“We cannot separate our lives from the Eucharist; the moment we do, something breaks.”

"Adoration will heal our Church and thus our nation and thus our world... Adoration touches everyone and everything... [because it touches the Creator, Who touches everything and everyone]... When we adore, we plug into infinite dynamism and power. Adoration is more powerful for construction than nuclear bombs are for destruction,"- Peter Kreeft, philosopher at Boston College

Gospel Text: (LK 10:38-42)

Jesus entered a village

where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.

She had a sister named Mary

who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.

Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,

“Lord, do you not care

that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?

Tell her to help me.”

The Lord said to her in reply,

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.

There is need of only one thing.

Mary has chosen the better part

and it will not be taken from her.”

A rip current is a strong channel of water that flows out to sea and can drag swimmers away from the shore with alarming speed and strength. But you don’t have to swim in the ocean to feel that kind of pull. Ideas, obligations, and desires tug powerfully at us every day. And the only way to avoid disaster is to swim out of their current—to do what Mary did and take time to sit in God’s presence.

Sit with him and let him speak to you: about your life, about his life in you, about his love for you. Open your heart to him without fear of what will follow. Whatever your shortcomings, failings and weaknesses, he loves, loves, loves you! He delights in giving himself to everyone who is ready to receive it. You can sit, as Mary did, unashamed and truthful about your life, and soak up the Father’s love for you. This is the better part!

This story of Martha and Mary shows us that experiencing God’s love is the most healing, empowering, inspiring thing we can do. Better than any good work, and more desirable to the Lord, is the flow of love and affection, of knowing and being known, between him and you. Yes, he sees your deepest sins, but he looks deeper still. He knows your desires for holiness, purity, and innocence. He knows the “real you” that longs to please him, to help people, and to build his kingdom. He knows the “you” that is willing to swim out of the current of anything that pulls you away from him.

Nothing is more motivating, encouraging, or inspiring than tasting God’s love. This is no passive acceptance of sin and weakness. Knowing the Father’s love, and being intimately known by him, can move you to part with sin and to overcome failure. It can build strength where you are weak. Knowing his love can release his life in you more fully and allow you to become exactly the person he created you to be.

"After confession," says St. Chrysostom, ”a crown is given to penitents."

Go to your confessor; open your heart to him; display to him all the recesses of your soul; take the advice that he will give you with the utmost humility and simplicity. For God, Who has an infinite love for obedience, frequently renders profitable the counsels we take from others, but especially from those who are the guides of our souls.--St. Francis de Sales

Gospel Text: (MT 12:14-21)

The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus

to put him to death.

When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place.

Many people followed him, and he cured them all,

but he warned them not to make him known.

This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet:

Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,

my beloved in whom I delight;

I shall place my Spirit upon him,

and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

He will not contend or cry out,

nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.

A bruised reed he will not break,

a smoldering wick he will not quench,

until he brings justice to victory.

And in his name the Gentiles will hope.

At one time or another you may have had the misfortune to work for an unreasonable boss, someone who found fault with everything you did. You had to resubmit entire reports because of just one mistake. He or she was always criticizing you for the smallest things, and you spent most of your day fearing what kind of trouble you would find yourself in. Because of that fear, you really didn’t respect his or her authority.

That’s not Jesus! He is more like a servant than a master. He came to lift us up to God, not force us into submission.

This is how God still works with us. It may be hard to believe, especially when it comes to our faults. If we focus too much on them, we may start to view God like that ruthless boss. We fear that he’s always unhappy with our performance. And yet the fact is that he loves us as we are right now even with our sins—bruises and all! As one spiritual writer puts it, “When God loves me, I must accept myself as well. I cannot be more demanding than God, can I?” An understanding of that love has to be the foundation for our walk with him.

No doubt, there is some imperfection or sin in your life that you would like to be rid of. It may be gossip, anger, impatience, gluttony—you name it! But instead of thinking about your inclination to do these things, try thinking about Jesus. Imagine him looking at you with unconditional mercy. Go ahead and receive that mercy and let it transform you. In him, you can patient, kind, and loving. In him, you can look on others with that same mercy. Just let him love you, and he will take care of the rest!

"He who demands mercy and shows none burns the bridges over which he himself must later pass."

For there are three ways of performing an act of mercy: the merciful word, by forgiving and by comforting; secondly, if you can offer no word, then pray - that too is mercy; and thirdly, deeds of mercy. And when the Last Day comes, we shall be judged from this, and on this basis we shall receive the eternal verdict. –St. Faustina

Gospel Text: (MT 12:1-8)
Jesus was going through a field of grain on the sabbath.
His disciples were hungry
and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them.
When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him,
“See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the sabbath.”
He said to the them, “Have you not read what David did
when he and his companions were hungry,
how he went into the house of God and ate the bread of offering,
which neither he nor his companions
but only the priests could lawfully eat?
Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath
the priests serving in the temple violate the sabbath
and are innocent?
I say to you, something greater than the temple is here.
If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
you would not have condemned these innocent men.
For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath.”

«It is mercy I want, not sacrifice» (Mt 12:7). Let us repeat it many times to engrave it on our heart: God, who is rich in mercy, wants us to be merciful. «How close God is to the one who proclaims his mercy! Yes; God is not far from those who are contrite at heart» (St. Augustine). And how far away from God are we when we let our heart turn into hard stone!

Jesus Christ accused the Pharisees of condemning the innocent. That is a serious accusation. But what about us? Are we seriously interested in other people's problems? Do we consider them with affection and sympathy, as if we were relating to a friend or a brother?

Let us try not to lose our way, after all.

“Thou has made us for thyself and restless is our heart until it comes to rest in Thee.”

"You should not worry too much about adversities. The world is not as powerful as it seems to be; its strength is strictly limited.. Know, my daughter, that if your soul is filled with the fire of My pure love, then all difficulties dissipate like fog before the sun's rays and dare not touch the soul. All adversaries are afraid to start a quarrel with such a soul, because they sense that it is stronger than the whole world..."~ Jesus to St. Faustina, 1643 ~

Gospel Text: (MT 11:28-30)
Jesus said:
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

Life can certainly become burdensome at times. We all know this is true. However, those of us who bear the name Christian know the One to whom we can always turn, the Lord Jesus. He says to each of us every morning, "Come to Me".

Today, Jesus' words resound intimate and close. We are conscious that contemporary men and women suffer from considerable pressure(s). Quite often we move away from evangelic simplicity by loading ourselves up with commitments, planning and objectives. We feel overwhelmed and tired of continuously struggling without our effort being worth its while. Recent investigations affirm that nervous breakdowns are on their way up all the time. In fact, in the last two days there were two suicides in the town next to my own.

What are we lacking to feel actually well?

Today, in the light of the Gospel, we may review our conception of God. How do I live and feel God in my heart? What feelings uncover his presence in my life? Jesus offers us his understanding when we feel weary and want to rest: «Come to me, all you who work hard and who carry heavy burdens and I will refresh you» (Mt 11:28). Maybe we have fought for perfection while, deep inside, the only thing we wanted was to feel loved. In Jesus' words we find a response to our crisis of meaning.

Jesus' proposal —«Take my yoke upon you and learn from me...» (Mt 11:29)— implies following his benevolent style of life (to wish good to everybody) and his heart’s humility (virtue referring to keeping our feet on the ground for only divine grace can make us ascend).

To be a disciple demands our accepting Jesus' yoke, while remembering his yoke is «good» and his burden is «light». I do not know, however, whether we are convinced this is really so.

To live as a Christian in our present world is not such an easy thing, for we have to opt for values that go upstream. Not to get carried away by money, prestige or power demands a great effort, I will go so far to say a super-natural effort. If we want to achieve it by ourselves, it may become an impossible task. But with Jesus everything is possible and good. That is why we need the sacraments my friends, Communion and Confession, the one-two punch!

Jesus gave us the Catholic Church not to “burden” us down with “rules” but to help us live a life that transcends our broken human nature, to be truly free, to feel joy in our heart and to be an instrument of peace in the world.

The alternative to that lifestyle is the true burden.

“Seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand.”

Night is favorable for mysteries; it is then when our soul —attentive and humble— turns on itself while pondering over its condition; it is then when it finds God. – St. Clement of Alexandria

Gospel Text: (MT 11:25-27)
At that time Jesus exclaimed:
“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

If you’ve ever helped a child learn to ride a bike, you probably remember one important lesson: keep your eyes focused on where you’re going. If you start looking down at the road, nervous about potential obstacles, it will be a very short trip. But if you keep your eyes on the road ahead, you’ll be able to steer safely and go a lot farther.

When God told Moses that he had heard the cries of the Israelites and was prepared to deliver them, Moses didn’t celebrate. He probably wasn’t feeling very confident. He was living as a shepherd for his father-in-law in the wilderness. He had lost his status as a prince in Egypt after committing murder. And the Israelites might not trust him because he was raised as an Egyptian. So when he heard God’s call to lead Israel, he immediately thought of obstacles.

But God didn’t answer his objection. He simply said “I will be with you” (Exodus 3:12). Like a father running behind his child wobbling down the road on his new bike, God would be with Moses. Moses just had to keep looking forward, at the goal of his people’s liberation, instead of the obstacles. Real though they were, these obstacles couldn’t erase God’s call, because God himself would accompany Moses on the journey.

Each of us has been called by God. Each of us has a God-given path to follow. And certainly, each of us has obstacles in that path! But rather than focus on the obstacles, God wants us to lift up our eyes and focus on him and his calling.

Do you have a dream? Some vision of wonderful things to accomplish for the Lord and his Church? It’s quite possible that those dreams come from the Lord—just as Moses’ dreams of a liberated Israel came from God. So don’t give up on them just because you see potential pitfalls. Keep on dreaming! Keep your eyes on the Lord and your dreams, not on the obstacles. Just as he told Moses, God is telling you, “I am with you. So let’s get going, you and me, together!”

"When... stubbornness takes hold of one’s mind, how can sanctity ever flourish?

Don't give in to discouragement....... If you are discouraged it is a sign of pride because it shows you trust in your own powers. Never bother about people's opinions. Be obedient to truth. For with humble obedience, you will never be disturbed.-- Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Gospel Text: (MT 11:20-24)
Jesus began to reproach the towns
where most of his mighty deeds had been done,
since they had not repented.
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst
had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable
for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum:

Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the netherworld.

For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom,
it would have remained until this day.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

Nobody enjoys a good scolding. It must however be especially painful to be upbraided by Christ, who loves us with his most merciful heart. There is simply no excuse, no immunity when one is reprimanded by Truth itself.

We also notice today in the gospel reading at Mass that Christ did not mince his words. He placed his audience face to face with truth. We too have to take stock of the manner we speak to others about Christ. Often, we too have to fight against our human respect to put our friends before eternal truths such as death and judgment. Pope Francis wittingly described St. Paul as a “trouble-maker”, he said: «May we not take refuge in an easy-going life or in an ephemeral structure (…). Paul, preaching the Lord, caused trouble. But he persisted, because he was a zealous Christian. He had apostolic zeal. He was not a man of compromise».

This came to my mind when I was reflecting over today’s readings, which are about missed opportunities of major significance. Christ preached in several towns, cured their sick, and directed them to a deeper understanding of God’s plan and the significance of life. However, the people living in Chorazin, Tyre, Sidon, and Capernaum were not open to his powerful message of the imminent coming of the Kingdom of God. They missed the opportunity to understand his mission, to change their lives and be part of the evolving Kingdom of God. Christ’s harsh words are an attempt to alert them of the importance of recognizing and joining his mission.

Let us not shun from our duty of charity. Let us receive humbly and responsibly God's call to conversion each day.

Self-preservation is the first law of nature, but self-sacrifice is the highest rule of grace.

Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ.  - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Gospel Text: (Mt 10:34—11:1)

Jesus said to his Apostles:
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.
I have come to bring not peace but the sword.
For I have come to set
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one’s enemies will be those of his household.

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

“Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet’s reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is righteous
will receive a righteous man’s reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because he is a disciple–
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples,
he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.

Yes, it's true.  How we live the Gospel has consequences for eternal life.  That is why Jesus goes on to say,

"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Matthew 10:37-39).

Far from displacing our families and friends, discipleship in Christ re-orders our lives so that we can love others more precisely because we love God the most.  "The first vocation of the Christian is to follow Jesus" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2232).

This spirit of authentic discipleship is at once demanding and energizing.  Jesus requires a great deal of his followers - of us.  But that is so that he can give us more than we expect or deserve: a share in his divine life and, one day, eternal happiness with him.