Thursday, July 30, 2009
Nothing to say today
I have tried to be good and make an entry in this blog every day since May--and I think I've had a pretty good run at it, with some interesting topics and (if I do say so myself) some really good analysis of the readings. But today has been a total blank! I had to start early this morning in Modesto. I did some weeding of the flower beds there, conducted an employment interview, and helped some families get a moving van. Then I went on a truck transfer that was quite taxing to me mentally and physically. I think the fact that I wasn't able to get to Mass today and listen to a sermon is part of the reason I can't think of anything to write about. I tried reading the Exodus entry today and for some reason, it just didn't inspire me. The Gospel usually "sparks" some inspiration, but again, nothing today. Maybe it's just a little of the 'dryness' that Mother Teresa spoke about. I'm sure it will go away. I'll just have to pray a little harder tonight and try not to think about it. I'll put it in my "mental" SFGTD box.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Radiating with joy
Ex 34:29-35
As Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands, he did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant while he conversed with the LORD.
When Aaron, then, and the other children of Israel saw Moses and noticed how radiant the skin of his face had become, they were afraid to come near him. Only after Moses called to them did Aaron and all the rulers of the community come back to him. Moses then spoke to them.
Later on, all the children of Israel came up to him, and he enjoined on them all that the LORD had told him on Mount Sinai. When he finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.
Whenever Moses entered the presence of the LORD to converse with him, he removed the veil until he came out again. On coming out, he would tell the children of Israel all that had been commanded. Then the children of Israel would see that the skin of Moses’ face was radiant; so he would again put the veil over his face until he went in to converse with the LORD.
Lk 10:38-42
Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”
Jn 11:19-27
Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother [Lazarus, who had died]. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise.” Martha said to him, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.”Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”
Almost all of the reflections I’ve heard or read today have been about Martha, and rightly so. But then as I was reading the Old Testament account today, I thought of the people I know who continue to be “radiant” despite obstacles and disappointments, because they have learned the lesson that Christ was teaching Martha in the Gospels. They have come to believe that Jesus IS the Christ, the Son of God, the One who HAS come into the world and dispenses His mercy and forgiveness.
One of the traits they all have in common is a prayer life. They don’t get caught up in the anxiety and worry of daily life so deeply that they forget who it is that gave them that life in the first place. They converse with God through His Son with the help of His Mother and the Holy Spirit often, and as a result, they radiate with joy.
As Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands, he did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant while he conversed with the LORD.
When Aaron, then, and the other children of Israel saw Moses and noticed how radiant the skin of his face had become, they were afraid to come near him. Only after Moses called to them did Aaron and all the rulers of the community come back to him. Moses then spoke to them.
Later on, all the children of Israel came up to him, and he enjoined on them all that the LORD had told him on Mount Sinai. When he finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.
Whenever Moses entered the presence of the LORD to converse with him, he removed the veil until he came out again. On coming out, he would tell the children of Israel all that had been commanded. Then the children of Israel would see that the skin of Moses’ face was radiant; so he would again put the veil over his face until he went in to converse with the LORD.
Lk 10:38-42
Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”
Jn 11:19-27
Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother [Lazarus, who had died]. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise.” Martha said to him, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.”Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”
Almost all of the reflections I’ve heard or read today have been about Martha, and rightly so. But then as I was reading the Old Testament account today, I thought of the people I know who continue to be “radiant” despite obstacles and disappointments, because they have learned the lesson that Christ was teaching Martha in the Gospels. They have come to believe that Jesus IS the Christ, the Son of God, the One who HAS come into the world and dispenses His mercy and forgiveness.
One of the traits they all have in common is a prayer life. They don’t get caught up in the anxiety and worry of daily life so deeply that they forget who it is that gave them that life in the first place. They converse with God through His Son with the help of His Mother and the Holy Spirit often, and as a result, they radiate with joy.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
A stiff-necked people
Ex 33:7-11; 34:5b-9, 28
The tent, which was called the meeting tent, Moses used to pitch at some distance away, outside the camp. Anyone who wished to consult the LORD would go to this meeting tent outside the camp. Whenever Moses went out to the tent, the people would all rise and stand at the entrance of their own tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. As Moses entered the tent, the column of cloud would come down and stand at its entrance while the LORD spoke with Moses. On seeing the column of cloud stand at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise and worship at the entrance of their own tents. The LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as one man speaks to another. Moses would then return to the camp, but his young assistant, Joshua, son of Nun, would not move out of the tent.
Moses stood there with the LORD and proclaimed his name, “LORD.” Thus the LORD passed before him and cried out, “The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity, continuing his kindness for a thousand generations, and forgiving wickedness and crime and sin; yet not declaring the guilty guiltless, but punishing children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation for their fathers’ wickedness!” Moses at once bowed down to the ground in worship. Then he said, “If I find favor with you, O LORD, do come along in our company. This is indeed a stiff-necked people; yet pardon our wickedness and sins, and receive us as your own.”
So Moses stayed there with the LORD for forty days and forty nights, without eating any food or drinking any water, and he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.
Mt 13:36-43
Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom. The weeds are the children of the Evil One, and the enemy who sows them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his Kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
I must have slept wrong last night. I have had a stiff neck all day that has made it hard to drive or even work at the computer. So I thought it was pretty funny that the phrase “stiff-necked people” is used in today’s Old Testament reading.
We all have our own definition of ‘stiff-necked’. It is a word that cannot escape our attention. Notwithstanding my physical pain today, I think of it as inflexible, slow to compassion, awkward, quick to judge, even cruel.
Moses understood his own people to be stiff-necked, ignorant and ungrateful. Yet he begged for the Lord to forgive. No wonder he was loved by his people and by God. He had staying power!
Matthew’s gospel eludes to stiff-necked people as weeds that the Devil sows. We know these folks, and they aren’t always the hardened criminal we see on the news. We all face these stiff-necked folks everyday in our jobs, in our family tensions, it’s all around us. Sometimes people and situations take on an evil façade, so much so, we feel incapacitated to respond. I have to remind myself that God loves the weak, that when I face the evil one working against me, I have to remember that humility is truth, and truth is GOD.
The tent, which was called the meeting tent, Moses used to pitch at some distance away, outside the camp. Anyone who wished to consult the LORD would go to this meeting tent outside the camp. Whenever Moses went out to the tent, the people would all rise and stand at the entrance of their own tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. As Moses entered the tent, the column of cloud would come down and stand at its entrance while the LORD spoke with Moses. On seeing the column of cloud stand at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise and worship at the entrance of their own tents. The LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as one man speaks to another. Moses would then return to the camp, but his young assistant, Joshua, son of Nun, would not move out of the tent.
Moses stood there with the LORD and proclaimed his name, “LORD.” Thus the LORD passed before him and cried out, “The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity, continuing his kindness for a thousand generations, and forgiving wickedness and crime and sin; yet not declaring the guilty guiltless, but punishing children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation for their fathers’ wickedness!” Moses at once bowed down to the ground in worship. Then he said, “If I find favor with you, O LORD, do come along in our company. This is indeed a stiff-necked people; yet pardon our wickedness and sins, and receive us as your own.”
So Moses stayed there with the LORD for forty days and forty nights, without eating any food or drinking any water, and he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.
Mt 13:36-43
Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom. The weeds are the children of the Evil One, and the enemy who sows them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his Kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
I must have slept wrong last night. I have had a stiff neck all day that has made it hard to drive or even work at the computer. So I thought it was pretty funny that the phrase “stiff-necked people” is used in today’s Old Testament reading.
We all have our own definition of ‘stiff-necked’. It is a word that cannot escape our attention. Notwithstanding my physical pain today, I think of it as inflexible, slow to compassion, awkward, quick to judge, even cruel.
Moses understood his own people to be stiff-necked, ignorant and ungrateful. Yet he begged for the Lord to forgive. No wonder he was loved by his people and by God. He had staying power!
Matthew’s gospel eludes to stiff-necked people as weeds that the Devil sows. We know these folks, and they aren’t always the hardened criminal we see on the news. We all face these stiff-necked folks everyday in our jobs, in our family tensions, it’s all around us. Sometimes people and situations take on an evil façade, so much so, we feel incapacitated to respond. I have to remind myself that God loves the weak, that when I face the evil one working against me, I have to remember that humility is truth, and truth is GOD.
Monday, July 27, 2009
A prayer for Dad
Well, here it is—another July 27 and I keep thinking about Dad. I have often wondered what he would think of the world today. I would not presume to call Dad a saint, although he was such a simple and humble man—as Mom says, “For a non-Catholic, he sure lived a Christian life!” But we can hope through the mercy of Jesus that he is one—it is a confident hope that I hold dear.
Saints’ feast days are the days when they enter into the place that Christ has prepared for them since before they were born. So on this—Dad’s feast day—I offer to God the following prayer for Dad:
Our Father, Who art in Heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
Amen.
Ex 32:15-24, 30-34
Moses turned and came down the mountain with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands, tablets that were written on both sides, front and back; tablets that were made by God, having inscriptions on them that were engraved by God himself.
Now, when Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “That sounds like a battle in the camp.” But Moses answered, “It does not sound like cries of victory, nor does it sound like cries of defeat; the sounds that I hear are cries of revelry.”
As he drew near the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. With that, Moses’ wrath flared up, so that he threw the tablets down and broke them on the base of the mountain. Taking the calf they had made, he fused it in the fire and then ground it down to powder, which he scattered on the water and made the children of Israel drink.
Moses asked Aaron, “What did this people ever do to you that you should lead them into so grave a sin?” Aaron replied, “Let not my lord be angry. You know well enough how prone the people are to evil. They said to me, 'Make us a god to be our leader; as for the man Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’ So I told them, 'Let anyone who has gold jewelry take it off.’ They gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and this calf came out.”
On the next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a grave sin. I will go up to the LORD, then; perhaps I may be able to make atonement for your sin.” So Moses went back to the LORD and said, “Ah, this people has indeed committed a grave sin in making a god of gold for themselves! If you would only forgive their sin! If you will not, then strike me out of the book that you have written.” The LORD answered, “Him only who has sinned against me will I strike out of my book. Now, go and lead the people to the place I have told you. My angel will go before you. When it is time for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin.”
Mt 13:31-35
Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. “The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.”
He spoke to them another parable. “The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.”
All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. He spoke to them only in parables, to fulfill what had been said through the prophet: I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world.
Today’s gospel gives us two parables: the tiny mustard seed and the leavening yeast. The Kingdom of heaven is like these. Each of us starts our life at the moment of conception with a whole lifetime to develop into the child of God that we have been called to be.
The Kingdom of heaven is here and now as well as after we die. It is here and now in how we continue to try to do God’s will. The first sacrament we receive, usually as an infant, is baptism. Those two parables fit here: we start so simply and helpless but with God’s help we develop into a large bush or leavened bread to serve others. But this growth has many setbacks. Our sinfulness and selfishness get into the way. This idea is where the first reading applies.
All last week I reflected on God’s assistance to His people suffering first slavery in Egypt, then faithlessness in the desert. Glory is given to God when He persuades Pharaoh to let His people go free. The plagues, especially the death of the firstborn, were too much for Pharaoh. Moses led his people through the Red Sea, only to spend forty years of wandering in the desert.
The Exodus story in the Old Testament prefigures the baptism for each of us. We go from our birth with original sin through the waters of baptism to spend all our lives, sometimes doing God’s will, but too often sinning as the Israelites did with the golden god they worshipped. Our goal also is a promised land – for us it is Heaven itself and the fruits of our salvation won for us by Jesus.
******Off—subject Alert!!******
Speaking of the golden calf, did Aaron really think Moses (or God) was going to buy his excuse? I mean, come on!! “I threw all of the gold into the fire, and this calf came out!”??? Sounds like a 5-year old kid’s explanation to me!
*****Back to the subject at hand******
In the gospel story Jesus reminds us of how we receive this gift of salvation, the Kingdom of heaven. We go through all our life, at times doing God’s will, but all too often failing in our sinfulness by our weaknesses and selfishness. We are now only an insignificant member of the Church, yet when we live a good life following and imitating Jesus, we become like the smallest of seeds that becomes like a large bush giving shade or the yeast that leavens the bread.
Saints’ feast days are the days when they enter into the place that Christ has prepared for them since before they were born. So on this—Dad’s feast day—I offer to God the following prayer for Dad:
Our Father, Who art in Heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
Amen.
Ex 32:15-24, 30-34
Moses turned and came down the mountain with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands, tablets that were written on both sides, front and back; tablets that were made by God, having inscriptions on them that were engraved by God himself.
Now, when Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “That sounds like a battle in the camp.” But Moses answered, “It does not sound like cries of victory, nor does it sound like cries of defeat; the sounds that I hear are cries of revelry.”
As he drew near the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. With that, Moses’ wrath flared up, so that he threw the tablets down and broke them on the base of the mountain. Taking the calf they had made, he fused it in the fire and then ground it down to powder, which he scattered on the water and made the children of Israel drink.
Moses asked Aaron, “What did this people ever do to you that you should lead them into so grave a sin?” Aaron replied, “Let not my lord be angry. You know well enough how prone the people are to evil. They said to me, 'Make us a god to be our leader; as for the man Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’ So I told them, 'Let anyone who has gold jewelry take it off.’ They gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and this calf came out.”
On the next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a grave sin. I will go up to the LORD, then; perhaps I may be able to make atonement for your sin.” So Moses went back to the LORD and said, “Ah, this people has indeed committed a grave sin in making a god of gold for themselves! If you would only forgive their sin! If you will not, then strike me out of the book that you have written.” The LORD answered, “Him only who has sinned against me will I strike out of my book. Now, go and lead the people to the place I have told you. My angel will go before you. When it is time for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin.”
Mt 13:31-35
Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. “The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.”
He spoke to them another parable. “The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.”
All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. He spoke to them only in parables, to fulfill what had been said through the prophet: I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world.
Today’s gospel gives us two parables: the tiny mustard seed and the leavening yeast. The Kingdom of heaven is like these. Each of us starts our life at the moment of conception with a whole lifetime to develop into the child of God that we have been called to be.
The Kingdom of heaven is here and now as well as after we die. It is here and now in how we continue to try to do God’s will. The first sacrament we receive, usually as an infant, is baptism. Those two parables fit here: we start so simply and helpless but with God’s help we develop into a large bush or leavened bread to serve others. But this growth has many setbacks. Our sinfulness and selfishness get into the way. This idea is where the first reading applies.
All last week I reflected on God’s assistance to His people suffering first slavery in Egypt, then faithlessness in the desert. Glory is given to God when He persuades Pharaoh to let His people go free. The plagues, especially the death of the firstborn, were too much for Pharaoh. Moses led his people through the Red Sea, only to spend forty years of wandering in the desert.
The Exodus story in the Old Testament prefigures the baptism for each of us. We go from our birth with original sin through the waters of baptism to spend all our lives, sometimes doing God’s will, but too often sinning as the Israelites did with the golden god they worshipped. Our goal also is a promised land – for us it is Heaven itself and the fruits of our salvation won for us by Jesus.
******Off—subject Alert!!******
Speaking of the golden calf, did Aaron really think Moses (or God) was going to buy his excuse? I mean, come on!! “I threw all of the gold into the fire, and this calf came out!”??? Sounds like a 5-year old kid’s explanation to me!
*****Back to the subject at hand******
In the gospel story Jesus reminds us of how we receive this gift of salvation, the Kingdom of heaven. We go through all our life, at times doing God’s will, but all too often failing in our sinfulness by our weaknesses and selfishness. We are now only an insignificant member of the Church, yet when we live a good life following and imitating Jesus, we become like the smallest of seeds that becomes like a large bush giving shade or the yeast that leavens the bread.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs
2 Kgs 4:42-44A man came from Baal-shalishah bringing to Elisha, the man of God, twenty barley loaves made from the firstfruits, and fresh grain in the ear. Elisha said, “Give it to the people to eat.”
But his servant objected, “How can I set this before a hundred people?” Elisha insisted, “Give it to the people to eat.” “For thus says the LORD, 'They shall eat and there shall be some left over.’” And when they had eaten, there was some left over, as the LORD had said.
Eph 4:1-6
Brothers and sisters: I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish feast of Passover was near. When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do.
Philip answered him, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people recline.” Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted.
Philip answered him, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people recline.” Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted.
When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.
When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.” Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.
The readings for today are about miraculous abundance; where there was little, now there is much. Both the First Reading and Gospel speak of looking forward; There is a need and behold, something is distributed for satisfaction.
We pray these days for His presence in our times of need. We can pray and let what we consider small and insignificant to be placed in His hands and distributed to those in need. We can pray knowing of God’s abundance in being faithful, provident and nourishing in our lives.
Elisha is a “holy man” and, in the chapter from which our First Reading is taken, is on a roll. He has promised that a woman who has welcomed him often to her house will have a longed-for child. He has cured another child and provided needed oil for a widow and her sons to use and sell.
The story right before our reading is quite interesting too. Elisha went back to his home and there was a great famine there. His fellow prophets were sitting around hungry. Elisha asked some servants to make a soup for them all. The servant went out and while gathering herbs picked a wild vine which he put in the soup. Upon eating some, they all began to experience sickness because of the poison herb. Elisha ordered that some grains be brought and he threw them in the pot and all was well.
Today we hear of a multiplication of twenty barley loaves to feed one hundred people suffering from the famine. He has to insist that his servant take the loaves and share them even though they do not appear to be enough. Elisha promises that there will be more than enough and there will be leftovers as God has promised. Elisha had received his blessing from God and walked around sharing it in plenty. With today’s Gospel we learn that Jesus, being the Bread of Life, is both the Provider and the provided. The crowd has followed Jesus and the apostles to a deserted place and the journey there has rendered them hungry. All heck is about to breakout if something isn’t done. The apostles don’t have enough money to buy for this crowd so that each could have even a little bit. There is a tension. They have only five loaves and two fish, “what are these among so many?”
Five thousand people reclined and had their fill of bread and fish, so there were fragments to be collected. Because of this sign of abundance, the people wanted to promote Him as King so that they would never have to search for satisfaction and fullness again. Jesus, though, slipped away and left them to experience a different type of hunger, a hunger for His continued presence. He is nourishing, available, familiar, and a reminder of the abiding gift of manna when the Israelites were wandering in the desert. I think I can relate to this type of hunger when I miss Mass or especially the Eucharist, which is also a miracle of multiplication that feeds and nourishes me in my daily life.
There will be more of the image of “bread” in weeks to come. I am moved to ponder briefly the mention of the lad who had the five loaves and two fish. “What are these among so many”? Jesus takes the lad’s meager provisions and does something great with them.
I was thinking that the five loaves and two fish are like our prayers. Jesus takes our offering. He then answers those prayers and adds a “dash” of mercy to (we hope) bring us into His presence. We have to remember that even after we realize that He has answered our prayers, we must continue to pray or “gather the fragments, so that nothing will be wasted”. He will use them to nourish others who may not yet know they need His help.
The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Remember that He is with us always
From time to time, each of us encounters our human limitations. As I age, I become frustrated at what sometimes takes me twice the time to accomplish half of what I might have done as a younger person. Take today, for instance. I went to work at 5AM with one task in mind—to clean some storage rooms that the General Manager has been having trouble getting done due to personnel budgetary concerns—I was going to give him some of my time that I normally would have used for a day off. There were 13 rooms to clean and in my prime I could clean a room in about 20 minutes—tops! So I figured at 3 rooms per hour I could break for lunch (breakfast) at 9AM then do the paperwork I’ve been neglecting all week then go home at about noon. Well, I learned two new things today. First, my body doesn’t like physical labor at 5AM and it told me so by giving me a terrific headache accompanied by sore muscles before 6AM. Second, it’s too dark at 5AM even in the Summer to be effective outside. I was still working on my first room at noon! 7 hours! But in my defense, the room had not been cleaned in over 8 years. A long time customer recently moved out. I went to lunch at noon feeling pretty frustrated. I needed the time to step back and re-evaluate my performance today.
When I got back from lunch I decided I was going to apologize to the manager for not accomplishing as much as I set out to do. He was great. He said he appreciated my offer of help and getting that one room “out of his hair” was a huge help! It made me realize that my efforts had been noticed and appreciated. Sometimes that’s all I need to keep going.
When I’m at the ‘top of my game’, feeling great and full of energy, I can easily become convinced of my own power and gifts, and perhaps forget to step back to recognize that it is the gifts of God’s spirit within me, through me and, at times, in spite of myself that allows others to truly know God’s presence in our world.
It’s easy to resonate with today’s reading from Paul as he speaks of carrying the treasure of God’s message in earthen vessels, “…afflicted in every way, but not crushed, full of doubts, but never despairing…struck down, but never destroyed….So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.”
2 Cor 4:7-15
How do I/we meet the challenges of our own limitations, whether in our physical bodies, and /or in the struggles and restrictions of our life situations? Paul reminds us that it is actually through our human frailties that God’s presence and potential can be recognized.
However, I must first recognize and open myself to God’s spirit and presence within me, in order to let God’s life-giving energy flow. I think this is what today’s Gospel passage suggests.
Mt 20:20-28
The mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something. He said to her, "What do you wish?" She answered him, "Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom."
Jesus said in reply, "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?" They said to him, "We can." He replied, "My chalice you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus summoned them and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."
James and John’s mother seeks a place of honor in the Kingdom for her sons from Jesus. Jesus questions whether or not the sons can truly accept what such an honor entails, but also reminds all that it is God who knows how we shall enter the Kingdom. However, Jesus is very clear: God’s invitation through Jesus is for each of us to serve one another. Our gifts, talents and powers are not for our own glory, but for others, for the community. Anyone desiring greatness in God’s sight must serve others.
How do I approach God with my needs, desires, wants, and fears? How else? With prayer! And with prayer, we have to listen for His will.
I pray that I can learn to be ‘ok’ with my human limitations, but also know that the talents, gifts and presence that are God’s presence in me will be life giving to all if I continue to remember to live for and with others.
I think this will be particularly helpful starting tomorrow, because it will be my first visit (with another Eucharistic Minister) to the hospital to visit and pray with those who are not as fortunate as I am to see Jesus every day at Mass. Please pray that as I begin this pastoral ministry God will give me the graces I need to do His will.
When I got back from lunch I decided I was going to apologize to the manager for not accomplishing as much as I set out to do. He was great. He said he appreciated my offer of help and getting that one room “out of his hair” was a huge help! It made me realize that my efforts had been noticed and appreciated. Sometimes that’s all I need to keep going.
When I’m at the ‘top of my game’, feeling great and full of energy, I can easily become convinced of my own power and gifts, and perhaps forget to step back to recognize that it is the gifts of God’s spirit within me, through me and, at times, in spite of myself that allows others to truly know God’s presence in our world.
It’s easy to resonate with today’s reading from Paul as he speaks of carrying the treasure of God’s message in earthen vessels, “…afflicted in every way, but not crushed, full of doubts, but never despairing…struck down, but never destroyed….So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.”
2 Cor 4:7-15
How do I/we meet the challenges of our own limitations, whether in our physical bodies, and /or in the struggles and restrictions of our life situations? Paul reminds us that it is actually through our human frailties that God’s presence and potential can be recognized.
However, I must first recognize and open myself to God’s spirit and presence within me, in order to let God’s life-giving energy flow. I think this is what today’s Gospel passage suggests.
Mt 20:20-28
The mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something. He said to her, "What do you wish?" She answered him, "Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom."
Jesus said in reply, "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?" They said to him, "We can." He replied, "My chalice you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus summoned them and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."
James and John’s mother seeks a place of honor in the Kingdom for her sons from Jesus. Jesus questions whether or not the sons can truly accept what such an honor entails, but also reminds all that it is God who knows how we shall enter the Kingdom. However, Jesus is very clear: God’s invitation through Jesus is for each of us to serve one another. Our gifts, talents and powers are not for our own glory, but for others, for the community. Anyone desiring greatness in God’s sight must serve others.
How do I approach God with my needs, desires, wants, and fears? How else? With prayer! And with prayer, we have to listen for His will.
I pray that I can learn to be ‘ok’ with my human limitations, but also know that the talents, gifts and presence that are God’s presence in me will be life giving to all if I continue to remember to live for and with others.
I think this will be particularly helpful starting tomorrow, because it will be my first visit (with another Eucharistic Minister) to the hospital to visit and pray with those who are not as fortunate as I am to see Jesus every day at Mass. Please pray that as I begin this pastoral ministry God will give me the graces I need to do His will.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Thou shalt not kill!
Ex 20:1-17 In those days: God delivered all these commandments: "I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. You shall not have other gods besides me. You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or worship them. For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishment for their fathers' wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation; but bestowing mercy down to the thousandth generation on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments.”
"You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain. For the LORD will not leave unpunished him who takes his name in vain."
"Remember to keep holy the sabbath day. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD, your God. No work may be done then either by you, or your son or daughter, or your male or female slave, or your beast, or by the alien who lives with you. In six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.”
"Honor your father and your mother, that you may have a long life in the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you.”
"You shall not kill.”
"You shall not commit adultery.”
"You shall not steal.”
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house.”
"You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain. For the LORD will not leave unpunished him who takes his name in vain."
"Remember to keep holy the sabbath day. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD, your God. No work may be done then either by you, or your son or daughter, or your male or female slave, or your beast, or by the alien who lives with you. In six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.”
"Honor your father and your mother, that you may have a long life in the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you.”
"You shall not kill.”
"You shall not commit adultery.”
"You shall not steal.”
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house.”
"You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass, nor anything else that belongs to him."
Jesus said to his disciples: "Hear the parable of the sower. The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the Kingdom without understanding it, and the Evil One comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirty-fold."
When I read the first reading today, it reminded me of yesterday’s Gospel and the question that the disciples posed to Jesus—“Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?” Jesus explained that it was because “they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.”
When I was a kid learning the Ten Commandments, most of what I got out of them was “thou shalt nots”. And, as a child I thought they were just rules that God gave to us just like my parents, who also had rules I had to follow. I didn’t know why there were rules, only that I could get hurt or in trouble if I didn’t follow them. But reading them again today, in context, there is one simple line that gives the reason why we must follow the rules of God. “I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. “
Oh! Well then, that’s a whole ‘nother kettle of fish, as they say. The Israelites were slaves and didn’t know what it was like to be FREE. With freedom comes responsibilities and with responsibilities comes rules.
And, while there are a whole litany of the aforementioned “shalt nots”, we sometimes forget about the two “shalts”—to take a day off from all our labors and give glory to God (even the slaves, and any animals that we have) and to honor our elders, starting with our parents.
When I read the first reading today, it reminded me of yesterday’s Gospel and the question that the disciples posed to Jesus—“Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?” Jesus explained that it was because “they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.”
When I was a kid learning the Ten Commandments, most of what I got out of them was “thou shalt nots”. And, as a child I thought they were just rules that God gave to us just like my parents, who also had rules I had to follow. I didn’t know why there were rules, only that I could get hurt or in trouble if I didn’t follow them. But reading them again today, in context, there is one simple line that gives the reason why we must follow the rules of God. “I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. “
Oh! Well then, that’s a whole ‘nother kettle of fish, as they say. The Israelites were slaves and didn’t know what it was like to be FREE. With freedom comes responsibilities and with responsibilities comes rules.
And, while there are a whole litany of the aforementioned “shalt nots”, we sometimes forget about the two “shalts”—to take a day off from all our labors and give glory to God (even the slaves, and any animals that we have) and to honor our elders, starting with our parents.
In God’s infinite wisdom, He gave us the “shalt nots” to show us what we must avoid in order to do the “shalts”. While they are all important, I think our failure in today’s society to follow the Fifth Commandment is the reason we can’t or won’t follow the rest—and He will exact payment from us somehow. We can only pray and believe in His mercy.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Unconditional Love
Ex 16:1-5, 9-15
The children of Israel set out from Elim, and came into the desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt. Here in the desert the whole assembly of the children of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The children of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died at the LORD's hand in the land of Egypt, as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread! But you had to lead us into this desert to make the whole community die of famine!"
Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will now rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion; thus will I test them, to see whether they follow my instructions or not. On the sixth day, however, when they prepare what they bring in, let it be twice as much as they gather on the other days."
Then Moses said to Aaron, "Tell the whole congregation of the children of Israel: Present yourselves before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling." When Aaron announced this to the whole assembly of the children of Israel, they turned toward the desert, and lo, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud!
The LORD spoke to Moses and said, "I have heard the grumbling of the children of Israel. Tell them: In the evening twilight you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread, so that you may know that I, the LORD, am your God."
In the evening quail came up and covered the camp. In the morning a dew lay all about the camp, and when the dew evaporated, there on the surface of the desert were fine flakes like hoarfrost on the ground. On seeing it, the children of Israel asked one another, "What is this?" for they did not know what it was. But Moses told them, "This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat."
Jn 20:1-2, 11-18
On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, "They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don't know where they put him."
Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken my Lord, and I don't know where they laid him."
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?"
She thought it was the gardener and said to him, "Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni," which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, "Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and then reported what he told her.
This is the biography of St. Mary Magdalene as written at catholic.org:
She is called "the Penitent". St. Mary was given the name 'Magdalen' because, though a Jewish girl, she lived in a Gentile town called Magdale, in northern Galilee, and her culture and manners were those of a Gentile. St. Luke records that she was a notorious sinner, and had seven devils removed from her. She was present at Our Lords' Crucifixion, and with Joanna and Mary, the mother of James and Salome, at Jesus' empty tomb.
Fourteen years after Our Lord's death, St. Mary was put in a boat by the Jews without sails or oars - along with Sts. Lazarus and Martha, St. Maximin (who baptized her), St. Sidonius ("the man born blind"), her maid Sera, and the body of St. Anne, the mother of the Blessed Virgin. They were sent drifting out to sea and landed on the shores of Southern France, where St. Mary spent the rest of her life as a contemplative in a cave known as Sainte-Baume. She was given the Holy Eucharist daily by angels as her only food, and died when she was 72. St. Mary was transported miraculously, just before she died, to the chapel of St. Maximin, where she received the last sacraments.
Mary Magdalen was well known as a sinner when she first saw Our Lord. She was very beautiful and very proud, but after she met Jesus, she felt great sorrow for her evil life. When Jesus went to supper at the home of a rich man named Simon, Mary came to weep at His feet. Then with her long beautiful hair, she wiped His feet dry and anointed them with expensive perfume. Some people were surprised that Jesus let such a sinner touch Him, but Our Lord could see into Mary's heart, and He said: "Many sins are forgiven her, because she has loved very much." Then to Mary He said kindly, "Your faith has made you safe; go in peace." From then on, with the other holy women, Mary humbly served Jesus and His Apostles.
When Our Lord was crucified, she was there at the foot of His cross, unafraid for herself, and thinking only of His sufferings. No wonder Jesus said of her: "She has loved much." After Jesus' body had been placed in the tomb, Mary went to anoint it with spices early Easter Sunday morning. Not finding the Sacred Body, she began to weep, and seeing someone whom she thought was the gardener, she asked him if he knew where the Body of her beloved Master had been taken. But then the person spoke in a voice she knew so well: "Mary!" It was Jesus, risen from the dead! He had chosen to show Himself first to Mary Magdalen, the repentent sinner.
I’ve always thought that there are two types of love—conditional and unconditional. The conditional is the love that we have for someone or something because we get something in return, whether it is tangible or intangible. The unconditional love is love for the sake of love, as God shows the Israelites and Mary Magdalene shows for Christ. I think this is borne out in the readings pretty forcefully.
The Israelites are given miraculous food from Heaven and still they grumble! Does God forsake them? No! He continues to love them simply because HE IS “I AM”. Mary on the other hand wants only to love Jesus for Who He is, and when He makes Himself known to her she is overjoyed but He rebukes her! How would you feel? I’d be devastated! Not Mary, though. She still just keeps loving Him, because that’s all she knows how to do. She has been with Him for a couple or three years and knows, with every fiber of her being, that He is God. She does not love Him because it will get her to Heaven. She loves Him because HE IS LOVE.
The children of Israel set out from Elim, and came into the desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt. Here in the desert the whole assembly of the children of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The children of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died at the LORD's hand in the land of Egypt, as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread! But you had to lead us into this desert to make the whole community die of famine!"
Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will now rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion; thus will I test them, to see whether they follow my instructions or not. On the sixth day, however, when they prepare what they bring in, let it be twice as much as they gather on the other days."
Then Moses said to Aaron, "Tell the whole congregation of the children of Israel: Present yourselves before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling." When Aaron announced this to the whole assembly of the children of Israel, they turned toward the desert, and lo, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud!
The LORD spoke to Moses and said, "I have heard the grumbling of the children of Israel. Tell them: In the evening twilight you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread, so that you may know that I, the LORD, am your God."
In the evening quail came up and covered the camp. In the morning a dew lay all about the camp, and when the dew evaporated, there on the surface of the desert were fine flakes like hoarfrost on the ground. On seeing it, the children of Israel asked one another, "What is this?" for they did not know what it was. But Moses told them, "This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat."
Jn 20:1-2, 11-18
On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, "They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don't know where they put him."
Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken my Lord, and I don't know where they laid him."
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?"
She thought it was the gardener and said to him, "Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni," which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, "Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and then reported what he told her.
This is the biography of St. Mary Magdalene as written at catholic.org:
She is called "the Penitent". St. Mary was given the name 'Magdalen' because, though a Jewish girl, she lived in a Gentile town called Magdale, in northern Galilee, and her culture and manners were those of a Gentile. St. Luke records that she was a notorious sinner, and had seven devils removed from her. She was present at Our Lords' Crucifixion, and with Joanna and Mary, the mother of James and Salome, at Jesus' empty tomb.
Fourteen years after Our Lord's death, St. Mary was put in a boat by the Jews without sails or oars - along with Sts. Lazarus and Martha, St. Maximin (who baptized her), St. Sidonius ("the man born blind"), her maid Sera, and the body of St. Anne, the mother of the Blessed Virgin. They were sent drifting out to sea and landed on the shores of Southern France, where St. Mary spent the rest of her life as a contemplative in a cave known as Sainte-Baume. She was given the Holy Eucharist daily by angels as her only food, and died when she was 72. St. Mary was transported miraculously, just before she died, to the chapel of St. Maximin, where she received the last sacraments.
Mary Magdalen was well known as a sinner when she first saw Our Lord. She was very beautiful and very proud, but after she met Jesus, she felt great sorrow for her evil life. When Jesus went to supper at the home of a rich man named Simon, Mary came to weep at His feet. Then with her long beautiful hair, she wiped His feet dry and anointed them with expensive perfume. Some people were surprised that Jesus let such a sinner touch Him, but Our Lord could see into Mary's heart, and He said: "Many sins are forgiven her, because she has loved very much." Then to Mary He said kindly, "Your faith has made you safe; go in peace." From then on, with the other holy women, Mary humbly served Jesus and His Apostles.
When Our Lord was crucified, she was there at the foot of His cross, unafraid for herself, and thinking only of His sufferings. No wonder Jesus said of her: "She has loved much." After Jesus' body had been placed in the tomb, Mary went to anoint it with spices early Easter Sunday morning. Not finding the Sacred Body, she began to weep, and seeing someone whom she thought was the gardener, she asked him if he knew where the Body of her beloved Master had been taken. But then the person spoke in a voice she knew so well: "Mary!" It was Jesus, risen from the dead! He had chosen to show Himself first to Mary Magdalen, the repentent sinner.
I’ve always thought that there are two types of love—conditional and unconditional. The conditional is the love that we have for someone or something because we get something in return, whether it is tangible or intangible. The unconditional love is love for the sake of love, as God shows the Israelites and Mary Magdalene shows for Christ. I think this is borne out in the readings pretty forcefully.
The Israelites are given miraculous food from Heaven and still they grumble! Does God forsake them? No! He continues to love them simply because HE IS “I AM”. Mary on the other hand wants only to love Jesus for Who He is, and when He makes Himself known to her she is overjoyed but He rebukes her! How would you feel? I’d be devastated! Not Mary, though. She still just keeps loving Him, because that’s all she knows how to do. She has been with Him for a couple or three years and knows, with every fiber of her being, that He is God. She does not love Him because it will get her to Heaven. She loves Him because HE IS LOVE.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Using the meek to confound the proud
Well, here it is the 3rd Tuesday of the month and that meant a meeting in Fresno. My usual routine is to travel to Fresno on Monday night, then get up and go to the 6:45AM Mass before the meeting starts at 8AM. But I didn’t finish my tasks early enough yesterday to drive safely down, so I got up at 5 this morning, showered, shaved and got to Fresno at about 7:15. I intended to make the 5:30 Mass in Fresno before coming back to Stockton, but the meeting didn’t end until 6:30!!! So, as a result, I didn’t get to Mass today or receive the Eucharist. Bummer. But I did get to listen to the Mass on EWTN on the way down and hear the homily—at least I was able to get the Liturgy of the Word. Of course, since it was a long meeting I didn’t get a chance to meditate on the Word much. I’ll attempt to come up with something on them after I copy and paste the following I found on the website of the Capuchin Brother’s on the Feast Day of one of the Doctors of the Church: I’ll do it in honor of my guardian angel and Alicia’s fiancé, Lorenzo. 
Thus the LORD saved Israel on that day from the power of the Egyptians. When Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the seashore and beheld the great power that the LORDhad shown against the Egyptians, they feared the LORD and believed in him and in his servant Moses.
Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD: I will sing to the LORD, for he is gloriously triumphant; horse and chariot he has cast into the sea.
SAINT LAURENCE OF BRINDISI
CAPUCHIN PRIEST
Born Julius Caesar Russo, Saint Laurence entered the Venetian province of the Capuchin Friars in 1575. Ordained in 1582, having completed his ecclesiastical studies as well as becoming most proficient at Hebrew, Greek, German, Bohemian, Spanish and French. Laurence began to preach throughout Northern Italy and beyond. His success at preaching is attributed to his extensive use of Sacred Scripture. Between 1599 and 1613 Laurence established the Order in Bohemia, Austria and Germany, thereby reclaiming many souls from Protestantism. He also displayed his skill as a diplomat when in 1614 he was able to restore peace between France and Spain. In fact, it was in true Franciscan fashion, as a missionary of peace, that he finally died at Lisbon whilst on a mission to Spain on behalf of the oppressed people of Naples. Laurence was for the majority of his Capuchin life a major superior in which office he continually strove to stabilise the Order, balancing the rigour of primitive Capuchin life with the needs of the time. He is likewise remembered for his great theological work "Opera Omnia" of fifteen tomes in size and characterised yet again by the prolific use of Scripture.
CAPUCHIN PRIEST
Born Julius Caesar Russo, Saint Laurence entered the Venetian province of the Capuchin Friars in 1575. Ordained in 1582, having completed his ecclesiastical studies as well as becoming most proficient at Hebrew, Greek, German, Bohemian, Spanish and French. Laurence began to preach throughout Northern Italy and beyond. His success at preaching is attributed to his extensive use of Sacred Scripture. Between 1599 and 1613 Laurence established the Order in Bohemia, Austria and Germany, thereby reclaiming many souls from Protestantism. He also displayed his skill as a diplomat when in 1614 he was able to restore peace between France and Spain. In fact, it was in true Franciscan fashion, as a missionary of peace, that he finally died at Lisbon whilst on a mission to Spain on behalf of the oppressed people of Naples. Laurence was for the majority of his Capuchin life a major superior in which office he continually strove to stabilise the Order, balancing the rigour of primitive Capuchin life with the needs of the time. He is likewise remembered for his great theological work "Opera Omnia" of fifteen tomes in size and characterised yet again by the prolific use of Scripture.
In the life of St Laurence of Brindisi, we see a man full of the courage and daring of Christ whose spirit carried him throughout the long and arduous years that he was engaged in a most trying apostolate. Of him it can be truly said that he possessed the special gifts that adorned the Churches' first Apostles and men were moved to the practice of virtue more by his example than by his words. Especially noticeable in Laurence's approach to life was his spirit of fortitude which enabled him to announce the Good News fearlessly and constantly, even among the very Jews of Rome.
Laurence's power and effectiveness as a preacher which was witnessed to the Christian life derived from the intense interior life he managed to observe during the course of his busy life. The two great loves of his life were the Mass and the Blessed Virgin. The Eucharistic Sacrifice was the centre of his existence; he had on rare occasions been know to spend up to four hours saying Mass and in 1610 in Genoa on Christmas Day, he took a staggering 16 hours celebrating in Ecotacy, weeping with love and adoration. Also extraordinary was Laurence's love for Mary, from whom he attributed receiving his vocation, his success in the apostolate and especially his knowledge of Hebrew. He regarded Mary as the font of Mercy and the kindest of Mothers.
It belonged to Pope John XXIII in our own day and age to further honour this amazing son of St Francis by proclaiming him Doctor of the Universal Church. Our Lord chooses the humble of the earth to confound the proud. In St Laurence of Brindisi he called a humble son of St Francis to further increase the light of Christ in the world by his powerful preaching and prolific writings.
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Now, on to the readings:
Ex 14:21-15:1
Ex 14:21-15:1
Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD swept the sea with a strong east wind throughout the night and so turned it into dry land. When the water was thus divided, the children of Israel marched into the midst of the sea on dry land, with the water like a wall to their right and to their left. The Egyptians followed in pursuit; all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and charioteers went after them right into the midst of the sea.
In the night watch just before dawn the LORD cast through the column of the fiery cloudupon the Egyptian force a glance that threw it into a panic; and he so clogged their chariot wheels that they could hardly drive. With that the Egyptians sounded the retreat before Israel, because the LORD was fighting for them against the Egyptians.
Then the LORD told Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may flow back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and their charioteers." So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea flowed back to its normal depth.
The Egyptians were fleeing head on toward the sea, when the LORD hurled them into its midst. As the water flowed back, it covered the chariots and the charioteers of Pharaoh's whole army that had followed the children of Israel into the sea. Not a single one of them escaped. But the children of Israel had marched on dry land through the midst of the sea, with the water like a wall to their right and to their left.
In the night watch just before dawn the LORD cast through the column of the fiery cloudupon the Egyptian force a glance that threw it into a panic; and he so clogged their chariot wheels that they could hardly drive. With that the Egyptians sounded the retreat before Israel, because the LORD was fighting for them against the Egyptians.
Then the LORD told Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may flow back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and their charioteers." So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea flowed back to its normal depth.
The Egyptians were fleeing head on toward the sea, when the LORD hurled them into its midst. As the water flowed back, it covered the chariots and the charioteers of Pharaoh's whole army that had followed the children of Israel into the sea. Not a single one of them escaped. But the children of Israel had marched on dry land through the midst of the sea, with the water like a wall to their right and to their left.
Thus the LORD saved Israel on that day from the power of the Egyptians. When Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the seashore and beheld the great power that the LORDhad shown against the Egyptians, they feared the LORD and believed in him and in his servant Moses.
Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD: I will sing to the LORD, for he is gloriously triumphant; horse and chariot he has cast into the sea.
While Jesus was speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers appeared outside,wishing to speak with him. Someone told him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you."
But he said in reply to the one who told him, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother."
I can’t help it. Every time I read the story of the parting of the Red Sea, I picture Charleton Heston as Moses holding up the staff to keep the waters parted and to serve as inspiration to the Israelites to keep moving forward toward the Promised Land.
I never realized until the last couple of years, though, that Moses was probably not the bold, self-assured man that good ole Chuck Heston portrayed him as. Instead, he was just an ordinary, humble man who said, “Yes!” when God asked him to lead the people.
As the article on St. Laurence points out, Our Lord chooses the humble of the earth to confound the proud. It’s why He chose to be born of a virgin in a stable. What could confound people more?
I never realized until the last couple of years, though, that Moses was probably not the bold, self-assured man that good ole Chuck Heston portrayed him as. Instead, he was just an ordinary, humble man who said, “Yes!” when God asked him to lead the people.
As the article on St. Laurence points out, Our Lord chooses the humble of the earth to confound the proud. It’s why He chose to be born of a virgin in a stable. What could confound people more?
Monday, July 20, 2009
Keep it moving! Keep it moving! Plenty of room!
Sorry about no blog yesterday, but I was completely spent! I didn't want anything to do with the computer for some reason!
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Last week, on the Memorial of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, I asked Alicia if she had considered naming the baby Kateri--she said she had, but she couldn't figure out a name "to go with it". (We've all been there--we want our children's names to have a "flow" about them, whether we admit it or not!) And I must admit that Liliana Noelle has a "flow." Then just a couple of days ago it hit me--she DID name the baby after her patron saint (probably subconciously)--Kateri is also known as the LILY of the Mohawks! Food for thought. Coincidence? I don't believe in it.
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Ex 14:5-18
When it was reported to the king of Egypt that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his servants changed their minds about them. They exclaimed, "What have we done! Why, we have released Israel from our service!" So Pharaoh made his chariots ready and mustered his soldiers—six hundred first-class chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt, with warriors on them all.
So obstinate had the LORD made Pharaoh that he pursued the children of Israel even while they were marching away in triumph. The Egyptians, then, pursued them; Pharaoh’s whole army, his horses, chariots and charioteers, caught up with them as they lay encamped by the sea, at Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.
Pharaoh was already near when the children of Israel looked up and saw that the Egyptians were on the march in pursuit of them. In great fright they cried out to the LORD. And they complained to Moses, "Were there no burial places in Egypt that you had to bring us out here to die in the desert? Why did you do this to us? Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Did we not tell you this in Egypt, when we said, 'Leave us alone. Let us serve the Egyptians’? Far better for us to be the slaves of the Egyptians than to die in the desert."
But Moses answered the people, "Fear not! Stand your ground, and you will see the victory the LORD will win for you today. These Egyptians whom you see today you will never see again. The LORD himself will fight for you; you have only to keep still."
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. And you, lift up your staff and, with hand outstretched over the sea, split the sea in two, that the children of Israel may pass through it on dry land. But I will make the Egyptians so obstinate that they will go in after them. Then I will receive glory through Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots and charioteers. The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I receive glory through Pharaoh and his chariots and charioteers."
Mt 12:38-42
Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you." He said to them in reply, "An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there is something greater than Jonah here. At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here."
How many times have we failed to take action - when action was clearly called for? "Be still, and know that I am God" - is not a recommendation to lead a life of complete passivity. "Let God do it - or let anyone else do it -just leave me in peace and quiet.” Or, “I’m not smart enough or capable enough. Maybe if I ignore it, it will go away.”
I have always been proud of the fact that I am called upon by my superiors at work to get the jobs done that seem impossible or unpleasant because A) I usually get them done on time, B) I try to do a quality job, and C) I don’t complain about it—at least to the point of being a “whiner”.
But every once in a while, I get really frustrated when, after a particularly hard or time-consuming task has been done (IMHO) perfectly, I don’t get a pat on the back, or a “good job, Steve”. Instead, I get another task right away as if I am being asked, “What have you done for me lately?” In a way, it feels like I was a failure at my last task.
I imagine this is how Moses feels (albeit on a much larger scale) during today’s readings. I mean come on! He has shown sign after sign after sign (through the power of God, of course) to the Israelites, delivering them from slavery in Egypt and they complain at every turn! Oy! He must have been thinking, “What am I doing wrong, Lord?” But God assures him that everything will go according to the divine plan, as long as he (Moses) remains faithful and trusting.
In the Gospel, Jesus has been performing miracles on a daily basis in front of the scribes and Pharisees, but they CHOOSE not to believe them, because they can’t understand how a humble carpenter can possibly be the Messiah. And they expected Jesus to just come down from Heaven and—“Poof”—no more Romans, peace on earth, a new Eden. When His plans didn’t fit into their own, they plotted to kill him. Which, as we all know now, is exactly what God’s plan for us was all along! They didn’t realize that just as He expected the Israelites to keep moving forward in the desert despite their fears, He expects us to keep moving forward past our fears of failure, of rejection, of our sins toward our final goal—life in His Presence.
How do we keep moving forward? Prayer. Fasting. Penance. By giving glory and praise to God through keeping and living His Commandments.
=================================================
Last week, on the Memorial of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, I asked Alicia if she had considered naming the baby Kateri--she said she had, but she couldn't figure out a name "to go with it". (We've all been there--we want our children's names to have a "flow" about them, whether we admit it or not!) And I must admit that Liliana Noelle has a "flow." Then just a couple of days ago it hit me--she DID name the baby after her patron saint (probably subconciously)--Kateri is also known as the LILY of the Mohawks! Food for thought. Coincidence? I don't believe in it.
===================================================
Ex 14:5-18
When it was reported to the king of Egypt that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his servants changed their minds about them. They exclaimed, "What have we done! Why, we have released Israel from our service!" So Pharaoh made his chariots ready and mustered his soldiers—six hundred first-class chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt, with warriors on them all.
So obstinate had the LORD made Pharaoh that he pursued the children of Israel even while they were marching away in triumph. The Egyptians, then, pursued them; Pharaoh’s whole army, his horses, chariots and charioteers, caught up with them as they lay encamped by the sea, at Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.
Pharaoh was already near when the children of Israel looked up and saw that the Egyptians were on the march in pursuit of them. In great fright they cried out to the LORD. And they complained to Moses, "Were there no burial places in Egypt that you had to bring us out here to die in the desert? Why did you do this to us? Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Did we not tell you this in Egypt, when we said, 'Leave us alone. Let us serve the Egyptians’? Far better for us to be the slaves of the Egyptians than to die in the desert."
But Moses answered the people, "Fear not! Stand your ground, and you will see the victory the LORD will win for you today. These Egyptians whom you see today you will never see again. The LORD himself will fight for you; you have only to keep still."
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. And you, lift up your staff and, with hand outstretched over the sea, split the sea in two, that the children of Israel may pass through it on dry land. But I will make the Egyptians so obstinate that they will go in after them. Then I will receive glory through Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots and charioteers. The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I receive glory through Pharaoh and his chariots and charioteers."
Mt 12:38-42
Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you." He said to them in reply, "An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there is something greater than Jonah here. At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here."
How many times have we failed to take action - when action was clearly called for? "Be still, and know that I am God" - is not a recommendation to lead a life of complete passivity. "Let God do it - or let anyone else do it -just leave me in peace and quiet.” Or, “I’m not smart enough or capable enough. Maybe if I ignore it, it will go away.”
I have always been proud of the fact that I am called upon by my superiors at work to get the jobs done that seem impossible or unpleasant because A) I usually get them done on time, B) I try to do a quality job, and C) I don’t complain about it—at least to the point of being a “whiner”.
But every once in a while, I get really frustrated when, after a particularly hard or time-consuming task has been done (IMHO) perfectly, I don’t get a pat on the back, or a “good job, Steve”. Instead, I get another task right away as if I am being asked, “What have you done for me lately?” In a way, it feels like I was a failure at my last task.
I imagine this is how Moses feels (albeit on a much larger scale) during today’s readings. I mean come on! He has shown sign after sign after sign (through the power of God, of course) to the Israelites, delivering them from slavery in Egypt and they complain at every turn! Oy! He must have been thinking, “What am I doing wrong, Lord?” But God assures him that everything will go according to the divine plan, as long as he (Moses) remains faithful and trusting.
In the Gospel, Jesus has been performing miracles on a daily basis in front of the scribes and Pharisees, but they CHOOSE not to believe them, because they can’t understand how a humble carpenter can possibly be the Messiah. And they expected Jesus to just come down from Heaven and—“Poof”—no more Romans, peace on earth, a new Eden. When His plans didn’t fit into their own, they plotted to kill him. Which, as we all know now, is exactly what God’s plan for us was all along! They didn’t realize that just as He expected the Israelites to keep moving forward in the desert despite their fears, He expects us to keep moving forward past our fears of failure, of rejection, of our sins toward our final goal—life in His Presence.
How do we keep moving forward? Prayer. Fasting. Penance. By giving glory and praise to God through keeping and living His Commandments.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Waiting in joyful hope for His mercy endures forever
Ex 12:37-42
The children of Israel set out from Rameses for Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, not counting the little ones. A crowd of mixed ancestry also went up with them, besides their livestock, very numerous flocks and herds. Since the dough they had brought out of Egypt was not leavened, they baked it into unleavened loaves. They had rushed out of Egypt and had no opportunity even to prepare food for the journey.
The time the children of Israel had stayed in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. At the end of four hundred and thirty years, all the hosts of the LORD left the land of Egypt on this very date. This was a night of vigil for the LORD, as he led them out of the land of Egypt; so on this same night all the children of Israel must keep a vigil for the LORD throughout their generations.
Ps 136:1 and 23-24, 10-12, 13-15
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever;
Who remembered us in our abjection,
for his mercy endures forever;
And freed us from our foes,
for his mercy endures forever.
Who smote the Egyptians in their first-born,
for his mercy endures forever;
And brought out Israel from their midst,
for his mercy endures forever;
With a mighty hand and an outstretched arm,
for his mercy endures forever.
Who split the Red Sea in twain,
for his mercy endures forever;
And led Israel through its midst,
for his mercy endures forever;
But swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea,
for his mercy endures forever.
Mt 12:14-21
The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place. Many people followed him, and he cured them all, but he warned them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet:
Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved in whom I delight;
I shall place my Spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
He will not contend or cry out,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed he will not break,
a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory.
And in his name the Gentiles will hope.
From the Order of the Mass: (After the Pater Noster)
Deliver us, Lord, from every evil, and grant us peace in our day. In your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
To vigil . . . is to wait in hope; to wait in joyful hope if we can, or sorrowful hope, or terrified hope; but with hope nonetheless that clings to the confidence that God is in charge and it is God who will bring the newness of life.
The Israelites were compelled to Vigil through the night we call Passover, waiting for God to deliver them from their misery in Egypt. They did not know what the delivery would look like. What their new birth as God’s child would entail. They did not yet have an imagination of “Waiting for the Lord,” but they would very soon. And then in perpetuity they were to stir up that imagination and remember each year by spending a night waiting. As Christians, we too spend a night each spring waiting with the disciples for the Lord’s victory over death. They did not know precisely for what they waited, but for them too, it was both death and birth.
It’s over 100° today! Mid-summer, because it feels like I’m in the desert with the Israelites, is an interesting time to be reminded of the vigil that we live each day as we wait in joyful hope for the victory of God’s compassion in our broken world. Let today be a real vigil – an opportunity to remember what wonders God has done for us, and will do for us tomorrow.
The children of Israel set out from Rameses for Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, not counting the little ones. A crowd of mixed ancestry also went up with them, besides their livestock, very numerous flocks and herds. Since the dough they had brought out of Egypt was not leavened, they baked it into unleavened loaves. They had rushed out of Egypt and had no opportunity even to prepare food for the journey.
The time the children of Israel had stayed in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. At the end of four hundred and thirty years, all the hosts of the LORD left the land of Egypt on this very date. This was a night of vigil for the LORD, as he led them out of the land of Egypt; so on this same night all the children of Israel must keep a vigil for the LORD throughout their generations.
Ps 136:1 and 23-24, 10-12, 13-15
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever;
Who remembered us in our abjection,
for his mercy endures forever;
And freed us from our foes,
for his mercy endures forever.
Who smote the Egyptians in their first-born,
for his mercy endures forever;
And brought out Israel from their midst,
for his mercy endures forever;
With a mighty hand and an outstretched arm,
for his mercy endures forever.
Who split the Red Sea in twain,
for his mercy endures forever;
And led Israel through its midst,
for his mercy endures forever;
But swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea,
for his mercy endures forever.
Mt 12:14-21
The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place. Many people followed him, and he cured them all, but he warned them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet:
Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved in whom I delight;
I shall place my Spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
He will not contend or cry out,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed he will not break,
a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory.
And in his name the Gentiles will hope.
From the Order of the Mass: (After the Pater Noster)
Deliver us, Lord, from every evil, and grant us peace in our day. In your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
To vigil . . . is to wait in hope; to wait in joyful hope if we can, or sorrowful hope, or terrified hope; but with hope nonetheless that clings to the confidence that God is in charge and it is God who will bring the newness of life.
The Israelites were compelled to Vigil through the night we call Passover, waiting for God to deliver them from their misery in Egypt. They did not know what the delivery would look like. What their new birth as God’s child would entail. They did not yet have an imagination of “Waiting for the Lord,” but they would very soon. And then in perpetuity they were to stir up that imagination and remember each year by spending a night waiting. As Christians, we too spend a night each spring waiting with the disciples for the Lord’s victory over death. They did not know precisely for what they waited, but for them too, it was both death and birth.
It’s over 100° today! Mid-summer, because it feels like I’m in the desert with the Israelites, is an interesting time to be reminded of the vigil that we live each day as we wait in joyful hope for the victory of God’s compassion in our broken world. Let today be a real vigil – an opportunity to remember what wonders God has done for us, and will do for us tomorrow.
Friday, July 17, 2009
"I will call upon the name of the Lord"
EQ—I posted a response to your comment under yesterday’s blog. I think it might be of help to you. Thank you for helping me—your search for faith in Jesus Christ is helping me to continue my search for more faith!
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Mom—I have a funny story—sort of. I spoke to Deacon Karl today about my application for pastoral service. I wanted to know if I “passed” muster on the questions. (I did and the "application" is in Father Brandon's hands now). He said, “So you’re Angela’s nephew?” I said, “No!, I’m her son!” He replied, “Oh, I see where you get your faith, then”. And “Oh, yes, I remember Angela and Bob and Barbara—they were all great Catholics!” I said, “I hope to God Mom still IS a good Catholic!—At least she was when I saw her last!” It just struck me as funny that he kept speaking about you in the past tense! Of course his mind wasn’t completely on our conversation—his daughter (who lives in Canada) told him today that he’s going to be a first time grandfather next April! He said he’s too young! Ha ha.
OK, now to the blog:
Ps 116:12-13, 15 and 16bc, 17-18
How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
Mt 12:1-8
Jesus was going through a field of grain on the sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the sabbath."
He said to the them, "Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry, how he went into the house of God and ate the bread of offering, which neither he nor his companions but only the priests could lawfully eat?
Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests serving in the temple violate the Sabbath and are innocent?
I say to you, something greater than the temple is here. If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned these innocent men. For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath."
It's easy to forget God and the saving works of God accomplished on our behalf. We meet lots of people, deal with lots of emails every day, work long hours, and try to remember all the things we have to do. Busy-ness allows us to forget.
Without that memory, we’re never thankful, never grateful. How shall I make a return to the LORD for all the good he has done for me?
Without remembering God’s saving deeds, we can easily forget that we belong to God. To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving, and I will call upon the name of the LORD. (Psalm 116)
Without keeping the active memory of God’s saving deeds dear to us, we, like the Pharisees won’t really understand what Jesus means by, I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
*********************************************************************
Mom—I have a funny story—sort of. I spoke to Deacon Karl today about my application for pastoral service. I wanted to know if I “passed” muster on the questions. (I did and the "application" is in Father Brandon's hands now). He said, “So you’re Angela’s nephew?” I said, “No!, I’m her son!” He replied, “Oh, I see where you get your faith, then”. And “Oh, yes, I remember Angela and Bob and Barbara—they were all great Catholics!” I said, “I hope to God Mom still IS a good Catholic!—At least she was when I saw her last!” It just struck me as funny that he kept speaking about you in the past tense! Of course his mind wasn’t completely on our conversation—his daughter (who lives in Canada) told him today that he’s going to be a first time grandfather next April! He said he’s too young! Ha ha.
OK, now to the blog:
Ps 116:12-13, 15 and 16bc, 17-18
How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
Mt 12:1-8
Jesus was going through a field of grain on the sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the sabbath."
He said to the them, "Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry, how he went into the house of God and ate the bread of offering, which neither he nor his companions but only the priests could lawfully eat?
Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests serving in the temple violate the Sabbath and are innocent?
I say to you, something greater than the temple is here. If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned these innocent men. For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath."
It's easy to forget God and the saving works of God accomplished on our behalf. We meet lots of people, deal with lots of emails every day, work long hours, and try to remember all the things we have to do. Busy-ness allows us to forget.
Without that memory, we’re never thankful, never grateful. How shall I make a return to the LORD for all the good he has done for me?
Without remembering God’s saving deeds, we can easily forget that we belong to God. To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving, and I will call upon the name of the LORD. (Psalm 116)
Without keeping the active memory of God’s saving deeds dear to us, we, like the Pharisees won’t really understand what Jesus means by, I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
The Lord remembers his covenant for ever
Remember “Anonymous” who, a couple of weeks past asked where I find the readings of the day? He called me today and said he taped the Mass coming out of EWTN on Tuesday and Wednesday and found that the readings were the same as the USCCB website on Tuesday, but they were different on Wednesday. I explained that it could have been for a few reasons:
v It could have been a Memorial Mass for the Saint of the Day with special readings approved by the Bishop.
v Some Feast Days have optional readings that are not posted on the website, but are in the Lectionary
v They could have been the readings from the Liturgy of the Hours
Can anyone help me out here? Are there any more reasons I haven’t thought of? Anyway, the best news is that he has agreed to go to a Mass with me as soon as we can arrange a day or afternoon off together. It’s probably best to go to a weekday Mass first, as it is a smaller crowd and sometimes more profound that way. Help me to pray that he finds success in his search for Christ.
I drove home from Bakersfield today with just two stops—the first just outside of “B-field” for gas, and the second in Modesto for Mass. I was afraid I wasn’t going to get to Mass today, because I had to go to work at 6AM this morning and I didn’t get off until 2PM. As I approached Fresno, it was about a quarter of four, and I thought, “Jesus, I’m going to try and make it to Modesto by 5:45 for Mass so I can use all the help I can get!” I hit the Modesto city limits at 5:30 and figured I could make it over to St. Joseph’s in 15 minutes easy. Of course, I started hitting all the red lights and got behind the slowest drivers in automotive history. I said, “Satan, get the hell out of here! I’m going to Mass and there’s nothing you can do to stop me! Even if I’m 3 or 4 minutes late, I’m going!” From that point on, the traffic was lighter and it was green lights all the way to the church! I’m not saying that Satan (or Jesus, for that matter) controls traffic or traffic lights—but I am saying it was quite a coincidence that I got to Mass as the first reading was being read, 3 minutes into the Mass.
It’s a good thing, too. On my drive from down South, I was thinking about what I would write in my blog tonight, and the readings fit right in to what I came up with.
Ex 3:13-20
Moses, hearing the voice of the LORD from the burning bush, said to him, "When I go to the children of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' if they ask me, 'What is his name?' what am I to tell them?"
God replied, "I am who am." Then he added, "This is what you shall tell the children of Israel: I AM sent me to you."
God spoke further to Moses, "Thus shall you say to the children of Israel:
The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.
"This is my name forever; this my title for all generations. "Go and assemble the elders of Israel, and tell them: The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has appeared to me and said: I am concerned about you and about the way you are being treated in Egypt; so I have decided to lead you up out of the misery of Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.”
"Thus they will heed your message. Then you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him: "The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent us word. Permit us, then, to go a three-days' journey in the desert, that we may offer sacrifice to the LORD, our God. "Yet I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go unless he is forced. I will stretch out my hand, therefore, and smite Egypt by doing all kinds of wondrous deeds there. After that he will send you away."
Mt 11:28-30
Jesus said:
"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."
I love the simplicity of God’s answer to Moses: I AM. The same can be said about Jesus’ words to His disciples, “learn from me, for I AM meek and humble of heart”, which says to me that all we have to do is TRUST God and the burdens (or worries) that we have in our lives will be lightened. It’s tough sometimes, I know. But I have also experienced the relief from worries when I’ve given them to Jesus.
There are a few ways to remind ourselves that Jesus is there with His mercy:
The first is to say the rosary every day. I became aware (probably through the Holy Spirit) that I wasn’t giving the proper focus to the Word of God when reciting the rosary. I tended to just say "…and blessed is the fruit of they womb Jesus…" as though His Name is just another part of the prayer we say to ask our Blessed Mother to intercede for us. This, I realized, was putting more focus on her, rather than on Him Who is the source of Mercy. I found out when saying my rosary today that if I paused for just a second or two after the word “womb” before saying the Holy Name of Jesus, my focus was put back into the proper perspective, and I could actually feel the presence of Mary and Jesus in the car, and it made it easier to meditate on the mysteries as well! I felt compelled at times after saying the Name of Jesus to follow it up with a word that pertained to the mystery I was pondering. For instance, “and Blessed is the Fruit of your womb….Jesus…’”Upon Whom God’s favor rests.’”
Not to get sidetracked, but I was just thinking about the luminous mysteries I meditated on today and how they are all related to the Sacraments:
v The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan—the sacraments of Baptism and Reconciliation.
v The Wedding feast at Cana—Matrimony.
v The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God—Holy Orders
v The Transfiguration—Confirmation and Last Rites
v The Institution of the Eucharist—obvious
The second way to remember God’s promise of mercy through Jesus Christ is the simple phrase Jesus gave to St. Faustina; “Jesus, I trust in you.”
And if the first two ways aren’t enough we have a reminder that even the atheist can’t ignore (at least for the time being), especially if they buy anything anywhere. Remember that on our currency in the US are the words, “In God We Trust”.
v It could have been a Memorial Mass for the Saint of the Day with special readings approved by the Bishop.
v Some Feast Days have optional readings that are not posted on the website, but are in the Lectionary
v They could have been the readings from the Liturgy of the Hours
Can anyone help me out here? Are there any more reasons I haven’t thought of? Anyway, the best news is that he has agreed to go to a Mass with me as soon as we can arrange a day or afternoon off together. It’s probably best to go to a weekday Mass first, as it is a smaller crowd and sometimes more profound that way. Help me to pray that he finds success in his search for Christ.
I drove home from Bakersfield today with just two stops—the first just outside of “B-field” for gas, and the second in Modesto for Mass. I was afraid I wasn’t going to get to Mass today, because I had to go to work at 6AM this morning and I didn’t get off until 2PM. As I approached Fresno, it was about a quarter of four, and I thought, “Jesus, I’m going to try and make it to Modesto by 5:45 for Mass so I can use all the help I can get!” I hit the Modesto city limits at 5:30 and figured I could make it over to St. Joseph’s in 15 minutes easy. Of course, I started hitting all the red lights and got behind the slowest drivers in automotive history. I said, “Satan, get the hell out of here! I’m going to Mass and there’s nothing you can do to stop me! Even if I’m 3 or 4 minutes late, I’m going!” From that point on, the traffic was lighter and it was green lights all the way to the church! I’m not saying that Satan (or Jesus, for that matter) controls traffic or traffic lights—but I am saying it was quite a coincidence that I got to Mass as the first reading was being read, 3 minutes into the Mass.It’s a good thing, too. On my drive from down South, I was thinking about what I would write in my blog tonight, and the readings fit right in to what I came up with.
Ex 3:13-20
Moses, hearing the voice of the LORD from the burning bush, said to him, "When I go to the children of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' if they ask me, 'What is his name?' what am I to tell them?"
God replied, "I am who am." Then he added, "This is what you shall tell the children of Israel: I AM sent me to you."
God spoke further to Moses, "Thus shall you say to the children of Israel:
The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.
"This is my name forever; this my title for all generations. "Go and assemble the elders of Israel, and tell them: The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has appeared to me and said: I am concerned about you and about the way you are being treated in Egypt; so I have decided to lead you up out of the misery of Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.”
"Thus they will heed your message. Then you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him: "The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent us word. Permit us, then, to go a three-days' journey in the desert, that we may offer sacrifice to the LORD, our God. "Yet I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go unless he is forced. I will stretch out my hand, therefore, and smite Egypt by doing all kinds of wondrous deeds there. After that he will send you away."
Mt 11:28-30
Jesus said:
"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."
I love the simplicity of God’s answer to Moses: I AM. The same can be said about Jesus’ words to His disciples, “learn from me, for I AM meek and humble of heart”, which says to me that all we have to do is TRUST God and the burdens (or worries) that we have in our lives will be lightened. It’s tough sometimes, I know. But I have also experienced the relief from worries when I’ve given them to Jesus.
There are a few ways to remind ourselves that Jesus is there with His mercy:
The first is to say the rosary every day. I became aware (probably through the Holy Spirit) that I wasn’t giving the proper focus to the Word of God when reciting the rosary. I tended to just say "…and blessed is the fruit of they womb Jesus…" as though His Name is just another part of the prayer we say to ask our Blessed Mother to intercede for us. This, I realized, was putting more focus on her, rather than on Him Who is the source of Mercy. I found out when saying my rosary today that if I paused for just a second or two after the word “womb” before saying the Holy Name of Jesus, my focus was put back into the proper perspective, and I could actually feel the presence of Mary and Jesus in the car, and it made it easier to meditate on the mysteries as well! I felt compelled at times after saying the Name of Jesus to follow it up with a word that pertained to the mystery I was pondering. For instance, “and Blessed is the Fruit of your womb….Jesus…’”Upon Whom God’s favor rests.’”
Not to get sidetracked, but I was just thinking about the luminous mysteries I meditated on today and how they are all related to the Sacraments:
v The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan—the sacraments of Baptism and Reconciliation.
v The Wedding feast at Cana—Matrimony.
v The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God—Holy Orders
v The Transfiguration—Confirmation and Last Rites
v The Institution of the Eucharist—obvious
The second way to remember God’s promise of mercy through Jesus Christ is the simple phrase Jesus gave to St. Faustina; “Jesus, I trust in you.”
And if the first two ways aren’t enough we have a reminder that even the atheist can’t ignore (at least for the time being), especially if they buy anything anywhere. Remember that on our currency in the US are the words, “In God We Trust”.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Who am I, Lord?
The Old Testament readings this week show us that God has a plan for each of us and knows our strengths and weaknesses better than we do.
Ex 3:1-6, 9-12
Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There an angel of the LORD appeared to him in fire flaming out of a bush.
As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush, though on fire, was not consumed. So Moses decided, "I must go over to look at this remarkable sight, and see why the bush is not burned."
When the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more closely, God called out to him from the bush, "Moses! Moses!" He answered, "Here I am. "God said, "Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. I am the God of your father," he continued, "the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. The cry of the children of Israel has reached me, and I have truly noted that the Egyptians are oppressing them. Come, now! I will send you to Pharaoh to lead my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."
But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?"
He answered, "I will be with you; and this shall be your proof that it is I who have sent you: when you bring my people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this very mountain."
Mt 11:25-27
At that time Jesus exclaimed: "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."
We often look for assurances that we are doing the right thing, making the right decision, heading down the right path. It would be helpful if those assurances could be as obvious as the one Moses received from God in the first reading. It’s hard to miss a burning bush. What God was asking Moses to do was an enormous task so a shrub conflagration seems an appropriate signal.
Moses isn’t sure he’s up to the task: He asks God, “Who am I to do this?” I do that too. Sometimes when I know what the “right” thing is, peer pressure or habit can lead to the easier, sinful way. I have to do the right thing without seeing a "burning bush"—and I can, when I fight the temptation to do wrong and realize that, like Moses, God is with me. But when I fail in this endeavor, I also know that Jesus is still there, with His promise of forgiveness and mercy through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
The Gospel is simple, yet powerful. It carries through the theme of how we each are chosen by God. You do not have to be the wise and learned – some things are revealed to the childlike. To me, that means that I can be chosen by God as a leader in my own life (leading others to faith), even as I continue to work on understanding and learning what that role should be and how I should live that life. My relationship with God evolves and changes as I evolve and change. I think if you go back and read my early entries, you’ll agree that just by reading the Scriptures every day and meditating on them and sharing them with others, my faith “perspective”, as well as the “strength” of my faith have matured, while in my heart I still feel child-like.
I doubt that God will produce a burning bush to get my attention. I still have to pay attention, to pray and to be open to what God has in store for me. Even if the path seems hard and little traveled, I have to remember that God is with me. And that’s not as hard as it sounds—For a long time, I had to “find time” to pray, but the more time I “found” the more time became available. The “trick” is to offer up the small things we do each day as prayers. The “prayers” that seem the most effective are the tasks I do that require some sort of sacrifice of convenience or desire to do something else. I still pray at daily Mass, and recite the rosary and the Divine Mercy every day, but I “supplement” these meditative prayers with the “sacrificial prayers”. Did this make sense to you? When I read it, it sounds right, but maybe a little confusing? I guess it’s hard to put this aspect of my prayer life into words. I hope you got the “drift”.
Yours in Christ
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Thinking of you, today, Alicia!
First up: EQ! I'll be in your area at the end of next week (Thursday or Friday). I'll call you sometime this week to set something up. Masses in your area are at 5:45PM if you want to go in the evening. Or, if you prefer, we can just visit the church and sit in front of the Blessed Sacrament if you want to take it slower. Let me know when I call, OK?
Then, Mom: I am sending the email about the Lodi council meeting to Bishop Blaire to make sure he is aware of it (although he probably already is!). I will let him advise Father Brandon if he feels it is an accurate account of the facts. Janie says she has heard of a scam for dollars that was similar to this story, so we should be careful.
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A certain man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, who conceived and bore a son. Seeing that he was a goodly child, she hid him for three months. When she could hide him no longer, she took a papyrus basket, daubed it with bitumen and pitch, and putting the child in it, placed it among the reeds on the river bank. His sister stationed herself at a distance to find out what would happen to him.
Pharaoh's daughter came down to the river to bathe,while her maids walked along the river bank. Noticing the basket among the reeds, she sent her handmaid to fetch it. On opening it, she looked, and lo, there was a baby boy, crying! She was moved with pity for him and said,"It is one of the Hebrews' children." Then his sister asked Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call one of the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?" "Yes, do so," she answered. So the maiden went and called the child's own mother. Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will repay you. "The woman therefore took the child and nursed it. When the child grew, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted him as her son and called him Moses; for she said, "I drew him out of the water."
On one occasion, after Moses had grown up, when he visited his kinsmen and witnessed their forced labor, he saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his own kinsmen. Looking about and seeing no one, he slew the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. The next day he went out again, and now two Hebrews were fighting! So he asked the culprit,"Why are you striking your fellow Hebrew?" But the culprit replied, "Who has appointed you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses became afraid and thought,"The affair must certainly be known."
Pharaoh, too, heard of the affair and sought to put Moses to death. But Moses fled from him and stayed in the land of Midian.
Man, the Bible just doesn't tell this part as well as Cecil B. DeMille! lol
Anyway, I thought I'd take a break from my meditations on the Bible readings today, because today was the Memorial Feast day of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha. Every year this is a special day for me to think about Alicia. She chose Kateri as her patron for her Confirmation name. I've spent all day thinking about her and how much I love her. I am going to copy and paste Kateri's picture along with the accompanying story found at americancatholic.org.
The blood of martyrs is the seed of saints. Nine years after the Jesuits Isaac Jogues and John de Brébeuf were tomahawked by Iroquois warriors, a baby girl was born near the place of their martyrdom, Auriesville, New York.
Her mother was a Christian Algonquin, taken captive by the Iroquois and given as wife to the chief of the Mohawk clan, the boldest and fiercest of the Five Nations. When she was four, Kateri lost her parents and little brother in a smallpox epidemic that left her disfigured and half blind. She was adopted by an uncle, who succeeded her father as chief. He hated the coming of the Blackrobes (Jesuit missionaries), but could do nothing to them because a peace treaty with the French required their presence in villages with Christian captives. She was moved by the words of three Blackrobes who lodged with her uncle, but fear of him kept her from seeking instruction. She refused to marry a Mohawk brave and at 19 finally got the courage to take the step of converting. She was baptized with the name Kateri (Catherine) on Easter Sunday.
Now she would be treated as a slave. Because she would not work on Sunday, she received no food that day. Her life in grace grew rapidly. She told a missionary that she often meditated on the great dignity of being baptized. She was powerfully moved by God’s love for human beings and saw the dignity of each of her people.
Now she would be treated as a slave. Because she would not work on Sunday, she received no food that day. Her life in grace grew rapidly. She told a missionary that she often meditated on the great dignity of being baptized. She was powerfully moved by God’s love for human beings and saw the dignity of each of her people.
She was always in danger, for her conversion and holy life created great opposition. On the advice of a priest, she stole away one night and began a 200-mile walking journey to a Christian Indian village at Sault St. Louis, near Montreal.
For three years she grew in holiness under the direction of a priest and an older Iroquois woman, giving herself totally to God in long hours of prayer, in charity and in strenuous penance. At 23 she took a vow of virginity, an unprecedented act for an Indian woman, whose future depended on being married. She found a place in the woods where she could pray an hour a day—and was accused of meeting a man there!
Her dedication to virginity was instinctive: She did not know about religious life for women until she visited Montreal. Inspired by this, she and two friends wanted to start a community, but the local priest dissuaded her. She humbly accepted an “ordinary” life. She practiced extremely severe fasting as penance for the conversion of her nation. She died the afternoon before Holy Thursday. Witnesses said that her emaciated face changed color and became like that of a healthy child. The lines of suffering, even the pockmarks, disappeared and the touch of a smile came upon her lips. She was beatified in 1980.
We like to think that our proposed holiness is thwarted by our situation. If only we could have more solitude, less opposition, better health. Kateri repeats the example of the saints: Holiness thrives on the cross, anywhere. Yet she did have what Christians—all people—need: the support of a community. She had a good mother, helpful priests, Christian friends. These were present in what we call primitive conditions, and blossomed in the age-old Christian triad of prayer, fasting and alms: union with God in Jesus and the Spirit, self-discipline and often suffering, and charity for her brothers and sisters.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Pharaoh and Herod--Amateurs compared to 21st century "civilization"
Ex 1:8-14, 22
A new king, who knew nothing of Joseph, came to power in Egypt. He said to his subjects, "Look how numerous and powerful the people of the children of Israel are growing, more so than we ourselves! Come, let us deal shrewdly with them to stop their increase; otherwise, in time of war they too may join our enemies to fight against us, and so leave our country."
Accordingly, taskmasters were set over the children of Israel to oppress them with forced labor. Thus they had to build for Pharaoh the supply cities of Pithom and Raamses. Yet the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread. The Egyptians, then, dreaded the children of Israel and reduced them to cruel slavery, making life bitter for them with hard work in mortar and brick and all kinds of field work—the whole cruel fate of slaves.
Pharaoh then commanded all his subjects, "Throw into the river every boy that is born to the Hebrews, but you may let all the girls live."
Mt 2: 16-18
When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi.
Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:
"A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled, since they were no more."
When I read the verses from Exodus at Mass today, it reminded me of the verses from Matthew and Jeremiah. The way I see it, Pharaoh and Herod were afraid of losing their power over the people to a god they did not believe in (yet feared) and were ruthless in their pursuit to stop the prophesies from coming to fulfillment. Of course God saw right through their plans and brought deliverance through Moses and salvation through Jesus Christ despite their murderous efforts.
In terms of sheer numbers alone, Pharaoh and Herod are “pikers” compared to the number of innocents that are slaughtered every day in the 21st century "civilized" world not because they present the possibility of producing a Savior (God’s already “been there, done that”) but simply because they might be inconvenient or unwanted. Why can’t we learn that God’s plan for us will not be thwarted, and that the abortions that are occuring are actually hastening the judgement promised by Jesus Christ?
I have just seven words for all of you reading this that will turn this around: Pray the Rosary. Pray the Divine Mercy.
A new king, who knew nothing of Joseph, came to power in Egypt. He said to his subjects, "Look how numerous and powerful the people of the children of Israel are growing, more so than we ourselves! Come, let us deal shrewdly with them to stop their increase; otherwise, in time of war they too may join our enemies to fight against us, and so leave our country."
Accordingly, taskmasters were set over the children of Israel to oppress them with forced labor. Thus they had to build for Pharaoh the supply cities of Pithom and Raamses. Yet the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread. The Egyptians, then, dreaded the children of Israel and reduced them to cruel slavery, making life bitter for them with hard work in mortar and brick and all kinds of field work—the whole cruel fate of slaves.
Pharaoh then commanded all his subjects, "Throw into the river every boy that is born to the Hebrews, but you may let all the girls live."
Mt 2: 16-18
When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi.
Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:
"A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled, since they were no more."
When I read the verses from Exodus at Mass today, it reminded me of the verses from Matthew and Jeremiah. The way I see it, Pharaoh and Herod were afraid of losing their power over the people to a god they did not believe in (yet feared) and were ruthless in their pursuit to stop the prophesies from coming to fulfillment. Of course God saw right through their plans and brought deliverance through Moses and salvation through Jesus Christ despite their murderous efforts.
In terms of sheer numbers alone, Pharaoh and Herod are “pikers” compared to the number of innocents that are slaughtered every day in the 21st century "civilized" world not because they present the possibility of producing a Savior (God’s already “been there, done that”) but simply because they might be inconvenient or unwanted. Why can’t we learn that God’s plan for us will not be thwarted, and that the abortions that are occuring are actually hastening the judgement promised by Jesus Christ?
I have just seven words for all of you reading this that will turn this around: Pray the Rosary. Pray the Divine Mercy.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Another bell goes off!
Am 7:12-15
Amaziah, priest of Bethel, said to Amos, "Off with you, visionary, flee to the land of Judah! There earn your bread by prophesying, but never again prophesy in Bethel; for it is the king's sanctuary and a royal temple."
Amos answered Amaziah, "I was no prophet, nor have I belonged to a company of prophets; I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores. The LORD took me from following the flock, and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’"
Ps 85:9-10, 11-12, 13-14
I will hear what God proclaims; the LORD —for he proclaims peace. Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him, glory dwelling in our land.
Kindness and truth shall meet; justice and peace shall kiss. Truth shall spring out of the earth, and justice shall look down from heaven.
The LORD himself will give his benefits; our land shall yield its increase. Justice shall walk before him, and prepare the way of his steps.
Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
Eph 1: 3-14
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved.
In him we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight, he has made known to us the mystery of his will in accord with his favor that he set forth in him as a plan for the fullness of times, to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth.
In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ.
In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised holy Spirit, which is the first installment of our inheritance toward redemption as God's possession, to the praise of his glory.
Mk 6:7-13
Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick—no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic. He said to them,"Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave. Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them." So they went off and preached repentance. The Twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
I prayed yesterday that Jesus reinforce my decision to ask to be a Eucharistic Minister, because I sometimes wonder about my abilities to proclaim the Good News in person—face-to-face, so to speak. I understand that my responsibility will not be to “preach” or “sermonize”, because that’s what we have priests for. But I will have to convey a certain confidence in the way others perceive me as a minister of the Body and Blood of Christ, Himself. And I know that some of the people I take Jesus to will not be properly disposed to receive Him and will simply want to talk about the faith, so I asked Jesus in prayer last night to let me know if what I have done is His will, and if He thinks I am capable of carrying it out.
I wish I could state the Good News as succinctly and forcefully as Paul does in his letter to the Ephesians. In fact, as soon as I read it this morning during Mass I had a “light bulb” go on over my head. I said to myself, “I’m just going to copy and paste his letter into my blog and write, ‘I can’t improve on this one bit!’”
That is, until I heard Father give his sermon. He asked the question, “Have you ever heard something so great that you felt like you’d bust a gut if you didn’t tell someone else?” He went on to say that’s what happened to Amos, Paul, and the Twelve.
Amaziah, priest of Bethel, said to Amos, "Off with you, visionary, flee to the land of Judah! There earn your bread by prophesying, but never again prophesy in Bethel; for it is the king's sanctuary and a royal temple."
Amos answered Amaziah, "I was no prophet, nor have I belonged to a company of prophets; I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores. The LORD took me from following the flock, and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’"
Ps 85:9-10, 11-12, 13-14
I will hear what God proclaims; the LORD —for he proclaims peace. Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him, glory dwelling in our land.
Kindness and truth shall meet; justice and peace shall kiss. Truth shall spring out of the earth, and justice shall look down from heaven.
The LORD himself will give his benefits; our land shall yield its increase. Justice shall walk before him, and prepare the way of his steps.
Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
Eph 1: 3-14
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved.
In him we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight, he has made known to us the mystery of his will in accord with his favor that he set forth in him as a plan for the fullness of times, to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth.
In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ.
In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised holy Spirit, which is the first installment of our inheritance toward redemption as God's possession, to the praise of his glory.
Mk 6:7-13
Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick—no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic. He said to them,"Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave. Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them." So they went off and preached repentance. The Twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
I prayed yesterday that Jesus reinforce my decision to ask to be a Eucharistic Minister, because I sometimes wonder about my abilities to proclaim the Good News in person—face-to-face, so to speak. I understand that my responsibility will not be to “preach” or “sermonize”, because that’s what we have priests for. But I will have to convey a certain confidence in the way others perceive me as a minister of the Body and Blood of Christ, Himself. And I know that some of the people I take Jesus to will not be properly disposed to receive Him and will simply want to talk about the faith, so I asked Jesus in prayer last night to let me know if what I have done is His will, and if He thinks I am capable of carrying it out.
I wish I could state the Good News as succinctly and forcefully as Paul does in his letter to the Ephesians. In fact, as soon as I read it this morning during Mass I had a “light bulb” go on over my head. I said to myself, “I’m just going to copy and paste his letter into my blog and write, ‘I can’t improve on this one bit!’”
That is, until I heard Father give his sermon. He asked the question, “Have you ever heard something so great that you felt like you’d bust a gut if you didn’t tell someone else?” He went on to say that’s what happened to Amos, Paul, and the Twelve.
Cue the bells. DINGDINGDINGDINGDING!!!!!
That’s what I feel, too. That's the real purpose of my blog!
I think that the readings today, the sermon, and a lot more prayer while on my drive to Fresnowas Jesus’ answer to my question from yesterday. So it’s full-steam ahead!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Psst! Wanna know a secret?
Gn 49:29-32; 50:15-26a
Jacob gave his sons this charge: "Since I am about to be taken to my people, bury me with my fathers in the cave that lies in the field of Ephron the Hittite, the cave in the field of Machpelah, facing on Mamre, in the land of Canaan, the field that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite for a burial ground. There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, and so are Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there, too, I buried Leah–the field and the cave in it that had been purchased from the Hittites."
Now that their father was dead, Joseph's brothers became fearful and thought, "Suppose Joseph has been nursing a grudge against us and now plans to pay us back in full for all the wrong we did him!" So they approached Joseph and said: "Before your father died, he gave us these instructions: 'You shall say to Joseph, Jacob begs you to forgive the criminal wrongdoing of your brothers, who treated you so cruelly.' Please, therefore, forgive the crime that we, the servants of your father's God, committed." When they spoke these words to him, Joseph broke into tears. Then his brothers proceeded to fling themselves down before him and said, "Let us be your slaves!" But Joseph replied to them: "Have no fear. Can I take the place of God? Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good, to achieve his present end, the survival of many people. Therefore have no fear. I will provide for you and for your children." By thus speaking kindly to them, he reassured them.
Joseph remained in Egypt, together with his father's family. He lived a hundred and ten years. He saw Ephraim's children to the third generation, and the children of Manasseh's son Machir were also born on Joseph's knees.
Joseph said to his brothers: "I am about to die. God will surely take care of you and lead you out of this land to the land that he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." Then, putting the sons of Israel under oath, he continued, "When God thus takes care of you, you must bring my bones up with you from this place." Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten.
Mt 10:24-33
Jesus said to his Apostles: "No disciple is above his teacher, no slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, for the slave that he become like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of his household!
"Therefore do not be afraid of them. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father."
Today’s readings are about God’s personal knowledge of and caring for us. In Genesis, Jacob makes funeral plans for himself. His son, Joseph, forgives his brothers telling them, “Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good.” This reminds me of those who wonder why a good God allows natural disasters to happen. We've all wondered why. I think when we realize that we aren't "in" on God's ultimate plan and just trust in His providence, these questions don't become easier to answer, but the answers become easier to understand.
And in Matthew, Jesus says that God knows the number of hairs on your head. (Of course this is no big deal in my case. Even I can count the number of hairs on MY head! lol)
Some people believe God is an all-powerful, bigger-than-life, detached, distant creator who kicked things off, but could care less about us. It’s not hard to understand why some people feel this way. But when you look at the universe, history and life in general, it’s not hard to feel humbled. For some, it is easier to believe that we are meaningless, insignificant, small beings on a tiny spot on a small planet living purposeless lives for a flash in time. Wow, now that is depressing!
Then along comes Jesus. God makes Himself one of us! Telling us that God not only knows everything about us, but actually cares about us. A God that is up close and touching. Living in our world. Speaking. Guiding. Healing. Walking with us. Eating drinking, crying. A God that is compassionate, caring and loving. Willing to go to the cross for us. Why would an all-powerful God care how many hairs are on my head? Why would the creator of the universe sacrifice for me? This is a stumbling block for some. They cannot envision an all-powerful God caring about them on a personal basis. It is a mystery. Yet this is exactly what Jesus is about.
Jacob gave his sons this charge: "Since I am about to be taken to my people, bury me with my fathers in the cave that lies in the field of Ephron the Hittite, the cave in the field of Machpelah, facing on Mamre, in the land of Canaan, the field that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite for a burial ground. There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, and so are Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there, too, I buried Leah–the field and the cave in it that had been purchased from the Hittites."
Now that their father was dead, Joseph's brothers became fearful and thought, "Suppose Joseph has been nursing a grudge against us and now plans to pay us back in full for all the wrong we did him!" So they approached Joseph and said: "Before your father died, he gave us these instructions: 'You shall say to Joseph, Jacob begs you to forgive the criminal wrongdoing of your brothers, who treated you so cruelly.' Please, therefore, forgive the crime that we, the servants of your father's God, committed." When they spoke these words to him, Joseph broke into tears. Then his brothers proceeded to fling themselves down before him and said, "Let us be your slaves!" But Joseph replied to them: "Have no fear. Can I take the place of God? Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good, to achieve his present end, the survival of many people. Therefore have no fear. I will provide for you and for your children." By thus speaking kindly to them, he reassured them.
Joseph remained in Egypt, together with his father's family. He lived a hundred and ten years. He saw Ephraim's children to the third generation, and the children of Manasseh's son Machir were also born on Joseph's knees.
Joseph said to his brothers: "I am about to die. God will surely take care of you and lead you out of this land to the land that he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." Then, putting the sons of Israel under oath, he continued, "When God thus takes care of you, you must bring my bones up with you from this place." Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten.
Mt 10:24-33
Jesus said to his Apostles: "No disciple is above his teacher, no slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, for the slave that he become like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of his household!
"Therefore do not be afraid of them. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father."
Today’s readings are about God’s personal knowledge of and caring for us. In Genesis, Jacob makes funeral plans for himself. His son, Joseph, forgives his brothers telling them, “Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good.” This reminds me of those who wonder why a good God allows natural disasters to happen. We've all wondered why. I think when we realize that we aren't "in" on God's ultimate plan and just trust in His providence, these questions don't become easier to answer, but the answers become easier to understand.
And in Matthew, Jesus says that God knows the number of hairs on your head. (Of course this is no big deal in my case. Even I can count the number of hairs on MY head! lol)
Some people believe God is an all-powerful, bigger-than-life, detached, distant creator who kicked things off, but could care less about us. It’s not hard to understand why some people feel this way. But when you look at the universe, history and life in general, it’s not hard to feel humbled. For some, it is easier to believe that we are meaningless, insignificant, small beings on a tiny spot on a small planet living purposeless lives for a flash in time. Wow, now that is depressing!
Then along comes Jesus. God makes Himself one of us! Telling us that God not only knows everything about us, but actually cares about us. A God that is up close and touching. Living in our world. Speaking. Guiding. Healing. Walking with us. Eating drinking, crying. A God that is compassionate, caring and loving. Willing to go to the cross for us. Why would an all-powerful God care how many hairs are on my head? Why would the creator of the universe sacrifice for me? This is a stumbling block for some. They cannot envision an all-powerful God caring about them on a personal basis. It is a mystery. Yet this is exactly what Jesus is about.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Jacob's joy paled by what we can expect!
Israel set out with all that was his. When he arrived at Beer-sheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. There God, speaking to Israel in a vision by night, called, "Jacob! Jacob!" He answered, "Here I am." Then he said: "I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you a great nation. Not only will I go down to Egypt with you; I will also bring you back here, after Joseph has closed your eyes."
So Jacob departed from Beer-sheba, and the sons of Israel put their father and their wives and children on the wagons that Pharaoh had sent for his transport. They took with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan. Thus Jacob and all his descendants migrated to Egypt. His sons and his grandsons, his daughters and his granddaughters—all his descendants—he took with him to Egypt.
Israel had sent Judah ahead to Joseph, so that he might meet him in Goshen. On his arrival in the region of Goshen, Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot and rode to meet his father Israel in Goshen. As soon as Joseph saw him, he flung himself on his neck and wept a long time in his arms. And Israel said to Joseph, "At last I can die, now that I have seen for myself that Joseph is still alive."
Jacob thought that he had lost Joseph many years earlier, because Joseph's brothers were afraid to tell their father what really happened. So Jacob grieved every day for Joseph. When he met Joseph again in Goshen, can you imagine the joy he felt?
My guess is that even Jacob's elation at seeing his "long lost" son is nothing compared to the joy we will have when we finally share in the fullness of Christ in Heaven!
====================================================
Brother Bob chimed in today about the design changes to my blog, and said it was like reading Chinese, since the links and pictures were on the right instead of the left! So, in deference to my elders, I have decided to go back to the same format, but with different colors to "jazz" it up a bit. I also put a new picture up that I thought would get everyone thinking about what this crazy ride called "life" is all about! I chose the caption from about 10 that I found on line.Here is a list of the best (IMHO) quotes out of hundreds that I read from online sources about the Real Presence. I created a poll on the left so you can tell me if you think I chose the right one! (Man, I'm getting the hang of this "blogging business"!) The only thing I can't get it to do is limit your choices to one. So please, vote for ONE of the choices only. I'm not sure I'll change the caption, but I think polls are fun, and at the very least, it may get some of you thinking more about the Real Presence!
"The Eucharist is the heart of the Church. Where Eucharistic life flourishes, there the life of the church will blossom."
- Pope John Paul II
"The surest, easiest, shortest way is the Eucharist,"
- Pope St. Pius X
"The Eucharist is everything, because from the Eucharist, everything is,"
- St. Peter Julian Eymard
"The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life,"
- Pope John Paul II
"The Eucharist is that love which surpasses all loves in Heaven and on earth,"
- St. Bernard
"Happy is the soul that knows how to find Jesus in the Eucharist, and the Eucharist in all things!,"
- St. Peter Julian Eymard
"The time you spend with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the best time you will spend on earth. Each moment that you spend with Jesus will deepen your union with Him and make your soul everlastingly more glorious and beautiful in Heaven, and will help bring about everlasting peace on earth,"
- Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta
"When we go before the Blessed Sacrament, let us open our heart; our good God will open His. We shall go to Him; He will come to us; the one to ask, the other to receive. It will be like a breath from one to the other,"
- St. John Vianney
“We should consider those moments spent before the Blessed Sacrament as the happiest of our lives.”
- St. John Vianney – The Cure of Ars
"From the Eucharist comes strength to live the Christian life and zeal to share that life with others."
- Pope John Paul II
"The greatest love story of all time is contained in a tiny white Host."
- Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
"This is the wonderful truth, my dear friends: the Word, which became flesh two thousand years ago, is present today in the Eucharist,"
- Pope John Paul II
"Trust all things to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and to Mary Help of Christians and you will see what miracles are."
- St. John Bosco
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