"For me to believe is to fling myself into the darkness of the night, following a star I once saw though I do not know where it will take me... to believe is to trust God and place my hope in him."
Gospel text (Mt 4,18-22):
As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,
Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
He said to them,
"Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."
At once they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.
He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.
If someone that you have never met or even seen came up to you and told you to follow them, would you listen? Would you trust the stranger or would you simply ignore them and move on with your daily routine? Today’s popular Gospel reading from Matthew looks at the trusting relationship that Jesus has with his followers, his people who put all of their faith in the stranger, the unknown. Why is it that these fishermen decide to drop their nets and follow Jesus?
This Gospel revolves upon the value of trust. Trusting in someone can often be hard to do. For some, trusting comes easy. In today’s Gospel, Peter and Andrew, and then later James and John decide to immediately drop their nets and follow Jesus after he says, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men”. They trusted in him and had no second thoughts about following Jesus.
I would have a difficult time trusting someone that I have never met. Trusting in strangers is something that I continue to struggle with and believe I will always struggle with because I was brought up to not trust in people I don't know. However, the fishermen did not say ‘no’ or ‘I do not trust you’; rather, their actions reflected their trust in this man.
Trust. How do you trust the stranger? Are you able to put your faith in Jesus just as the fishermen did in today’s Gospel? Are you willing to drop your nets or whatever you are doing to follow and put your trust in Jesus?
Today, let us reflect on our trust in God, who loves us personally.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Miss no single opportunity in performing small acts – a simple smile given away can change everything!
There was no need for me to grow bigger, on the contrary, I must be as small as ever, smaller than ever. – St. Therese of Lisieux
Gospel text (Lk 10,21-24):
Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,
"I give you praise, 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 who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."
Turning to the disciples in private he said,
"Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
For I say to you,
many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,
but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."
«Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I praise you, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to simple people» (Mt 11:25). Very rightly, this fragment of the Gospel has been called the “Magnificat of Jesus” by some authors, as the underlying idea is the same as in Mary's Canticle (cf. Lc 1:46-55).
Joy is an attitude which goes together with hope. It has to be difficult for a person who has no hope, to be happy. And, what is it that we Christians put our hope in? The coming of the Messiah and of his Kingdom, in which justice and peace will bloom; a new reality where «the wolf will dwell with the lamb, the leopard will rest beside the kid, the calf and the lion cub will lead them» (Is 11:6). The kingdom we are waiting for is making its way day by day, and we have to know how to discover its presence amongst us. For the world we live in, so lacking in peace and harmony, in justice and love, how necessary the hope of us Christians is! A hope that does not come from natural optimism nor false illusion, but from God himself.
However, Christian hope, which is light and heat for the world, will only be had by that ones who are simple and humble of heart, because God has hidden knowledge and the mystery of his kingdom's love from the wise and expert, that is to say, from the ones who are blinded by pride in their erudition.
A good way to prepare the paths of the Lord in this Advent would precisely be to grow in humility and in simplicity, to open our hearts to the gifts of God, to live with hope and become better witnesses of Jesus' kingdom every day by our very lives.
Gospel text (Lk 10,21-24):
Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,
"I give you praise, 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 who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."
Turning to the disciples in private he said,
"Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
For I say to you,
many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,
but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."
«Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I praise you, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to simple people» (Mt 11:25). Very rightly, this fragment of the Gospel has been called the “Magnificat of Jesus” by some authors, as the underlying idea is the same as in Mary's Canticle (cf. Lc 1:46-55).
Joy is an attitude which goes together with hope. It has to be difficult for a person who has no hope, to be happy. And, what is it that we Christians put our hope in? The coming of the Messiah and of his Kingdom, in which justice and peace will bloom; a new reality where «the wolf will dwell with the lamb, the leopard will rest beside the kid, the calf and the lion cub will lead them» (Is 11:6). The kingdom we are waiting for is making its way day by day, and we have to know how to discover its presence amongst us. For the world we live in, so lacking in peace and harmony, in justice and love, how necessary the hope of us Christians is! A hope that does not come from natural optimism nor false illusion, but from God himself.
However, Christian hope, which is light and heat for the world, will only be had by that ones who are simple and humble of heart, because God has hidden knowledge and the mystery of his kingdom's love from the wise and expert, that is to say, from the ones who are blinded by pride in their erudition.
A good way to prepare the paths of the Lord in this Advent would precisely be to grow in humility and in simplicity, to open our hearts to the gifts of God, to live with hope and become better witnesses of Jesus' kingdom every day by our very lives.
Monday, November 28, 2011
"The will of God — nothing less, nothing more, nothing else."
I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others to do the same. - C.S. Lewis
(Isaiah 2:1-5)
This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,
saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come,
The mountain of the LORD's house
shall be established as the highest mountain
and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it;
many peoples shall come and say:
"Come, let us climb the LORD's mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
That he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths."
For from Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and impose terms on many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;
One nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again.
O house of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the LORD!
“Let us climb the Lord’s mountain” is what we strive to do each and every day of our lives. At the beginning of every day we make a choice to climb God’s mountain. Some days the mountain is Pike’s Peak while other days the mountain is more like a gently rolling slope.
The house of the Lord will be on the top of the mountain and all will stream toward it, from all directions, each on their own path. Who is in this human stream seeking the Lord? The rich, the poor, the strong, the weak, the sick and lame, the morally upright and the morally corrupt, the victims and the perpetrators – in short, all of us, all 7 billion of us now wandering around on this planet.
Are we close to changing swords into plowshares? Well, there was a recent report that we live in one of the least violent times of human history. How can that be? I think it was based on the number of people in conflicts as a percentage of the total population, so the growth in numbers actually has made all of us a little safer. We still train for war, and still spend a lot of our resources on it (especially the US). But we also have increased agricultural yields to un-dreamed of levels, we have eradicated many diseases, we have provided educational and cultural and societal opportunities around the world that could not have been anticipated a century ago.
So where is the Lord’s house? Is it on top of a mountain, or is it in each of us as we strive to move forward on the path that calls us to the Lord? Don’t we really build the house of the Lord one small act at a time by our reverence for each person, by our willingness to stop and help, by our civility, by our recognition that the Lord is in each of us, and therefore we all are in the house of the Lord in our every moment? And don’t we chip away at the house of the Lord when our anger, our frustration, our selfishness, our greed, causes us to think only of ourselves and not of the other 7 billion pilgrims on their path to the house of the Lord?
And so my prayer today is for the grace to recognize the needs of our fellow pilgrims and act toward them in a way that adds a small piece to the house of the Lord as we journey together.
(Isaiah 2:1-5)
This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,
saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come,
The mountain of the LORD's house
shall be established as the highest mountain
and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it;
many peoples shall come and say:
"Come, let us climb the LORD's mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
That he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths."
For from Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and impose terms on many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;
One nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again.
O house of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the LORD!
“Let us climb the Lord’s mountain” is what we strive to do each and every day of our lives. At the beginning of every day we make a choice to climb God’s mountain. Some days the mountain is Pike’s Peak while other days the mountain is more like a gently rolling slope.
The house of the Lord will be on the top of the mountain and all will stream toward it, from all directions, each on their own path. Who is in this human stream seeking the Lord? The rich, the poor, the strong, the weak, the sick and lame, the morally upright and the morally corrupt, the victims and the perpetrators – in short, all of us, all 7 billion of us now wandering around on this planet.
Are we close to changing swords into plowshares? Well, there was a recent report that we live in one of the least violent times of human history. How can that be? I think it was based on the number of people in conflicts as a percentage of the total population, so the growth in numbers actually has made all of us a little safer. We still train for war, and still spend a lot of our resources on it (especially the US). But we also have increased agricultural yields to un-dreamed of levels, we have eradicated many diseases, we have provided educational and cultural and societal opportunities around the world that could not have been anticipated a century ago.
So where is the Lord’s house? Is it on top of a mountain, or is it in each of us as we strive to move forward on the path that calls us to the Lord? Don’t we really build the house of the Lord one small act at a time by our reverence for each person, by our willingness to stop and help, by our civility, by our recognition that the Lord is in each of us, and therefore we all are in the house of the Lord in our every moment? And don’t we chip away at the house of the Lord when our anger, our frustration, our selfishness, our greed, causes us to think only of ourselves and not of the other 7 billion pilgrims on their path to the house of the Lord?
And so my prayer today is for the grace to recognize the needs of our fellow pilgrims and act toward them in a way that adds a small piece to the house of the Lord as we journey together.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
First Sunday of Advent - Prepare the way!
"Rejoice and be glad that so great and good a Lord, on coming into the Virgin's womb, willed to appear despised, needy, and poor in this world, so that men who were in dire poverty and suffering great need of heavenly food might be made rich in him." -- St. Clare of Assisi
Gospel text (Mk 13,33-37):
Jesus said to his disciples: «Be alert and watch, for you don't know when the time will come. When a man goes abroad and leaves his home, he puts his servants in charge, giving to each one some responsibility; and he orders the doorkeeper to stay awake. So stay awake, for you don't know when the Lord of the house will come, in the evening or at midnight, when the cock crows or before dawn. If He comes suddenly, do not let him catch you asleep. And what I say to you, I say to all: watch».
The house lights go off and the footlights come on. Even the chattiest stop chattering as they wait in darkness for the curtain to rise. In the orchestra pit, the violin bows are poised. The conductor has raised his baton. In the silence of a midwinter dusk, there is far off in the deeps of it somewhere a sound so faint that for all you can tell it may be only the sound of the silence itself. You hold your breath to listen. You walk up the steps to the front door. The empty windows at either side of it tell you nothing, or almost nothing. For a second you catch a whiff of some fragrance that reminds you of a place you’ve never been and a time you have no words for. You are aware of the beating of your heart…The extraordinary thing that is about to happen is matched only by the extraordinary moment just before it happens.
Advent is the name of that moment.
Gospel text (Mk 13,33-37):
Jesus said to his disciples: «Be alert and watch, for you don't know when the time will come. When a man goes abroad and leaves his home, he puts his servants in charge, giving to each one some responsibility; and he orders the doorkeeper to stay awake. So stay awake, for you don't know when the Lord of the house will come, in the evening or at midnight, when the cock crows or before dawn. If He comes suddenly, do not let him catch you asleep. And what I say to you, I say to all: watch».
The house lights go off and the footlights come on. Even the chattiest stop chattering as they wait in darkness for the curtain to rise. In the orchestra pit, the violin bows are poised. The conductor has raised his baton. In the silence of a midwinter dusk, there is far off in the deeps of it somewhere a sound so faint that for all you can tell it may be only the sound of the silence itself. You hold your breath to listen. You walk up the steps to the front door. The empty windows at either side of it tell you nothing, or almost nothing. For a second you catch a whiff of some fragrance that reminds you of a place you’ve never been and a time you have no words for. You are aware of the beating of your heart…The extraordinary thing that is about to happen is matched only by the extraordinary moment just before it happens.
Advent is the name of that moment.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
“The first forty years of life give us the text; the next thirty supply the commentary on it.”
Let nothing disturb thee; Let nothing dismay thee; All things pass; God never changes. Patience attains All that it strives for. He who has God Finds he lacks nothing: God alone suffices.” - St Teresa of Avila
Gospel text (Lk 21,34-36):
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man."
One wonders why the dire warnings at this particular time. Shouldn’t the readings be more hopeful to prepare us for the beginning of Advent?
But, if we can get beyond these dire warnings, we see that there is hope. There is the promise that God will be a just judge. He will be there during the anxieties of our days and any sufferings that we encounter. He does not expect that we do it on our own; it is our faith and trust in God that saves us. He is honored by our trust not by our fear.
As we finish this church year, may we put the anxieties of our lives in the loving hands of Jesus so that we can focus on preparing for his coming and bask in the warmth of his love.
Gospel text (Lk 21,34-36):
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man."
One wonders why the dire warnings at this particular time. Shouldn’t the readings be more hopeful to prepare us for the beginning of Advent?
But, if we can get beyond these dire warnings, we see that there is hope. There is the promise that God will be a just judge. He will be there during the anxieties of our days and any sufferings that we encounter. He does not expect that we do it on our own; it is our faith and trust in God that saves us. He is honored by our trust not by our fear.
As we finish this church year, may we put the anxieties of our lives in the loving hands of Jesus so that we can focus on preparing for his coming and bask in the warmth of his love.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Forever is composed of “nows”
"People were not created merely to live here on earth like animals that disappear after their death, but to live with God and in God, and to live not for a hundred or a thousand years, but to live eternally." -- Bishop Innocent of Alaska
Gospel text (Lk 21,29-33):
Jesus told his disciples a parable.
"Consider the fig tree and all the other trees.
When their buds burst open,
you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near;
in the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that the Kingdom of God is near.
Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away."
Imagine you thought today was Thanksgiving Day and you wondered where the turkey was. Did anyone ever call you at 3AM and ask if they woke you? These are situations where people have no sense of time.
This time warp is even worse in spiritual reality. Some people think they have years to go but really they have only minutes. Others expect our civilization and lifestyle to last forever, although history indicates just the opposite. Some think the "thousand year" millennium mentioned in Revelation hasn't started; others think it's about to end (Rv 20:3, 6). Some believe there's no chance of Jesus' final coming today; others say "soon and very soon." Jesus says: "Notice the fig tree, or any other tree. You observe them when they are budding, and know for yourselves that summer is near. Likewise when you see all the things happening of which I speak, know that the reign of God is near" (Lk 21:29-31).
What time is it? "Now is the acceptable time! Now is the day of salvation!" (2 Cor 6:2) "It is now the hour for you to wake from sleep, for our salvation is closer than when we first accepted the faith. The night is far spent; the day draws near" (Rm 13:11-12). "You are not in the dark, brothers, that the day should catch you off guard, like a thief" (1 Thes 5:4).
"Therefore let us not be asleep like the rest, but awake and sober!" (1 Thes 5:6) God is signaling for a time-out. Time will be out and eternity will be in.
Gospel text (Lk 21,29-33):
Jesus told his disciples a parable.
"Consider the fig tree and all the other trees.
When their buds burst open,
you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near;
in the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that the Kingdom of God is near.
Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away."
Imagine you thought today was Thanksgiving Day and you wondered where the turkey was. Did anyone ever call you at 3AM and ask if they woke you? These are situations where people have no sense of time.
This time warp is even worse in spiritual reality. Some people think they have years to go but really they have only minutes. Others expect our civilization and lifestyle to last forever, although history indicates just the opposite. Some think the "thousand year" millennium mentioned in Revelation hasn't started; others think it's about to end (Rv 20:3, 6). Some believe there's no chance of Jesus' final coming today; others say "soon and very soon." Jesus says: "Notice the fig tree, or any other tree. You observe them when they are budding, and know for yourselves that summer is near. Likewise when you see all the things happening of which I speak, know that the reign of God is near" (Lk 21:29-31).
What time is it? "Now is the acceptable time! Now is the day of salvation!" (2 Cor 6:2) "It is now the hour for you to wake from sleep, for our salvation is closer than when we first accepted the faith. The night is far spent; the day draws near" (Rm 13:11-12). "You are not in the dark, brothers, that the day should catch you off guard, like a thief" (1 Thes 5:4).
"Therefore let us not be asleep like the rest, but awake and sober!" (1 Thes 5:6) God is signaling for a time-out. Time will be out and eternity will be in.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Happy “Thanks”---“Giving”
“Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy.”
Gospel text (Lk 21,20-28):
As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,
he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten persons with leprosy met him.
They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying,
"Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!"
And when he saw them, he said,
"Go show yourselves to the priests."
As they were going they were cleansed.
And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.
He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply,
"Ten were cleansed, were they not?
Where are the other nine?
Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?"
Then he said to him, "Stand up and go;
your faith has saved you."
Would you know who is the greatest saint in the world?
It is not he who prays most or fasts most, it is not he who gives most alms or is most eminent for temperance, chastity or justice; but it is he who is always thankful to God, who wills everything that God wills, who receives everything as an instance of God's goodness and has a heart always ready to praise God for it.
Gospel text (Lk 21,20-28):
As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,
he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten persons with leprosy met him.
They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying,
"Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!"
And when he saw them, he said,
"Go show yourselves to the priests."
As they were going they were cleansed.
And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.
He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply,
"Ten were cleansed, were they not?
Where are the other nine?
Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?"
Then he said to him, "Stand up and go;
your faith has saved you."
Would you know who is the greatest saint in the world?
It is not he who prays most or fasts most, it is not he who gives most alms or is most eminent for temperance, chastity or justice; but it is he who is always thankful to God, who wills everything that God wills, who receives everything as an instance of God's goodness and has a heart always ready to praise God for it.
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