Catholic Daily Reflections (My Catholic Life!)

When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.  Matthew 14:13-14

Humanly speaking, Jesus’ heart was grieved by the death of John the Baptist.  He loved John and was deeply saddened by his beheading.  So He withdrew in a boat to a deserted place alone.  But the crowds were hungry for more!  They wanted to see Jesus and listen to Him.  They knew many who were ill and wanted Jesus to heal them.  So they sought Him out despite the fact that He had withdrawn from the crowd to be alone.

What was Jesus’ reaction?  Did He look at them and sigh, saying to Himself, “Why don’t they leave me alone.  Don’t they know I am grieving?”  No.  Instead, Jesus was filled with mercy and compassion for them, and He went to them to heal many of their sick.

This gives us insight into the heart and compassion of our Lord.  Many times, we are afraid to go to God.  We are afraid to turn to Him because of our sin.  We are afraid of what He will think and say to us.  We feel guilty and ashamed and, as a result, fail to seek Him out.

But just as Jesus had compassion for those who sought Him out in this story, so also He will ALWAYS have the deepest of compassion for us every time we seek Him out.  If we find our lives steeped in sin, but run to Him anyway, He will look at us with compassion and mercy.  He never tires of us returning to Him, seeking His healing and mercy.  We should always have hope in Him and turn to Him with the greatest confidence.

Reflect, today, upon how comfortable you are in turning to Jesus just as you are.  Are you afraid or worried about what He thinks of you?  Are you ashamed of your sin or weakness?  Do you worry He will judge you and not care?  Have confidence in His abundance of mercy and run to Him without fear.

My most compassionate Lord, help me to trust in Your love and compassion.  Help me to know that You always long for me to come to You.  As You never tire of me coming to You, may I never tire of coming to You.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.”  Matthew 14:28-29a

What a wonderful expression of faith!  St. Peter, caught in stormy conditions on the sea, expressed his complete confidence that if Jesus were to call him out of the boat to walk on water, it would happen.  Jesus does call him to Himself and St. Peter begins to walk on water.  Of course we know what happened next.  Peter was filled with fear and began to sink.  Fortunately, Jesus caught him and all was well.

Interestingly, this story reveals much to us about our own lives of faith and much more about the goodness of Jesus.  So often we begin with a faith in our head and have every intention of living that faith.  Like Peter, we often make firm resolutions to trust in Jesus and to “walk on water” at His command.  However, all too often we experience the same thing Peter did.  We start to live the trust we express in Jesus, only to suddenly waver and give in to fear in the midst of our hardship.  We begin to sink and have to cry out for help.  

In some ways, the ideal would have been if Peter expressed his faith in Jesus and then walked to Him without faltering.  But, in other ways, this is the ideal story in that it reveals the depth of Jesus’ mercy and compassion.  It reveals that Jesus will catch us and draw us out of our doubts and fears when our faith gives way.  This story is much more about Jesus’ compassion and the extent of His help than it is about Peter’s lack of faith.

Reflect, today, upon any way that you have had great intentions of trusting Jesus, started down that path and then have fallen.  Know that Jesus is full of compassion and will reach out to you in your weakness just as He did to Peter.  Let Him grab your hand and strengthen your lack of faith out of His abundance of love and mercy.

My compassionate Lord, I do believe.  Help me when I falter.  Help me to always turn to You when the storms and challenges of life seem to be too much.  May I trust that, in those moments more than any other, You are there reaching out Your hand of grace.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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But the woman came and did him homage, saying, “Lord, help me.” He said in reply, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”  Matthew 15:25-27

Did Jesus really imply that helping this woman was like throwing food to dogs?  Most of us would have taken great offense at what Jesus said as a result of our pride.  But what He said was true and was not rude in any way.  Jesus obviously cannot be rude.  Nonetheless, His statement has the superficial appearance of being rude.  

First, let’s look at how His statement is true.  Jesus was being asked by this woman to come heal her daughter.  Basically, Jesus tells her she is not deserving of this grace in anyway.  And that’s true.  No more than a dog deserves to be fed from the table do we deserve the grace of God.  Though this is a shocking way to say it, Jesus says it this way so as to first illustrate the truth of our sinful condition and unworthiness.  And this woman takes it.

Second, Jesus’ statement allows this woman to react with the utmost humility and faith.  Her humility is seen in the fact that she does not deny the parallel to a dog eating from the table.  Rather, she humbly points out that even dogs eat the scraps.  Wow, this is humility!  In fact, we can be certain that Jesus spoke to her in this somewhat humiliating way because He knew how humble she was and He knew that she would react by letting her humility shine forth so as to manifest her faith.  She was not offended by the humble truth of her unworthiness; rather, she embraced it and also sought out the abundant mercy of God despite her unworthiness.  

Humility has the potential to unleash faith, and faith unleashes the mercy and power of God.  In the end, Jesus speaks for all to hear, “Oh woman, great is your faith!”  Her faith was made manifest and Jesus seized the opportunity to honor her for that humble faith.

Reflect, today, upon your own humility before God.  How would you have reacted if Jesus spoke this way to you?  Would you have been humble enough to acknowledge your unworthiness?  If so, would you also have enough faith to cry out for God’s mercy despite your unworthiness?  These wonderful qualities go hand in hand (humility and faith) and unleash the mercy of God!

My most merciful Lord, I am unworthy.  Help me to see that.  Help me to see that I do not deserve Your grace in my life.  But in that humble truth, may I also recognize Your abundance of mercy and never fear to call upon You for mercy.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.  I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.  Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”  Matthew 16:18-19

The following is an excerpt from My Catholic Faith!, Chapter 7: 

So was Jesus just being complementary to Peter, trying to build up his ego?  Was He just thanking Peter for acknowledging who He really is?  Or was Jesus doing something more?  Was He making Peter a promise that would one day come to fulfillment?  Certainly it was the latter of these.  Jesus was telling Peter that he would become the rock foundation of the Church and that Peter would enjoy a unique spiritual power of the Keys of Heaven.  Whoa!  What an incredible gift that was!

Jesus says, “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven…”  This is no small gift to have.  We should take this as a literal commitment from Jesus to Peter.  So, when Jesus did found His Church, when He did “breathe” on the Apostles after His Resurrection, He also bestowed this promised gift of supreme authority within His Church to Peter–the power to bind and loose.

I’m sure that at first Peter did not fully understand this unique gift.  Perhaps as the Church began, within the first few years, the other Apostles would have been reminded by the Holy Spirit that Jesus said this.  Perhaps Peter in his humility would have been reminded by the Holy Spirit that Jesus said this.  And as time went on there should be no doubt that Peter began to embrace and own this unique gift of supreme authority.  We see the first clear exercise of this authority in Acts 15, at the Council of Jerusalem, when there was a disagreement about circumcision.  After much debate, Peter stood up and spoke with authority.  From there, others followed and we see that the question they were debating was clarified and settled.

From that time on, the Apostles continued their work of teaching, shepherding and sanctifying.  Peter eventually went to Rome to preach and to become the first bishop there.  It is in Rome that he died and it was every successor of the Apostle Peter, in Rome, who took on this unique gift of the supreme authority within the Church.  Certainly Jesus did not intend this gift of supreme authority to last only as long as Peter lived.  That’s why we see this authority passed on to all his successors who are the bishops of Rome.  And that’s why we call our Church the Roman Catholic Church.  Interestingly, if Peter would have gone to Malta, or Jerusalem, or Asia we would today most likely have the Malta, or Jerusalem, or Asian Catholic Church instead.  So the Church is Roman primarily because that’s where Peter went and, therefore, that’s where the supreme authority lies.

Over the centuries we have come to understand this unique gift of supreme authority and have defined it more clearly.  It means that St. Peter, and all his successors, enjoy full and immediate authority to teach definitively on faith and morals and to govern, or shepherd, according to the mind and will of Christ.  So if the pope says something is true regarding faith or morals then, quite frankly, it is true.  And if he makes a decision on the governance of the Church then, quite simply, that’s what God wants done.  It’s as simple as that.

This gift of supreme authority, in regard to teaching on faith and morals, is called “infallibility.”  It’s used in various ways.  The most powerful way it’s used is when the pope speaks “ex cathedra” or, “from the chair.”  This means symbolically from the chair of Peter.  In this case he teaches what’s called a “dogma” of the faith.  Every dogma is true and certain and we are bound in faith to believe.

Lord, I thank You for the gift of Your glorious Catholic Church!  I pray that I may always be faithful to all that You reveal through Your Church and I pray that the leaders of Your Church, especially the pope, will always seek to grow daily in holiness of life.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” Matthew 16:24

There is a very important word in this statement of Jesus.  It’s the word “must.”  Note that Jesus did not say that some of you may have to follow me by carrying your cross.  No, He said that whoever wishes to follow me must…

So the first question should be easy to answer.  Do you wish to follow Jesus?  In our heads that’s an easy question.  Yes, of course we do.  But this is not a question we can answer only with our heads.  It must be also answered by our choice to do what Jesus said was a necessity.  Namely, wishing to follow Jesus means denying yourself and taking up your cross.  Hmmm, so do you wish to follow Him?

Hopefully, the answer is “Yes.”  Hopefully, we resolved deeply to embrace all that is involved in following Jesus.  But that’s no small commitment.  Sometimes we fall into the foolish trap of thinking that we can “kinda” follow Him here and now and that all will be fine and we’ll certainly get into Heaven when we die.  Maybe that’s true to a certain extent, but if that’s our thinking then we’re missing out on what life is all about and all that God has in store for us.

Denying yourself and taking up your cross is actually a far more glorious life than we could ever come up with on our own.  It’s a blessed life of grace and the only path to ultimate fulfillment in life.  Nothing could be better than completely entering into a life of total self-sacrifice by dying to ourselves.  

Reflect, today, on whether or not you are willing to say “Yes” to this question not only with your head, but also with your whole life.  Are you willing to embrace the life of sacrifice to which Jesus is calling you?  What does that look like in your life?  Say “Yes,” today, tomorrow and every day through your actions and you’ll see glorious things take place in your life.

My glorious Lord, I do wish to follow You and I choose, today, to deny all my selfishness.  I choose to carry the cross of selfless living to which I am called.  May I embrace my cross with joy and be transformed by You through that choice.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.  Mark 9:2-3

Do you see the glory of God in your life?  Oftentimes this is a real struggle.  We can easily become aware of all the problems we face and can focus in on them.  As a result, it is often easy for us to miss seeing the glory of God in our lives.  So do you see God’s glory in your life?  

The feast we celebrate today is a commemoration of the fact that Jesus literally revealed His glory to three of the Apostles.  He took them up a high mountain and was transfigured before them.  He became dazzling white and radiant with glory.  This was an important image for them to have in their minds in preparation for the very real image of the suffering and death Jesus was about to undergo.  

One lesson we should take from this feast is the fact that the glory of Jesus was not lost on the Cross.  Sure, His suffering and pain was made manifest at that time, but it doesn’t change the fact that His glory was still just as real while He suffered on the Cross.  

The same is true in our lives.  We are blessed beyond measure and God still desires to transform our souls into glorious beacons of light and grace.  When He does this, we must strive to constantly see it.  And when we suffer or face some Cross, we must never take our eyes off the glorious things He has done in our souls.  

Reflect, today, upon the beautiful and profound transformation that God has done and continues to desire to do in your soul.  Know that He wants you to fix your eyes upon this glory and forever remain grateful for it, especially as you endure any cross you are given.

Lord, may I see Your glory and the glory that You have bestowed upon my own soul.  May my eyes forever remain fixed on that grace.  May I see You and Your glory especially in difficult times.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.”  Luke 12:32

This short statement from Jesus reveals three things to us.

First of all, we hear Jesus offer the familiar reminder that we ought not allow fear to take hold of our lives.  There are so many things in life that can have the effect of causing fear, worry, anxiety and the like.  Overcoming fear is a matter of humility, in that humility enables us to turn our eyes from ourselves and the problems we face and to put our eyes upon our Lord.  When we put our eyes on Him, fear dissipates and trust takes its place.

Second, this is also a very tender statement from Jesus in that He calls His disciples, and all of us, His “little flock.”  This is a term of endearment and reveals our Lord’s gentle and compassionate heart.  This term of endearment reveals not only that we belong to Jesus, it also reveals how His love for us is intimate and heartfelt.  If we understand this love of His we will be compelled to love Him back with the same depth of intimacy.  

Lastly, this line points us to the Kingdom of our Father in Heaven.  The Father, whom we must trust and with whom we must have an intimate relationship, invites us to share in His most glorious Kingdom.  His Kingdom becomes ours, and when we can see and understand how glorious this calling is, we will be filled with hope and excitement as we seek to obtain it.

Reflect, today, upon the heartfelt invitation of our compassionate Lord Jesus to put your eyes upon His Kingdom.  As you do so, allow this revelation to cast out fear from your life, strengthening you to overcome that burden.  Put your trust in God and allow Him to transform you.

My Divine Shepherd, I accept Your invitation to put my trust in You.  Please free me from the many fears that I am tempted with in life.  Help me to have confidence in You and Your grace as I seek to put my eyes on the glory of Your Kingdom.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up.  Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax.  Give that to them for me and for you.”  Matthew 17:27

This is an interesting situation.  The tax collectors of the temple come to Peter and ask him why Jesus doesn’t pay the normal temple tax.  Peter, in turn, asks Jesus this question and Jesus makes it clear that He does not owe tax, given who He is.  However, He sends Peter to obtain a coin miraculously from the mouth of a fish so that others are not offended.

One thing this story reveals is that, at times, the foolish and unimportant concerns of others (such as collecting taxes) are not worth fighting about.  This basic principle may apply to many other situations in life.  It’s easy to allow unimportant issues to get in the way of our service of God.  It’s not an uncommon experience for people to turn trivial concerns into major issues.  We, as Christians, need to keep our eyes on what is important in life and not allow ourselves to be drawn into these foolish battles.  

Humility, when fully embraced, will help us to avoid “offending” people even if we are in the right.  Humility, as seen in this situation with Jesus, enables us to see that this or that battle is not worth fighting.  Certainly we cannot compromise on the truth, but we can and ought to compromise on more trivial and unimportant demands of others rather than allowing conflicts to rise for foolish reasons.

Reflect, today, upon those “issues” in life that seem to get more attention than they are worth.  Reflect upon how you can diffuse these situations by humbling yourself before others.  You may be called to accept small injustices at times for the sake of the bigger picture.  Look at what those may be in your life and ask the Lord to give you the grace to follow His example.

My humble Lord, fill my heart with true humility.  Help me to turn away from unimportant conflicts in life, even to the point of embracing injustice in a sacrificial way.  May I never claim my rights over the joy of embracing deep humility.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.”  Matthew 18:3-5

How do we become like children?  What is the definition of being childlike?  Here are a few synonyms that most likely apply to Jesus’ definition of becoming like children:  trusting, dependent, natural, spontaneous, awe-inspired, without airs, and innocent.  Perhaps some of these, or all of them, would qualify for what Jesus is talking about.  Let’s look at a few of these qualities in regard to our relationship with God and others.

Trusting: Children trust their parents without question.  They may not always want to obey, but there is very little reason for children to lack trust that a parent will provide and care for them.  Food and clothing are presumed and not even considered as a concern.  If they are in a large city, or shopping mall, there is safety found in being close to a parent.  This trust helps eliminate fear and worry.

Natural: Children are often free to be who they are.  They are not overly concerned about looking silly or being embarrassed.  They will often naturally and spontaneously be who they are and not worry about the opinions of others.

Innocent: Children are not yet skewed or cynical.  They do not look at others and presume the worst.  Rather, they will often see others as good.

Awe-inspired:  Children are often fascinated by new things.  They see a lake, or mountain, or a new toy and are amazed at this first encounter.  

All of these qualities can easily be applied to our relationship with God.  We must trust God to care for us in all things.  We must strive to be natural and free, expressing our love without fear, not worrying if it will be accepted or rejected.  We must strive to be innocent in the way we see others not giving into prejudice and bias.  We must strive to be continually in awe of God and of all the new things He does in our lives.  

Reflect, today, upon any of these qualities in which you find yourself most lacking.  How does God want you to become more childlike?  How does He want you to become like children so that you can become truly great in the Kingdom of Heaven?

Lord, help me to become childlike.  Help me to find true greatness in the humility and simplicity of a child.  Most of all, may I have absolute trust in You in all things.  Jesus, I do trust in You.

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Jesus said to his disciples: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.”  John 12:24

This is a catchy phrase, but it reveals a truth that is hard to accept and live.  Jesus speaks directly about the need to die to yourself so that your life will bear abundant good fruit.  Again, easy to say, hard to live.

Why is this hard to live?  What is hard about it?  The hard part begins with the initial acceptance of the fact that dying to yourself is necessary and good.  So let’s look at what that means.

We begin with the analogy of a grain of wheat.  That grain must detach from the head and fall to the ground.  This image is one of complete detachment.  That single grain of wheat must “let go” of everything.  This image tells us that if we want God to work miracles in us, we must be ready and willing to let go of all to which we are attached.  It means we enter into a true abandonment of our will, our preferences, our desires and our hopes.  This can be very hard to do because it can be very hard to understand.  It can be hard to understand that detaching from all that we want and desire is actually good and is actually the way that we become prepared for the new and much more glorious life awaiting us through the transformation of grace.  Death to ourselves means we trust God more than the things we are attached to in this life.  It means we believe that God’s plan is infinitely better than any plan we can come up with.

When the grain of wheat does die and enters the ground, it fulfills its purpose and grows into so much more.  It is transformed into abundance.

Saint Lawrence, a third century deacon and martyr whom we remember today, presents us with a literal image of one who gave up everything, including his very life, so as to say “Yes” to God.  He gave up all his wealth, and when commanded by the prefect of Rome to turn over all the treasures of the Church, Lawrence brought to him the poor and the sick.  The prefect, in anger, sentenced Lawrence to death by fire.  Lawrence gave up everything to follow His Lord.

Reflect, today, upon that which God may be calling you to let go of.  What is it that He wants you to surrender?  Surrendering is the key to letting God do glorious things in your life.

Lord, help me to let go of my own preferences and ideas in life that are not in accord with Your divine will.  Help me to always believe that You have an infinitely better plan.  As I embrace that plan, help me to trust that You will bring forth an abundance of good fruit.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“‘You wicked servant!  I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to.  Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’  Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.”  Matthew 18:32-35

That is definitely NOT what you want Jesus to say and do to you!  How frightening to hear Him say, “You wicked servant!”  And then to have Him hand you over to the torturers until you pay back all you owe for your sins.

Well, the good news is that Jesus deeply longs to avoid such an awful confrontation.  He has no desire to hold any one of us accountable for the ugliness of our sins.  His burning desire is to forgive us, pour out mercy, and wipe the debt away.  

The danger is that there is at least one thing that will keep Him from offering us this act of mercy.  It’s our obstinacy in failing to forgive those who have wronged us.  This is a serious requirement of God upon us and one we should not take lightly.  Jesus told this story for a reason and the reason was that He meant it.  We can often just think of Jesus as a very passive and gentle person who will always smile and look the other way when we sin.  But don’t forget this parable!  Don’t forget that Jesus is serious about obstinate refusal to offer mercy and forgiveness to others.  

Why is He so strong on this requirement?  Because you cannot receive what you are not willing to give away.  Perhaps that doesn’t make sense at first, but it’s a very real fact of the spiritual life.  If you want mercy, you must give mercy away.  If you want forgiveness, you must offer forgiveness.  But if you want harsh judgment and condemnation, then go ahead and offer harsh judgment and condemnation.  Jesus will answer that act in kind and severity.

Reflect, today, upon those powerfully piercing words of Jesus.  “You wicked servant!”  Though they may not be the most “inspiring” words to reflect upon, they may be some of the most useful words to reflect on.  We all need to hear them at times because we need to be convinced of the seriousness of our obstinance, judgmentalness and harshness toward others.  If that is your struggle, repent of this tendency today and let Jesus lift that heavy burden.

Lord, I do repent of my stubbornness of heart.  I repent of my harshness and my lack of forgiveness.  In Your compassion please do forgive me and fill my heart with your mercy toward others.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said, For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?  So they are no longer two, but one flesh.”  Matthew 19:4-6a

What is marriage?  Men and women from a young age sense a certain draw to each other.  It’s part of human nature to experience this.  Yes, sometimes this “draw” becomes distorted and turns into lust, but it’s important to point out that this natural draw is just that…natural.  “From the beginning the Creator made them male and female…”  Therefore, from the beginning, God intended the sacred unity of marriage.

Marriage is truly mysterious.  Yes, husbands may think their wives are “mysterious” and wives may think the same of their husbands, but in truth each person is a sacred mystery and the unity of two people in marriage is an even greater mystery.

As a mystery, one’s spouse and marriage itself must be entered into with an openness and humility that says, “I want to know you more each and every day.”  Spouses who approach their marriage with self-righteousness will always look down on the other and always fail to respect the holy mystery of the other.  

Each person you get to know, especially your spouse, is a beautiful and glorious mystery of God’s creation whom you are not called to “solve” but are called to meet on a deeper and deeper level each and every day.  There must always be a humility that enables spouses to be open to the other in a new way every day so that they can continually discover a greater depth of beauty in the other.  It is this humility and respect for the other in marriage that enables spouses to fulfill their joint mission of becoming one.  Think about it, “they are no longer two, but one flesh.”  Very few truly understand what this means and even fewer live the beautiful depths of this glorious and high calling of marriage.

Reflect, today, upon the mystery of the people you are called to love, especially if you are married.  To call the other a “mystery” may at first lead to a smile as you acknowledge you cannot figure him/her out.  But humbly recognizing the beautiful meaning of “mystery” will lead you to appreciate the uniqueness of others and help you to embrace the call to human unity, especially within marriage.

Lord of true unity, help me to see the beauty and holy mystery of the people You have placed in my life.  Help me to love them with a humble love.  May I especially deepen my love for my spouse each and every day.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”  After he placed his hands on them, he went away.  Matthew 19:14-15

Jesus offered this gentle rebuke to His disciples for trying to prevent the children from coming to Him.  Jesus makes it clear that these children are truly precious to Him and that He wants them each to receive the Kingdom of Heaven.  

One frequently missed aspect of this passage is that Jesus laid His hands on the children and prayed for them.  What a blessing!  An interesting question to ponder is this: What effect did the laying of Jesus’ hands coupled with His prayer have on these children?  These acts would have bestowed a tremendous amount of grace on these little ones.  Perhaps they did not realize what was happening, but they would have received much grace, nonetheless.

The same is true in our lives.  We will not encounter Jesus coming to us physically in the same way, laying His hands on us and praying for us.  But we do have something far greater!  We have the Savior of the World coming to us in Holy Communion, entering into our souls and nourishing us in ways beyond what we can ever imagine.

The power of His divine presence, coming to us in Holy Communion, is enough to transform our lives in powerful ways.  The problem is that we often receive Him without being fully open to His grace and mercy.  We easily come forward to receive His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity and fail to fully open ourselves to the infinite depths of His tender mercy.

Reflect, today, upon the intimate touch of the Savior upon your soul as you receive Him in Holy Communion.  The power of that encounter is of infinite value.  Are you open to all that He wishes to bestow?  Renew your openness to Him and seek to allow Him to enter your soul more deeply next time you come forward to receive His divine touch.

My Eucharistic Lord, I love You and desire to open my heart more fully next time I receive You in Holy Communion.  May I open myself to all that You desire to pour forth upon me.  Come into my heart, dear Lord, and transform my life by Your gentle touch.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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Jesus said to his disciples: “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” Luke 12:49

This passage reveals two things to us.  First, it reveals Jesus’ intention to “set the earth on fire.”  Second, it reveals that He desires “it were already blazing.”

What does it mean when Jesus says that He came to set the world on fire?  Fire is a powerful image that offers much insight into the Christian life.  First, fire consumes.  So it is with Christ.  He came to consume us.  He came to transform our little lives into blazing fires.  This reveals that there is much potential in each one of our lives.  We have potential to become something totally new if we allow the spark of grace to ignite our souls.

Fire also has the potential to make a difference.  Its heat keeps us warm, its light allows us to see in darkness and its energy produces power in various ways to help us in our daily lives.  So it is with grace.  God’s grace transforms our cold hearts, leads us through the darkness of life and provides us with all we need to live productive lives.

It’s interesting to note that Jesus did not only say that He came to set the world on fire; rather, He said that He wished it were already blazing.  This desire of our Lord is an invitation to move out of a mediocre and lukewarm existence into a life of radical Christian living.  We are not called to be partly transformed, or even mostly transformed.  No, we are called to become blazing fires of faith, transformed by God to make a true difference in the world!

Reflect, today, upon the fire within your own soul.  How brightly is that fire burning?  You need to feed that fire on a daily basis, fanning it into flame with complete commitment.  Seek to become that blazing fire that the Lord desires of you and you will be amazed at how fully you can become transformed by grace.

Lord, set my heart on fire with the brightness of Your love and mercy.  Help me to be open to the complete transformation of life that You desire of me.  I give myself to You without reserve, dear Lord.  Use me as You will.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his Name.”  Luke 1:46-49

These, the opening lines of our Blessed Mother’s glorious song of praise, reveal who she is.  She is one whose whole life proclaims the greatness of God and rejoices continually.  She is one who is the perfection of humility and, therefore, highly exalted by every generation.  She is the one for whom God has done great things and the one whom God has covered in holiness.  

The Solemnity we celebrate today, that of her Assumption into Heaven, points to God’s acknowledgement of her greatness.  God did not allow her to taste death or any consequences of sin.  She was Immaculate, perfect in every way, from the moment of her conception to the moment she was taken body and soul into Heaven to reign as Queen for all eternity.

The Immaculate nature of our Blessed Mother may be hard for some to comprehend.  That’s because her life is one of the greatest mysteries of our faith.  Very little was said of her in the Scriptures, but much will be said of her for all eternity as her humility is unmasked and her greatness shines forth for all to see.

Our Blessed Mother was Immaculate, meaning without sin, for two reasons.  First, God preserved her from original sin at the moment of her conception by a special grace.  We call this a “preservative grace.”  Like Adam and Eve, she was conceived without sin.  But unlike Adam and Eve, she was conceived in the order of grace.  She was conceived as one who was already saved by grace, by her Son whom she would one day bring into the world.  The grace that her Son would one day pour on the world transcended time and covered her at the moment of her conception.  

The second reason our Blessed Mother is Immaculate is because, unlike Adam and Eve, she never chose to sin throughout her life.  Therefore, she became the new Eve, the new Mother of all the Living, the new Mother of all who live in the grace of her Son.  As a result of this Immaculate nature and her continuous free choice to live in grace, God brought her body and soul into Heaven upon the completion of her earthly life.  It is this glorious and solemn fact that we celebrate today.

Reflect, today, upon your understanding of our Blessed Mother.  Do you know her, understand her role in your life and continually seek her motherly care?  She is your mother if you choose to live in the grace of her Son.  Embrace that fact more deeply today and choose to make her an even more important part of your life.  Jesus will be grateful you do!

Lord, help me to love Your mother with the same love You have for her.  As You were entrusted to her care, so I desire to be entrusted to her care.  Mary, my Mother and Queen, pray for me as I have recourse to you.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”  Matthew 19:30

This little line, tucked in at the end of today’s Gospel, reveals much.  It reveals a contradiction between worldly success and eternal success.  So often we seek out worldly success and fail to seek the riches that last for eternity.

Let’s start with the “many who are first.”  Who are these people?  To understand this we must understand the difference between the “world” and the “Kingdom of God.”  The world refers to a purely vain popularity within any given culture.  Success, prestige, vainglory, and the like accompany worldly popularity and success.  The evil one is the lord of this world and will often seek to raise up those who serve his unholy will.  But in so doing, many of us are enticed by and drawn to this form of notoriety.  This is a problem, especially when we begin to take our identity in the opinions of others.

The “many who are first” are those whom the world elevates as icons and models of this popular success.  This is a general statement that certainly does not apply to every particular situation and person.  But the general tendency should be acknowledged.  And according to this Scripture, those who get drawn into this life will be “last” in the Kingdom of Heaven.  

Contrast this with those who are “first” in the Kingdom of God.  These holy souls may or may not be honored in this world.  Some may see their goodness and honor them (like Saint Mother Teresa was honored), but very often they are put down and considered undesirable in a worldly way.

What’s more important?  What do you honestly prefer for all eternity?  Do you prefer to be well thought of in this life, even if it means compromising values and the truth?  Or are your eyes fixed on the truth and eternal rewards?

Reflect, today, upon the goal of building up treasure in Heaven and the eternal reward promised to those who live lives of fidelity.  There is nothing wrong with being well thought of by others in this world, but you must never allow such a desire to dominate you or dissuade you from keeping your eyes on that which is eternal.  Reflect upon how well you do this and seek to make the rewards of Heaven your exclusive goal.

My eternal Lord, please help me to seek You and Your Kingdom above all else.  May pleasing You and serving Your most holy will be my one and only desire in life.  Help me to shed the unhealthy concerns of worldly notoriety and popularity, concerning myself only with what You think.  I give to You, dear Lord, my whole being.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Are you envious because I am generous?”  Matthew 20:15b

This line comes from the parable of the landowner who hired workers at five different times during the day.  The first were hired at dawn, the second at 9 a.m., the others at noon, 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.  Those hired at dawn worked about twelve hours and those hired at 5 p.m. worked only an hour.  The “problem” was that the owner paid all the workers the same amount as if they all worked a full twelve hour day.

At first, this experience would tempt anyone to envy.  Envy is a sort of sadness or anger at the good fortune of others.  Perhaps we can all understand the envy of those who put in a full day.  They worked for the full twelve hours and received their full pay.  But they were envious because those who worked only an hour were treated by the landowner with much generosity receiving a full day’s wage.

Try to put yourself into this parable and reflect upon how you would experience this generous action of the landowner toward others.  Would you see his generosity and rejoice for those treated so well?  Would you be grateful for them because they were given this special gift?  Or would you, too, find yourself envious and upset.  In all honesty, most of us would struggle with envy in this situation.

But that realization is a grace.  It’s a grace to become aware of that ugly sin of envy.  Even if we are not actually put into the position of acting upon our envy, it’s a grace to see that it’s there within.  

Reflect, today, upon whether you see any traces of envy within your heart.  Can you sincerely rejoice and be filled with much gratitude at the success of others?  Can you sincerely be grateful to God when others are blessed with the unexpected and unwarranted generosity of others?  If this is a struggle, then at least thank God that you are made aware of this.  Envy is a sin, and it’s a sin that leaves us dissatisfied and sad.  You should be grateful you see it because that is the first step in overcoming it.

My most generous Lord, I do sin and I honestly admit I have some envy in my heart.  Thank you for helping me to see this and help me to now surrender that over.  Please replace it with a sincere gratitude for the abundant grace and mercy You bestow on others.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’ But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’ Many are invited, but few are chosen.”  Matthew 22:10-14

This may be quite shocking at first.  In this parable the king invited many to the wedding feast of his son.  Many rejected the invitation.  He then sent his servants out to gather anyone who would come and the hall was filled.  But when the king came in, there was one not dressed in a wedding garment and we can see what happened to him in the passage above.  

Again, at first read this may be a bit shocking.  Did this man really deserve to be bound hand and foot and thrown outside into the darkness where there is wailing and grinding of teeth, just because he didn’t have the right clothing on?  Certainly not.

Understanding this parable requires us to understand the symbolism of the wedding garment.  This garment is a symbol of one who is clothed in Christ and, specifically, one who is therefore filled with charity.  There is a very interesting lesson to learn from this passage.

First, the fact that this man was at the wedding feast means he responded to the invitation.  This is an indication of faith.  Therefore, this man does symbolize one who has faith.  Second, the lack of a wedding garment means that he is one who has faith and believes all that God says, but has not allowed that faith to permeate his heart and soul to the point of producing true conversion and, therefore, true charity.  It is the lack of charity in the young man that condemns him.

The interesting point is that it is possible for us to have faith, but to lack charity.  Faith is believing what God reveals to us.  But even the demons believe!  Charity requires we embrace that truth interiorly and let it transform our lives.  This is an important point to understand because sometimes we can struggle with this same situation.  At times we can find we believe on the level of faith, but are not living it.  Both are required for a life of authentic holiness.

Reflect, today, upon both your faith in all that God has spoken, and the charity that this hopefully produces in your life.  Being a Christian means you let your faith sink from your head down to your heart and will.

Lord of all love, may I have deep faith in You and in all that You have spoken.  May that faith sink into my heart producing love of You and others.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a scholar of the law, tested him by asking, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”  Matthew 22:34-37

“With all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”  In other words, with your whole being!

What does this depth of love look like practically speaking?  It’s easy for this to become a lofty thought or sermon of words, but it’s challenging to let this thought or sermon become a testimony of our actions.  Do you love God with your whole being?  With every part of who you are?  What does that mean exactly?

Perhaps this depth of love will manifest itself in many ways, here are a few qualities of this love that will be present:

1) Entrustment: Entrustment of our lives to God is a requirement of love.  God is perfect and, therefore, loving Him requires that we see His perfection, understand this perfection, and act in accordance with it.  When we see and understand who God is, the effect is that we must trust Him completely and without reserve.  God is all-powerful and all-loving.  An all-powerful and all-loving God must be trusted to an unlimited extent.

2) Interior fire: Entrustment of ourselves will set our hearts on fire!  This means that we will see the Holy Spirit do amazing things within our souls.  We will see God acting and transforming us.  It will be more than what we could ever do to ourselves.  God will take charge and do great things in us, transforming our lives,  just as a blazing fire becomes all consuming.

3) Actions beyond your ability: The effect of a blazing fire of the Holy Spirit within us is that God will do great things in the lives of those around us through us.  We will witness God at work and be amazed at what He does.  We will witness first hand His amazing power and transforming love and it will happen through us.  What a gift!

Reflect, today, upon your total love of God.  Are you all in?  Are you completely committed to serving our Lord and His holy will?  Don’t hesitate.  It’s worth it!

Lord, help me to love You with my whole heart, mind, soul and strength.  Help me to love You with my whole being.  In that love, I pray You transform me into Your instrument of grace.  Jesus, I trust in You!

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“The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’”  Matthew 23:2-7

Saturdays are traditionally dedicated to the honor of our Blessed Mother.  What a contrast there is between the Pharisees and our Blessed Mother, Queen of Heaven and Earth!  

First, we start with the Pharisees.  They were continually condemned by Jesus for their pride and self-righteousness.  They spoke prayers to themselves, sought out places of honor, demanded the respect of others and were completely self-consumed.  Jesus’ continual condemnation of them was an act of mercy on His part.  It was a way of trying to break them out of their pride, helping them to see the light of truth.  

Second, we contrast this with our Blessed Mother.  She was humble beyond imagination.  She is the Immaculate Conception…perfect in every way.  She carried every virtue within her soul.  She is the New Eve, the new Mother of all the Living.  And she is honored eternally as Queen of Heaven and Earth.  

The stark contrast is seen in the way she lived.  It’s seen in the fact that she had every right to exalt herself and to expect honor and respect throughout her life.  But, in her humility, she claimed no such right.  She allowed herself to remain hidden and even ridiculed for becoming pregnant out of wedlock.  She was unlike the Pharisees in every way.

But now, for all eternity, God has raised her up.  She will eternally be seen as Queen and will be honored and loved by all.  All her virtue will perpetually shine forth as she has been rewarded and exalted for all to see.

Reflect, today, upon who you are more like.  Are you more like the Pharisees who seek to exalt themselves?  Or are you more like our Blessed Mother who humbled herself.  Choose to imitate our Blessed Mother and God will eternally reward you, too!

Lord, may I see the beauty and magnificence of Your mother’s soul.  May I love her and honor her.  And in that love and honor, may I imitate her in every way.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.”  Luke 13:24

What does this line tell us?  It reveals that we cannot enter Heaven by our own will or through our own effort.  Furthermore, it tells us that though some will try to get to Heaven through their own effort, this approach will not work.  Upon meeting our Lord, after death, they will be surprised that they are not a member of His Kingdom.

This clear and somewhat shocking statement from our Lord should have the effect of causing you to step back and look at your life so as to sincerely and humbly examine the path you are on.  Jesus’ directness and clarity on this real experience that some will have should help to open your eyes so as to honestly examine if He is speaking about you.  

It takes true humility to face the truth, at times, and to admit if we are trying to rely more upon ourselves than upon Christ.  The “narrow gate” is that gate through which the humble enter.  Pride and self-sufficiency lead us to attempt to make our own path to Heaven.  But this path is never the correct one.

Entering the “narrow gate” also means that we listen to God.  He, as the divine Shepherd, is always calling to us in a gentle way.  Only when we are attentive to His voice will we know where He is leading us.  Only then will we discover the way through the one and only narrow gate.

Reflect, today, upon that moment when you meet our Lord face to face.  What will that encounter be like?  Will it be one where He greets you with open arms saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into your reward.”  Or will it be one in which He says, “I do not know you.”  Now is the time to face your life of faith with honesty, striving to rely only upon the strength of our divine Lord.

Lord, I do desire to enter the narrow gate.  I choose to follow Your gentle voice, leading me to Heaven.  Help me to remain humble in life, shedding all that leads me to rely upon myself.  May I rely only upon You, dear Lord, and trust You in all things.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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The following is an excerpt from My Catholic Faith!, Chapter 8: 

The best way to conclude this volume is to reflect upon the final and glorious role of our Blessed Mother as the Queen and Mother of all the saints in this new age to come.  She already played an essential role in the salvation of the world, but her work is not over.  By her Immaculate Conception she became the perfect instrument of the Savior and, as a result, the new Mother of all the living.  As this new mother, she undoes the disobedience of Eve by her continual free choice of perfect cooperation with and obedience to God’s divine plan.  At the Cross, Jesus gave His mother to John, which is a symbol of the fact that He gave her to all of us as our new mother.  Therefore, insofar as we are members of the Body of Christ, members of the Body of her Son, we are also, by the necessity of God’s plan, children of this one mother.

One of the Dogmas of our faith is that upon the completion of her life on Earth, our Blessed Mother was taken body and soul into Heaven to be with her Son for all eternity.  And now, from her place in Heaven, she is given the unique and singular title of Queen of All the Living!  She is the Queen of the Kingdom of God now, and she will be Queen of this Kingdom for all eternity!

As Queen, she also enjoys the unique and singular gift of being the mediatrix and distributor of grace.  It’s best understood like this:

–She was preserved from all sin at the moment of her Immaculate Conception;
–As a result, she was the only fitting human instrument by which God could take on flesh;
–God the Son did take on flesh through her by the power and working of the Holy Spirit;
–Through this one divine Son, now in the flesh, the salvation of the world came about;
–This gift of salvation is transmitted to us through grace.  Grace comes primarily through prayer and the sacraments;  
–THEREFORE, since Mary was the instrument through which God entered our world, she is also the instrument through which ALL grace comes.  She is the instrument of all that resulted from the Incarnation.  Therefore, she is the Mediatrix of Grace!

In other words, Mary’s act of mediation for the Incarnation was not just some historical act that took place long ago.  Rather, her motherhood is something that is continuous and eternal.  It is a perpetual motherhood of the Savior of the world and is a perpetual instrumentality of all that comes to us from this Savior. 

God is the source, but Mary is the instrument.  And she is the instrument because God wanted it this way.  She can do nothing by herself, but she doesn’t have to do it by herself.  She is not the Savior.  She is the instrument.

As a result of this, we must see her role as glorious and essential in the eternal plan of salvation.  Devotion to her is a way of simply acknowledging what is true.  It’s not just some honor we bestow upon her by thanking her for cooperating with God’s plan.  Rather, it’s an acknowledgment of her continual role of mediation of grace in our world and in our lives. 

From Heaven, God does not take this from her.  Rather, she is made our Mother and our Queen.  And a worthy Mother and Queen she is!

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears! Turn, then, O most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

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Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him.” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”  John 1:47-49

At first read of this passage you may find yourself needing to go back and read it again.  It’s easy to read this and think you missed something.  How is it that Jesus simply told Nathanael (also called Bartholomew) that He saw him sitting under the fig tree and that was enough for Nathanael to reply, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”  It’s easy to be confused about how Nathanael could jump to such a conclusion from the words Jesus spoke about him.

But notice how Jesus described Nathanael.  He was one with “no duplicity.”  Other translations say he had “no guile.”  So what does that mean?  

If one has duplicity or guile it means they are two-faced and cunning.  They are skilled in the art of deception.  This is a dangerous and deadly quality to have.  But to say the opposite, that one has “no duplicity” or “no guile” is a way of saying that they are honest, straightforward, sincere, transparent and real.  

As for Nathanael, he was one who spoke freely about what he thought.  In this case, it was not so much that Jesus put forth some form of convincing intellectual argument about His divinity, He said nothing about it.  Instead, what happened was that this good virtue of Nathanael, of being without duplicity, enabled him to look at Jesus and realize that He is “the real deal.”  Nathanael’s good habit of being honest, sincere and transparent enabled him to not only reveal who Jesus is, but it also allowed Nathanael to see others more clearly and honestly.  And this quality benefited him greatly as he saw Jesus for the first time and was able to immediately comprehend the greatness of who He is.

Reflect, today, upon how free you are from guile and duplicity.  Are you also a person of great honesty, sincerity and transparency?  Are you the real deal?  Living this way is the only good way to live.  It’s a life lived in the truth.  Pray that God helps you grow in this virtue today through the intercession of St. Bartholomew.  

Lord, help me to be free of duplicity and guile.  Help me to be a person of honesty, integrity and sincerity.  Thank You for the example set by Saint Bartholomew.  Give me the grace I need to imitate his virtues.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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The girl hurried back to the king’s presence and made her request, “I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”  The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her. So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head.  Matthew 6:25-27

This sad story, of the beheading of John the Baptist, reveals much to us.  It reveals, above all, the mystery of evil in our world and God’s permissive will in allowing evil, at times, to flourish.

Why did God allow St. John to be beheaded?  He was a great man.  Jesus, Himself, said that there was no one born of woman greater than John the Baptist.  And, yet, He allowed John to suffer this great injustice.

St. Teresa of Ávila once said to our Lord, “Dear Lord, if this is how You treat Your friends, it is no wonder You have so few!”  Yes, God has clearly allowed those whom He loves to suffer greatly throughout history.  What does this tell us?

First of all, we should not forget the obvious fact that the Father allowed the Son to suffer greatly and to be murdered in a horrific way.  Jesus’ death was brutal and shocking.  Does this mean the Father did not love the Son?  Certainly not.  So what does this mean?

The fact of the matter is that suffering is not a sign of the disfavor of God.  If you suffer and are given no relief by God it is not because God has abandoned you.  It is not that He doesn't love you.  In fact, the opposite is most likely true.

John the Baptist’s suffering is, in fact, the greatest sermon he could have preached.  It’s a witness to his unwavering love of God and his wholehearted commitment to the will of God.  The “sermon” of John’s passion is powerful because he chose to stay faithful to our Lord despite the persecution he endured.  And, from God’s perspective, John’s fidelity is infinitely more valuable than his continued physical life or the physical sufferings he endured.

Reflect, today, upon your own life.  At times we carry some heavy cross and beg our Lord to take it from us.  Instead, God tells us that His grace is sufficient and that He wishes to use our sufferings as a testimony of our fidelity.  So, the Father’s response to Jesus, His response to John and His response to us is a call to enter into the mystery of our sufferings in this life with faith, hope, confidence and fidelity.  Never let the hardships of life deter you from your fidelity toward the will of God.

Lord, may I have the strength of Your Son and the strength of St. John the Baptist as I carry my own crosses in life.  May I remain strong in faith and filled with hope as I hear You calling me to embrace my cross.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.”  Matthew 23:25-26

Though these very direct words of Jesus may have the appearance of being harsh, they are truly words of mercy.  They are words of mercy because Jesus is going to great lengths to help the Pharisees understand that they need to repent and cleanse their hearts.  Though the initial message “Woe to you” may jump out at us,  the real message we should hear is “cleanse first the inside.”

What this passage reveals is that it’s possible to be in one of two conditions.  First, it’s possible that one’s interior is filled with “plunder and self-indulgence” while at the same time the exterior gives the appearance of being clean and holy.  This was the problem of the Pharisees.  They were very concerned with how they looked on the outside but gave little care to the interior.  This is a problem.

Second, Jesus’ words reveal that the ideal is to start with an interior cleansing.  Once that happens, the effect will be that the exterior is also cleansed and radiant.  Think about the person in this second condition, the one who is first cleansed interiorly.  This person is an inspiration and a beautiful soul.  And what is beautiful is that when one’s heart is authentically cleansed and purified, this interior beauty cannot be contained inside.  It must shine forth and others will notice.  

Reflect, today, upon how easily the beauty of your interior life shines forth.  Do others see this?  Does your heart shine forth?  Are you radiant?  If not, perhaps you, too, need to hear these words Jesus spoke to the Pharisees.  You may also need to be chastised out of love and mercy so that you will be motivated to allow Jesus to enter in and act in a powerfully cleansing way.

Lord, please do come into my heart and cleanse me thoroughly.  Purify me and allow that purity and holiness to shine forth exteriorly in a radiant way.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.”  Matthew 24:42

What if today is that day?!  What if you knew that today was the day our Lord would return to Earth in all His splendor and glory to judge the living and the dead?  Would you act differently?  Most likely we all would.  We’d probably contact as many people as we could and inform them of the imminent return of the Lord, go to confession and then spend the day in prayer.  

But what would the ideal response be to such a question?  If, by a special revelation from God, you were made aware of the fact that today was the day the Lord would return, what would the ideal response be?  Some have suggested that the ideal response is that you go about your day as if it were any other day.  Why?  Because ideally we are all living every day as if it were our last and we are daily heeding the Scripture above.  We strive, every day, to “stay awake” and be ready for our Lord’s return at any moment.  If we are truly embracing this Scripture, then it matters not if His return is today, tomorrow, next year or many years from now.  

But this call to “stay awake” refers to more than just the final and glorious coming of Christ.  It also refers to every moment of every day that our Lord comes to us by grace.  It refers to every prompting of His love and mercy in our hearts and souls.  It refers to His continuous gentle whispers calling us closer to Himself.  

Are you attentive to Him coming to you in these ways every day?  Are you attentive to the infinite number of ways He is seeking to enter your life more fully?  Though we do not know the day on which our Lord will come in His final victory, we do know that every day and every moment of every day is a moment of His coming by grace.  Listen for Him, be attentive, be watchful and stay awake!

Lord of all grace, help me to seek Your voice and be attentive to Your presence in my life.  May I continuously be awake and ready to hear You when You call.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’”  Matthew 25:11b-12

What a frightening and sobering experience that would be.  This passage comes from the Parable of the Ten Virgins.  Five of them were prepared to meet our Lord and the other five were not.  When the Lord came, the five foolish virgins were off trying to get more oil for their lamps, and when they returned, the door to the feast was already locked.  The above passage reveals what happened next.

Jesus tells this parable, in part, to wake us up.  We must be ready for Him every day.  And how do we make sure we are ready?  We are ready when we have plenty of “oil” for our lamps.  The oil especially represents charity in our lives.  So, the simple question to ponder is this: “Do I have charity in my life?”

Charity is more than just simple human love.  By “human love” we mean an emotion, feeling, attraction, etc.  We can feel this way toward another person, toward some activity or toward many things in life.  We can “love” to play sports, or watch movies, etc.

But charity is so much more.  Charity means we love with the heart of Christ.  It means that Jesus has placed in our hearts His own merciful heart and we love with His love.  Charity is a gift from God that enables us to reach out to and care for others in ways that are far beyond our own abilities.  Charity is divine action in our lives and it is necessary if we want to be welcomed to the feast of Heaven.

Reflect, today, upon whether or not you can see the heart of Jesus alive in your own heart.  Can you see Him acting in you, compelling you to reach out to others even when it’s hard?  Do you say and do things that help people grow in holiness of life?  Does God act in you and through you to make a difference in the world?  If the answer is “Yes” to these questions, then charity is certainly alive in your life.

Lord of perfect love, make my heart a fit dwelling place for Your own divine heart.  Let my heart beat with Your love and let my words and actions share in Your perfect care for others.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant.  Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities.  Come, share your master’s joy.’”  Matthew 25:23

This is a story about two things.  First, it’s a story about the fidelity we are called to have in this life to the service of the will of God.  Second, it’s a promise of Jesus’ fidelity back to us, both here on Earth and, ultimately, when we meet Him at the time of our death.

What a blessing it would be to hear Jesus say those words to us upon the completion of our lives here on Earth.  “Well done, good and faithful servant…Come, share your master’s joy.”  This begs the question, if you were to die today, what would our Lord say to you?  If you are not immediately confident that in His mercy He would say these words above, then today is a good day to make some changes in your life.

A good spiritual practice is to live today in such a way that we are consciously preparing for that glorious meeting with Jesus.  What “responsibilities” has He entrusted to you in this life and what are you doing with them?  Are you seeking to place all your gifts at the service of the Gospel and the spreading of charity?  Are you diligent in giving of yourself to God and His holy will?  Hopefully there is no hesitation in your answer.  If there is, this is a sign that God may want more of you here and now.

One of the biggest problems we can struggle with in this world is the temptation to seek worldly satisfaction here and now, at the expense of building up Heavenly treasure.  But why?  Why seek momentary and superficial satisfaction here and now and risk losing eternal joy?

Reflect, today, upon the ultimate goal that you should have in life.  This is the goal of being fully prepared for that glorious encounter with our Lord as you pass from this life to the next.  Heaven may seem a bit intangible right now, but when the time comes to meet Jesus face to face, it will not be intangible in the slightest way.  Instead, you will immediately be made aware of every detail of your life here on Earth.  Your fidelity, day in and day out, or the lack of fidelity, day in and day out, will become either the source of your eternal joy or the source of eternal regret.

Lord, help me to keep my eyes on You and Your holy will.  Free me from selfish and momentary goals in life so that I can seek to serve You only in the way that produces joy to Your heart.  Help me to keep my eyes on Heaven and to daily prepare for that eternal meeting with You.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully.  Luke 14:1

What an interesting line.  This line should not be overlooked in that it reveals a common reaction that some have to Jesus.  What is the reaction?  It’s the tendency to observe Jesus carefully from a distance.

Look at the context of this statement.  Jesus was invited to the home of a leading Pharisee and many other people were present.  Those who were there would have been considered the “movers and shakers” of that time.  They were the influential, wealthy, educated, and prestigious members of the community.  Many would have been quite concerned about their reputation and quite curious about Jesus since He was growing in such popularity with the people.  So, as a result, they were all “observing him carefully.”

Notice the implication present in this description of their reaction to Jesus.  Unlike the manifest sinners of that time, they did not come to Him, falling at His feet, begging for mercy.  Rather, they appear to be quite interested in how Jesus will be accepted by others, what He will say and what they should think about Him.  Even though it is unfortunate that they do not all completely turn to Jesus in faith, it’s at least good that they are attentive to Jesus and realize He is unique.  

This curiosity on their part is not all bad.  In fact, it may lead some of them to salvation.  By observing Jesus, they are clearly pondering Him, His words and His actions.  This is good if and only if it results in each one of them turning to Him in faith and choosing to embrace our Lord regardless of what others think.  This is a risk for those consumed with their own public image.  But it’s a risk that is worth taking.  For those who are willing to humbly allow their observations to turn into true faith, their lives will change.  But in order to do so, they must let go of any fear they have of what others may think.

Reflect, today, upon any tendency you have to only “observe” Jesus and His will from a distance.  If you find you are curious and interested in the presence of God around you, do not hesitate to act on this curiosity, allowing His words and presence to change your life.  Do not let yourself become concerned about what others may think.  Give your life to Him without hesitation and you will be eternally grateful you did.

Lord, when I perceive Your presence in my life, give me the courage I need to respond.  May I never let societal pressures or pride interfere with my turning to You.  I love You, dear Lord.  Help me to love You without reserve.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. They were all amazed and said to one another, “What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.”  Luke 4:34-36

Yes, it’s a frightening thought.  Demons are for real.  Or is it frightening?  If we look at the whole scene here we find that Jesus is clearly victorious over the demon and casts him out without allowing him to do the man any harm.  So, truth be told, this passage is far more frightening for the demons than it should be for us!

But what it does tell us is that demons are real, they hate us and they desire deeply to destroy us.  So, if that’s not frightening it should at least make us sit up and pay attention.

Demons are fallen angels who retain their natural powers.  Though they turned from God and acted in complete selfishness, God does not strip away their natural powers unless they misuse them and we turn to Him for help.  So what is it that demons are capable of?  As with the holy angels, demons have natural powers of communication and influence upon us and upon our world.  The angels are given the care of the world and our lives.  Those angels that fell from grace now try to use their power over the world and their power to influence us and communicate with us for evil.  They have turned from God and now they want to turn us.

One thing this tells us is that we must constantly act in a discerning way.  It’s easy to be tempted and led astray by a lying demon.  In the case above, this poor man had so cooperated with this demon that it took full possession of his life.  Though that level of influence and control upon us is quite rare, it can happen.  What’s most important, however, is that we simply understand and believe that demons are real and they constantly try to lead us astray.

But the good news is that Jesus has all power over them and easily confronts them and overpowers them if we but seek His grace to do so.  

Reflect, today, upon the reality of evil and the reality of demonic temptations in our world.  We’ve all experienced them.  They are nothing to be overly frightened about.  And they should not be seen in an overly dramatic light.  Demons are powerful, but the power of God easily triumphs if we let Him take control.  So as you reflect upon the reality of evil and demonic temptations, reflect also on God’s desire to enter in and render them powerless.  Allow God to take command and trust that God will conquer.  

All-Powerful Lord, when I am tempted and confused, please come to me.  Help me to discern the evil one and his lies.  May I turn to You the All-Powerful One in all things, and may I rely upon the powerful intercession of the holy angels You have entrusted to me.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place. The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him, they tried to prevent him from leaving them.  Luke 4:42

What a beautiful act of affection and love for Jesus.  Here, Jesus was with the crowds at sunset and spent the entire night with the people curing them and preaching to them.  Perhaps they all got some sleep at some point but it may have happened that Jesus was up with them all night.  

In this passage above, Jesus went away to be alone at daybreak just as the sun was rising.  He went to pray and simply be present to His Father in Heaven.  And what happened?  Even though Jesus had dedicated the entire last evening and night to the people, they wanted to be with Him some more.  He was gone for a short time to pray and they immediately went searching for Him.  And when they found Jesus, they begged Him to stay longer.

Though Jesus had to move on and preach to other towns, it is clear that He made quite an impression with these people.  Their hearts were touched deeply and they wanted Jesus to stay.

The good news is that Jesus can now stay with us 24/7 today.  At that time, He had not yet ascended to Heaven and therefore was limited to being in one place at a time.  But now that He is in Heaven, Jesus can live in all places at all times.  

So what we see in this passage above is the desire that we should all have.  We should desire that Jesus remains with us 24/7 just as these good people desired.  We should go to sleep with Him on our minds, wake praying to Him and allow Him to accompany us throughout every day.  We should foster the same love and affection for Jesus that the people had in this passage above.  Fostering that desire is the first step to allowing His presence to accompany us all day every day.

Reflect, today, upon your desire or lack of desire to be with Jesus always.  Are there times when you prefer He not be there?  Or have you allowed yourself to have this same affection for Jesus seeking His presence in your life always?

My Ever-Present Lord, I desire that You be present in my life all day long every day.  May I always seek You and always be attentive to Your presence in my life.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon said in reply, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing.  Luke 5:4-6

“Put out into deep water…”  There is great meaning to this little line.

First of all, it’s important to note that the Apostles had fished all night long with no success.  They were most likely disappointed at their lack of fish and were not all that ready to fish some more.  But Jesus directs Simon to do so and he does it.  The result is that they caught more fish than they thought they could handle.

But the one piece of symbolic meaning we should not miss is that Jesus tells Simon to put out into the “deep” water.  What does that mean?

This passage is not only about the physical miracle of catching fish; rather, it’s much more about the mission of evangelizing souls and accomplishing the mission of God.  And the symbolism of putting out into the deep water tells us that we must be all in and fully committed if we are to evangelize and spread the Word of God as we are called to do.

When we listen to God and act on His word, committing ourselves to His will in a radical and deep way, He will produce an abundant catch of souls.  This “catch” will come in an unexpected way at an unexpected time and will clearly be the work of God.  

But think about what would have happened if Simon would have laughed and told Jesus, “Sorry, Lord, I’m done fishing for the day.  Maybe tomorrow.”  If Simon would have acted this way he would never have been blessed with this abundant catch.  The same is true with us.  If we fail to listen to the voice of God in our lives, and fail to heed His radical commands, we will not be used in the way He desires to use us.

Reflect, today, upon your willingness to act upon the voice of the Savior.  Are you willing to say “Yes” to Him in all things?  Are you willing to radically follow the direction He gives?  If so, you also will be amazed at what He does in your life.

Lord, I desire to put out into the deep water and to radically evangelize in the way in which You call me.  Help me to say “Yes” to You in all things.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“No one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined. Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins.”  Luke 5:37

What is this new wine?  And what are the old wineskins? The new wine is the new life of grace we have been blessed with in abundance and the old wineskins are our old fallen natures and the old law.  What Jesus is telling us is that if we wish to receive His grace and mercy in our lives we must allow Him to transform our old selves into new creations and embrace the new law of grace.  

Have you become a new creation?  Have you allowed your former self to die so that the new person can rise again?  What does it mean to become a new creation in Christ so that the new wine of grace can be poured into your life?

Becoming a new creation in Christ means that we live on a whole new level and no longer cling to our former ways.  It means that God does powerful things in our lives far beyond anything we could ever do by ourselves.  It means we have become a new and fit “wineskin” for God to be poured into.  And it means that this new “wine” is the Holy Spirit taking hold of and possessing our lives.

Practically speaking, if we are made a new creation in Christ then we are properly prepared to receive the grace of the Sacraments and all that comes our way through daily prayer and worship.  But the first goal must be to become those new wineskins.  So how do we do this?

We do it by Baptism and then by intentionally choosing to turn from sin and embrace the Gospel.  But this general command from God, to turn from sin and embrace the Gospel, must be very intentional and lived daily.  As we make daily practical and intentional decisions to turn to Christ in all things, we will discover that the Holy Spirit suddenly, powerfully and immediately pours the new wine of grace into our lives.  We will discover a new peace and joy that fills us and we will have strength beyond our own ability.  

Reflect, today, upon whether or not you are truly a new creation in Christ.  Have you turned from your former way and shed the shackles that bound you?  Have you embraced the new full Gospel and do you daily allow God to pour forth the Holy Spirit in your life?  

Lord, please do make me a new creation.  Transform me and renew me completely.  May my new life in You be one that continually receives the full outpouring of Your grace and mercy.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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While Jesus was going through a field of grain on a sabbath, his disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them.  Some Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”  Luke 6:1-2

Talk about being petty!  Here the disciples were hungry, they most likely had been walking for some time with Jesus and came upon some wheat and picked it to eat as they walked.  And they were condemned by the Pharisees for doing this very normal action.  Did they really break the law and offend God by picking and eating this grain?

Jesus’ response makes it clear that the Pharisees are quite confused and that the disciples did nothing wrong.  But this passage does give us an opportunity to reflect upon one spiritual danger that some fall into at times.  It’s the danger of scrupulosity.  

We do not know if this is the case, but if one or more of the disciples struggled with scrupulosity and then heard the Pharisees condemn them for eating the grain, they may have felt immediate remorse and guilt over their actions.  They would have started to fear that they were guilty of breaking God’s command to keep holy the Sabbath.  But their scrupulosity has to be seen for what it is and they have to recognize the trigger that tempted them toward scrupulosity.

The “trigger” that tempted them is an extreme and erroneous view of the law of God as presented by the Pharisees.  Yes, God’s law is perfect and must always be followed down to the last letter of the law.  But for those who struggle with scrupulosity, the law of God can easily become distorted and exaggerated.  Human laws and human misrepresentations of the law of God can cause confusion.  And, in the Scripture above, the trigger was the arrogance and harshness of the Pharisees.  God was not offended in any way by the disciples picking and eating grain on the Sabbath.  The Pharisees, therefore, were attempting to impose a burden on the disciples that was not from God.

We, too, can be tempted to look at God’s law and will in a scrupulous way.  Though many people do the opposite (are too lax), some do struggle with worrying about offending God when He is not offended at all.

Reflect, today, upon your own struggle with scrupulosity.  If this is you, know that God wants to free you from these burdens.

Lord, help me to see Your law and will in the light of truth.  Help me to shed all misconceptions and misrepresentations of Your law in exchange for the truths of Your perfect love and mercy.  May I cling to that mercy and love in all things and above all things.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion?”  Luke 14:28

Are you prepared for all that the Lord wants of you?  This short rhetorical question above is Jesus’ way of saying that you ought to be prepared.  If you were to build a tower you would hopefully be prudent enough to plan ahead, making sure you had enough resources for its completion.  So it is with the spiritual life.  It is essential that we make sure we have all the resources we need to make the choice to follow Christ.

This raises the question, “What resources do I need to follow Christ?”  The answer is simple.  Jesus says at the end of this Gospel, “In the same way, anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33).  In other words, if we want to have all that we need to fulfill the will of God in our lives, we must surrender everything to God.

Being a disciple of Christ is not something we can do halfheartedly, even though there are many who attempt this.  When we choose to follow Him, it must be wholehearted.  We must be “all in,” so to speak.  Otherwise, we will never be able to accomplish all that our Lord asks of us.  He is a demanding God in the sense that He wants everything from us.  But this demand on the part of our Lord is completely for our own good.  We need to give Him everything if we want happiness and fulfillment in life.

Reflect, today, upon how ready and willing you are to give every last part of your life to Christ.  Are you willing to say “Yes” to Him no matter what?  Are you willing to hold nothing back and “renounce all your possessions” if He were to ask?  You may possess many things, and even though our Lord may not call you to give up all possessions in a literal and physical way, you must still surrender everything you have and everything you are to Him.  Only then can He give you what you need to accomplish His most glorious will.

Lord, my life is Yours.  Please give me the grace to surrender everything that makes up my life to You without reserve.  I surrender to You my life, my finances, my possessions, my family, my labors and my entire future.  All is Yours, dear Lord.  Do with me what You will.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Stretch out your hand.” He did so and his hand was restored. But they became enraged and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.  Luke 6:10-11

This is a very disturbing passage.  Over and over again we find that the scribes and Pharisees acted with much intentional and calculated malice.  Here they were looking for anything they could try to accuse Jesus of doing.  And what do they find they can accuse Him of?  They witness Him doing a miracle on the Sabbath day.  And they act as if this is a sin on the part of Jesus. Seriously?

The reason this passage is so disturbing is because those who were the religious leaders of the time were clearly only interested in themselves, and Jesus was getting in the way of their self-importance.  He was becoming more popular and respected than the scribes and Pharisees and they were filled with envy.  

One important point to learn from this passage is that the sin of envy leads us to irrationality and foolishness.  This sin blinds us and leads us to think and say foolish things.  This is what the scribes and Pharisees did.  Who in their right mind would “accuse” Jesus of doing something as good as healing on the Sabbath?  Only those who have become blind by envy.

Though this passage is disturbing, it should hopefully become disturbing in a helpful way.  It should be an opportunity for each of us to look at our own lives and to examine the relationships we have.  Do you see envy present in any of those relationships?  Do you see yourself acting and thinking in an irrational way at times towards this person or that?

Reflect, today, upon any tendency you may have to be like the scribes and Pharisees.  Know that their actions were included in the Scripture to teach us about this ugly sin we sometimes struggle with.  Let the disturbing part of it motivate you to work toward freedom from envy in your life.

My miraculous Lord, I do want to be free of the sins of pride, envy and jealousy.  Help me to see these in my life, to repent of them and to replace them with Your mercy and love.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God.  When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles.  Luke 6:12-13

That morning, after Jesus had spent the night in prayer, He made some pretty major decisions.  He chose His first twelve bishops, the Twelve Apostles.  It’s interesting to note that He made this decision only after spending the night in prayer.

In a sense, Jesus did not “have” to pray.  But He did.  He prayed because this is Who He is.  He is the Son of the Father and His most important relationship was the one with the Father in Heaven.  Thus, His prayer was one that was natural to His divine life and essence.  Spending the night in prayer, separated from everything but His Father, was a normal expression of His perfect love and communion with the Father.

But His time in prayer was also a normal way for Him to prepare for the decisions He would make the next day.  Again, it’s not that He needed to pray so as to make the right choice.  Rather, His prayer was simply part of the divine process of making the right choice.  It was a way of daily surrendering His human nature to the will of the Father in perfection so as to continue daily living the Father’s will in this world.

Jesus also sets a wonderful precedence for us.  We, unlike our Lord, need to pray in order to know and fulfill the will of the Father.  We do not walk in perfect harmony with God each and every day and each moment of the day.  Thus, while Christ’s prayer was an earthly expression of Him living who He already was, our prayer is a surrender to whom we are called to become.  We must become Christ, striving to live in perfect communion with Him and in accord with the perfect will of the Father.  

Reflect, today, upon the need you have to spend time in prayer so as to enter more deeply into union with our Lord.  Reflect, especially, upon the importance of doing so prior to making the various decisions you need to make in life.  Pray before you act and allow our Lord to be the one who enters into your life and directs you in accord with His holy will.

Lord, give me a heart that longs to be with You in prayer, each and every day.  Help me to daily surrender my entire life to You without reserve.  As I surrender my life, I thank You for entering in and directing all my actions.  My life is Yours, dear Lord, my life is Yours.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Blessed are you who are poor…
Blessed are you who are now hungry…
Blessed are you who are now weeping…
Blessed are you when people hate you…
Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!”  (See Luke 6:20-23)

Are the above statements typos?  Did Jesus really say these things?  

At first, the Beatitudes can seem quite confusing.  And when we strive to live them, they can be very challenging.  Why is it blessed to be poor and hungry?  Why is one blessed who is weeping and hated?  These are difficult questions with perfect answers.

The truth is that each Beatitude ends with a glorious outcome when fully embraced in accord with the will of God.  Poverty, hunger, sorrow and persecution are not, by themselves, blessings.  But when they befall us they do offer an opportunity for a blessing from God that far surpasses any difficulty the initial challenge presents.

Poverty affords one the opportunity to seek out the riches of Heaven above all else.  Hunger drives a person to seek the food of God that sustains beyond what the world can offer.  Weeping, when caused by one’s own sin or the sins of others, helps us seek justice, repentance, truth and mercy.  And persecution on account of Christ enables us to be purified in our faith and to trust in God in a way that leaves us abundantly blessed and filled with joy.

At first, the Beatitudes may not make sense to us.  It’s not that they are contrary to our human reason.  Rather, the Beatitudes go beyond what immediately makes sense and they enable us to live on a whole new level of faith, hope and love.  They teach us that the wisdom of God is far beyond our own limited human understanding.

Reflect, today, upon the incredible wisdom of God as He reveals these, the deepest teachings of the spiritual life.  At very least, try to reflect upon the fact that God’s wisdom is far above your wisdom.  If you struggle to make sense of something painful and difficult in your life, know that God has an answer if you but seek out His wisdom.

Lord, help me to find blessings in the many challenges and hardships of life.  Rather than seeing my crosses as evil, help me to see Your hand at work in transforming them and to experience a greater outpouring of Your grace in all things.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel.”  Matthew 1:23

We all love to celebrate birthdays.  Today is the birthday celebration of our dear mother.  In December we honor her Immaculate Conception.  In January we celebrate her as the Mother of God.  In August we celebrate her Assumption into Heaven and there are many other days throughout the year where we honor a unique aspect of her life.  But today is simply her birthday celebration!

Celebrating her birthday is a way of celebrating her personhood.  We celebrate her simply for being herself.  We do not necessarily focus in on any of the unique, beautiful and profound aspects of her life today.  We do not necessarily look at all she accomplished, her perfect yes to God, her coronation in Heaven, her assumption or any other specifics.  All parts of her life are glorious, beautiful, awe-inspiring and worthy of their own unique feasts and celebration.

Today, however, we simply celebrate our Blessed Mother because she was created and brought into this world by God and that alone is worth celebrating.  We honor her simply because we love her and we celebrate her birthday as we would celebrate the birthday of anyone we love and care for.

Reflect, today, upon the fact that Mother Mary is your mother.  She truly is your mother and it’s worth celebrating her birthday in the same way that you would celebrate anyone’s birthday who was a member of your family.  Your honoring of Mary, today, is a way of solidifying your bond with her and assuring her that you desire her to be an important part of your life.  

Happy birthday, Blessed Mother!  We love you dearly!

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.  Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.  Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.  Amen.  Precious Jesus, through the heart of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, our Mother, we trust in You!

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“Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?”  Luke 6:41

How true this is!  How easy it is to see the minor faults of others and, at the same time, fail to see our own more obvious and serious faults.  Why is this the case?  

First of all, it’s hard to see our own faults because our sin of pride blinds us.  Pride keeps us from any honest self-reflection.  Pride becomes a mask we wear which presents a false persona.  Pride is an ugly sin because it keeps us from the truth.  It keeps us from seeing ourselves in the light of truth and, as a result, it keeps us from seeing the log in our own eye.    

When we are full of pride, another thing happens.  We start to focus in on every small fault of those around us.  Interestingly, this Gospel speaks of the tendency to see the “splinter” in your brother’s eye.  What does that tell us?  It tells us that those who are full of pride are not so much interested in putting down the serious sinner.  Rather, they tend to seek out those who have only small sins, “splinters” as sins, and they tend to try and make them seem more serious than they are.  Sadly, those steeped in pride feel far more threatened by the saint than by the serious sinner.  

Reflect, today, upon whether or not you struggle with being judgmental toward those around you.  Especially reflect upon whether or not you tend to be more critical of those striving for holiness.  If you do tend to do this, it may reveal that you struggle with pride more than you realize.

Lord, humble me and help me to be free of all pride.  May I also let go of judgmentalness and see others only in the way You want me to see them.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built.”  Luke 6:47-48

What does your foundation look like?  Is it solid rock?  Or is it sand?  This Gospel passage reveals the importance of a solid foundation for life.

A foundation is not often thought about or worried about unless it gives way.  This is important to reflect upon.  When a foundation is solid it often goes unnoticed and there is little concern during storms at any time.  

The same is true of our spiritual foundation.  The spiritual foundation we are called to have is one of deep faith grounded in prayer.  Our foundation is our daily communication with Christ.  In that prayer Jesus Himself becomes the foundation for our life.  And when He is the foundation of our life, nothing can harm us and nothing can keep us from fulfilling our mission in life.

Contrast this with a weak foundation.  A weak foundation is one that relies upon oneself as the source of stability and strength in times of hardship.  But the truth is that none of us are strong enough to be our own foundation.  Those who attempt this approach are fools who learn the hard way that they cannot endure any storm life throws at them.  

Reflect, today, upon how well the foundation of your life has been built.  When it’s strong, you can give your attention to many other aspects of your life.  When it’s weak, you will continually be doing damage control as you seek to keep your life from falling apart.  Recommit yourself to a life of deep prayer so that Christ Jesus will be the solid rock foundation of your life.

Lord, You are my rock and my strength.  You alone support me through all things in life.  Help me to rely upon You even more, so that I may daily accomplish all that You call me to do.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”  Luke 15:1-2

What a foolish and arrogant thing to say!  Jesus was merciful, welcoming, forgiving and loving to those who were sinners.  And the Pharisees and scribes complained about this as if Jesus were doing something wrong.  

On one level, it is understandable that the pride-filled scribes and Pharisees would look for anything they could to condemn Jesus.  They were on a sort of “witch hunt,” so to speak, seeking to find any fault they could with our Lord.  So, out of the fullness of their malice, they attempted to make it look like Jesus was an awful sinner due to the fact that He spent time with sinners and welcomed them.  

From a perspective of the pure truth, however, the jealousy, envy, manipulation and deception of the scribes and Pharisees are clear.  The “condemnation” they uttered against Jesus was no true condemnation at all.  It was a fabrication and a twisting of the truth.  The truth is that Jesus’ kindness to those who were sinners was a living out of His countless virtues.  He was understanding, merciful, compassionate, patient, forgiving and the like.  He saw troubled hearts and reached out to them in their need, especially when He could tell they were sorry, open and humble. 

We may all encounter those who are religiously “self-righteous” at times.  This is an ugly sin and one that should not sit well with us.  The problem is that those who are self-righteous are oftentimes also intimidating and oppressive.  Those who condemn others in the name of God are hard to confront.  Jesus’ initial response was to ignore them and to go about His ministry of love and compassion, telling parables and helping those in need.  But eventually He took these religious leaders on directly, condemning them for their pride and arrogance.

Reflect, today, upon any tendency you have in your heart to judge another, especially when you try to do so in the name of God.  If you struggle with self-righteousness and pride, humble yourself now so that our Lord will not eventually be compelled to issue forth His justice on you!

My most righteous Lord, please have mercy upon me and heal me of my sins.  Free me from all tendencies toward judgmentalness and help me, in imitation of You, to love and welcome the sinner in my midst so that I, as a sinner, will be welcomed by You.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof.”  Luke 7:6b

These words are spoken by a wealthy Roman centurion. His servant was ill and messengers were sent to Jesus to ask that He come heal the servant.  However, this centurion deeply sensed his unworthiness before Jesus.  As Jesus was arriving, the centurion sent his friends to humbly greet Jesus, profess his unworthiness, and profess his faith that Jesus could heal his servant from a distance.  Jesus does just that after stating publicly, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith” (Luke 7:9).

One profound truth this passage reveals is that humility, faith and mercy are intertwined.  The centurion knew the humble truth of Jesus’ greatness and his own unworthiness.  The humble profession of that truth was an act of great faith on his part.  The result was that mercy was sent forth upon the centurion and his servant.

The example set for us by this centurion is a powerful one.  Too often in our life of prayer we pray as if we have a right to God’s grace.  This is a profound mistake.  We must seek to follow this centurion’s example by understanding that we do not have a right to anything from our Lord.  This humble acknowledgment is the necessary foundation for the reception of the abundant mercy of God.  Mercy is a gift, not a right.  But the good news is that God’s heart burns with a desire to pour forth that gift.  Acknowledging mercy as an absolute gift, to which we have no right, unleashes its power in our lives.  Understanding this humble truth is a profession of faith in God’s mercy and delights His heart abundantly.

Reflect, today, upon those inspiring words of the centurion.  “Lord, I am not worthy…”  Say them over and over and allow them to become the foundation of your relationship with our Lord.  In this humility, you will be richly blessed.

Most merciful Lord, I am not worthy that You would come to me.  I am not worthy of the precious gift of Holy Communion or of Your mercy in my life.  Please Lord, help me to continually see that all You give is a gift of Your unlimited mercy.  I thank You, dear Lord.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Young man, I tell you, arise!”  The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.  Luke 7:14b-15

These words were spoken by our Lord over the coffin of a man who had died days earlier.  His mother was grieving.  He was the only son of this mother and she was a widow.  Imagine her joy as she heard Jesus speak these words and as she watched as her dead son came back to life.  It would have been a moment that she would never forget and for which she would be eternally grateful.

These words are packed with meaning.  First and foremost, they are words that effected a miraculous event.  Jesus spoke and what He spoke came to be.  The dead came back to life at His command.

But these words also reveal a deep spiritual truth.  Jesus may not bring our loved ones back to life, in a literal way, but He does speak powerful words to us in many other ways.  When our faith is strong and we turn to Him with hope, trust and surrender, He will speak to us words that lift us out of our misery and pain.  

What is it that you need to bring to our Lord?  What is it that leaves you feeling dead and alone in your life?  What suffering, sin, hurt, or frustration do you need to bring to our Lord?

Reflect, today, upon the power of the words of our Lord.  Reflect, especially, upon what our Lord may command to happen in your life.  Offer Him, this day, your sins and all that weighs you down and listen for Him to speak to you.  Let Him say to you, “I tell you, arise!”  Arise from your sin, hurt, anger and pain.  Let His words sink in and transform your life bringing what seems to be dead back to life.

Lord, I surrender to You all that I am and all that weighs me down in life.  I entrust to You my sin, hurt, anger and all that appears to be an obstacle to the newness of life to which You are calling me.  May I surrender all to You, dear Lord, and hear You call me from my despair to newness of life.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”  John 3:14-15

What a glorious feast we celebrate today!  It’s the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross!

Does the Cross truly make sense?  If we could separate ourselves from all we have learned about the Cross of Christ and just look at it from a secular and historical perspective, the Cross is a sign of great tragedy.  It’s connected to the story of a man who became quite popular with many, yet was vehemently hated by others.  In the end, those who hated this man arranged for His brutal crucifixion.  So, from a purely secular point of view, the Cross is an awful thing.

But Christians do not see the Cross from a secular point of view.  We see it from the divine perspective.  We see Jesus lifted up on the Cross for all to see.  We see Him using horrible suffering to eliminate suffering forever.  We see Him using death to destroy death itself.  Ultimately, we see Jesus become victorious on that Cross and, therefore, forever we see the Cross as an exalted and glorious throne!    

Moses’ actions in the desert prefigured the Cross.  Many people were dying from snake bites. Therefore, God told Moses to lift up the image of a snake on a pole so that all who looked upon it would be healed.  And that’s exactly what happened.  Ironically, the snake brought life instead of death!

Suffering occurs throughout our lives in various ways.  Perhaps for some it’s daily aches and pains from ill health, and for others it may be on a much deeper level, such as an emotional, personal, relational or spiritual one.  Sin, in fact, is the cause of the greatest suffering, so those who struggle deeply with sin in their lives suffer deeply from that sin.

So what is Jesus’ answer?  His answer is to turn our gaze to His Cross.  We are to look at Him in His misery and suffering and, in that gaze, we are called to see victory with faith.  We are called to know that God brings good out of all things, even our suffering.  The Father transformed the world eternally through the suffering and death of His only Son.  He also wants to transform us in our crosses.

Reflect, today, upon the Cross of Christ.  Spend some time gazing upon the crucifix.  See in that crucifix the answer to your own daily struggles.  Jesus is close to those who suffer, and His strength is available to all those who believe in Him.

Lord, help me to gaze upon the Cross.  Help me to experience in Your own suffering a taste of Your final victory.  May I be strengthened and healed as I look upon You.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”  Luke 2:34-35

What a profound, meaningful and very real feast we celebrate today.  Today we try to enter into the profound sorrow of the heart of our Blessed Mother as she endured the sufferings of her Son.

Mother Mary loved her Son Jesus with the perfect love of a mother.  Interestingly, it was that perfect love she had in her heart for Jesus that was the source of her deep spiritual suffering.  Her love drew her to be present to Jesus in His own Cross and sufferings.  And for that reason, as Jesus suffered, so did His mother.

But her suffering was not one of despair, it was a suffering of love.  Therefore, her sorrow was not a sadness; rather, it was a profound sharing in all that Jesus endured.  Her heart was perfectly united with her Son’s and, therefore, she endured all that He endured.  This is true love on the deepest and most beautiful level.

Today, on this memorial of her Sorrowful Heart, we are called to live in union with the Blessed Mother’s sorrow.  As we love her, we find ourselves feeling the same pain and suffering her heart still experiences as a result of the sins of the world.  Those sins, including our own sins, are what nailed her Son to the Cross.  

When we love our Blessed Mother and her Son Jesus, we will also grieve over sin; first our own and then the sins of others.  But it’s important to know that the sorrow we experience over sin is also a sorrow of love.  It’s a holy sorrow that ultimately motivates us to a deeper compassion and deeper unity with those around us, especially those who are wounded and those caught in sin.  It also motivates us to turn from sin in our own lives.

Reflect, today, upon the perfect love of the heart of our Blessed Mother.  That love is capable of rising above all suffering and pain and is the same love God wants to place in your heart.

Lord, help me to love with the love of Your dear Mother.  Help me to feel the same holy sorrow she felt and to allow that holy sorrow to deepen my concern and compassion for all those who suffer. Mother Mary, pray for us. Jesus, I trust in You.

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Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities… Luke 8:1-2

Jesus was on a mission.  His mission was to preach to town after town tirelessly.  But He did not do this alone.  This passage points out that He was accompanied by the Apostles and several women who had been healed and forgiven by Him.

There is much this passage tells us.  One thing it tells us is that when we allow Jesus to touch our lives, heal us, forgive us and transform us, we want to follow Him wherever He goes.

The desire to follow Jesus was not only an emotional one.  Certainly there were emotions involved.  There was incredible gratitude and, as a result, a deep emotional bond.  But the bond went so much deeper.  It was a bond created by the gift of grace and salvation.  These followers of Jesus experienced a greater level of freedom from sin than they had ever experienced before.  Grace changed their lives and, as a result, they were ready and willing to make Jesus the center of their lives following Him wherever He went.

Reflect, today, upon two things.  First, have you allowed Jesus to pour forth an abundance of grace into your life?  Have you allowed Him to touch you, change you, forgive you and heal you?  If so, have you then repaid this grace by making the absolute choice to follow Him?  Following Jesus, wherever He goes, is not just something these Apostles and holy women did long ago.  It’s something that we are all called to do daily.  Reflect upon these two questions and recommit yourself where you see a lacking.

Lord, please do come and forgive me, heal me and transform me.  Help me to know Your saving power in my life.  When I receive this grace, help me to return to You in gratitude, everything that I am and to follow You wherever You lead.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Those on the path are the ones who have heard, but the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts that they may not believe and be saved.”  Luke 8:12

This familiar story identifies four possible ways in which we hear the Word of God.  Some are like a trodden path, some like rocky ground, others like a bed of thorns and some are like rich soil.  

In each one of these images, there is a possibility of growth with the Word of God.  The rich soil is when the Word is received and bears fruit.  The seed among thorns is when the Word grows but the fruit is choked off by daily troubles and temptations.  The seed sown in the rocky ground results in the Word growing, but ultimately dies off when life gets hard.  The first image of seed falling on the path, however, is the least desirable of all.  In this case, the seed does not even grow.  The earth is so hardened that it can’t sink in.  The path itself provides no nourishment whatsoever and, as the passage reveals above, the Devil steals the Word away before it can grow.

Sadly, this “path” is becoming more and more prevalent in our day and age.  In fact, many struggle with actually listening.  We may hear, but hearing is not the same as actually listening.  We often have much to do, places to go and things to occupy our attention.  As a result, it can be difficult for many people to actually receive the Word of God into their hearts where it can grow.  

Reflect, today, on the many ways that the Devil can come and steal the Word of God away from you.  It may be as simple as keeping you so occupied that you are too distracted to soak it in.  Or it may be that you allow the constant noise of the world to contradict what you hear before it sinks in.  Whatever the case may be, it is essential that you seek to take, at very least, the first step of listening and understanding.  Once that first step is accomplished, you can then work to remove the “rocks” and “thorns” from the soil of your soul.

My revealing Lord, help me to hear Your Word, to listen to it, to understand it and to believe it.  Help my heart to ultimately become rich soil that You enter so as to bear an abundance of good fruit.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“No servant 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 both God and mammon.”  Luke 16:13

Many people dream of being rich.  Having a lot of money brings with it a certain amount of security and freedom to do many things that most people could not.  Money, in and of itself, is neither good nor bad.  If one is rich, that is fine.  If one is poor, that is fine.  From the perspective of God, the amount of money you have matters little.

With that said, the danger with money comes when you allow it to become your “master.”  Interestingly, even those who are poor can allow money to become their master when they allow the desire for more to dominate their lives.  The key is in the desire and the healthy detachment.

What are you attached to?  Are you attached to the money you have?  Are you attached to the desire for the money you wish you had?  The goal is to see money for what it is.  In the big picture, money has very little value.  It’s a means to the end of taking care of your daily needs but can never become the source of your joy and fulfillment in life.  Only God is the proper Master of our hearts and only He can fill you with true riches.

Reflect, today, upon any struggle you have with being overly attached to money, or the lack thereof.  God promises to provide for you in your need, so it’s essential that you trust Him.  And if your financial needs are more than met, be grateful and cultivate generosity as you seek to detach from money as a false source of happiness.  Let your heart only be filled with the rich grace of God as its source of fulfillment and you will be rich in the truest sense. 

Lord of all, help me to keep You as the one and only Master of my life.  Give me the grace I need to detach from all that is of this world, so as to live for You and in accord with Your will alone.  I love You, dear Lord.  Help me to love You above all else.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light.”  Luke 8:16

We all need to “see the light.”  One way that happens is when others act as shining lights of Christ for us.  And one way that others around us “see the light” is when we are shining examples of the light of Christ for them.

This passage reveals our duty to be the light of Christ to a world in need.  It is clear from this passage that when we enkindle the flame of Christ in our hearts, the effect is that Christ shines forth through us for others to see.  Jesus says that “No one who lights a lamp conceals it…”  In other words, if you are not shining with the light of Christ, it’s not because you are hiding Him, it’s because He is not burning in your soul.  When He is burning in your soul, the light cannot be contained.  

This basic truth is a great source of discernment for us in regard to our relationship with Christ.  Basically, if Jesus is alive in our lives, if we are living a true relationship of love with Him, then we will be able to see the effect in the lives of those around us.  We will be able to see that light shining forth on others. The effect of Christ shining through us will be like a mirror to our own souls.

Reflect, today, upon those around you and ponder the question of what effect your love of Christ has on their lives.  Do you see others being drawn into a love of Christ through you?  If not, look within your own heart and seek to rekindle the fire of God’s love.

Lord, come burn within me, setting my heart on fire with Your love.  I desire that my heart becomes a blazing fire through which many are drawn to You.  Use me, dear Lord, as You will.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”  Luke 8:21

Perhaps you’ve wondered what it would be like to have a powerful and famous family member.  What would it be like if your sibling or a parent were the President of the United States?  Or a famous athlete?  Or some other famous person?  It probably would be the source of a certain joy and pride in a good way.

At the time Jesus walked on the Earth, He was becoming quite “famous,” so to speak.  He was admired and loved and followed by many.  And as He was speaking, His mother and brothers (which would have most likely been cousins) showed up outside.  No doubt people looked at them with a certain respect and admiration and perhaps even a bit of jealousy.  How nice it would be to be Jesus’ actual relative.

Jesus is quite aware of the blessing of being His own kin, part of His own family.  For that reason He makes this statement as a way of inviting everyone present to see themselves as an intimate member of His family.  Sure, our Blessed Mother will always retain her unique relationship with Jesus, but Jesus wants to invite all people to share His familial bond.  

How does this happen?  It happens when we “hear the Word of God and act on it.”  It’s that simple.  You are invited to enter the family of Jesus in a deep, personal and profound way if you but listen to all God says and then act on it.  

Though this is simple on one level, it’s also true that it’s a very radical move.  It’s radical in the sense that it requires a total commitment to the will of God.  That’s because when God speaks, His words are powerful and transforming.  And acting on His words will change our lives.

Reflect, today, upon the invitation of Jesus to be a member of His intimate family.  Hear that invitation and say “Yes” to it.  And as you say “Yes” to this invitation, be ready and willing to let His voice and His divine will change your life.

Lord, I accept Your invitation to become a member of Your intimate family.  May I hear Your voice speak and act upon all that You say.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.  Matthew 9:9

St. Matthew was a wealthy and “important” man in his day and age.  As a tax collector, he was also disliked by many of the Jews.  But he showed himself to be a good man by His immediate response to Jesus’ call.

We do not have many details to this story, but we have the details that matter.  We see that Matthew is at work collecting taxes.  We see that Jesus simply walks by him and calls him.  And we see that Matthew immediately gets up, abandons everything, and follows Jesus.  This is quite a conversion.

For most people, this sort of immediate response would not happen.  Most people would have to first get to know Jesus, be convinced by Him, talk to their family and friends, think, ponder and then decide if following Jesus was a good idea.  Most people go through a long rationalizing of God’s will before responding to it.  Is that you?

Every day God is calling us.  Every day He calls us to serve Him radically and completely in one way or another.  And every day we have an opportunity to respond just as Matthew did.  The key is to have two essential qualities.  First, we must recognize the voice of Jesus clearly and unmistakably.  We must, in faith, know what He says to us when He says it.  Secondly, we must be certain that whatever Jesus calls or inspires us to do is worth it.  If we can perfect these two qualities we will be in a position to imitate the quick and total response of St. Matthew.

Reflect, today, upon your willingness to imitate this Apostle.  What do you say and do when God calls each day?  Where you see a lacking, recommit yourself to a more radical following of Christ.  You will not regret it.

Lord, may I hear You speak and respond to You wholeheartedly every time.  May I follow You wherever You lead.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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But Herod said, “John I beheaded. Who then is this about whom I hear such things?” And he kept trying to see him. Luke 9:9

Herod teaches us both some bad qualities as well as some good ones.  The bad ones are quite obvious.  Herod was living a very sinful life and, ultimately, his disordered life led him to have St. John the Baptist beheaded.  But the Scripture above does reveal one interesting quality which we should try to imitate.

Herod was interested in Jesus.  “He kept trying to see him” the Scripture says.  Though this did not ultimately lead to Herod accepting John the Baptist’s original message and repenting, it was at least a first step.

For lack of better terminology, perhaps we can call this desire of Herod a “holy curiosity.”  He knew there was something unique about Jesus and he wanted to understand it.  He wanted to know who Jesus was and was intrigued by His message.

Though we are all called to go much further than Herod did in the pursuit of the truth, we can still recognize that Herod is a good representation of many within our society.  So many are intrigued by the Gospel and all that our faith presents. They listen with curiosity to what the pope says and how the Church reacts to injustices in the world.  Additionally, society as a whole often condemns and criticizes us and our faith.  But this still reveals a sign of its interest and desire to listen to what God has to say, especially through our Church.

Reflect, today, upon two things.  First, reflect upon your own desire to know more.  And when you discover this desire don’t stop there.  Allow it to draw you close to the message of our Lord.  Secondly, be attentive to the “holy curiosity” of those around you.  Perhaps a neighbor, family member or coworker has shown interest in what your faith and what our Church has to say.  When you see that, pray for them and ask God to use you as He did the Baptist to bring His message to all who seek it.

Lord, help me to seek You in all things and at all times.  When darkness closes in, help me to discover the light You have revealed.  Then help me to bring that light to a world in great need.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Who do the crowds say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.”  Luke 9:18c-20

Peter got it right.  Jesus was “the Christ of God.”  Many others spoke of Him as one who was only a great prophet, but Peter saw deeper.  He saw that Jesus was uniquely the Anointed One who is of God.  In other words, Jesus was God.

Though we know this to be true, we can sometimes fail to fully comprehend the depth of this “Mystery of Faith.”  Jesus is human, and He is God.  This is hard to comprehend.  It would have been hard for those of Jesus’ time to comprehend this great mystery, also.  Imagine sitting before Jesus listening to Him speak.  If you were there before Him, would you have concluded that He is also the second Person of the Most Holy Trinity?  Would you have concluded that He existed from all eternity and was the great I AM WHO AM?  Would you have concluded that He was perfect in every way and that He was also the Creator of all things and the one who keeps all things in being?

Most likely none of us fully would have comprehended the true depth of the meaning that Jesus was “the Christ of God.”  We most likely would have recognized something special about Him, but would have failed to see Him for who He is in His full essence.

The same is true today.  When we look at the Most Holy Eucharist, do we see God?  Do we see the Almighty, Omnipotent, All-loving God who existed for eternity is the source of all good and is the Creator of all things?  Perhaps the answer is both “Yes”  and “No.”  “Yes” in that we believe and “no” in that we do not fully understand.

Reflect, today, upon the divinity of Christ.  Reflect upon Him present in the Most Holy Eucharist as well as His presence all around us.  Do you see Him?  Do you believe?  How deep and complete is your faith in Him.  Recommit yourself to a deeper understanding of who Jesus is in His Godhead.  Try and take a step deeper in your faith.

Lord, I do believe.  I believe You are the Christ of God.  Help me to comprehend even more what that means.  Help me to see Your divinity more clearly and to believe in You more fully.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.  Luke 9:44-45

So why was the meaning of this “hidden from them?”  Interesting.  Here Jesus tells them to “pay attention to what I am telling you.”  And then begins to explain He will suffer and die.  But they did not get it.  They did not understand what He meant and “they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.”

The truth is that Jesus was not offended by their lack of understanding.  He realized that they would not immediately understand.  But this did not stop Him from telling them anyway.  Why?  Because He knew that they would come to understand in time.  But, at first, the Apostles just listened in a bit of confusion.

When did the Apostles come to understand?  They understood once the Holy Spirit descended upon them leading them into all Truth.  It took the workings of the Holy Spirit to understand such deep mysteries.

The same is true with us.  When we face the mystery of Jesus’ sufferings, and when we face the reality of suffering in our own lives or the lives of those we love, we can often be confused at first.  It takes a gift from the Holy Spirit to open our minds to understand.  Suffering is most often inevitable.  We all endure it.  And if we do not allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives, suffering will lead us to confusion and despair.  But if we allow the Holy Spirit to open our minds, we will begin to understand how God can work in us through our sufferings just as He brought salvation to the world through the sufferings of Christ.

Reflect, today, upon how well you understand both Jesus’ sufferings and your own.  Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the meaning and even the value of suffering?  Say a prayer to the Holy Spirit asking for this grace and let God lead you into this profound mystery of our faith.

Lord, I know You suffered and died for my salvation.  I know that my own suffering can take on new meaning in Your Cross.  Help me to more fully see and understand this great mystery and to find even greater value in Your Cross as well as mine.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day.  And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,  who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table.  Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.”  Luke 16:19-21

From one perspective, Lazarus was existing in a very undesirable state.  He was poor, starving, and miserable.  He was covered with sores that dogs would lick.  This is very descriptive language used by Jesus and it’s helpful to do your best to imagine this miserable physical state that Lazarus was in.

The key to this story is that even though Lazarus was in a miserable physical condition, his soul was in the hands of God.  We know that to be true, because we are told that when he died, he was “carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham” (Luke 16:22).

This story provides us all with an opportunity to look at what is most important in life.  The rich man had all he wanted in this life but clearly lacked charity on account of the fact that he ignored the physical needs of Lazarus.  For that reason, the rich man was spiritually impoverished, whereas Lazarus was spiritually prosperous.  

When you can keep your eyes on what is most important in life, spiritual wealth, it will make the many other hardships you endure less burdensome.  Perhaps you will never be in the same physical condition as Lazarus, but you may encounter other great pains and hardships in life.  When this happens, the tendency may be to become fixated upon those sufferings and to take your eyes off your interior union with God.  

Reflect, today, upon how you would deal with living like Lazarus.  Reflect upon what your own “sores” are in life.  They may be varied in type, degree and number from those of other people’s sufferings, but they will be encountered in your life.  As you identify your suffering, turn your eyes from it to the presence of God in your soul, and allow His presence to fill you with the riches of His grace.

Lord, I offer to You my suffering and pain, my misery and hurt.  Help me to always keep my eyes on You and to seek satisfaction only in the riches of Heaven.  Fill my heart, especially, with love of You and charity for others so that I will be truly rich in what matters most.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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Then John said in reply, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow in our company.” Jesus said to him, “Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you.”  Luke 9:49-50

Why would the Apostles try to prevent someone from casting a demon out in Jesus’ name?  Jesus was not concerned about it and, in fact, tells them not to prevent him.  So why were the Apostles concerned?  Most likely because of jealousy.

The jealousy we see in this case among the Apostles is one that can creep into the Church at times.  It has to do with a desire for power and control.  The Apostles were upset because the person casting out demons did not follow in their company.  In other words, the Apostles were not able to be in charge of this person.

Though this may be hard to understand it may be helpful to see it in a modern context.  Say someone is in charge of a ministry at church and another person or persons start up a new ministry.  The new ministry is quite successful and, as a result, those who have been working in the older more established ministries may get upset and a bit jealous.

This is silly but it’s also reality.  It happens all the time, not only within a church setting but also in our daily lives.  When we see someone else doing something that is successful or bearing good fruit, we may get envious or jealous.  

In this case, with the Apostles, Jesus is quite understanding and compassionate about the whole thing.  But He is also quite clear.  “Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you.”  Do you see things in life this way?  When someone does well do you rejoice or are you negative?  When another does good things in Jesus’ name, does that fill your heart with gratitude that God is using that person for good or do you get envious?

Reflect, today, upon the many good things going on all around you.  Reflect, especially, upon those who are furthering the Kingdom of God.  And reflect upon how you feel about them.  Pray that you will see them as your coworker in the vineyard of Christ rather than as your competitor.  

Lord of true goodness, I thank You for the many good things taking place within Your Church and within society.  Help me to rejoice in all that You do through others.  Help me to let go of any struggle I have with envy.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”  Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.  Luke 9:54-56

These words, spoken by James and John, are words that many people feel like saying at various times in their lives.  Perhaps you can relate.  These Apostles spoke this way because Jesus was not welcomed in a Samaritan town they had just entered.  He wanted to dine there and the townspeople rejected Him and His Apostles.  As a result, James and John were hurt and angry and wanted to call down the wrath of God upon that village.

Whenever we experience hurt in life, it’s understandable that we feel this way.  We tend to want justice and revenge and want those who hurt us to pay for their sin.  But Jesus’ attitude was much different.  He rebuked His Apostles for their desire of wrath and moved on not allowing this rejection to affect Him.

Rejection and other forms of hurt caused by others can be difficult to let go of.  It can easily sit within our hearts, acting like a mold that slowly grows and takes over.  When this happens, you may have a very hard time forgiving and letting go of the hurt.

The best way to approach the hurt caused by another is to immediately act as our Lord did.  It must be let go of right away and you must move on.  God is the only one to issue vengeance, not us.  When we fail to do this and harbor the hurt feelings, they ultimately do us more harm than anyone else.

Reflect, today, upon any feelings of anger or hurt that you still harbor in your heart.  Make the conscious choice to forgive and move on.  Forgiving does not mean that you act as if the hurt caused you was okay.  On the contrary, an act of forgiving another is also an acknowledgment that there was wrongdoing.  Forgiveness allows you to keep that hurt from doing you more unnecessary damage.  In the end, it is also an open invitation to the other to repent and reconcile with you.  Leave vengeance and wrath to the Lord and seek to keep your heart at peace.

Lord of mercy, I pray for the grace to forgive.  I especially forgive those who have hurt me the most and offer them to You.  Free me from any feelings of vengeance I harbor and help me to love with Your pure and merciful heart.  I love You, dear Lord.  Help me to love others as You love.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” Jesus answered him, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.”  Luke 9:61-62

Jesus’ call is absolute.  When He calls us we ought to respond with complete submission of our will and with an abundance of generosity. 

In the Scripture above, God willed that this person immediately and completely follow Jesus.  But the person hesitates saying he wants to go and first say goodbye to his family.  That sounds like a reasonable request.  But Jesus makes it clear that he is called to follow Him immediately and without hesitation.

It’s certainly not that there is anything wrong with wanting to say goodbye to his family.  The family would most likely expect such a thing.  But Jesus uses this opportunity to show us that our number one priority must be to answer His call, when He calls, how He calls, and because He calls.  In the wonderful and even mysterious call to follow Christ, we must be ready to respond without hesitation.

Imagine if one of the persons in this story were different.  Imagine if one of them came to Jesus and said, “Lord, I will follow You and am ready and willing to follow You right now without qualification.”  That’s the ideal.  And, yes, the idea is quite radical.

In our own lives, we most likely will not receive the radical call to literally leave everything behind immediately and go serve Christ in some new form of life.  But the key is our willingness!  Are you willing?

If you are willing, you will start to discover that Jesus is daily calling you to fulfill His mission.  And if you are willing, you will daily see that His mission is glorious and fruitful beyond measure.  It simply comes down to you saying “Yes” without hesitation and without delay.

Reflect, today, upon your willingness to follow Jesus.  Put yourself into this Scripture and reflect upon how you would respond to Jesus.  Most likely you will see hesitation.  And if you see hesitation in your heart, try to surrender that over so that you will be ready for all our Lord has in mind for you.

Lord, I do love You and I do want to follow You.  Help me to overcome any and every hesitation in my life in saying “Yes” to Your holy will.  Help me to discern Your voice and embrace all You say every day.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Whoever listens to you listens to me.  Whoever rejects you rejects me.  And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”  Luke 10:16

Jesus makes a threefold connection in this passage.  He connects you to Him and Himself to the Father.  Thus, when you are acting as a true instrument of the Lord, and another either listens to or rejects what you bring to them, then they are either listening to or rejecting not only you but also our Lord and the Father in Heaven.

One thing this reveals is the awesome responsibility we all have to bring the love and mercy of the Father in Heaven to those whom we encounter every day.  We are able to be true instruments of God.  In making such a strong connection between us, Himself and the Father in Heaven, Jesus is elevating our human dignity to an incredible level.

This passage also reveals the fact that others will act as instruments of God to us.  This is important to understand because Jesus is very clear.  If someone comes to us, acts in Christ’s name, and we reject that person, then we are actually rejecting the Father in Heaven.  This should lead us to pause and be seriously attentive to the way in which we treat others.  We must especially be aware of the fact that others have great potential to be instruments of God to us.  The Lord speaks through them in numerous ways.

Reflect, today, upon these revelations.  Reflect upon the great gift it is to act as an instrument of the Father in Heaven.  This is a sacred duty and a profound privilege we must not take lightly.  Look also for ways that the Father speaks to you through others.  When He speaks, give Him your full attention and be grateful for those who act as these instruments of God’s love.

Lord, I thank You for the honor and privilege of serving as an instrument of Your holy voice.  May I always seek to embrace this calling with faith and sincerity.  May I also be open to every way that You speak to me through others.  Give me the humility I need to listen to Your voice through them.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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The seventy-two disciples returned rejoicing and said to Jesus, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.” Jesus said, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power ‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”  Luke 10:17-20

That would have been impressive.  The seventy-two had power over demons when they called on the name of the Lord Jesus.  This was a power they had that amazed them more than anything.

Most likely if we saw someone actually possessed by a demon and we went over and demanded the demon leave in the name of Jesus, and the demon left, we’d also be impressed.  Though this is an uncommon experience in the strictest sense.  There are a few things to say about it.

First, yes, it is impressive and, yes, Jesus has full authority over the evil one.  Therefore, the seventy-two should have been overjoyed at seeing His power at work through them.

Second, we should be aware of the fact that even though we may not encounter people who are fully possessed, we do encounter the workings of the evil one on a daily basis.  So one thing this Scripture should tell us is that we need to trust in the power of Jesus to act through us as evil is combated.  We must confidently pray that our world be delivered from the evil one and we must have full faith that the power of Christ will work through our prayer.

Third, though combating evil directly is essential, Jesus takes this occasion to point out that there is something far more important.  He says that we should primarily rejoice because our “names are written in Heaven.”  In other words, power over the evil one is not the end goal.  Heaven is.  Growth in holiness and virtue are the primary goals we must have in life.

Reflect, today, upon your duty to rebuke the evil one and his works in Jesus’ name.  But reflect even more upon your calling to holiness of life and growth in virtue.  These, more than anything else, are the pathway to Heaven!

Lord of true holiness, help me to have confidence in Your power to overcome the evil one and his works.  But more importantly, help me to continually turn my eyes to You and Heaven, making holiness of life my primary goal.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”  John 1:51

Yes, angels are for real.  And they are mighty, glorious, beautiful and magnificent in every way.  Today we honor three of the multitude of angels in Heaven: Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.

These angels are “archangels.”  An archangel is the second order of angels just above the guardian angels.  In all, there are nine orders of celestial beings that we commonly refer to as angels and all nine of these orders are traditionally organized into three spheres.  The entire hierarchy is traditionally organized this way:

Highest Sphere: Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones.

Middle Sphere: Dominions, Virtues and Powers.

Lower Sphere: Principalities, Archangels and Angels (Guardian Angels).

The hierarchy of these celestial beings is ordered in accord with their function and purpose.  The highest of the beings, the Seraphim, were created solely for the purpose of surrounding the Throne of God in perpetual worship and adoration.  The lowest of the beings, the Guardian Angels, were created for the purpose of caring for humans and communicating God’s messages.  The Archangels, whom we honor today, were created for the purpose of bringing messages of great importance to us and to accomplish tasks of the highest importance in our lives.

Michael is well known as the archangel who was empowered by God to cast Lucifer out of Heaven.  Lucifer is traditionally thought to be of the highest sphere of celestial beings and, thus, being cast out by a lowly archangel was quite a humiliation.

Gabriel is well known for being the archangel who brought the message of the Incarnation to the Blessed Virgin Mary.  

And Raphael, whose name means “God heals” is referred to in the Old Testament Book of Tobit and is said to have been sent to bring healing to Tobit’s eyes.

Though not much is known of these archangels, it’s important to believe in them, honor them and to pray to them.  We pray to them because we believe God has entrusted them with a mission to help us bring healing, fight evil and proclaim the Word of God.  Their power comes from God, but God has chosen to use the archangels, and all celestial beings, to accomplish His plan and purpose.

Reflect, today, upon your knowledge of the angels.  Do you believe in them?  Do you honor them?  Do you rely upon their powerful intercession and mediation in your life?  God wants to use them, so you should truly seek their help in your life.

Lord, thank You for the gift of the Archangels whom we honor today.  Thank You for their powerful work in our lives.  Help us to rely upon them and to love them for their service.  Archangels, pray for us, heal us, teach us and protect us.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’”  Luke 17:10b

This is a hard command to live.  Most often when we have done something well, and fulfilled our duty, we seek recognition and praise.  We want to be noticed.  And while this may be a “normal” reaction, it’s not the most humble reaction.  Humility comes in many degrees, and the deepest degree of humility allows a person to repeat this passage above and mean it.

First, we must realize that the will of God is good for us.  It imposes an obligation of love on us.  When we fulfill God’s will, we should take delight in that fact alone because it is good.  That way, the fulfillment of God’s will becomes the source of our joy, not the recognition of others.

On the other hand, it is good when we see goodness in others and acknowledge it.  We should do this not to build up their ego but to give praise to God for the good thing done.  And when others see and acknowledge God’s will accomplished in our lives, we must accept their praise not as a source of our pride but as an honest acknowledgment that God is good and His will is being fulfilled.  We must be grateful that we could do “what we were obliged to do.”

Embracing the will of God as a holy “obligation” also enables us to fulfill it more fully.  When doing the will of God is seen as something extraordinary, we may not build a proper habit of fulfilling it.  But when it’s seen as our duty of love and as the normal act we should fulfill, it’s easier to embrace His will more completely.

Reflect, today, on this humble phrase. “We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.”  Try to say it, mean it and let it become the foundation of your daily service of God’s will.  Doing so will set you on the “fast track” toward holiness.

Lord, I am an unprofitable servant. When I fulfill Your holy will, I acknowledge that this is a holy obligation of love and my most fundamental duty.  Help me to see Your will as the most normal part of my daily life.  Help me to embrace it with wholehearted faith and obedience.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?” He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”  Luke 10:36-37

Here we have the conclusion to the familiar story of the Good Samaritan.  First, robbers beat him and left him for dead.  Then a priest walked by and ignored him.  And then a Levite walked by also ignoring him.  Finally, the Samaritan walked by and took care of him with great generosity.

Interestingly, when Jesus asked the disciples which of these three acted as a neighbor, they didn’t respond “the Samaritan.”  Rather, they responded, “The one who treated him with mercy.”  Mercy was the key focus.

It is so easy to be judgmental and harsh with one another.  If you read the newspapers or listen to the news commentators you can’t help but hear continual judgment and condemnation.  Our fallen human nature seems to thrive on being critical of others.  And when we are not critical, we are often tempted to act like the priest and Levite in this story.  We are tempted to turn a blind eye to those in need.  The key must be to always show mercy and show it in superabundance. 

Reflect, today, upon the call God gives you to show mercy.  Mercy, in order to be true mercy, must hurt.  It must “hurt” in the sense that it requires you to let go of your pride, selfishness and anger and choose to show love instead.  You choose to show love to the point that it hurts.  But that hurt is a true source of healing in that it cleanses you of your sin.  Saint Mother Teresa is quoted as saying, “I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.”  Mercy is the kind of love that may hurt at first, but in the end leaves only love.

Merciful Lord, do make me an instrument of Your love and mercy.  Help me to especially show mercy when it is hard in life and when I do not feel like it.  May those moments be graced moments when You transform me into Your gift of love.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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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.”  Luke 10:40-42

At first this seems unfair.  Martha is working hard at preparing the meal, while Mary is just sitting there at the feet of Jesus.  So, Martha complains to Jesus. But interestingly, Jesus somewhat humbles Martha instead of Mary.  Of course, He does it in a kind and gentle way.

The truth is that both Martha and Mary were fulfilling their unique roles at that moment.  Martha was doing Jesus a great service by serving Him through the preparation of their meal.  This is what she was called to do and the service would have been an act of love.  Mary, on the other hand, was fulfilling her role.  She was called, at that moment, to simply sit at the feet of Jesus and be present to Him.  

These two women have traditionally represented two vocations in the Church, as well as two callings we are all called to have.  Martha represents the active life and Mary represents the contemplative life.  The active life is that life most live on a daily basis, be it through the service of family or others in the world.  The contemplative life is a vocation to which some are called through the cloistered life, in that they leave the busy world and dedicate most of their day to prayer and solitude.

Truthfully, you are called to both of these vocations.  Even if your life is one filled with work, you are still called regularly to choose “the better part.”  At times, Jesus calls you to imitate Mary in that He wants you to daily stop your work and dedicate some time to Him and Him alone.  Not everyone is able to spend time before the Blessed Sacrament each day in silent prayer, but some are.  However, you should seek to find at least some time of silence and solitude every day so as to sit at the feet of Jesus in prayer.

Reflect, today, upon your own call to prayer.  Do you pray?  Do you pray every day?  If this is lacking, then reflect upon the image of Mary being there at the feet of Jesus and know that Jesus wants the same from you.

My inviting Lord, help me to hear You calling me to stop what I’m doing and to simply rest in Your divine presence.  May I find those moments every day in which I can be refreshed in Your presence.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”  Luke 11:1

The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray.  In response, He taught them the “Our Father” prayer.  There is much that can be said about this prayer.  This prayer contains all we need to know about prayer.  It is a catechetical lesson about prayer itself and contains seven petitions to the Father.  Let’s look at the first three of these as found in Chapter 11 of My Catholic Worship!

Hallowed be Thy Name:  “Hallowed” means to be holy.  As we pray this part of the prayer we are not praying that God’s name will become holy, for His name already is holy.  Rather, we pray that this holiness of God will be recognized by us and all people.  We pray that there will be a deep reverence of God’s name and that we will always treat God with the proper honor, devotion, love and awe to which we are called.

It’s especially important to point out how often God’s name is used in vain.  That is a strange phenomenon.  Have you ever wondered why, when people get angry, they would curse God’s name?  It’s strange.  And, in fact, it’s demonic.  Anger, in those moments, invites us to act in a contrary way to this prayer and to the proper use of God’s name.

God Himself is holy, holy, holy.  He is thrice holy!  In other words, He is the Holiest!  Living with this fundamental disposition of heart is key to a good Christian life and to a good life of prayer. 

Perhaps a good practice would be to regularly honor God’s name.  For example, what a wonderful habit it would be to regularly say, “Sweet and precious Jesus, I love You.”  Or, “Glorious and merciful God, I adore You.”  Adding adjectives like these before we mention God is a good habit to get into as a way of fulfilling this first petition of the Lord’s Prayer.

Another good practice would be to always refer to the “Blood of Christ” we consume at Mass as the “Precious Blood.”  Or the Host as the “Sacred Host.”  There are many who fall into the trap of just referring to it as the “wine” or the “bread.”  This is most likely not malicious or even sinful, but it’s much better to enter into the practice and habit of honoring and revering anything that is associated with God, especially the Most Holy Eucharist!

Thy Kingdom Come: This petition of the Lord’s Prayer is a way of acknowledging two things.  First, we acknowledge the fact that Jesus will, one day, return in all His glory and establish His permanent and visible Kingdom.  This will be the time of the Final Judgment when the current Heaven and Earth will pass away and the new order will be established.  So, praying this petition is a faith-filled acknowledgment of this fact.  It’s our way of saying we not only believe this will happen, we also look forward to it and pray for it. 

Secondly, we must realize that the Kingdom of God is already here among us.  For now, it’s an invisible Kingdom.  It’s a spiritual reality that must become an all-consuming and present reality in our world. 

To pray that God’s “Kingdom come” means we desire that He first take greater possession of our souls.  The Kingdom of God must be within us.  He must reign on the throne of our hearts and we must allow Him.  Therefore, this must be our constant prayer. 

We also pray that the Kingdom of God become present in our world.  God wants to transform the social, political and cultural order right now.  So we must pray and work for that.  Our prayer for the Kingdom to come is also a way for us to commit ourselves to God to allow Him to use us for this very purpose.  It’s a prayer of faith and courage.  Faith because we believe He can use us, and courage because the evil one and world will not like it.  As the Kingdom of God is established in this world through us, we will meet with opposition.  But that’s ok and should be expected.  And this petition is, in part, to help us with this mission.

Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven: Praying for the Kingdom of God to come means, also, that we seek to live the will of the Father.  This is done as we enter into union with Christ Jesus.  He fulfilled the will of His Father with perfection.  His human life is the perfect model of the will of God and it is also the means by which we live the will of God.

This petition is a way of committing ourselves to live in union with Christ Jesus.  We take our will and entrust it to Christ so that His will lives in us. 

By doing this we begin to be filled with all virtue.  We will also be filled with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit which are necessary for living the will of the Father.  For example, the Gift of Knowledge is a gift by which we come to know what God wants of us in particular situations in life.  So praying this petition is a way of asking God to fill us with knowledge of His will.  But we also need the courage and strength necessary to then live out that will.  So this petition also prays for those Gifts of the Holy Spirit that enable us to live out what God reveals as His divine plan for our lives. 

It is, of course, also an intercession for all people.  In this petition we pray that all will come to live in unity and harmony with God’s perfect plan.

Our Father Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”  Luke 11:9-10

Sometimes this Scripture passage can be misunderstood.  Some may think it means that we should pray, pray more and pray harder and eventually God will answer our prayers.  Some may think that this means that God does not answer prayer if we fail to pray hard enough.  And some may think that whatever we pray for will be given to us if we just keep asking.  We need some important clarifications on these points.

We certainly should pray hard and often.  But one key question to understand is this:  What should I pray for?  This is key because God will not give us what we pray for, no matter how long and hard we pray for it, if it is not part of His glorious and perfect will.  For example, if someone is sick and dying and it is part of the permissive will of God to allow that person to die, then all the prayer in the world will not change things.  Instead, prayer in this case should be offered so as to invite God into this difficult situation so as to make it a beautiful and holy death.  So it’s not a matter of begging God until we convince Him to do what we want, as a child may do to a parent.  Rather, we must pray for one thing and one thing only…we must pray for the will of God to be done.  Prayer is not offered to change God’s mind, it’s to transform us, strengthen us and enable us to embrace all that God calls us to do.  

Reflect, today, upon how you pray.  Do you seek only the will of God in all things and pray deeply for that?  Do you knock at the heart of Christ seeking His holy and perfect plan?  Do you ask for His grace to enable you and others to fully embrace all that He has in mind for you?  Pray hard and expect that prayer to change your life.

Lord, help me to daily seek You and to increase my life of faith through prayer.  May my prayer help me to receive Your holy and perfect will into my life.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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As we honor Our Lady of the Rosary today, it’s a good opportunity to reflect upon this powerful prayer.  The best way to reflect upon the power of the Rosary is to turn to the saints.  Below you will find a number of sayings from the saints of God regarding the Rosary.  Reflect upon them and let them speak to your heart.  

“Never will anyone who says his Rosary every day be led astray. This is a statement that I would gladly sign with my blood.” - Saint Louis de Montfort. 

“Of all prayers the rosary is the most beautiful and the richest in graces…love the Rosary and recite it every day with devotion.” - Saint Pius X. 

“How beautiful is the family that recites the Rosary every evening.” - Saint Pope John Paul II. 

“The Rosary is my favorite prayer. A marvelous prayer! Marvelous in its simplicity and its depth.” - Saint Pope John Paul II. 

“The Rosary is a priceless treasure inspired by God.” - Saint Louis de Montfort. 

“There is no surer means of calling down God’s blessings upon the family… than the daily recitation of the Rosary.” - Pope Pius XII. 

“The Rosary is the most excellent form of prayer and the most efficacious means of attaining eternal life. It is the remedy for all our evils, the root of all our blessings. There is no more excellent way of praying.” - Saint Pope Leo XIII. 

“Give me an army saying the Rosary and I will conquer the world.” - Blessed Pope Pius IX. 

“If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your country, assemble each evening to recite the Rosary. Let not even one day pass without saying it, no matter how burdened you may be with many cares and labors.” - Pope Pius XI. 

“Our Lady has never refused me a grace through the recitation of the rosary.” - Saint Padre Pio. 

“The greatest method of praying is to pray the Rosary.” - Saint Francis de Sales. 

“One day, through the Rosary and the Scapular, Our Lady will save the world.” - Saint Dominic.

Lord, may I understand the power of this precious gift, the Holy Rosary.  Give me the grace of making this part of my daily prayer.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”  Luke 11:27-28

Do you hear the Word of God?  And if you do hear it, do you observe it?  If so, then you can consider yourself among those truly blessed by our Lord.

Interestingly, the woman speaking to Jesus in this passage was honoring His mother by saying she was blessed to have carried and fed Him.  But Jesus honors His mother to an even greater degree by stating what He does.  He honors her and calls her blessed because she, more than anyone else, hears the Word of God and observes it perfectly.

Hearing and doing are two very different things.  Both of them take much commitment in the spiritual life.  First of all, hearing the Word of God is not simply an audible hearing or a reading of the Bible.  “Hearing” in this case means that God has communicated to our souls.  It means we are engaging a Person, Jesus Himself, and we are letting Him communicate to us whatever He desires to communicate.

Though it can be challenging to hear Jesus speak and to internalize what He says, it is even more challenging to then let His Word change us to the point that we live what He has spoken.  So often we can have very good intentions but fail to follow through with action by living the Word of God.

Reflect, today, upon both hearing and observing.  Start with hearing and reflect upon whether or not you daily allow yourself to be engaged by Jesus.  From there, reflect upon whether you are living what you know He has spoken.  Recommit yourself to this process and you will find that you, too, are truly blessed!

Eternal Word of God, may I hear You speak to me.  May I meet You in my soul and receive Your sacred Word.  May I also put that Word into action in my life so as to experience the blessings You have in store for me.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Ten were cleansed, were they not?  Where are the other nine?  Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”  Luke 17:17-18

These words were spoken by Jesus after He healed ten lepers and only one of them, a foreigner, returned to Jesus to thank Him.  Ten were healed physically of their leprosy but only one received a much deeper healing.  Upon returning to Jesus with a grateful heart, Jesus said to this one leper, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you” (Luke 17:19).

Only this one leper, the one who returned with a grateful heart, heard our Lord speak these words: “Your faith has saved you.”  This reveals that gratitude to God is not only our duty, it also brings forth manifest blessings in our lives.  When we sincerely offer thanks to God for all that He has done, we are manifesting great faith in God as a result.  We are pointing to Him and His goodness as the source of our blessings and it takes faith to see this and to profess it.  

What is it for which you need to grow in gratitude in your life?  What is it that you may take for granted and have failed to properly return to God and thank Him for?  The truth is that everything in life is a gift.  Everything.  Even the struggles you endure can be turned into blessings.  In fact, that’s exactly what happened in this story.  The awful suffering of leprosy was turned into a grace from God.  

Reflect, today, upon all that God has done for you.  Pray that you will understand all of the countless ways that God graces your life.  As you see them, ponder those blessings, count them and be grateful for them.  And from that gratitude, return a joyful thanks to God.  In that act, your faith will also save you.

Lord, I do thank You for the countless blessings that You have bestowed upon me throughout my life.  I thank You for the ways in which You have graced me, led me and healed me.  Help me to see clearly all that You have done and continue to do for me.  As I see these blessings, help me to daily express my gratitude in faith.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.”  Luke 11:29

Do you ever wish that God would give you a sign from Heaven as a way of giving you some definitive guidance or direction in life?  Do you look for signs from God and rely upon them?  

If God were to give us some clear sign in life revealing His will, we should take it as a gift and be grateful for it.  But receiving a sign from God is different than seeking a sign from God.  In the passage above, Jesus strongly condemns those coming and seeking signs.  Why is this the case?  Why does Jesus speak strongly against seeking signs?  In large part because He wants us to seek Him through the gift of faith.

Jesus states that no sign will be given except the sign of Jonah.  The “sign of Jonah” refers to Jesus’ Crucifixion, death, three days in the tomb and Resurrection.  Jonah was three days in the belly of the whale.  Jesus was telling them that He would be three days in the tomb.  

But the key is that Jesus’ death and Resurrection IS the sign that will be given.  We should seek nothing other than this central mystery of our faith.  Every question, problem, concern, confusion, etc., can be answered and dealt with if we simply enter into the great mystery of our redemption by entering into the life, death and Resurrection of Christ.  Seeking a sign other than this would be wrong in that it would be a way of saying that the death and Resurrection of Jesus is not enough.

Reflect, today, upon the greatest “sign” God has ever given.  And if you find yourself struggling with questions in life, turn your eyes to this one definitive sign.  Turn your eyes to the central mystery of our faith: the life, death and Resurrection of Christ.  It is there that every question can be answered and every grace is given.  We need nothing more than this.

Lord, Your life, death and Resurrection is all I need to know in life.  Your perfect sacrifice gives me every answer and pours forth every grace.  May I always turn to You as the sign I need every day.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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The Lord said to him, “Oh you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil. You fools!”  Luke 11:39-40a

Jesus was continually critical of the Pharisees for being caught up with their external appearance and ignoring the sacredness of their souls.  It appears that Pharisee after Pharisee fell into this same trap.  Their pride led them to become obsessed with their external appearance of righteousness.  Sadly, their external appearance was only a mask over the “plunder and evil” that consumed them from within.  For that reason Jesus calls them “fools.”

This head on challenge from our Lord was clearly an act of love in that He deeply desired that they looked at that which was within so as to cleanse their hearts and souls of all evil.  It appears that, in the case of the Pharisees, they needed to be called out directly for their evil.  This was the only way they would have a chance of repenting.

The same can be true for all of us at times.  Each one of us can struggle with being far more concerned about our public image than about the sanctity of our souls.  But what is more important?  What’s important is that which God sees within.  God sees our intentions and all that is deep within our consciences.  He sees our motivations, our virtues, our sins, our attachments, and everything hidden from the eyes of others.  We, too, are invited to see that which Jesus sees.  We are invited to look at our souls in the light of truth.  

Do you see your soul?  Do you examine your conscience each and every day?  You should examine your conscience by looking within and seeing what God sees through times of prayer and honest introspection.  Perhaps the Pharisees regularly fooled themselves into thinking all was well in their souls.  If you do the same at times, you also may need to learn from the strong words of Jesus.

Reflect, today, upon your soul.  Do not be afraid to look at it in the light of truth and to see your life as God sees it.  This is the first and most important step in becoming truly holy.  And it’s not only the way to cleanse our souls, it’s also the necessary step in allowing our external life to shine brightly with the light of God’s grace.

Lord of holiness, I want to become holy.  I want to be cleansed through and through.  Help me to see my soul as You see it and to allow Your grace and mercy to cleanse me in the ways that I need to be cleansed.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Woe to you! You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk.” Then one of the scholars of the law said to him in reply, “Teacher, by saying this you are insulting us too.” And he said, “Woe also to you scholars of the law! You impose on people burdens hard to carry, but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.”  Luke 11:44-46

What an interesting and somewhat surprising exchange between Jesus and this scholar of the law.  Here, Jesus is severely chastising the Pharisees and one of the scholars of the law tries to correct Jesus for being offensive.  And what does Jesus do?  He doesn’t back down or apologize for offending him; rather, He turns His severe rebuke to the scholar of the law.  That must have surprised him!

What’s interesting is that the scholar of the law points out that Jesus is “insulting” them.  And he points it out as if Jesus were committing a sin and in need of a rebuke.  So was Jesus insulting the Pharisees and scholar of the law?  Yes, He probably was.  Was that a sin on Jesus’ part?  Obviously not.  Jesus does not sin.

The mystery we face here is that sometimes the truth is “insulting,” so to speak.  It’s insulting to a person’s pride.  What’s most interesting is that when someone is insulted, they need to first realize that they are insulted because of their pride, not because of what the other person said or did.  Even if someone was overly harsh, feeling insulted is a result of pride.  If one were truly humble, then a rebuke would actually be welcomed as a helpful form of correction.  Sadly, the scholar of the law appears to lack the necessary humility to let Jesus’ rebuke sink in and free him from his sin.

Reflect, today, upon whether or not you are humble enough to receive correction from another.  If someone points out your sin do you get offended?  Or do you take it as a useful correction and allow it to help you grow in holiness?

Most humble Lord, please give me true humility.  Help me to never be offended when corrected by others.  May I receive others’ corrections as graces to help me on my way to holiness.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Woe to you, scholars of the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.”  Luke 11:52

In today’s Gospel, Jesus continues to chastise the Pharisees and the scholars of the law.  In this passage above, He chastises them because they “have taken away the key of knowledge” and have actively tried to keep others from the knowledge God wants them to have.  This is a strong accusation and reveals that the Pharisees and scholars of the law were actively hurting the faith of God’s people.

As we’ve seen over the past few days in the Scriptures, Jesus rebuked the scholars of the law and the Pharisees severely for this.  And His rebuke was not only for their sake, it is also for our sake so that we know not to follow false prophets such as these and all who are interested only in themselves and their reputation rather than the truth.

This Gospel passage is not only a condemnation of this sin, more importantly it raises a deep and beautiful concept.  It’s the concept of “the key of knowledge.”  What is the key of knowledge?  The key of knowledge is faith, and faith can come only by listening to the voice of God.  The key to knowledge is to let God speak to you and to reveal to you His deepest and most beautiful truths.  These truths can only be received and believed through prayer and through direct communication with God.  

The saints are the best examples of those who have penetrated the deep mysteries of God’s life.  Through their life of prayer and faith they came to know God on a profound level.  Many of these great saints have left us beautiful writings and a powerful witness of the hidden but revealed mysteries of the inner life of God.

Reflect, today, upon whether or not you have taken the “key of knowledge” and opened the mysteries of God through your life of faith and prayer.  Recommit yourself to seeking God in your daily personal prayer and to seek all that He desires to reveal to you.

Lord, help me to seek You through a life of daily prayer.  In that life of prayer, draw me into a deep relationship with You, revealing to me all that You are and all that life is about.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God. Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.”  Luke 12:6-7

“Do not be afraid.”  These words are often repeated in the holy Scriptures.  In this passage, Jesus says we should not be afraid because of the fact that the Father in Heaven is attentive to every last detail of our lives.  Nothing has escaped the notice of God.  If God is attentive to the sparrows, He is even more attentive to us.  That should give us a certain sense of peace and confidence.

Of course, one reason that this can still be difficult to believe is that there are many times when it feels like God is quite distant and inattentive to our lives.  It’s important to remember that whenever we have this feeling, it’s only a feeling and not reality.  Reality is that God is infinitely more attentive to the details of our lives than we could ever realize.  In fact, He’s far more attentive to us than we are attentive to ourselves!  And not only is He attentive to every detail, He is deeply concerned about every detail.

So why might it feel like God is distant at times?  There could be many reasons for this but we should be certain that there is always a reason.  Perhaps we are not listening to Him and not praying as we should and thus we are missing His attentiveness and guidance.  Perhaps He has chosen to remain silent in a matter as a way of drawing us closer to Himself.  Perhaps His silence is actually a very clear sign of His presence and His will.  

Reflect, today, upon the fact that regardless of how we may feel at times we must be certain of the truth of this passage above.  “You are worth more than many sparrows.”  God has even counted the hairs on your head.  And every part of your life is fully present to Him.  Allow these truths to give you consolation and hope knowing that this attentive God is also a God of perfect love and mercy and will provide for you all that you need in life.

All-Knowing Lord, I know You love me and are aware of every feeling, thought and experience I have in life.  You are aware of every problem and concern I have.  Help me to continually turn to You in all things knowing of Your perfect love and guidance.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God.”  Luke 12:8-9

One of the greatest examples of those who acknowledge Jesus before others is that of the martyrs.  One martyr after another throughout history gave witness to their love of God by holding firm to their faith despite persecution and death.  One such martyr was St. Ignatius of Antioch.  Below is an excerpt from a famous letter St. Ignatius wrote to his followers once he was arrested and headed for martyrdom by being fed to the lions.  He wrote:

I am writing to all the churches to let it be known that I will gladly die for God if only you do not stand in my way. I plead with you: show me no untimely kindness. Let me be food for the wild beasts, for they are my way to God. I am God’s wheat and shall be ground by their teeth so that I may become Christ’s pure bread. Pray to Christ for me that the animals will be the means of making me a sacrificial victim for God.

No earthly pleasures, no kingdoms of this world can benefit me in any way. I prefer death in Christ Jesus to power over the farthest limits of the earth. He who died in place of us is the one object of my quest. He who rose for our sakes is my one desire.

This statement is inspiring and powerful, but here is an important insight that could easily be missed in reading it.  The insight is that it’s easy for us to read it, be in awe of his courage, talk about him to others, believe in his witness, etc…but not take one step closer to making this same faith and courage our own.  It’s easy to talk about the great saints and to be inspired by them.  But it’s very difficult to actually imitate them.  

Think about your own life in the light of the Gospel passage from today.  Do you freely, openly and fully acknowledge Jesus as your Lord and God before others?  You do not have to go around being an “in-your-face” sort of Christian.  But you do have to easily, freely, transparently and completely allow your faith and love of God to shine forth, especially when it’s uncomfortable and difficult.  Do you hesitate in doing this?  Most likely you do.  Most likely all Christians do.  For that reason, St. Ignatius and the other martyrs are great examples for us.  But if they only remain examples, then their example is not enough.  We must live their witness and become the next St. Ignatius in the witness God calls us to live.

Reflect, today, upon whether you are only inspired by the martyrs or if you actually imitate them.  If it’s the former, pray that their inspiring witness effects a powerful change in your life.

Lord, thank You for the witness of the great saints, especially the martyrs.  May their witness enable me to live a life of holy faith in imitation of each one of them.  I choose You, dear Lord, and acknowledge You, this day, before the world and above all else.  Give me the grace to live this witness with courage.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“…because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.”  Luke 18:5

This passage is from the story of the Persistent Widow.  She kept coming to a judge, who cared little about doing the right thing, and persistently begged him for a good judgment.  Finally he gave in so as to get her to leave him alone.

Jesus used this story to teach a lesson about the necessity “to pray always without becoming weary” (Luke 18:1).  It’s interesting that the image of the judge is one “who neither feared God nor respected any human being” (Luke 18:2).  But Jesus uses this image of an unjust judge to reveal the power of persistence and to reveal the depths of God’s mercy.

First, we learn that this woman never gave up.  So with us, we must never cease to lose hope in prayer.  We must pray always, constantly and persistently.  It’s not that prayer changes God; rather, prayer changes us and disposes us to receive the immeasurable graces from God.

Second, we learn that if an uncaring judge will eventually give a good decision, then so much more will the merciful and all-loving God pour forth His good judgments in our lives when we trust Him.  There should be no doubt in our lives that God can do all good things for us if we but let Him.

Reflect, today, upon how persistent you are in your prayer.  The prayer you must seek to live is primarily a prayer of total trust and abandonment to God.  You do not change God’s mind by begging Him.  Rather, your prayer must be so persistent that it opens you to the will of God and allows His grace to flow in accord with His perfect will.

Lord, I beg of You that Your perfect and holy will be done in my life.  I abandon all to You, dear Lord.  Do with me as You will.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’ Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.”  Luke 12:20-21

This passage is the response from God to one who decides to make worldly wealth his goal.  In this parable, the rich man had such a bountiful harvest that he decided to tear down his old barns and build bigger ones so as to store the harvest.  Little did this man realize that his life would soon come to an end and that all he stored up would never be used by him.

The contrast in this parable is between an abundance of earthly wealth and wealth in what matters to God.  Sure, it may be possible to be rich in both, but accomplishing this would be quite difficult.

One straightforward challenge of this Gospel is to eliminate the desire for material wealth.  This is hard to do.  It’s not that material wealth is evil, it’s just that it is a serious temptation.  The temptation is to trust in material things for satisfaction rather than trusting only in God.  Material wealth should be understood to be a true temptation that must be kept in check.

Reflect, today, upon your desire for wealth.  Let this Gospel offer you a straightforward challenge regarding your desire for riches.  Be honest and look into your heart.  Do you spend much time thinking about money and material possessions?  Seek God above all things and let Him alone be your satisfaction.

Lord of true riches, I desire to be truly rich in grace and mercy rather than in material things.  Help me to always keep the proper priorities in life and to be purified in all of my desires.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.  Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.” Luke 10:2-3

Today we honor Saint Luke the Evangelist.  Saint Luke wrote one of the four Gospels, was a companion of Saint Paul to whom he was very dear, traveled far and wide preaching the Gospel, and ultimately gave his life as a martyr.  He was first imprisoned for two years and after his release was said to have been crucified near Achaia while he continued his missionary activities.

Saint Luke was originally from Antioch, a city known for its high culture and learning.  He was a physician, was well educated and was of high social standing.  The fact of his social standing and education reveals that he went through a martyrdom of another form prior to being physically martyred.  The martyrdom he went through came in the form of choosing Christ over social notoriety and prestige.  

When faced with the Gospel, Saint Luke could have easily seen the mission given to him by Christ as one which interfered with his comfortable life in Antioch.  He would have quickly understood that choosing to follow our Lord and accepting the invitation of being sent to preach the Gospel required much sacrifice.  However, he made the decision to give up everything so as to fulfill the mission given to him by our Lord.  God used Saint Luke in many ways and especially used his education as an instrument through which the Holy Spirit inspired him to write the Word of God.

Like Saint Luke, we are all called by God to follow Him unreservedly and to be sent on a unique mission of the proclamation of the Gospel.  Each calling is different but each calling must be absolute and undeterred.  We must offer our talents, preferences, future and our very lives to Christ so that He may use us as He wills.  Following Jesus will always require some form of martyrdom, but whatever form of martyrdom we are called to embrace will produce much good fruit for the Kingdom of Heaven.

Reflect, today, upon this intelligent and gifted disciple of our Lord.  Rejoice in the gift that Saint Luke gave us in the Gospel, but also commit to follow our Lord to the same degree as this disciple.  You, like Saint Luke, are being called to abandon all to the mission of the Gospel.  Do not hesitate to say “Yes.”

Lord, as we honor this great evangelist, Saint Luke, help me to imitate his wholehearted commitment to the Gospel.  Use me, dear Lord, as an instrument of Your Holy Word and give me the courage to lay my life down without reserve.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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Jesus said to his disciples: “Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”  Luke 12:39-40

This Scripture offers us an invitation.  It can be said that Jesus comes to us at an unexpected hour in two ways.

First, we know that He will return one day in glory to judge the living and the dead.  His Second Coming is real and we should be aware of the fact that it could happen at any time.  Sure, it may not happen for many years, or even for many hundreds of years, but it will happen.  There will be one moment when the world as it is will end and the new order will be established.  Ideally, we live each and every day in anticipation of that day and that moment.  We must live in such a way that we are always ready for that end.

Second, we must realize that Jesus does come to us, continually, by grace.  Traditionally, we speak of His two comings: 1) His Incarnation, and 2) His return in glory.  But there is a third coming we can speak of which is His coming by grace into our lives.  And this coming is quite real and should be something to which we are continually attentive.  His coming by grace requires that we be continually “prepared” to meet Him.  If we are not prepared, we can be certain we will miss Him.  How do we prepare for this coming by grace?  We prepare first and foremost by fostering a daily habit of interior prayer.  An interior habit of prayer means we are, in a sense, always praying.  It means that no matter what we do each and every day, our minds and hearts are always turned toward God.  It’s like breathing.  We always do it and do it without even thinking about it.  Prayer must become just as much of a habit as breathing.  It must be central to who we are and how we live.

Reflect, today, upon your life of prayer.  Know that the moments you dedicate exclusively to prayer each day are essential to your holiness and relationship with God.  And know that those moments must help to build a habit of always being attentive to God.  Being prepared this way will allow you to meet Christ at every moment that He comes to you by grace.

Lord, help me to foster in my heart a life of prayer.  Help me to seek You always and to always be prepared for You when You come.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”  Luke 12:51-53

Yes, this is a shocking Scripture at first.  Why would Jesus say that He came to establish not peace but division?  This does not at all sound like something He would say.  And then to go on saying that family members will be divided against each other is even more confusing.  So what is this about?

This passage reveals one of the unintended but permitted effects of the Gospel.  Sometimes the Gospel brings about a certain disunity.  Throughout history, for example, Christians have been severely persecuted for their faith.  The example of many martyrs reveals that those who live the faith and preach it may become the target of another.

In our world today, there are Christians who are persecuted simply for being Christian.  And in some cultures, Christians are severely mistreated for speaking out regarding certain moral truths of the faith.  As a result, the proclamation of the Gospel can at times bring about a certain disunity.  

But the real cause of any disunity is the refusal on the part of some to accept the truth.  Do not be afraid of holding fast to the truths of our faith regardless of the reactions of others.  If you are hated or mistreated as a result, do not let yourself give in to compromise for the sake of “peace at all costs.”  That form of peace is not from God and will never bring about true unity in Christ. 

Reflect, today, upon whether or not you struggle with compromising your faith when it is challenged by others.  Know that God wants you to choose Him and His holy will above every other relationship in life.  

Lord, give me grace to keep my eyes on You and Your will and to choose You above everything else in life.  When my faith is challenged, give me courage and strength to stay strong in Your love.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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Jesus said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west you say immediately that it is going to rain–and so it does; and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south you say that it is going to be hot–and so it is. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time?”  Luke 12:54-56

Do you know how to interpret the present time?  It is important for us, as followers of Christ, to be able to look honestly at our cultures, societies and world as a whole and interpret it honestly and accurately.  We need to be able to discern the goodness and the presence of God in our world and we need to also be able to identify and interpret the workings of the evil one in our present time.  How well do you do that?

One of the tactics of the evil one is the use of manipulation and lies.  The evil one seeks to confuse us in countless ways.  These lies may come through the media, through our political leaders and, at times, even through some religious leaders.  The evil one loves it when there is division and disorder of every kind.

So what do we do if we want to be able to “interpret the present time?”  We must wholeheartedly commit ourselves to the Truth.  We must seek Jesus above all things through prayer and allow His presence in our lives to help us sort out what is from Him and what is not.

Our societies present us with countless moral choices, so we may find ourselves being drawn here and there.  We can find that our minds are challenged and, at times, find that even the most basic truths of humanity are attacked and distorted.  Take, for example, abortion, euthanasia and traditional marriage.  These moral teachings of our faith are continually under attack within the various cultures of our world.  The very dignity of the human person and the dignity of the family as God designed it are called into question and directly challenged.  Another example of confusion within our world today is the love of money.  So many people are caught up in the desire for material wealth and have been drawn into the lie that this is the way to happiness.  Interpreting the present time means we see through any and every confusion of our day and age.  It means we see the cultural and moral errors for what they are.  

Reflect, today, upon whether or not you are willing and able to let the Holy Spirit cut through the confusion so manifestly present all around us.  Are you ready to allow the Holy Spirit of Truth to penetrate your mind and lead you into all truth?  Seeking the truth in our present time is the only way to survive the many errors and confusions thrown at us each day.

Lord of Truth, help me to interpret the present time and to see the errors fostered all around us, as well as Your goodness manifest in so many ways.  Give me courage and wisdom so that I may reject what is evil and seek that which is from You.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’ He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’”  Luke 13:7-9

This is an image that reflects our souls many times.  Often in life we can fall into a rut and our relationship with God and others struggles.  As a result, our lives bear little or no good fruit.  

Perhaps this is not you at the present moment, but perhaps it is.  Perhaps your life is strongly grounded in Christ or perhaps you are greatly struggling.  If you are struggling, try to see yourself as this fig tree.  And try to see the person who commits to “cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it” as Jesus Himself.  

It’s important to note that Jesus does not look at this fig tree and discard it as worthless.  He is a God of second chances and He is committed to caring for this fig tree in such a way as to offer it every necessary opportunity to bear fruit.  So it is with us.  Jesus never just throws us away, regardless of how far we have strayed.  He is always ready and willing to reach out to us in the ways we need so that our lives can once again bear much fruit.

Reflect, today, upon whether you feel as though you are in need of allowing Jesus to “cultivate the ground” around you.  Do not be afraid to let Him provide you with the nourishment you need so as to once again bear an abundance of good fruit in your life.

Lord, I know that I always am in need of Your love and care in my life.  I need to be nourished by You so that I can bear the fruit that You desire from me.  Help me to be open to the ways in which You wish to nourish my soul so that I can accomplish all that You have in mind for me.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else.   Luke 18:9

This Scripture passage is the introduction to the Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector.  This parable offers quite a contrast between two general attitudes.  First, the Pharisee’s attitude reveals that he is very impressed with himself, thinking highly of his public image, and is unaware of his own sin.  Second, the tax collector’s attitude reveals that he is deeply aware of his own sin, is sorry for it and knows he is in need of God’s mercy.  The result of these two very different attitudes is that the tax collector went home justified whereas the Pharisee did not.

What does it mean to be justified?  It means that the tax collector had a clear conscience and was grounded in the truth.  He knew his need for mercy, begged for it and received it.  He did not lie to himself, to others or to God.  He knew who he was and it is this truth that allowed God to exalt him.  The tax collector’s justification came through the forgiveness of his sins and the bestowal of the mercy of God in his life.

The Pharisee may have felt good about himself to a certain extent in that he elevated himself for all to see.  He was convinced of his own self-righteousness but, in truth, was not righteous.  He was only self-righteous.  He was living a lie and most likely believed that lie and even may have convinced others of that lie.  But the fact remained, the Pharisee was not righteous and he was not truly justified.

What we must take from this passage is a profound realization of the importance of living in the truth.  Those who paint a false image of themselves may fool themselves and may even fool others.  But they will never fool God and they will never be able to achieve true peace in their soul.  We each must realize the humble truth of our sin and weakness and, in that realization, beg for the only remedy – the mercy of God.

Reflect, today, upon the prayer of this tax collector: “O God, be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13).  Make it your prayer.  Admit your sin.  Acknowledge your need for the mercy of God and allow that mercy to exalt you within the righteousness of God.

Lord of all righteousness, Jesus Christ, please be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.  I acknowledge my sin and my weakness and I beg for Your abundant mercy.  Please pour forth Your mercy and help me to open my heart to all that You wish to bestow.  Help me to live in the humble truth, dear Lord.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath. And a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect. When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said, “Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.” He laid his hands on her, and she at once stood up straight and glorified God.  Luke 13:10-13

Every miracle of Jesus is certainly an act of love given toward the person healed.  In this story, this woman was suffering for eighteen years and Jesus shows her compassion by healing her.  And though it is a clear act of love for her directly, there is much more to the story as a lesson for us.

One message we can take from this story comes from the fact that Jesus heals on His own initiative.  Though some miracles are performed at the request and prayer of the one healed, this miracle comes simply through the goodness of Jesus and His compassion.  This woman apparently was not seeking a healing, but when Jesus saw her His heart went out to her and He healed her.  

So it is with us, Jesus knows what we need before we ask Him.  Our duty is to always remain faithful to Him and know that in our fidelity He will give us what we need even before we ask.

A second message comes from the fact that this woman “stood up straight” once she was healed.  This is a symbolic image of what grace does to us.  When God enters our life, we are able to stand up straight, so to speak.  We are able to walk with a new confidence and dignity.  We discover who we are and live freely in His grace.

Reflect, today, upon these two facts.  God knows every need you have and will answer those needs when it is best for you.  Also, when He bestows His grace on you, it will enable you to live in full confidence as His son or daughter.  

Lord of all grace, I surrender myself to You and trust in Your abundant mercy.  I trust that You will enable me to walk in Your ways every day of my life with full confidence.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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Again he said, “To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was leavened.”  Luke 13:20-21

Yeast is a fascinating thing.  It is so small in size and yet has such a powerful effect upon the dough.  The yeast works slowly and somewhat miraculously.  Little by little the dough rises and is transformed.  This is always something fascinating for children to watch when making bread  .

This is the ideal way for the Gospel to work in our lives.  Right now, the Kingdom of God is first and foremost alive in our hearts.  The conversion of our hearts will rarely effectively take place in a day or in a moment.  Sure, each day and every moment is important, and there are certainly powerful moments of conversion we can all point to.  But conversion of heart is more like the yeast causing the dough to rise.  The conversion of heart is usually something that takes place little by little and step by step.  We allow the Holy Spirit to take control of our lives in a continually deepening way and, as we do, we grow deeper and deeper in holiness just as dough rises slowly but surely.

Reflect, today, upon this image of yeast causing dough to rise.  Do you see this as an image of your soul?  Do you see the Holy Spirit working on you little by little?  Do you see yourself changing slowly but steadily?  Hopefully the answer is “Yes.”  Though conversion may not always take place overnight, it must be constant so as to enable the soul to progress to that place prepared for it by God.

Lord, I do desire to become holy.  I desire to be transformed little by little every day.  Help me to allow You to change me every moment of my life so that I can continually walk the path You have laid out for me.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Then he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from.  Depart from me, all you evildoers!’”  Luke 13:27

Jesus makes it clear that there are some who will come to Him presuming their entrance into Heaven but their presumption will be met with these frightening words: “I do not know where you are from.  Depart from me.”  

Presumption is a dangerous sin.  It’s dangerous for two reasons.  First, when people are presumptuous, they are living in denial of the truth.  In regard to God, presumption means that the persons act as if they are in a relationship with God when they are not.  They may say holy things, act holy and even believe they are holy, while in fact they do not know our Lord at all.  Thus, presumption is when one lives in denial of the truth.

Second, presumption is dangerous because the presumptuous person will not repent of his or her own sin. This is because their denial makes it impossible for them to admit their sin.  Without admitting their sin, they cannot subsequently admit their need to change.  They remain steeped in their false thinking and their sin.

Jesus presents this teaching not to reveal that He is harsh with those who are presumptuous; rather, He presents it as an act of great mercy for those stuck in this sin.  It takes this startling revelation to shake a person free of this sin.  In this case, it is the fear of one day hearing these words from Jesus that will help those who are stuck in presumption to break free and to face the truth.  

Reflect, today, upon any way that you are not being honest with yourself or with others.  Let the shock of the final outcome of any presumption in your life shake you free of this sin so that you can humble yourself before God now, before it is too late.  Remember how deeply our Lord loves you and let that love help you to face your life with honesty and integrity.

My loving Lord, I love You deeply and pray that my love may always be honest, genuine and complete.  Help me to see, in my life, any ways in which I fail to love You with my whole heart.  I give my life to You, dear Lord, without reserve.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.” He replied, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.’“  Luke 13:31-32

What an interesting exchange this was between Jesus and some of the Pharisees.  It’s interesting to look at both the action of the Pharisees as well as that of Jesus.

It could be asked why the Pharisees spoke to Jesus in this way, warning Him of Herod’s intent.  Were they worried about Jesus and, therefore, were they trying to help Him?  Probably not.  Instead, we know that the majority of the Pharisees were jealous and envious of Jesus.  In this case, it appears that they were warning Jesus of Herod’s wrath as a way of trying to intimidate Him to leave their district.  Of course, Jesus wasn’t intimidated.

Sometimes we experience the same thing.  At times we may have someone come and tell us some gossip about us under the guise of trying to help us, when in fact it’s a subtle way of intimidating us so as to fill us with fear or anxiety.  

The key is to react only in the way that Jesus did when confronted with foolishness and malice.  Jesus did not give in to the intimidation.  He was not at all concerned by Herod’s malice.  Rather, He responded in a way that told the Pharisees, in a sense, “Don’t waste your time trying to fill me with fear or anxiety.  I am doing the works of my Father and that’s all I should be concerned about.”

What is it that bothers you in life?  What are you intimidated by?  Do you allow the opinions, malice or gossip of others to get you down?  The only thing we should be concerned about is doing the will of the Father in Heaven.  When we are confidently doing His will, we will also have the wisdom and courage we need to rebuke all deceit and silly intimidation in our lives.

Reflect, today, upon your own commitment to the will of the Father in your life.  Are you fulfilling His will?  If so, do you find that some people come and try to deter you?  Strive to have the same confidence of Jesus and keep focused on the mission given to you by God.

Lord, I do trust in Your divine will.  I trust in the plan You have laid out for me and refuse to be influenced or intimidated by the foolishness and malice of others.  Give me courage and wisdom to keep my eyes on You in all things.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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Jesus went up to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God.  Luke 6:12

It’s a fascinating thing to think about Jesus praying all night.  This act on His part teaches us many things just as it would have taught His Apostles.  Here are a few things we can take from His action.

First, it may be thought that Jesus did not “need” to pray.  After all, He is God.  So did He need to pray?  Well, this is actually not the right question to ask.  It’s not a matter of Him needing to pray, rather, it’s a matter of Him praying because His prayer goes to the heart of who He is.

Prayer is first and foremost an act of deep communion with God.  In Jesus’ case, it’s an act of deep communion with the Father in Heaven and with the Holy Spirit.  Jesus was continually in perfect communion (unity) with the Father and the Spirit and, thus, His prayer was nothing more than an earthly expression of this communion.  His prayer is a living out of His love of the Father and the Spirit.  So it’s not so much that He needed to pray so that He could stay close to them.  Instead, it was that He prayed because He was perfectly united to them.  And this perfect communion demanded an earthly expression of prayer.  In this instance, it was prayer all night long.

Second, the fact that it was all night long reveals that Jesus’ “rest” was nothing other than being in the presence of the Father.  Just as rest restores us and rejuvenates us, so the all night vigil of Jesus reveals that His human rest was that of resting in the presence of the Father.

Third, what we should take from this for our own lives is that prayer should never be underestimated.  Too often we speak a few prayerful thoughts to God and let it go at that.  But if Jesus chose to spend the entire night in prayer, we should not be surprised if God wants much more from our quiet time of prayer than we are now giving Him.  Don’t be surprised if God is calling you to spend much more time every day in prayer.  Do not hesitate to establish a set pattern of prayer.  And if you find that you cannot sleep some night, do not hesitate to get up, get on your knees, and seek the presence of God living within your soul.  Seek Him, listen to Him, be with Him and let Him consume you in prayer.  Jesus gave us the perfect example.  It is now our responsibility to follow that example.

As we honor the Apostles Simon and Jude, reflect, today, upon your own calling to follow Christ and act as His apostle to the world.  The only way you can fulfill this mission is through a life of prayer.  Reflect upon your prayer life and do not hesitate to deepen your resolve to imitate the depth and intensity of our Lord’s perfect example of prayer.

Lord Jesus, help me to pray.  Help me to follow Your example of prayer and to seek the presence of the Father in a deep and continuous way.  Help me to enter into a deep communion with You and to be consumed by the Holy Spirit.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place.”  Luke 14:8-9

In telling this parable to those dining with Him at the Pharisee’s house, Jesus strikes a chord in their hearts.  It is clear that His audience was filled with those who sought the esteem of others and were very concerned about their social reputation.  It would have been a frightening thought for them to take the place of honor at a banquet only to be embarrassed by the host when asked to move to a lower spot.  This humiliation was clear to those who were caught up in the world of social prestige.  

Jesus uses this embarrassing example as a way of highlighting their pride and the danger of living in such a prideful way.  He goes on to say, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

We can never examine our consciences often enough concerning pride.  Pride is referred to as the “Mother of all sins” for a reason.  Pride leads to every other sin and, in many ways, is the source of all sin.  Therefore, if we want to strive for perfection in life, we should seek true humility on a daily basis.

Humility is nothing other than seeing things as they are.  A humble person sees him/herself in the truth of God.  This can be hard to do because it requires that we see ourselves as weak and dependent upon God.  We may be able to accomplish many worldly things through our own strength and hard work.  But we cannot achieve happiness and goodness unless we open ourselves to the truth of our weaknesses and dependence upon God for all things.  

Humility also helps to purify our hearts of something that is very hard to let go of.  Pride causes us to deeply seek out the esteem of others and to be dependent upon that esteem for our happiness.  That’s a dangerous road to go down because it leaves us constantly dependent upon the opinions of others.  And far too often, the opinions of others are based on false and superficial criteria.

Reflect, today, upon how free you are from the misleading and false opinions of others.  Sure, you need to regularly seek out advice from those you know and love.  But you must allow yourself only to be dependent upon God and His Truth.  When you do that, you will be well down the road of true humility.

Lord of Truth, please make me humble.  Strip away all pride in my life so that I can turn to You and Your will alone.  Help me to have concern only for the Truth that You establish and to use that as the only measure of my soul.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.”  Luke 19:5

Zacchaeus was up a tree.  Why?  Practically speaking, he was up a tree because he was short and he wanted to see Jesus as Jesus passed by.  But the symbolism reveals far greater meaning.

The first thing we must note is that Zacchaeus was a wealthy and well respected man.  In the eyes of the world he was successful.  But despite his wealth, it appears there was something missing.  He heard about Jesus and desired to know Him.  This passage is fascinating because it must have been an unusual sight to see a wealthy and successful man climbing a tree in the presence of a large crowd.  In fact, it was so unusual that Jesus immediately noticed it.

Jesus also noticed Zacchaeus because of something far more significant than a grown man climbing a tree.  Zacchaeus was noticed by Jesus primarily because Jesus was able to perceive the desire and openness of his heart.  Zacchaeus, this wealthy and successful man, was missing something and he was zealous to obtain it.  He longed for Jesus and this desire is fulfilled by the compassion of our Lord.

Regardless of whether or not you are “successful” from a worldly point of view, it’s essential that you, too, recognize the unfulfilled desire of your heart.  That “unfulfilled desire” refers to any way that God is not fully the center of your life.  Some people try to fulfill this desire in many worldly ways.  But those who are like Zacchaeus will realize that Jesus is the answer.  And when someone recognizes this fact, they will go to any length necessary to see Him and be with Him.

Reflect, today, upon a simple question: How far am I willing to go to see Jesus?  Are you willing to do anything you have to so as to see Him, hear Him and be with Him?  It may take an act of humility and you may have to act in a radical way.  Doing so will call out to the heart of our Lord and He will respond to you with much generosity just as He did to Zacchaeus.

Lord, I desire to choose You above all things.  May I never be drawn to the things of this world more than I am drawn to You.  Increase my desire for You and give me the courage I need to be faithful to You always.  I love You, dear Lord.  Please increase my love.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“…when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.  For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”  Luke 14:13-14

Too often in life we fall into the trap of working for immediate rewards.  If we do well, we want to be noticed, thanked and repaid.  But this exhortation from Jesus reveals that our lives of service should be lived in such a way that we expect no repayment here and now.  Rather, we should anticipate our reward in Heaven.

This mission from our Lord can be hard to actually live.  It requires great selflessness and concern about the other without expecting anything in return.  But when we understand this spiritual principle, we will realize that “payment” is not only awaiting us in Heaven, it is also received through our act of selflessness here and now.

The “payment” we receive here and now for acts of selfless service to others is holiness of life.  We achieve holiness of life when we seek to bestow mercy upon others.  Mercy is an act of love given to one in need without any selfish motivation.  It’s not something done on the condition that you receive something back.  Mercy is offered as love of another for the good of the other and for no other reason.  But the good news is that true mercy has an effect upon the one who offers it in a profound way.  By showing selfless mercy to another, we imitate our merciful God and become more like Him.  This is a greater reward than we could ever receive from another.

Reflect, today, upon how willing you are to be merciful to others in need.  Are you willing to give without expectation of repayment from them?  If so, you will find far greater blessing in this selfless act than in anything else for which you obtain worldly recognition.

Most merciful Lord, give me a heart that is full of mercy and compassion for all those in need.  May I daily seek to serve them without any expectation of reward.  May these acts of mercy be reward enough and become a source and foundation of my holiness of life.  Jesus I trust in You.

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Today we honor those holy men and women who have gone before us in faith and have done so in a glorious way.  As we honor these great champions of faith, let’s reflect upon who they are and what role they continue to play in the life of the Church.  The following excerpt is from Chapter 8 of My Catholic Faith!:  

The Church Triumphant:  Those who have gone before us and now share in the glories of Heaven, in the Beatific Vision, are not gone.  Sure, we do not see them and we cannot necessarily hear them speak to us in the physical way they did while on Earth.  But they are not gone at all.  St. Thérèse of Lisieux said it best when she said, “I want to spend my Heaven doing good on Earth.”  

The saints in Heaven are in full union with God and make up the Communion of Saints in Heaven, the Church Triumphant!  What’s important to note, however, is that even though they are enjoying their eternal reward, they are still very much concerned about us. 

The saints in Heaven are entrusted with the important task of intercession.  Sure, God already knows all our needs and He could ask us to go directly to Him in our prayers.  But the truth is that God wants to use the intercession, and therefore, the mediation of the saints in our lives.  He uses them to bring our prayers to Him and, in return, to bring His grace to us.  They become powerful intercessors for us and participators in God’s divine action in the world.  

Why is this the case?  Again, why doesn’t God just choose to deal with us directly rather than go through intermediaries?  Because God wants all of us to share in His good work and to participate in His divine plan.  It would be like a dad who buys a nice necklace for his wife.  He shows it to his young children and they are excited about this gift.  The mom comes in and the dad asks the children to bring the gift to her.  Now the gift is from her husband but she will most likely thank her children first for their participation in giving this gift to her.  The father wanted the children to be part of this giving and the mother wanted to make the children a part of her receiving and gratitude.  So it is with God!  God wants the saints to share in the distribution of His manifold gifts.  And this act fills His heart with joy!

The saints also give us a model of holiness.  The charity they lived on Earth lives on.  The witness of their love and sacrifice was not just a one time act in history.  Rather, charity is living and continues to have an effect for the good.  Therefore, the charity and witness of the saints lives on and affects our lives.  This charity in their lives creates a bond with us, a communion.  It enables us to love them, admire them and want to follow their example.  It is this, coupled with their continuing intercession, that establishes a powerful bond of love and union with us.

Lord, as the saints in Heaven adore You for eternity, I beg for their intercession.  Saints of God, please come to my aide.  Pray for me and bring to me the grace I need to live a holy life in imitation of your own lives.  All saints of God, pray for us.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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As we celebrate the Commemoration of All Souls, let’s reflect upon our Church teaching on Purgatory. The following excerpt is from Chapter 8 of My Catholic Faith!:  

The Church Suffering:  Purgatory is an often misunderstood doctrine of our Church.  What is Purgatory?  Is it the place we have to go to be punished for our sins?  Is it God’s way of getting us back for the wrong we’ve done?  Is it the result of God’s anger?  None of these questions really answer the question of Purgatory.  Purgatory is nothing other than the burning and purifying love of our God in our lives!

When someone dies in God’s grace they are most likely not 100% converted and perfect in every way.  Even the greatest of saints most often would have some imperfection left in their lives.  Purgatory is nothing other than that final purification of all remaining attachment to sin in our lives.  By analogy, imagine that you had a cup of 100% pure water, pure H2O.  This cup will represent Heaven.  Now imagine that you want to add to that cup of water but all you have is water that is 99% pure.  This will represent the holy person who dies with just some slight attachments to sin.  If you add that water to your cup then the cup will now have at least some impurities in the water as it mixes together.  The problem is that Heaven (the original cup of 100% H2O) cannot contain any impurities.  Heaven, in this case, cannot have even the slightest attachment to sin in it.  Therefore, if this new water (the 99% pure water) is to be added to the cup it must first be purified even of that last 1% of impurities (attachments to sin).  This is ideally done while we are on Earth.  This is the process of getting holy.  But if we die with any attachment, then we simply say that the process of entering into the final and full vision of God in Heaven will purify us of any remaining attachment to sin.  All may already be forgiven, but we may not have detached from those things forgiven.  Purgatory is the process, after death, of burning out the last of our attachments so that we can enter Heaven 100% freed of everything to do with sin.  If, for example, we still have a bad habit of being rude, or sarcastic, even those tendencies and habits must be purged.  

How does this happen?  We do not know.  We only know it does.  But we also know it’s the result of God’s infinite love that frees us of these attachments.  Is it painful?  Most likely.  But it’s painful in the sense that letting go of any disordered attachment is painful.  It’s hard to break a bad habit.  It’s even painful in the process.  But the end result of true freedom is worth any pain we may have experienced.  So, yes, Purgatory is painful.  But it’s a sort of sweet pain that we need and it produces the end result of a person 100% in union with God.

Now since we are talking about the Communion of Saints, we also want to make sure to understand that those going through this final purification are still in communion with God, with those members of the Church on Earth, and with those in Heaven.  For example, we are called to pray for those in Purgatory.  Our prayers are effective.  God uses those prayers, which are acts of our love, as instruments of His grace of purification.  He allows us and invites us to participate in their final purification by our prayers and sacrifices.  This forges a bond of union with them.  And no doubt the saints in Heaven especially offer prayers for those in this final purification as they await full communion with them in Heaven.  It’s a glorious thought and a joy to see how God has orchestrated this entire process for the ultimate purpose of the holy communion to which we are called!

Lord, I pray for those souls going through their final purification in Purgatory.  Please pour forth Your mercy upon them so that they may be freed of all attachment to sin and, thus, be prepared to see You face to face.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”  Luke 15:1-2

How do you treat the sinners you encounter?  Do you shun them, talk about them, ridicule them, pity them, or ignore them?  Hopefully not!  How should you treat the sinner?  Jesus allowed them to draw near to Him and He was attentive to them.  In fact, He was so merciful and kind to the sinner that He was harshly criticized by the Pharisees and scribes.  How about you?  Are you willing to associate with the sinner to the point that you open yourself up to criticism?

It’s quite easy to be harsh and critical toward those who “deserve it.”  When we see someone clearly going astray, we can almost feel justified in pointing the finger and putting them down as if we were better than them or as if they were dirt.  What an easy thing to do and what a mistake!

If we want to be like Jesus we must have a very different attitude toward them.  We must act differently toward them than how we may feel like acting.  Sin is ugly and dirty.  It’s easy to be critical toward one who is caught in a cycle of sin.  Yet if we do so, we are no different than the Pharisees and scribes of Jesus’ time.  And we will most likely receive the same harsh treatment right back from Jesus for our lack of mercy.  

It’s interesting that one of the only sins that Jesus consistently rebukes is that of judgmentalness and criticalness.  It’s almost as if this sin shuts the door on God’s mercy in our lives.

Reflect, today, upon how you look at and treat those whose sins are somewhat manifest.  Do you treat them with mercy?  Or do you react with disdain and act with a judgmental heart?  Recommit yourself to mercy and a complete lack of judgment.  Judgment is Christ’s to give, not yours.  You are called to mercy and compassion.  If you can offer just that, you will be much more like our merciful Lord.

Lord of mercy, help me when I feel like being harsh and judgmental.  Help me to turn an eye of compassion toward the sinner, seeing the goodness You put in their souls before seeing their sinful actions.  Help me to leave judgment to You and embrace mercy instead.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than the children of light.”  Luke 16:8b

This line comes at the conclusion of the parable of the Dishonest Steward.  Jesus told this parable as a way of highlighting the fact that the “children of the world” are indeed successful in their manipulation of worldly things, whereas the “children of light” are not as shrewd when it comes to worldly things.  So what does this tell us?

It certainly does not tell us that we should enter into a worldly life striving to live by worldly standards and working toward worldly goals.  In fact, by acknowledging this fact about the worldly, Jesus is presenting us with a strong contrast as to how we should think and act.  We are called to be the children of light.  Therefore, we should not be surprised at all if we are not as successful in worldly things as others who are immersed in secular culture.  

This is especially true when we look at the numerous “successes” of those who are fully immersed in the world and the values of the world.  Some are successful in obtaining great wealth, power or prestige by being shrewd in things of this age.  We see this in pop culture especially.  Take, for example, the entertainment industry.  There are many who are quite successful and popular in the eyes of the world and we can tend to have a certain envy of them.  Compare that to those who are filled with virtue, humility and goodness.  We often find that they go unnoticed.  

So what should we do?  We should use this parable to remind ourselves that all that matters, in the end, is what God thinks.  How does God see us and the effort we give in living a holy life?  As children of the light, we must work only for that which is eternal, not for that which is worldly and passing.  God will provide for our worldly needs if we put our trust in Him.  We may not become huge successes in accord with worldly standards, but we will obtain greatness in regard to all that truly matters and all that is eternal.

Reflect, today, upon your priorities in life.  Are you focused on building up riches that are eternal?  Or do you continually find yourself caught up in the manipulations and shrewdness that has as a goal only worldly success?  Strive for that which is eternal and you will be eternally grateful.

My eternal Lord, help me to keep my eyes on Heaven.  Help me to be one who is wise in the ways of grace, mercy and goodness.  When I am tempted to live only for this world, help me to see what is of true value and stay focused on that alone.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all these things and sneered at him. And Jesus said to them, “You justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts; for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God.”  Luke 16:14-15

“God knows the heart!”  What a great truth to be deeply aware of.  So often in life there are misconceptions we have of others and misconceptions that others have about us.  This passage goes to the heart of this tendency of the Pharisees to create a false image of themselves for others to see and to care little about the inner truth that only God is aware of.

So what is more important to you?  What do you prefer?  Are you more concerned about the opinions of others or the truth of your life in the mind of God?

This struggle can go two ways.  On one hand, like the Pharisees, we can strive to present a false persona of ourselves to others while, at the same time, God is fully aware of the truth and is aware of the false image we are trying to portray.  On the other hand, we may find that others have a false image of who we are, which can cause us much hurt.  When this happens, we can be led into anger towards others and tend to irrationally and excessively defend ourselves.  

But what is important?  What should concern us?  The truth is what matters and we should care little about that which God is not concerned about.  We should care only about that which is in the mind of God and what He thinks about us and our lives.  

Reflect, today, upon your tendency to worry about what others think about you.  Know that God wants you to live an honest life by which you present yourself in the truth.  Do not be like the Pharisees who were obsessed with the flattering and false images others had of them.  Worry only about living in the truth and what is in the heart of God and leave the rest to Him.  In the end, that’s all that matters.

Lord, help me to see what is in Your heart and help me to have concern only about how You see me.  I know You love me and I know that You want me to live fully in the truth.  May Your love be the guide of my life in all things.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“That the dead will rise even Moses made known in the passage about the bush, when he called ‘Lord,’ the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.”  Luke 20:37-38

As we draw close to the end of this Church year, our readings begin to focus more clearly upon the final things to come.  The following is an excerpt from My Catholic Faith!, Chapter 5, regarding the resurrection of the dead:

The third and final coming is when Jesus returns to Earth in splendor and glory.  It will be “the end of the world as we know it.”  It will be a time when His permanent Kingdom is established.  There is much to say about this moment in history and it is actually quite fascinating to reflect upon. 

If you were to read the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs #671-677, you would discover that it almost reads as a deeply intriguing futuristic science fiction mystery novel.  The only difference is that it’s all true, it’s all glorious, and it’s all beyond any mystery we will ever be able to comprehend until it actually takes place.  And it will take place at one definitive moment in time to come!

So what does this all mean?  It means that Jesus will be returning in all His splendor and glory.  He will physically return to Earth one day radiant and glorious.  We will see Him, and the world as we currently know it will come to an end.  At that moment in time God will establish His permanent Kingdom and both Heaven and Earth will be united as one.  It will be “a new Heaven and a new Earth” (Revelation 21:1).  The former Heaven and Earth will pass away and the new order will be established.

But that’s not all!  At that moment in time all the dead shall rise.  That’s right, all people who have ever died will rise.  This means that everybody who has been “laid to rest” in a cemetery or elsewhere will be brought back to life, given a new glorified body, and that body will be rejoined to his or her soul. 

The Catechism also states:

When he comes at the end of time to judge the living and the dead, the glorious Christ will reveal the secret disposition of hearts and will render to each man according to his works and according to his acceptance or refusal of grace. (#682)

This is a fascinating thought, and a bit scary, too!  It means that all that is hidden will come to light.  This can be good or bad depending upon what is hidden.  The thought should both fill us with a bit of holy fear, and it should also fill us with a holy joy.  The holy fear is actually a gift from God to help us eliminate any secret and hidden sin we have now or have struggled with in the past.  Since it will in fact all come to light one day, we might as well deal with it now so that our sin is no more.  If we do, even our sin is turned into virtue and grace.  And then, at the end of time, that grace and virtue is what will be made manifest.  This manifestation of our virtue will be the cause of holy joy not only for us but also for others to whom it is manifested. 

We will be judged, then, based on what is there within our conscience.  It will no longer just be exterior.  We will not be able to put on a good face and pretend we are someone we are not.  The full truth will come out and will be made manifest for all to see in accord with God’s plan. 

Another thing to note is that at the Final Judgment even those who are in Hell will rise.  Why?  Because as humans we are meant to eternally be united with our bodies.  We are, in essence, body and soul.  So even the dead will receive their bodies back.  But sadly, they will then suffer eternally not only spiritually but also physically.  What this actually entails we do not know.  But it will be a real pain of loss.  Loss of God and loss in that the body and soul will not be able to share in life with God.  This can seem harsh and unfair but we should remind ourselves that God is perfectly just and perfectly loving and however this eternal loss and eternal suffering is lived, it is right and just.

What will this new life look like for those who share in the Resurrection to new life?  It will be life with God, physically and spiritually, as well as life with each other.  The Book of Revelation speaks symbolically of this new life as a city where God is on the throne in the center of the city.  Light shines forth from Him so there is no need for the sun or moon.  The streets are gold.  The gates filled with precious stones.  And so much more.  This symbolic language should not be taken literally, rather, it should be seen as imagery that helps us understand the beauty, splendor, and magnificence of the life that awaits us.  It’s the new Heavens and new Earth.

Lord, may I always be ready to greet You when You come.  I thank You for Your perfect promise of raising all from the dead and bringing forth new life.  Use me to gather many into this future and glorious Kingdom, dear Lord.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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Complete forgiveness can be very difficult at times.  This is especially the case when the same person sins against you “seven times in one day” as Jesus says.   

But Jesus’ words should be taken to heart.  He was not being idealistic; rather, He was being very realistic.  Forgiveness must be given, over and over and over again.  We cannot hesitate in offering it, especially to those who sincerely repent.

One of the first things we should notice from this passage is that when someone sins against us, we should rebuke him.  The rebuke is not to be an act focused on revenge; rather, it must be done so as to invite repentance.  This is the only reason for the rebuke of another.  If we have a sense that someone who sins against us may be open to change, then we must offer them a rebuke of love.  And when they accept it and seek our forgiveness, we must offer it.

But, as mentioned, this can especially be difficult when the sin is committed over and over again.  It can become wearying and discouraging.  And when a sin is committed over and over again, it’s easy to become skeptical about the authentic sorrow of the one seeking forgiveness.

But none of that should be our concern.  Our only concern should be to hear those words, “I’m sorry.”  This is the command of Jesus.  When one says these words, we must forgive and do so immediately.

This Scripture also reveals to us the importance of expressing our sorrow to those whom we hurt.  It’s dangerous to simply presume that another will forgive.  There is great power in actually saying to another, “Please forgive me, I’m sorry for my sin.”  Though these words may be difficult to say, they are words of great healing.

Reflect, today, upon the act of asking for forgiveness and offering it to another.  We are all given numerous opportunities every day to forgive and seek forgiveness.  Do not hesitate in doing so and you will be grateful you did.

Lord, I am truly sorry for the many sins I have committed against You.  Please forgive me.  When I am obstinate, please offer me a rebuke of love.  When I need to ask forgiveness of another, please give me the courage to do so.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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“When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’” Luke 17:10

This is a hard phrase to say and it is even harder to truly mean when said.
Imagine the context in which this attitude toward Christian service must be spoken and lived. For example, imagine a mother who spends the day cleaning and then preparing the family meal. At the end of the day, it is certainly nice to be recognized for her hard work and to be thanked for it. Of course, when the family is grateful and acknowledges this loving service, this gratitude is healthy and is nothing other than an act of love. It is good to be grateful and to express it. But this passage is not so much about the fact that we must strive to be grateful for the love and service of others, rather, it’s about our own motivation for service. Do you serve so as to be thanked? Or do you provide service because it is good and right to serve?
Jesus makes it clear that our Christian service to others, be it in the family or in some other context, must be primarily motivated by a certain duty of service. We must serve out of love regardless of the receptivity or acknowledgment of others.

Imagine, then, if you spent your day in some service and that service was done out of your love of others. Then imagine that no one expressed gratitude for your work. Should that change your commitment to service? Should the reaction, or lack of reaction, of others deter you from serving as God wants you to serve? Certainly not. We must serve and fulfill our Christian duty simply because it is the right thing to do and because it is what God wants of us.

Reflect, today, upon your motivation for loving service to others. Try to speak these words of the Gospel within the context of your life. It may be hard at first, but if you can serve with the mind that you are an “unprofitable servant” and that you have done nothing more than what you were “obliged to do,” then you will find that your charity takes on a whole new depth.
Lord, help me to serve freely and wholeheartedly out of love for You and others. Help me to give of myself regardless of the reaction of others and to find satisfaction in this act of love alone. Jesus, I trust in You.


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