Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr
As it is the feast of Ignatius of Antioch, one of my son’s namesakes, I wanted to spend the entire reflection talking about him. But then I read the Gospel. So I’ll have to leave my focus on St. Ignatius of Antioch at a recommendation to check him out and give you these words from our 2nd Century brother, “It is not that I want merely to be called a Christian, but to actually be one. Yes, if I prove to be one, then I can have the name.” Right, on to the Gospel.
Friday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
In today’s scripture readings I’m struck by the emphasis on faith and the redemption that comes with it. In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he emphasizes God’s righteousness and mercy is universal not because of one’s works, but because of one’s faith. Such righteousness and mercy is not limited to specific populations. The Gospel reading from Luke depicts Jesus telling the scribes and Pharisees that the blood of the prophets’ deaths is on their hands despite the fact that it was their ancestors that killed them. This message from Christ could seem daunting at first glance, however Jesus emphasizes that because of their ancestors’ actions, the scribes and Pharisees have the responsibility to be “builders.” Their choice to focus on works over faith therefore contributes to the death of the message of the prophets. Consequently, their failure to embrace their faith places the blood of the prophets on their hands.
Wednesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
In praying with an elderly patient recently, I prayed, ”help this kind man know Your loving presence.” Before I could continue the prayer the patient, who could barely speak, looked at me and said emphatically, “I know God’s loving presence.” While I finished the prayer, his statement threw me off. His comment challenged me to examine the words of my prayer. This reflection helped me realize that my prayer was in a way judgmental. While this was not my intention, it forced me to think about how my thoughts, words and actions might convey a shallower sense of discipleship. A discipleship that instead must reflect a rootedness in faith.
Tuesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
We have strong readings today! St. Paul’s letter to the Romans gives us an unsettling warning, and Jesus scorns the people who invited him over for dinner. What a dynamic God we serve; sometimes gentle, sometimes very stern.
Jesus and the Pharisee are talking about cleanliness. What makes you clean? On the outside, it’s obvious; a shower or bath, clean clothes, soap and water. What about on the inside? Jesus says giving to the poor (almsgiving) will do it for the Pharisee, who was concerned only with his own pious behavior and not with loving and helping others.
Monday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Every evening my husband and I read scripture. As part of our discussion, we often comment about what it would have been like to live at the time of Jesus- to be a person in the crowd listening to him preach. Today’s reading would certainly be one of those days when I wonder what the people were thinking. Jesus rebukes the people for seeking a “sign”. Now these were the same people who would have witnessed Jesus healing people, calming a storm, feeding 5000 people, and raising people from the dead. Exactly what kind of sign did they need? And yet, before I judge too quickly, I think that I probably have been equally guilty of demanding signs from God, when all around me are clear messages of His presence and His work of love in this world. I believe that we need to have our blinders removed with God’s grace so we can see the many signs of how he is working in the world around us. If we fail to recognize and believe, then we too can become the “evil generation” who refuses to acknowledge Christ’s work in our world. We will also lose the potential for His healing, love and mercy to transform all things.
Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The story of the rich man coming to Jesus and asking, “What must I do to inherit eternal life,” is one of the most compelling stories in gospel of Mark. In the upcoming verses, Mark will contrast this story with the story of the blind beggar who left everything a followed Jesus. Immaterial of how the story ends, it is not difficult to find ourselves in the story.
Let me offer three points for reflection:
Saturday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Sometimes, maybe even most of the time, Jesus has a little zing in his words. In today’s gospel Jesus is interrupted by a woman who says “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” Do you hear yourself in her words? I know I hear myself.
Friday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Often in today's Gospel, I get stuck on the person behind the door, who says no to his friend. Why not share what you have to give? But even more than this, today's Gospel, when focused on the man who is knocking, tells us a lot about prayer. We are told that when we ask, seek and knock, there will be an answer to our pleading - an answer to our prayer. Today's gospel speaks of hope, as does our psalm. "Blessed are they hope in the Lord." We are told to hope in the Lord. But hope often requires us to ask for help, hoping we find the answer we need.
Wednesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s feast, Our Lady of the Rosary, reminds us that Mary as the first disciple said yes to all that discipleship entails. Mary’s ability to accept God’s will from the beginning was a gift that helped her through the mysteries of being the mother of the Son of God. Although, the glory of the resurrection helped Mary overcome the sorrow of watching her son’s crucifixion, she must have had an extraordinary ability to forgive. Forgiveness is perhaps one of the most difficult skills of a disciple. Today’s feast and readings remind us that it happens best through prayer.
Tuesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
The importance of listening to the Lord’s teaching and direction is a theme that runs through our readings today. In our first reading, we pick up the story of Jonah just after the well-known account of his encounter with the whale. Jonah, who had previously attempted to run away from the commission that God gave to him, now accepts God’s direction that he set out for the city of Nineveh to warn its citizens, who had lapsed into sin, that the city would be destroyed in forty days.
Monday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Our youngest son graduated from college in this past May. In August we moved him to a small city in the Northeast to begin his graduate studies. We all experienced the anxiety of leaving him in this new environment. I’m sure I was the most anxious! During the four days of getting his apartment furnished and set up, I had the opportunity to walk around the main square of this little town. This particular university has an incredible reputation and nearly every one of its historical buildings are located in close proximity to the main square. What astonished me was the number of people who approached me asking for money or cigarettes or help in this very small town. Each time I walked outside our hotel, I encountered at least four or five people within the first several minutes. And while I do not want to rush to judgment, I had a strong feeling of an ‘us and them’ mindset, a sense that these people were ‘other’ and not ‘neighbor’. All these weeks later, it still bothers me and I have become much more aware of how and when I find myself viewing the persons I encounter in my life as ‘other’.
Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Those of you who have not heard about ashleymadison.com be prepared to be shocked. It is a Canada-based online dating service and social networking service. There is nothing shocking about this, is there? It is what ashelymadison.com stands for that is shocking. “Life is short. Have an affair” – that is the motto of this website. It is marketed to people who are married or in a committed relationship. The website boasted of having 39 million registered users. Most of them were men but the number of women is equally concerning.
Saturday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
As Christians we are called to a great many things. We are called to be missionaries of mercy and workers of charity. We are also called to be advocates of truth and supporters of justice. We are to be deeply contemplative and tirelessly active. The call to live the Christian life is difficult and oftentimes loaded with paradox and I think those two realties can weigh us down if we fail to live with an eternal context. We act, speak, pray, and rest with one eye on eternity. This is what Jesus sets up for us today in the words, “Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” This eternal context doesn’t make the Christian life easy, but I think it helps make it feasible. To help with that feasibility I want to offer three quick snippets of advice.
Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels
Today’s scriptures mention sins that are extremely easy to commit. For instance, it is altogether too easy to disregard “the little ones” that Jesus speaks of in today’s gospel reading (Matthew 18:1-5, 10). There is the visceral reaction people give toward children: many get frustrated with having to travel next to young children on airplanes, or see them in restaurants, or anywhere other than a playground. I am also very conscious now, both as a parent and as a catechist of little ones, how much people dismiss that two year olds or three year olds might say anything important about what we think is important, including God, money or politics. And yet, it is the three year olds who are capable oftentimes of naming mysteries about God in very deep ways (and actually, I think they often have wise words about money and politics, too!).
Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus
“Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the Lord must be your strength!” - This is the message that Nehemiah, Ezra, and the Levites provide to those who are saddened at Ezra’s reading from the book of the law of God.
This story from Nehemiah reminds me of the early years of high school when I began to understand faith as something that expanded beyond “rules” and is lived. The process of that discovery initially heightened my awareness of my own sinfulness and my own inability to follow these rules. As I came to understand faith as something that is lived, all I could do was focus on how remorseful I was at my inability to integrate these rules into my everyday living. At times this process seemed so difficult that I even resented the fact that I was Catholic, wishing that I could live outside these rules in an attempt to have more freedom (remind you, I was in high school).
Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Today’s memorial recollects the life of St. Jerome, priest and doctor of the Church. He is best known as a scripture scholar who wrote numerous commentaries and authored a Latin translation of the Bible known as the Vulgate. Jerome’s tenacious approach to scholarship also made him particularly adept at dealing with heretics. This could be why the church used today’s gospel for Jerome’s feast as it reflects Jesus’ strong tone with his those followers who are not completely understanding Jesus’ purpose.
Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels
For many people, Worship and Praise do not come easily. We’re comfortable asking God for what we want, and thanking God for what we receive. But praising, adoring, or worshiping our Lord… some people may ask, “why do we have to do that?”
Well, for one, God is God, and as the Creator of the Universe, he deserves it. But like all good acts, it can benefit us as well. In today’s first reading, we see a fantastic vision of The Majesty of the Father as Kingship is bestowed on Jesus Christ. When I read this, sitting in my chair, with my little concerns about work and children and all the changes in my life, I can’t help but notice that what keeps me up at night is pretty small compared to the awesome might of God.
Monday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
One of my most vivid memories of junior high school was feeling I was never good enough. I remember experiencing strong feelings of jealousy and rejection. I saw girls who were pretty and smart and ‘cool’ and the jealousy I felt led to me try so hard to be different, to be more special, or to be just plain ‘more’. I remember the agony this caused during that period of my life. If there was ever a time I could choose to relive it would never be that time! These many years later, I realize how damaging this was. Those feelings of jealousy left me not only feeling personally inadequate—it led my disdain of those who were the object of my jealousy. It strongly distracted me from what God wanted me to be during that tender and tumultuous time of life. The sin of jealousy led to developing habits contrary to the basic charity I was called to as a Christian and it led me away from God. I did not realize this at the time, I only knew how intense my feelings were and allowed those feelings to drive my behavior. Had I recognized my feelings were not based in fact, I think those years would have been quite different.