A God with Arms Always Open to Embrace Us

In today's Gospel, Luke 14: 1-3, 11-32, Jesus tells the story of the loving father, the prodigal son and the elder brother. Who am I in that story? the prodigal son who squanders the inheritance God has given me, living promiscuously, deceptively, corruptly, slovenly; the elder brother who lives by the letter of the law, does everything right, feels justified, superior to others and gets extremely angry when someone who turns from sin and evil is celebrated?   Do I secretively rejoice at another's misfortune or poor choices saying, when things go wrong for this person, that he or she is getting what is deserved? Do I withdraw and sulk when such a person turns from evil to do good and a party is thrown in his or her honor? Or am I the father/ the person eagerly waiting for the return of the "prodigal" person, running to greet him/her with open arms--no questions asked but, instead, arranging for a big celebration!

The father, in this parable, of course, is God! We are both of the children!  When you and I go astray, make poor choices that create a famine in our lives on all fronts--emotionally, socially, physically, financially, psychologically, spiritually--, as did both sons, God waits and waits and waits. God will wait hourly, weekly, monthly, yearly for our return. No matter how long we separate ourselves from God--from Love, Forgiveness, Intimacy, Reconciliation--God waits to embrace us with open, caring, loving arms, showing us compassion, restoring good fortunes to us, and lavishing us with gifts. The inheritance God has for us is intact!

Lord, open my eyes to Your love, Your compassion, Your generosity, Your longing to embrace me! Whenever I fall or wander off to places where I will encounter famine spiritually, socially, psychologically, emotionally, may I have the humility to come back to you, as did the prodigal son in this parable.  Forgive me, Lord, when I stay away and give up, saying something like:  "What use is it for me to make any changes in my life; it is too late. Anyway, I'm lost. I'm no good. What I have done is unforgivable!" Please, Lord, don't let me stay stuck in those poisonous attitudes and in humility return to you!  I ask this in Jesus' name!  Amen!





    
       

Turning toward God, Not Away from Him

In today's first reading, Jeremiah 7: 23-28, the Lord says to us through the prophet: "Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people. Walk in all the ways that I command you, so that you may prosper. But they obeyed not, nor did they pay heed. They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts and turned their backs, not their faces, to me."

Have you, have I, have we turned our backs on the Lord and walked away from Him? Or do we turn our faces to the Lord and in faith walk with Him and toward Him?  In hope and in faith and in love, do we keep going forward no matter how difficult the journey might be? Or do we return to "the flesh pots of Egypt," to our whims, urges and impulses, walking away from doing what we know is right and choosing the easier path that makes no demands upon us? When challenged to go forward, do we say to people, either in word or action: "Leave me alone. I've done enough! I'm too tired. I'm too old! I'm too young!"

No matter what, God always walks along side us on the journey of faith, giving us the strength, the courage, and the wisdom we need to move forward!  Not only is God with us on our way to heaven, so, too, are all the saints, those who have gone before us and those here on earth making the journey with us to our eternal homes! And furthermore, the angels, especially our guardian angel, walks with us as well!

Lord, forgive us for the times when we have turned our backs to you and give us the strength to turn back to you again and again in faith, hope and love!

Jesus: the One Who Shows Us How to Love God and our Neighbor

In the first reading, Dt 4: 1, 5-9, Moses says to he people: "Now, Israel, hear the statues and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may life, and may enter in and take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you....[T]each them to your children and to your children's children." In the gospel, Matthew 5: 17-19, Jesus says to his disciples: "Do not think that I  have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill....[W]hoever  breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will e called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven."

The Israelites were on their way to the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey, a place in the Middle East. We are on our way to a better place, our eternal  home, heaven, a place of eternal peace, a place where Satan and evil does not exist!  Statues and decrees and commandments are guideposts along our way to help us meet our goals of entering eternal life to live with God forever by living a life of love and service to others. Woe to those, Jesus warns us, who teach little ones to ignore or trample upon the commandments by a life of disobedience!

How am I an example of one who obeys God's commandments, the commandments of love, loving God--the first second and third commandments--and loving one's neighbor--the 4th through the 10th commandments?

God's Mercy as Role Modeling our Call to be Merciful

Today's readings are about mercy, being shown mercy by our God and being called to be merciful in relation to other human beings.  The Gospel, Matthew 18:21-35, reveals God's infinite mercy towards us in the parable of the king who forgives a debtor an amount of debt that he absolutely has no way of resolving.  Rather than following the king's example, this pardoned debtor exacts payment from someone who owes him a much lesser amount. He has him thrown into prison until he pays up!  That leads to the king revoking his pardon and exacting payment from the debtor, who in turn is also imprisoned until he pays the huge amount that he also owes.


We have choices! Forgiving others leads to personal, inner freedom. Exacting payment--holding on to resentments, harboring grudges, and punishing others for their "debts," however we choose to do that--leads to enslaving or imprisoning ourselves in our own anger states.  Furthermore, in the Our Father, we ask God to forgive us as we forgive those who trespass against us. By not forgiving others who hurt us or owe us an apology, or whatever, we subject ourselves to God's justice, which is also infinite--what we mete out to others will be meted out to us!

In the responsorial psalm of today's liturgy, Psalm 25, we pray:  "Remember your mercies, O Lord."
That does not exonerate us from doing our part in acting mercifully toward others! Let us remember how merciful God is towards ourselves and, in turn, show mercy to our neighbors, near and far!

Announcing God Assuming Human Nature

Today we celebrate the Annunciation of the Lord. Two thousand plus years ago, the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, announcing to her that she had found favor with God and was to become pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. The child that would begin to grow in her womb would be God Himself assuming human nature through her and coming to live among us as a human being. This child, the Incarnate Son of God, would be like us in all things but sin.

The opening antiphon of today's liturgy tells us that, as the Lord entered the world, he said: "Behold, I come to do your will, O God."   In today's responsorial psalm, Psalm  40,  the Lord says: "Sacrifice or oblation you wished not, but ears open to obedience you gave me. Holocausts  or sin-offering you sought not; then said I, 'Behold I come. In the written scroll it is prescribed of me, to do your will, O my God, is my delight, and your law is within my heart.'"

Obedience to the will of God is modeled for Jesus by His mother, who when the angel Gabriel announced God's will for her replied: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." At that moment, as the angel proclaimed, the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary and Jesus was conceived in her womb!  Mary would never be the same and neither would the history of the world.

Emmanual--God-with-us!  As Jesus lived in Mary's womb physically, He lives within our bodies spiritually.  In the Holy Eucharist, Jesus comes to nourish us, strengthen us, purify us, as well:  "Take and eat," Jesus says to us through the priest, "this is my body given up for you." "Take and drink [of the chalice]; this is my blood poured out for you."

Jesus lives in you and me as He lived in Mary. He is there always--when we get up in the morning, when we go to work, when we retire for the night!  Jesus never leaves us, never abandons us, and always waits for us to seek His help, to call upon Him in need, and to rely upon Him in all of the circumstances of our lives, especially those that seem overwhelming for us, that leave us with a trillion questions, that baffle, confuse or frustrate us. Jesus also wants us to include Him, look to Him in the joyful, celebratory, exciting moments of our lives.

May we turn to Him and seek Him every moment of every day and night!

God Partnering with Us and We with God

In today's first reading,  Exodus 3: 1-8a,  13-15, Moses sees a bush burning but not being consumed. he approaches the bush and from it  God calls him: "Moses, Moses!"  He replies: "Here I am!"  "Come no nearer," God says to him. "Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground."   God then proceeds to tell him that he is aware of the suffering of his people as slaves to the Egyptians. "I have...heard their cry of complaints against their slave drivers, so I know well what they are suffering.  Therefore, I have come down to rescue them...and lead them out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey."  The catch: God needs Moses to work with Him in leading the Israelites, Moses' people, out of slavery into freedom!

God does not work alone. He partners with us and equips us to partner with Him! Are you ready? Am I?

We know from more of the story, that Moses argued with God, indicated that he was not equipped to do what God was asking of him. God did not accept his refusal and assured him that He would be with him and, in fact, that his brother Aaron would also assist!  Furthermore, God gave Moses detailed instructions of how to proceed!

God does the same with us: He reassures us, sends us help from other people and from Himself, and directs us on how to proceed! He takes us by the right hand, walks beside us, ahead of us and behind us, doing whatever needs to be done for us to accomplish His will!

We are free, of course, to co-operate  and bear fruit, freeing ourselves and others from slavery; or we can choose to walk away and "dry up," as did the fig tree in today's Gospel, (Luke 13: 1-9).  In the Gospel story, a person checks on a fig tree for three years and finds no fruit and instructs the gardener to chop it down. "Why should it exhaust the soil?"  The gardener intercedes and ask that it be spared another year while he cultivates and fertilizes it to see whether it will produce. And so the fig tree is given a second chance to bear fruit, for which it exists.

What are you and I doing with the second and third and fourth chances that God gives us to turn our lives around, to make choices that bear fruit that will last?  What are we doing to walk away from apathy, selfishness, barrenness, sloth, and other behaviors and attitudes that block grace that would empower us to cooperate with God's call to partner with Him?

God's Delight in His Children's Return to Him

Today's Gospel, Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32, presents the story of the prodigal son, who, after his father "divided the property between [his two sons],...collected all his belongings and set off for a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation..... A severe famine struck the country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, 'How many of my father's hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you."

We know the rest of the story:  The father sees his son returning and is absolutely elated. He embraces him, kisses him and orders that a feast be prepared to celebrate his son's return. Royal clothing and a ring is put on his finger.  Meanwhile his older brother returns from the fields, hears the music and inquires what is going on. He is indignant and refuses to join the celebration. His father pleads with him and tries to figure out why he is so angry when, all the while, everything the father possesses has been his all along.

All of us can relate to this story in some fashion. We may be the prodigal son/daughter or the one who has been faithful all along but resent a family member who squanders everything and when returning to the family is welcomed back as though nothing happened.  We may say: "No way will I have anything to do with him/her" or, to one's parents or siblings,  "How can you have anything to do with him/her when he/she treated you and us so badly."

Lord, open our eyes and hearts to those who have gone astray, who have caused us, or anyone else, intense suffering, alienating him/herself from others by their sinful behaviors. May we be willing to welcome back those who turned from evil and embrace the good. Let us celebrate their return to grace. Let us not stand in judgment over them but, like the father of the prodigal son, rejoice in their return to You. And, Lord, thank you for treated each of us as the father in this parable treated his wayward son.  Thank you, Lord, for you compassion, love and mercy and for waiting for us to return. Thank you, also, for searching for us when we squander your goodness to us in a life of selfishness and sin. I offer this prayer in Jesus' name! Amen.

God's Hidden Plan Flowing in the Current of our Lives

How often are we blown away by circumstances in our world that are unexplainable, that, in fact threaten our well-being, threaten our faith, shatter our trust: situations, not unlike the situation that Joseph, Israel's favorite son, faced when his father sent him to his brothers, who were tending their father's flock at Shechem. Joseph's brothers hated Joseph  and were jealous of him. Seeing him approach,  they plotted to kill him. Instead, at the persuasion of Rueben, their oldest brother, they sold him for 20 pieces of silver as a slave to Ismaelites, who  happened to be passing through Shechem on their way to Egypt (Genesis 37: 3-4,12-13a1b-28a).  In Egypt, Joseph was thrown into prison, bound with chains, as we are told in today's responsorial psalm, Psalm 105, "till his prediction came to pass and the word of the Lord proved him true. The king, [then,] sent and released him, the ruler of the people set him free. He made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions." And it was Joseph who saved his father Israel and his brothers "when the Lord called down a famine on the land and ruined the crop that sustained them" (Psalm 105).  Note the similarities between Joseph and Jesus!

God had a plan in the history of the Israelites, part of which included Joseph becoming a key instrument in his father Israel's and his brothers' being saved from famine. God also has a plan of salvation that, through His Son Jesus,  He is working out in your life and mine, in the life of our family members, in the life of all peoples. That plan may not be obvious; in fact, that God is at work at all may be something we question, as we observe what is happening around us or far from us.

As with Israel, losing his favorite son Joseph, and with his son Joseph in prison in Egypt, we are called to wait upon the Lord, to trust in God's providence. Every day, if faith is our guide, we come face to face with situations that will open our eyes to the fact that God, not ourselves,  is in charge of our lives, the lives of our loved ones--"yes," in charge of our world. We may think that we are the one's in control and then discover that such is not the case!

In circumstances that blow us out of the water, so to speak, do we despair or do we reach out in faith to the Lord, our God? If we choose the latter, we will discover how much God's imminence, His power to save us, His wisdom in guiding us, and His quickness to strengthen us in our weakness. Like Joseph, we will blossom where we are planted, no matter in which condition is the "soil."

Jesus, help us to live as Joseph lived, making the best of our situations, continuing to be women and men of integrity in both good times and "bad" times!  Also give us the wisdom of Rueben, who persuaded his brothers not to kill their brother Joseph but to save His life.  May we live by faith and follow the Spirit's nudges in all of the challenges we face any day. I ask this in Jesus' name!  Amen!

Responding to the Needs of the Needy among Us

In today's gospel, Luke 16: 19-31, Jesus tells the Pharisees about the rich man "who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and [who] 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."  Both men died, one entering heaven and the other hell.  From hell, the rich man "saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side." He begged Abraham to "[s]end Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool [his] tongue, for [he] was suffering torment in [the] flames [of hell]."  Abraham reminded the rich man that on earth he enjoyed good things while Lazarus endured bad things and here in eternity the reverse happened because of the choices the rich man made on earth of ignoring the poor and needy whom he could have helped.  He is now suffering while Lazarus is being comforted.  Then the rich man begged Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his five brothers, "lest they too come to this place of torment."  Abraham responded that if his five brothers did not listen to the prophets neither could "they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead."

Am I, are you, responding to the less fortunate when we easily could do so, or are we ignoring them, too busy or too complacent to be bothered with anyone but ourselves?

Lord, open my eyes to the poor and needy whom I encounter, or could encounter, each day and to ways that I am able to help them or make a positive difference in their lives, especially members of my own family or religious community! Also, Lord, have mercy on those who are living as did the rich man, ignoring or despising those who are poor and needy, especially despising children and the elderly who are in need of mercy and love and compassionate responses of those capable of being helpful to them! Also, Lord, may each of us listen to "prophets" in our  lives who point us to what is right and our responsibility to build up your kingdom here on earth!

Walking in Jesus' Footprints

In today's first reading, Jeremiah 18: 18-20, Jeremiah's enemies are plotting against him, saying to each other: "Come, let us contrive a plot against Jeremiah....[L]et us destroy him by his own tongue; let us carefully note his every word."  The Pharisees do the same toward Jesus, that is, listen to His every word, hoping to hear something that will justify their plot to kill Him.  They believe that they have succeeded, but death has no power over Jesus. He is raised to life on the third day, as He tells His disciples in today's Gospel, Matthew 20: 17-28: "Behold," Jesus says to them,  "we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised [from death] on the third day."

The twelve don't get it. As they are walking along, James and John, through their mother, approach Jesus and ask to be seated on his left and right in His kingdom!  Jesus says to them: "'You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?' They said to him: 'We can.' He replied: 'My chalice you shall indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give...'"

Seeking first and second place is pretty common.Wanting to be privileged is written , it seems, in our genes.  Such desires, even to this day, lead to killing one's competitor or opponent--physical death or death of the spirit, or of the will to live or one's ability to secure jobs that will allow a person to adequately support his/her family.  We see these sinful behaviors and attitudes at work when we watch the evening news!

Applying this Scripture passage to our personal lives, in what ways to we act as James and John and their mother?  Are we arriving to be above others, missing the point of Jesus' teachings that we are here to serve others, not to be served; that we are called to pick up our crosses, as He did, and through the cross, experience resurrection?

Righteousness and Faith

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Joseph, husband of Mary and foster father of Jesus.  As a righteous man, we are told in today's Gospel, Matthew 1: 16, 18-21, 24a, Joseph faced the dilemma of Mary, his betrothed one, being pregnant outside of their living together as husband and wife.  He was struggling with how to respond and decided to divorce her quietly so as not to shame her publicly when, in sleep, an angel appeared to him and said:  "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins" (Mt. 1: 18-21). Joseph carried out the angel's request, risking his personal reputation in the process, just as Jesus risked His reputation for us throughout His ministry and in His being put to death by leaders of the Israelite nation, who, not understanding Jesus' Kingdom, were afraid that he would would usurp their power and authority.  Threatened by Jesus' popularity, he was crucified, as were others who disturbed their positions!

How often do I, or you, take positions that may put us in a bad light, diminish our influence for the good we seek or our desire to spare others any public shaming? Do we, like Joseph, follow the promptings of the Spirit or of our guardian angels, to make certain difficult choices that, otherwise, we are not considering?

Be Compassionate as God is Compassionate

In today's Gospel, Luke 6: 36-38, Jesus says to us: "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will e pour into your lap. for the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you."

"Just as your Father is merciful!"   God models mercy and reveals his merciful self in Jesus!  Jesus challenges the sinner but does not condemn. In fact, in his own words, Jesus tells us that he came, not to condemn, but to save us, showing us how to love others as ourselves, how to be compassionate as God is compassionate, how, in short, to forgive ourselves and others.

Jesus reveals that His Father, and He himself, is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and quick to forgive. He does so on the cross when the good thief turns to him and says: "Remember me in your kingdom" and Jesus replies: This very day you will be with me in my kingdom.  When a woman caught in adultery is dragged before him and her accusers are ready to stone her according to the law of the nation of Israel, Jesus admonishes them, asking: Which of you is without sin, cast the first stone. No one stoned her! When a deaf man was brought to him for healing, and Jesus was asked "who sinned, the person or his parents", Jesus states clearly that no one sinned.  He indicated that misfortunes are not the result of our sinful behaviors. Jesus shows mercy and heals the deaf person.

God is about mercy, wholeness, and healing. He takes no pleasure  in people suffering in any way. That is not God's thinking but ours!

What attitudes do I need to change within myself? Am I quick to condemn, to judge, to find fault with another when misfortunes occur, when illness same to take possession of another, of myself? How caring am I? How loving am I? How forgiving am I? Does compassion direct my thoughts?

Jonah's Message: What Might God Say to Us?

In today's first reading, Jonah 3: 1-10, the prophet Jonah goes to Nineveh to announce to it a message God gave to him. That message was:  "Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed."  The people of Nineveh believed God and "proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.  
When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes."  The king and his nobles proclaimed a decree that everyone fast, including animals: "Neither man nor beast, neither cattle nor sheep, shall taste anything; they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water....[E]very man shall turn from his evil way and from the violence he has in hand. Who knows, God may relent and forgive, and withhold his blazing wrath."

What if God, angry at the evil that exists in the world of today, sent a prophet to announce a message which said: "Forty days and the world shall be destroyed,"  would we listen? Would we, from the greatest to the smallest, repent? Would those who sit on "high places" proclaim a fast, clothe themselves in sackcloth and sit in ashes or would they dismiss the message as nonsense and go out to their golf courses, wining and dining with friends, continuing acts of evil toward those in "lowly places,"continuing to build walls and pile up nuclear weapons or any kind of weapons with which to commit acts of violence toward fellow human beings and would they, also, continue negating treaties and agreements that protect the earth from being destroyed?

Looking at ourselves personally, what would you or I do if we were given a message that our time here on earth was drawing to a close?  For what would we need to ask forgiveness? Of what behaviors/attitudes would we need to repent? What changes would we need to make  that would indicate that we realize how we have not upheld the covenant we made with God at our baptisms and God made with us or how we have not lived up to our marriage or religious vows?

"Our Father Who Art in Heaven"

In today's gospel, Matthew 6: 7-15, Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray. When you pray, Jesus says to us, "do not babble like the pagans, who think they will be heard because of their many words."  Remember, Jesus says to us, that "[y]our Father know what you need before you ask him."

Pray like this, Jesus says to us:

"Our Father who art in heaven." Stop!  Think of a child running into the arms of his/her loving, caring protective father. Many times, no words are necessary. The child looks up at daddy, raises his or her arms and daddy picks up the child, soothes it, looks into its eyes lovingly and the child's needs are met!  And how delighted the father is that the child trusts him so unhesitatingly and completely!

That is our father in heaven: caring, waiting, eager to pick us up, comfort us, soothe us and meet our needs, whatever they are!

"Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name."  Listen to a child boast of its daddy: "My daddy is the best. My daddy is strong! My daddy knows everything" are praises that we hear little children telling each other about their daddy!  Do you and I  have this kind of relationship with our Father in heaven? If not, what do we need to do to develop this kind of relationship with God?  How did we develop this kind of relationship with our own fathers or surrogate fathers?

May we grow in love with God! May we discover God as a loving, caring, compassionate, strong father, a God who gave His life for us!

The Lord, Your God Wills Your Holiness/Wholeness

In  today's first reading, Leviticus 19: 1-2, 11-18, the Lord says to Moses and to us:   "Be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy." How, we ask, are we to be holy as the Lord, our God, is holy? Is that not impossible? For us, on our own, yes. For us, with God, no!  God can do all things and that includes putting us on the path to holiness when we stray!

I was getting caught in a pattern of thinking that is detrimental to grace.  As I recognized the pattern, I began to pray the mantra:  "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me, a sinner."  As soon as my mind drifted back to negative thinking, I returned to the mantra.  I woke up refreshed, consulted a friend, who set me right and reminded me of what my mission is and how I allowed myself to get pulled into issues that are not my responsibility to resolve and over which I was obsessing. How free I felt and grateful for God's grace at work in me as soon as I turned to the Lord for help and realized how right my friend was in her counsel of me! And, yes, God had put me back on the path of holiness and wholeness!

What do you do when you recognize that you are on a dangerous path, one that will lead you away from what God wants of you?  What helps you experience the freedom and the peace that only God can give? What puts you back on the path to holiness, that is, to wholeness and becoming the person God intends you to become?

Translating "Ifs" into Actions that Radiate God's Presence

In today's first reading, Isaiah 58: 9b-14,  God says to us through the prophet: "If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech; if you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday; then the Lord will guide you always and give you plenty even on the parched land. He will renew your strength, and you will be like a watered garden, like a spring whose water never fails...."

Let us, with God's strength, remove the "ifs" and do what God asks of us, especially in our families and religious communities, that is, stop speaking maliciously of anyone, if we are doing that. Let us relieve family members or community members hungry for love and kindness, forgiveness and honesty. Let us respond to our children's or a community member's need for quality time--perhaps help with homework or saying "yes" to their request that a parent play with them or a spouse--or community member--hungry to hear "I love you," "I appreciate you," "Great job showing that you care."  When we heed God's call to live in this fashion, we live in the Light. We bear fruit that will last and are lifted out of gloom into joy and peace of heart, mind and soul!  Yes, our strength in renewed and so is that of others!  We become "like a watered garden, like a spring whose water never fails" to quench the thirst of others for a glimpse of God in their midst!

The Kind of Fasting that God Asks of Us

In today's first reading, Isaiah 58: 1-9a,  the prophet Isaiah spells out clearly the kind of fast God asks of us:  This, rather, is the fasting that I wish:  releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own."

We might choose one of the following ways of fasting for ourselves and also include one or more of these in our Lenten prayers:

• Fast from corrupt ways and choose integrity in all of our dealings with others
• Fast from deceitful ways and choose to be honest in our relationships
• Fast from violating the basic human rights of anyone and promote that which is right for all
• Fast from being ignorant of the industry of human trafficking and learn how to protect our children from this crime
• Fast from being blind or deaf to the dangers of illegal drugs and abuse of alcohol and encourage a healthy lifestyle among our children/youth
• Fast from ignorance of forced labor or labor trafficking; take time to learn about this criminal reality and protect innocent children from this curse,
• Fast from judging persons who are incarcerated; take time to learn about unjust incarcerations and work for justice
• Fast from judging homeless people and take some time to learn about the causes of homelessness,
• Fast from judging victims of sexual abuse--incest, sexual assault, rape--and work for justice for victims of these crimes 
• Fast from viewing pornographic materials, if so involved, and work to educate others about this dangerous addiction
• Fast from addictions--all addictions have the potential to destroy healthy relationships and thwart our growth in love; if necessary, seek support from groups that help each other become free of addictive behaviors
• Fast from discriminating against people whose sexual orientation, religion, culture, race, background is different from one's own; befriend a person who is different from yourself 
• Fast from treating others as inferior to oneself and acknowledge the other person's giftedness
• Fast from ways in which humankind treats human beings inhumanely, beginning with oneself

Reread Isaiah 58: 1-9a.  What kind of fast is God asking of you this Lenten season?

Being Vulnerable in Prayer

In today's Entrance Antiphon, we pray:  When I cried to the Lord, he heard my voice; he rescued me from those who attack me. Entrust your cares to the Lord, and he will support you."

Wow! I had just poured my soul out to the Lord in personal prayer, complaining about a phrase in Sarah Young's book, Jesus Calling, in which, through  her, the Lord says to the reader:  "Let me help you through this day. The challenges you face are far too great for you to handle alone. You are keenly aware of your helplessness in the scheme of events you face" (March 7th).  I felt humiliated by those statements and told Jesus just that! What I heard back in prayer was: Trust me. I am with you. I hold you by your hand. I am at your side. Pause to remind yourself of that fact. Rely on Me. I am standing by waiting for you to seek my help."  I said "thank you," and, in my prayer, the Lord then continued:  Do not put yourself down! Everyone is helpless in face of the day's events in their lives.  You are no exception!  I am your strength. Remember that fact and that I come to you every morning in the Eucharist to give you the strength you need each day, one day at a time."

Then, I read the Entrance Antiphon for today's liturgy and realized that, by trusting my cares to the Lord,  God not only supported me but also rescued me, not from outside attackers, but from myself!

Your experience of God in prayer today?

The Lenten Journey Begun This Day

Today we celebrate Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the holy season of Lent. Lent is a time of special graces, a time to heed the words of the prophet Joel. God speaks to us today through Joel 2: 12-18: "Return to me with  your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning. Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God." The question I need to ask myself is: Why is God asking me to return to Him? I also need to take heed of the call to return to him with my whole heart! How am I, I need to ask myself, serving God halfheartedly?  sluggishly? Do I give God only my leftovers and give the best to other gods, to my idols, to things I treasure more than God? What, in my life each day, do I devote most of my energy, most of my time, especially time when I am free of the responsibilities of my profession, my career: the kids have been put to bed, the dishes and other chores are done, my community or priestly responsibilities are met, I've spent quality time playing with or listening to my children and communicating with my spouse or the members of my religious community with whom I live or fulfilling my duties as priest! Wow, I am free finally, I say to myself!    Is this a time that I am being called to turn my attention to the Lord in prayer, in reflecting upon a Scripture passage, the readings of the day's liturgy, a spiritual reading book that lifts my mind and heart and soul to God?

Maybe the fasting God is asking of me this Lent is to participate more fully in my children's life, in the life of my spouse or the members of my religious community, giving more of myself in sharing responsibilities around the house, in the parish, in meeting the needs of an elderly parent/fellow Sister, a needy parishioner,  listening to another person's story or concerns, especially that of one's spouse, one's fellow religious or priest, or, if married, in playing with or doing homework with my children.  "Rend your hearts, not your garments!"

Lord, help me know and do what it is, each day, that you ask of me in rending my heart so as to enhance the life of those with whom I live and for whom I have committed my life as a married person or a member of a religious community or a priest or as a single person. All of us are called to rend our hearts in some way! Let us pray for the grace to do so!

God Delights in Us: Do We Delight in God?

In the antiphon of today's liturgy we pray: "The Lord became my protector. He brought me out to a place of freedom; he saved me because he delighted in me" (cf. Ps 18 (17): 19-20). In the entrance of antiphon of tomorrows liturgy we pray: "You are merciful to all, O Lord, and despise nothing that you have made. You overlook people's sins, to bring them to repentance and  you spare them, for you are the Lord our God" (Wis 11: 24 25, 27).

WOW!  What a kind God, a God of love and compassion, a generous God.  No way do I, or you, deserve God's protection or to be brought to a place of freedom. But that is our God!  He held nothing back to free us or protect us from the snares of Satan, a fallen angel, one who lost Paradise, was thrown out of heaven by St. Michael, the Archangel, and thus works tirelessly, cunningly and deceitfully to keep us from entrance into our heavenly home!  Our God, though, is a Warrior God, a powerful God, One far more powerful than Satan.  Like a mother bear protects her cubs, so, too, does God protect His children.  God delights in us, we pray in today's entrance antiphon. He will not lose us to Satan and hopefully you and I will truly embrace this free gift of salvation and, with God, let nothing come between us and God, let nothing separate us from God, our Savior!