You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our reception among you was not without effect. Rather, after we had suffered and been insolently treated, as you know, in Philippi,we drew courage through our God to speak to you the Gospel of God with much struggle. Our exhortation was not from delusion or impure motives, nor did it work through deception. But as we were judged worthy by God to be entrusted with the Gospel, that is how we speak, not as trying to please men, but rather God, who judges our hearts. Nor, indeed, did we ever appear with flattering speech, as you know, or with a pretext for greed–God is witness– nor did we seek praise from men, either from you or from others, although we were able to impose our weight as Apostles of Christ.
Rather, we were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children. With such affection for you, we were determined to share with you not only the Gospel of God, but our very selves as well, so dearly beloved had you become to us.
Ps 139:1-3, 4-6
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know the whole of it.
Behind me and before, you hem me in
and rest your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
too lofty for me to attain.
Mt 23:23-26
Jesus said: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law, judgment and mercy and fidelity. But these you should have done, without neglecting the others. Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.”
Tonight was the rosary for my neighbor, Julio who passed away a few days ago. Marilyn and Sarah were able to attend, but Alicia stayed home to take care of Lily, who, at eight months, had no reason to be there. Marilyn and Alicia and Lily will be at the funeral Mass tomorrow with me, though.
Whenever there is a death of someone close to me, I have trouble expressing my feelings and I am torn in my emotions.
On the one hand, I am sorry that I won’t be able to wave to Julio as he is pruning his trees and shrubs while I’m getting in my car to go to work, or talk to him about his family or mine and share the stories only dads can share.
After the rosary tonight when we got home, Sarah asked Alicia what her favorite memory of Julio was. Sarah had been asked the same question by Marilyn in the car on the way home. They both gave the same answer—riding to school in the back of Julio’s old white van!! There were no seats, because it was a “cargo” van—so the kids had to sit on the floor! Marilyn’s memory was that Julio was forever “warming up” the van. She said it was always idling in the driveway. My memory is of the time when Julio invited me over to taste his homemade beer—it was terrible—even though I told Julio it was pretty good, as he seemed to think it was and I didn’t want to hurt his feelings.
On the other hand, Christ does tell us, “Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Mt 5:4). Dying in this life brings us to new life in Christ, the life we were created to share with Him in the presence of our Almighty Father through the graces of the Holy Spirit. When we mourn the passing of someone we love, we are also being blessed and comforted with the hope that we will meet with them again in the presence of the Trinity.
Thinking about death today also brought me back to today’s readings. All of them point to the fact that God knows us thoroughly and loves us enough to provide us with all of the “tools” we need to get to our final reward with Him. I think the following reading from the Liturgy of the Hours today written by St. John Chrysostom on the temptations of the devil is a good “list” of the “tools” we need to use to “cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.”
On the other hand, Christ does tell us, “Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Mt 5:4). Dying in this life brings us to new life in Christ, the life we were created to share with Him in the presence of our Almighty Father through the graces of the Holy Spirit. When we mourn the passing of someone we love, we are also being blessed and comforted with the hope that we will meet with them again in the presence of the Trinity.
Thinking about death today also brought me back to today’s readings. All of them point to the fact that God knows us thoroughly and loves us enough to provide us with all of the “tools” we need to get to our final reward with Him. I think the following reading from the Liturgy of the Hours today written by St. John Chrysostom on the temptations of the devil is a good “list” of the “tools” we need to use to “cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.”
The five paths of repentance
Shall I list the paths of repentance? There are certainly many of them, many and various, and all of them lead to heaven.
The first path is the path of condemnation of sins. As Isaiah says, Tell your sins, and you will be acquitted. And the Psalmist adds: I said “I will bear witness against myself before the Lord,” and you forgave the guilt of my sin. So you, too must condemn the sins you have committed. Condemn them, and that condemnation will excuse you in front of the Lord, since whoever condemns the sins he has committed will be slower to commit them next time. Stir up your own conscience to be your accuser – so that when you come before the judgement-seat of the Lord no-one will be rise up to accuse you.
This is the first path of repentance but the second is in no way inferior to it in excellence. It is to forget the harm done to us by our enemies, to master our anger, to forgive the sins of those who are slaves together with us. As much as we do this, so much will our own sins against the Lord be forgiven. So this is the second path to the expiation of our sins. As the Lord says, Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours.
Would you like to know the third path of repentance? It is prayer: fervent prayer, sincere and focused prayer, prayer coming from the depths of the heart.
If you want to know the fourth path, I will tell you it is the giving of alms. It has great power.
And finally, if someone acts with modesty and humility, that path is no less effective as a way to deprive sin of its substance. Look at the publican, who had no good deeds to speak of. In place of good deeds he offered humility, and the huge burden of his sins fell away.
So now I have shown you the five paths of repentance. First, condemnation of sins. Second, forgiving the sins of those near us. Third, prayer. Fourth, almsgiving. Fifth, humility.
So do not be idle, but every day advance along all these paths at once. They are not hard paths to follow. Poverty is no excuse for not setting out on the journey. Even if you are destitute you can do all these things: put aside anger, carry humility in front of you, pray hard, condemn your sins. Poverty is no obstacle – not even to that path of penitence that demands money: that is, almsgiving. Remember the story of the widow’s mite.
Now we have learnt the right way to heal our wounds, let us apply these remedies. Let us regain true health and confidently receive the blessings of Holy Communion. Thus we may come, filled with glory, to the glory of Christ’s kingdom, and receive its eternal joys through the grace, mercy and kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The first path is the path of condemnation of sins. As Isaiah says, Tell your sins, and you will be acquitted. And the Psalmist adds: I said “I will bear witness against myself before the Lord,” and you forgave the guilt of my sin. So you, too must condemn the sins you have committed. Condemn them, and that condemnation will excuse you in front of the Lord, since whoever condemns the sins he has committed will be slower to commit them next time. Stir up your own conscience to be your accuser – so that when you come before the judgement-seat of the Lord no-one will be rise up to accuse you.
This is the first path of repentance but the second is in no way inferior to it in excellence. It is to forget the harm done to us by our enemies, to master our anger, to forgive the sins of those who are slaves together with us. As much as we do this, so much will our own sins against the Lord be forgiven. So this is the second path to the expiation of our sins. As the Lord says, Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours.
Would you like to know the third path of repentance? It is prayer: fervent prayer, sincere and focused prayer, prayer coming from the depths of the heart.
If you want to know the fourth path, I will tell you it is the giving of alms. It has great power.
And finally, if someone acts with modesty and humility, that path is no less effective as a way to deprive sin of its substance. Look at the publican, who had no good deeds to speak of. In place of good deeds he offered humility, and the huge burden of his sins fell away.
So now I have shown you the five paths of repentance. First, condemnation of sins. Second, forgiving the sins of those near us. Third, prayer. Fourth, almsgiving. Fifth, humility.
So do not be idle, but every day advance along all these paths at once. They are not hard paths to follow. Poverty is no excuse for not setting out on the journey. Even if you are destitute you can do all these things: put aside anger, carry humility in front of you, pray hard, condemn your sins. Poverty is no obstacle – not even to that path of penitence that demands money: that is, almsgiving. Remember the story of the widow’s mite.
Now we have learnt the right way to heal our wounds, let us apply these remedies. Let us regain true health and confidently receive the blessings of Holy Communion. Thus we may come, filled with glory, to the glory of Christ’s kingdom, and receive its eternal joys through the grace, mercy and kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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