We each have a chance to experience what Jesus experienced at his baptism. We have an opportunity to awaken in us the power of our baptism, which fills our life with deep inner peace and opens us to the gifts of the Holy Spirit. When we open ourselves to the Holy Spirit we have an enthusiasm for proclaiming God’s love. We can experience the call and power to become part of Jesus’ Special Forces Team in the world. At the beginning of this New Year I encourage you to take time to re-awaken the power of the Holy Spirit in your life and live the fullness of your baptism as Jesus did. Take time each day to allow God’s personal love for you to soak in and ready you for your personal mission.
January 4, 2009
Jer 31:7-14; Eph 1:3-19; Mt 2:13-23
Today’s scripture readings talk about the
blessings and excitement of following the Lord’s ways.
December 28, 2008
Is 61:1--62:3; Gal 3:23-4:7; Jn 1:1-18
Today we continue the Christmas theme, reflecting on the power of God to restore us to wholeness as we were created. The first reading gives us a beautiful image of how God wants to restore our identity which we lost through sin. The writer says, “I greatly rejoice in the Lord… for he has clothed me with the garment of salvation and wrapped me in a mantle of holiness.” True joy flows from having our original beauty restored. God fashioned us in his image, whole and complete but human sinfulness has taken its toll and marred our image. We often loose sight of who we are and the great destiny that God has for us. Today’s scripture words give us the promise that God desires to restore us the way he made us. He came into the world to bring us back home when we were lost in the effects of sin. He wraps a new mantle of love and acceptance around us so that we can again appreciate who we truly are. God did not damage us but he will do everything to restore us. He restores our self esteem, our name, our true identity and our life. This promise of restoration is for every person who receives him into their heart. The gospel tells us that Jesus was there when we were created and he desires to refashion us in his image. He comes into our darkness with his light of love. As we hear in the second reading, we are no longer slaves but free sons and daughters who know that we belong to the Creator. To anyone who accepts Jesus, this truth becomes real and they discover the life they were intended to enjoy. The old destructive voices of the past are replaced by the new voices of our true identity. The coming of Jesus offers us this great gift of life and hope. In this Christmas season we absorb this truth and allow it into our whole being. We can handle anything in this world if we know who we really are and whose we really are. We begin the New Year aware of the beauty of our original identity in Jesus. Have a blessed and transforming New Year.
December 21, 2008
2 Sam 7:4-16; Rom 16:25-27; Lk 1:26-38
We celebrate the fourth Sunday of Advent and the focus turns to the final time of waiting for the Messiah to come. A thousand years before Jesus was born, God promised that through David’s lineage, he would establish an eternal throne. This promise is recorded in our first reading today. Since then the Jews waited for the Messiah to come. They waited for centuries, always hoping that he would come soon. Finally as we read in the gospel, God sent the angel to Mary to announce that she would be the mother of this Messiah who would be called Jesus. She, too, had waited with her ancestors for this moment and now she was asked to give her consent so that this event could take place. Because she is waiting and praying, because she is ready for the movement of God, she offers herself in whatever way God needs to make this miracle of birth happen. Today’s readings invite us to reflect on reflect on the gift of waiting. What does it say to us when someone waits for us? What does it express when someone “lets the light on” for us or checks to see if we are well? God waits for us every day because he loves us and wants us to know that he cares. He radiates love through the sunlight. God proclaims his nearness through the beauty of nature. Jesus speaks love through the Eucharist, his forgiveness and his healing presence. He waits for us to respond as Mary did and give him permission to fill us and use us for the glory of the Father. Even when we do not respond, he waits for another chance, always ready to offer us the Peace of his presence. He waits with a deep love for us, hoping that we will stop a moment and receive his love. Today’s words invite us to wait for God every day and ready ourselves for his direction. They invite us to wait for others, ready to offer the love of God to those is need. We wait this week to experience a rebirth of Jesus’ presence in our lives.
Have a great week and a very blessed Christmas filled with the Peace that only Jesus can give
December 14, 2008
Is 65:17-25; 1 Thess 5:12-28; Jn 1:6-28
Today’s scripture readings reflect a theme of
the deep joy of friendship with God.
They speak not of the happiness of having everything we would
want, but rather of the deep joy of knowing who we are and begin
connected to our Creator. In
the first reading we hear about the joy which the Jews experienced
when they came back to their home land and were reconnected to God in
worship. They had gone
through hard times but their joy came from making the journey back
home. This reading reminds
us that joy is a journey, a series of choices we make to arrive at
true joy. These words
offer us occasion to ponder the choices we make and the joy of
developing an intimate friendship with God.
We may have had times when we thought we could find joy in this
world, only to discover the emptiness of worldly things.
When we choose to spend constant time and intimate conversation
with the one who created us, we discover a joy that is eternal.
In the gospel we hear about the joy of John the Baptist who
lived a hard life but found great joy in introducing Jesus to the
community. His deep joy
comes from knowing who he is, his true identity.
He was willing to “decrease” because his joy was in seeing
Jesus “increase.” If
our significance in life is based on giving glory to Jesus, we will
experience a deep lasting joy which is more intense that any happiness
we might feel from anything in this world.
Everything here is temporary, but what we do and who we are for
Jesus gives meaning and importance to our lives which lasts forever.
Having God’s purpose for our lives at the center of our minds
and hearts brings us a joy that no worldly thing can match and nothing
in this world can take away. In
the second reading
December 7, 2008
Is 40:1-11; 2 Pet 3:8-18; Mk 1:1-8
The scripture readings for this second Sunday of Advent invite us to cry out with hope with the message of God’s abounding mercy and grace. The first reading offers us the familiar word, “A voice cries out in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord.’” Our challenge during this season is not only to let the words of hope bring renewal to our hearts, but to proclaim those words to the many people who need a reason for hope in their lives. The prophet gave these words of God to a people who lived in captivity and had lost hope of ever finding their way back to God. The prophet’s words awakened the people to the new possibilities in their lives if they began following God and listening to his voice. During this season we are encouraged to offer words of hope to the people we know who are lost or captive to themselves. We can offer hope to people who struggle in this difficult economic time. We can offer them the freeing vision of what life could be like if they only took time to come and feel Jesus’ healing love. We can draw people into the vision of hope by living that vision and proclaiming it on the occasions that are given to us. The gospel describes God’s movement in history when he sent out a messenger to prepare people for his coming. God is sending us out to offer the invitations which will change the lives of people around us. We can make a different in the world be offering God’s hope and healing power to the many people we meet. We can play a significant role in bringing Jesus to birth in the lives of people today. Once we have felt Jesus alive in our hearts, be can offer the gift to others and give them a chance to meet the One who gives real meaning and purpose to life. Advent is a time of spiritual renewal and awakening to God’s love. We can be the voice crying out in the wildernesses of people’s lives letting them know that there is Someone walking with them and offering the hope of greater wholeness and peace. We can prepare the way for Jesus’ coming into the world today.
November 30, 2008
Is 64:1-9; 1 Cor 1:1-9; Mk 13:33-17
Today we begin the holy Season of Advent.
It is a special time of looking within ourselves and asking,
“Do I long to have Jesus more a part of my life?
Do I want a rebirth of his presence in me?
Do I want to get rid of old patterns to make room for the gift
of his presence? The first
scripture reading today, tells us of the Jewish people who longed to
get free from their captivity and get back to Jerusalem so they could
rebuild their temple and worship God again as they wanted to.
But, as the prophet Isaiah writes, when they did get out of
captivity and get back to their land, they did not build the temple
and worship God but focused on their own needs.
They were free from the people who captured them, but they were
enslaved to themselves. The
prophet calls them to accountability and challenges them to look
within themselves and discover who is really their master, who were
they serving, and how were they going to get truly free.
This reading invites us to ponder, “Am I truly free?”
Our country was founded on religious freedom.
People were given the chance to worship God every Sunday and
celebrate their faith. The
questions we might ask are, “Do we use that freedom or are we
enslaved to our own wants? Does
Jesus get the number one spot in our lives?
Does Sunday worship take priority over every other activity for
us and our family? These
are the questions of the advent Season and they move us to prepare
ourselves for the celebration of a rebirth of Jesus as the center of
our lives. They are not
necessarily easy questions, but they will help us discover our soul
and the true meaning of life. The
scripture words today lead us to discover true inner freedom in a deep
love relationship with Jesus.
November 23, 2008
Today we celebrate the last Sunday of the Church Year and the scripture readings have a distinct finality to them. They invite us to reflect on what life is really about, what things are most important when all is said and done. The gospel tells us that God is clearly in charge and Jesus is the person of God who will bring all things into final order. The words of Jesus in the gospel tell us what values Jesus will use to assess how fully we have lived our lives. His focus is not on how much money we made in life or how smart we are, but on how we have given life to others. We will be as complete as we have chosen to use God’s gifts for the benefit of others. Jesus says he will consider how well we have fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, welcomed the stranger, clothed the naked, cared for the sick and visited those imprisoned. This statement challenges us to reflect not only on the physical needs we provided, but also the spiritual needs we offered to those in need. We can ponder; “Do we invite to Eucharist those who hunger for meaning in life? Do we offer the word of God to those who thirst? Do we greet the stranger and invite them to be part of our community of faith? Do we pray for the sick and offer them the comfort and healing power of God’s love? Do we notice those who are imprisoned in themselves and help set them free with the message of Jesus? We are very blessed as Christians and therefore we have much to offer to those who do not know Jesus. Today’s gospel challenges us to share the gifts we have as part of Jesus’ great plan to bring all people into the fullness of life found in the Father’s love. It is a joy and a responsibility to be part of the great work of salvation. The fruit of this great work is to know that we will then have an eternal dwelling with God and already now we get to taste the joy of bringing someone into eternal life with God. This week we celebrate a special day of Thanksgiving. We are especially grateful that we have been “fed” by the message of Jesus and “clothed” with the garment of salvation.
November 16, 2008
Zeph 1:7-18; 1 Thess 5:1-10; Mt 25:14-29
Today’s second scripture reading and gospel make references to the end of the world. These readings invite us to reflect on what we would do if the end of the world were to happen tonight or tomorrow. If there is anything we would do like call someone, or forgive someone, or visit someone to express our love and care, then the question becomes, “Why not do it anyway?” This question leads us to a deeper question concerning our motivation. Do we do good things out of love for God or out of fear of God’s anger? The man in the gospel story buried his master’s money out of fear. His fear of his master paralyzed him so that he did nothing and thus lost favor with his master. He really did not do anything wrong, he just did not do anything right either. The story challenges us to ponder our motivation. If fear of the end of the world would make us do some good things, we might question what does the love of God motivate us to do? Living a life of holiness is not a matter of just getting by so that the master does not get angry. It is a matter of risking and working to honor the Master because we love Him. It is a journey of pouring ourselves into the Great Commission to “Go and make disciples of all nations…” The master in the gospel story is not chastising the last servant so much for what he did wrong but rather for what he failed to do right. God created us and gifted us with knowledge of him so that we might use our talents to build his Kingdom on earth. God heals us and forgives us so that we might bring healing and forgiveness to others. He needs us to pour ourselves into the ministry of leading all people to the Father. The end of the world may not be coming soon, but whether it does or not is not the question. We are called each day to do the work of God, bringing his presence to earth. Jesus invites us to live every day or our lives as if it were our last day. He offers us a deep, personal love that has power to motivate our actions according to his will. Being in love with Jesus makes us ready for anything.
November 9, 2008
Amos 5:18-24; 1 Thess 4:13-18; Mt 25:1-13
In today’s gospel Jesus affirms the virtue of being ready. He uses the image of keeping an extra supply of the “oil of his love” so that our life lamps light up the presence of Jesus. The readiness he speaks of is not focused only on end times but on being attentive to and ready for the movement of God every day in our lives. When we studied the book, “When Heaven Invades Earth,” we spoke of a team of people who would ready and equip themselves to display the power of God in the world today. The gospel today challenges every Christian to be attentive to where God is coming into our world each moment. Our readiness begins with getting our interior life in order through forgiveness and inner healing. We are also called to develop our skills for proclaiming the gospel through our testimony and our knowledge of Jesus. Reading the gospels often prepares us to bring the message of Jesus to every situation in which we find ourselves. We worship each weekend to keep us attentive to the presence of Jesus every day. Though we could see this gospel as addressing Jesus’ final coming, it is not primarily about end time. It is about being ready to welcome Jesus each day into every circumstance. In the second reading the apostle Paul encourages people who were concerned for the people who had died before Jesus’ second coming. Many thought those people would be lost forever, but Paul assures them that the redemption of Jesus would save all people who believed in him. Paul knew how to bring Jesus to this situation so that people would not grieve without hope. Paul could bring light to these people because the “oil in his lamp” was keeping the fire of God’s love bright. He was filled with the truth about Jesus and he brought that truth to those in grief. Our challenge is to bring the true message of Jesus to our circumstances so that the presence of Jesus can transform people’s hearts and open them to life. In a world that contains a good measure of darkness, we can be a beacon of light if the oil of God’s love fills us. Light up someone’s life.
October 12, 2008
Is 25:1-9; Phil 4:4-13; Mt 22:1-14
In the gospel today we read how Jesus uses the
image of a wedding feast to talk about God’s invitation to us to
come to him and our response to that invitation.
Each of the readings reflects the joy of being at the feast
with God and yet to arrive at that joy, each person is challenged to
allow God’s word to transform their will.
The gospel parable makes it clear that God wants all people to
come into his presence. All
are welcome no matter what their background.
It is our responsibility as people blessed by God’s presence
to go out and invite in anyone we know.
We do not have to worry about their background.
We just have to let them know of a “feast of Love” that God
offers to them freely. Once
they come and receive the healing and transforming power of God’s
love, they are given the power to change their way of life if needed.
They are given the atmosphere where they can “put on the new
garment of Jesus’ personality. We
are not responsible for changing people.
We are only called to let God’s love change us and cloth us
with his unfailing love and acceptance.
Then we offer this gift to others and let God act in their
life. Part of putting on
the personality of Jesus means we are ready to sacrifice for the
salvation of others. Today
we reflect on our financial tithe to
October 5, 2008
Is 5:1-7; Phil 3:14-21; Mt 21:33-43
Today’s first scripture reading and gospel
speak about vineyards and the care that the Owner has for them.
They reflect God’s tender care for his people and the gifts
which he offers to each of us. In
the first reading, we hear the author speak about God as his friend, a
friend to whom he is going to sing a love song.
Our worship, our actions and our attitudes make up our love
song to God. The reading
goes on to say how the Owner plants the “choice vines” in his
vineyard, affirming each of us as God’s choicest parts of creation.
These words affirm the sacredness of human life and God’s
desire to nurture our life. We
read about the watch tower indicating God’s desire to protect us
from the destructive forces of life.
The reading then expresses the disappointment of the Owner when
his vineyard produced “wild grapes.”
The image tells us that God can only do so much to help our
lives become fruitful. Ultimately
we each have to use his nurturance, his direction, his grace and love
to produce “usable grapes”, good fruit for his glory.
The second reading says that our “citizenship is in
heaven”. God has put us
in the vineyard to bear fruit that will be eternal.
God has created us to obtain the fullness of life which is
found in a close personal, eternal relationship with him.
September 28, 2008
Ezek 18:1-32; Phil 2:1-13; Mt 21:28-32
Our first scripture reading today records an
interesting new proclamation that came to the people of the Old
Testament. For centuries
they felt that all of people’s actions and difficulties were caused
by their parents. They
felt their life was predetermined.
That is the meaning of the Proverb, “The parents have eaten
sour grapes and the children’s teeth re set on edge.”
In today’s reading we hear how God spoke through Ezekiel to
let them know that This Proverb is not true; that they are personally
responsible for their actions. He
writes, “If a person sins, that person shall die” not because of
other factors but because they are responsible for their actions.
This new way of understanding human behavior and relationships
caused people to re-think their actions.
If they wanted to live, they had to repent of their own
behavior which was contrary to God’s will.
In the gospel Jesus affirms this idea that each person is
responsible for his or her actions and if those actions are in accord
with God, they will enter into the
September 21, 2008
Jon 3:10-4:11; Phil 1:21-27; Mt 20:1-16
Our scripture readings today offer some
interesting contrasting attitudes about life.
These readings take us into our own attitudes and invite us to
ponder what it is that forms our response to life’s situations.
In the first reading, Jonah is very angry because God was
merciful to the people of
September 14, 2008
Eccl 27:30-28:7; Rom 14:5-12; Mt 18:21-35
This weekend we celebrate 8 years since the
ground breaking of our new church.
We have our Special Homecoming Weekend to remember this event
and to continue our mission to reach out to those who do not have a
spiritually nurturing community. God
has blessed us with a powerful healing community and the resources to
help many people at the Center For Inner Peace.
Our church building and community are miracles from God.
We have a calling to invite those in need to come and discover
inner peace and spiritual enrichment at
September 7, 2008
Ezek 33:1-11; Rom 12:9-21; Mt 18:15-20
The scripture readings today invite us to look at
some attributes of true caring relationships.
Sincere care for another person calls for a radical honesty
that can be challenging at times.
In the gospel Jesus describes how true love at times calls
Christians to point out another persons fault when they are alone.
When a person is blind to his or her destructive behavior, it
is a gift to have someone help them discover the truth about their
actions. Expressing this
kind of love can be scary and takes great discernment, but it is part
of genuine love in Jesus’ name.
Being radically honest with another person for their benefit is
part of Jesus’ message. This
means we must be radically honest with ourselves.
In the first reading, the author talks about a similar kind of
challenge. He writes that
the one who knows God is responsible to warn those who have strayed
from the message of God. They
are not responsible for what the person does with that warning, but
they are challenged to speak the message of God with courage.
These words can be difficult in a culture which fosters an
attitude of letting everyone do their own thing, but they are the
words of scripture. Perhaps
this is what
August 31, 2008
Jer 15:15-21; Rom 12:1-8; Mt 16:21-27
In today’s second scripture reading
August 24, 2008
Is 51:1-6; Rom 11:33-36; Mt 16:13-20
The first scripture reading today tells us that God offers teachings to his people. God wants us to know our purpose in life and the meaning of all that is. As Christians we are challenged to learn about God’s ways. Jesus was the greatest teacher and today I in the gospel we hear him ask the central question, “Who do you say that I am?” It is the search for the answer to this question which takes us into the heart of Jesus. The people of Jesus’ time answered that question a certain way depending on what they expected the Messiah to be. They each had different preconceived ideas about what the Messiah would do for them. For many their answer was all about them, and not about listening to Jesus. We each have picture of Jesus which may differ depending on our experiences and study of scripture or on what we have been taught. We may view Jesus as a powerful man, God’s son, a punisher, a magician, our servant, our friend or our Master. The question in today’s gospel calls us to reflect on who Jesus really is and who how does that alien with who we would like him to be. It moves us to look again at the gospels and read his life story. We are challenged to reflect on the things he said and did, and the way he related to people. The gospel invites us to dispel any false notions we might have about Jesus. It challenges us to do the things that Jesus did and be so committed to him that he can count on us to hold the keys of his Kingdom today. We are invited to grow in intimacy with Jesus and learn the ways of his heart. We are the “rocks” on whom he wishes to build his church in our world. This fall we are going to have a number of occasions in teachings and small groups to talk about who Jesus is and what that means for us. This is an excellent opportunity to update our picture of Jesus and deepen our love relationship with him so that Jesus can count on us to build his church. Jesus invites each of us to ponder the question, “Who do you say that I am?” The more time we take to answer that question through reading scripture and quiet prayer time, the more we will find inner peace in our lives.
August 17, 2008
Is 56:1-7; Rom 11:13-32; Mt 15:21-28
The story in the gospel today would have shaken the Jewish world view, and it might shake ours. The words or the first reading would have done the same in their historic setting. The Jews felt that God had called them as his special people. That feeling became so strong that they began to exclude anyone from the temple and community life who was not a Jew. They felt that they were “better” than other people. In today’s reading we hear how God spoke through the prophet Isaiah to let then know that anyone who followed God was welcome in God’s “House of Prayer.” They had to broaden their view of other people and in fact invite them into union with God. The gospel reading shows this same tension when the disciples try to get rid of the woman who is asking for a favor from Jesus. Jesus expresses the Jewish belief that the Messiah was sent for the Jews first, but then he broadens the vision by reaching out to the woman. During his public ministry he would offer deliverance, healing and the good news of salvation to people beyond the Jewish race. Jesus took his followers to a new level of awareness that all people were part of his saving plan. The Jews were blessed to know about him first and therefore they were to be the “light to all nations.” Their privilege made them responsible for letting others know God’s saving love. As Christians we find ourselves in the same position. Our church or “house of prayer is not just for us but for all people. Our privilege of knowing Jesus makes us accountable for telling others of his forgiving and healing love. We have been blessed in order that we might bless others. Like the apostles in the gospel story, we might like to stay in our “comfort zone” with people we know, but Jesus challenges us to step out into the unknown and touch the lives of people who otherwise would not receive ministry. When we step through our fear of reaching out to someone in need of ministry, we experience the joy of leading them to the Lord of life. Reach out and touch someone this week.
August 10, 2008
Jon 2:1-9; Rom 9:1-5; Mt 14:22-33
In the gospel this weekend we hear the familiar story of Jesus walking on water and Peter stepping out onto the water. It is a story that invites us to look at our greatest fears and then step through them. Many things in life can cause fear in us, but if we can name them and then listen to Jesus’ voice, we have the power to overcome our fears. Once we learn to face our fears with the presence of Jesus, we become more courageous. Without fear there would be no courage. Today Jesus demonstrates his desire to take us through our fears and discover the courage we can have with him at our side. Peter steps out of the old security of his boat to discover the power of Jesus in his life. He would have never known that he could walk on water unless he stepped out at Jesus’ invitation. We will never know the power of the Holy Spirit in our life unless we step out one step beyond where we are comfortable and take Jesus’ hand. God desires us to discover the fullness of life which is only found in the power of his Spirit. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are available to us which empower us to do much more than we can do on our own. Feeling Jesus with us gives us courage to step through the fears which would otherwise imprison us. This step involves trust. If trust has been broken in our life by authority figures, the memories of that can make it hard for us to trust. But God has always been faithful and is worthy of our trust. Jesus died for us while we were sinners and we can trust that he will give us everything that we need to do his will. We need only take the first step through our fears and start doing what alone would be impossible. Perhaps it is talking with a stranger about God, inviting someone to church with us, saying no when we might get ridiculed, calling someone just to encourage them, or praising God with our full voice. Whatever the fear is, the gospel invites us to step through the fear and accept Jesus’ power in our lives. It is exciting walking on water. We just have to step out of the boat.
August 3, 2008
Neh 9:16-20; Rom 8:35-39; Mt 14:13-21
Today our scripture readings reaffirm the compassionate heart of God and they also proclaim the powerful effects of sharing our gifts in Jesus’ name. In the gospel Jesus challenges the disciples to feed the people. Their first response is, “We have nothing here.” And then they realize that in fact they do have 5 loaves and 2 fish. Even though their gift seems very small, it was more than nothing, and when they surrendered it to Jesus’ power, it became enough to feed all the people with some left over. What is your small gift that Jesus is asking you to share to feed the deeper hungers of his people? Perhaps what we have is our story of how Jesus changed our life. That small story, when surrendered to Jesus, can touch the lives of many people and help them experience God’s transforming love. Maybe we have feelings to share. Sometimes sharing our feelings of hope or struggle can help others who are in the same situation and can not feel the power of Jesus in their life. Maybe we have a few hours of time each week to share. When surrendered to Jesus, that time can bring more people to know God’s saving love. Maybe we have a skill to share and when shared in the name of Jesus, that skill can bring more people to know God’s compassion and care. Multiplication happens when someone lets go, when someone sees a need and chooses to let God use their small gift for his great plans. Our gifts are small when we see them only for our use, but they multiply when surrendered to God’s plan. The story of how we came to know Jesus, or a few hours of time per week may not seem like much to us but with Jesus’ blessing it can multiply into much more. What can you multiply with Jesus’ help? Where might Jesus be asking you to let go of what seems small for his blessing? We can feed the deepest hungers of many people by giving our small gifts to him.
July 27, 2008
1 Kgs 3:5-12; Rom 8:26-34; Mt 13:31-49
Today’s first scripture reading talks about the
gift of Wisdom which comes from God.
There are many things we do not understand about the ways of
God, but if we simply surrender to God’s ways we discover true
Wisdom. In the first
reading we hear how Solomon found himself in a challenging role and
when he prayed he asked for God’s Wisdom.
He did not ask for wealth or long life but Wisdom from God.
His focus was not on himself but on a desire to do the will of
God. In the second
reading,
July 20, 2008
Wis 12:13-19; Rom 8:18-25; Mt 13:24-43
In today’s gospel we hear another parable from Jesus about seeds and growth. Last weeks parable invited us to reflect on taking in the word of God and letting it affect our behavior. Today’s parable moves us to think of the power of God’s word once it is within us. This parable, along with the two parables next week, affirms the mystery that God’s word keeps on growing in us. This week’s parable tells us that God sows good seed, that is, we are each created good. It further points out that evil entered the world through the misuse of freedom by the angels and humans. The devil was a good being until it made some self-centered choices and now tries to get others to follow. The parable also tells us that God trusts us among the weeds. That is a powerful statement about how God believes that we will ultimately make more good choices than bad and that we have the capacity to keep ourselves from being swallowed up by the forces of evil. Some of the practices that keep us from being destroyed by the “weeds” include worshiping consistently, reading God’s word, taking time for quiet personal prayer, repenting of past sins, and associating with a group of people who keep themselves from the power of evil. When we reflect upon these things, we recognize that this is why we have our Christian community. We see the power of God’s love growing in our midst as we each give God permission to take over our will. We see God touching new people who come into our church. We understand why we have various support groups and study groups for people who wish to stay free from certain destructive behavior patterns and who wish to deepen their walk with the Lord. We are people among weeds but we do not get scared because we have the power of God inside of us. If we stay focused on nurturing our spirituality we will remain safe from the power of evil and be found right with God when we finally coming Home. God desires that we be safe and live with him forever and he trusts that we will.
July 13, 2008
Is 55:1-13; Rom 8:9-17; Mt 13:1-23
Today’s scripture reading talk about the power
of God’s words. We know
that our words have power and we may feel the power of other
people’s words. When
things are said to us, we can feel either positive affirmation or some
negative effects. The
readings today tell us that God’s word goes forth and has a
life-giving effect on each person who takes it in.
The first reading talks about the effect of God’s word which
accomplishes it purpose much like the rain affects the land.
It nurtures life. In
the gospel Jesus tells a parable about a farmer who went out to sow
seeds. The image lets us
know that God’s words speak to us each day, but it also indicates
that we are responsible for letting that word into our hearts.
The promise of the parable is that God’s word goes out to all
freely. God desires to
speak to each person’s heart and offer them the hope of an eternal
purpose and the promise of eternal life.
Despite God’s desire to give new life to his people, the
parable tells us that we are free to receive his word or to destroy
it. God’s word only has
a life-giving affect on us if we give it room to grow in us.
It takes time to develop a deep listing relationship with God.
It does not happen in a hurry. There are many events and voices
in life that can destroy the healing and redeeming effects of God’s
word to us. It is our
choice whether we wish to receive life from God or not.
In the second reading
July 6, 2008
Zech 9:9-12; Rom 7:21-8:6; Mt 11:25-30
This week-end we celebrate our independence as a
nation and we remember those who sacrificed for our freedom.
Our scripture reading today speak about independence within
ourselves which comes from winning our personal “war of
independence.” The first
reading tells us of God’s desire to establish a spiritually
independent nation of people who are surrendered completely to his
will. In the second
reading,
June 29, 2008
Is 2:10-17; Rom 6:3-11; Mt 10:34-42
The scripture readings today leave us no small
challenge and yet they also offer us the way to discover real joy in
life. The second reading
and the gospel both talk about the most difficult part of our human
journey, and that is to get ourselves out of the way so that God can
move in us. In the second
reading
June 22, 2008
Jer 20:7-13; Rom 5:15-19; Mt 10:16-33
The scripture readings today invite us to ponder the powerful gift of knowing who we are and the ability to stand up for the message of Jesus in our world. In the first reading we hear about Jeremiah who proclaimed the message of God despite what anyone thought about him. He was grounded in who he was and he lived his calling despite people’s response. He had a “fire” in his bones to speak God’s word in every situation and no amount of ridicule or persecution could stop him. In the gospel Jesus challenges his disciple to go out as “sheep in the midst of wolves” and tell the world the good news of healing, forgiveness and salvation. He told them to be very wise and completely innocent. Their short time spent hanging around him gave them confidence to do this challenging mission and not worry about what people would do to them. He gave them the inner strength to take on a battle, to face adversity for God with a deep inner conviction and determination. He modeled that inner conviction with his life of care for the sick, his dispelling of demons, and his death on the cross. Do we seek such deep convictions about Jesus that we do not care what other’s think? Do we hang around people who instill such inner conviction and strength in us? As Christians we are challenged to stand together proclaiming Jesus’ message in the midst of the “wolves” in the world who would try to take away our dignity or tempt us to settle for lesser values than those which Jesus proclaimed. We pray that our convictions will grow deeper so that our life becomes more a journey of doing what Jesus did, rather than reacting to what others think. We pray for strength to break free of the prison of past failures and step into the freedom of living as Jesus lived. The more we discover who we are and whose we are, the more we will discover the freedom and the power of walking in Jesus’ steps.
June 15, 2008
Ex 19:2-8; Rom 5:6-11; Mt 9:35-10:15
Today we celebrate Father’s Day.
The scripture readings describe the greatest gift a father can
give to his children. It
is the awareness of how deeply God loves them.
The gift of God’s awesome love for us is described in the
second scripture reading today.
June 8, 2008
Hos 5:15-6:6; Rom 4:13-18; Mt 9:9-13
Today’s scripture readings reveal the very depth of Jesus’ love and the reason for his coming to earth and dying on the cross. The gospel reveals a God who has a passion for saving his people from themselves. Jesus’ actions of calling Matthew to be his apostle and sitting at table with sinners assure us that we are acceptable to him. His actions tell us that he will do anything to keep us from being lost to the power of sin. Jesus gets questioned by the Pharisees about his choice to eat with sinners and it gives him a chance to explain the deep longing he has to save sinners. He came to save the lost. Their ridicule does not stop him from reaching out to those who were willing to allow his words and his love to transform their lives. What is also clear in the gospel is that Jesus offers the invitation, but only those who take it receive his gift of forgiveness. The Pharisees did not experience forgiveness because they were unwilling to acknowledge their sin. They remained stuck in their sin and missed the freeing love of Jesus. They could see Jesus’ love offered to the sinners, but they could not receive it because they were not willing to surrender to him. This must have been a great source of pain for Jesus. We are all sinners but Jesus offers us the gift of forgiveness. The words tell us that we are all worthy of his forgiveness, but we must acknowledge our sin and accept a relationship with him. In his acceptance we find acceptance. In his love we experience a presence that can set us free to live a life of wholeness and peace. Today’s scripture words give us great hope for our life and the lives of those we know. We can offer this gift of Jesus to anyone, affirming their goodness and inviting them to be freed by the love and mercy of Jesus. Take time to invite someone to the Table of the Lord so that they might experience the gift of Divine Mercy. Let someone know they are welcome.
June 1, 2008
Deut 11:18-28; Rom 3:21-28; Mt7:21-27
Our scripture readings today speak about building our lives on the Word of God, the Rock of our salvation. In the first reading, God say, “Put these words of mine in your heart and soul.” God knows that his word, his laws guide us to the healthiest and most joy-filled life. He desires that we stay safe in his love and protected in this presence. Every day we make choices which help create the next segment of our life. Jesus invites us in the gospel to listen to his words and act on them. He offers us the new life which flows from grounding our decisions in his word. When our choices are in accord with the will of Jesus for us, we live a life of deep inner joy and serenity because we are living our purpose for existence. Jesus uses the image of building the house of our life on solid rock. As we listen to these words we recognize that Jesus’ laws for our life are for our benefit and health. He does not want us to get lost or destroyed by poor choices. He does not want us to get destroyed by the words of the world which offer immediate comfort but long term death. He invites us to embrace his words and to feel his love as we make the everyday choices of our lives. The first reading invites families to write the Word of God on the doorposts of their houses. God wants us to be continually reminded of his deep love for us. Today we might write his words on our screen savers or our cell phone texts. The more we allow God’s word to direct our every thought an action, the richer our lives will be. Each of these readings reminds us of the power of God’s word to give our life meaning and purpose as well as to keep us healthy. If we build a strong foundation in our life on the Word of God, we will enjoy a deep sense of fulfillment and joy throughout our life. Jesus is the Rock of our salvation.
May 25, 2008
Is 49:8-18; 1 Cor 4:1-13; Mt 6:24-34
As I pondered the scripture readings for today and the celebration of Graduation, I thought of Mother Theresa’s words about people. In the gospel Jesus calls us to be fully devoted to him, and sometimes we hold back because of what other people will think or say. In her reflections Mother Theresa makes it clear that what other people think is no0t important, but only what God thinks because in the end, they will not be there anyway. Every time we “graduate” into a new season of our lives, we are challenged to make a new decision for Jesus. Today Jesus clearly invites us to serve him rather than serving “wealth” or the world. There are so many messages that would tempt us to seek to get ahead in the world and yet the world holds nothing eternal. Jesus tells us that if we seek him first, then the things of the world will fall into place. He instructs his disciple and us that worry is useless and even destructive. It takes away from our life while worship of him adds to our life. In the first reading we get a beautiful picture of God holding on to us. God says through the prophet Isaiah, “I have inscribed you on the palm of my hand.” That picture of being help in God’s hand is a powerful image which dispels worry and energizes us to become all that God hopes for us. God will never, never, never stop loving us. God delights in filling all of our needs and waits for us to invite his love into our hearts. When we live each day in that nearness to God, all worry and fear go away. As we hear in the psalm today, God is our rock and our salvation, our stronghold, our safety and our honor. As Christians we are privileged to know our Creator personally and feel his personal love for us. Knowing God’s personal love for us becomes more and more important and powerful as we grow. Whether we are graduating from one class to another or graduating to a new season in our life journey, the words today give us something to hold on to. They give us hope in God and the strength to face tomorrow with joy. Seeking Jesus’ first, puts everything else into perspective.
May 18, 2008
Gen 1:1-2:3; 2 Cor 13:5-14; Mt 28:16-20
Today we celebrate the Trinity, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We ponder the mystery of how God exists with many different facets, and more importantly we take time to experience the awesome love that God ahs for each one of us. The scripture readings today, describe various things about God and show us that the early church talked of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. As we think of God we often wonder about the ways of God. Sometimes people get a sense that God has something to do with causing suffering in the world and then they pull away from God in anger. These kinds of beliefs come from people’s own feelings which they may portray as God’s feelings. They would perhaps like to punish someone or teach someone a lesson if they stepped out of line, but God does not need to do that. The first reading tells us that God created all things good and it was human being’s misuse of their gift of freedom that caused the world to get in such disarray that suffering entered the world. God wanted only the best for human beings but in their gift of free will they also received the possibility to do harmful things to themselves and others. That was the risk of creating humans free. It seems God hurts when humans misuse their gift of freedom to hurt someone else. As we reflect on the Trinity, we recognize that it is the awesome, patient, unconditional love of God that is always there for us to love us back into wholeness and forgiveness when we fall short of God’s purpose. Today we are each invited to review our picture of God. We are invited to reflect on Jesus words about God and his own revelation of God through his life witness. He demonstrated most clearly what God is like. He described God as Abba or Father, himself as God’s Son, and the Holy Spirit as their indwelling presence in our lives. He portrayed a God of mercy, healing, care and compassion. Today we let that presence of God totally fill us so that we are empowered to go forth and “make disciples of all nations,” beginning with the people right around us. We offer them the gift of Trinity love.
May 11, 2008 Pentecost
Acts 2:1-11; 1 Cor 12:4-13; Jn 20:19-23
Today we celebrate Mother’s Day and the Feast of Pentecost. It is intriguing to ponder the relationship between these two celebrations. We remember the gift of life given to us by our mothers and the gift of life offered to us by the coming of the Holy Spirit. When we think of the gift of mother’s we can think of their role in giving to their children, roots, identity and wings. They are in sacred position to offer their children roots in the message of Jesus, an identity as his chosen children, and the wings to fly through life on the power of his love. Moms are the most influential people in a child’s life during the formative years and so they have this sacred position to fashion their children’s hearts and minds in Jesus. There is no guarantee that their children will “fly” in His power, but they can offer the opportunity. Jesus did the same thing with his disciples. He formed them by his words and life witness. He showed them the power of the Father’s love. He taught them that they were not just fisherman, carpenters, shepherds, or tax collectors, but sons and daughters of the One they could call Abba. Then he gave them wings and sent them forth in the power of his Holy Spirit to carry on the work that he had begun. There was no guarantee that they would “fly”, but he gave them the opportunity to spread their wings and try. Today we celebrate that giving of divine wings to every person who believes in Jesus. It is the celebration of a new power on earth that could transform human lives with the energy of divine love. God poured out a new energy on that first Pentecost, an energy which is still available to all of us who believe in him. That new energy fills us with inner Peace and a confidence to share God’s life with others. It fills us with power to do miracles and to offer healing to those who are open to it. It offers us discernment to distinguish the voice of God from other voices. It offers us hope and the ability to give hope and faith to others. Today is truly a celebration of the gift of life, human and divine, all in the power of God’s Spirit.
May 4, 2008
Acts 1:1-14; 1 Pet 4:12-19; Jn 17:1-11
In the first reading today, we are each reminded of our mission to carry on the ministry of Jesus. As Jesus said to his apostles he says to us, “You are to be my witnesses…to the ends of the earth.” Each of us has the privilege of sharing the saving and healing message of Jesus with those with whom we live and work. Even though this task can seem frightful and sometimes impossible, Jesus promises to be with us. It is our friendship with him that gives us access to the love which heals and changes people’s hearts. We do not have to do it all. We simply need to stay in a deep love relationship with Jesus so that his power can move through us to the people he chooses to transform. If we think that we are unworthy to be used by God, or if we are unwilling to allow God’s power to flow through us, we limit God’s ability to use us as his witnesses. We make the process possible by believing in his power and giving him free access to our will. The way people see us abiding in God and responding with his love to the challenges of life speaks powerfully of his transforming love. We do not necessarily have to preach with words, but we are called to witness to a relationship with him which makes every one of our choices say that he is Lord of our lives. Each of us has been chosen by him, despite our background or abilities, to be witnesses of the power of his love in the world today. He promises to be with us always. With him at our side we can significantly influence those people around us. Jesus invites us today to step into his mission and open ourselves to what his Holy Spirit will do in our lives. We have been gifted with knowledge of him and we have been anointed with his love in order that we might bless others. We carry the treasure of his love in our hearts every day.
April 27, 2008
Acts 17:22-31; 1 Pet 3:8-18; Jn 15:1-8
Today we celebrate First Communion for three of our children and it is a beautiful time to reflect on the gift of receiving Jesus. In today’s gospel Jesus says some very profound things to his followers which give deep meaning to what communion with Jesus is all about.. His words are at the core of spiritual growth. He says, “Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine… apart from me you can do nothing.” This image makes it clear that only in relationship with Jesus will we discover our deepest purpose and have the energy to live our deepest purpose. The key question in Jesus’ words is, “What does it mean to abide in him, to be in communion with him?” I think from the image we recognize that it does not mean that we go to Jesus only when we need something or when it is convenient for us. Abide means constantly being connected, constantly receiving nurturance, constantly submitting to God’s direction and purpose. In this constant connectedness the love of Jesus can flow to us and we can bear fruit with our lives in his name. When we align our will with Jesus, we open the channels for his energy to flow through us. Our significance is all related to abiding in Jesus. Only in this spirituality of abiding do Jesus’ words about prayer make sense. He says, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish and it will be done for you.” If we are continually listening to and abiding in God’s word, our prayers will carry a power to bring about change. The power of prayer is in the relationship we have with Jesus and our desire to submit to his will. The energy of God’s love flows into us through the abiding connection that we develop with him. Today’s words teach us the power of developing that abiding relationship. Jesus invites us to receive the life-giving energy of his love for us every day. This is a holy communion with God.
April 20, 2008
Acts 17:1-15; 1 Pet 2:1-10; Jn 14:1-14
Today’ scripture readings give us the truth about who we really are and how to discover whose we really are. In the second reading, the apostle Peter describes our identity as Christians. He writes, “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a people he claims for his own to proclaim the glorious works of the Lord.” Do we each know this truth? Do we feel this identity every day? This is God’s perspective of us and he wants us to see it. If we do not see ourselves this way, then the words of the first reading may make sense. It describes how Paul and Silas came in cities and proclaimed the message of Jesus. People were so used to their perspective on life that they tried to get rid of Paul and Silas. They said, “These people (Paul and Silas) have been turning the world upside down with their teaching.” When we are used to seeing the world as we see it with our needs and wants on top, it does feel like the message of Jesus “turns our world upside down.” We must turn upside down and empty ourselves of our perspective to see the new way of looking at life from God’s eyes. We must repent of the thought patterns and actions that have caused us to be blinded to God’s perspective of life. Then we can begin to feel like “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation.” Then we can discover the peace which Jesus offers to his followers in the gospel. He says, “Do not let your hearts be troubles.” Our hearts get troubled when we do not see life as God sees it. We make our own troubles by trying to control situations or trying to run the world in a way that is not in agreement with God’s way. Jesus came to set us free by stepping into his perspective of life and his protective care. He is the “way, the truth and the life.’ Any attempt we make to live life other than his way caused stress, anxiety, fear, and emptiness. We keep ourselves free by stopping and choosing to seek his perspective on everything we do. Today he invites us to choose Life.
April 13, 2008
Acts 6:1-9; 1 Pet 2:19-25; Jn 10:1-10
Today’s scripture readings take us into one of the joys of living in the power of the risen presence of Jesus. Part of the gift of Jesus’ resurrection is that his living presence guides our lives and assures us of his love. In the gospel we read about the gift of being cared for personally by Jesus. He speaks to our hearts and assures us of his guiding hand, his protection and grace throughout our lives. His words challenge us to listen to the gift he has to offer. The fullness of life is found in the path that Jesus has for us and each day he speaks words to empower us along that path. Our human freedom allows us to take other paths, but none of these leads to inner peace and tranquility. Because each of us has an ego, we are tempted to do things our way or do things in order that we look good or get ahead. The challenge of our words today is to humble ourselves and listen to the One who knows our eternal destiny. At times following his path involves some initial sacrifices, but Jesus’ way always leads to life and offers the hope of eternal life. We have many voices from our life story and from the media of our age, but these voices do not offer life. They lead us astray as Peter says in the second reading and eventually they bring us to a dead end road. We are invited to break away from these worldly voices and walk unto the path that Jesus offers. If we have been tempted astray by our own ego, we are challenged to turn back to God’s path for us. In the first reading we hear how Stephen listened to Jesus’ voice. He offered his gifts to be a deacon and later offered his gifts to give testimony to Jesus’ risen presence. His sacrifice to follow Jesus was great, but he kept his eyes on God and experienced the deep joy of serving him. Life is exciting when we wake up each morning and ask Jesus for our instructions for the day and the power to do miracles. He speaks to our hearts each day and gives us all that we need to carry out his mission. Listen for the Voice that gives meaning and joy to each day.
April 6, 2008
Acts 2:36-47; 1 Pet 1:17-23; Lk 24:13-35
In today’s gospel we hear the powerful story of how the first disciples began to experience Jesus alive in their life. They were walking home discouraged and distressed because they thought he was dead, that he was gone forever. Then as they walked, he came to walk with them and talked about the Bible to them. They did not recognize him on the road but when they invited him into their house to share bread together their eyes were opened and they recognized him in their midst. This account draws us into the question, “How do we experience Jesus in our daily life.” He walks with us every day but often we do not feel him and then we can get discouraged and stressed out. When we stop running and take time to quiet ourselves and read the scriptures, we can feel a “fire of love burning in our hearts” as they did. When we invite Jesus into our hearts and “break bread“ with him, we can see how he is constantly with us. When we feel Jesus with us we can talk to him about the issues of the day as the two disciples did. Jesus sheds new light on any situation we encounter. He may not always “fix it’ the way we would like, but he gives us the power and the courage to change what we can change to make things better. Knowing he is with us in the situation fills us with Peace, gives us hope and affords us the confidence that things will ultimately work out. The disciple’s invitation for Jesus to “stay with” them is the most crucial choice we make each day. When we begin the day asking Jesus to stay with us and then throughout the day invite him to stay with us, we can handle anything. As we take more and more time to experience Jesus in our daily lives and feel him in our hearts, we will have more energy to do the ministry that he calls us to do. His living risen presence within us is the greatest gift of being a Christian. Invite him into your heart again today.
March 30, 2008
Acts 2:14-32; 1Pet 1:3-9; Jn 20:19-31
On this first Sunday after Easter, the scripture
readings give us more evidence of Jesus’ resurrection by describing
the events after his resurrection.
The gospel tells us of the deep Peace that Jesus offered when
he rose from the dead. This
gift of inner Peace is one of the clearest signs of his living
presence. This is why we
decided to make
March 23, 2008 – EASTER
Acts 10:34-43; Col 3:1-4; Jn 20:1-10
Today we celebrate the most profound feast of the
church year which breaks open our perception and fills us with the
hope of new life. The
first reading describes the change that happened to the early
disciples because of the resurrection of Jesus.
In the gospel today,
March 16, 2008
Is 45:21-25; Phil 2:5-11; Mt26:36-27:66
This weekend we step into Holy Week.
We begin this journey by remembering Jesus journey into
March 9, 2008
Ezek 37:1-14; Rom 6:16-23; Jn 11:1-44
The scripture readings of this fifth Sunday of
Lent move us to reflect on the essence of life.
They talk about death and life in away that draws us into a
greater understanding of the life that God offers to us.
The first reading from Ezekiel offers a daunting image of how
life can be without God’s presence.
It begins with a picture of dry bones which are not even
connected until they begin to hear the voice of God.
Then gradually by receiving God’s life and breath they become
persons. It is a stark
picture of people who are dead on the inside, who walk and talk but
who are dry as bones. Without
the breath of God every one of us is simply dry bones which become
dust. The gospel story
also speaks of life for those who hear the voice of God and allow his
breath to fill them. Jesus
offers that breath of God to all who will trust him.
Martha and Mary must first trust that he can offer new life.
His apostles risk going with him to
.
March 2, 2008
1 Sam 16:1-13; Eph 5:1-14; Jn 9:1-38
Today’s scripture readings offer us some powerful words about seeing as God sees. It is quite easy to get blinded by ourselves and the things of this world and today we are invited to open our eyes to God’s perspective. The gospel begins by reflecting on the origins of sickness, disease, and suffering. In the story we hear how the Jewish people had come to see a condition like blindness as a punishment from God. If we begin to doubt God’s love and think that he would cause us to be sick or diseased, then we have already given up the possibility of healing. Part of Jesus’ mission was to clearly show that God is on the side of health, that God does not want his children to suffer and that he will do all that we allow him to, to restore our health. We must be willing to look beyond the disease to the power of his healing love and his great desire to lavish that love upon us. The blind man in the story responds to Jesus’ invitation to be healed by obeying his directive. Once he goes to wash his eyes, he is able to see. So many stay blind because they will not listen to God’s perspective on life and surrender to his will. Our will can blind us to the very meaning of life. In the first reading we notice how Samuel was blinded by the appearance of Jesse’s sons. He had to get past seeing just the outside of the person and look in the heart as God does. Our eyes become a great hindrance to seeing. This blindness also takes away the joy the God wants for us. We get ourselves imprisoned within our own wants and do not see the great purpose and plan God has in mind for our lives. The symbolism in the gospel story is that the blind man was baptized in the Holy Spirit. Once he felt the power of God’s love, he had the strength to step out of his old way of life and surrender completely to God’s will. It is in God’s will that we find the greatest joy of life and see the beauty of his presence every day.
February 24, 2008
Ex 17:1-7; Rom 5:1-11; Jn 4:5-42
The image of flowing water is used in the first
reading and the gospel this week to symbolize God’s awesome,
life-giving love flowing over us.
The scripture readings proclaim the same message as our small
group booklet for this week which speaks about God’s “sustaining
grace.” All of our
scripture words this week drench us in the awareness that God
continuously is pouring out his love upon us, inviting us to drink it
in and allow it to sustain us each day, especially in our darkest
moments. In the first
reading we hear about the Jewish people out in the desert grumbling
because they had no water. God
move among them through Moses to break open the rock and give them the
sustaining water they need. It
is a powerful picture of how every human being longs for love (flowing
water). When they turn to
God, he can quench their deepest thirst because he is Love.
In the gospel we see the same image in the story of the woman
at the well. She, too, is
thirsting for love and has been looking in all the wrong places.
No man has filed her need to feel loved, and now she feels
ashamed and alone. Jesus
comes to her in her thirst and offers her the only water that will
quench her thirst. In his
presence she lets down her defenses and finds a relationship that
fills her to overflowing with life-giving love.
She becomes a vessel to invite others to the One who quenches
the deepest human longing for love.
In the second reading
February 17, 2008
Gen 12:1-8; Rom 4:1-17; Jn 3:1-17
Today we move to the second Sunday of Lent and take time to appreciate the grace of Jesus given to us when we have sinned. In the gospel we read, “God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” To get free of sin and experience the extravagant mercy of Jesus flowing from the cross, we must honestly and humble own up to our choices. This week we ponder how to obtain access to the generous grace of Jesus crucifixion. An important beginning in preparing for confession is to distinguish the difference between shame and guilt. Shame is a feeling of being a bad person which can rise up when someone shames on us, telling us what we “should have done” or what we should do. It can pull us down and make us feel like a mistake. Guilt is a healthy feeling that comes when we do an action that is contrary to the values which Jesus lived and taught. When we skip worship because something else is our “god” for the day, or when we “kill” someone by our gossip, or when we lie for our gain, those actions are contrary to the way of Jesus. In order to receive Jesus’ saving grace, it is helpful to name specifically and concretely the choices that have been incongruent with the ways of Jesus. Once we have done this, we can look deeper as to what needs in our life are we not meeting in a healthy way. If we do not meet our needs in a healthy way we will likely end up meeting them in a sinful way. It can be beneficial to try and enter into the pain of the person or persons we have hurt. Such entering into their pain will bring our hearts to “godly sorrow” for our sin. It is the experience of God’s deep love at this point which will move us to make a resolve not to continue the sinful actions. This process leads us to feel the great joy of being free, of having laid our burden down at the cross so that we can live life with the deep joy of God’s presence. God desires to give us this great joy and waits for us to enter this process of confession and inner healing.
February 10, 2008
Gen 2:4 - 3:7; Rom 5:12-19; Mt 4:1-11
Today we celebrate the first Sunday of Lent and
the beginning of our REVIVAL Groups.
The theme for our groups this week is “Living in Grace” and
the readings for today remind us of why we need the grace of God.
The scripture texts take us to the most difficult battle of
life, namely, the battle within ourselves.
The first reading offers a story of how the first people
wrestled with their desire for more pleasure.
It would seem that they had plenty of food to eat in the Garden
of Eden, but they wanted more. We
could wonder why they had to have the fruit of one more tree and yet
as we ponder the story we recognize it as our story.
There is that part in all of us that hungers for more things,
more food, more drink, more pleasure, more power, more control.
Often when we take more, someone gets less or someone gets
hurt. Our challenge as
human beings is to win the battle over ourselves so that we can live
in the freedom of God’s children.
That victory comes by first receiving God’s freely offered
love for us, which we call grace.
God offers us a way to stay free from the bondage of ourselves
and discover the joy of living in his will.
Once we no longer need the immediate pleasure we can begin
receiving the God given pleasures in daily life.
In the gospel we read the story of how Jesus won his inner
battle with human pleasures. His
connection with the Father’s love, the Holy Spirit, allowed his to
win the battle over the temptations of the devil and stay free of the
devil’s trappings.
February 3, 2008
Ex 24:12-18; Phil 3:7-14; Mt 17:1-9
Today’s scripture readings talk about seeing
with new eyes. They offer
us ways of seeing God’s will in the midst of life.
This is the last Sunday before Lent and it gives us an
opportunity to ready our hearts for the special season of Lent.
God wants us to live in the freedom of his presence and
today’s scripture words show us how to live that life.
In the first reading God says to Moses “Come
up to me on the mountain.”
Moses is invited to step away from the normal things of life
and discover a new look at what life is about.
When Moses makes the journey, God reveals the 10 commandments
which offer the healthiest and best way to live.
In the second reading
.
January 27, 2008
Amos 3:1-8; 1 Cor 1:10-17; Mt 4:12-23
It is hard to imagine the feelings involved in
the gospel story today. We
read about Jesus walking along the shores of the
January 20, 2008
Is 49:1-7; 1 Cor 1:1-9; Jn 1:29-41
There is something energizing about a calling, a mission, a purpose in life. Today’s scripture readings demonstrate the power and certitude that flow from being called by God. The first reading says, “The Lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother’s womb he named me.” Even though Isaiah writes this of himself, we know it is true of every one of us. Before we were born God had a purpose for our life. We might have begun our life journey thinking our purpose was just to be happy and survived, but as we see from the first reading, we sometimes think too small for God’s vision. We were created to participate with God in bringing humanity to a greater awareness of its God-given purpose. Our life journey is meant to impact many people and offer them the life giving power of God’s love. This thought may be frightening at first but when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, God takes the lead in putting us in situations where we can use our gifts to offer a word of hope or healing to someone. God knows what we can do with his help and he invites us into the eternal mission of his saving grace. In the second reading, the apostle Paul reminds his people and us that we are “sanctified in Christ” and empowered to carry on his awesome work of inviting people to a saving relationship with Jesus. Even though Paul was a sinner he found himself doing this holy work in his life. He was often overwhelmed that God would find him worthy, but God did and he finds us worthy of the same mission. None of us could do this work on our own. We must each allow Jesus to transform us with his healing and forgiving love so that we can accomplish this great purpose for which we were born. God did not lead us into a deep love relationship with him for no reason. He sees gifts in us to help transform the world. In the gospel we read how Jesus called his first disciples. He saw gifts in some crude fishermen and tax collectors and invited them to “come and see” where he stayed. Once they hung around him for awhile they discovered the true purpose for their life. We discover our purpose by hanging around Jesus as well.
January 13, 2008
Is 42:1-9; Acts 10:34-38; Mt 3:1`3-17
Today we remember the Baptism of Jesus, the day
he was empowered by the Father for his eternal mission.
He had been a carpenter but he knew there was more to life than
building with wood. Jesus
must have sensed that there was a larger mission and this was the time
to step into that mission. From
the scriptures he would have known the role of the servant of Yahweh
and he realized that he was that Servant, the Messiah.
He would have known the first reading today and would have
understood that being the Servant of God entailed suffering and
persecution. He also knew
that if he was going to fulfill his personal mission, he would have to
step into this new role and begin preaching, teaching and healing.
On the day of his baptism he chose to step into that role and
was empowered by the Father’s voice to carry out his work.
His new mission would take him through
January 6, 2008
Is 60:1-9; Eph 3:1-12; Mt 2:1-12
On this first Sunday of the New Year we celebrate
one of the great feasts of the church, namely the Epiphany.
This is the celebration of the three kings coming to see Jesus,
but it is more than that. This
feast opens us to reflect on every person’s search for Jesus.
It is about the meaning of life and it proclaims the truth that
until we find Jesus, we wonder through life without direction.
Unless the Star guides our decisions, we are lost.
In the gospel story we hear that the learned people of
December 30, 2007
Is 61:10-62:3; Gal 3:23-4:7; Jn 1:1-18
Today we continue the Christmas theme, reflecting on the power of God to restore us to wholeness as we were created. The first reading gives us a beautiful image of how God wants to restore our identity which we lost through sin. The writer says, “I greatly rejoice in the Lord… for he has clothed me with the garment of salvation and wrapped me in a mantle of holiness.” True joy flows from having our original beauty restored. God fashioned us in his image, whole and complete but human sinfulness has taken its toll and marred our image. We often loose sight of who we are and the great destiny that God has for us. Today’s scripture words give us the promise that God desires to restore us the way he made us. He came into the world to bring us back home when we were lost in the effects of sin. He wraps a new mantle of love and acceptance around us so that we can again appreciate who we truly are. God did not damage us but he will do everything to restore us. He restores our self esteem, our name, our true identity and our life. This promise of restoration is for every person who receives him into their heart. The gospel tells us that Jesus was there when we were created and he desires to refashion us in his image. He comes into our darkness with his light of love. As we hear in the second reading, we are no longer slaves but free sons and daughters who know that we belong to the Creator. To anyone who accepts Jesus, this truth becomes real and they discover the life they were intended to enjoy. The old destructive voices of the past are replaced by the new voices of our true identity. The coming of Jesus offers us this great gift of life and hope. In this Christmas season we absorb this truth and allow it into our whole being. We can handle anything in this world if we know who we really are and whose we really are. We begin the New Year aware of the beauty of our original identity in Jesus. Have a blessed and transforming New Year.
December 23, 2007
Is 7:10-17; Rom 1:1-7; Mt 1:18-25
Today we find ourselves days away from celebrating Christmas and still pondering the awesome mystery of how God became human and transformed life for all who would believe in him. The gospel tries to describe how the birth of Jesus came about but there are not enough words to describe this mysterious event. Matthew, the gospel writer, describes Joseph’s dream which somewhat clarifies for Joseph what he is to do to make this invasion of heaven happen. Even with the angel’s explanation in a dream, Joseph is still baffled by the events which defy logic. Joseph does not fully understand, but he does what the angel says anyway. His response to the angel in the dream is a powerful witness for us on this day. We each have decisions to make regarding doing the will of God, and it can be easy at times to doubt the wisdom or the love of God. Joseph’s response testifies to a man who was obedient to a call that did not make sense. He never doubted the love of God. His obedience set the stage for Jesus to be born. If we are going to allow heaven to invade earth, God to appear in our world, we must listen to and obey his direction with the deep trust we see in the actions of Joseph. When we face crises in life as Joseph did, we are challenged to trust unreservedly in the love and care of God. If we stay on God’s side, we will come through the challenges victorious. If we have been wounded by others and wonder why, we can be assured that if we stay in the love of God, healing does happen and we can move forward with a deep peace in our hearts. We are each called like Paul in the second reading, to bring the message of Jesus to those who are searching for him. We are not perfect, but we are chosen by God and if we listen and obey, we will be powerful vessels for bringing Jesus to birth in the world again. Joseph and Paul give us some compelling examples of how to let God move through us. We receive their transforming testimony. May your Christmas be richly blessed by a rebirth of God’s love in your heart.
December 16, 2007
Is 35:1-10; Jms 5:7-10; Mt 11:2-11
Today we come to the third Sunday of Advent and the scripture readings invite us to ponder the identity of Jesus and our own identity. Our true identity is related to our inner joy. In the gospel John the Baptist sends his disciples to Jesus to ask him about who he really is. John is trying to get his disciples to see that Jesus truly is the Messiah so that they will follow him. By going to Jesus they discover that he is doing what they believed the messiah would do, namely, open the eyes of the blind, clear the ears of the deaf, make the lame walk and allow the dumb to sing. Our spiritual journey involves opening our eyes to who Jesus truly is. Knowing Jesus’ true identity helps us discover our true identity. When we succumb to shame, we are tempted to question our identity and God’s identity. We wonder if God really cares about us and we begin to wonder if we are worth his care. These thoughts destroy the inner joy that God desires for us as his children. Today’s scripture readings call us back to that deep inner joy by remembering our identity as sons and daughters of the Father and reaffirming that when we are connected to God, there is always reason for hope. The first reading gives a powerful picture of the promise of restoration that is available to us in God. The author is living in captivity, exiled in a foreign land and yet he can see what God is doing to set his people free. We each have our times in life when things seem bleak, but if we keep in mind the power of our God and his deep love for us as his children, we can see what he his doing to set us free. Christian joy is not so much a feeling as it is an attitude about life which flows from a deep trust relationship with God. Today we celebrate the inner joy of knowing who we really are and whose we really are. When we are connected to God, we can see miracle happen and live in the hope of eternal life with our God. Our joy is being in his presence and living in his love.
December 9, 2007
Is 11:1-10; Rom 15:4-13; Mt 3:1-12
On this second Sunday of Advent our scripture readings offer another invitation to break out of our normal course of life and evaluate the deeper meaning of life. In the first reading Isaiah offers another vision of what happens when we take time to “climb the mountain of the Lord.” It is a vision of the impossible which becomes possible when human beings make the choice to step out of what looks real and journey into the power of God. Isaiah uses natural imagery of his time to describe the impossible. He says on God’s holy mountain, “the wolf shall be the guest of the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the cow and the bear shall eat together and the child shall play by the cobra’s den.” These things would never happen in the world as he knew it but when God transforms life, these impossible things become reality. These words challenge us to ponder what “impossible things” could be different if people accepted the full power of the Holy Spirit into their lives. We look at places where people are being “eaten up” by painful memories or destructive words, where children are being “bitten” by the poisonous messages of the media, and souls are being lost to the voices of the present age, and we consider what could be different if people listened to God’s voice and allowed his power to permeate their lives. This is the vision of life that comes to us today. It challenges us to give the Holy Spirit permission to move through us and bring change to seemingly impossible situations. This is the “voice crying out in the wilderness” calling us to make way for the invasion of heaven into life situations here on earth. Our openness to the Holy Spirit makes these invasions possible and God changes some of the destructive things that are going on around us. The scripture words today call us to consider how much better life could be if God voice guided peoples choices. Take a moment and let the images speak to your heart.
December 2, 2007
Is 2:1-5; Rom 13:8-14; Mt 24:37-44
Today we begin the Holy Season of Advent.
It is a sacred time to get our hearts ready for a re-birth of
Jesus into our interior life. It
is a season of internal evaluation and a time for new choices based on
the living presence of Jesus. The
scripture readings today use various images to lead us into this time
of preparation for new birth. The
second reading and the gospel call us to “wake from our sleep.”
We each can get memorized into accepting the ways of the world
and lulled into practices which do not affirm the values of Jesus.
It is human to adjust to our situation and our culture, but in
this season we are called to remember that we do not belong to this
world but are other worldly. The
readings invite us to “wake up” from the ways of the world and
open ourselves to the voice of Jesus within our hearts.
In the first reading, Isaiah the prophet writes about coming
out of the world and climbing the “mountain” so that we can be
instructed by God. To hear
God’s voice we must step out of the business of the world and choose
to accept the message of God. If
we get too busy to hear God, then our lives swirl downward in what
November 25, 2007
Jer 23:1-6; Col 1:11-20; Lk 23:35-43
Today is the last Sunday of the Church Year and we culminate the year with a celebration of Jesus as King. We celebrate his saving mission and the reality that the fullness of God resides in him. This feast is wrapped in paradox because we celebrate Jesus as King with the story of him hanging on the cross. Jesus demonstrated the power of his love most directly by offering himself on the cross for our sins. It is the picture of the paradox of power. Just when he seemed most powerless, he was most powerful. His witness gives us an example of how we demonstrate the power of God today. It is exactly when we get our ego out of the way and surrender to the Father’s will that we have assess to the power of God flowing through us. It is at these moments that we bring Kingdom values and power to bear on the situations of our lives. It is then that Jesus kingship is demonstrated through our actions. The Kingship of Jesus was foretold in the Old Testament as we hear in the first reading today. When the angel announced to Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus she was told that he would rule over the house of Jacob forever, and yet she saw him work among the poor, the sick and the lowly. He had no political drives and yet he was a King. His life demonstrated the power of speaking the truth in love. He shows us the power of walking in the will of the Father. The celebration of Christ the King shows us the awesome power of not needing power for ourselves but offering our service and actions for the glory of God. It is the victory over ourselves that opens the way for God’s power to manifest itself in our lives. It is the victory over our own ego that puts us in a position to proclaim the Kingship of Jesus and continue to grow his Kingdom today. God has chosen us for this awesome work and we honor him by doing what Jesus would do for the glory of the Father. We manifest the power of God most when we recognize and admit our powerlessness. It is when we are weak that we are strong for Him.
November 18, 2007
Mal 3:13-4:6; 2 Thess 3:6-13; Lk 21:5-19
In today’ gospel we hear Jesus talking about
end time, about the destruction of the temple, wars, earthquakes,
famines and persecutions. We
might wonder how seriously we should take all these things.
At first the early Christians thought that when these thing
would happen the end of the world was near, but gradually they came to
realize that these things are part of life and staying faithful to God
is the key element. The
temple did get destroyed about 40 years after Jesus died on the cross,
but that was not the end of the world.
Famines and plagues came and went and that was not the end of
the world. Persecution of
Christians got severe and yet that was not the end of the world, but
an opportunity to witness to the power of a faith relationship with
Jesus. Through out all of
these events it was important for the Christians to continue to hear
the voice of Jesus and follow him without reservation.
Jesus says today, “many will come in my name…do not go
after them.” What is
most crucial for Christians is to be able to hear the voice of Jesus
through all the other voices of life.
There have always been many who pretend to be speaking for
Jesus but in fact are concerned about self interest.
November 11, 2007
Job 19:23-27; 2 Thess 2:13-3:5; Lk 20:27-38
The scripture readings today address some of the
mysteries of life. The
words we read do not explain all the mysteries but they offer us
something to hold on to. In
the gospel the Sadducees are puzzled about what the resurrection will
look like. Their vision of
eternal life with God comes from a small human view of life.
In the original version of this reading Jesus says to them,
“You are badly misled because you fail to understand the scriptures
or the power of God.” To
understand the scriptures they needed to enter into a trust
relationship with Jesus, which they refused to do.
Because they were not open to entering into a faith
relationship with Jesus, they could not understand the awesomeness of
a final eternal relationship with God.
All they could understand was human relationships and then they
were confused about how those human relationships would continue after
this life. Jesus tries to
open their minds to a new perspective.
He tries to open them to a higher value than life, namely,
faithfulness to God and the power of being in a relationship with God.
They would have to choose to experience that love relationship
in order to understand the mystery of eternal life.
We must do the same. In
the first reading Job wrestles with a mystery also, but it is the
mystery of human suffering. His
friends try to convince him that he is a bad person and that God is
punishing him, but Job knows he is a good person.
Even though he can not understand why he is suffering, he
proclaims with conviction the one thing he does know.
He says, “I know that my Redeemer lives.”
His love relationship with God does not answer all his
questions but it gives him the strength and power to handle the
unknowns of life with inner peace. As long as he knows that his
Redeemer lives, he can handle the rest of life.
In the second reading
November 4, 2007
Eccl 44:1-14; Rev 7:2-17; Mt 5:1-12
Today we celebrate the feast of All Saints. It is a feast about memories of great people who gave themselves completely to the work of God. It is a celebration about thee power of God’s love to raise people from the dead and his desire to have people be with him forever. It is a feast about heroes who still speak to us from the grave because their lives before the grave were filled with convictions and commitment to the God who created them. Today we remember those heroes because the stories of their lives give courage to us and encourage us to follow in Jesus footsteps. In their time they carried the banner of Jesus’ mission and we believe they intercede for us now to continue proclaiming the message and power of Jesus. Their lives were a song of praise to God, sung with holy deeds and selfless sacrifices and their reward is an eternal dwelling with the author of life. Jesus tells us in today’s gospel that such people will be “blessed.” He says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” Poor in spirit refers to people who know they need God and therefore choose to be attentive to his direction in their life. Saints are those who lived a life attentive to the daily direction of God and committed their lives to follow his guidance. They are people who “hungered and thirsted for holiness” in all that they did. They are people who were “pure of heart’ seeking God’s desires with a focus and tenacity that allowed them to feel the great joy of being in God’s will. At times they experienced persecution, but they did not waver from staying connected to the Lord of their lives. The stories of such committed people can be a great source of strength for us as we try to follow God’s will each day. As we remember their accomplishments we feel the energy of these heroes. As we tell their stories, we realize that we can be in their number through our commitment to Jesus’ and our convictions about the truths he proclaimed.
October 28, 2007
Jer 14:1-22; 2 Tim 4;6-18; Lk 18:9-14
In today’s scripture readings we hear a common
theme; it is the cry of isolation.
In the first reading the people cry out to God in the midst of
their drought. They feel
isolated from God and they are dying of thirst.
Their cry can remind us of the spiritual drought many people
are experiencing in our country, dying of a thirst for God and not
knowing how to get help. In
the second reading we hear the Apostle Paul’s cry of isolation as he
sits in prison feeling deserted by his Christian friends.
He assures his readers that even if all abandon him, he still
feels the abiding presence of God.
In the gospel we hear the story of the Pharisee who prides
himself on being better than others but then experiences the isolation
of being disconnected from God and his brother.
What causes isolation? The
scriptures words tell us that being separated from our Creator causes
the deepest feeling of isolation.
We were created to be in union with God and if we try to do
things on our own, we experience an inner drought.
When we try to fill the thirst for God with other “gods,”
we remain in constant thirst and inner pain.
The gospel tells us that sin causes a feeling of isolation from
God and that the only way to find unity again is through repentance.
The tax collector in the gospel story has his thirst filled by
coming before God and calling out for mercy.
Being humble enough to admit that we have done wrong and
choosing to name our sin opens the flood gates for God’s life-giving
Love to quench our deepest thirst and refresh our weary spirit.
Even when
October 21, 2007
Gen 32:3-30; 2 Tim 3:14-4:5; Lk 18:1-8
Today we celebrate our parish Consecration
Sunday. It is a day we
take time to ponder our financial commitment to the work of God.
October 14, 2007
Ruth 1:1-19; 2 Tim 2:3-15; Lk 17:11-19
The gospels make an important distinction between being cured and being made whole. Jesus could cure people because of his intense love, but if they wanted to be well or whole, they had to enter into a faith relationship with him. This distinction is best seen in the story of the cleansing of the 10 lepers (Lk 17:11-19). The gospel story says that by the power of Jesus’ word, all 10 of the lepers were cleansed of their skin disease. Jesus’ intense love, even at a distance, could re-create a person just as that love once created them.
As in many cases in the gospel, this cure was an invitation to be made whole. One man came back and entered into a faith relationship with Jesus. His bowing down to worship him was an indication of his decision. Jesus says to him, “Your faith has made you well.” Ten were cures but only one was “made well” or made whole. He used the cure as an invitation to be made whole.
There are different words in the Greek text of the gospel for being “cured” and being “made whole.” In verse 15 of this story, the Greek word iathe is used to describe that the 10 lepers were cured, that is, their skin was cleansed. In Mk 1:34 and other places in the gospels the Greek word etheropoisen is used to describe people being physically cured. But, in verse 19 of this story the word Sesoken is used which means to be “made well.” It can include the meaning of being physically cured, but it describes being made well on a larger perspective. The gospels tell us that the intense love of Jesus cures people, even if they do not know him, but if the cured person enters a faith relationship with Jesus, they are “made well” or “saved”. They will be well forever. The healing ministry of Jesus demonstrated the power of his love and his deep desire to invite people to wholeness, namely, an eternal love relationship with him. It may be important to note that nowhere in the original gospel does Jesus say your faith “cured” you. Jesus cured out of love for people, and if the person returned that love by entering into a commitment to him, he would say, “Your faith has made you well.” In the gospel a person was described as being well only if they had chosen to connect themselves to God through a commitment.
October 7, 2007
Hab 1:1-2:4; 2 Tim 1:1-14; Lk 17:5-10
Today’s scripture readings each address the topic of faith in God. Faith is related to the subject of our small groups this week, namely, grace. Grace is the knowledge of God’s personal love for me, and faith is the acceptance of that knowledge and love. Grace is the free gift and our faith in God allows us to live a life of peace because we choose to trust his love and experience the power of that love every day. In the second reading, the apostle Paul reminds Timothy of his grandmother’s and his mother’s faith. The witness of a person we trust helps us develop faith. Reading the stories of Jesus’ life and watching his deep faith relationship with the Father, can help us develop our faith. Faith is also based on sound teaching from the scriptures. One assumption that can shake our faith is the experience of suffering. People who do not know the scriptures well often assume that God “sends” suffering or sickness to punish us, to teach us a lesson or to test our faith. Such inaccurate assumption often then causes them to be angry at God for doing this. Faith can be deepened by an accurate study the New Testament to dispel assumptions about God that are not founded. Human beings make some bad choices and cause much pain, but the one consistent thing in life is the love and compassion of God. People put their faith in Jesus because he was consistent in his care for others. He did not use his power to escape personal suffering, but used his love to continually free people of their pains and sickness. He demonstrated the trustworthiness of God which invited people to put their faith in him. The more we reflect on the trustworthiness of God, the deeper our faith becomes. Even if our faith is small like a mustard seed, it gives us energy to bring God’s power to impact life situations. It gives us a peace that amid all the distrust in human existence, God can always be trusted to love us and stand with us, even to forgive us when we break trust. Nurture the grace of God by taking time to ponder the awesome gift of his love. This will deepen our faith and our inner peace.
September 30, 2007
Amos 6:1-7; 1 Tim 6:11-19; Lk 16:19-31
In the scripture readings today we hear the
authors challenge people to look at their enslavements as the first
step in getting free. In
the first reading the prophet Amos calls his listeners to break free
of their enslavement to wealth and arrogance.
The people he addresses seem to think that they are better than
the other tribes in
September 23, 2007
Amos 8:4-12; 1 Tim 2:1-8; Lk 16:1-13
Today’s gospel contains an interesting story.
Jesus tells about a manager who is about to get fired and uses his
ingenuity to provide for himself after he is fired.
Jesus tells this story to make the point that “the children
of this age are shrewder in dealing with their own generation than are
the children of the light.” He
is encouraging his first followers to use all of their human skills to
bring people to salvation. Last
week we saw how Jesus went out of his way to save all people and this
week he encourages people to use whatever skills and relationships
they have to help in this process.
In the second reading,
September 16, 2007
Ex 32:1-14; 1 Tim 1:12-17; Lk 15:1-10
In today’s gospel Jesus give us a picture of the deep desire of the Father to have us found in him. Both images speak of someone who goes out of their way to find something precious. We are very precious to God and he goes out of is way to find us when we get separated from him. We might imagine how we feel when we loose some one precious to us. We do everything we can to find that person and bring them safely home. This picture of God is very different from the Old Testament picture of God portrayed in the first reading. There it seems as if God gets angry when people lose track of him. If we listen carefully though, we notice that Moses is really angry, not God. Throughout history God has been trying to help people find him so that they could live the fullness of life found only in him. People have always gotten lost in the world thinking they could find happiness on earth alone. God keeps looking for ways to bring them home to his heart. Once we understand and experience this about God, we will not blame him for going away but we will recognize how we at times get “lost” in this world. If we have received his love into the core of our being, we will feel ill at ease when we separate ourselves from him and we will seek to find him again. Being lost diminishes our life and causes unnecessary stress and sadness. We can try to fill it with things or medication, but we can only find it in Him. Paul the apostle reflects on this in the second reading. He is deeply grateful for the mercy he received from God when he chose to go back home to Father God. He is grateful for the patience which God displayed in waiting for him to come home. The words today portray the awesome mercy and love of God. God does not want us to get lost, but when we do he does everything he can, sending prophets, teachers and even his Son to guide us back to his heart. When we repent and turn back, he welcome us with great delight and offers us another chance at living the fullness of life. Take a moment this week to enter fully into the heart of God and let his love surround and infuse into you. It is home.
September 9, 2007
Deut 30:15-20; Plm 1-20; Lk 14:25-33
In today’s scripture readings there is a common thread. Each of them speaks about what it means to be a committed follower of Jesus. It is definitely a choice and that choice does involve some sacrifice, but it also offers some precious rewards. In the gospel Jesus says, “If anyone comes to me without turning his back on his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, indeed his very self, he can not be my follower.” This may sound quite radical and in some ways it is, but the “turning ones back” on their family does not mean a person is against them or going to walk away from marriage commitments. It means that a person puts into God’s perspective all of their relationships. It means as Christians we are called to look at Jesus first and begin to see all of our relationships in the way that Jesus sees them. It means we are willing to dedicate all of our significant relationships to God, and we are ready to listen to the eternal significance of each or those relationships. It means our marriages would be dedicated to God’s will and we would see our spouses with God’s eyes. The last part of Jesus’ words also indicates that we would see ourselves as God does and plan our lives and activities in relation to his will. This “turning our back” on significant relationships actually leads to a much greater awareness of the beauty and meaning of those relationships. In the second reading Paul demonstrates the significance of relationships which are committed to the Lord by sending Onesimus back to his master with this letter to Philemon. Philemon would have had the right to flog or even kill Onesimus for what he did, but Paul trusts the significance of Philemon’s Christian faith and Onesimus’ conversion to Christianity. Both were being challenged to see Jesus presence in the other and on the basis of that presence to repent and forgive. This letter tells us that “turning our back” on a relationship in order to turn more fully to Jesus actually strengthens the relationship and gives it a depth that the world can not understand. Today we are invited to re-evaluate all of our relationships in light of Jesus.
September 2, 2007
Eccl 10:7-18; Heb 13:1-8; Lk 14:1-14
Each of the scripture readings today affirms one of the core virtues of living a Christian life and that virtue is humility. Spiritual guides of the Christian tradition put humility at the very basis of the spiritual journey. Humility is the recognition of one’s nothingness apart from God. It is the admission of our dependence on God for life and for the power to become who God created us to be. In the gospel today we hear a story about the need for humility. Jesus could tell that story because he was humble in relation to the Father. He accepted the Father’s will and found his inner confidence in that submission to the Father’s desires. We find our true self when we can come before God in radical honesty and recognize our dependence and also our giftedness. We do not make ourselves less than who we are for that is false humility, and we do not make our selves more than what we are for that is arrogance. Humility comes from seeing our selves as God does, as son and daughters of the Father who have a divine purpose for our lives and the hope of an eternal relationship with God forever. Humility also includes being humble before others. It includes admitting our true feelings and accepting others with their true feelings. Humility includes knowledge of ourselves and an acceptance of ourselves. In the gospel story, Jesus encourages people to sit at the table at the place that is consistent with their relationship to the Master. The fact that we are invited to sit at the table tells us that we are accepted by God and that God desires to have a relationship with us. When we can humbly receive God’s love, then we can also be humble toward others by accepting them and caring for their needs. Being authentically humble raises our self esteem because when we are humble our care for others is evident. Today’s words invite us to cast off any airs we might try to put on and just be who we are in God’s eyes. We are his special, chosen, children and we can live in the peace of that identity.
August 26, 2007
Is 28:14-22; Heb 12:18-29; Lk 13:22-30
There is an underlying theme in the readings today. It is that all people have a chance to be with God forever, yet none can presume to have it made. Life is a journey and each choice determines where we stand with Jesus. The gospel makes it clear tht Jesus came to invite every person into union with him, but as we saw last week, each person has to choose to step over the line. The gospel says Jesus went through one town and village after another inviting people to step into a faith relationship with him that had potential of lasting forever. He says that people “from east and west, from north and south” will eat at his table. Each person will be given a chance for salvation and eternal happiness, but only if the person chooses to accept Jesus as Lord of his or her life. Jesus makes it clear that even though he “taught in their streets” they would not necessarily be in his company. Knowing about Jesus was not the criteria for salvation. Jesus invited people to have the fullness of life but each person had to submit his or her will to him and change whatever behavior was not congruent with his values. Jesus calls us to inner transformation and then promises the Holy Spirit to help us live our lives in his will. When we give over our will to his purpose and pleasure, then we begin to understand the awesome life that is for those who follow him. Jesus says that this doorway to life is narrow, not because it is harder, but because it is less traveled than any other. It does take discipline, which not every person is willing to put forth, but the rewards and the inner joy are much greater than the sacrifice. Stepping over the line and walking with Jesus is a dynamic life filled with miracles and the power to change situations. It is the life of excitement, doing impossible things and seeing people transformed before our eyes. It is a life of deep serenity, free of stress and anxiety. The discipline is simply listening for our mission from above every day and then stepping into the journey. It is a life of falling in love every day with the one who has loved us from the beginning and will love us to the end. It is a great love story and is available to all who say “Yes.”
August 19, 2007
Jer 23:23-29; Heb 12:1-14; Lk 12:49-56
Today’s gospel can be hard to understand unless
we understand Jesus challenge to each person.
Jesus came to the world to offer life, hope, healing and
forgiveness, but he needed each person’s decision about whether they
wanted this gift or not. He
challenged them to a decision by painting a line on the floor and
inviting each person to choose if they would stand on his side and
make him number One in their life, or stand on the other side and make
someone or something else number one.
His challenge, as the gospel indicates, caused division because
not everyone, not even everyone in the same family, chose to stand on
his side of the line. His
challenge faces each one of us today and only we can make that
decision. The second
reading indicates that making Jesus number One in our life requires
discipline, but the fruits of such discipline are inner peace, joy,
healthier life, longer life, purpose in life, the gifts of the Holy
Spirit, and eternal life. These
fruits are avail able to every person who steps over the line.
Jesus beckoned, invited and called people to step into the
fullness of life with him, but he could not force people.
He came to give each of us the fullness of life, but he must
wait for each of us to step over the line and make him number One in
every choice. If we do not
begin each week with making him number One in worship, it is hard to
convince our children and friends that he really is number One.
If we want our children to be on the same side of the line as
us, we must teach them in their formative years to discipline
themselves and choose the gift of Jesus’ way of life.
If we want to invite family and friends over the line, we must
first step over the line and witness to the joy and peace which we
have found when Jesus became number One in all of our choices and
attitudes. The vision of
August 12, 2007
Gen 15:1-6; Heb 11:1-16; Lk 12:32-40
In today’ first reading and Gospel, God speaks a powerful word which appears 365 times in the Bible. The message is, “Do not be afraid.” God does not want us to live in fear. It is destructive to our system. God wants something more for us. In the gospel Jesus says, “Do not live in fear, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.” Father God wants only the best for us and gives us access to his peace and unconditional love. Jesus goes on to tell his listeners that in order to get the life of inner peace, they need to “sell” whatever causes them fear. He is saying that if what people own causes them fear of thieves or fear of moths then the life of peace is found in selling it. His words invite us to re-look at our priorities and consider what is most important. Where our treasure is, that is where we will spend our time and energy. Starting the day and the week with worship sets our mind on what God desires and it makes our possessions less significant. If our possessions or what we want causes us to cut God’s worship time out or our lives, then we set our selves up for living in fear, which ultimately will destroy us. It is known that 65-70% of all physical disease stems from spiritual or emotional disease. It makes sense then, that people who worship consistently live 7 years longer than those who do not. God desires to give us a happy, peaceful life free of fear, but we must make his pleasure number one. If our possessions keep us from that freedom, then we are truly bound. Another reason for staying free of fear is that Jesus calls us to “Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit.” Jesus needs us to proclaim his message to the many people who are destroying themselves and he wants us to be free to do that mission. If we are afraid of what other people will think of us or what we might loose, them we will not offer Jesus message of healing and new life. Jesus calls us to be free at any moment to tell people why we are filled with such inner peace. Our testimony can give them the chance to receive his peace. When we are free of fear we can bring the power of heaven to every situation. That is God’s desire.
August 5, 2007
Eccl 1:12-2:23; Col 3:5-17; Lk 12:13-21
The scripture readings today describe two distinctly different views of life, one which leaves a person with nothing and one which leads to a deep inner peace. In the first reading the author writes about the vanity of all things done just for our selves. He says that a person who works just for their own pleasure will end up in despair. Trying to store up the riches of this world for ourselves he describes as chasing after the wind. I leaves us empty inside. In the gospel Jesus uses a parable to describe the foolishness of a person who just seeks to store up earthly wealth. This view of life which is dominated by greed, leads to the loss of everything. Jesus point out that greed is self destructive because ultimately it leaves a person with nothing when their life ends. He offers a greater vision of life. He tells his people to “grow rich in the sight of God.” His words tell us that all of what we see will vanish, but the way we love will remain forever. In the second reading the apostle Paul contrasts the two ways of life. He, too, states that the way of greed or self indulgence leads to self destruction. He offers a new vision which fills a person with inner peace, joy and serenity. He encourages his readers to “strip off” the old self with its self seeking practices, and to “cloth themselves” in the message and life giving power of God. He writes, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” Each of the readings talks about a higher form of life that is available to Christians who consciously choose to be directed by the wisdom of God’s word. They describe a way of living which is much more fulfilling than just giving in to our animal instincts. The readings invite us into the richness of a life lived in union with the Creator, centered on his will and pleasure instead of our own. Ironically, it is in just such a life that a human being finds the greatest joy and fulfillment. Paul tells us that we are God’s chosen ones and we will find true joy when we “cloth ourselves in “compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” These things last forever.
July 29, 2007
Gen 18:20-33; Col 2:6-15; Lk 11:1-13
In today’s second reading the apostle Paul
expresses his concern for the people of
July 22, 2007
Gen 18:1-10; Col 121-29; Lk 10:38-42
The scripture readings today focus our attention
on the most significant things of our life.
The purpose of our life is to know God, to love God, and to
serve God, which leads to being happy with God forever in heaven.
We discover this purpose by listening to God on a daily basis
and discovering our on going mission for each day.
The gospel gives us a beautiful picture of how we live the
fullness of our purpose. Our
most important task is to sit at the feet of Jesus like Mary does in
the gospel story, and take in every word Jesus speaks.
Once we have done that, we will know what the next thing is.
In the second reading we hear
July 15, 2007
Deut 30:9-14; Col 1:1-14; Lk 10:25-37
In the first scripture reading today, we hear Moses say to the people, “The Lord will take delight in prospering you.” These words invite us to feel the joy and delight God has in us, just as a loving parent delights in a new child. In the Old Testament this prosperity was understood as wealth which God would make available to those who committed their life to him. In the New Testament this prosperity was understood as the gift of peace, forgiveness, and the assurance of an eternal personal relationship with the Lord for all who open themselves to his presence. The gospel reading is a picture story of how extravagant God is with this gift of prosperity. God creates us whole but then, like the man who got beat up by robbers, we get wounded by the sins of others. God comes along like the Good Samaritan and offers us not only healing love but on going care for our wounds. His love is more extravagant than we could imagine. He offers us gifts that we could not earn simply because he delights in us. Today we are invited to ponder the way God offers us restorative help to free and heal us from the sins done to us. We are invited to reflect on the many people he has sent into our lives to offer us a second chance at life and the promise of eternal life with him. The more we feel the extravagant gifts of God available to us, the more we will become like the Good Samaritan, freely offering these same gifts to those we meet along life’s road. When we live in the environment of God’s delight, we have the freedom and desire to share that delight and abundance with others. As Christians we realize that God’s prospering us is meant to be not only received but also shared. We are called to notice others along the road who have been robbed of their inheritance because of someone’s sin. We are called to offer them the abundance of what we carry in our hearts. We are called to invite them into a personal relationship with Jesus. We have access to the Father’s treasures and no matter how much we give or how often we give to others, we will always have an abundance because God continues to delight in us and prosper us.
July 8, 2007
Is 66:10-16; Gal 6:1-18; Lk 10:1-20
In the gospel reading today, Jesus says that he needs more workers to bring in the “harvest.” He needs people who have experienced the gift of the gospel, namely the inner freedom and power of the Holy Spirit. In the second reading the apostle Paul speaks about the true gift of being a Christian. He writes to the Galatians community and reminds them of the new freedom and inner peace they experienced when they committed their life to Jesus. In his words, what is most important is that we are a “new creation” through our relationship with Jesus. It is this gift of being filled with the transforming power of the Holy Spirit that makes us a new creation and gives us the desire to bring other to Jesus. Jesus speaks about the greatness of the harvest and the need for workers. He needs people who are so on fire for building his Kingdom so that they can not help but ignite others with the love he has for them. Jesus needs people who allow their hearts to be filled with the energy of the Spirit, and are open to all the gifts of his Spirit so that every encounter, every meeting of another person proclaims that Jesus is Lord. When we look at the growing number of people who are falling away from a life-giving relationship with God, we recognize the growing need for people who whose life style proclaims the inner peace and serenity of a relationship with God. Our proclamation of the saving grace of Jesus does not have to be done through preaching but in the silent witness of a life lived in union with God. We are called to live with the inner assurance of an eternal union with God. In a world seeking happiness in so many illusive things, we offer the hope of a more lasting joy which no one can take away. When Jesus sent out those first disciples, this is the gift they had to offer. They were not responsible for people’s reaction; they were only responsible for continually going out and welcoming people into real life. Today we are encouraged to live that mission and feel the deep joy of inviting someone into life. If we plant seeds, there will be great harvest.
July 1, 2007
1 Kgs 19:15-21; Gal 5:1-25; Lk9:51-62
The gospel today begins with a powerful, awesome
statement. We read, “When the days drew near for Jesus to be taken
up, he set his face to go to
June 24, 2007
Zech 12:8-13:1; Gal 3:23-29; Lk 9:18-24
The gospel today leads us to our own fundamental
beliefs about who we are in relation to God.
Jesus poses the question to his disciples, “Who do you say
that I am?” It was
crucial that the disciples be clear about this especially as they
would face adversity and persecution.
The question really centers on how deep the intimacy is between
them and Jesus. It is that
bond of intimacy and trust which would sustain them in hard times.
It is also that intimacy which would empower them to make
healthy choices in their life. In
the second reading,
June 17, 2007
2 Sam 11:26-12:15; Gal 2:11-21; Lk 7:36-50
Each of the scripture readings for today offers a story of people who did not immediately see their behavior as inconsistent with God’s ways and were challenged by someone to recognize and repent. The readings themselves can be challenging to us, but they also hold the key to forgiveness, serenity and healing. Unnamed sin or behaviors inconsistent with the teachings of Jesus are very destructive to our being and so the challenge of today’s readings is a blessing for each of us. In the first reading we hear about David who has a man killed because that man is inconvenient to what David wants, and David rationalizes his behavior. It is only when the prophet Nathan comes along and tells a parallel story that David recognizes his sin. David is holy enough to repent and is able to find favor with God again. In the gospel, Jesus points out to Simon the Pharisee that he can offer forgiveness to those who are willing to admit that their behavior has been inconsistent with the ways of God. Jesus can forgive the woman because she is repentant for her sins. Simon remains locked in his sin because he can not see how his behavior is incongruent with the message of God. In the second reading, Peter also begins to acting “inconsistently with the truth of the gospel,” and Paul challenges him to see his inconsistency. It is only when he sees his behavior as inconsistent with the teachings of Jesus that he can repent and make changes. As Christians we are called to live our lives in ways that are consistent with the teachings of Jesus. We all miss the mark at times but the words today call us at least to be able to admit when our behavior is sinful and to repent. Unnamed sin is one of the most destructive things to the human system and one of the greatest blocks to healing. Being out of sorts with God causes deep inner stress and hinders the flow of God’s love in our lives. Repentance opens the door to the healing energy that God offers to us. We are each challenged to evaluate our lives in light of Jesus’ life and teachings. When we see actions which are incongruent with his life, we can be set free through repentance. Forgiveness and healing flow from the readiness to acknowledge our sin and repent.
June 10, 2007
In today’s second reading the apostle Paul says, “The gospel I proclaim is not of human origin.” Our being a Christian is not of human origin. God has a divine role for us to play in this great movement to bring the entire world into a saving union with Jesus. God has you on his mind and he can take all of your natural and learned talents and put them to use for this eternal plan of building his kingdom. Paul goes on to write that he was advanced in Judaism and extremely zealous for its traditions. That is why he persecuted the early Christians who turned away from Judaism. Jesus could take his human training and zeal and make it holy for his purpose. This change in Paul happened when he was baptized in the Holy Spirit. His eyes were opened and he saw himself in a brand new light. God’s power gives new vision, new life and new meaning to our human dreams and training. In the gospel reading we see how Jesus demonstrates that power. Jesus has the power to take the parts of us that are dead and to give them new life. He not only could physically raise a young man from death to life, but he could raise people from emotional and spiritual death to new life. His love has power to make new and vibrant every part of our being. The gospel we proclaim is not of human origin and in fact has the power of Jesus within it to give life where we see death and to give meaning where there was no previous meaning. The question for us today is, “Where do I need to have new life or a new perspective? Where am I dead or not operating in the power of the Holy Spirit? Jesus is moved with compassion when he sees the young man who has lost life. Jesus is moved with compassion for us when we have lost life. Imagine Jesus stopping at your side and inviting you into new life. To what part of your mind, heart or body would you invite him in order to be revived? Take him into that place and let his life stream into you. He has the power and he has the love to make us new.
June 3, 2007 - Trinity Sunday
Is 6:1-8; Rev 4:1-11; Jn 16:5-15
This weekend we celebrate the gift of the
Trinity. We celebrate a
God whose presence is felt in so many different aspects and who
relates to us as community. The
teaching that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit comes directly from
Jesus. In the Old
Testament God was understood as the creator and mover of the universe
and was described as Yahweh. When
God appeared to Moses in the burning bush and Moses asked how should I
describe you, God said, “Tell them ‘I am who am’ sent you.”
The Jews continued to use this description to talk about God
and affirmed that God was one and God was holy.
When Jesus came he spoke of God in a new way and revealed some
new dimensions of God. Jesus
was the first on to refer to God as “Abba” or Father.
This revealed the tender intimacy that God desires with his
children and the trust that the children could have in God.
Later in his ministry, Jesus began to speak about sending the
Holy Spirit to his disciple after he left them.
This teaching about the Holy Spirit was also unique to Jesus
and allowed people to feel the personal love that God has for each of
them. Jesus still taught
that there is only one God, but he revealed that God had a number of
distinctive facets which together reveal the fullness of God and the
relationality of God. This
new teaching about God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is what
Christians came to call the Trinity.
What is most unique about this revelation is that God is
relational, that God desires to relate to people in an intimate way
and that people can relate to God in a personal way.
What Christians discovered is that when they allowed themselves
to relate to God in a personal way and to feel his personal love for
them, they had a power inside of them which allowed them to do
impossible things in God’s name.
This Trinity love is what changed the world and continues to
empower us to be healed, forgiven, and transformed into the people God
wants us to be. Today we
celebrate this power, we receive this power, and commit ourselves to
going out to share it with others.
May 27, 2007 - Pentecost
Acts 2:1-11; 1 Cor 12:4-13; Jn 20:19-23
Today we celebrate the great feast of Pentecost.
It was the day The Father and Jesus gave birth to the church by
sending the Holy Spirit to the first 120 disciples, and because of
their empowerment, we can know the power of God’s love today.
Jesus had given them three years of instruction, but they also
needed the empowerment. They
needed the experience of the personal love of God.
They had some knowledge, but hey needed the gifts of the Holy
Spirit to electrify that knowledge into action.
They needed an inner fire to move them outside the walls of
fear behind which they were hiding.
Pentecost was the day when all power broke loose and these
first disciples received and energy that took them beyond all their
fears and bolted them out into the world with the message of healing,
life transformation and salvation.
Today we celebrate that first Pentecost because we need the
same empowerment, the same Holy Spirit to propel us out into the world
with the saving grace of Jesus. This
day is significant for me because I was ordained into priesthood 30
years ago on Pentecost. I
had come to realize the importance of Pentecost and the need for the
fire of the Holy Spirit to drive my ministry.
I had felt the awesome love of God during my years of
preparation for priesthood and so it was fitting that I be ordained on
this special day. Through
the years I have seen the power of God’s love heal many people,
deliver people from evil, and transform people’s lives from being
destructive to being life-giving.
There have been many exhilarating moments when the Holy Spirit
showed up at services with supernatural power to bring about things
that were way beyond what any human could do.
It’s a joy to think that I can continue to be a part of
God’s mighty work in the world bringing more and more people into
his domain. I rejoice to
be at
May 20, 2007
Acts 16:16-34; Rev 22:12-20; Jn 17:20-26
The scripture readings today show us the energizing power of being connected to Father God. The gospel reading describes Jesus deep desire to have us be connected to the Father in the same depth of relationship that he was connected. He prays for all his followers, which includes us, that our hearts might stay in deep unity with the Father’s heart. Jesus had known the power of that unity and the life-giving power that flowed between him and the Father. He prays that each of his followers could live in the power of that unity to dispel darkness and to withstand the pain of persecution. The first reading describes how Paul and Silas lived in that power. When the evil forces tried to stop them from preaching the gospel, Paul used the power of his unity with the Father to dispel those forces and set a woman free. When he and Silas were imprisoned for proclaiming Jesus name, they were sustained by their deep connection to the Father’s heart and continued to praise him with songs. Their deep connection to the Father provided them with power to open the jail doors and bring the gospel message to many including the jail keeper. God moved through them because they were so connected to the true Source of all power. These words fill us with great courage to reach out and touch the many in our world who are starving for the gospel message. Jesus prayed for us because he knew we would be scared when we went out among the people of the world to proclaim his message of hope and healing. He prayed that we would be sustained in our mission to bring those bound to true freedom, to lead the lost to true discovery of whose they really are, and to invite the malnourished to the Bread of Life. The more we move in the power of our connectedness with the Father, the more meaningful the prayer of Jesus will become. We need the power of God’s love, the Holy Spirit, to move into the world and transform it, and we receive from Jesus the assurance that he will always be with us. Today’s prayer of Jesus energizes us for this great mission.
May 13, 2007
Acts 14:8-18; Rev 21:22-22:5; Jn 14:23-29
Our scripture readings today offer us a vision of
heaven and the invitation to begin living in that reality right here
and now. The vision is
awesome. In the second
reading the author describes heaven as a place where there is no need
of a temple because God is all over.
There is not need of a sun because god’s presence is so
bright. There is nothing
unclean there because everyone will have left their baggage at the
door. And there is a
constantly flowing
May 6, 2007
Acts 13:44-52; Rev 19:1-9; Jn 13:31-35
In today’s gospel Jesus offers us his great challenge when he says, “love one another as I have loved you.” He goes on to say that this will be the key sign that you are a Christian. The challenge is becoming a loving person. This challenge reminds me of the children practicing softball out on the field. They have a desire to play, but they need skills, the repetition of certain fundamentals which takes practice. This practice is empowered by the dream of the joy of winning or the hope of a trophy. We recognize that developing a loving way of relating consistently requires similar things. First, there must be a desire to love as Jesus did which may involve inner healing. There must be a willingness to learn the skills of expressing love as Jesus did. There is a certain effort involved in developing skills which may involve the pains of letting go and changing behaviors. Then there is the ability to receive empowerment from the Holy Spirit. As we ponder the challenge of Jesus to love one another as he loves us, we realize that there are a number of small steps we take to get to that point. If we were not affirmed and embraced in love as a child, we may need to seek inner healing for memories of being neglected or hurt. Our desire to love will grow as we experience healing love from God. If we hold a grudge for things done to us, we may need to work on forgiveness in order to be free to love with Jesus’ love. Perhaps we never were taught the skills of expressing love and affirmation and we need to learn how to express the compassion and care that Jesus offered. We need to learn certain fundamentals of being a disciple of Jesus. Perhaps we know all these things but we do not do them. We may need the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to move us from knowledge to action. In the first reading the apostle Paul demonstrates the power and risks of loving with the heart of Jesus. Loving as Jesus loves us is truly a challenge. By taking one step at a time we can move from knowing this calling to acting as Jesus would. The journey begins or continues one step at a time. By the power of the Holy Spirit combined with our effort we can change the world as Jesus did. Step into the journey.
April 29, 2007
Acts 13:15-39; Rev 7:9-17; Jn 10:22-30
Today’s scripture readings open us to the
dynamics of Easter faith. The
readings invite us to enter into the realm of the unseen world, the
spiritual world where reality exists.
They help us recognize the limitations of natural sight and the
power of walking in the spiritual realm of faith.
This is evident in the first reading where we hear of the
Apostle Paul’s travels to various cities proclaiming the new life
available to all in Jesus. He
begins by describing how the people of
April 22, 2007
Acts 9:1-19; Rev 5:6-14; Jn 21:1-14
The scripture readings today invite us to discover the process of how to move from old habits to a vibrant, dynamic, faith in Jesus. In the gospel we read about seven of the apostles who, after the resurrection, went back home to go fishing. They had seen the risen Lord but they had not been totally transformed by that experience. They went back to what was familiar to them. We each have a human tendency to go back to old ways. Today we read about the apostle doing just that. Jesus was patient and he came to them while they are fishing to draw them into a new pattern of living. He invites them to again step out of the boat, out of their comfort zone, and begin living in the power of the Holy Spirit. They would gradually learn this new pattern of living in the power of God as they kept experiencing the living presence of Jesus. Jesus kept coming to them so their faith would grow. Each time he came, their faith grew stronger and his message became more compelling. In the first reading we hear a similar story of how Paul experienced the risen presence of Jesus. This first appearance awakened him to the reality of Jesus being the son of God, but he would need a number of experiences to be transformed into the dynamic apostle that he was. Jesus came to him on numerous occasions and gradually he developed a strong and deep faith relationship with Jesus which made him ready to die for Jesus. Today’s words invite us to think about the many occasions we have to deepen our faith in Jesus, to let the love of God transform our old patterns and live in the power of the risen Lord. Each time we eat the Bread of life, we grow deeper in our awareness of Jesus living presence. Each time we read the scripture we feel God’s movement in a new way. Each time we take time to be quiet with our God, we deepen our awareness of his unconditional love and mercy. Our faith becomes more dynamic and vibrant each time we place ourselves in God-transforming moments and events. Choose each day to let Jesus touch your life and deepen your faith.
April 15, 2007
Acts 5:12-29; Rev 1:1-19; Jn 20:19-31
We hear Jesus say in the second reading today, “once I was dead, but now I live, forever and ever.” This is the Easter message and the life promise for all who put their trust in Jesus. Through these next weeks we continue the Easter season, hearing message after message of how Jesus appeared to people after his resurrection and transformed their minds and heart. Last Sunday we heard readings about the empty tomb as evidence of Jesus’ resurrection. Today the evidence of his resurrection focuses on the changes in people after they saw him alive. We hear how signs and wonders occurred at the hands of those who now believed that Jesus was alive and working thorough them. We read about Peter’s courage and boldness to preach about Jesus even when the authorities told him to stop. He displays a power that caused many to come to faith in Jesus. He and the other apostles are able to bring healing and inner freedom to people in the name of the risen Jesus. The evidence that Jesus was alive was visible in the actions and words of his followers. Even though Thomas took a little longer to come to faith in the risen Lord, be did make his commitment of faith. Jesus was patient with him, because he knew that Thomas’ faith had to be deep to persuade others of his living presence. Today we ponder, how deeply to we believe in Jesus? Are we convinced of Jesus’ living presence and is our conviction so deep that we would tell others of him? Do we see “signs and wonders” happen when we speak and pray in Jesus’ name? Today we recognize that we are the ones who bring Jesus’ resurrected presence to earth. We are evidence of the resurrection to non-believers in our midst. We can have courage and boldness to proclaim the power of Jesus living presence, a power that is accessible to each one of us. The scripture readings today challenge us to live our resurrected faith with boldness so that others can see and believe.
April 8, 2007 - Easter
Acts 10:34-43; Col 3:1-4; Lk 24:1-10
Today we celebrate the profound feast of Easter. We remember the day on which the awesome love of the Father raised Jesus out of the tomb. We celebrate the promise that it offers to us, namely, that one day we will rise with him to eternal life. Today we celebrate the power of God’s love demonstrated in breaking the hold death can have on us and setting us free to live forever. We all experience losses in life and we all will one day face death, but the resurrection of Jesus sets us free of the sting of death and offers a hope beyond this world. The words that changed all of human experience and history are those uttered by the angels in the tomb when they say, “Why do you search for the living one among the dead? He is not here. He has been raised.” Everything in life looks different when we realize that life is meant to be eternal and that death is not the end. This knowledge allows us to experience a glitter of hope in every loss. It tells us that life is larger than what we see. It proclaims that the power of God’s love is stronger than death itself and that in God’s love we have eternal hope and comfort. Today we are set free from the fear of death and the prison that death could otherwise be. We are invited to share in the fullness of life which includes the hope of resurrection. This feast tells us that God is not silent in the face of death but speaks with power. “He as been raised” is our true and lasting hope. This same power that raised Jesus is also available for us to experience healing and restoration. We can receive the power of the resurrection even now to free us from inner pains as well as physical diseases. The love of the Father that raised Jesus from the tomb is accessible to us at any time. Today we remind ourselves of this awesome power an we invite Jesus to invade our lives again with the transforming love flowing form his heart. It is truly a day to celebrate life. No matter what our situation, today we celebrate that there is a glitter of resurrection only a prayer away. We celebrate the joy of that promise and the peace of living in God’s eternal love. Have a blessed Easter.
April 1, 2007
Is 45:21-25; Phil 2:5-11; Lk 22:39-23:56
Today we begin Holy Week.
It is a special time of remembering and reliving the last days
of Jesus’ life. The
scripture readings take us back to that first Holy Week when Jesus
entered
We wonder how they could do such tings to such a good person and then
we remember that it was our sins that cause the greatest pain.
We hear him say, “Father, forgive them for they know not what
they do.” He is
forgiving us for the times we were outside of the Father’s will,
time when we did not know what we were doing.
He demonstrates a love that could not leave us to die outside
the Father’ will and so he dies to invite us Home.
We weep at the awesome depth of his love that would take us
back even after we had turned on him so often.
We wonder why and then we finally just praise him for the
awesome gift. And then we
celebrate the power of his body and blood in the Eucharist and we
experience this incredible amazing Love.
This is a week to remember.
Make it a week to remember.
March 25, 2007
Is 43:16-21; Phil 3:8-14; Lk 20:1-19
What is the most precious thing to you?
What priority do you give to certain relationships?
In today’s second reading,
March 18, 2007
In today’s gospel we hear one of the most
compelling stories in the scriptures.
It is the story of the two sons and their relationship with
their father. Jesus tells
the story in response to certain people’s concerns about his eating
with and hanging out with sinners.
It is story that captures the very reason he came to earth,
namely, to save those who were lost in sin.
The story allows us to experience the merciful heart of God in
the image of the father who “comes out” to meet his son and
embraces him with unconditional love.
It expresses the extravagant mercy of God which is available to
those who “come to their senses” and repent.
The father can only give his generous mercy to those who come
with a recognition of their faults and who have made a choice to turn
around and change their thinking and behavior.
We may find it hard to acknowledge that we have sinned, but it
is the door to God’s forgiveness.
The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were not humble enough to
admit that they were sinners in need of his mercy, and therefore they
could not experience the Divine mercy in Jesus’ heart.
They are represented in the story by the older son who thought
he was at home with the father, but actually did not feel at home with
the father. He lived there
and worked there, but never talked with the father in a way that
allowed him to feel his father’s deep love for him.
March 11, 2007
Ex 3:1-15; 1 Cor 10:1-13; Lk 13:1-9
In the scripture readings today we hear of
God’s untiring love and mercy shown to his people and to us.
His care abounds even when we do not feel it.
In the first reading we hear of his compassionate heart.
God says to Moses, “I know my people are suffering, and I
have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians.”
God can not force us to make good choices, but God sends people
into our lives to invite us to repentance and freedom.
In the gospel Jesus tells the parable of the fig tree which
affirms God’s desire to give us every opportunity to turn to him so
that our lives bear fruit. He
does not want us or anyone else to be lost or destroyed.
His life on earth indicates he deep desire to save people from
their sins. He understood
that sin leads to our self destruction and so he sought to invite
people to repentance. He
loved and affirmed people with the hope that they would repent and
return to him. He showed
them what behaviors were sinful and destructive and then gave them
occasions to choose life over death.
During Lent we take special time to reflect on Jesus’
awesome, freeing love which calls us to repentance.
He does not destroy us because of our sins as the Jews
believed, but he knows that if we stay in sin we will destroy
ourselves. He heart aches
for people who have separated themselves from him through sin, and he
calls each one home to his love. His
invitation means we need to be willing to turn around our thinking and
begin thinking like he does. That
is what repentance means. When
we start living as he intended us to live, we have true freedom and
experience real joy, a joy that only he can give.
In these next weeks we ask Jesus to “hoe around” us, to
“fertilize us” and to set us free of all that holds us back from
bearing fruit and living the fullness of life.
If we give him permission, he will transform our lives.
He offers us a way out of destructive behavior and into a life
of freedom and deep peace.
March 4, 2007
Gen 15:1-18; Phil 3:17-4:1; Lk 13:22-35
Today’s scripture readings take us to an important aspect of the spiritual journey, which is, taking time in the wilderness for inner purification. Jesus took this journey in the desert when he began his ministry and took this journey often when he went off alone to be with the Father. In today’s gospel he says that the journey to salvation is through a “narrow door.” This does not necessarily mean that it is harder; it just means that it takes some concerted effort to stay focused on what is important. He is inviting his followers to stay focused, to stay free of the trappings of this life. He is inviting us to watch his life style and to keep our eyes fixed on the road that leads to life and true joy. In the second reading Paul speaks about his pain at seeing that many people have their minds set on earthly things. He is in pain because he wants to save people from the illusion that they can find happiness and fulfillment in earthly things. He reminds them that their citizenship is in heaven and they must stand firm in the Lord if they want to make the journey home to the Lord. To keep our hearts heaven bound, we need to take time in the wilderness and let the Lord’s love purify us. Part of the spiritual journey is this inner purification, this time of radical honesty with self. The wilderness journey is a time when we face our demons head on with the power of God, when we stop making excuses and choose to allow God to cleanse us of everything that is not of him. It is the time that builds conviction and empowers us to move forward on the narrow road that we might pass through the narrow door. The wilderness journey is one which no one can make for us. It is the journey into union with God, a union that offers serenity and inner peace along with the promise of eternal life. Today’s scripture words call us to make this journey and the voice of Jesus makes us desire his path.
Deut 26:1-11; Rom 10:5-13; Lk 4:1-13
We begin the holy season of Lent. It is a special time to pull back and refresh our relationship with God. It is a time of special out pouring of God’s agape love. It is a time of decision, to make some new choices which will gratify the heart of God. In the gospel today we hear how Jesus had to make some difficult choices when the devil tempted him. All through his life he was tempted even more than we are. He often went off to pray in order to stay focused on the choices which would please the Father’s heart. During this season we look specifically at our choices and ask ourselves, “Do my decisions and attitudes delight the Father’s heart.” The three temptations in the gospel invite us to look at three main areas of choices in our lives. We can not turn stones to bread, but we might ponder the question, “Do we use our gifts for our own use or for God’s delight?” Of all the things we do, is our main intent to carry out the will of God? The second temptation invites us to ponder who or what we really worship. If we just consider where we spend most of our time and money, we might discover who or what we “worship.” In a society that “worships” money and pleasure, we may find ourselves standing outside the norm if God is number one in our life. The third temptation causes us to ponder how big our desire is for recognition. Is it important to us to have the latest fad or do things where we look good? All three of these temptations happen to us each day. If we stay aware of them and keep taking time with our Friend, Jesus, in prayer, we have the power to stay free of the trap of these choices. The evil one tries to get us off track from God’s plan for our lives, but our friendship with God is our protection and our source of true peace. God’s love keeps pouring out on us, drawing us to make healthy and holy choices, and even when we fail, God’s love offers forgiveness to all who repent. Lent is the special time to refresh that friendship and alter our choices. God desires that we have the fullness of life in him.
February 18, 2007
Ex 34:29-35; 1 Cor 12:27-13:13; Lk 9:28-36
In this week’s gospel we hear the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus. It must have been an awesome event to see him radiate with the Father’s love. I think our question for today might be, “Why did Jesus invite the three apostles up the mountain with him this time? We might wonder what did he want or need them to experience before he would leave them. I think he was trying to give them an idea of what it meant to be blessed by divine intimacy. I think he wanted them to discover what power and energy was available to them as they began to feel God’s deep love for them when they would go off to pray. I think he wanted to get them ready for that moment when he would tell them, “I no longer call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is about. Instead, I call you friends.” Perhaps he was showing them and us what it looks like or receives the divine friendship of God and let it embrace our whole being. Today we get to see what we can feel when we make the journey consistently to be with God. It is a divine love relationship which makes everything look different. We get access to the secrets of God’s heart. Like the apostles, our focus shifts from the commandments to the Presence, from the assignment to the relationship, with less concern about disobeying and more concern about disappointing. We start asking the new question, “How do my choices affect the heart of God?” As Bill Johnson puts it, “The realm of his presence becomes our greatest inheritance and divine encounters our greatest memories.” Instead of working for him, we work with him. We work not for his favor but from his favor with his divine love as our power source. The Transfiguration is a picture of what the Christian life is meant to be. It is a life of divine intimacy, rejuvenated daily by climbing the mountain for another divine encounter. It is a love relationship with our divine Friend. It is the life of lovers engulfed in each other, desiring only the best for the other. No other religion takes a person that deeply into the heart of God. No other religion has Jesus to show the way. Receive the blessing and live the blessing.
February 11, 2007
Jer 17:5-10; 1 Cor 15:12-20; Lk 6:17-26
The first scripture reading today invites us to reflect on how well we are rooted. It is similar to the theme of the gospel which has to do with trust. In what or who do we really trust? In the first reading we hear the image of being planted near flowing water so that when the drought comes, the trees leaves do not fade and it still bears fruit. The question is; from who or what do we draw our life energy? Put another way, in who or what do we put our trust? The readings go on to say that if we put our trust in anything but God, when hard times come or we face death, we will realize that we were deceived into trusting an illusion, and we will be destroyed. That may be why in the gospel Jesus says, “Blessed are you who are poor…who are hungry…who weep now… who are excluded now…” It is not that Jesus was against laughing, or being fed or accepted by others, but he was trying to teach people that things of this world can deceive us into trusting the illusions of life rather than the Creator of life. He was concerned that people who had many things in this life could start to believe that they did not need God in their life. They could be drawn into the illusion that their wealth, their pension plan, or their present joy was sufficient for a happy life. He suggested that maybe the poor, the hungry and those in pain now would have an advantage in seeing the truth about life and stay free from its deceptive trappings. He warned that the rich have a more difficult challenge trusting in God and committing their life to God because the illusions of this life can seem to fill their void for awhile. In the end they will realize they were deceived. The question for us is, “In who or what do we put our ultimate trust? Or in another way, “From which stream to we draw our water? Only we can answer those questions. Only our choices can keep us free from the illusions of this world. Jesus invites us to put our whole trust in him.
February 4, 2007
Jud 6:11-24; 1 Cor 15:1-11; Lk 5:1-11
Today’s scripture readings reminded me of
something I read by Bill Johnson.
He wrote, “The invasion of God into impossible situations
comes through a people who have received power from on high and learn
to release it into the circumstances of life.”
In the first reading Gideon is complaining to God that the
signs of his presence are not visible any more.
God tells Gideon to go and make a difference.
Gideon gives all kinds of excuses why he is too weak or too
small. God says, “I will
be with you.” Gideon
accepts the challenge of God and with only 300 soldiers frees
Jer 1:4-10; 1 Cor 14:12-20; Lk 4:21-32
Our scripture readings today address the call of God to invite more people to share in the fullness of life found in union with him. This call to bring more people into the heart of God can be scary and at times overwhelming. In the first reading we hear how Jeremiah felt too young for the mission of God. Perhaps at time we fell too young, or too unworthy, or too scared, and yet God has chosen us to do this. When the mission is larger than we can handle alone, it is then that we discover the power of God to move through us. God’s response to Jeremiah gives us reason to believe that if we go to the people to whom God sends us, we will be equipped for our mission. This means our challenge is to listen attentively to God and follow his plan for our lives. This daily listening is our guide and protection. In the second reading we learn that God supplies the gifts to carry on this divine mission. The gifts of the Holy Spirit which flow from the baptism of the Holy Spirit, equip us with the necessary skills and power to handle any situation. The words will be given to us if we are in the plan of God. The power to heal and stand against the forces of evil will be available to us if we are acting in the purpose of God. We are not called to evangelize everyone, but we are called to evangelize someone. In the gospel Jesus acknowledges that the prophet Elijah did not minister to every widow and Elisha did not heal every leper, but they did do what God called them to do. Jesus did the same touching the lives of people in the way that he was directed by the Father. Our mission is to listen each day for our assignment and then to use the gifts of the Holy Spirit to carry out our mission. Today as we celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation we renew our baptismal covenant and recommit ourselves to carry out our mission. We again confirm our commitment to live as a child of God empowered by the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God takes us where we alone can not go and it is there that we discover the fullness of life.
January 21, 2007
Neh 8:2-10; 1 Cor 12:12-27; Lk 4:14-21
The scripture reading for today continue to talk about the power of God’s word and the Holy Spirit and how each person can share in that power. In the first reading we hear how the people prostrated in honor of God when they heard Ezra read the scripture. God’s word is a means of breaking open the power of God in a situation. In some way it brings the presence of God to earth and allows people to be overwhelmed by his love. In the gospel Jesus is empowered by the Spirit to reveal his mission. The word that is handed to him gives him the occasion to proclaim his personal mission. Each of these reading shows us the movement of the Spirit. Jesus gave free reign of that Spirit in his life by doing only what the Father asked him to do. His obedience allowed the Spirit to move in miraculous ways and bring change and healing into the lives of many people. Jesus felt that Spirit “upon” himself and proclaimed the effects of that Spirit. He was fulfilling the Father’s saving plan for each of us by allowing his will to be fashioned by the Father. It is that same Holy Spirit that Jesus promised to each of us. We are part of this great plan of God to bring his presence into the world today. Our mission as baptized Christians is similar to Jesus’ mission. He called us to continue what he began in the power of the Holy Spirit. He calls us to give the Holy Spirit permission to use our abilities for the glory of the Father. Our perception of the world changes when we know we are part of this great mission to bring healing, forgiveness and transformation to all people. We are part of the King’s domain and we are equipped with every gift necessary for our God-given mission. The second reading reminds us that we each to a significant part and together we form the body of Christ on earth. The Spirit of the lord is upon us and we are invited to let that Spirit take us wherever the Father desires. Today as a community we listen as to where God is calling us to bring his presence to earth.
January 14, 2007
Is 62:1-5; 1 Cor 12:1-11; Jn 2:1-11
The gospel reading today tells us of the day Jesus changed the water into wine. In itself it is a great story of a miracle. It is the story of an impossible thing happening. It is a story about the power of Jesus. As we read the story we are invited to reflect on what this event says about Jesus and about us who follow him. Jesus came into the world to bring about a new order, a new vision of life and the promise of eternal life. He came to change people’s hearts with a message of forgiveness and healing. The gospel writer sees this new order being proclaimed in this “first sign” which he did in his ministry. As we ponder the story we recognize that in order to be part of this new thing that Jesus is doing in the world we must “do whatever he tells us.” Anything is possible if we follow the direction of Jesus. Today’s miracle story opens us to new possibilities for our lives and our community. We can make personal changes and receive empowerment by listening to the One who can change water into wine. The first reading describes this new change in that if offers the promise that “you shall be called by a new name.” We discover who we really are when we listen to Jesus’ voice and let him name us. When we live doing what Jesus tells us to do we discover what real life is. The word tells that we are a “crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord.” We can do impossible things in the power of Jesus. The second reading tells us that the Holy Spirit gives us supernatural gifts to do the “impossible” mission of Jesus. The gifts of the Spirit are part of this new order which Jesus began. When we do what Jesus tells us to do and open ourselves to these gifts of the Spirit we get to see the miracles of God. We are blessed to be part of this great mission to help transforms the hearts of people by the power of God’s love. We are blessed to be able to share in this “new wine.”
January 7, 2007
Is 42:1-9; Acts 10:34-38; Lk 3:15-22
Today we celebrate the feast of Jesus’ Baptism. It is a very significant day on which the Father’s awesome love descended upon Jesus in some new and empowering way. From that day onward, Jesus started doing his public ministry, preaching, teaching and healing in the power of the Holy Spirit. The gospel reading today describes that event and the situation that allowed the Holy Spirit to descend in this special way. In the second reading we hear Peter’s description of this event. He says, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power” and from that time on he went about doing good deeds and healing all. This was the turning point in Jesus’ life when he felt a new empowerment for his mission. As we celebrate this important feast we are made aware that we have access to that same power of the Holy Spirit. The words tell us that we must surrender freely and completely to the Father’s will and we will be empowered with an energy to live the Christian life and to share in the joy of being wrapped in God’s personal love for us. Even though we were baptized as an infant, we each need to invite God’s Holy Spirit to enter our life totally as an adult. We can intentionally take time to prepare our hearts for this adult decision. We can do this through the Spiritual Enrichment Seminars beginning this week. The more we open ourselves to the power of God’s Spirit, the more our life is filled with the inner peace and joy of God’s life. Once we know whose we are and God’s mission for our lives, we can go about “doing good deeds and bringing healing to those in need. The first reading today describes how Jesus did his mission by gently and patiently inviting people to discover the love of the Father. We can use the same pattern to minister God’s love to others. God has chosen us to receive the Holy Spirit for our personal life mission and he waits for us to open the door to the full life in the Spirit. We begin this year by taking in this new life, the power of the Holy Spirit.