Friday, August 30, 2019

“Everything you are called to do has already been prepared for you by God, He just needs your obedience”


“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” ― Abraham Lincoln: (1809 – 1865: was an American statesman and lawyer who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in April 1865)

Gospel Text: (MT 25:1-13)
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,
brought no oil with them,
but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.
Since the bridegroom was long delayed,
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, there was a cry,
‘Behold, the bridegroom!  Come out to meet him!’
Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish ones said to the wise,
‘Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.’
But the wise ones replied,
‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you.
Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’
While they went off to buy it,
the bridegroom came
and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him.
Then the door was locked.
Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’
But he said in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’
Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day nor the hour.”


Jesus tells this parable, in part, to wake us up.  We must be ready for Him every day.  And how do we make sure we are ready?  We are ready when we have plenty of “oil” for our lamps.  The oil especially represents charity in our lives.  So, the simple question to ponder is this: “Do I have charity in my life?”


Thursday, August 29, 2019

God had one son on earth without sin, but never one without suffering.


The most beautiful people are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.”  
But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world. -- C.S. Lewis: (1898 – 1963: was a British writer and lay theologian)

Gospel Text: (MK 6:17-29)
Herod was the one who had John the Baptist arrested and bound in prison
on account of Herodias,
the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.
John had said to Herod,
"It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."
Herodias harbored a grudge against him
and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.
Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man,
and kept him in custody.
When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed,
yet he liked to listen to him.
She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday,
gave a banquet for his courtiers,
his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee.
Herodias' own daughter came in
and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests.
The king said to the girl,
"Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you."
He even swore many things to her,
"I will grant you whatever you ask of me,
even to half of my kingdom."
She went out and said to her mother,
"What shall I ask for?"
She replied, "The head of John the Baptist."
The girl hurried back to the king's presence and made her request,
"I want you to give me at once
on a platter the head of John the Baptist."
The king was deeply distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests
he did not wish to break his word to her.
So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders
to bring back his head.
He went off and beheaded him in the prison.
He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl.
The girl in turn gave it to her mother.
When his disciples heard about it,
they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Reflect, today, upon your own life.  At times we carry some heavy cross and beg our Lord to take it from us.  Instead, God tells us that His grace is sufficient and that He wishes to use our sufferings as a testimony of our fidelity.  So, the Father’s response to Jesus, His response to John and His response to us is a call to enter into the mystery of our sufferings in this life with faith, hope, confidence and fidelity.  Never let the hardships of life deter you from your fidelity toward the will of God.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

“Your calling is concealed in you and has to be discovered by you alone”


Great occasions for serving God come seldom, but little ones surround us daily. - Saint Francis de Sales: (1567 – 1622: was a Bishop of Geneva)

Gospel Text: (1 THES 2:9-13)
You recall, brothers and sisters, our toil and drudgery.
Working night and day in order not to burden any of you,
we proclaimed to you the Gospel of God.
You are witnesses, and so is God,
how devoutly and justly and blamelessly
we behaved toward you believers.
As you know, we treated each one of you as a father treats his children,
exhorting and encouraging you and insisting
that you walk in a manner worthy of the God
who calls you into his Kingdom and glory.

And for this reason we too give thanks to God unceasingly,
that, in receiving the word of God from hearing us,
you received it not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God,
which is now at work in you who believe.

Reflect, today, upon how willing you are to 1) honestly name the filth and sin in your life and, 2) sincerely strive to overcome it.  Don’t wait until Jesus is pushed to the point of crying out “Woe to you!”


Tuesday, August 27, 2019

“The heart of the world is breaking under the load of pride and pretense”


True glory takes root, and even spreads; all false pretenses, like flowers, fall to the ground; nor can any counterfeit last long.- Marcus Tullius Cicero: (106 BC  - 43 BC: was a Roman statesman, orator, lawyer and philosopher)

Gospel Text: (MT 23:23-26)
Jesus said:
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin,
and have neglected the weightier things of the law:
judgment and mercy and fidelity.
But these you should have done, without neglecting the others.
Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You cleanse the outside of cup and dish,
but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence.
Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup,
so that the outside also may be clean."

Though these very direct words of Jesus may have the appearance of being harsh, they are truly words of mercy.  They are words of mercy because Jesus is going to great lengths to help the Pharisees understand that they need to repent and cleanse their hearts.  Though the initial message “Woe to you” may jump out at us,  the real message we should hear is “cleanse first the inside.”
-->