Presenting Ourselves in the Temple of the Lord

Today, the Feast of the Presentation, "Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, 'Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord'"  (Luke 2: 22).  In the collect of today's liturgy, we pray: "Almighty ever-living God, we humbly implore your majesty that, just as your Only Begotten Son was presented on this day in the Temple in the substance of our flesh, so, by your grace, we may be presented to you with minds made pure."

At our baptisms, each of us, like Jesus was by his parents, is presented to the Lord to be purified and consecrated to Him in the waters of baptism.  May we continue ti cooperate with God's grace as we live our our consecration to the Lord in our daily lives by living justly, loving tenderly and doing what s right in God's eyes.

That is my prayer this day for all of us, the least to the greatest, the richest to the poorest, the healthiest to the sickest in body, mind,  and soul. And may our minds continue to be made pure  through the Body and Blood of Christ, which we Catholics receive in Holy Communion at every Mass.  May we complete and become the Eucharist we celebrate by pouring out our lives every day in self-sacrificing love for the good of others.

God Sees the Good You Do Every Day

In today's first reading, Hebrews 6: 10-20, St. Paul reminds us that "God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love you  have demonstrated for his name by having served and continuing to serve the holy ones."  Think of the love that you, as parents, demonstrate to your children, husbands and wives to each other, children to parents.  God does not overlook that about you!  Every day, you serve others--persons who in the very core of their beings are holy.  Each of us as come forth from God, the Holy One. We are made in God's image, that is, in holiness, goodness and love!  We are empowered to share that holiness, goodness and love with others.

More and more, as I grow older, I realize what love my parents showed us throughout their lives:  up at 4:00 or 5:00 every morning, being sure that the house was somewhat warm, in winter, before us kids got up, doing chores day and night as farmers, gardeners, "chefs," bill payers, money managers, canners, seamstresses, launderers, ironers, domestic workers, chauffeurs, "catechists", comforters, teachers, challengers, encouragers, "counselors," and on and on!  God never overlooked their work and the love they "demonstrated for his name by having served" us children and one another, day in and day out, in "bad" days and good days, in problematic, fearful times, when all went well and when things did not go so well!

As I reflect on parents with young children today, I see the same pattern. I rejoice in the awesome dedication, the love shown by loving, caring parents day in and day out!  All because of God's faithfulness, God's presence, God's love, God's covenant with us!  God sees the good done every day, all day, by each of us!  May God  be praised!

Emmanuel, God-with-us

The Entrance Antiphon to today's liturgy states clearly that our "Lord and Ruler will be coming soon, and his name will be called Emmanuel, because he will be God-with-us."  Yesterday's Gospel was about the messenger of God, Gabriel, visiting Mary and telling her that she was to conceive and bear a son, that her son would be "great and will be called the Son of the Most High...and of his Kingdom there will be no end....The Holy Spirit will come upon you, [Mary,] and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.....[F]or nothing will be impossible for God."

In a few days we will celebrate that great moment when Mary gave birth to Jesus, to "Emmanuel, God-with-us."  God's plan for our salvation would not be thwarted or blocked in any way.  Even now, though it looks as though evil is triumphing in this world of ours, God's will for our salvation will not be thwarted. God will triumph in the world of today, as God triumphed when Herod sought to kill the infant Jesus. God also triumphed in Jerusalem during those three dark days of Jesus' arrest, condemnation, crucifixion and death.Three days later Jesus rose from the dead and continues to dwell among us, having returned to His Kingdom in heaven, from where He sent the Spirit to be our Advocate, to teach us all things that Jesus taught during his ministry here on earth.

Emmanuel, God-with-us, in the Eucharist! Emmanuel, God-with-us, in our sufferings and ultimately in our death and resurrection to new life in Christ Jesus.  Every day when we die to ourselves, to sin and selfishness, we give birth to Jesus and rise to new life in Christ Jesus.  God is with us just as God was with Mary and Joseph and all those who have gone before us, believing in Jesus, in God, living in their midst, dwelling in the core of their very beings.  From our core inner selves, our spirit selves, God radiates to the world in the good that we do, in the faith that we live!

Living as God Intends for Us to Live

In today's first reading, Titus 2: 1-8, 11-14, St. Paul enumerates the virtues practiced by those who are faithful to their Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. Such persons, men or women, are consistently true to their faith and to their marriage and religious vows.  They are men and women of integrity, "sound in faith, love, and endurance....reverent in their behavior, ....showing [themselves] as [models] of good deeds in every respect."  Living in this way is possible for all of us, "[f]or the grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires, [enabling and empowering us] to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of the great God and of our savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good."

What a grace to be elevated to this kind of exalted living by the grace of God within us!  God not only invites us to do what is right and reverent, He also equips us to live in this way.  Furthermore, God implants an eagerness within our deepest being "to do what is good".  By walking beside us, taking us by the hand, God guides us to complete the good we intend to do. God never leaves our side and, when we call upon Him, He answers us in our weakness, making us strong in weak places!  Praise and thanks to our God!

Shown the Salvation of God

In today's responsorial psalm, Palm 50, we read: "[T]o him/[her who] goes the right way I will show the salvation of God."  That is God's promise to us.

We may be very concerned about those who  do not choose the right path but instead choose evil over good, deceit over truth, unjust practises over justice, and even betray others, including one's country, for the fleeting, short-term goal of self-aggrandizement, looking popular, and/or being acclaimed as powerful and strong by a "mighty"few.  

We need to do more than simply voicing our concern over evil in the world of our day. If we only voice our concern and do not take action, good remains undone. Words only point to the good.  They do not do the good.  With Jesus, we must act on behalf of truth, of justice, of freedom. We live at a time when morality,  truth and authentic freedom are scorned by the majority.  Many men and women of integrity, it seems, cowl in fear of the repercussions of being honest. They seem to be working to save their lives instead of losing them for the sake of the Gospel. Hence evil continues to gallop across our country as we hide behind our fears! "God save us," we cry.  And God says to us through today's psalmist: "Though  you pray more, I will not listen....Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan's plea, defend the widow."  And  I would add: Stand up to those doing evil: to those acting unjustly toward immigrants, barring"Dreamers" from citizenship, sending asylum seekers back to dangerous situations; denying the truth, putting children in cages and spreading messages of hatred and prejudices toward other races and religions.

If we defend what is right and condemn what is wrong, as Jesus did in his own day,  we will meet opposition as Jesus did.  Jesus tells us plainly in today's Gospel: "I have come not to bring peace but the sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one's enemies will be those of his household."  Jesus then adds: "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."   By taking up the crosses that come with standing up for the truth and doing what is right, we will be shown "the salvation of God."

Call to Conversion

In today's first reading, Isaiah 1: 10, 16-20, the prophet says to us and to the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, "Listen to the instructions of our God...Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good.  Make justice your aim; redress the wronged, hear the orphan's plea, defend the widow."

Isaiah is speaking to us as individual persons, as individual families, as church,  as a nation, as civic and as social entities. As an individual, whom have I wronged? What are the misdeeds, the evil, that I have done that needs correction?  Whose pleas for mercy, for understanding, for forgiveness and help in time of need have I ignored?

As a family, are there individuals who are being wronged, abused--verbally, emotionally, psychologically, spiritually?  What wrongs within the family need to be addressed? Whose pleas within the family need to be acknowledged and dealt with patiently, compassionately, lovingly?  Who within the family needs to be accepted, forgiven, welcomed?

As a nation, as politicians, as governors, as senators, as members of the Department of Justice, as members of the Pentagon, as members of the President's Press Core, of the Cabinet, of the National Security Advisory Team, as the President himself, Isaiah says to each of you: "Wash yourself clean! Put away your misdeeds...; cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim; redress the wronged [immigrants, refugees, uninsured], hear the orphan's plea, [the pleas of vulnerable males and females forced into the sex trade, into slave labor, into drug trafficking] defend the widow [defend minorities, the vulnerable, the uninsured, the poor, oppressed and marginalized of our societies]."  

God, through Isaiah, goes on to say: "Come now, let us set things right,...Though your sins be like scarlet, they may  become white as snow; though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool. If you are willing, and obey, you shall eat the good things of the land; but if you refuse and resist, the sword shall consume you; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken!" That sword could be the sword of selfishness, narcissism, envy, jealousy, greed or any other sin that ultimately brings us death: the death of love and generosity, the death of honesty, the death of forgiving, the death of mercy and compassion. A hardness of heart sets in. A blindness and a deafness takes possession of us and we are then unable to tune into the voice of the Lord.  We then live in darkness. Is that what we truly desire?

ARE WE LISTENING TO THE PROPHET ISAIAH? And, if we are, what changes need to take place so that each of us and each entity of our nation, family, church, civic community becomes an obedient servant of God?

Living by the Letter of the Law or by Love within One's Heart

In  today's Gospel, Mark 3: 1-6, Jesus heals a man with a withered hand. It is the Sabbath.  Jesus knows the law. He also knows the Pharisee's adherence to the letter of the law.  He says to them:  "Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?"  The Pharisees stand there stone silent!  Grieved by their hardness of heart, Jesus calls the man to the front of the synagogue and says to him:  "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out and Jesus healed him.  "The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against [Jesus] to put him to death."  Except for their hatred of Jesus, the Herodians and the Pharisees  are political enemies.  Their shared resentment is so strong that it fueled their working together to kill Jesus (See Word among Us, Jan. 2017, p. 38 of the Meditations).

Joining persons filled with hatred and resentment toward anyone fuels our own resentments and hatred.  Before we know it, we could be embroiled in a situation that easily could erupt into gunfire and death!  Our anger escalates when we surround ourselves with others who are also angry. Furthermore, the passion of anger blinds us.  We no longer are able to think clearly nor are we, then,  in fact, free to act according to our own spiritual values or hear Jesus redirecting us away from evil.
I may seek out persons in person or on the internet or on Facebook who are venting their fury toward someone. Either way, I put myself in a situation that can lead me more and more deeply into my own anger.

When I am doing that, I am not, in fact, seeking counsel from Jesus. Jesus alone is my Savior. Jesus alone can lead me to do what is right and just.  It is far better to be praying for my "enemies", or for those with whom I disagree in principle than to be embroiling myself in protest.  And, who knows, it may be me who has the most to improve to be like Christ than the person with whom I am at odds!

God's Instructions through Today's Scripture Readings

What, Lord, is your message to me in today’s readings, Proverbs 3: 27-34 and Luke 8: 16-18?

Dorothy Ann (insert your name), live a life of truth, justice, love and forgiveness. My light will then shine through you, as Jesus says in the Gospel.  Keep your focus on me, not on those who are plotting evil against others, who slander others in their quest for high positions, who lord it over others in the hopes of securing control of a situation that is beyond them.

Seek Me, above all else. Put your house in order and do not try to order the houses of others. That is theirs to do. 

Take the beam out of your eye and do not waste energy trying to remove a splinter in the eyes of another.  That is not the reason I created you. I am God, not you. If you were a parent, it would be your responsibility to remove a splinter from the eyes of your children, while simultaneously removing the beam out of your own eye, but you are not a parent! I am your Parent! You are my child!

You will maintain your peace if you do that which is highlighted in today’s first reading, Proverbs 3: 27-34:

               “Refuse no one  [on one, Dorothy Ann—insert your name--no one]

                the good on which he [or she] has a claim

                when it is in your power to do it for [that person].

                Say not to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come again,

                tomorrow I will give,’ when you can give at once.

   “Plot no evil against your neighbor,

                against one who lives at peace with you.

                Quarrel not with [a person] without cause,

                with one who has done you no harm….”

Lord, I trust that you will give me the grace to do these things one day at a time in your name.  When I fail, I ask for your forgiveness and the humility to start over again.

Being Shown Salvation

In today’s first reading,  Micah 6: 1-4, 6-8, the prophet reminds us what God is asking of us”  “You have been told, O man/[O woman], what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.”

 We have examples of men and women  throughout the Old and New Testament, in our neighborhoods and parishes, in our families and schools, in our communities,  of people walking humbly with our God, doing what is right, and loving goodness within themselves and others.  Day in and day out, someone reaches out to the needy, clothes the naked, feeds the hungry. Every day a mother and a father do these things in their own family. Many mothers and fathers reach out to other children in need. Many dedicated men and women reach out to the sick, the addicted, the elderly to provide health care. Policemen and women throughout the world risk their lives every day protecting ours. Community workers provide garbage collection, fix our broken sewage systems and our potholed-ridden roads in beastly heat,   repair our battered homes, deliver mail in both pleasant and unpleasant weather, stock our grocery shelves or fix meals in our restaurants and fast-food places for workers “on the run”.  The majority of these people are not seeking praise but humbly doing what they believe God is asking of them, namely to love doing what is right and just, what is the good thing to do in this world.

Let us be grateful and loving in turn, doing good to those who do good to us and being humble in helping those who do not!  “Those who offer praise, [in these ways,] as a sacrifice glorify me; and to those who go the right way, [as persons mentioned above,]  I will show the salvation of God,” says the author of Psalm 50. May you be shown the salvation of God in your life and in the lives of those you serve humbly, justly and kindly.

The Energy of Christ within Us

In today's first reading, Col 1: 24-2:2 and 3, St.Paul states that he was commissioned by Christ to become a minister in the Church for the sole purpose of preaching the word in its fullness, "that mystery hidden from ages and generations past but now revealed to his holy ones....For this I work and struggle," he says, "impelled by that energy of his which is so powerful a force within me."

You and I, by virtue of our baptism, also have been commissioned by Christ to preach the word in its fullness by our lives and, when necessary,  St. Francis of Assisi says, with words.  In baptism and confirmation and the sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist, by the holy sacrament of matrimony, priesthood and religious vows, we, too, are "impelled  by that energy of his which is so powerful a force within [us]."

Christ lives in each one of us. His power is within us. The good we do and are invited to do is empowered by Christ.  May we have the wisdom and the courage to be a source of goodness in the lives we touch today. And may we recognize and acknowledge Christ in others, as well, remembering that they, too, are members of Christ's body, the Church.  

Knowing the Grace of God in Truth (Colossians 1: 1-8)

In  today's first reading,  Colossians 1: 1-8, Paul says to the Colossians, "...we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the holy ones because of the hope reserved for you in heaven....Just as in the whole world it [the Gospel] is bearing fruit and growing, so also among you, from the day you  heard it and came to know the grace of God in truth..."  You and I have come
"to know the grace of God in truth" because that truth is/was spoken to us through our parents, teachers, pastors, associate pastors, friends, counselors, co-workers; through our very selves, through creation itself, through the goodness in our lives and the good you and I have and are doing each day and will do today, as well as the good others do.

Like Jesus, in today's Gospel, Luke 4: 38-44, we, too, leave our places of worship and encounter issues that need to be addressed, that need our compassionate responses, our healing touch (a smile, a listening ear, an errand run or a good deed done on their behalf, a service rendered). We may confront "demons" today, as Jesus did in the people that others brought to Him or which are within ourselves (pride, deceit, lust, abuse of power and control, jealousy, envy, avarice, impatience, imprudence, and so on).   We may also be pressured by the crowd to give in to demands that we know are not the will of God for us. Jesus says to the crowd: "No, I have been sent to proclaim the good news of the reign of God to other lands, to other peoples. I cannot stay here."    We may not be called to other lands but to another task that is beckoning us.  Sometimes, we may find it hard to "depart" for that to which we are called--what will others think if I leave this conversation, this crowd; if I don't continue to join in or go where the crowd insist on going?

Jesus very clearly states the reason He has been sent to this world. Am I as clear as Jesus was in terms of what my mission is--why I am where I am today?  Did I, today, prepare myself to address the issues that will come by way today by taking time to pray, as Jesus did?  Am I faithful to "the grace of God in truth" that I have come to know and which is stretching to bear fruit and grow within me?

Jesus' Example of Doing Good

In today's Gospel, Mt. 9: 32-32, Jesus casts out a demon who had silenced a man--he was unable to speak, to enter into conversation, to take part in a normal life with his family, friends, synagogue-goers.  Some Pharisees, looking on and seeing what Jesus did do not join those who are astounded by Jesus' compassionate response to the mute man but belittle Him, saying: "He drives out demons by the prince of demons." They are threatened by Jesus but Jesus is not threatened by them.  Notice, that Jesus pays no attention to them. He does not internalize their message. He is strong in His self-identity. His confidence in Himself, His acceptance of Himself and the responsibilities God the Father has given Him to do do not waver. He knows who He is, moves on and becomes involved in the lives of ordinary individuals, continuing to show God's compassion to them: casting out "demons" that take away their voices, that alienate them from others, that deny them a normal life with family, friends, fellow worshippers and the civic community.  He heals their illnesses, calms their fears, teaches them about the reign of God in their midst; in short, goes about doing good.

What do you and I do when others oppose us, speak ill of us? Do we move on and continue doing what God has called us to do here on earth?  Or to we get caught up in their disparaging words, take them on, internalize their message for whatever reason? Or have we developed an inner strength, know who we are and what we are about and what our responsibilities are in building the kingdom of love and mercy and understanding and compassion?

Setting Things Right

Imagine our God, a God who is determined, in the words of the prophet Isaiah to “set things right.”  “Though … [our] sins be like scarlet,” God, through Jesus Christ, makes them “white as snow” and  “though they be crimson red,” God makes them “white as wool”  (See the first reading of today’s liturgy, Isaiah 1: 10, 16-20).  However, our cooperation is needed, Isaiah tells us, as he addresses his message to us directly:  “Come, now, let us set things right,…Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as  snow; though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool.” How? Through the good that we do. Through our reception of the sacraments, time spent in prayer, in reflection upon the Scripture, in seeking the truth from others and from the depth of our own being, by loving others as we love ourselves and by reconciling with others when we are wronged or do wrong to others.  “To the upright I will show the saving power of God,” the psalmist says to us in  Ps. 50, today’s responsorial psalm.  Truly, those who do good experience the “saving power of God” and see it in others and in the world around them.

Stretch Out Your "Withered" Hand

“Stretch out your hand.  He did and his hand was restored,”  we read in today's Gospel, Mark 3: 1-6. Is my hand withered, as was the hand of the man in today’s Gospel?  Is it withered in the sense of not reaching out to the poor and oppressed, to a neighbor in need, to a family/community member who needs my love? Is it withered for lack of use in doing the good that needs to be done? Is it withered as the result of not engaging in disciplines that promote my well-being physically, that is, do I fail to live a healthy lifestyle, finding excuses for not exercising, for unnecessary snacking and eating unhealthy foods? Is my “spiritual” hand withered as the result of not taking time for prayer each day, not reflecting upon the Scriptures, seeking God’s will and allowing God to challenge my behaviors and attitudes that are not in sync with His?  Has my spiritual well-being  been drained of “nutrients” by virtue of engaging in gossip, being dishonest, jealous, envious, unkind, impatient, proud, slothful, gluttonous for power, prestige, control? Am I withering spiritually because I am assuming a critical view of life rather than looking for solutions to that about which I am critical and about which I have an opportunity to improve?  Is my hand withering because of unhealthy relationships or apathy toward social realities that I have an opportunity to change for the better?

“Stretch out your hand” to the well-spring of grace and mercy. Be healed of that which causes any part of you to wither: your spiritual life, your intellectual life, your physical life, your social life, your emotional life. Today may you and I be graced to do one thing that improves our lives on all these levels!

Needed: God's Healing of a Legislative Arm

Today is a Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children.  As in the first reading of today’s liturgy,  1 Samuel 17: 32-33, 37, 40-51, where David confronts Goliath, a Philistine who’s been a warrior since his youth and David a mere  youthful shepherd’s boy with a sling, so, too, we are faced with this monster legislative action that proclaims that parents have a right to kill their unborn child for any reason.  David approached the Philistine, saying  “You come against me with sword and spear and scimitar (a sword with a curved blade), but I come against you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel that you have insulted.”  Promoters of abortion come against us with piercing words and curved rhetoric but, I believe, we can win this fight because, like David, we have God on our sides, the Creator of these children.

In today’s Gospel, Mark 3: 1-6, Jesus, during a worship service on a Sabbath,  asked the man with the withered arm to come up to the front of the synagogue. He then asked the Pharisees: “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” He then ordered the man to stretch out his hand. He was healed. That day, as on many others, Jesus challenged the Pharisees’ arrogance, shortsightedness and rigid application of their laws. Right now in the United States of America,   a rigid law  exists that  permits parents to destroy their child in the womb.  Jesus asks us to stretch forth this withered legislative arm. He will heal it, lives will be saved, not destroyed, and infanticide (infant homicide) will cease.  Let us today, also, stretch forth our arms in prayer, never giving up until this evil act of legalization is reversed. It is our duty as Christians to persist in the same way as we persisted in praying for the conversion of Russia and witnessed that miracle many years ago. Through the power of intercessory prayer, we will also  witness the miracle of the reversal of laws that legalize the murder of the unborn.  Let us never give up the fight!

Anointed with the Holy Spirit and Power

In the second reading for Sunday, January 12, from Acts 10: 34-38, Luke reminds us that "...God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all...oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him."  At our baptism and confirmation, we, too, were anointed with the Holy Spirit and power.  At every Mass and Holy Communion, God rekindles, deepens, reactivates that power to engage in "doing good and healing all...oppressed by the devil, for God [is] with..[us]".  Anointed with the Holy Spirit and divine power we are capable of recognizing "bruised reeds" and "smoldering wicks" (compare Sunday's first reading from Is 42: 1-4, 6-7) and empowered to treat such with tender love, to act justly toward them and to be a source of goodness to them (compare Mi 6:8).  What is blocking me from being this extension of the heart and mind and hands of Christ? How to I prepare myself each day to activate the power that God has given me? At the end of the day, do I take time to reflect back on the day to ascertain how I cooperated/failed to cooperate with the graces of my baptism and confirmation and reception of the Eucharist? 

To become the best version of myself in line with the graces of baptism and confirmation, to be the best Christian I am capable of becoming, I might heed the advice Matthew Kelly gives in Rediscovering Catholicism.  He speaks about how professional athletes like Michael Jordan practiced making 500 free throws (his weakness) every day for ten years--500 free throws that hit the mark--until he succeeded.  Tiger Woods took a year off golf to practice his swing as it was not up to par. If I fall short of doing good on any given day, of following the guidance of the Good Spirit, do I resolve, as any athlete does, to practice the behavior that revealed a weakness until the good becomes a habit. If not, I might want to make this a practice in praise of God's holy name and in gratitude for the graces of baptism and confirmation and Eucharist. Let's not allow those graces to lie dormant.

Jesus Turns to Gaze upon Us and to Address Us

The gospel of today’s liturgy (catholic Mass) opens with the words: “Great crowds were following Jesus and He turned to address them…”  Imagine being a part of that crowd. Jesus turns and your eyes meet! He speaks directly to you nonverbally. Love touches your heart deeply and it is transformed by that look of love.  St. Paul, in today’s first reading, Romans 13, 8-10, tells us that we “[o]we nothing to anyone, except to love one another….Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of” each of the commandments that instruct us to “not commit adultery; …not kill; …not steal; …not covet.”  Imagine being so transformed by Jesus’ loving gaze that your love for yourself and others is set ablaze.  Judgments cease on your part. You begin to look for the good, even the smallest good, in your neighbor, in yourself, in your loved ones, in those with whom you are at odds, in those  whose attitudes sting like salt on an open wound. And you not only look for that good, you name it,  you point it out to that person.  “Love,” St. Paul teaches, “is the fulfillment of the law.”  And yes, you yourself, are fulfilled by that kind of loving!

Lord, may I have the courage and the humility today to be loving, that is to look for good in myself, in those with whom I come in contact, in the world, in the church, in my family and my religious community. May I risk expressing that love, naming the good I see, especially, in situations that seem depraved of any good or in persons who are raging, ranting or pouting, who are depressed or lonely or hurting, who are incredibly annoying, especially if that is me having “a bad day”, if that is me encountering maddening circumstances that seem to arise out of nowhere and that I allow to shatter my peace. In those times, may I turn to you, as you are always turned toward me. May my eyes and your eyes meet in an embrace of love, in an embrace that restores calmness to my troubled soul.  

Courage to Stand up to Opposition

In today’s Gospel, Mk 3: 1-6, the Pharisees “watched Jesus closely to see if he would cure…a man on the Sabbath so they might accuse him.”  When Jesus set the regulations aside and revealed God’s compassion and mercy, the Pharisees left his presence and “immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.”  In similar situations, do I stand aside looking for ways to denounce another;  and when I have identified what I consider a misdemeanor, a breaking of “the law”,  a tradition, a “we-don’t- do-things-that-way”, do I quickly consult with “Herodians” to further condemn/”kill”  the person who challenges my thinking, my behavior, my attitudes of superiority, my posturing for position, my pride?

Jesus looked at them “with anger” and was “grieved at their hardness of heart.” He called the man with the withered hand to the front of the synagogue and said to him: “Stretch out your hand”  and the hand was restored! Jesus did not back down when others opposed him, when others took Him to task, were determined to berate Him--yes, bent on destroying Him. What do I do when others oppose me when I know I am called to do what I am doing, to say what needs to be said, to act in accord with God’s will no matter how others react to me?