Seeking Peace and Holiness

In today’s first reading, Hebrews 12: 4-7, 11-15, St. Paul instructs us to “[a]lways be wanting peace with all people, and the holiness without which on one can ever see the Lord. Be careful that no one is deprived of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness should begin to grow and make trouble; this can poison a whole community.”

In this same passage, Paul reminds us that the Lord disciplines his sons and daughters.  The purpose of that discipline is that we may grow in holiness and, thus, not deprive others of the grace of God that gives life to the whole community. That discipline might come from a correction from another or by a disturbance in my relationships or within myself that alerts me that something is not right. I then need to take note and look at what part of the suffering I am causing. And when I discover how I have contributed to the turmoil, I then need to do my part to restore the peace, that is, acknowledge my part and, possibly, apologize.  When I am ranting within myself about something, frustrated and upset and pointing a finger at someone else's role in the commotion, I find it very helpful to say to myself: Dorothy, you have the most to improve.  That helps me let go and embrace the peace God wants to give me.

  At the end of each day, it is also helpful to reflect upon whether or not I have been a source of holiness in the community, that is, have I,  by my love and forgiveness, by my peace and serenity, by my hopefulness and faithfulness to the Gospel, allowed the grace and mercy of God to flow through me into others? Or, on the contrary, have I poisoned the atmosphere by my unresolved anger and bitterness,  by my selfish ambitions and unforgiving stance, by hidden pride lurking in my attitudes or by my hopelessness and disloyalty to the Gospel of Christ?

Those Who Have More, More will be Given

Today’s Gospel, Matthew 13: 10-17, Jesus is asked why he speaks in parables to the crowd. He says it is because “knowledge of mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to [the crowd]  it has not been granted.”  Furthermore, Jesus says, “ to anyone who has, more will be given and [that person] will grow rich; from anyone who has nit, even what [that person] has will be taken away.”

What are we to make of Jesus’ explanation?  The crowd, Jesus says, has not received “knowledge of mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven” but you have.  We might interpret that to mean that  God gives to individuals--calls individuals.  The call is personal, individualized.  We might then ask: “Why, Lord, to the one who has,  more will be given and to the person who has nothing, nothing will be given and even the little this person has, that little will be taken away from him/her. “  Is it possible that when we have nothing or very little—and probably are not doing much to grow in our faith, we lose the little we have and, if our “jug” is empty of faith, it stays empty because we are doing nothing to assist in its growth?  On the other hand, when a person has a lot, is it because that person is working and doing all within his/her power to achieve even deeper knowledge. Thus the more one has the more one receives because of the open disposition of that person’s heart, mind, and will?

“Seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be open to you,” 

Jesus says to us in Matthew 7:7.  Are you seeking by engaging in spiritual reading, in reflecting on the Scriptures, in attending religious services and  receiving the sacraments? Are you knocking at the door of  God’s heart, seeking God in the stillness of your own being, in the stillness of nature, in the stillness of a religious service?  Are  seeking to love and be loved, seeking to forgive and be forgiven? Are you seeking that which is true for you?

The Garden of My Heart and its Gardener

Today’s Gospel, Matthew 13: 1-9, relates the parable of the sower.  Jesus says to you and me:

You are like a garden, Dorothy Ann (insert your name).  I plant in your garden every day. What do I plant? Seeds of faith, hope, and love.  Every day I till the soil, opening, softening, watering the soil of your heart.  I pull out weeds, remove rocks, and nurture seedlings. I put a “fence” around your garden to keep out evil. 

Yes, I am the gardener of your heart, Dorothy Ann (insert your name), and the hearts of all.  As I tend to your garden, I tend other gardens as well. I break up hardened, rock-like soil in each garden, including yours.  Thistles and thorns I remove.  The nutrients that each soil needs—and that varies with each person—I possess.  Come to me and I will provide what you need. I  also will teach you how to interact with other“gardens” so fruit abounds.  Do not concern yourself when seeds of love, goodness, and forgiveness which you sow do not yield a rich or even noticeable harvest.  I am the One who gives the growth. I am the One who loosens the soil, waters it and cultivates it in cooperation with each individual. Sow the seeds I give you to sow and leave the results to me.

Thank you, Lord!  Open my eyes to see you at work in my garden and in the garden of others. Help me cooperate with You, as you till my garden. May I plant the seeds you give me to plant and let go of the outcome, trusting and realizing that You are the One who grows the garden!  Give me the wisdom to come to You for the nutrients I need to bear fruit that will last! I ask this in Jesus' name.

The Word of God Growing

Today’s first reading, Acts 12: 24-13: 5a, opens with the statement:  “The word of God continued to spread and grow.”   Is the word of God continuing to grow within me,”   I ask myself?  If not, why not? If so, how does my day-to-day, moment-by-moment behaviors/attitudes reflect that growth? Am I more loving, more patient, more caring, more kind, more forgiving, more self-giving and self-sacrificing for the common good, more in tune with the Shepherd’s voice, more at peace with myself and others?  Or am I resisting the pull and push of the Holy Spirit to be involved in life in meaningful ways—in my marriage, in the life of my children and grandchildren, in the life of my religious community and the women [or men religious] with whom I work and live and pray? What needs to change in me to bring about a conversion so that, if I am holding back,I will get involved in such a way  that at the end of a day I can hear God say to me what He said to His Son: “This is my beloved daughter/son in whom I am well pleased.”

Stretch Out Your "Withered" Hand

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

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

God-given Talents Used Well

Today's Gospel presents the parable of the talents: one person was given 5 talents and made 5 more, another 2 and earned 2 more and one person given 1 talent and, out of fear, buried it.  What do I do with the talents the Lord has given me? To I develop them and thus add skills to my life and increase my ability to be of service, to build up the Kingdom of God or do I bury my talents, do nothing with them, withdraw out of fear or, blame others or situations for the situation I am in, find excuses for my lethargy, inactivity, my sitting on the sidelines while life passes me  by? The choice is mine to make. If I choose to share my talents and thus gain more, I will experience the happiness of the Master. If I do otherwise, I will wallow in the pit of self-pity, continue to feel deprived, sinned against, and unhappy with life.


"Blessed are those," the responsorial Psalm (128) states, who fear the Lord," that is, who reverence the Lord and give back by developing the talents God has given him/her, "who walk in the way of the Lord." That way, we know from the Scriptures, is being fully involved in life, as Jesus and Mary were, being engaged in relationships in such a way that people's lives are transformed, healed, forgiven, made whole, supported by the assistance I can give and the joy I spread.