October 2023

The basics.

Sometimes it is good for us to get back to basics. At home, we might set aside time for dinner and conversation rather than family members rushing off to separate activities. In our lives of faith, Jesus says we are called to two foundational actions: love God, love neighbor.

Love God.

Love God, love our neighbor. It sounds so simple. And yet, we know that it is anything but simple. Loving God and neighbor requires commitment. Loving God requires us to place our trust in One who cannot be seen and yet knows us better than we know ourselves. Loving God calls us to order our lives in relationship to God and God’s ways, the way of self-giving love. When our heart is centered on God, we will see ourselves as uniquely created, God’s very own. When we love God with all our soul, we find peace in the midst of turmoil. When our mind is focused through faith, we seek what is good, right, and just before all things.

Love neighbor.

Loving our neighbor is the way in which we show our love for God. When we love God with our whole being, we understand that our neighbor is a child of God, one who is God’s prized possession, just as each of us is. The truth is that every person is created out of love, for love. As Christ himself taught us, whatever we do for the least among us, we do for him. Loving our neighbor is, after all, our greatest act of faith, of discipleship, and of stewardship.

Take the call to heart.

What would our lives look like if we really took to heart the two intertwined commandments that Jesus places before us? Would we re-order our days in order to spend time with God in prayer? Would we become more attentive to the needs of others? Might we recognize our talents as gifts from God, and more readily give the gifts back, with increase, at home, in our parish, and the world? Would we consider that the way we spend time, money and attention are signs of our priorities?

It’s time.

Most of us have thought about these things many times in the past, but may have done little to change our routines, behaviors or habits. One of the reasons the three-year Lectionary cycle of readings is so helpful is that we hear passages like this again and again. We hear and reflect on God’s word in light of the very real circumstances of our lives.  Think for just a moment about what was happening in your life three years ago. Surely you heard the Sunday readings differently then than you do now. The gospel passages we hear this month challenge us to not be passive recipients of God’s gracious love. Let this be the year we take Jesus’ two great commandments more fully to heart, and act accordingly: love God, love neighbor.

Finding strength

“I can do all things in him who strengthens me.”

Faith in Jesus does not prevent us from having difficulties in life. Truly, discipleship includes challenges - the ordinary adversities that are part of life, and particular trials that come from our commitment to living as Christian people in the world. As we listen to the gospels this month, Jesus challenges us to live as his people, stay focused on God and God’s ways, and produce the fruit of faith through our actions.

“I can do all things in him who strengthens me.” Such faith is not theoretical or abstract. When we can make this statement with conviction in the midst of turmoil, we tell ourselves and others that we believe Christ is with us, that the Lord cares about us and remains with us each and every day, even when we are not conscious of God’s presence. As we face the trials of life and of discipleship, faith provides perspective. And strength. And hope. Because Jesus bore his cross and reigns victorious over it, we can face our trials with the assurance that Christ is with us and that nothing is greater than the love and power of God.

“I can do all things in him who strengthens me.” St. Paul wrote those words to the Christian community in Philippi from prison. “I know how to live in humble circumstances; I also know how to live with abundance. In every circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need. I can do all things in him who strengthens me.” Can we say the same? Do we trust in the Lord in every circumstance, in all things? Earlier in the same letter, St. Paul shared the faith that gave him courage in the trails that he faced, “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your request known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phl 4:6-9, 12-14)

“I can do all things in him who strengthens me.” Notice that St. Paul’s prayer is one of thanksgiving. Even in the midst of trial, doubt, or fear, we always have something to be thankful for, because we are blessed children of God!

“I can do all things in him who strengthens me.” Let these words sink into our hearts and minds. Let them become a mantra, a phrase that we repeat whenever we are challenged - by situations at home or work, when things seem to be falling apart, when we are discerning a new step on life’s path or need courage to take a stand or act as we know discipleship demands - in all things, let us trust that we are not alone. We can do these things in and with Christ.

September 2023

What has hold of you? Let it go

Does something have hold of you? Perhaps the desire for possessions drives you; maybe it is the need for security; perhaps you hold onto your relationships with people  too closely, or think far too much of yourself. It is easy to find ourselves holding on too tightly to something or someone. We may find comfort in it for a while, but realize in time that it is fleeting. Jesus has a different vision for our lives. When we cling to things, people, or self-reliance, we lose the beauty of God’s vision for us and for all of creation. In holding tight to what we think we want, we lose the possibility of  a greater, more profound, deeply meaningful way of life.

Separate your wants from your needs

Most of us spend a lot of time thinking about what we want. We dream of a new house, better car, career success, or a life of unbridled happiness. These wants may be worthy goals for a life that is centered in God and rooted in faith. But often, the wants stem from misplaced priorities, putting possessions or the desire for control before our relationship with Christ and all that we are called to be and to do as Christian disciples.  Jesus invites us to let go of this want-driven life, to instead embrace his way of self-giving love. When we separate our wants from our needs, what is most important comes into focus. Life is simpler, more purposeful and filled with joy.

What do you own, and what owns you?

The late Archbishop Thomas Murphy recalled a moment in which he was preparing for serious surgery. In his reflection, he asked himself, “What do I own, and what owns me?”

Archbishop Murphy had a dramatic insight at a pivotal point in this life. “I know that my whole understanding and appreciation of the gifts and resources I possess took on new meaning. It is amazing how a divine economy of life and heath provides a unique perspective of what really matters.” What really matters for you? Jesus asks us to find meaning in a life that is centered in love, forgiveness, mercy, trust, and compassion.

Take a step

Throughout his ministry and ultimately on the cross, Jesus showed us that true security and meaning lie in letting go, in living for God and others. As followers of Jesus Christ, we find that the things the world holds out in front of us as markers of success often lack meaning and ultimately distract us from what really matters. We will find true happiness by losing ourselves to the loving, merciful will of God. We will gain a new and enriching perspective when we see that all we are, have, and will be are gifts from God, to be nurtured and shared out of gratitude for all that we have been given.

August 2023

Sometimes we need to trust the Lord

Overwhelmed, surrounded by noise and stress, we need to trust the Lord.

 Everyone has moments when life is hard. We may feel stressed by responsibilities at home, work, or school. It may seem we are surrounded by noise - external sounds from electronic devices, television, traffic, or people, or the interior noise of worry, anxiety, confusion, or frustration. Many of us proceed through the days and weeks of our lives without giving these things much thought until something happens - a new situation arises, conflict with a co-worker or family member erupts, or there is an accident and suddenly, we reach saturation, the breaking or boiling point.

 Living as a disciple does not eliminate the noise or frustration, but commitment to Christ does make a difference. When we are stressed and overwhelmed, it is time to draw on our faith more deeply. Like the Caananite woman who trusted in God’s healing care, we place our needs in the hands of the Lord.

 Sometimes we need to step away

On a mountain, in a cave, or a quiet corner at home, it’s time to step away.

 Elijah stepped outside, listening, seeking God in a time of trial.  He may have expected God to appear in a show of might and strength. Rather, God was found in a small whispering voice. Awestruck, Elijah listened to the Lord.

 Jesus took Peter, James and John high on a mountain. They likely thought they were simply on a walk with Jesus, or perhaps they expected they would take time to pray as Jesus often did alone. Stepping away from the cares and the demands of daily life, they experienced Jesus transfigured. They were given a glimpse of the glory of God. Hearing God’s voice telling them to listen to the Lord, they were filled with awe. With new perspective and their fears calmed by the Lord, they rose and continued their journey with him.

 Sometimes we need to step away from the busyness of life in order to look and listen for signs of God’s abiding presence with and within us. Not only should we step away, we should bring our lives - the good and the difficult, all that we wonder about and that which concerns us - to our quiet place with the Lord.

Sometimes we need a flash of insight

 Glimpse divine grandeur and see anew. View the world in a fresh, new light.

When we take time away to be with God in quiet reflection, we open ourselves to gain the perspective we need, let go of fear and frustration, and meet the circumstances of our lives in the presence of God’s goodness and grace. 

“ “In the lives of disciples, however, something else must come before the practice of stewardship. They need a flash of insight - a certain way of seeing - by which they view the world and their relationship to it in a fresh, new light. “The world is charged with the grandeur of God,” Gerard Manley Hopkins exclaims; more than anything else, it may be this glimpse of the divine grandeur in all that is that sets people on the path of Christian stewardship. Not only in material creation do people discern God present and active, but also, and especially, in the human heart.””

— SDR 39

Where is your quiet place? What do you need to do to find the time to step away to bring your life to the Lord? How might you open yourself to a flash of insight, to the goodness and grace of God, to view the world and your relationship to it in a fresh, new light?

July 2023

Let your heart be moved.

Be changed by the Word of God.

Be changed by the word of God.

“Thus says the LORD: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; my word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.” (Is 55:10-11)

There is the word of God, words recorded in Sacred Scripture, that reveal who God is and what it means to live in right relationship with God and others. And there is the Word of God, Jesus Christ, who shows and shares God’s love perfectly and who invites us, calls us, compels us to live as God desires. We are called to listen to God’s word and to see God’s love manifested in Jesus, the Word of God, so that we may be of one heart and mind with the Lord, bearing the fruit of God’s love, justice, and peace in our lives, cities, and world.

All ears

We all know there is a difference between hearing and listening. Sometimes, perhaps often, we physically hear the things people are saying to us. We may hear the word of God proclaimed at Mass or in prayerful reading. We might hear the sound of a bird calling or child singing. But we do not always listen. With the word of God, we should be all ears. As St. Benedict says in his Rule, we should listen with the ear of our heart. We listen for the meaning of the passage in light of the circumstances of our lives and all that has been revealed through Scripture and Tradition.

Eyes wide open

Jesus looked beyond the surface and saw the pain, suffering, confusion, and sorrow of the people in his midst. He did not let anything stand between him and those who needed him. In seeing, he responded with God’s mercy, forgiveness, and healing. As Christ’s people, we are called to open our eyes to the needs of those around us. We must honestly examine our lives, admit that we are sometimes weak, selfish, complacent, or trapped by fear. With eyes wide open we see the ways we might show God’s love through our attitudes and actions and resolve to respond as the Lord desires.

Hearts moved by love

Our Sunday readings this month challenge us to not only hear the word of God, but to take it deeply to our hearts, and to act on it. The word of God, we are told, is like a seed. Do we cultivate our hearts as good soil in which God’s word may take root and grow? Do we open our minds to the challenge of living as Christ’s people? Do we bear good fruit, as disciples and stewards who hear the call of Christ and respond with our lives? The Gospels may sound harsh at times, as Jesus describes the difference between those who are faithful and fruitful and those who are not. Yet when we allow God’s Word to take root in our hearts, responding will not be burdensome, but rather, our lives will bear an abundant harvest of love in the world.

Faithful and fruitful

With our ears, eyes, and hearts open to the Word and the word, our lives will be transformed. Our hearts will be moved. We will become more like the One whose word we hear. Our listening to the Word of God will change us! We will be Christ’s people in the world.

June 2023

Real presence

One of the greatest mysteries of our Catholic faith is that Christ is truly, really present in the Eucharist. During consecration, the ordinary elements of bread and wine are transformed into the extraordinary - the very Body and Blood of our Lord. And with this great mystery, we recognize another: as the gifts are brought forth, we bring our very lives to the altar, asking God to consecrate them, to make us holy. In receiving Holy Communion - Christ’s Body and Blood -  the ordinary stuff of our lives is to be transformed, as we become more fully members of Christ’s Body.

Through participation in the Eucharist, we are given all we need in Christ’s gift of presence with and for us. We are drawn into communion with the Lord, who knows our needs, desires, hopes, and dreams, and who feeds us, body and soul, nourishing us to live as Christ’s people in our daily lives.

As Eucharistic people, we are called to give in turn, as stewards of all we are and have and will be. “Here people enjoy a unique union with Christ and, in him, with one another. Here his love -- indeed his very self -- flows into his disciples and, through them and their practice of stewardship, to the entire human race.” (SDR, 34)

It doesn’t end with the final blessing. We are sent out in Christ’s mission of love. Through his passion and death, Jesus sacrificed all for us. In communion with Christ, we are called into communion with one another. We are to see the needs of others, especially the most vulnerable, and are called to act - to sacrifice, to go out of our selves in service, ministry, and care. Without cost we have received; without cost, we are to give.

May 2023

Each of us has only so many hours in a day, and we do not know when our last day on earth will be. We make many choices in the course of our days and weeks, months and years. How will we use our time? What needs our attention? Who needs our presence and care? We may build something that matters, or waste the opportunities we have in favor of passing things. Through our decisions and actions, we build a life, the total sum of all that we are and do.

Jesus shows us that there is more to life than the focus on ourselves and those closest to us that often consumes our time and attention. That life that you’re building? Make it about more than your narrow concerns. Let yourself build something that has much greater impact. In the second reading for May 7, St. Peter says, “like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Pet 2: 4-5) What we build and how we build it is an expression of what is most important to us.

When we turn to Christ, the living stone, our priorities change. In faith, we grow in a desire to give for the sake of others, to sacrifice beyond what we think we can, trusting that God will take our offering and build something wonderful. In the words of Blessed Theresa Gerhardinger, God’s cause becomes the only concern of our hearts. Christ calls us to build up the reign of God through our actions and interactions, in what we say and what we do. We may choose to give our time and resources to help others build a better life. We may contribute to parish ministries and Church initiatives to serve the poor, promote peace and advocate for justice. If we pour ourselves out, our hearts will be filled. If we resolve to build the reign of God, the reign of selfishness, material wealth, and need for security dissolve into the promise of a brighter tomorrow. We have but one life in which to make a difference. Build something for lasting impact.

April 2023

Mary Magdalene had experienced her worst day at Jesus’ crucifixion. The one whom she had come to love and in whom she put her faith had suffered and was brutally killed before her very eyes. Still reeling and weighed down by Jesus’ death, she went to the tomb with the other Mary to carry out the heavy responsibility of anointing Jesus’ body for burial.

The disciples who were walking to Emmaus had experienced their worst day, too. With Jesus’ death, their hope had died as well. “But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel.” Perhaps that is why the worst days remain in our memory so profoundly. In the moment of extreme pain, grief, and disappointment, our hope is shaken. We simply do not know how to carry on.

Jesus met Mary Magdalene and the other Mary on the way. He reassured them in the midst of their fear and told them to share the good news with the disciples. He met the two who were walking to Emmaus on their way as well, even as they were walking away from Jerusalem and the company of the other disciples. He consoled them in their dejection, and helped them understand the fullness of God’s love, which is poured out  in and through Christ.

Everything changed for Mary and the disciples through an encounter with the risen Lord. They were “fearful yet overjoyed.” Their hearts burned. They did not forget their worst day, but it was redeemed through the resurrection of Jesus. They found light and hope in place of darkness.

Jesus meets us on our way, too, and wants us to encounter him in sacrament and word and the loving care of family and community. Our Lord wants us to hear his voice saying, “do not be afraid,” and be assured that we have great hope through his resurrection, the hope that our worst days - days of grief, fear, and disappointment - do not have the final word, the hope that in Christ, the best is yet to come.

March 2023

Open your ears.

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

Listen. We began the season of Lent in the desert with Jesus. There, Jesus faced temptation and showed us how to avoid sin by staying focused on God and God’s ways. From the desert, we go to a high mountain, where we hear the voice of God urging us to listen to Jesus.

Pray. During Lent, we set aside time for prayer, time to listen to God and search our life in response to God’s loving presence. Christ speaks to us in word and sacrament, through loving relationships, in joyful and challenging times. We must be ready to listen.

Reflect. What is your desert? What tempts you? From what do you need to turn away in order to listen to the Lord more attentively and make a greater place for Jesus in your life?

Open your eyes.

“Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart.”

See. During Lent, we are invited to open our eyes, to pay attention to the grace of God in our midst and see the needs of others. In the gospel we hear on the Fourth Sunday of Lent, the man did not ask to be healed. Jesus saw his need and reached out to him. As a result, the man who was born blind could see, but those around him were blind to the truth of the Good News of Jesus Christ. They couldn’t believe what was before their very eyes. We may see the face of God in the poor and vulnerable, the eyes of a child, the Body and Blood of the Lord in the Eucharist. We must be ready to open our eyes to perceive God’s presence and to see others through the eyes of God, as precious and wonderful in his sight.

Fast. In Lent, we fast from a favorite food, beverage, screen time, or activity in order to experience more fully our hunger for God and to become more willing to live as God’s holy people in the world.

Reflect. How often do you fail to see the goodness of God’s love? In what ways might you more fully accept and share the mercy and forgiveness Christ freely gives?

Open your heart.

“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”

Feel. Lent is a time in which to open our hearts to Christ, to risk trusting in God and allow Jesus to change us. The Samaritan woman did not at first understand what was happening to her as she spoke with the Lord at the well. Yet, she did not run away, and opened her heart to Christ. Not only was her heart moved and her life changed, so were the people of her town whom she told of her encounter with Jesus.

Give. During Lent, we give our time, money, and support to those who are poor, lonely, sick, in prison, the most vulnerable among us. We share our faith in Jesus and the impact of our faith in word and in deed, with friends, family, and especially with those to whom we reach out in charity this season.

Reflect. How might you open your heart to encounter Jesus this Lent? Who needs to know Christ’s love and mercy through your giving and sharing? How might you go beyond yourself in care, compassion, and charity?

February 2023

BE HOLY. BE PERFECT.

Jesus’ words in this month’s gospels are challenging: Turn the other cheek. Love your enemies. Forgive and be reconciled. Pray for those who persecute you.  Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Discipleship can be demanding, yet following Jesus is also freeing. In faith, we learn to let go of the constant pursuit of things that do not last. Our lives are less filled with conflict and more focused on things that matter. We have greater perspective, an eternal perspective, in meeting life’s circumstances. When we are tempted to turn away from God’s ways and instead turn toward the Lord, we find peace and fulfillment on the path of holiness.

BE SALT AND LIGHT.

We all have times when we are stressed and tired or make our way through life without enthusiasm. The first disciples who walked with Jesus probably had those days as well. They may have grown weary on the journey. They might have missed their former lifestyle and questioned their decision to follow Jesus. Jesus encouraged them, challenged them, and urged them to stay on the path of faith, knowing that doing so is the way of truth and life, life filled with grace and meaning.

“You are the salt of the earth,” “You are the light of the world,” Jesus said. Jesus wants his disciples to be alive in faith, transformed by the Holy Spirit. As people empowered with the Spirit, we may add rich flavor and light where life is dull, lackluster, exhausting, dark.

THE CHOICE IS YOURS

If you choose, you can keep the commandments, and to act faithfully is a matter of your own choice.

Before you are life and death, good and evil.  Our Sunday readings this month, including this strong message from the book of Sirach, urge us to choose to be the people God desires, to strive toward selflessness, generosity, forgiveness, mercy, and love.

As disciples, when we bring faith to life, we are filled with purpose, sharing in Christ’s mission to transform the world through selfless love. We are called to live faith deeply, boldly, showing others the impact of our belief and trust in the Lord in our daily lives. Choosing to live as Christ’s own in the world is demanding and at the same time, it is the way of perfect love. The choice is yours. Whichever you choose will be given you.