God's awesome mercy!

In today's second reading, 1 Peter 1: 3-9, St. Peter gives praise to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for "his great mercy" in giving "us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for [us] who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith, to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time."

WOW! THE MERCY OF GOD! First of all, God gives us a new birth, a second birth, if you will, and this is birth into eternal life, a life that is "imperishable, undefiled, and unfading." That immortal life,which does not fade in brilliance, is "kept in heaven" for you and me.  If it is kept in heaven, no one can defile it, neither you nor me nor anyone else.  And, since it is kept in heaven, no one can destroy it or steal it from you or me. The only way we lose it is by denying Jesus Christ, our God or denying God PERIOD!  Secondly, you and I "are safeguarded through faith," a faith freely given us in our baptism! Safeguarded for what? For "a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time."  We are in that final time.  You and I might not recognize salvation that comes to us moment by moment. However, God is at work saving us all of the time through the good we do to others, the love we show toward them, our acts of forgiveness,  and through the good others do to us and the love they express to us by how they treat us as well as ask and give forgiveness. We are also being saved by our faith and hope in the Lord Jesus Christ hidden in everyone and every thing! And by our gratitude for God's goodness, the goodness of others, our own goodness--all gifts from a loving, caring, compassionate God of mercy!

Thank you, Lord!

Chosen to Witness to the Risen Christ

Today's first reading gives witness to the fact that, on the third day after Jesus was crucified and died, He was "raised...and granted  that he be visible, not to all the people, but to us, the witnesses chosen by God in advance, who ate and drank with him after he rose from that dead"!  That is you and I chosen in our baptism to know and profess the risen Christ, to eat and drink of His body and blood, soul and divinity in Holy Communion at every Mass or Liturgy that we celebrate!  You and I, men and women, have been "commissioned...to preach to the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. To him [we] bear witness, that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name."  

Women were the first to proclaim the resurrection of Jesus and it was  Mary Magdalene and another woman who was commissioned by Jesus to let the apostles know that He had risen:  "After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of  the Lord descended from heaven...[T]he angel said to the women..., 'Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.   Behold I have told you.' Then they went away quickly from the tomb...and ran to announce this to his disciples"  (Matthew 28:1-9).

How do you announce Jesus' resurrection in your life and in the life of your loved ones and to all those who have contact with you?  Do others know the Risen Christ because they know you?  If not, why not? If yes, give praise to the Risen Christ, who reveals Himself to you and to others through your love, your compassion, your understanding, your faith and trust in the Lord,  your forgiveness, and your generosity in giving of yourself to lift burdens and spread the Good News of the Gospel!

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!

Challenges to our Faith

In today's first reading, Daniel 3: 14-20, 91-92, 95,  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are asked to sacrifice to a golden statue that the king set up:  "Be ready now to fall down and worship the statue I have made.....[If you don't", he says to them,] "you shall be instantly cast into the white-hot furnace;and who is the God who can deliver you out of my hands?"  When the three men refuse, the king has the furnace "heated seven times more than usual and had some of the strongest men in his army bind" them and throw them into the furnace.  The King is amazed as he peers into the furnace and sees four men unbound walking around in the furnace.  He asks his nobles:   "'Did we not cast three men bound  into the fire?' 'Assuredly, O king,' they answered. 'But,' he replied, 'I see four men unfettered and unhurt, walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God.'"  The king then praises God!

I can imagine the king raging against these three men. "How dare they refuse what I ask of them?" As his anger mounted, he increased the heat of the furnace and called forth his strongest men to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  Is that not what our egos do when someone refuses to "worship" us and do what we ask of them? Does not our ego, at that point, become like this furnace heated 7xs greater than usual?  In some cases does not the rage lead to violence of some kind, even murder?

This passage also challenges us to look at the faith of the three men who stand up against the king and do not flinch in the face of death, a horrible death in fact! "There is no need for us to defend ourselves before you in this matter.  If our God, whom we serve, can save us from the white-hot furnace and from your hands, O king, may he save us! But even if he will not, know, O king, that we will not serve your god or worship the golden statue that you set up."

How strong is our faith in the face of danger? temptation? bullies? wickedness? Do we stand  so firm in our faith that all we need to do is calmly state our position; or do we need to loudly defend ourselves?

"Be Not Afraid"--Jesus Is in the Boat with Us

Today's Entrance antiphon reads:  "The waves of death rose about me; the pains of the netherworld surrounded me" (Cf Ps 18 (17): 5,7].  How true!  The waves of death caused by the coronavirus rises around all of us throughout the entire world. "The pains of the netherworld [surround us]."   With the psalmist, we pray: "In anguish [we call] to the Lord, and from his holy temple [God hears our voices]".  As Pope Francis said to us yesterday from a live-streamed reflection at noon our time:  "Be not afraid. Jesus is in the boat with us."  And just as he calmed the fears of the disciples and stopped the storm that was threatening to kill them, so, too, will he calm our fears and assist us in stopping the spread of the virus that could kill us.  He has power over the coronavirus just as he had power over the storm that scared the disciples to death!

In the first reading of today's liturgy, Jeremiah 11: 18-20,  Jeremiah acknowledges that he knows "their plot because the Lord informed me; at that time you, O Lord, showed me their doings."  We know the plot of the coronavirus. We know what the coronavirus is doing to thousands of people around the world.  As those hatching plots against Jeremiah, and later against Jesus, so, too, it seems is the coronavirus determined "to destroy the tree in its vigor"  and to cut us "off from the land of the living."  However, the coronavirus will not have the last word any more than death had the last word in Jesus' life or the life of Jeremiah.  And just as the cases of those who were healed by Jesus revealed the glory of God, so, too, will the glory of God be revealed in today's world ravaged by this evil. Good comes from evil now as it did in Jesus' time when He was with us physically.  He is with us now in Spirit and in Life!

May our faith and trust be strengthened in this storm of life.  May we keep our eyes on Jesus and look to Him for the help that we need!

"Now I Know That There Is a God"

In today's first reading, 2 Kings 5: 1-15b, we encounter Naaman, the commander of King Aram's army, a man who was highly esteemed and respected by the King.  So when he developed leprosy, the King was very concerned. A little child from Israel, captured during one of the wars with Israel and a servant of Naaman's wife,  said to said to her master's wife: "If only my master would present himself to the prophet in Samaria, he would be cured of his leprosy."  Naaman went to the King and told him what the little girl had said. The King's response was: "Go!"  He does so and presents himself to the king of Israel, who angrily tears his garment and says: "Do you think that I am a god."  And in his anger believes that the king of Aram is only seeking to quarrel with him. The prophet Elisha hears of the king of Israel's reaction to Naaman and asks that the leper  be sent to him. Naaman goes to Elisha and expects that the prophet himself will meet him and ostentatiously heal him but instead sends a message that he go into the Jordan and bathe 7 times and his leprosy will be healed. Naaman's ego has a fit and, only at the persuasion of his servants does he bathe in the Jordan. He is healed, as Elisha said he would be.  He returns to Elisha and proclaims: "Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel."

Am I, are not you, at times, like Naaman. Our egos invariably seek extraordinary treatment. We believe, at times, that we are entitled to spectacular episodes that exalt our egos! And God says "no"! To experience the miracles of our God, the goodness of our God, God's compassion, we may simply be asked to go to a parish mission, to attend a certain liturgy or to go to confession.  We could bulk like Naaman did when asked to submerge himself seven times in the Jordan or, in faith, follow the suggestion given to us by our children, our grandchildren, our spouse or a friend! Or the Spirit might be nudging us to make a phone call to someone whom we may have insulted or to stop at the flower shop on our way home from work and buy a rose for our spouse. Do we bulk and say: "No way! I can't be bothered!"  Insignificant acts may well bring about a "miracle" and give a message to the recipient that God truly exists and is truly a loving, caring, forgiving, merciful God.

When have you said to yourself or to another: "Now I know that there is a God?"  Be the reason another person would make that proclamation!

Maintaining the Strength of our Faith, Hope and Love

In today's Gospel, Matthew 5: 13-16, Jesus reminds us that we "are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?"  Jesus also reminds us that we "are the light of the world."  Our light is to be set on a lamp-stand where everyone can see it:  "Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father."   

Salt brings out the flavor in foods! We, too, are to bring out the "flavor," if you will, of the gifts of faith, trust and love of our God and others. Knowing us, if our salt has not lost its flavor, others taste how good the Lord is and how strong our love for another!  However, if our salt has lost its flavor, that is, if our faith is "dead," our love has wilted, and our trust has been smothered  by distrust and anxious worries, then there is no way that we are able to enhance or strengthen the faith, hope and love of others.  

Regarding being the light of the world around us, the same is true.  If our light is dim, that is, smothered by worries and cares of the world or weakened by unresolved grief and anger and hatred, we are unable to bring light to the lives of others.  If we do not "charge" the "batteries" of our faith, hope and love by good works, by holy reading, by reception of the sacraments, by times of solitude, by drinking in the beauty of the earth and  by being faithful to our vocational commitments, the light we are called to be could burn out or become so dim that we are ineffective in radiating God's love and presence in our marriage, our religious lives, our priesthood or our lives as single men and women. 

What are you, what am I, doing that  "charges" and maintains the vitality of our faith, hope and love?Is yours or my salt flavored and our lamps burning brightly?

Faith, Love and Forgiveness in Action

In Today's Scripture, 2 Sam 18: 9=10, 14b, 24-25a, 30-19:3, David learns that his son Absalom, who was out to kill him and take over his kingdom, is killed.  David is crushed and cries out:  My son Absalom! My son, Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, mu son, my son!"  The Incarnate Son of God does die in our places.  And He weeps when any one of us does not accept the gift of life He has given us by taking on human flesh, all its weaknesses, except sin, and is put to death in our places that we will inherit eternal life.  Nothing is more painful for God than the death of one unrepentant sinner.

This love of God is also revealed for us in the Gospel of today, Mark 5: 21-43.  One of the synagogue officials, Jairus by name,  approaches Jesus and begs him to go lay his healing hands upon  his 12-year-old daughter who is dying. Jairus' friends inform him that his daughter has died and that he should stop bothering Jesus. Jesus says to him: Disregard your friends' report. "[J]ust have faith." His daughter is healed!  Also, a woman suffering from an illness for 12 years touches Jesus' clothes, saying to herself:  "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured."  As soon as she touched Jesus,  her affliction left her. Jesus knew that someone in the crowd had touched him and asked who had done so. The woman comes forward and tells Jesus her whole story and Jesus says to her: "Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction."

Who am I in these Scripture stories of faith and love? Absalom filled with hatred toward a family member and out to kill this person? David, who grieves the loss of his son and does not condemn him for seeking to kill him? Jairus, a non-Jew who believes in Jesus and seeks His help to save his little girl? the woman who believe that in just touching Jesus' clothing she will be healed of an illness that plagued her for 12 years? Jesus, who responds to people in need, even persons not of  His religious beliefs?

Am I, are you, a person of faith like Jairus and the woman seeking healing? Am I, are you, a person of forgiveness and love like David?  And if I am like these persons and like Jesus, how does my faith translate into actions such as modeled in these Scriptures?

The Lord Keeps Us Safe

In today's first reading, 1 Sam 17: 32-33, 37, 40-51, David offers to confront Goliath, a Philistine who is a threat to the nation of Israel.  Saul is hesitant and tells David that he is no match for this giant.  David insists, saying: "The Lord, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear, will also keep me safe from the clutches of this Philistine."  Saul then offers him encouragement: "...[T]he Lord will be with  you!"  Goliath, seeing David, a mere youth, approaching him with staff, says to him: "Am I a dog that you come against me with a staff?"  Goliath curses him and says:  "Come here to me, and I will leave your flesh for the birds of the air and the beasts of this field."  David does not flinch. Relying upon the Lord, he is unafraid and says:  "...I come against you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel that you have insulted. Today the Lord shall deliver you into my hand....[F]or the battle is the Lord's."

Like for David, God has rescued you and me from "bears" and "lions" in our lives.  Some of these rescues we are aware of and others not.  God is a warrior who fights on our side against the enemies in our lives.  When we face the "Goliaths" in our  lives, it is God who goes to battle for us.  The "battle is the Lord's."

Do you, do I, have the faith and the confidence of David when we are up against situations which, without God's help, there is no way that we will come out on top?  Never for a moment, did David not believe that God would keep him safe or help him!  Do you, do I, believe that we are safe in winning battles against Satan, who certainly is stronger than we are? Upon whom do I, do you, seek help?

Today, the Lord confronted me in prayer about dealing with a situation without first bringing my concerns to Him and seeking deliverance from Him.  Consequently I fell into the pit of human weakness awaiting me and, in no uncertain terms, the Lord said to me through the Spirit within me:  "You did not come to me about your anger...That was the mistake that opened the pit into which  you fell....!"  The Lord cannot and will not help us resolve a problem that we keep to ourselves.

"Justified Freely by His Grace" (Romans 3: 22)

In today's first reading, Romans 3: 21-30, we are reminded that the righteousness of God is a reality for all who believe in Jesus Christ, that is, it is manifested "apart from the law and the prophets," though the law and God's prophets give testimony to it.  There is no distinction, St. Paul reminds us, between those who serve and know God's righteousness through the law and those who serve God "through faith in Jesus Christ..., as well as through observance the of the law. "[A]ll have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God."  And all "are  justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus, who God set forth as an expiation, through faith, by his Blood, to prove his righteousness because of the forgiveness of sins...."   To this very day God, those who believe in Jesus Christ are made righteous and justified by Jesus' pouring out every drop of His blood for the redemption of all peoples.

I invite those reading this blog and myself, as well,  to apply St. Paul's message to ourselves personally, hearing St. Paul say to each of us:  Dorothy Ann (Insert your name)        , though you have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God, you "are justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus, who God set forth as an expiation  [of your sins] through [your faith] by his Blood, to prove his righteousness because of the forgiveness of [your] sins."  Jesus, the Righteous One, has justified you and restored "the glory of God" in you, Dorothy Ann (insert your name),  by shedding every drop of His Blood, beginning with His circumcision, His sweat turning into drops of blood in the Garden of Gethsemane, His scourging, His crowning with thorns, His loss of blood on the way to Calvary, nails being driven through His hands and feet, and His side being pierced on the cross.

You cannot, Dorothy Ann (insert your name),  boast of saving yourself--you are saved only through Christ Jesus' obedience to the point of death. St. Paul states: "What occasion is there...for boasting? It is ruled out.  On what principle, that of works? No, rather on the principle of faith....God is one and will justify  the circumcised on the basis of faith (the Jews)  and the uncircumcised (the Gentiles) through faith."  "There is no distinction."  The glory of God is restored in all peoples--every Jew and every Gentile--without any exceptions through the Righteous One, Jesus Christ!

Behaviors and Speech That Reveal Love, Faith, and Purity

In today's first reading  1 Tim 4: 12-16, St. Paul exhorts us to not "have contempt  for [our] youth, but to set an example for those who believe, in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity. "

Simple but profound teachings!  There is a psalm that says: Lord, I am not preoccupied with things too profound for me or beyond me.  Living a spiritual life, St. Paul says,  is about not showing contempt for oneself or anyone else, about not showing contempt for my life as a youth or any other time, not showing contempt for the elderly or poor or sick or lame, or mentally ill, the rich or the poor, immigrants or natives,  those whose skin is black or yellow, white or red.

Jesus, in today's Gospel,  Luke 7: 36-50, enters the house of a Pharisee. He is not greeted, as was the custom of Jesus' time, with the washing of his feet or the anointing of his head. A woman, a known sinner whose many sins were forgiven by Jesus, enters the house, knowing that Jesus is there, and, in profound gratitude,  washes Jesus' feet with her tears, anoints His feet with "an alabaster flask of anointment" and kisses them. The host is disturbed by what he sees happening and says to himself:  "If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner."

Contempt! The woman's behavior does not reveal contempt for herself or Jesus but love, purity and gratitude. The pharisee is definitely out of line, not setting an example "in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity." St. Paul by word and the woman by example challenge us to live a life of love, faith and purity. Our speech and our conduct are to reveal our faith in Christ Jesus, as did the conduct of the woman who anointed Jesus' feet.  Our words and actions are to reveal the depth, the breath, the width, and the height of  our love, our faith, our trust in Christ Jesus, in ourselves and in others.

If someone shadowed us today, what would our behavior or our speech reveal of us?

Faith Demonstrated by the Centurion

In today's Gospel, Luke 7: 1-10, we learn of the centurion whose slave is at the point of death. The centurion sends Jewish elders to Jesus, asking that he come to heal his slave whom he valued highly.  The elders beg Jesus to respond to the centurion's request because he "deserves to have you do this for him, because he loves our nation and he built a synagogue for us."  As Jesus is approaching the centurion's house, the centurion says to him,  "Lord, do  not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. Therefore, I do not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed. For I, too, am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another 'Come here,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."

Jesus is absolutely amazed by this man from Rome and heals his slave.  He's never met such a person in all of Israel with the faith of this centurion.  Would Jesus say this of you, of me?  Have you, have I developed the kind of character this centurion has developed?   

Chosen to a Life of Faith, a Labor of Love and Endurance in Hope

In today's first reading, 1 Thes 1:1-5, 8b-10, St. Paul says to the people: We give  thanks to God always for all of you,... unceasingly calling to  mind your work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ,...knowing...how you were chosen.  For our Gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.  ...In every place your faith in God has gone forth...."

As I reflect upon those words, I think of my parents. They, too, "were chosen."   Like the people of Thessalonia,  "the Gospel did not come to [them] in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction."  Their faith was alive and well. It was powerful and changed their lives.  They endured all that they encountered in life with the same faith that Jesus had in God's will for Him and thus they were survivors, not victims of suffering. The sufferings that my parents endured in their lives deepened their faith and dependence upon God and one another. 

How do you and I cope with suffering? Is suffering a catalyst that nurtures our faith and dependence upon God and each other, making us spiritually strong individuals? Or do we use suffering to feel sorry for ourselves, to vent our anger upon others, and to play the "poor me" role in life? Suffering itself is not harmful. It is the way we cope with pain and suffering that can harm us or others.  The choice is ours!

It is also important to remember that God does not send us pain or suffering. Such comes to us through sin. Jesus Himself suffered, as all of us do, because of sin in the world, in his case because of sin in the leaders of his time who were jealous of Him and therefore determined to put him to death. He was a threat to their power and therefore they found a way to destroy Him, so they thought, in death.  Jesus teaches us to approach suffering and death in faith, knowing that these realities of life here on earth do not have the last say. God does and God gives new life in spite of and through that which causes us pain and leads to a dying and rising--new life here on earth or to eternal life in heaven!

Second Birth: Born of Water and the Spirit

In today's Gospel, John 3: 1-8, Nicodemus goes to Jesus at night and acknowledges that Jesus is from God, "for no one," he says to Jesus, "can do these signs that  you are doing unless God is with him."  Jesus says to him in response: "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." Jesus explains further:  "[U]nless one is born of water and Spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit.....'You must be born from above.'"

In baptism, you and I were born again, that is, we were born of  water and the spirit. Our first birth was of the flesh. Our second birth was of the Spirit. Born of water and the Spirit in baptism, we are recipients of the gifts of the Spirit--wisdom, understanding, right judgment, courage, knowledge and reverence, holy reverence in God's presence--and empowered to bear an abundance of fruits of the Spirit: love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. We live by the Spirit because of this second birth.  The more we renounce ourselves, also, the more we 'walk by the Spirit'" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, # 736, p. 194).

Nicodemus goes to Jesus at night--he is not yet born from above but is invited to be so!  How strong am I in my faith, that is, do I invite others to be born from above, to be baptized with water and he Spirit? Do I realize that it is because I have been gifted with the sacrament of baptism that I am more likely to act wisely, peacefully, patiently, kindly, gently; that I am therefore  more likely to be faithful to my marriage, religious or priestly vows; and that goodness is more likely to dominate the majority of my choices for that same reason?  Why would I not invite a loved one to choose baptism and seek God above all, to renounce him/herself and thereby walk more in the Spirit than in the flesh?

With the apostles, in today's first reading, Acts 4: 23-31, let us pray for the gift to speak boldly when it comes to proclaiming our faith in Christ Jesus and in what Jesus teaches us in the Scriptures and in the Church.

Faith and Trust in the Living God

In today's first reading, Isaiah 65: 17-21, the Lord says to us through the prophet: "Lo, I am about to create new heavens and a new earth;the things of the past shall not be remembered or come to mind. Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness in what I create; for I create Jerusalem to be a  joy and its people to be a delight; I will rejoice in Jerusalem and exult in my people."

What I believe comes to be! For instance, if I believe that I will fail, failure will be mine. On the contrary, if I believe that I shall succeed, I will succeed in some way, even if that success is how I handle failure!  Living through faith in God's power to "create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight," I will, then, experience God's power to bring good out of what I may have perceived as disaster.  We see this kind of faith at work in the royal official in today's Gospel, John 4: 43-54. The royal official asked Jesus to come down to Capernaum to heal his dying son.  At first it looked as if Jesus was dismissing him with a rebuke when he said: "Unless you  people see signs and wonders you will not believe." The royal official simply repeated his request and Jesus says to him: "You may go; your son will live" and at that moment his son began to recover.

Like the royal official,  if I live by faith,  I will not hesitate to bring my concerns to Jesus, knowing that He has the power to help me in my need, whatever that need might be. As I rely upon God to respond to my requests for help,  my thinking negatively will be changed into thinking positively. And like the royal official,  I will then experience how God delights in me and restores my faith in Him.

Lord, I pray for the faith to believe in what you create and are capable of creating.   Like the royal official, may I grow in my knowledge of who You really are: a compassionate, loving, faithful God, whose love is infinite and generously shared. I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Righteousness and Faith

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

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

"Do not be afraid; just have faith" (Cf Matthew 5: 21-43)

In today's first reading,  Hebrews 1: 1-4, St. Paul encourages us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, our leader and the one who perfects our faith.  Knowing that he was about to return to His Father, Jesus resolutely goes up to Jerusalem, where He is arrested, condemned and put to death by people under the influence of the Evil One.  St. Paul asks us to consider "how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that [we] may not grow weary and lose heart."

During His sojourn here on earth, Jesus Himself never lost heart or grew weary of loving tenderly, acting justly, and doing what was right (compare Micah 6:8)  for those who expressed their faith and trust in Him. We have examples of that in today's Gospel, Mark 5: 21-43, where a woman who suffered hemorrhages for twelve years believed that if she only touched the hem of His garments she would be healed and she was! Jairus, a synagogue official, whose twelve-year-old daughter lay dying,  approached Jesus asking that He come down to his house and "lay [His] hand on her that she may get well and live." People told the father that his daughter was dead and that he should stop bothering Jesus. The people also mocked Jesus when he entered the synagogue's house. He disregarded their message that she was dead and said to the official: "Do not be afraid; just have faith." Jesus, with some of his disciples, went into the house and  healed the dying child. "'Little girl, I say to you arise' [and she] rose immediately and walked around." 

The opposition, the mockery, the doubts that flew around did not cause Jesus to  "grow weary [or] lose heart."  He knew who he was and he recognized individuals who also knew that helping others and revealing God's compassion toward us was what Jesus was all about.  Nothing stopped Jesus, not even death itself!  He held nothing back on our behalf!

That was true 2000+ years ago and is true today, as well! When we express faith in God in seemingly hopeless situations, some people may mock our faith and tell us that all is lost and that we should give up. In those times, Jesus says to us: "Do not be afraid; just have faith."

Stirring our Faith into a Flame

In today's first reading, 2 Timothy 1: 1-8,  Paul, imprisoned for the faith,  writes a second letter to his friend Timothy, whom he remembers "constantly in [his] prayers night and day."  Paul is excited about the faith that Timothy's grandmother and mother passed on to Timothy and encourages him to "stir into flame the gift of God" that has been  given  to him. He encourages Timothy to "not be ashamed of [his] testimony to [the] Lord, nor of [Paul], a prisoner for [the Lord's] sake; but bear [his] share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God."

Like any other gift, if it is not used, faith can wither and die! Paul stood by Timothy, challenging him to stand firm and not give in to erroneous teachings about Jesus. Paul kept at him to confront the issues threatening the faith of the young Christian community in Ephesus (1 Timothy 1: 18-20)--See reflections on this Scripture passage in Word Among Us, January 26,  2019--to be assertive, and to live rightly.

Timothy's faith was tried, to say the least, as he died a martyr's death for his commitment to Christ. Your faith and mine will also be tried, though not necessarily to the point of being martyred, but certainly in the case of being challenged to be assertive, claim our faith, and give testimony among persons who are unbelievers or who mock our faith.

How strong am I? How strong are you? Are we willing to stand up for Christ or do we back away from such situations? Do we take time to "stir into flame the gift of God," that is, the faith passed on to us from our parents/grandparents or other adults who, in our childhood, were true to God's call to to are their faith with us?  How faithful am I, are you, to reading and reflecting on the Sunday's Scriptures, to setting time aside to pray/to talk to God about our worries, concerns, joys or grief over something that touched us during any given day?  Do I actively seek God in the events and encounters of each day? Do I bring God to my relationships and to the situations of the day? Or do I aimlessly wander through a day relying only upon myself for the strength, the wisdom, the patience, the courage, the love and understanding needed to radiate Christ to the world in which I exist today?

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!

God's Design and God's Purpose

Today we celebrate the feast of  Our Lady of Guadalupe--Mary's appearance to Juan Diego, a Native American belonging to the Aztec tribe!   As with Jesus, Mary's love for the poor and oppressed are revealed in this visit to Juan Diego.  Because the bishop did not at first believe Juan Diego that Mary wanted a cathedral built on the spot where she appeared to him, he asked Mary to choose someone else. And Mary said "No, I have chosen you."  The Bishop wanted proof, so Juan Diego asked for such and was told that there would be roses on a snowy hill nearby. He found the roses and wrapped them in his cloak and took them to the bishop. When Juan Diego opened his cloak and gave the Bishop the roses, there on his cloak was an imprint of our Blessed Mother clothed as an Aztec woman. Many miracles have occurred  for the Mexican people through the intercession of Mary in the cathedral built at her request.

Like Juan Diego and like Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe,  and like so many others who have gone before us, each one of us has been called to fulfill God's design and purpose that only we, with God's help, are able to do.  If we refuse, that particular purpose is not accomplished. God designed it so! We might, as was the case with  Juan Diego, want God to choose someone else whom we believe is better equipped to carry out what God is asking of us; however, God choose you and me for a specific purpose and equips us to carry out His design no less than He equipped Juan Diego and Mary, the Mother of Jesus, to do what was theirs to do.  When what is being asked of us seems too difficult, and we encounter our weaknesses, that is when God intervenes for us. At times like those, we also know much we depend upon God to empower us to do the good that is ours to do. May you and I humbly step up to the plate and embrace God's will for us as Mary and Juan Diego did!