Choosing God's Way

In today's first reading, Acts 28: 16-20, 30-31, St. Paul appeals to the leaders of the Jews in Rome, where he was sent as a prisoner.  He says to the leaders: " My brothers, although I had done nothing against our people or our ancestral customs, I was handed over to the Romans as a prisoner from Jerusalem."  Paul then explains that they found no reason to put him to death and that  is why  he asked to see them. However, the leaders of the Jews in Rome did not free Paul!  He remained a prisoner "for two full years" and  "received all who came to him, and with complete assurance and without hindrance he proclaimed the Kingdom of God and taught about Jesus Christ,"

What would you or  I do if, like Paul, our request was denied?  Would we continue the mission Jesus asked of us, namely to live the Gospel, build God's Kingdom and teach about Jesus by words or actions? Or would we pout, hold a grudge and do nothing out of anger? Would we let our egos edge God out?

God Purifies the Hearts of His Faithful Ones

In today's first reading, Acts 15: 7-21, St. Peter reminds us that "...God...knows the heart,....[and] by faith he purified their hearts [the hearts of the Gentiles]." 

God purifies our hearts, also, through faith! Faith is nurtured, if you will, in periods of difficulty, that is, in times when we may cry out and say things such as:  "Where are you, God? or I don't get it,  God.  I  seem to be doing everything right yet nothing happens that indicates that I have found favor with you or that you are with me. I do not feel you in prayer. The words of Scripture, the liturgy, the praying of the Divine Office leaves me dry and distracted. My heart is like a desert--dry, weary, lifeless with little or no flowers or little or no fruit, at least it seems that way! Everything seems to be going wrong in one way or another! I want to do so many things in your vineyard and my health does not permit! I want to be patient and impatience rears its head. And want to be humble and there is pride laughing at me. I want to surrender and my ego exerts its desire for control.  On and on, Lord! Forgive me for this state of affairs, Lord!

And God says: "My dear child, I am with you. I know your heart and I am purifying it, just as I purified hearts, as of old.  None of my children bask in triumphs of grace on a regular basis, though grace is always working quietly within you. There are also glimpses of my glory outside of yourself! Glimpses, my child. Glimpses only! Look at sunrises and sunsets! Look at newborns and little children. Listen to beautiful music and the wonders of  nature and of every season.  Reach out to others in need and accept help in your neediness, as well! You will find me in all of these places and others events, as well, as did Peter and the early Christians. And,  don't forget to look into your heart. I am there always quietly transforming and strengthening it in the trials you described above!"

God Delights in Us as a Loving Parent Delights Over a Child

In today's Gospel, John 15: 1-8, Jesus says to us: "I am the true vine, and my Father the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.  You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him [her] will bear much fruit...."

In one sense we are like infants in their mother's womb and later, also, as toddlers and small children are totally dependent upon their parents for sustenance and growth.  Infants and toddlers apart from their parents will perish. So, too, will we apart from God! God guides us and provides for us as any good parents provide for their children. And nothing diminishes parents' love for their children.  No matter what we do, parents continue to love us and eagerly await our return to them when we have gone astray!   So, too, with God!

And like the owner of a vineyard, God does everything possible--pruning,  nurturing, watering, cultivating-- that we, His prized "plant," produce fruit, an abundance of fruit.  And how proud is God as He watches us bear fruit!  His love is ecstatic!

Faith Responses when Facing Difficulties

In today's first reading, Acts 14: 19-28, we are again inspired by the apostle Paul, who had been stoned, dragged out of the city in which he was proclaiming Christ, and left for dead.  When those who were stoning him left, Paul got up and re-entered the city to continue doing the work that the Lord Jesus had commissioned him to do.  Nothing stopped him. Down, he got up. No self-pity. No ranting and raving about his persecutors or those opposing his work.

What an example for all of us.  What, I ask myself, do I do when others knock me down, whether that be a physical altercation or an emotional one?  Do I get up when I fall, or when others push me down, as Jesus did on the way to Calvary, and continue the work of building up the Kingdom? Do I keep my eyes on Jesus and what He is asking me to do as His follower? Or do I waste time slamming others for the problems they have put in my way or putting myself down for the problems I have created for myself?

The choice is mine. Jesus did not promise that the journey of faith would be an easy one!  So why am I complaining when I encounter the difficulties of life, of being human and encountering human nature at its worst in others?

Lord, I ask for pardon when I fall short of serving You heroically, as did Paul. Help me, Jesus, keep my focus on you and on building up Your Kingdom of faith, hope and love! Give me the Wisdom I need in doing what is right and just for others and for myself.

The Confidence of Paul and Barnabas

In today's first reading, Acts 14: 5-18, Paul and Barnabas encounter opposition to their proclamation of the Good News of Jesus' resurrection. The jealousy of the leaders of an empire and their leaders' fear of losing their power led to Jesus' arrest and condemnation to be crucified, a fate that happened to anyone who was a threat to those in power at that time. However, death would have no power over Jesus, the Son of God. Efforts to destroy Him, then and now, would be in vain. Hence the confidence of Paul and Barnabas. They simply moved to other towns open to the Good News.

Neither the early Christians nor us today are promised a life free of problems, even problems within the Church, within our own families or society as a whole. What we are promised is that God is with us to the very end of the world as we know it! Some people may oppose us as Christians, as practicing Catholics, especially as believers in the Eucharist--the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus, our spiritual food, of which Jesus invites us to partake:  "Take and eat!  This is my body given up for you. Take and drink!  This is my blood poured out for you" (Compare Luke 22: 19-20; Matthew 26: 26-28; Mark 14: 22-24). Many people walked away from Jesus when He said this about His body and blood. They would have none of this teaching. Jesus asked the apostles if they, too, were going to leave and Peter responded: "To whom shall we go, Lord? You have the words of everlasting life."

We may, in some instances, also be mocked for believing that the Scriptures, the Word of God, "is something alive and active: it cuts like any double-edged sword but more finely: it can slip through the place where the soul is divided from the spirit, or joints from the marrow; it can judge the secret emotions and thought. No created thing can hide from [God]; everything is uncovered and open to the eyes of the one to whom we must give an account of ourselves" (Hebrews 4: 12-3). Jesus' friend Mary gave priority to sitting at Jesus' feet, listening to His every word. We do that when we spend time reflecting upon the Scriptures or take time quietly pondering God's presence in nature, in the quiet of our rooms or in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament in a Catholic Church or a prayer space in any church!

Developing a personal relationship with Jesus, as Paul and Barnabas did, is important if we are going to weather the storms of this life!

Making All Things New

In today's second reading, Revelation 21: 1-51, John tells us that he sees "a new heaven and a new earth...I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as  a  bride adorned for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, God's dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people and God Himself will always be with them as their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed way.' The One who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.'"

The veil was lifted from John's eyes. It is not lifted from ours.  We know  by faith what John saw in this vision.  The day will come when the veil will also be lifted from our eyes, but not now! You and I will eventually be privy to this "new heaven and new earth."  You and I also know in faith that God dwells here on earth, is always here, and dwells in your very being and in mine! God is my God and yours!  You and I belong to God, as did John!  You and I also know, in faith, that God is making "all things new," including you and me.

As we enjoy spring, we can, in fact, see God making all things new!  What a glorious God!

Who Am I to Question God's Ways

As with Peter in today's first reading, Acts 11: 1-18, God frequently challenges us to rethink issues, to move beyond boundaries to which we might be clinging that actually are not what God desires of us.  In Peter's case it was, for one,  refusing to eat certain meats that the law pronounced as clean. God said to Peter in prayer:  "What God has made clean, you are not to call profane."  Secondly, there was a law not to enter the house of the uncircumcised, which Peter had done when "three men appeared at the house where [he] was...The Spirit told [Peter] to accompany them without discriminating."  As Peter was speaking to these men, "the Holy Spirit fell upon them as it had upon us at the beginning, and I remembered the word of the Lord,  how he had said, 'John baptized with water but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' If then God gave them the same gift he gave to us when we came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to be able to hinder God [by refusing to go into their house because they were uncircumcised]?

We might ask ourselves two questions: 1) Are we clinging to laws that may actually be hindering us from doing what God desires of us and 2)  Do we avoid going into other peoples' houses or speaking to other people because they are different from us or have beliefs that differ from ours?