Tuesday

7th Week in Ordinary Time, Tuesday, Year I

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When a goalie stands in front of the net, he doesn’t wonder about whether the shots will come; they do. Sirach in today’s First Reading teaches us the same lesson about life. If we serve the Lord, the shots will come, and we must stand firm in our moral convictions and remain faithful to him. Some shots get past us, some shots we take, and some shots cause us a lot of pain.

A good servant is tested, not just by his master, but by circumstances. He can not only question his moral convictions, but his master as well. Sirach today reminds us that to “fear the Lord” not only means to respect him, but to trust him. Sometimes that trust is all that keeps us in front of the net.

In today’s Gospel Our Lord tries to share this wisdom with his disciples, and he will be the example of a faithful and dedicated son who takes all the shots life gives him, even to the point of death. Let’s imitate Our Lord today and don’t shy away from any shots that may come.

Readings: Sirach 2:1–11; Psalm 37:3–4, 18–19, 27–28, 39–40; Mark 9:30–37. See also 26th Week in Ordinary Time, Saturday, 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B, 19th Week in Ordinary Time, Tuesday.

 

6th Week in Ordinary Time, Tuesday, Year I

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In today’s First Reading the Lord looks upon his creation and sees that it is almost completely polluted by sin. It renders his creation so ugly that he wonders if it would have been better to not have created it at all. Sin is like pollution and toxic waste; it seems containable at first, but with neglect it grows to such proportions that it becomes more of a question of containment than eradication. Yet it started small.

The Lord decides that it is easier to contain the last unstained elements of his creation in order to protect them and start anew. The Ark is to protect them from the evil that has overcome the land. However, he does not just seek containment; like a car wash at a gas station, it’s windows up and closed while the Lord washes away the muck of sin. The flood is considered a pre-configuration of Baptism; just as the flood washed away the sin and its pollution from the earth, Baptism washes away all the filth in us due to Original Sin and our own sins.

We were born into a polluted world. Our Lord has the remedy. Once we’ve cleansed ourselves through his grace, let’s keep it clean.

Readings: Genesis 6:5–8, 7:1–5, 10; Psalm 29:1a, 2, 3ac, 9c–10; Mark 8:14–21. 

5th Week in Ordinary Time, Tuesday, Year I

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In today’s First Reading the story of Creation concludes with the Lord looking upon all he has created as very good, and resting from his works. The Lord has placed us at the head of his creation; he blessed the creatures of the sea and the air and commanded them to multiply and grow, and he commanded us to thrive as well, using all the things he created for our use.

Sometimes we don’t feel like we’re in a world of abundance. We have bills, budgets, and empty pockets. Many people are barely making ends meet. Creation reminds us that we need to use what the Lord has given us not only to help ourselves, but to help everything to thrive and to grow. That doesn’t mean saving the trees; it means using the abundances that still exist in the world to help others and to help Creation thrive at all levels for the good of man.

How about taking a little time this Sunday to see how you can help Creation thrive?

Readings: Genesis 1:20–2:4a; Psalm 8:4–9; Mark 7:1–13. See also 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B.

4th Week in Ordinary Time, Tuesday, Year I

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In today’s First Reading the Letter to the Hebrews evokes a beautiful image to describe how we are encouraged and supported by the communion of saints: a cloud of witnesses who cheer us on as we run the race of life. The communion of saints does not just consist of those who’ve finished their race and won; every believer who is pleasing to God is a witness to his wonders. If the saints in Heaven and on earth are cheering us on, we don’t want to disappoint them or the one who made the race winnable: Our Lord.

The cloud of witnesses remind us that there is a race and there is a finish line we have to cross. They help us focus on running the race, not on the drink table or the sore knee. Our Lord is waiting at the finish line to congratulate us and reward us. This race is a marathon, not a sprint; it requires focus and endurance to cross the finish line.

It’s not too late to catch a second wind in the race to eternity. May the cloud of witnesses help you keep running.

Readings: Hebrews 12:1–4; Psalm 22:26b–28, 30–32; Mark 5:21–43.  See also 14th Week in Ordinary Time, Monday and 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B.

3rd Week in Ordinary Time, Tuesday, Year I

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In today’s First Reading the Letter to the Hebrews teaches us that a shadow of food would not satisfy us, nor a shadow of money pay our debts. The real “currency” we have to atone for our sins is the currency provided to us by Our Lord. Even if we had real food or real money they’d pale in comparison with what the Lord expects of us: to do his will. Doing his will can imply sacrifice, but, as Our Lord teaches us, doing his will when it is costly pleases him even more.

Mankind since the Fall has known some sort of reparation was needed, and that something was missing in its relationship with God. Religious expression followed suit, offering things that would satisfy God, yet Christ reveals to us that it is not just what we offer, but with what heart we offer it. In himself he offered the best of both worlds: a perfect offering (himself) offered perfectly (out of love for the Father and for us), which is why his sacrifice was accepted and continue to be a source of blessings for us. Thanks to Our Lord we now know what to offer (him) and how to offer it (out of love for God and for others).

If we’re faced with sacrifice today, try making it a little more “real”: strive to embrace it for love of God and for others, in imitation of Our Lord.

Readings: Hebrews 10:1–10; Psalm 40:2, 4ab, 7–8a, 10–11; Mark 3:31–35. See also 16th Week in Ordinary Time, Tuesday.