Everything we have is on loan from the Lord, entrusted to us for a short while……….

“[Money is] an article which may be used as a universal payment to everywhere except Heaven, and a universal provider for everything except happiness.”—Wall Street Journal

Gospel Text:(MK 12:1-12)

Jesus began to speak to the chief priests, the scribes,
and the elders in parables.
"A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it,
dug a wine press, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenant farmers and left on a journey.
At the proper time he sent a servant to the tenants
to obtain from them some of the produce of the vineyard.
But they seized him, beat him,
and sent him away empty-handed.
Again he sent them another servant.
And that one they beat over the head and treated shamefully.
He sent yet another whom they killed.
So, too, many others; some they beat, others they killed.
He had one other to send, a beloved son.
He sent him to them last of all, thinking, 'They will respect my son.'
But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'
So they seized him and killed him,
and threw him out of the vineyard.
What then will the owner of the vineyard do?
He will come, put the tenants to death,
and give the vineyard to others.
Have you not read this Scripture passage:

The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?"

They were seeking to arrest him, but they feared the crowd,
for they realized that he had addressed the parable to them.
So they left him and went away.

We can ask ourselves: Do I really experience that a portion of God's kingdom has been entrusted to me? Am I using it for my own gratification and honor? Or, am I using it to return the "fruit" to God?

Each of us can reflect upon our place in creation and ask these kinds of questions. We can reflect upon our roles in relation to God's desires for what we've been asked to tend, to care for, to give life to. Too often, it is easy in our culture to see a big compartmentalized divide between "my life" and "my spiritual life." In God's eyes, we each have a vocation - a call, a mission, a purpose. We've been entrusted with so much, e.g. personal gifts given us by virtue of where we were born, the way we were raised, the education we received, the values and cultural heritage which shaped us. We have been entrusted with responsibilities, roles in our families, in our parish communities, in our cities and world. We have been blessed with relationships and loved ones who sustain us and for whom we sacrifice to give gifts of life. When we give thanks, today, for all these blessings, we can recognize that each blessing is a way God has entrusted us with a mission. 

Take care of this for me. Bring life here for me. Be a bridge builder here for me. Die to yourself, as I have done, in imitation of me.

"From the Eucharist comes strength to live the Christian life and zeal to share that life with others."

We cannot separate our lives from the Eucharist; the moment we do, something breaks. People ask, 'Where do the sisters get the joy and the energy to do what they are doing?' The Eucharist involves more than just receiving; it also involves satisfying the hunger of Christ. He says, 'Come to Me.' He is hungry for souls. - Mother Teresa: (1910 – 1997: Founded the Missionaries of Charity)

Gospel Text: (MK 14:12-16, 22-26)

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
when they sacrificed the Passover lamb,
Jesus’ disciples said to him,
"Where do you want us to go
and prepare for you to eat the Passover?"
He sent two of his disciples and said to them,
"Go into the city and a man will meet you,
carrying a jar of water.
Follow him.
Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house,
'The Teacher says, "Where is my guest room
where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"'
Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready.
Make the preparations for us there."
The disciples then went off, entered the city,
and found it just as he had told them;
and they prepared the Passover.
While they were eating,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, gave it to them, and said,
"Take it; this is my body."
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them,
and they all drank from it.
He said to them,
"This is my blood of the covenant,
which will be shed for many.
Amen, I say to you,
I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine
until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
Then, after singing a hymn,
they went out to the Mount of Olives.

I googled: “How many Catholics believe in the True Presence?” This is what I found: “About half of U.S. Catholics know the official teaching, and half do not. Of the half who know it, about 90 percent believe it. So, that translates to about 46 percent of all survey respondents.” In the second article from the National Catholic Register (2015) I read: “About 65% of practicing Catholics said the Eucharist is ‘the true presence of Jesus Christ,’ but a similar number of non-practicing Catholics said it is ‘a symbol.’”

Maybe it’s time to take a good look at how we receive Jesus in the Eucharist. Let’s ask Him to help us be more aware if necessary so that we can open ourselves up to the amazing grace available to us each time we go to communion. Let’s cherish this great gift Jesus offers to us each day and never take it for granted.

One more thing – if you have never read about the Eucharistic Miracles, I invite you to do so. You will be amazed.

“Do not think of knocking out another person's brains because he differs in opinion from you. It would be as rational to knock yourself on the head because you differ from yourself ten years ago.”

Don't be afraid of opposition. Remember, a kite rises against, not with, the wind. - Hamilton Wright Mabie: (1846 – 1916: was an American essayist, editor, critic, and lecturer.

Gospel Text:(MK 11:27-33)

Jesus and his disciples returned once more to Jerusalem.
As he was walking in the temple area,
the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders
approached him and said to him,
"By what authority are you doing these things?
Or who gave you this authority to do them?"
Jesus said to them, "I shall ask you one question.
Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
Was John's baptism of heavenly or of human origin? Answer me."
They discussed this among themselves and said,
"If we say, 'Of heavenly origin,' he will say,
'Then why did you not believe him?'
But shall we say, 'Of human origin'?"–
they feared the crowd,
for they all thought John really was a prophet.
So they said to Jesus in reply, "We do not know."
Then Jesus said to them,
"Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things."

Jesus makes the choice to keep silent in the face of his attackers, and to proceed along the path of righteousness that He was going to be faithful to and that he would make possible for his followers.

Beloved, remember the words spoken beforehand
by the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit.
Keep yourselves in the love of God
and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ
that leads to eternal life. (Jude 17, 20-21)

“A little righteous anger really brings out the best in the American personality. Our nation was born when 56 patriots got mad enough to sign the Declaration of Independence. We put a man on the moon because Sputnik made us mad at being number two in space. Getting mad in a constructive way is good for the soul- and the country.”

“It's the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there'll be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.”― Mahatma Gandhi: (1869 – 1948: was an Indian  activist  who was the leader of the Indian independence movement against British rule.

Gospel Text: (MK 11:11-26)

Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple area.
He looked around at everything and, since it was already late,
went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

The next day as they were leaving Bethany he was hungry.
Seeing from a distance a fig tree in leaf,
he went over to see if he could find anything on it.
When he reached it he found nothing but leaves;
it was not the time for figs.
And he said to it in reply, "May no one ever eat of your fruit again!"
And his disciples heard it.

They came to Jerusalem,
and on entering the temple area
he began to drive out those selling and buying there.
He overturned the tables of the money changers
and the seats of those who were selling doves.
He did not permit anyone to carry anything through the temple area.
Then he taught them saying, "Is it not written:

My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples?
But you have made it a den of thieves."

The chief priests and the scribes came to hear of it
and were seeking a way to put him to death,
yet they feared him
because the whole crowd was astonished at his teaching.
When evening came, they went out of the city.

Early in the morning, as they were walking along,
they saw the fig tree withered to its roots.
Peter remembered and said to him, "Rabbi, look!
The fig tree that you cursed has withered."
Jesus said to them in reply, "Have faith in God.
Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,
'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,'
and does not doubt in his heart
but believes that what he says will happen,
it shall be done for him.
Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer,
believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours.
When you stand to pray,
forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance,
so that your heavenly Father may in turn
forgive you your transgressions."

The Good News of Jesus stands in sharp contrast to the messages of self-fulfillment that the world tries to preach in so many forms. Therefore, the four evangelists use images of contrast in order to convey the Gospel. The withered fig tree is an image of those who have no faith, such as those who profane the Temple. Such are those who live by the standards of the world.

We are called, however, to make an act of faith in Christ Jesus. Today we recognize especially the first step involved in such an act, declared by Our Lord in the last sentence of today’s Gospel passage: “When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your faults.”