God's Dwelling Among Us and His Covenant of Mercy

 In today's collect, we pray: "Come quickly, we pray, Lord Jesus, and do not delay, that those who trust in your compassion may find solace and relief in your coming."   In the first reading, 2 Samuel 7: 1-5a, 8b-12, 14a, 16, the Lord says to us through the prophet Nathan:  "I will fix a place for my people Israel; I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place without further disturbance. Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old, since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel. I will give you rest from your enemies."

God is a God who saves, who destroys evil. Wicked people shall perish, shall be cast down from their thrones.  In Mary's response to her cousin Elizabeth's greeting, Mary reminds us in her Magnificat that "[God] has mercy on those who fear [reverence] him in every generation.  [God] has shown the strength of his arm, [God] has scattered the proud in their conceit. [God] has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. God has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel, for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever."

As we ponder the baby Jesus in the crib, let us remember that this Infant is the Son of God, through whom the strength of God's arm will be shown, the proud will be scattered in their conceit, the mighty shall be cast down from their thrones, and the lowly lifted up!  It is through this Mighty Infant, Son of the Most High God, that the hungry will be filled with good things and the rich will be sent away empty. We celebrate this reality in every Catholic Mass, at Christmas time and every time,  when, at Mass, we memorialize the Paschal Mystery--Jesus' Passion, Death and Resurrection--and hear Jesus say to us, as he said to the disciples in the Last Supper: Take and eat; this is my Body given up for you. Take and drink; this is my Blood poured out for you."

May we have the humility and the faith to believe in Jesus' words and promises of mercy!

God: the Builder of Our "House" here on Earth and in Heaven

 In today's first reading, 2 Samuel 7: 1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16, King David wants to build a house for the Ark of the Covenant, explaining to Nathan the prophet: "Here I am living in a house of cedar, while the art of God dwells in a tent!" And Nathan responds: "Go, do whatever you have in mind, for the Lord is with you."  But that night the Lord spoke to Nathan and says to him: "Go, tell my servant David, 'Thus says the Lord: Should you build me a house to dwell in? 'It was I who took you from the pasture and from the care of the flock to be commander of my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you went, and I have destroyed all  your enemies before you. And I will make you famous... I will fix a place for my people Israel; I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place without further disturbance....I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also reveals to you that he will establish a house for you...."

It is no different for us than for King David!  God took each one of us from lowly places, insignificant places, and made us who we are today.  Wherever we have gone, God has gone with us and ahead of us to prepare the way for us to succeed. He's fixed a place for us where we would thrive in doing the good we  were sent to accomplish!  It is God who removes that which disturbs us, causes us trouble, many times that being negative attitudes, weaknesses within us: our pride, our envy, our jealousies, our deceitfulness, lustfulness, fears, lack of faith and trust in the Lord, patterns of unforgiveness and/or the holding of grudges, and our judgmental ways, and so on.  It is God who gives us "rest from all [our] enemies." It is the Lord who is establishing a house for us, an eternal house, in heaven above where, for sure, there will be no "further disturbances." That is the gift of Christmas: A Savior who destroys all of our enemies, those within and those without and leads us to our eternal home!

Surrendering to God's Will and Living Out His Salvific Plan

 In today's Gospel, Matthew 1: 18-25, Joseph learns that  Mary, to whom he is betrothed,  is pregnant and he knows that the child is not his! Joseph decides to divorce her quietly, as he is "unwilling to expose her to shame."   It is not just shame to which Mary would be exposed. Being pregnant before one's marriage meant, in the Jewish culture,  that she is likely to be stoned to death. And,  "...behold, the  angel of the Lord appeared to [Joseph] in a dream 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.' All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means 'God is with us.'"

What faith on Mary's part to have said 'yes' to the angel when she is asked to be the mother of the Messiah by the power of the Holy Spirit overshadowing her.  She is still left with the fact that her child was conceived out of wedlock. And what faith  on Joseph's part when he is asked to take Mary as his wife and, obviously, to become the foster father of a child that is not biologically his own. How do either one of them, humanly speaking, explain any of this to their families, their friends, fellow synagogue goers, or to anyone raising questions?

Saying "yes" to God's will, surrendering to God's plan for us, does not mean that suffering is not involved! And so it was with Mary, Joseph and Jesus: Herod's plan to kill the infant Jesus, Mary and Joseph's flight into Egypt to protect Jesus and living as foreigners for as long as needed, the loss of Jesus in the Temple, Joseph's death, Mary witnessing the fact that Jesus is rejected by the Scribes and the Pharisees and the rulers of the people, is betrayed by one of His apostles and denied by another, and ultimately is arrested and put to death by crucifixion!

Through all of the sufferings involved in surrendering to the will of God for us, as with Mary and Joseph and Jesus, God suffers and weeps with us!  It is God's presence, God's power, God's comfort, God's compassion, God's understanding that gives us the strength we need to cope in such a way  as to become strong in our faith, trust and love of God, self and others.

"I Am God; There Is No Other" (Isaiah 45: 6b)

 In today's first reading, Isaiah 45:6b-8, 18, 21c-25, the Lord affirms his identity and the sanctity of the earth itself:

"I am the Lord, there is no other; I form the light, and create the darkness, I make well-being and create woe....[Furthermore, God proclaims that He is the] creator of the heavens,...The designer and maker of the earth..."  Whatever God designs is sacred, is not to be exploited, abused, trampled upon.  In God's words, the earth is not "to be a waste, but...to be lived in"!   The earth, the universe in all its grandeur, is a gift to us and reveals the glory of God, as does each human being! God  says to us: "To me every knee shall bend; by me every tongue shall swear, saying, 'Only in the Lord are just deeds and power. Before him in shame shall come all who vent their anger against him (and such is done when we abuse the earth or anything in it and anyone who shares life with the universe).  In the Lord shall be the vindication and the glory of all the descendants of Israel.'"

In the Gospel of today, Luke 7: 18b-23,  Jesus models how we are to be responding to each other: "...the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, [and] the poor have the good news proclaimed to them."  May others have the good news proclaimed to them that every creature, the earth itself and all that is on it, is a creation of God whose purpose is to reveal God's glory. We are here to reveal God's presence and respect God's presence in all!  God forms the light and creates the darkness according to His will for His redemptive purposes. He also, I believe, does so through us, as God respects our free will to that decree, not that He wills us to "create darkness and make woe." But God uses whatever we create for us to learn what is right and good, what is evil and woeful and so turn to Him as our Savior, as God says to us in the responsorial psalm:  "Turn to me and be safe, all you ends of the earth, for I am God, [your Savior]; there is no other."

To Whom Am I Listening?

 In today's first reading, Numbers 24: 2-7, 15-17a,  Balaam was sent by the authorities of his nation to curse Israel.  As he approaches the Israelite camp, "the spirit of God came upon  him" and he blesses Israel. He does not curse them. He gave voice to the following oracle:  "the utterance of Balaam, son of Beor, the utterance of a man whose eye is true, and knows that the Most High knows, of one who sees what the Almighty sees, enraptured, and with eyes unveiled:  How goodly are your tents, O Jacob; your encampments, O Israel!  They are like gardens beside a stream, like the cedars planted by the Lord. His wells shall yield free-flowing waters; he shall have the sea within reach. His king shall rise in her, and his royalty shall be exalted....I see him, though not near: a star shall advance from Jacob, and a staff shall rise from Israel" --a prophesy of the coming Messiah!

Am I, are you, open to the Spirit of God? Do you, do I, see what God sees when we look upon other people, other nations, other races, other cultures?  Do you, do I, hear God's voice and speak God's words? Do we do what God expects of us or do we follow what we believe others want of us?  

In today's Gospel, Matthew 22: 23-27, the chief priests and the elders of the people are sent to Jesus and are expected to trap Him. Following other people's expectations, they interrogate  Jesus, questioning His authority to be doing what He is doing. Jesus knows that they are trying to trap Him and find something for which they can arrest Him and put Him to death--that is what their rulers have sent them to do.  Jesus responds to their questions with asking them His own questions. He sets a trap into which they themselves fall!

When you and I are following other people's expectations, doing what we believe others want of us, we easily fall into a trap and trip ourselves up! To whom am I listening ? The voice of Jesus, the whispering directives of the Holy Spirit, or the voices of others?

Clothed in a Robe of Salvation and Wrapped in a Mantle of Justice

In today's first reading.  Isaiah 61: 1-2a, 10-11, Isaiah invites us to "rejoice heartily in the Lord, [for] in...God is the joy of [our] soul for [God] has clothed [us] with a robe of salvation and wrapped  [us] in a mantle of justice, like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem, like a bride bedecked with her jewels."

Everyone, at his/her baptism,  has been "clothed...with a robe of salvation and wrapped...in a mantle of justice."  What a gift from our God!  A gift freely given to every human being: the rich and the poor alike, the criminal and those caring for them, the sick and the lame, the healthy and the unhealthy, the employed and the unemployed, those living in the country and those in the city, those in this country and in every other country,  those anyone of us has difficulty loving and those we love with ease!  May anyone involved in criminal activities--blatant and disguised--in corrupt and deceitful ways of living, in greed and narcissism, in violence of any kind turn from their evil ways and do good, turn from greediness and narcissism and be generous and caring of others, turn from corruption and live a life of integrity. May our  eyes be opened to truth and may our ears hear the voice of the Almighty calling us to repentance of whatever sins we have committed --those we are aware of and those that escape our attention.  

May each of us hear the Lord, in the words of the second reading, 1 Thes 5: 16-24,  in which St. Paul calls us to "retain what is good," to "refrain from every kind of evil."  "In all circumstances," Paul says to us, "give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit [and] "do not despise prophetic utterances."

Lord, help each of us heed the words of today's Scriptures in whatever way they apply to us!  

Hail, Full of Grace! The Lord Is With You!

 In today's Gospel, Luke 1: 26-38, the angel Gabriel visits Mary  a young teenager at the time and says to her:  "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."   Imagine being that young teenager!  Out of nowhere an angel stands in front of you and greets you: "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you!"  Luke tells us that Mary was greatly troubled and pondered the angel's words!    I would also have been frightened, I think. Memories of times past  entered my mind, times when I was told that someone in authority wanted to see me. The first thought was: What have I done wrong!  In Mary's case, the angel gently says to Mary: "Don't be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God."  Imagine your child coming to you at your bidding and you can see that the little one is scared. So you say to him/her: "Don't be afraid. I love you and am very pleased with you."  That is your God!  God delights in you always! And, as with Mary, says to you: "Hail, full of grace! the Lord is with you!"

We do not physically conceive the Lord. However, throughout the day we give "birth" to good deeds, kind words, forgiving messages,  acts of justice and truth, even in the face of odds that seem unsurmountable. How do we do it? Through the Holy Spirt, who, as with Mary, overshadows us throughout the day and night!   I am sure that you have, at times, looked at your past and said: "I don't know how I did that!" And, of course, you did what you did through the Spirit. Nothing is impossible for God, Mary says,  and nothing is impossible for those who rely upon God to assist! And so we say with Mary, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."

God: Teacher and Leader

 "I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go," we read in today's first reading, Isaiah 48: 17-19.   God is always at work teaching us the way to go and what is good for us to grow into the man/woman God intends us to become! And what is His intention, you might ask!  God has called you and me to become the best person we are capable of becoming. Think of the person in  your life that you most admire? What is it about this person? His/her capacity to bring joy into another person's life? His/her capacity to do what is right even in the most trying of times? His or her ability to weather whatever storm he or she might be going through? Is it the person's sense of humor, his/her humility, generosity, willingness to go the extra mile, faith, trust?  Whatever it is, a person who wins your admiration or mine, I believe, is someone who allows God to teach him/her what is for his/her good and who follows God's lead!

What do you think sustains a person whom you admire? What might another admire in you?

The Lord God Is Our Redeemer

 In today's first reading, Isaiah 41: 13-20,  the Lord says to us:  "I am the Lord, your God, who grasp your right hand; it is I who say to you, 'Fear not, I will help you.'....[Y]our redeemer is the Holy One of Israel....[T]he afflicted and the needy seek water in vain, their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the Lord, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open up rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the broad valleys; I will  turn the desert into a marshland, and the dry ground into springs of water....That all may see and know, observe and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it."

God grasping us by the right hand brings to my mind Facebook images of men rescuing animals that have sunk into the mud or fallen into a frozen lake!  From time to time, you and I lose our footing and also fall into muddy sinkholes of sin and corruption, narcissism and greed, sloth and lust.  We literally are unable to save ourselves.  God alone is God and God alone can save us! Or, our desperate need for God's intervention may appear because we have walked away from the table of the Lord, the Eucharist. Thus, our tongues have become "parched with thirst" for the Living Water that alone can quench our thirst, not material things, not a second home, a yacht, another car, a different spouse, a job on Broadway, or for whatever we might be frantically searching!  

No matter how far from the Lord we may have strayed, the Lord is near and shows us his compassion, as we pray in today's responsorial psalm, Psalm 145:  The Lord is good to all and compassionate toward all his works."  God reveals His power to save us, no matter how far we have fallen or into what "swamp" we are trying to crawl out of.  Let us, the psalmist prays, "give...thanks...and bless" the Lord.   "Let [us] make known to [others God's] might" and His strong arm around our waist guiding us to safety all the days of our lives.

For the Weak God Makes Vigor Abound (See Isaiah 40: 25-31)

 In today's first reading, Isaiah 40: 25-31, the prophet reminds us that "The Lord is the eternal God, creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint nor grow weary, and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny. He gives strength to the fainting; for the weak he makes vigor abound. Though young men faint and grow weary and youths stagger and fall, they that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles' wings; they will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint."

As I reflect upon this passage, I think of my mother. I believe that  her hope in the Lord was what gave her strength every day and was the reason she seemed to soar through any given day. She did not ever seem to grow weary nor did she seem to grow faint. Every morning she rose early and every night she stayed up late doing what had to be done for her family.

So, too, for you and me!  It is our hope in the Lord that stays us, that gives us strength each day to get up from sleep and begin a new day!  It is our hope in the Lord that keeps us from growing weary or faint as we take on the responsibilities of each day: the responsibilities of raising a family, building community, serving the sick, educating our children, doing service jobs according to our professional capabilities, and so much more!  For "the weak [God] makes vigor abound!"  And so we see children caring for younger children, youths' making and delivering meals to the homeless or to one's  next door  neighbor, a spouse caring for a handicapped marriage partner, paramedics responding to an emergency, healthcare workers taking on added shifts, parents homeschooling their children! For "the weak [God] make vigor abound!"

"Where Are You," God asks us!

 In today's first reading, Genesis 3: 9-15, 20, God enters the Garden of Eden and is looking for Adam. "Where are you", Adam?" God calls. Adam responds: "I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself."   We haven't changed. How often do we,  when we have committed sin, try to hide from God, from our spouses, from our children/grandchildren, from our friends, fellow workers and even from ourselves by whatever distraction temporarily works!   God asks Adam:  "Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!" Notice God's gentleness and His understanding.   God does not condemn Adam. He does not scold Adam. No, he simply states the truth!  And what does Adam do? Blame Eve!  Still trying to hide his guilt!  We, also, recognize the pattern, as we, too, often blame others when we have made poor choices, committed sin, insisted on doing things our way and not followed God's way! 

Only the truth will set us free and, so, God shares the truth with Adam: "You have eaten...from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!"  When you and I have sinned, God also shows us the truth!  In the depth of our being, Truth resides--God Himself. Gently, a small inner Voice says to us:  You have done wrong and this Voice softly or loudly spells out the wrong we have done!

In today's second reading, Ephesians, 1: 3-6, 11-12, St. Paul  praises God for blessing us with "every spiritual blessing in the heaven" and one of those spiritual blessings is that Truth dwells in the very core of our beings and that when we have chosen our will above God's we feel "naked"!  We may try to hide our nakedness but grace prevails because, as we are reminded in today's Gospel, Luke 1: 26-38, "nothing is impossible for God."

 Repent and believe in the Gospel is a message we hear often, especially in lent. Today, we hear it  in all of the readings. Isaiah, in chapter 40: 1-5, 9-11,reminds us that a voice cries out: "In the desert prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!" St. Peter says to us in chapter 3: 8-14, of  his second letter: that the Lord "is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." And finally, in today's Gospel, Mark 1: 1-8, St. Mark brings to our attention John the Baptist, who appears "in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins."

God waits, as He does not want any one of us to perish! And for God, St. Peter tells us in today's second reading that, "one days is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day."  God waits, the prophet Isaiah tells us, as every "valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low; the rugged land shall be made a plain, the rough country, a broad valley."   What are those mountains, hills?  What is the rugged land that shall become a plain, the rough country that shall become a broad valley? Our sinfulness, our wickedness, our abandonment of God, our removal of God from our collective consciousness, the removal of any religious symbolism on public lands; our denial of moral codes, of truth--everything is relative in our country!  Repent! Believe in the Gospel! Bring God back into our government, our schools, our public lands, our homes, our civic life, our entertainment--all of life. 

"Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken."

Come, Lord Jesus, Come to  save us. And Jesus says to us, through the prophet Isaiah: "Here comes with power the Lord God, who rules by his strong arm; here is his reward with him, his recompense before him"  

God's Abundant Blessings

 The Scripture readings of  today--Isaiah 30: 19-21, 23-26,Psalm 147 and Matthew 9: 35-10: 1, 5a, 6-8--all speak of the goodness of our God, God's closeness, God's compassion, love and generosity!  In Isaiah, the prophet, delivers the following positive message:  "...no more will you weep; [God] will be gracious to you when you cry out, as soon as he hears he will answer you. The Lord will give you the bread you need and the water for which you thirst. No longer will your Teacher hide himself , but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher, while from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears: 'This is the way; walk in it,' when you would turn to the right or to the left."

And how true!  Young and old, children and adults, agencies around the world, are delivering food to those who have no way to provide a meal for their families, given the loss of jobs due to the pandemic.  Thousands of people are involved in developing a vaccine and getting it to us! Over and beyond, thousands of people are protecting our streets and homes against criminals or are in the process of apprehending those who are cheating us of our livelihood in some way!

In the Gospel of today, "at the sight of the crowds, [Jesus'] heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd."  This day, God looks upon us here in the U.S. and around the world and is "moved with pity" for us because we, too, are "troubled" by what we see around us. God not only weeps but acts, choosing persons to address our needs and bring relief to us and asks us, in turn, to do the same for others, giving us the means to do so! Yes, our God is a compassionate God, a loving God, a caring God and, through each one of us, is acting to bring relief to one another and to those beyond our own families and communities.

Over and above all that, Isaiah says: God  "will give rain for the seed that you sow in the ground, and the wheat that the soil produces will be rich and abundant. ...[Y]our flock will be given pasture and the lamb will graze in spacious meadows. The oxen and the asses that till the ground will eat silage tossed to them...  Upon every high  mountain and lofty hill there will be streams of running water...."   Not only his people but plants and animals and soil receive the blessings of our God.  And so, in the responsorial psalm of today's liturgy, we pray:  "Praise the Lord, for he is good; sing praise to our God, for he is gracious; it is fitting to praise him."

For what blessings in your life today will you praise God?

God's Challenge to Us in Isaiah 29: 17-24

 In today's first reading, Isaiah 29: 17-24,  the Lord God speaks to us through the prophet Isaiah as follows:  "But a very little while, and Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard, and the orchard be regarded as a forest! On that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book; and out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see.  The lowly will ever find joy in the Lord, and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. For the tyrant will be no more and the arrogant will be gone; all who are alert to do evil will be cut off, those whose mere word condemns a man, who ensnare his defender at the gate, and leave the just man  with an empty claim."

Woe to those whom the Lord, in this prophesy, confronts for their wrongdoing: those involved in evil, those who condemn others with merciless, unforgiving, condemning words; those who are arrogant and govern or interact with others tyrannically! But joy and bliss for those who followed the law of the Lord here on earth, who reached out to the poor, the oppressed and downtrodden; who fed the hungry, clothed the naked, and provided shelter for the homeless; who governed wisely, loved tenderly and acted justly in all of their undertaking. Their eyes and ears will be opened, their souls will be inundated with joy!  Joy and bless, also, to those who, on earth, were victimized and treated unjustly, for, in heaven, "the tyrant will be no more and the arrogant will be gone."

As you and I reflect upon this passage, we need to take note: are we the ones who oppress others by what we say or don't say, by what we do or don't do? Are we the ones acting arrogantly, harshly, unforgivingly, mercilessly toward others?  Are we involved in evil? Are we complicit with others doing evil things to our neighbor or to members of our family? Or are we the ones in whom, on this earth, the poor and oppressed can rejoice, knowing that we will bring whatever relief we can to their difficult situations? Do the children within our homes know that they will be heard and treated with respect but also given the structure and counsel they they need to become the best person that God has called them to become as adults?  Does our spouse know that he/she can count on us to be there as a faithful, God-fearing partner? Do my fellow religious/priests/deacons know that they can count on me to give 100% to building up the Kingdom and bring others to Jesus?

Conversion!

 In today's responsorial psalm, Psalm 118, we pray: "Blessed is he who come in the name of the Lord."  You and I have been sent to this world blessed by the Lord, our God and Savior. We are sent to be a blessing as well.  And we are sent in God's name!

As I pray this, I think of St. Paul, who prior to his conversion was on a self-imposed mission to imprison those who following the Way, that is, who were Christians. He would get letters from emperors authorizing him to chain Christians and bring them to the appropriate authorities who would imprison them and put them to death.  One day on his way to Damascus to get such authorization, "there came a light from heaven all around him. He fell to the ground, and then heard a voice saying, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?' 'Who are you, Lord,' he asked, and the voice answered, 'I am Jesus, and you are persecuting me. Get up now and go into the city, and you will be told what you have to do.' "  At the same time that Saul was having this vision, Ananias,  a disciple of the Lord in Damascus, heard a voice call out to him: "Ananias...You must go to Straight Street and ask at the house of Judas for someone called Saul, who comes from Tarsus. At this moment he is praying, having had a vision of a man called Ananias coming in and laying hands on  him,  to give him back his sight.'"  Ananias is take aback. This is the man he knows is rounding up Christians, putting them in chains, and arresting them. No way will he get caught in this trap, so he thinks. Jesus, in the vision says to him:  "You must go all the same, because this man is  my chosen instrument to bring my name before pagans and pagan kings and before the people of Israel. I myself will show him how much he himself must suffer for my name. And Ananias went!"

The same Lord in charge of Saul's and Ananias' life is in charge of your life and mine! At times you and I, in turn, have persecuted others, spoken out against them, put stumbling blocks in their way, misjudged them and engaged in activities that we were convinced were the right things to be doing, as did Saul! Like Saul, however,  there are times when we, too,  need to be knocked down, blinded and then healed of our blindness through the intervention of others!  Like Ananias, we are at times the ones that Jesus sends to be interveners, to restore sight to the spiritually blind.

We might argue that we are not worthy to be doing the work of the Lord!  From that kind of thinking, neither was Saul worthy! Worthiness is not the question. God equips us for the work that He wants us to do. God is the worthy one; we are the instrument He chooses! The tasks might not be as mighty, so it seems, as was Saul's but as important: loving the homeless man or woman we pass on the way to the supermarket, comforting a crying child that has been denied his/her request to visit a friend down the street during this pandemic, taking on our responsibilities as spouse or as parent, waring a mask to protect ourselves and others from the coronavirus, participating in liturgical services on a regular basis at our churches, and so on! Or we may be asked, as Saul was: "Why are you persecuting me? Why are you treating a family member, a child,  your spouse, a coworker with such disdain and indifference? Why are you being unforgiving," and so on! "I am Jesus, and you are persecuting me. Get up now" and have a change of heart!

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit Filling Our Hearts and Souls

 In today's first reading, Isaiah 11:1-10, prophesizes that a "shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a Spirit of counsel and of strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord, and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord...."

Every confirmed Christian has received the same Spirit that Isaiah describes in this passage. At our baptism and reinforced, so to speak, at our confirmation, the Holy Spirit poured forth upon each one of us a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a Spirit of counsel and of strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord."   When we receive Holy Communion, the body and blood, soul and divinity, those same gifts are given to us in Christ Jesus.  We are one with Jesus and Jesus one with us. God lives in us--the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and in them, each of the gifts of the Spirit. Open our eyes, awaken our hearts, to this truth!

"Come after Me"!

 In today's Gospel, Matthew 4: 18-22, Jesus is walking by the Sea of Galilee and spots two brothers, Simon and Andrew, professional fishermen, busily fishing, engaged in their arduous profession. He says to them: "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of [people]".   Jesus continues walking and spots two other men, brothers James and John, "in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him."

Who was this man? Four professional fishermen immediately leave their profession and their families and follow Him when He simply says to them: "Come after me!"  Would you, would I, immediately leave our jobs, our families--leave everything behind--and answer Jesus' call? Would we immediately stop what we are doing and follow Jesus into an unknown life, an unknown profession, an uncertain  future?

And what did the father of James and John think? His two sons, copartners in his fishing business, simply get up and abandon him. They seem to be following a stranger!  Are they crazy? What came over them to immediately walk away from him and their family?

Being a disciple of Jesus, following God's call, demands that we leave everything else behind. God wants our all: our total commitment, be that marriage, parenthood, religious life, priestly life, the deaconate, or the single life!  Are we willing to sacrifice everything to be in sync with God's will for us? Simon and Andrew, James and John were! And they did not turn back!

May you and I recognize who is calling us to a lifetime of faithfulness as a married person and a parent, a single person, a woman/man religious, a priest, a deacon! May we, in cooperation with the Spirit at work within us, embrace a life of sacrificial love in which we leave the past behind and forge a future with Him and for Him and through Him.  

"Rouse your power, and come to save us" (Psalm 80)

 In today's first reading, Isaiah 63: 16b-17, 19b,; 64: 2-7, the prophet Isaiah asks God why He allows us to "wander from [His] ways,  and harden our hearts so that we [no longer] fear you"?  As we wander away from God, Isaiah says that "our good deeds are like polluted rags". We have become "like unclean people."   "[W]e have all withered like leaves, and our guilt carries us away like the wind. There is none who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to cling to you; for you have hidden  your face from us and have delivered us up to our guilt.  Yet, O Lord, you are our father; we are the clay and you the potter: we are all the work of your hands."

Each of us is an unique masterpiece of the Divine Potter. We belong to Him! And, in no way, is God going to abandon us, though God will allow us to wander away from Him. He is watching! He waits for the moment when we realize that we have departed from the right path. He waits for the moment when we realize that we have become like  "polluted rags"  in need of cleansing, purifying, restoring in the winepress of Jesus' blood and reconciled to God in the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist, in which we are fed with  Jesus' body, blood, soul and divinity! In those sacraments, in the Holy Scriptures, in repentant and humble prayer--personal, communal or liturgical--we are cleansed, brought back to the Lord, aroused to cling to the Lord, delivered from our guilt!

St. Paul, in today's second reading, 1 Cor 1: 3-9, says, on our behalf, "I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are  not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of Our Lord Jesus Christ."  What a restoration in Christ Jesus, through the outpouring of Jesus' blood upon the cross to redeem us from our wayward ways, our wandering away from the right path, our being carried away by the wind into pits set up for us by Satan! Our Father/Mother God would have none of it! We belong to Him/Her, the Holy Almighty One!

Hoping in the Lord and Waiting upon the Lord to Come and Save Us

 In today's first reading, Revelations 22: 1-7, St. John is again visited by an angel. The angel shows John "the river of life-giving water, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of the Lamb down the middle of the street. On either side of the river grew the tree of life that produced fruit twelve times a year, ....[In this place] nothing accursed will be found anymore. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship hm....Night will be no more,... for the Lord God shall give them light, and they shall reign forever and ever."  The angel then tells John that "Behold, I am coming soon."   In today's Gospel, Jesus also speaks of  the day of the Lord's coming and says to us:  "Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth."   

An assault is scary. Darkness can be frightening! Neither a sudden assault nor sudden darkness are situations for which we are usually prepared.  We know, in faith, that on the other side of persecution or traumatic events that lead to death is eternal life.  Sufferings on this earth are not forever! That is how Jesus entered his passion and crucifixion. He believed in the resurrection, in God's power over death and He kept His focus on His Father!

Every day,  somewhere in the world, individuals face the threat of violence--be it violence from other nations, the violence of a terminal illness, the violence of being persecuted for one's beliefs, the violence of rape, the violence of the loss of a loved one, the violence of a divorce, the violence of losing a parent or a son or daughter or a sibling or a friend, the violence of losing a job--the source of one's livelihood--the violence of being driven from one's homeland, the violence of extreme poverty, the violence of nature's raging storms,  and so on!

"Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus,! we pray in today's responsorial psalm. And in today's first reading, God responds:  "Behold, I am coming soon!"  May we never lose that hope! 

The Battle between Good and Evil: The Good Triumphs

Today's first reading, Rev 20: 1-4, 11-21:2, St. John has a vision in which he sees an angel coming down from heaven," holding in his hand the key to the abyss and a heavy chain." He sees this angel seizing "the dragon, the ancient serpent, which is the Devil or Satan."   Satan is tied up and thrown into the abyss and is no longer able to "lead [nations] astray."  He also sees saints in heaven "who had not worshiped the beast [Satan] or its image nor had accepted [Satan's] mark on their foreheads or hands. They came to live and they reigned with Christ..."   St. John  also has a vision of "the dead, the great and the lowly, standing before the throne [of God], and scrolls were opened," one of which is the book of life. Each person was judged "according to their deeds....Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the pool of fire," a second death. Following these aspects of the vision, John "saw a new heaven and a new earth..." He "also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."

What a description of the acts of redemption: Satan is locked up so to speak. And is so to this very day. Satan may be roaming the earth looking for someone to devour but, so, too, is Christ roaming this earth, protecting us from Satan's snares, from Satan's lies and corrupt ways, as the Devil endlessly attempts to lure us away from that which is right and pure and holy and sacred!   The Strong One, the Cosmic Christ, the Holy One, our Redeemer, a Warrior God is on our sides! God is at work, here and now, making all things new, forging a new heaven and a new earth.  "The former heaven and the former earth," St. John tells us in this passage from Revelation, has "passed away, and the sea [is] no more."

May we have eyes--eyes of faith, that is--to see God at work in our world battling Satan. God will win! Satan will lose, whether that is in our individual lives, the lives of our community, family or nation!

Today Salvation Has Come to Us!

 In today's Gospel, Luke 19-10, Jesus is entering Jericho. Zacchaeus, a tax collector, a wealthy man and a cheater, is eager to see Jesus but, given his short stature and the size of the crowd, there is no way that he can accomplish that by staying on the ground. He decides to climb a sycamore tree in the area and watch for Jesus. Jesus is also looking for Zacchaeus,  knows where Zacchaeus is, looks up into the tree and says: "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house."   Zacchaeus immediately comes down from the tree and, without hesitation, says to Jesus: "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone, I shall repay it four times over" and Jesus answers him: "Today salvation has come to this house."  Jesus receives Zacchaeus with joy. The crowd is furious.  Does Jesus not know who this guy is? A tax collector? an extortioner? An unjust man who has built his wealth by stealing from the people, overcharging them? How can he go and "stay at the house of a sinner?" they ask. In response to their objections, Jesus says:  "...[T]he Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."

What a story! It is your story and mine!  We, too, are looking for Jesus and, more importantly, Jesus is looking for us! We are persons in need of salvation always! We may not be extortioners. We may not have built out wealth in dishonest ways. We may not be as corrupt as this tax collector was! But, still, we have, from time to time, intentionally or unintentionally, sinned against another or other people. And we certainly have sinned against God, choosing our will over His, rejecting His redemptive plans for our lives. There have,  no doubt, been times throughout our lives when we have been angry at God for the the difficulties we've encountered, the tragedies that  suddenly crashed into our lives, or the  various losses we have endured.  Jesus is saying to you, to me in whichever "tree" we are perched in our search for Jesus:  " (Your name/my name), come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house...[I have] come to save what was lost." 

Will you/will I come down quickly and, like Zacchaeus, immediately express our willingness to make amends? Or will we make excuses? Will we, in fact, stay up in our "trees," too proud to admit any wrongdoing? 

Let us "come down quickly, for today," Jesus says to us, "I must stay at your house."

What do you want of Jesus?

 In today's gospel, Luke 18: 35-43, a blind man is sitting by the roadside.  He hears a big commotion and asked what is going on. He is told that Jesus of Nazareth is passing by. The blind man yells out: "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me."  The crowd is annoyed and tells the blind man to shut up!  The more they rebuke him, the more he screams: "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!"  He gets Jesus' attention. Jesus stops and asks that the blind man be brought to him. When he approaches Jesus, Jesus asks him: "What do  you want me to do for you?"  And the blind man says: ""Lord, please let me see." Jesus replies:  "Have sight; your faith has saved you."   Immediately, the man can see and begins glorifying God. The crowd, as well, praises God.

Who am I in this story? The man who is physically blind? A person who is spiritually blind?  A member of the crowd who finds the blind man so annoying that I want to shut him up? A member of the crowd who is so embarrassed by the handicapped man that I want  him silenced? Am I someone who is closely following Jesus, wanting to hear His every word and touch the hem of His garment, so as to be healed? Am I Jesus, one who wants the blind and the lame and the crippled person to be healed, respected and given the assistance he/she needs?

And finally, what do I want of Jesus?

Bringing Good into Life All of Our Days

 In today's first reading, Proverbs 31: 10-13, 19-20, 30-31, the author of this texts speaks about one who finds a worthy wife: "her value is far beyond pearls. Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize. She brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life."    And the same can be said of a wife in finding a worthy husband: his "value is [also]  far beyond pearls."  In entrusting her heart to him, she has found "an unfailing prize," one who  "brings[her] good, and not evil, all the days of [his] life."  In both cases, "[c]harm is deceptive and beauty fleeting: the woman  [and the man] who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give [both] a reward for [their] labors, and let  [their ] works praise [them] at the city gates."

In today's world, we are bombarded with examples of persons who could be characterized as opposites of the persons described in this passage from Proverbs.   The important thing, though, is that we listen to the Spirit speaking to us personally in this passage.  Each of us, in Christ Jesus and created in the image of God, is a person whose "value is beyond pearls," beyond diamonds, in fact.  Each of us, through the Spirit within us, through God at work through us, is able to bring good into other people's lives, "and not evil, all the days of our lives!" Good has also been brought into our lives by others, as well! All of us are here on earth for one reason: to bring good to others with whom were live and pray and play! As we pray in the Collect of today's liturgy, it is "full and lasting happiness to serve with constancy the author of all that is good."

Faithfulness

 In today's first reading, 3 John: 5-8, St. John affirms those who are faithful in all that they do for others, especially "for strangers."  He encourages them to continue helping  others in ways "worthy of God to continue their journey."   Why?   Because  "they have set out for the sake  of the Name [Jesus' Name] and are accepting nothing from the pagans." Support them John says, "so that we may be co-workers in the truth."

I ask the Lord for the graces I need to grow in faithfulness:

• To my vows as a woman religious
• To my love of the Church and what it asks of me
• To the Sacred Scriptures
• To the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the little things of each day whereby Jesus' Name is praised
• To growing in holiness
• To growing in compassion for others and myself
• To growing in patience with others and with myself
• To helping others in ways "worthy of God to continue their journey"  to their eternal home
• To growing in honesty with others and myself

I asked myself what I need from others in order to remain faithful and the answer within me was: I need love, understanding, forgiveness, encouragement, truth and patience.  Others need those same gifts from me.

Water Flowing from the Temple of God, Which Each Is

 In today's first reading, Ez 47: 1-2, 8-9, 12, Ezekiel is brought to the entrance of the temple and to various other entrances. He sees water flowing out from the temple and is told:  "This water...empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh. Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh. Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine."

In today's Gospel, John 2:13-22, Jesus cleanses the temple from those who were using it as a place to sell their products. Jesus, seeing this abuse of the temple,  "made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, 'Take these out of here, and stop making my Father's house a marketplace.'"  The people challenged Jesus and asked Him: "What sign can you show us for doing this?" Jesus says to them in response: "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up."  The people thought that they had destroyed Jesus on the cross. But death had no power over Him and three days later He rose from the dead.

On the cross water flow from Jesus' Body, the Temple of God! It is from the water flowing from Jesus' side that we are cleansed, refreshed, restored to health, empowered to bear fruit that will last.  Every day, we have the opportunity to receive the Eucharist, Jesus' body and blood, soul and divinity,  the living Christ and thus our "leaves shall not fade, nor [our] fruit fail...[Our] fruit shall serve for food, and [our] leaves for medicine!"

Truly, everything is of God, for God and exists through God: the water flowing from the temple to which the angel brought Ezekiel, the water we drink every day, the water in our oceans, lakes, rivers; the water in the atmosphere, the water in our very bodies! God/the Cosmic Christ is in all! It is God in us who is the Source by which we are able to restore life, refresh life, heal life in another or within ourselves. It is the Cosmic Christ in us who provides "food" for the journey of faith, who enables us to bear fruit, fruit that will last!

Today's Magnificat!

 Today,  given all that has taken place in the U.S over the past few days, we might pray the following prayer:  

Our souls proclaim Your greatness, O God!

 You have looked with favor upon us, your lowly servants! 

 From this day, we rejoice because You, O God, have done great things for us.

 You have shown the strength of Your arm.

You have scattered the proud in their conceit. 

You have cast down the mighty from their thrones and have lifted up the lowly.

 You have filled those hungering for truth and justice, compassion and integrity with good things.

The rich You have sent away empty. 

You have come to the help of those seeking goodness, justice and humble service; of those wanting leaders who are concerned for all people and are committed to the common good. 

You have remembered Your promise of mercy, the promise You made to our ancestors--our forefathers and foremothers-- forever! 

Thank You from the bottom of our hearts!

Learning How to Live in Humble Circumstances!

 In today's first reading, Philippians 4:10-19, St. Paul shares his secret with them of how to survive in any circumstance of life:  "...I have learned, in whatever situation I find myself, to be self-sufficient. I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances; I know also  how to live with abundance. In every circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need. I have the strength for everything through  him who empowers me. Still, it is kind of you to share in my distress."  He also thanks them for being generous with him in the ways that they have shared in his distress, promising them that his  "God will fully supply whatever you need, in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

We certainly are living in stressful times right now as the coronavirus rages in our country and around the world. Many of us have lost loved ones or have, ourselves, contracted the disease. Persons living in assisted living facilities or nursing homes, in most cases, are separated from their loved ones. Family members and friends, in most cases, are not allowed to visit. In the facility itself, residents often find themselves quarantined to their rooms! 

The question we face is:  In what ways are you, am I, relying on God to "fully supply whatever [you or I] need, in accord with [God's] glorious riches in Christ Jesus" to take responsibility for our lives and the lives of others, to the extent that we are able.  St. Paul became self-sufficient in times of scarcity and need. What are you/am I, doing to care for ourselves and others, trusting that God will give us the strength we need to step up to the plate, so to speak!  In times of restriction on our moving about and doing what we normally would do, it is easy to fall into the pit of self-pity and complaining, blaming others for difficulties we might be experiencing instead of engaging in behaviors and attitudes that promote fullness of life for ourselves each day and enhances the lives of those with whom we live!  During this time, may we learn "the secret of being well fed and of going hungry"--hungry for a previous normal, perhaps--"of  living in abundance and of being in need."

Living in abundance, while quarantined, could be achieved by making choices that bring life to others and to oneself:  living a reflective life, that is, taking more time for prayer--personal, communal, liturgical--engaging in spiritual reading and journaling, enjoying creative activities that utilize skills we have developed through a lifetime. Abundant life could also be attained by calling family and friends and community members; responding to correspondence, and, at times,  participating in activities that another suggests for us to relieve stress and build relationships!

All Souls' Day: May our Deceased Loved One Rest in Peace!

Today we celebrate the Feast of All Souls and, rightly so, today's first reading, Wisdom 3: 1-9, speaks about our deceased loved ones.  The author of Wisdom reminds us that they "are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them."  What consolation for all of us left behind! Whatever hardships they endured here on earth, they are now enjoying the peace of the Lord in the land of peace, heaven itself. And we are grateful to the Lord for that!

 We may think of "their passing away [as] an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace." They left us with a heart of "hope full of immortality."    I think of my mother who suffered from years of cancer.  Her leaving young children without a mother certainly seemed like "utter destruction,"  a harsh, cruel fate for a wonderful woman! But cancer or disease of any kind has no feelings, just a way to strangle life out of its victims!  Any kind of death may seem cruel for those left behind but it certainly brings relief to those ravaged by a painful illness.  I pray that God's mercy, love and strength take possession, though,  of each member of a family suffering the loss of a loved one!

The author of Wisdom goes on to say that our loved ones may have seemed to have been "chastised a little,"  but are now,  "greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself."  I thank God for His generous blessings pour out upon our loved ones who, truly, have been "found worthy of himself."  May they rest in peace!

Sealed as God's Servants!

 In today's first reading, Revelation 7: 2-4, 9-14, John has a vision of an "angel...from the East, holding the seal of the loving God."  This angel cried out in a loud voice to four other angels who were given authority  "to damage the land the the sea...Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God."  Are you, am I, serving God? Are we God's faithful servants or have we abandoned God to serve another who pretends to be God and is jealous of God and of those who are faith to the Lord!  This one does everything possible to lead people astray!  Have you, have I, been led astray? Are we serving wealth/money, material things, consumerism, hedonism, or any other God substitute?

Desiring the Magnification of Christ

 In today's first reading, Philippians 1: 18b-26, St. Paul's states that he rejoices as long as Christ is being proclaimed, whether that proclamation is genuine or in pretense.  For Paul and for all of us, Christ is our deliverance.  Paul's "eager expectation and hope is that [he] shall not be put to shame in any way, but that with all boldness, now as always, Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death."  That is, I pray, your hope and mine as well.  Living from this kind of faith can be a challenge, especially when we seem to be dealing with "death" to our heartfelt desires, when a loved one is at the door of eternity and we are being asked to let go, when forces of evil seems to be  thriving and forces of good retrieving from the nation.  

Whatever kind of death we may be facing, bodily death or the death of our hopes for our nation, our families, our community,  or for another human being or for ourselves, may we, as with St. Paul in his day, "continue in the service of [others] for [their] progress and joy in the faith, so that...boasting in Christ Jesus may abound on account [of us]..."

God Is Doing a Good Work in Us

 In today's first reading, Philippians 1: 1-11, St. Paul reminds us that "the one who began a good work in [us] will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus! He then tells us that he is praying for us   "that [our] love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that  [we] may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of  righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God."

What is the good work that God has begun in us at our baptisms? In baptism we were clothed with righteousness and wrapped in a mantle of justice!  God continues that work of salvation, transforming us into the person of Christ day by day! Moment by moment, we grow in "knowledge and every kind of perception," and make progress in developing the gift "to discern what is of value!"  Because of Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection from the dead for our sakes, we already stand before God  "pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God."  However, we are growing into that state of righteousness! We are in the process of becoming "pure and blameless for the day of Christ!"

The process is not an easy one, as it involves going to Calvary, dying, as it were! Dying in what way? Dying  to selfishness and sin, to our own will and submitting to God's will. That submission involves living the Gospel in a radical way, submitting our wills to the will of others here on earth. Our ego does not want to do that and will resist such submission, having a tantrum, if you will, like a toddler!

I am reminded, as friends and fellow Sisters submit to "Sister Death," in the words of our holy father, St. Francis of Assisi, of this kind of submission! As we approach death, we become totally dependent on caregivers to do everything for us that, when well, we could do for ourselves. God nails us, if you will, to the cross of dying and then raises us with Him! We can practice "dying" ahead of time by letting go of doing it "my way", letting others do for us what we are capable of doing for ourselves!

The Kingdom of God Is Like a Mustard Seed Growing to Full Stature

 In today's Gospel, Luke 13: 18-21, Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed that a person plants in one's garden. When the seed is was fully grown, it becomes a large bush in which birds are able to take shelter. The Kingdom of God, I believe,  is Love.  A little bit of love grows into a lots of love: marriage love, love between parents and their children, between siblings, between friends. Marriage love expands into parents bringing children into the world, nurturing, sheltering, enabling and affirming their growth. Love provides children with the solid foundation upon which to become their own person, choose independence and develop interdependence. In married love, a husband and wife's love and respect for one another leads then to become mutually submissive to one another. In that growing love for one another, they become one person, reflecting Christ's love for the church and Christ being one with us and loving us unconditionally.

In the responsorial psalm, Psalm 128, of today's liturgy, we pray:  "Blessed are those who fear [reverence] the Lord, who walk in his ways! For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; blessed shall you be, and favored. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your home; your children like olive plants around your table. Behold, thus is the man blessed who [reverences] the Lord. The Lord bless you from Zion: may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life."   We could reflect upon  this whole psalm in terms of marriage.  It might then read: "Blessed are those in marriage who reverence one another, who walk in each other's ways of righteousness! For you shall enjoy the fruit of your handiwork; blessed shall you be, and favored. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your home; your children like olive plants around your table. Behold, thus is the man  and woman blessed who [reverence] each other. The Lord bless you;  may you experience prosperity in its various forms all the days of your life."

Above all, may love prosper in our lives--Christ's love and our own love for our spouses, family and community members!

Following the Light and being a Light to Others Today

 In today's responsorial psalm, we pray: "Blessed the [one] who follows not the counsel of the wicked nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, but delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on his law day and night."

For all of us, there are times when we encounter wickedness within ourselves;  that is, we may be deceitful, impure, immoral, obscene, idolatrous, envious, jealous, greedy, selfish, slothful, lustful, covetous, imprudent, impious, judgmental, unforgiving, uncaring, unkind and whatever other sinful ways the devil dreams up!  On the other hand,  we will also encounter and act out of the sacred within us: humility, compassion, mercy, gratitude, purity, altruism, self-sacrificing love,  patience, prudence, forgiveness, truthfulness and so much more originating from the spirit within us.

St. Paul emphatically says to us: "You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light!"   May  you and I live in the light today, being light to others and experiencing others as light as well!  May we let the light of the Spirit shine through us by the good we choose this day, by our "thank you's," by our being receptive to the help others offer us this day, and/or by our reaching out to our loved ones, our friends, our neighbors by phone or by a note sent out in the mail this day.

Several Faces of God: A Tender God, a Merciful God, a Loving God, and a Protective God

 In today's first reading, Exodus 22: 20-26, God is shown to us as one who cares about the way that we treat our neighbor, especially orphaned children, widows and aliens! God asks that the people be cognizant of orphans and widows, as they are most in need of being cared for. If you hurt them, God says,  my "wrath will flare up, and I will kill  you with the sword; then your own wives will be widows, and your children orphans." And finally, in this same passage, God says to the people: If you borrow a cloak from someone, return it at night because that is all the person has to sleep in and do not charge that person interest for using it.

We are presented an image of God, who, like a lioness with its cubs, will, in no way, tolerate the wicked, the deceitful, the narcissistic, greedy person treating children or widows or anyone in need with disdain, neglect or abuse, harming them in any way. We are shown a tender God, who is concerned that a person has coverings at night so as to stay warm during sleep!  Jesus shows us God's tenderness in His healing of the sick, casting out demons, raising the dead to life, feeding thousands so they would not faint on the way home from hours clinging to His every word, and rebuking the disciples who wanted him to get rid of the children and stop letting them bother Him!  Jesus showed us a merciful God in His forgiving those who sinned, such as the woman caught in adultery and those wanting her stoned to death, the good thief on the cross, Peter in his denials, John and James wanting first places in His Kingdom, disciples who wanted to exclude those who were  not Jesus' followers but were healing the sick and casting out demons and so on!

 May you and I imitate God in his tenderness, his protectiveness of "orphans" and "widows," and his determination to hold the wicked accountable for their crimes against humanity, not enabling their wicked ways by making excuses for them and applauding their ways. May we also be tender toward ourselves, protect and keep ourselves safe, and hold ourselves accountable for the sins we commit, not making excuses for ourselves or applauding our bad behaviors.

Growing into Christ Jesus!

 In today's first reading, Ephesians 4: 7-16, St. Paul reminds us that "grace [has been] given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift,...that he...descended...[and] ascended...that he might fill all things...[H]e gave some as Apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,"  [and so on,] "to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry"--whatever ministry to which each of us has been called-- for building up the Body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood/ [womanhhood] to the extent of the full stature of  Christ,....[that] living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ...."

Grow to full stature in Christ Jesus! Become mature men and women, that is become Christ, be Christ, through Christ and for Christ!  Nothing less! Nothing short of attaining that goal. We are called to live the truth of who we really are in this world!  Jesus is not the exception of who each man/woman is but, on the other hand,  the example of who each of us is in Christ, through Christ and for Christ.  In Ephesians 4: 1-6, Paul says to us: "...live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace; one Body and one Spirit...." That Body is the Body of Christ!

In 2 Cor 5: 21, St. Paul reminds us that for "our sakes God made Jesus who did not know sin, to be sin, so that in him we might become the very holiness of God, "  that is the Body of Christ, Christ Himself!  That is why St. Paul said of Himself: It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.  

The Earth Is Full of the Goodness of God

 In today's responsorial psalm, Psalm 33, we praise the Lord for the fact that the "earth is full of the goodness of the Lord." God's goodness resides within every human being, within each of us.   We see God's goodness manifested by parents, grandparents, husbands and wives, by children of all ages,  by persons in all professions--lawyers, police officers, scientists of all kinds, psychologists and psychiatrists, journalists, musicians, meteorologists, geologists, foresters, administrators, domestic workers, constructionists, mechanics of all kinds, authors in all fields, and so much more!  We see the goodness of the Lord in all states of life: marriage, single, priesthood, consecrated religious life of women and men. God's goodness is manifested in the universe itself, in plant life and animal life, in the fishes of the sea and birds of the air and all insects, in all minerals, molecules and atoms; in short, in all of creation!

In your life and my life, in the life of all of creation,  "the plan of the Lord stands forever; the design of his heart, through all generations."  What is that plan? That plan, I believe, is that we experience the fullness of life that we are capable of experiencing and of bringing about to the best of our ability. Jesus says to us in the Gospel: I have come that you might have life and have it to the full!  A "full"  life, for me,  is a life in which I discern and accomplish God's will for me, that I grow in love for others, God and self. A "full" life for me means  making life better for those with whom I live and work, developing the talents God has given me and using those talents to make the world a better place.  Living life to the full, for me, means fully enjoying all of creation and co-creating with God, using the opportunities God gives me to bring fuller life to others!  It means accomplishing "far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power at work within us" (Eph 3: 21).  It means experiencing being  "strengthened with power through [God's] Spirit in [my] inner self, " and knowing, beyond a doubt, "that Christ [dwells] in [my] heart through faith; that [I am] rooted and ground in love" (Eph 3: 14-21).

God's Indwelling in the Core of our Being

 In today's first reading, Ephesians 2: 12-22, St. Paul speaks about being strangers to the two covenants. We might think of those two covenants as the one given on Mt. Sinai and the other given on Calvary in Jesus' death and resurrection! As with the Jewish people, there was a time when you and I were alienated from the community of faith, times when we were strangers to the Body of Christ, persons, in the words of Paul, "without hope and without God."  Now, in Christ Jesus, we are of one mind and heart and soul; we partake of the One Bread and the One Cup of Jesus' body and blood, soul and divinity in the Holy Eucharist. We share the one faith, faith in the Lord Jesus. 

"So then," St. Paul  says to the Ephesians and to us, "we are no longer strangers and sojourners, but we are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the  foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him, you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit."

You and I are growing into a sacred temple where God in the Spirit dwells! That person  whom, perhaps, you or I, have a difficult time loving, is growing into God's sacred temple just as  you and I are.   In the deepest core of that person's being and our own, God has taken up a residence! We say that we live and move and have our being in God. The truth is, also, that God lives and moves and has His being in us!  In our true selves, we are one with God and God  is one with us! We are not strangers to God or God to us!

So why, do we ask, do we at times feel like strangers to one another? Is it that we are not perceiving persons from a faith perspective  or living life based on the faith handed on to us at our baptisms? Have we, perhaps, alienated ourselves from God, choosing God substitutes--our work, pleasure, power, prestige, wealth, technology, relationships, sex--as distractions from using our time to grow in our relationship with God and in a committed relationship with our marriage partner and family or community members? Have we neglected making choices that nurture our spirit self and that of others?

Armed by God to Serve God and God Alone!

Today's Scriptures are filled with awesome messages and come to us "in power and in the Holy Spirit" (1 Thes 1:5b).  In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah reminds us that we "are called...by...name, [given] a title, though [we] knew [God] not."  Through Isaiah, God says to us: "I am the Lord and there is no other, there is no God besides me. It is I who arm you, though you know me not, so that toward the rising and the setting of the sun people may know that there is none besides me. I am the Lord, there is no other."

"I...arm you,"  to resist Satan, to fight against him!  "I...arm you" against temptation to sin against Me, your God. "I...arm you" against the coronavirus though others around you have contracted the disease! "I...arm you"  against the temptation to abandon your faith and trust in Me, your Creator, Redeemer and Savior God.  "I...arm you" against giving up on yourself and your ability to stand strong in your service to others day in and day out, especially your service to those who are cognitively impaired, mentally ill, intellectually challenged, physically handicapped and/or terminally ill!  "I...arm you"  to stand with the truth, to discern untruths, half truths and downright lies.  "I am the Lord, there is no other."

In the responsorial psalm of today's liturgy, Psalm 96, we pray:  ...[G]reat is the Lord and highly to be praised; awesome is he, beyond all gods. For all the gods of the nations (power, wealth, material things, pleasure, sex, control over others, self-idolatry)  are things of nought, but the Lord, made the heavens. Give to the Lord, you families of nations, give to the Lord glory and praise, give to the Lord the glory due his name! Brings gifts, and enter his courts. Worship the Lord, in holy attire (in grace--faith, hope and love; in repentance, purity and humility); tremble before him, all the earth; say among the nations: The Lord is king (there is no other), he  (and no one else) governs the people with equity."

In the Gospel, Jesus challenges us to give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God. Let's not cheat God of what belongs to God--our love, our faith, our trust, our repentance, our service to others, especially to the poor and needy!

Created for "the Praise of God's Glory"

In today's first reading, Ephesians 1: 11-14, we are reminded of the purpose for which we were created, namely "for the praise of [God's] glory."  Without exception, we exist to praise, to reveal, to point to and to experience God's glory! Obviously, we praise God by the good works we do or, more accurately,  allow God to do through us. We are the hands, the feet, the mouth, the heart of God in this world, going about our work of praising, being and experiencing the glory of God in our fellow men and women who exist for the same exalted reason!  It is, not only in each other, but also in the universe that we experience God's glory. Each sunrise and sunset reflect God's glory. The incredible fall colors manifest how glorious our God is! Each season brings forth God's awesome beauty!

In today's responsorial psalm, Psalm 33,  the psalmist tells us that the earth is full of the kindness of the Lord. You and I are God's kindness.  We exist because of the kindness of the Lord and to reveal God's kindness to all persons! Furthermore, as Paul tells  us in the first reading, we have been chosen for God's own inheritance. Just as parents are proud of the inheritance that they are able to give their children, so, too, is God proud to give each one of us to our parents, to each other, to the world itself  as His inheritance--an inheritance ransomed from Satan by Jesus' death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead!  God is delighted to give us to our parents as royalty, clothed in a robe of salvation, crowned with a crown of  righteousness, and with a banner of love over us, shielding us from the "burning heat" that we will encounter during our sojourn here on earth!

Truly, God is proud of His creation of us, His redemption of us and His gift of us to the world in which we exist "for the praise of God's glory!"

Every Spiritual Blessing in the Heavens

 Today's first reading, Ephesians 1: 1-10, is filled with praise and gratitude to our God for the following: 

• For giving us "every spiritual blessing in the heavens"
• For choosing us, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him"
• For destining "us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ"
• For destining us " for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved, [Christ]"
• For the gift of  "redemption by His Blood"
• For the gift of "the forgiveness of transgressions"
• For "the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us"
• For making "known to us the mystery of his will in accord with his favor that he set forth in him as a plan for the fullness of times, to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth."

Wow! Every spiritual blessing in the heaven!  Every! Not just some!  And then St. Paul enumerates those spiritual blessings: holiness, adoption, redemption, forgiveness, grace and much more!  What else do we need? Nothing, in my mind! Notice that God does not say to us: "Would you like?" God gives all of these blessings to us out of His love, His generosity, His mercy, His compassion! God is a Generous Giver, a God who loves us infinitely and showers infinite mercy upon us day in and day out, whether we are deserving or undeserving, worthy or unworthy and especially when we are undeserving and unworthy!  

Horizontal and Vertical Relationships and the Fruits of the Spirit

 In today's first reading, Galatians 5: 18-25, St. Paul identifies the works of the flesh as being:  "immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies and the like."  The fruits of the spirit, on the other hand, are "joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."   The fruits of the spirit are gifts that come to us in our reaching out to persons in need, that is, when we assist others in lifting their burdens and when we love our neighbor as we love ourselves and God. Growing in love of neighbor is growing in love with our Creator God and vice versa!  It is relating horizontally and vertically.  Where the horizontal and vertical lines meet a cross is formed and the fruits of the Holy Spirit are poured forth in our souls!  

Those who do not reach up vertically to God on a regular basis are extremely vulnerable to engaging in works of the flesh: "immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies and the like."  Those who engage in these behaviors of lawlessness alienate themselves from God and from their fellow human beings!

How strong is my relationship with God? to what extent am I developing intimacy with the Lord? And, as important, am I growing in love with my fellow human beings?  

"NO Sign Will Be Given...Except the Sign of Jonah" (Luke 11: 29)

 In today's first reading Galatians 4: 22-24, 26-27, 31-5:1, St. Paul speaks about two kinds of births: natural and spiritual, of the flesh and through faith in God, in Christ Jesus! We could speak about having a natural mother and a spiritual mother, being born of the law and being born of the Spirit! The law binds us, enslaves us, condemns us; the spirit sets us free. In St. Paul's words: "For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery."

In the Gospel of today, Luke 11: 29-32, Jesus confronts the crowd that is asking him for signs. Jesus had already healed many people, raised the dead to life, cast out demons and fed thousands from a few loaves of bread and a few fish. So why continue to beg for signs? They were doing so out of malicious suspicions and stubbornness, wanting information about who He really was. If He claimed to be God, then they could accuse Him, from their perspective, of blasphemy and that would validate their desire to put Him to death. Knowing their motivations, Jesus says of them:   "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.  Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation...At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn  it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here."

In  Matthew 16:13-17, Jesus Himself asks His disciples: "Who do  people say the Son of Man is? And they said, 'Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' 'But you,' he said, 'who do you say I am?' Then Simon Peter spoke  up, 'You are the Christ,...the Son of God.'"

Jesus asks you and me that same question!  Are we ready to respond or are we still looking for signs or, on the other hand, are we still taunting those whose faith in Christ Jesus is unshakable?

Invited to the Banquet: To the Eucharist, to Sit at Jesus' Feet, to Follow Jesus' Way

 In today's first reading, Isaiah 25: 6-10a, Isaiah prophesizes about the heavenly banquet to which all are invited:  "On this mountain the Lord of host will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines. On this mountain he will destroy the veil  [the masks] that veils [the masks] all peoples, the web [Covid-19] that is woven over all nations; he will destroy death forever. The Lord will wipe away the tears from every face; the reproach of his people he will remove from the  whole earth; for the Lord has spoken."  The prophet is speaking of the heavenly banquet to which all of us are called once we leave this earthly life. This banquet now is the Eucharist, which we celebrate at every Catholic Mass.

In today's Gospel, Matthew 22: 1-10, Jesus shares the following parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. A second time he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those invited: 'Behold, I  have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are filled, and everything is ready; come to the feast.' Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to the business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them and killed them."

The king is the heavenly Father. The Son is Jesus! We are the invited guests!  What excuse do we make when invited to the feast, to dine with Jesus, to sit at His feet and listen to His words, His teachings, and to follow His Way?  Are we too busy? Busy with what? What prompts us to ignore the invitation? And do we, God forbid, beat the persons inviting us? Do we kill them? Put them in cages? Throw them out of our presence? Berate them? Encourage others to harm them in some way?

Our Identity as Believers in Christ Jesus

 In today's first reading, Galatians 3: 22-29, St. Paul reminds us that there was a time when "Scripture confined all things under the power of sin, that through faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe."   He goes on to explain:  "Before faith came, we were held in custody under law, confined for the faith that was to be revealed....[T]he law," he says, "was our disciplinarian for Christ, that we might be justified by faith."  And  "now that faith has come, we are no longer under a disciplinarian. For through faith [we] are all children of God in Christ Jesus."  As children of God, Paul says, there "is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free persons, there is not male and female; for you are one in Christ Jesus,...heirs according to the promise."

WOW! We are no longer slaves of Satan, of sin! We are slaves of Christ Jesus, of holiness, truthfulness, integrity, humility, honor, mercy, compassion, self-sacrificing love! We are one with Christ Jesus, having put on Christ Jesus in our baptism, having been clothed with a mantle of justice, a robe of righteousness. In our baptism, we died to sin and rose with Christ!  As one with Christ, there are no distinctions among us: there is neither male nor female, neither Jew nor Greek (Gentile), neither slave nor free persons. All are one in Christ Jesus, beyond labels. No one is greater than the other, more qualified than another, better than another, smarter than another, more worthy than another. We are ONE in Christ Jesus!

May each of us, Lord, become more and more aware of our unity, our oneness in You--our Redeemer, our Master, our God--and with Mary, Your Mother and ours. May we rejoice in who we are in You, through You and with You and for You!  May all divisions cease!

God's Mercy and Graciousness

 In today's first reading, Galatians 3: 7-14, St. Paul challenges the people concerning their beliefs, namely that they are saved by their observance of the law. Not true!  We are saved by our faith in Christ Jesus. The law condemns! Jesus saves!  "For all,"  St. Paul tells  us, "who depend on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, Cursed be everyone who does not persevere in doing all the things written in the book of the law.  And that no one is justified before God by the law is clear, for the one who is righteous by faith will live, [as did Abraham]. But the law does not depend on faith; rather, the one who does these things will live by them.  Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written. Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree."

God's love for us is unconditional and so, too, is the gift of salvation. You and I do not earn salvation or God's love. It is freely given out of God's incredible and infinite love for us, a love for us before we were even born!

Many of us, perhaps, grew up with being told that God was watching our every deed, meaning that He kept track of our wrongdoing and would hold such against us! Being "good," that is always being obedient, truthful, caring, loving and forgiving--keeping all of the commandments to the letter of the law--was the only way God would love us, it seems was the message some of us received as children! We would, in short, be denied heaven by our misdeeds and God would not, in any way, love us when we did wrong! Yes, many of us may have been taught, inadvertently, that God's love had conditions!  Not true! 

Lord, open our eyes and hearts to know your unconditional love, a love that led you to being hung on the tree of the cross, "that the blessing of Abraham [his faith] might be extended to the Gentiles--[to us]-- through Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith"  and know God's "wondrous deeds [and how] gracious and merciful is the Lord" (Psalm 111)--a graciousness and mercy  not dependent on our good deeds!  I ask this in Jesus' name!

Persistency in Prayer

 In today's Gospel, Luke 11: 5-13, Jesus shares the following story with his disciples: A man approaches his friend in the middle of the night asking for a loaf of bread. His fried refuses, saying that he and his children are in bed. It's kind of like saying: "Stop bothering me. It is midnight! You expect me to get up, disturb my children, to give you a loaf of bread. Go away!" Jesus suggests, though, that if the friend persists, the friend will, because of his persistence, get up and give him what he needs. Jesus then asks us to be persistent in our requests of the Father, as well: "...[A]sk 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."   Jesus then asks his disciples: "What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand  him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good  gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"

God doesn't/won't ever say to us: "Stop bothering me! It's midnight! For heaven's sake, let me sleep!" It may seem as though God is asleep. And if it seems that way, Jesus says: "Keep bothering His Father and ours! Be persistent!"  Jesus also reminds us of who God is in relationship to us: "If we know how to give good things to those who ask, wouldn't God be far more likely to do so?  Furthermore, Jesus reminds us that His Father, and ours, certainly will be kind in responding to our needs and not give us something that is dangerous to our well-being,   "What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?" Our requests will certainly be answered with the good that we need. And at times, we have to live with the mystery of not knowing why our prayer was not answered as we would have liked. Our response then: surrendering to God's will in faith!

The "Our Father"

 In today's Gospel, Luke 11: 1-4, the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray, just as John taught his disciples of pray.  Jesus teaches them to address God as Father, Abba, Daddy!  He wants them to go to God as they would go to their Abba/Daddy and to respect God, saying "Hallowed be your name"  and to desire that God's  Kingdom come upon the earth--a Kingdom of love and justice, a Kingdom of peace and safety, a Kingdom of glory and honor.  Jesus also wants us to ask for what we need on a daily basis: "Give us this day our daily bread"--realizing that, as small children depend upon their Abbbas/their Daddys,  for daily food, so, too, do we depend upon God for such.   Furthermore, Jesus says, ask for God's forgiveness, saying, "Abba, Father, Daddy God, "forgive us our sins," just as "we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us." And finally, "Abba, Father, Daddy God, spare us the  final test--keep us from the evil on who will do anything to keep us from entering Your Kingdom. Don't let us be tested by the Evil one's final efforts to keep us from You, as we would not be able on our own to withstand Satan (my interpretation of that "final test").

Hear,  in Jesus' teaching the disciples how to pray,  His intimacy with His Father.  Jesus wants us to be as intimate with God as He is, as trusting of God as He is. God, for Jesus,  is an  Abba, Daddy God, a loving, caring, protective  Father,  a "wanna-be-with-You Abba, Daddy God.

May you and I approach God as a child approaches a loving, protective, caring, compassionate, understanding, affectionate father; in short, a father who has everything we need to become a loving, caring, forgiving person who reflects God's image!

Called by God to be His Ambassador, His Present-day Apostle, as was St. Paul

 In today's first reading,  Galatians 1: 13-24, St. Paul reminds his listener of his past effort murderous behaviors, saying to them: "You heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I persecuted the Church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it,...since I was...a zealot for my ancestral traditions. But...he, who from my mother's womb...set me apart and called me through his grace,...to reveal his son to me, so that I might proclaim  him to the Gentiles...."  God called a persecutor of the Church, one who was determined to destroy the Church, to have Christians imprisoned and put to death,  to be an apostle proclaiming Jesus to Gentiles!

Only by the grace of God do you, do I, become a believer, one who stands up for the Church, proclaiming Jesus to others!  Only by the grace of God, do you, do I, turn from evil, misguided, self-centered, narcissistic, sinful ways to following the Way of Christ Jesus! Let us , also, realize that there is nothing  you or I have done in our past or present that prevents God from calling us, today or whenever, to a particular mission, to be His ambassador, an apostle of the Lord, one who spreads the word, builds up the Kingdom and gives birth to Christ each day!  As God sent an angel to Mary to encourage her to not be afraid and to tell her that she had found favor with the Lord, so, too, does God send angels to us each day, saying to us: Be not afraid; you have found favor with the Lord.  Or, God sends us into someone's life to give them positive messages and to affirm that they have also found favor with the Lord God!

With the psalmist, in today's responsorial psalm, Psalm 139, we pray: "Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way."  And we thank the Lord that we are "fearfully, wonderfully made".

Psalm 71: Adapted to Today's Reality

As we think of all those suffering from Covid-19--those on ventilators fighting for their lives, those in quarantine with the symptoms or quarantined simply because they have been exposed to the virus,  those family members who are terrified of losing loved one to this virus--let us pray parts of Psalm 71 together adapted to our situation:

In you, Yahweh, we take shelter during this pandemic;

...In your mercy, rescue us from being victims of the virus, deliver us,

turn your ear to us and save us from the illness itself

or from the depressing atmosphere of  being in isolation or quarantined!

Be a sheltering rock for us,

a walled fortress to save us!

For you are our rock, our fortress.

O God, rescue us...

For you alone are our hope, Lord, 

Yahweh, we have trusted you since our youths,

We have relied on you since we were born,

you have been our portion from our mother's womb,

and the constant theme of our praise.

....Do not reject us now, Lord,

nor desert us when our strength is failing,

as the coronavirus threatens our loved ones or our own lives,

as isolation surrounds us, suffocating the very air we breathe, 

and keeping us from being with those we love so dearly.

....O God, do not desert us;

let us live, strong in our faith and our trust,  to tell the rising generation

about your strength and power in our lowest hour

about your infinite power to save us in our neediest hour!

You have done great things;

who, God is comparable to you?

You have sent us misery and hardship

but you will give us life again,

you will pull us up again from the depths of the earth, and once more comfort us.

We praise you and we trust you,

our ever-faithful God,

We call upon you in this time of stress, 

O Holy One of Israel!