“It is our choices that show us what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

“We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.” – Viktor Frankl

(Gospel Text: Mt 7:6, 12-14)

Jesus said to his disciples:

"Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine,

lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.

"Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.

This is the Law and the Prophets.

"Enter through the narrow gate;

for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction,

and those who enter through it are many.

How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life.

And those who find it are few."

To make the right decisions in life, we must always ask the right questions. I think we would all agree with that statement.

If you saw someone driving on a road which abruptly ended at a cliff, if you saw car after car go over the cliff, if you heard the people in these cars screaming on the way to their deaths — would you love enough to try to stop the cars driving on that road?

You would think mankind would consistently “choose a gate” based on what's behind it rather than on how easy it is to get through it.

"Enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many.  How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life.  And those who find it are few." (Mt 7:13-14)   But with the light of the Spirit of Christ shining before us, we will find the narrow gate.  Once we go through it, we are on the way to eternal life .

Can you imagine if we got what we deserved?

This year, or this month, or, more likely, this very day, we have failed to practice ourselves the kind of behavior we expect from other people.  – CS Lewis (The Case for Christianity )

(Gospel Text   Mt 7: 1-5)  

Jesus said to his disciples:

"Stop judging, that you may not be judged.

For as you judge, so will you be judged,

and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.

Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye,

but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?

How can you say to your brother,

'Let me remove that splinter from your eye,'

while the wooden beam is in your eye?

You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first;

then you will see clearly

to remove the splinter from your brother's eye."

One of the few serious sins admitted in our culture is that of being "judgmental." In our secular humanistic society, to be promiscuous, addicted, lying, greedy, lustful, or proud is to be tolerated, but to be “judgmental” (as it is perceived by society) is nearly the unforgivable sin.

Jesus commands us not to judge. The misunderstanding and misrepresenting of this command in the last few generations has led to a permissiveness which has warped and/or destroyed millions of people. Permissiveness is not love; it is either ignorance, the selfishness of apathy, or cowardice. Jesus commands us not to judge others in certain ways, but this is not the same as what the world means by being judgmental. Jesus tells us to judge first our own sins and repent (see Mt 7:5). Then we should judge what is sinful according to the teachings of the Church and the Bible. Permissiveness is not avoiding the sin of judging others, but is committing sins of apathy and cowardice. Not judging sins is as sinful as committing a sin yourself. Refusing to call a sin "a sin" is also a sin. Refusing to correct a sinner by refusing to speak the Truth (with a capital T) is yet another sin. However, it is not our business to judge the subjective guilt of others (Mt 7:2). Although we can often know whether other people are doing right or wrong, we don't know whether those who sin know what they are doing (cf Lk 23:34). Also, because it is not our business to judge the subjective guilt of others, we obviously shouldn't be sentencing others to various punishments for their sins (see Mt 7:2). Let's stay out of the business of unforgiveness and vengeance, and stay in the business of speaking the truth in love (Eph 4:15) and being ministers of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18).

We should always pray for help, but we should always listen for inspiration

“God does not exist to answer our prayers, but by our prayers we come to discern the mind of God”

(Gospel Text Lk 1:57-66, 80)

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child

she gave birth to a son.

Her neighbors and relatives heard

that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,

and they rejoiced with her.

When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,

they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,

but his mother said in reply,

"No. He will be called John."

But they answered her,

"There is no one among your relatives who has this name."

So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.

He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name,"

and all were amazed.

Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,

and he spoke blessing God.

Then fear came upon all their neighbors,

and all these matters were discussed

throughout the hill country of Judea.

All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,

"What, then, will this child be?"

For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.

The child grew and became strong in spirit,

and he was in the desert until the day

of his manifestation to Israel.

The purpose for which God created you may require that you walk to a different drumbeat than other people. For John the Baptist, which we celebrate his birth in today’s gospel reading, it required that he live in the desert far from normal human contact and civilization. God’s purpose for his life dictated even the minutest details of how he would dress and eat, since he had to dress in rough animal skin and eat the vegetarian food of locusts and wild honey. He adopted a lifestyle that would enhance his calling in life. He did not go for any unnecessary trappings that would weigh him down or encumber his life.

To discern what God is calling us to be we need to cultivate some sort of “desert” in our lives where we can listen to God. We need to make Samuel’s words to the Lord, “Speak, your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3;10) part of our daily prayer. And, to be faithful to the call of God, we need the courage and discipline to keep away from any choices or lifestyle that does not help us along the path to which God has called us.

John the Baptist is great today not just because God called him to a special vocation but because he walked faithfully in the path that leads to the goal that God had set for him.

Our life’s work is to wake up and make God’s glorious dream for us a reality.

"God teaches the soul by pains and obstacles, not by ideas."

"If we could see all He sees we would unhesitatingly wish all He wishes. We would beg Him on bended knees for those afflictions we now ask Him to spare us."
- St. Claude de la Colombiere

(Gospel Text Mt 6:24-34)

Jesus said to his disciples:

"No one can serve two masters.

He will either hate one and love the other,

or be devoted to one and despise the other.

You cannot serve God and mammon.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,

what you will eat or drink,

or about your body, what you will wear.

Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

Look at the birds in the sky;

they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns,

yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are not you more important than they?

Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?

Why are you anxious about clothes?

Learn from the way the wild flowers grow.

They do not work or spin.

But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor

was clothed like one of them.

If God so clothes the grass of the field,

which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow,

will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?

So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?'

or 'What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?'

All these things the pagans seek.

Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness,

and all these things will be given you besides.

Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.

Sufficient for a day is its own evil."

I think I should read this gospel every day and perhaps twice on those days when I am feeling overwhelmed. You know, those days when it seems the world is not going according to my plan, those days when life throws me a curve. I need to play this over and over in my head:

“Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life span?”

I think I should read this gospel on days when I think I need something someone else has. I need to think of this gospel when I focus on things more than people. I need to ask myself this question:

“Is life not more than food and the body more than clothing?”

We don’t want to let go of our worry or let go of our control. We sometimes think we know better than anyone. If only life could be ordered according to the way I would do things, then it would be better. If only these people in my life would live up to my expectations, then things would be better.  Sometimes that means having faith and not having all the answers.

“If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?”

We do need food and clothes and God knows that, the gospel tells us. But we have to put first things first. Seek God. Be thankful for what you have. Enjoy the world and the people around you.  Be present in the moment.

“Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.”

The eyes believe themselves; the ears believe other people

We do not see things as they are. We see them as we are.  - The Talmud

(Gospel Text Mt 6:19-23)

Jesus said to his disciples:

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,

where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.

But store up treasures in heaven,

where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.

For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

"The lamp of the body is the eye.

If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light;

but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness.

And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be."

Are your eyes good?

Where our treasures are, there are our hearts (Mt 6:21). Moreover, what our eyes look at will probably become our treasures. Advertisers know this. Their commercials project images designed to capture our hearts and manipulate us into buying their products. They're not paying millions of dollars for programs and commercials that won't affect us and sadly they do effect our culture greatly!

When you stop to think about it, eyes have an extreme effect on our values and lifestyle. Jesus said: "If your eyes are good, your body will be filled with light; if your eyes are bad, your body will be in darkness. And if your light is darkness, how deep will the darkness be!" (Mt 6:22-23)

The Lord set our eyes into our heads to protect them. He also gave us eyelids and eyebrows for more protection. Just as He gives our eyes special protection physically, the Lord wants to protect our eyes spiritually.

Good eyes are selective!