Month: September 2015

23rd Week in Ordinary Time, Friday

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If a blind man were to offer to help you cross the street you would either charitably decline, think he was crazy, or maybe convince yourself he had super powers. We live in a society where people seek the virtuous thing to do, the logical thing to do, or the craziest thing to do, and are willing to get advice from or give advice to anyone. People can supposedly all follow a truth that doesn’t need to agree with the truth of others, and, as a result, a lot of people with partial views stumble around in the dark when they should all be seeking profounder truths.

Our Lord in today’s Gospel reminds us that we must try to see and live clearly before helping others, or it will be a case of the blind leading the blind. We have to invest time, prayer, and reflection to determine the solid foundation on which to live and to be guided. We can’t just invent this on our own: we need help from Our Lord, and we need help from solid people and solid traditions. As St. Paul recalls in the First Reading, out of his ignorance and disbelief he became a persecutor and lead others to join him in his quest. Our Lord dramatically intervened in his case to help him see how blind he really was.

Let’s pray today for everyone to receive the grace to see clearly and live clearly in order to find the best role models and be the best role models for others.

Readings: 1 Timothy 1:1–2, 12–14; Psalm 16:1b–2a, 5, 7–8, 11; Luke 6:39–42.

23rd Week in Ordinary Time, Thursday

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Today’s society is plagued by ways of losing your temper, inspired by the principle of “don’t get mad, get even”: people go postal, get road rage, drop f-bombs, go ballistic, send flame mails, and are branded as trolls online. Our Lord in today’s Gospel tells us the Christian response to people who get on our nerves: “don’t get mad, get praying,” talk to your manager if you’ve got a problem, keep driving calmly and forgive the guy who’s tailgating you, watch your mouth, take a walk and cool off, send that e-mail draft or destructo-comment to the trash unpublished. In biblical language that is translated in terms of “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another,” as St. Paul teaches in the First Reading today.

In today’s edgy, thin-skinned, irritable society that is a tall order. It’s not something we can accomplish overnight, but the best way to help us reconquer these virtues again is to contemplate Christ crucified when we think we’re about to blow. Our Lord didn’t just preach this in today’s Gospel; he lived it. None of us have been mistreated as badly as him and he bore with it all and forgave everyone who sought it (even desired to forgive those who didn’t). Contemplation is not simply remembering; it is seeing the scene in your mind, with Christ, and not just once. It is through contemplation and grace that we achieve the recollection to help us keep from losing control, and in contemplating Christ crucified little by little we realize how beautiful charity toward others and despite others is, and how petty we can often be.

If feel like you’re going to blow today, find a Crucifix and ask Our Lord for the grace to handle that situation as he would: with endurance and forgiveness.

Readings: Colossians 3:12–17; Psalm 150:1b–6; Luke 6:27–38.

23rd Week in Ordinary Time, Wednesday

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In today’s Gospel Our Lord gives encouragement to some and a warning to others. If we’ve experienced hunger, poverty, or derision in our lives, we know how much more wonderful each meal, each bill paid, and each affirmation feels. At the same time, if we’ve enjoyed a full stomach, some surplus income, and being liked by everyone, we face the temptation to just keep working to have more and to be kept more in mind–we may be full, but we never feel satisfied. Whether we’re experiencing feast or famine, glory or persecution, we have to keep our sights set on where we’ll truly be satisfied: in Heaven.

As St. Paul reminds us in the First Reading, we have to keep our sights set above. That’s what reminds us that earthly things are meant to be means to achieve heavenly ones, not just for us, but for others as well. Material wealth and honor will not last forever: as the saying goes, you can’t take it with you, and all of us have visited monuments to people who are all but forgotten. The real glory we earn will be determined by how we invested our talents and treasure in the light of eternity. If we fall into the trap of living a lie for the sake of fame and celebrity it’s just a matter of time, either here or in eternity, when we’ll be revealed for who we truly are.

Let’s not focus on how full our stomach is, how full our bank account is, or whether we’re popular. Let’s focus on living a life in Christ that will one day blossom into glory with him.

Readings: Colossians 3:1–11; Psalm 145:2–3, 10–13b; Luke 6:20–26.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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Today, nine months after we celebrate Mary’s Immaculate Conception, we celebrate the day of her birth, not knowing the exact date, but sure of its importance. Today we remember when Mary, like every human person, began to live outside her mother’s womb and start the path to her extraordinary vocation, already blessed with the singular grace of being preserved from all stain of original sin. Her vocation makes no sense on its own, but when we consider the lineage recalled in today’s Gospel, we realize how important it is: thanks to her the Messiah could be born in time, just as the Son is eternally begotten by the Father.

All the veneration we give Mary is due to her Son. In the lineage Joseph was mentioned as descending from David, but his importance was underscored as being the “husband of Mary”: today the woman who would enable the Word to become flesh and dwell among us was born. We can trace a path from Mary’s birth all the way to her Assumption of fidelity to the grace of God, charity, simplicity, humility and kindness. We also celebrate today the birth of our mother in the order of grace, whose vocation is to welcome all of humanity into her maternal care and lead them to her Son.

Let’s try to imitate Mary today in one of her virtues. That’d be the best birthday gift we could give her.

Readings: Micah 5:1–4a; Psalm 13:6a–c; Matthew 1:1–16, 18–23.

23rd Week in Ordinary Time, Monday

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In today’s Gospel Our Lord reminds us that the Gospel is not something to live quietly or behind closed doors. He knew he was being observed by the scribes and Pharisees to see if he would perform a miracle on the Sabbath and give them ammunition. That didn’t make him heal the withered hand out in the back after teaching in the synagogue away from prying eyes. He didn’t just perform the miracle, he performed it publicly and in a synagogue on the Sabbath. It’s interesting that the scribes and Pharisees didn’t haul him off and accuse him right there; they knew in the eyes of people who still possessed common sense that Jesus had done something good on the Sabbath, just as he’d said. If only they too had understood.

As a result they saw Our Lord as a threat to be dealt with, but not directly and openly. That should already put us on our guard against whatever “gospel” they’re following. The works of God are meant to be signs to the world: signs to the goodness, power, and mercy of God. We shouldn’t be shy about getting the Word out, and also praying and working so that in countries where Christians are persecuted they receive the freedom to exercise their religion without threats or fear.

Let’s examine ourselves today and see whether there’s anyone in our lives who make us shy about sharing the Gospel and living our faith openly. And, as Our Lord did in today’s Gospel, let’s be loud about doing good works in his name.

Readings: Colossians 1:24–2:3; Psalm 62:6–7, 9; Luke 6:6–11.