Food for Thought--IV

The coronavirus crisis and the crisis of Jesus sufferings and death:

Condemned to death, Jesus freed us from eternal      death.
On the cross, Jesus prayed: "Father forgive them for  they know not what they do."
Remember me when you get into your Kingdom,      the good thief prayed!
On the way to Calvary, Jesus said to the women:      "Weep not for me but for yourselves and your           children."
Never will I deny you, said Peter to Jesus and, filled  with fear, ended up denying Him three times!
Afraid, the apostles all fled--only John stood with      Mary at the foot of the cross!
Verily, "this is the Son of God," the fearful onlookers  said when an earthquake shook the ground and      darkness covered the earth after Jesus' death.  
In cooperation with Satan, Judas betrayed Jesus        and then, in despair, took his own life.
Resurrected, Jesus triumphed over fear and death.
Until the coming of the Spirit on Pentecost, the        apostles hid behind locked doors for fear of the        Jews.
Secure in their faith by the outpouring of the Spirit    on Pentecost, the apostles went forth to spread        the Good News of Jesus' resurrection and did so        with incredible boldness and courage, not afraid        anymore to express their faith in Christ Jesus.

Following the crisis of the coronavirus, I pray that we will no longer be afraid to put God first in our lives and proclaim our faith in Christ Jesus by living just and upright lives for each other's sake!

The Lord Shepherds Me

In today's responsorial psalm, we pray: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want....Even though I walk in the dark valley, I fear no evil; for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage.  You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes;  you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life;and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come."

As I pray that psalm, I am deeply touched by the phrase that reminds me that only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life!  Believing that, I am filled with gratitude and confidence! I am lifted up above the problems that I might encounter each day!  And even in those times when encountering darkness, I know that God is with me, that He light up my way and carries me when the "waters" of life are too deep for me to cross safely! And what a promise that God Himself spreads the table before me in the sight of my foes!  It's like saying: "Satan, get lost. God feeds me with the best of wheat, with His own Eucharistic body and Eucharistic blood that destroyed you and diminished your power over me. You have no chance. God is at my side. He has anointed my head with the oil of grace. My cup overflows, as I stand beneath the cross of Jesus with the chalice of my being receiving the blood that flows from His Sacred Side."

Reaching Out to Others on the Margins

In today's Gospel, Luke 5: 12-16, a leper approaches Jesus and says to him: "'Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.'  Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, 'I do will it. Be made clean.' And the leprosy left him immediately."

What would I do  if I were the leper? Would I  have the courage to approach Jesus, when I am supposed to be declaring myself unclean and staying away from anyone,  including Jesus?  Or, on the other hand, would I allow a leper to approach me, or would I yell out: 'Get away from me; you are unclean'? Or, simply, would I run the other way and not allow the leper to get close to me?

Hansen's disease, or leprosy, is rare today.  However, there are many persons who are ostracized today for other reasons: addictions, homelessness, ethnicity, social status, nationality, race,  various physical illness, mental diseases,  and so on.  Many people are locked in our jails and not given opportunities to rehabilitate themselves, to recover from addictions, to pursue an education that will give them the motivation to change their lives and be productive members of society. Some of our current leaders have put people in cages, locked them in detention facilities, or simply refused people asylum in our country.

Whom do I ostracize? Or, on the other hand, do I feel ostracized from some reason,  unwelcome in certain circles?  From whom do I stay away for any reason?  How welcoming am I to the stranger, the person who is afraid to speak out or be a part of "my circle"?  What's holding me back from embracing "the leprosy" within myself and therefore within another? 

Lord, have mercy on us for continuing to marginalize people? Forgive us for avoiding certain individuals, persons who are different from  ourselves, persons of others races, other ethnic backgrounds, other nationalities, other belief systems, other nations, other educational backgrounds and so on. Open our minds to be inclusive of others. Open our hearts to reach out in love and to find ways to grow in our understanding of others different from ourselves.

Recognizing our "Leprosy" and Posing the Right Question

In today's Gospel, Luke 5: 12-16, a leper approaches Jesus and says to Him: "'Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.' Jesus stretched out his ha d, touched him, and said, 'I do will it. Be made clean.' and the leprosy left him immediately."

Well aware of the fact that he is to yell out "unclean, unclean," to warn people to keep their distance, the leper bravely, determinately and unafraid of what anyone thinks, approaches Jesus! He takes responsibility for change in his life, for crossing barriers that lock him into an unhealthy state in life. Jesus, in turn, knowing the cultural situation in that He, too, is to stay away from lepers, not touch them, stretches out his hand and commands the disease to exit this man's body!  Both take risks!  Both take responsibility! Both do what the Spirit leads them to do!  Both experience and exercise freedom!  Both are true to themselves!

Like the leper, you and I are unclean. The leprosy of selfishness and pride, greed and envy, lust and avarice, fear and shame, or whatever, creates barriers between ourselves and others, just as the disease of leprosy was a barrier that kept those with the disease from having healthy contact with others.  Jesus and Jesus alone is the answer to the removal of obstacles to healthy living in our personal lives and relationships!  When we approach Him and pose the question "Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean," Jesus responds: "I do will it. Be made clean."

 If we remain in "leprous" states, what do we need to do differently so that, like the leper, we seek Jesus, fall on our knees, and pose the question!

St. Stephen's Faith and Ours

Today, Dec. 26, we celebrate the feast of St. Stephen, the first martyr.  "Stephen," we are told in Acts 6: 8-10; 7:54-59, "filled with grace and power,  was working great wonders and signs among the people. Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen, Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and people from Cilicia and Asia, came forward and debated with Stephen, but they could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke...[Stephen's debaters] were infuriated, and...ground their teeth at him.  But he, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God....[Stephen's persecutors] threw [Stephen] out of the city, and began to stone him...As they were stoning Stephen, he called out 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."  Like Jesus on the cross, Stephen asked God not to hold the sin of his executioners again them. WOW! A man unafraid to stand up for what and for whom he believed!

Jesus tells us in the Gospels that, like Him, we will meet opposition, that we will be persecuted for our faith and testimony to the Father, just as Jesus was.  We will encounter the cross--misunderstandings, hatred, and an onslaught of  obstacles on our way to eternal life.  Will we, like Stephen, keep our eyes on Jesus! Will we look up to heaven from whence comes our help, as we are told in the psalms, or will we downplay our faith, water it down, to avoid difficulties that are likely to arise from detractors, unbelievers, or those who have chosen other gods? Will we join the "Synagogue of Freedmen, Cyrenians, Alexandrians" of our day and throw "stones" at those who disagree with us?

May we, like Stephen, stand up for what we believe,  especially when others want to debate us. Let us also hold on to God's promise that He will instruct us on what to say when we are dragged before the "tribunals" of our day!  God is with us always!  Let us not be afraid!

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.

Jesus' Eagerness to Heal and Restore Life

In today's Gospel, Matthew 9: 18-26, an official, upon hearing that his daughter has just died, falls on his knees in front of Jesus and says to him:  "My daughter has just died. But come, lay your hands on her, and she will live." WOW! What a bold act on the part of this official! Absolutely no hesitation! No doubt! Unwavering faith!  "[L]ay your hands on her, [Jesus,]  and she will live!"  May you and I have such faith, pray for such faith and act upon it for the sake of the restoration of life for others--physical life, spiritual life, the life of a healthy relationship!  "Lay your hands, Lord Jesus, upon________________, and this person will live in the light, in love, in hope, in good health.

In this same Gospel passage, a "woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind [Jesus] and touched the tassel of his cloak. She said to herself, 'If only I can touch his cloak I shall be cured.'" And she was!   What courage and boldness on  her part, as well. By touching Jesus, she made him unclean according to Jewish law, as she was bleeding! So, undoubtedly, she hopes that he does not notice her.  However, Jesus knows that healing power went out from Him, so He turns around, not to rebuke her but to reassure her: "Courage, daughter! Your faith has healed you," not I healed you. "Your faith has healed you!"  The power in her faith releases the gift of healing in Jesus!  Are you and I as bold as this woman? Do you and I have the faith this woman has? If not, let us pray for this gift!

Fear of rebuke or fear of consequences does not hold this woman back!  She knows that Jesus has the power to heal people and she, unabashedly, approaches Him, though she is bleeding and would render Him unclean in the eyes of legal authority!  May you and I, when moved by the Spirit to approach Jesus with our needs, do so without hesitation!  Jesus waits, not to rebuke us, but to help us!

"Let Not Your Hearts be Troubled"

In today's Gospel, John 14: 1-6, Jesus says to His disciples: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith in me."  Jesus says this when He is gathered with His disciples at the Last Supper. He knows that Judas will betray him that very night. He knows that He will be arrested and condemned to death and crucified like an hardened criminal because  jealousy will have consumed the leaders of Jerusalem with the disastrous result of murdering the One of whom they are jealous."Do not let your hearts be troubled."

Think of a time when  your worst nightmare is about to occur and Jesus says to you: "Do not let your hearts be troubled."  First of all,  Jesus knows about which he is talking. He has been there, that is, at the threshold of his worst nightmare.  Second of all, Jesus is God and will walk through that nightmare with you, just as the Father and the Spirit were with Him that night and the next horrible days and raising Him to new life in the resurrection on Easter morn.  Jesus, the Son of God with the Father and the Holy Spirit--the three are one--will take you by the hand, hold you in their arms, comfort you, strengthen you and awaken a courage within you that you never knew you had. You will come through the ordeal and be risen to new life in a way you could never imagine, as you trust in the Lord.  Have you ever said of yourself: "I don't know where I got the strength"? Or, "I have no idea how I ever did that?" An Invisible God was with you, guiding you, upholding you, enlightening you, strengthening you, and loving you!

Proclaiming the Crucified Christ as the Power and the Wisdom of God

In today's Gospel Acclamation "[w]e  proclaim Christ crucified; he is the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Cor 1 23a-24b).  In that power the apostles left the place from which Jesus ascended into heaven and went about the world preaching the good news of Jesus' life, death and resurrection, revealing the depth, the length, the width and breadth of God's love for us.  Prior to Jesus' resurrection, the apostles were men filled with fear. They fled for their lives and hid themselves behind locked doors, fearing that what happened to Jesus on the cross would be their fate as well.

Just as  God held nothing back to show us the way to salvation, justice, mercy and forgiveness, so, too, following Jesus' ascension into heaven and His sending the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, nothing held the apostles back from preaching the crucified Christ as "the power of God and the wisdom of God." The apostles and the disciples of Jesus were no longer afraid of those who could harm the body.  Their spirits were fortified by the Holy Spirit. Love for Christ cast out all fear.  Focused on the Lord and relying upon the Lord, they became fierce proclaimers,  if you will.  Like St. Francis of Assisi, Jesus was their God and their All!

You and I are also asked to go out to all the world the proclaim the Gospel of Christ by word and by action.  May we, with the author of today's responsorial psalm, promise that "[t]he favors of the Lord [we] will sing forever; through all generations [our mouths] shall proclaim [Jesus'] faithfulness" (Ps. 89).

Faithfulness, Gratitude, Determination

In today's Gospel, Mark 16:9-15, we learn that the first person to whom Jesus appeared after He rose from the dead was "Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons".  Given the fact that she had "seven demons" cast out of her, we may perceive her as someone to "discard," someone with whom to have nothing to do and certainly not one to a believe that she had seen the risen Christ.  That may have been why the apostles did not believe her but it was also true, at the time of Jesus, that women had no legal backing to be witnesses to anything. In fact in many of the Gospel events/stories, women are never counted.  In our own day, women, also, tend to be dismissed, especially by men in "positions". Look at attitudes toward women being elected to the presidency here in the U.S. or women being ordained priests in the Catholic Church, though Jesus included women in His ministry; in fact, as the first to proclaim the resurrection.

Cultural and ecclesial positions cemented in minds for centuries do not, however, dismiss the fact that all persons--men and women, young and old, gay and straight, children and adults, persons of all races--are called, by their baptism, to proclaim Christ, to stand up for their faith just as all the women did in Jesus' time and as did Peter and John and all the apostles.  The culture in which Mary Magdalene lived did not stop her from seeking Jesus in life and in death. The violence she could have faced did not deter her from being close by when Jesus was condemned to death. She followed Him up the hill to Calvary, stood by the cross with Mary, Jesus' mother, and was the first at the tomb Easter morn, unafraid of the guards or anyone else. Fear did not stop her. She became her best self in spite of her culture and its stance toward women.

What about you and I? How strong is our faith? How strong is our desire to draw close to Jesus and be of service to Him?  What gets in our way of becoming our true selves?

Facing Challenges

In today's first reading, 1 Samuel 16: 1-13,  God sends Samuel to Jesse of Bethlehem, as He has chosen the successor of Saul from one of Jesse' sons. Samuel's initial reply is: "Lord, if I go in search of Saul's replacement and he hears of it, I am a dead man!" Samuel could have fearfully ignored God's request and spent his lifetime running away from God.  Some of us do that when we encounter difficulties: simply walk away from the situation that holds a challenge to our faith. We do not take God's request seriously, no matter what it is! But not Samuel. He asks the Lord "How can I go?"  In other words, he asks: "How can I handle this according to your holy will?" In the New Testament, when God asks Mary to be the Mother of God, becoming pregnant at age 13 or 14 during her betrothal to Joseph (before marriage) and not knowing man (also risking death)  she, too, asks God "How?" She does not walk out of the difficult situation. She converses with the person who can help her!

When you and I face difficult situations, which of the following options do we choose:  1) going to the Lord and asking God how we are to accomplish what He is asking of us, 2) ignore God's requests by walking away from God or 3) plunge into doing what God asks without seeking Divine help?

Lord, may we, like Samuel and Mary, have the wisdom to 1) share our fears with you, 2) ask the "how" questions and 3) set out to do what you are asking of us, knowing that You go before us and will give us the courage, the strength and the wisdom we need to accomplish Your holy will in the NOW moment!

The Challenge of Discipleship

In today's second reading, Philippians 2: 1-11, St. Paul admonishes us to do "nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his [her] own interests, but also for those of others."  Paul's statement--"but also for those [the interests] of others," implies that it is important to meet one's own needs and the needs of others. Self-neglect will lead to anger and resentment.

In terms of doing "nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather humbly regard others as more important than yourselves,"  we have Jesus as an example of these behaviors. "Christ Jesus,...though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped [vainglory]. Rather, he emptied himself [for our sakes]  taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" [regarding us more important than himself].

In today's responsorial psalm, Psalm 25, we pray:  "Your ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me your paths, guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior."  Jesus teaches us, by example, to follow God the Father's way, as He, in fact did throughout his life for our sakes.  As a disciple of Christ, you and  I are challenged to set aside our pride and selfishness and, with the courage, wisdom, humility, and generosity of Jesus to do as He did--give our lives for others! May God give us the graces today to follow Jesus' example.

Jesus' Message to Us: "Be Not Afraid; It is I"

In today’s Gospel, John 6: 16-21, we have the story of the disciples, after a busy day in ministry, going down to the sea, getting into a boat, and travelling across the sea to Capernaum.  They do this in spite of the fact that it is dark and a storm is ravaging the waters. They are out on the sea about 3-4 miles and see Jesus walking on the waters toward them. They are scared out of their wits! Aware of their fear, Jesus says to them: “It is I. Do not be afraid.” 

 Who is this man, they must have been asking themselves? He’s walking on the rough sea and not sinking!  The disciples want to take Jesus into the boat with them, but the “boat immediately arrived at the shore to which they were heading.”  “Immediately?”  “Really,”  I ask. Did Jesus not only calm their fears but miraculously bring them to the safety of the shore, I wonder.

Jesus shows us the face of our God: a God of mercy and compassion, a God who is concerned about every detail of our life, a God who knows when we are in “perilous waters,” a God who calms our fears—is aware, in fact, when we are afraid  and of what we are afraid.

 

We may not see Jesus walking on the treacherous waters of our lives, as these disciples did, but He, along with the Father and the Spirit,  is there. The Trinity is always at our sides, walking along side us, dwelling within us, watching over us day in and day out, throughout the “nights” of our lives. God is the light in that darkness, the strength in our weaknesses, the courage in our fearsome moments, the love in our less-loving moments, the forgiveness in our moments of resentment, waiting to be recognized.  God waits, as, in Jesus He was waiting for the disciples in the boat to see Him approaching them on the stormy waters.

Active Faith and Jesus' Response

In today’s Gospel, Mark 5: 21-43, a woman who has been ill for 12 years,  exhausted her savings and experienced painful treatments to no avail, approaches Jesus quietly, hoping to simply touch the hem of His garment, knowing in faith, that she will be healed. And she is!  Jesus turns around and asks: Who touched me?  The disciples think he’s crazy to ask such a question when they were surrounded by a crowd of people so “thick” it was impossible not to rub against one another. Yet, Jesus knew that healing  power had flowed out of Him.  The woman who was healed and who would have been considered unclean because of her condition comes forward and acknowledges that she is the one who touched Him.  In love and compassion, Jesus commends her for her faith, saying to her: “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”

Jesus waits, also, for you and I to approach Him in faith, unafraid to come forward. Jesus will not shame us, as others might do for being “unclean,” for being considered unworthy by some, by being ostracized and excluded by many. We may have even been treated badly, such as being told to “get outta here. You don’t belong here.”  This woman knew that she was considered unclean and that anyone who touched her would also be labeled unclean and would need to submit to the legal ramifications of ignoring the Mosaic laws that applied to such individuals. Yet she approached Jesus!

To Jesus, what mattered were love, compassion, understanding and mercy. God is a loving God, a compassionate God, a kind God, a God of understanding and mercy.  Legalism was not part of Jesus’ vocabulary or behaviors. Over and over again, Jesus challenged people of His day who adhered rigidly  to ritual and laws at the expense of responding lovingly to human need. He does so today, also.

How do you and I relate to others? Are we slaves to rigid boundaries? Are we legalistic, denying others the compassion, the mercy, the love of God that dwells within us? Or do we, like Jesus, rise above legalism and challenge the rigid application of set rules/structures, playing it safe to look good in the eyes of authority outside of ourselves?

"Be Not Afraid"--God is with You

In today’s Gospel, some Pharisees approach Jesus and say to Him: “Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.”  Jesus replies:  “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I accomplish my purpose. Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow , and the following day, for it is impossible that a prophet should die outside of Jerusalem.”  Jesus then addresses Jerusalem, saying: “…Behold, your house will be abandoned. But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

In the thick of a dangerous world, Jesus trusts His Father. He knows that people are plotting to kill Him. His faith in His Father does not waver. He does not flinch in the midst of threats on His life.  He continues doing the work that His Father has given Him to do as He approaches Jerusalem where He will be put to death but rise again in triumph to secure our salvation.

The world today is no different than in Jesus’ times. People are plotting to kill other people, to put Christians to death, to kill those they disdain or whose beliefs differ from their own.  To people whose lives are in danger, Jesus says:  “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Can you not buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one falls to the ground without your Father knowing. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. So there is no need to be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Mt 10: 28-31).

  We live in a dangerous world. That is true! But it is no more dangerous than the world in which Jesus lived. In faith, let us, like Jesus, continue “today, tomorrow, and the following day” performing the works God has given us to do in building God's Kingdom of love, justice, truth, mercy and forgiveness. And no matter what danger approaches the horizon of our lives, may we anchor our faith in the Lord, who alone will save us and give us the strength we need to continue trusting God, our Father.  May we walk in the Light, seek the Light and be the Light in the darkness that surrounds us!

St. Jane Frances de Chantal: A Woman of Deep Faith

Today is the feast day of St. Jane Frances de Chantal, a close friend to St. Francis de Sales.  Saint Jane Frances lived an heroic life of virtue as a married woman, a mother and a foundress of a religious community.   Her marriage started out with the possibility of she and her husband losing the home he inherited as a baron.  Under her detailed supervision, the finances of the estate were brought under control.  She and her husband were of one heart and soul!  They were devoted to each other and to their four children.

Faith was Jane Frances’ unwavering approach to life’s challenges, a faith she instilled in her children. Discussions of religious topics were a daily occurrence.    The children were allowed to talk about anything, even topics considered controversial.   Reaching out to the poor who came to her door for food was also a regular practice in Jane Frances' home. No one was turned away, even when they came back repeatedly for the same meal. When employees complained, she said to them: “What if God turned me away when I came back to him again and again with the same request?”

Jane Frances’ happiness was shattered when her husband Christophe was killed in a hunting accident. Before taking his last breath, Christophe forgave the person who accidently shot him: “Don’t commit the sin of hating yourself when you have done nothing wrong.” Brokenhearted, Jane Frances had a more difficult time with forgiveness but eventually was able to forgive the person who killed her husband.  Her struggles led her to an insatiable thirst for God and a deeper spiritual life. She sought direction from Saint Francis de Sales, who encouraged her to found the Visitation order for women who were rejected by other religious orders because of poor health or age. She strongly believed that people should have a chance to live their religious calling regardless of ill health.

Many sought spiritual direction from Jane Frances. She was always gentle and loving in her approach to living the spiritual life.  She’d say to a distraught directee:  “Should you fall even fifty times a day, never on any account should that surprise or worry you.  …[G]ently set your heart back in the right direction and practice the opposite virtue, all the time speaking words of love and trust to our Lord…Once we have humbled ourselves for the faults God allows us to become aware of in ourselves, we must forget them and go forward.”

Source: St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Catholic Online

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?

Stop to Listen!

Today’s first reading, 1 Samuel 15: 16-23, is a continuation of what happened when Samuel went back to sleep and when hearing his name called a fourth time answered: “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” God had a message that He wanted Samuel to deliver to Saul.  To get Saul’s attention, he said to him the next morning: “Stop! Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.”

As I reflected upon that passage, I realized how often I do not stop. I plunge into the day’s work. I move forward full speed into what I was bent on doing.  Sometimes, many times perhaps, I need someone like Samuel to say to me: “Stop! Let me tell you something that the Lord wants me to share with you.”  I may still keep right on going: “I can’t listen to you now. I am busy.”  Or, I may say to myself: “Who does this person think he/she is to tell me what he or she believes the Lord wants me to hear. I will go directly to the Lord myself. I don’t need an intermediary.” Or more blatantly, I might say to myself: “No one tells me what to do!”

Pride precedes the fall! I need to pray for humility to listen! And, if this person is telling me something I already know, I need humility to say: ‘Thank you!’  The person does not need to know that I already got the message and am working on the very thing she or he was bent on telling me “for my own good.”  I also need to pray for the gift of courage and the strength to choose humility and what humility asks of me in my interaction with people each day!  I think of a professor who said to us counselors: “Act dumb and ask questions!”  What if, instead of bulking when I do not want to hear what another is saying, I truly listened, acted dumb and asked questions.  Would that not build the other’s self-esteem, strengthen our connection and, yes, transform my “water” into “wine”?

God Is in Our Midst

In today's first reading, Is 35: 4-7a, the prophet says to those whose hearts are frightened: "Be strong, fear not!"  I think of all of the people in the world whose hearts are filled with fear: those escaping countries ravaged by war and/or violence of any kind, those fleeing, or trying to flee, their human captors  (six traffickers, slave labor, drug lords, out-of-control addicts of any kind), those trying to free themselves from a variety of addictions, those terrified for the lives of their children and/or of themselves because of those addicted to anger and unjust behaviors,  and so on!  "Here is your God," Isaiah says, "he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you."  "When", we ask, as we watch the news and hear of the evil that seems to have gripped our world,   will "the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared," as Isaiah tells us. When will "the lame leap like a stag,... the tongue of the mute...sing"?  When will "[s]treams...burst forth in the desert, and rivers in the steppe." When "will [t]he burning sands...become pools, and the thirsty ground, springs of water"?  When, through grace,  we change our behaviors and attitudes that create these kinds of realities in our our world!

We know, in faith, that everything Isaiah says will become a reality in the resurrection of the dead, in our resurrection.  In the meantime, we live with the reality that the "weeds" will grow along side the "wheat," as it also did for Jesus during his earthly sojourn.  He did not escape violence,  hunger, famine, nor will we!  However, we have the assurance that God walks with us through the deserts of life, endures the violence with us and gives us the strength to endure and the hope to persevere in our faith until the end of our lives here on earth.

It is our responsibility to do what we can in assisting others in need, to bring justice to our world, to free those oppressed in any way and to bring hope to the hopeless, as we, too, build up hope within ourselves through our relationship with Jesus, by drinking at the well of Living Waters,  feeding ourselves with the Bread of Life, nourishing ourselves with the Scriptures and strengthening our resolve to become instruments of reconciliation and forgiveness through the sacrament of reconciliation.

Yes, we are called to follow Jesus' example and rely on the Lord, who makes us strong and quiets our fears!

"Be Stouthearted and Wait the Lord" (Ps 27)

In today's first reading, 1 Thes 5: 1-6, 9-11, Paul cautions us to be alert concerning the coming of the day of the Lord.  When we least expect it, this day will come like a thief in the night. We have no idea when we will be met with the end of our lives here on earth.  However, we are reminded that we are children of the light, not of the darkness, and that "God has not destined us for wrath but for acquiring salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ."   Though Paul is speaking about our deaths, we could also reflect on this in light of the daily invitations to die to selfishness, to demanding our way, to wanting immediate successful results in whatever we are doing, to not encountering setbacks, or disappointments, or illness.  Suddenly, like a thief in the night, a "storm" arises within us or around us that slows us down, throws us into confusion, steals of us of our serenity, blocks our way.  These are opportunities for "acquiring salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ."  However, those very experiences bring me face to face with the demons in my life (compare today's Gospel, Luke 4: 31-37): my insistence on having it my way, of encountering no obstacles, of sailing smoothly to my destination. My pride and entitlement issues raise their heads and do not want to die easily.

 
In the Gospel, Luke 4: 31-37, the demons in the demoniac suddenly meet their demise.   They are dead "in the waters," so to speak.  To confront the "demons" in my life requires faith and trust. I need to encounter the Lord personally, as did the person in today's Gospel.  As mentioned in the liturgy's responsorial psalm, I need to discipline myself to "wait for the Lord with courage; [to become] stouthearted, and wait for the Lord."   May I have the courage to do just that. And if I fail, may I have the humility to talk to the Lord about my failure, to repent, and ask for the grace to learn from these kinds of mistakes.