Keep Your Eyes on the Lord

In today's Gospel, Matthew 14: 22-36, Jesus, while dismissing the crowd,  sends the disciples to the other side of the sea ahead of him.   Once the crowd is dismissed, Jesus goes up to the mountain to pray by Himself.  The disciples are a couple of miles out on the sea and are being tossed around by a strong storm.  "During the fourth watch of the night, [Jesus] came toward them, walking on the sea." They are scared out of their wits, thinking a ghost is approaching them on this stormy sea.  "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." Peter yells back at the ghostly figure and says: "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." "Come," Jesus responds to Peter. And Peter steps out of the boat onto the rough waters. Realizing what the heck he is doing, Peter becomes fearful, takes his eyes off of Jesus and begins to sink.  "Lord, save me."  And immediately, Jesus stretches out His hand and pulls Peter up drowning.

"Lord, save me," is a prayer all of us, no doubt, say often!  We  may drowning, so to speak, in grief, in financial or  relationship problems, in episodes with our children that we could never dream of, in facing illnesses--mental or physical--that baffle us and fill us with fear!  "Lord, where are you?" we ask!   "Be not afraid," the Lord says to us. I am right here with you. Together we will face these storms flooding  your life. You are not alone. I never abandon you. No matter how rough things become, keep your focus on me. Be not like Peter and focus on turbulent "sea."  With your focus on me, you will make it, because I am the God of life, not of death. I am the God of hope, not despair.  I am the God of power, not despair.  When you are too tired, too weak, to walk, I will carry you. Trust Me.

My Lord and my God!

In today's Gospel, John 20:19-31,  the apostles have locked themselves in a building, fearful of the Jews finding them, imprisoning them and putting them to death as they did Jesus. "...Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, 'Peace be with you.'"  Recall the times Jesus said to them: Fear not those who can physically harm the body. Fear those who can harm you spiritually.   In a sense Jesus is reminding them of that fact. "Be at peace! The Jews cannot harm you. Look at me. I am risen from the dead.  The Jews could not harm me and they will harm you neither. Fear not physical death. Follow me! Proclaim my resurrection. You, too, will one day be raised with me." And later when Jesus is about to ascend to His Father and theirs, He tells them that they cannot follow Him at that moment. It's like He said to them: "You cannot come with me now, but you will join Me later. Where I am, you will also be," referring to His eternal Kingdom.

At this meeting, Jesus commissioned them:  "'As the Father has sent me, so I send you.' And when he had said this, he breathed over them, and said to them 'Receive the Holy Spirit...'"  In the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, we, too, received the Holy Spirit.  Though we do to see Jesus with our naked eyes but with eyes of faith, we believe. In today's Gospel, Thomas was not with the apostles when Jesus appeared.  When the apostles told them that they had seen the Lord, Thomas said: "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hand and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." A week later, Jesus appears to the apostles again. This time Thomas is with them and Jesus says to him:   "Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe."  Thomas responds: "My Lord and my God."

Notice that Jesus does not condemn Thomas but is very gentle and affirming. He meets Thomas where he is at! He does the same for us!  If we are at a point of disbelief or unbelief and proclaim: "I will not believe unless.......(fill in the blank)," Jesus will invite us at the right moment to a position where, like Thomas, we say: "My Lord and my God."  Jesus is willing to wait as long as it takes for us to open our hearts to His Love.

The Closeness of Jesus

Today's Gospel, Luke 24: 13-35, presents the story of two disciples leaving Jerusalem following Jesus' crucifixion and going to Emmaus. They are getting away from where so much pain descended upon them in the cruel death of the one they were hoping would "redeem Israel".  Weighed down with sorrow, they are discussing all that happened. "And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him."  "What are you discussing," he asks them.  Startled at the question, one of the disciples asks him: "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?" Jesus remains incognito: "What sort of things," He asks. Jesus  listens to them tell the whole story--the crucifixion,  the finding of the tomb empty, the vision of the angels and the reports of the resurrection.  When they conclude their view of what happened and how upset they are, Jesus says: "Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke."  Jesus then opens the Scriptures to them, "beginning with Moses and all the prophets,...[interpreting] to them what referred to him..."  Jesus shares a meal with them in Emmaus. When be "took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them,...their eyes were opened and they recognized him , our he vanished from their sight."  The two disciples immediately return to Jerusalem and report that "the Lord has truly been raised" from the dead!

At the Mass, that is at every Eucharistic celebration, Jesus takes the bread, says the blessing, breaks it, and gives it to us in Holy Communion!  Are our eyes and hearts opened?

And do we realize that, just as with the two disciples trying to figure out what happened  in Jerusalem, Jesus walks by our side, listens to our debates and our pain and is able to open our eyes to the Scriptures that reveal the spiritual realities that are taking place in the "Jerusalems" of our lives, as well?

Alleluia! The Lord Has Risen from the Dead

In today's Gospel, Matthew 28: 8-15, we are told that "Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb, fearful but overjoyed, and ran to announce the news to the disciples. And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage. Then Jesus said to them. 'Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me'".

As you and I leave the "tombs" of our lives, overjoyed at being set free, so to speak, coming out of a dark period of our lives, surviving an encounter with death, perhaps, being healed of a threatening illness, mental or physical,  and a bit scared of what lies ahead for us,  Jesus meets on on the way to share the good news of being restored to life!  He greets us lovingly, kindly and sensitively. He acknowledges the trauma we have just survived and is aware of our feelings. Compassionately and lovingly, He addresses our emotional state, asking us to "not be afraid," as He is with us, takes us by the right hand and goes with us into our future.  He also encourages us to share our good news with others. God's work in our life is not something to keep secret but to be proclaimed to those we trust.

This Risen Christ

In today's Gospel, Matthew 28: 8-15,  Mary Magdalene and the other Mary left the tomb to announce the news to his disciples, namely that they found the tomb empty. On the way to inform the disciples, Jesus meets them, greets them, and tells them to not be afraid and that they are to tell his brothers to go to Galilee, where they will see them there.

Notice that it is Jesus that shows Himself to the women. Jesus knows their fears. He knows that they have just come from His burial place and found the tomb empty. When you and I are looking for Jesus where He cannot found, Jesus knows!  He is always looking for us. He finds us and calms our fears. He also, however, asks us to share the Good News with others of His Presence, His nearness, His love for us.  He wants everyone to know that He is right here with us, walking beside us, watching out for us.  He is risen, as He said.  Though the disciples do not see Him as they did during His public ministry and though we do not see Him, as they did then either, He is still here with us every moment of every day!

I believe!  Do you?

The Time of Our Jesus' Visitation

In today’s Gospel, Luke 19: 41-44, we are told that, as “Jesus drew near Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, ‘If this day you only knew what makes for peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.  For the days are coming upon you when your enemies… will encircle you and hem you in on all sides. They will smash you to the ground…and they will not leave one stone upon another within you because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.’”  Jesus is forewarning them of dangerous times approaching the area.

The world, today, is a dangerous place for many, if not all. Violence has erupted in most, if not all, parts of our world. The times we live in are filled with danger. Yes, we are capable of siding with evil forces.  Do we, I wonder, recognize “the time of [our] visitation,” the time of grace and holiness, the time of our salvation. 

Jesus left the glory of heaven and came upon this earth to become one with us and to live among us. He Himself knew dangerous times, fell into the arms of evil forces and was put to death.  Enemies encircled  him, hemmed Him in on all sides, arresting Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, where He was betrayed by one of his apostles, a man who followed Him closely during His three years’ of ministry. Yes, an insider betrayed Him, “encircled” Him.

Am I that insider? Am I one who betrays truth and justice, kindness and love? Am I one who jeopardizes that which is right and good and holy? Am I one who is blind to the presence of the Lord in our midst? Am I one who turns to forces of evil, running with the crowd even when that crowd is siding with the Father of Lies?

Courage and Faith in Jesus

In today’s Gospel, Matthew 14: 22-36, the disciples are out on the sea, buffeted by strong winds.  Jesus had stayed ashore to dismiss the crowd of about 5000 men plus all of the women and children that they had just fed.   “During the fourth watch of the night  [around 3:00 in the morning][Jesus] came toward them, walking on the sea.”  The disciples are terrified, thinking that they are seeing a ghost walking toward the boat.  Jesus, aware of their fright, says to them: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Impetuous Peter says to Him: “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” Jesus says: “Come.”  So Peter begins to walk on the turbulent water toward Jesus and as the winds whip around him, he becomes frightened, takes his eyes off Jesus and begins to sink.  “’Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him," saying “O, you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

You and I are those disciples!  You and I are Peter.  With Jesus, we do wonderful things, things only God can do—in this case, it was feeding 5000+ people with five loaves and two fishes with 12 wicker baskets of food leftover.  We then go about our “business” and encounter situations beyond our power to guarantee our safety. Jesus is right at our sides but we do not recognize Him.  We hear in the depth of our beings: “Have courage! I am right here.”  Bolstered in our faith, we plunge ahead to take on the “storm.” The “stormier” it gets, the stronger  our fear becomes. We take our eyes off Jesus and feel ourselves sinking. “Save me, Lord,” is all it takes. Jesus immediately reaches out His hand. Do I take it? Do I realize that I need the Lord to survive Satan’s wicked schemes that rise up out of nowhere.

Jesus is not a ghost, as the disciples thought. He is real! He is with us whether it is 3:00 o’clock in the morning or 3:00 o’clock in the afternoon, or any time of the day or night, to catch us, to lift us up, to save us.

I believe that! Do you?

Go Fishing: Jesus Will Meet You Where You Are

In today’s Gospel, John 21: 1-14, the disciples—Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael and James and John –decide to go fishing.  They go back to their old way of living!  Jesus is very much aware of what they are  doing and  meets on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias. “Have you caught anything to eat,” Jesus asks them. They respond:  “No!” Jesus then instructs them to cast their net on the right side of the boat “and you will find something.”  The catch is huge: 153 large fish. John then recognizes the man on the shore: “It is the Lord.” When they drag in the fish and come ashore, they notice that Jesus is preparing breakfast for them and ask for some of the catch.

What do we learn from this story? First of all, it is okay to go fishing! Sometimes we need to go back to old ways to meet the Lord.  Notice that the Lord does not scold them. He simply ask if they have caught anything to eat. He is concerned about their well-being physically, about the mundane things of every day life. They are as important to Him as anything else about our lives. 

We also learn that sometimes, we need to leave “the couch” and go do something for fun or to provide for our sustenance. We also learn that Jesus cares about us to the point of preparing a meal for us! He does that every Eucharist, a meal that nourishes us spiritually, cleanses our hearts and minds and wills of anything that obstructs the flow of grace, that strengthens us on the journey to eternal life. 

What a God we have--a God who is fully incarnate: One of us, One with us, One who works through us, as in the first reading of today’s liturgy that references the healing of crippled man through Peter and John’s calling on Jesus’ name.  We, too, have all of the privileges which the apostles experienced!

The Difference Jesus Makes

The Gospel today, Luke 24: 13-35, recounts the incident of two of Jesus' disciples walking a 7-mile trek from Jerusalem to Emmaus.  On the way they discuss the events that had just occurred three days ago: Jesus crucifixion and death, the seemingly tragic end of their Master and Teacher.  As they are talking Jesus, unbeknowst to them,  joins them and asks them what they are discussing.  Saddened, they ask in bewilderment: Don't you know what has happened these past few days; are you a visitor here that you are unaware? "What things?" He asks.  So the two disciples explain everything. Jesus says to them: "How foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke. Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His glory? Then, beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures." When they arrive in Emmaus, the disciples beg him to stay with them as it was getting late. He does so. At the meal he takes the bread, breaks it and gives it to them. Then he vanishes from their sight. Their eyes are open and they say to one another: Weren't our hearts burning as He spoke to us?

As you and I discuss serious, troubling issues in our personal lives, Jesus also joins us in our discussion and most times we, too, do not recognize Him.  He is always ready to explain "the Scriptures" of our lives and our sufferings, too, are a necessary part of our own transformation from that in our lives that cause "death" to that which is life-giving. To what do I need to die if others are to be made whole, survive and thrive as happy, productive, joy-filled individuals? What do I need to let go of--what attitudes, behaviors--in order that I, too, will realize my potential to be "Christ" to others and for myself to be truly happy, joyfilled, God-centered individual who make the world a better place?