Memorial of Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe
First Reading: 12:1-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 78
Gospel: Matthew 18:21-19:1
The parable of the unforgiving servant. This is one of my favorite parables in the gospels. I think that it is because there are so many different characters in the parable that I can relate to. I think that the one that I have often seen reflected in my own life is the role of the unforgiving servant. After you read this parable, stop and think....have I ever been like this guy? This servant is forgiven a huge debt from his master. Then this weasel goes out and chokes someone who owes him money and then has the other guy thrown in jail because he cannot pay. Perhaps we should blame this one on short term memory loss. We tend to read this parable and think wow, who would do such a thing? But how many times have we been guilty of not having the same compassion for others as someone may have had for us? What is the one thing that might have saved this servant from making this huge mistake? Forgiveness.
In the gospel today we are told of the importance of forgiving our fellow person as many times as it takes. This is a pretty tall order for us, dare I say that forgiveness is not something that comes easily or naturally to us. I think that when Peter first approached Jesus he was probably thinking; okay, what is the most amount of times that I have to forgive someone and still get to heaven. I am sure that the response that Jesus gave was not the one Peter was looking for. In fact from this gospel, we find out that we really need to stretch ourselves in the forgiveness department. Now we are talking about both small and large matters here. Forgive the person who accidentally bumps into you a few times...sure, easy as pie. Forgive the friend or family member who lies and betrays you time and time again causing lots of feelings of hurt and anger each time...not so easy now. How are we to do this forgiveness thing that we are called to? I mean, doesn't Jesus know human character? Doesn't he know that we are really fragile and this is hard for us? Why does he ask us to forgive and open ourselves up to the pain and hurt again?
Well, Jesus does know us all too well. He knows that this is not easy for us, but he knows that in order for us to heal and come closer to Him, then we must forgive first. Forgiveness for me has been a way of letting go of previous hurt and pain. It has allowed me to get past the issue or situation and heal from that. Now I am not saying that I always do this immediately or that I have the perfect system down, because I am far from being an expert in this area. I do speak from experience when I talk about the healing power that comes from Christ when we allow ourselves to forgive. I also know that we should not expect immediate results, some anger and bitterness we have been carrying around for many many years, this usually takes time to let go of. I pray that we all can offer up our pain and suffering to Christ and allow him to work in our lives to help us heal.
We are asked to forgive others as many times as it takes. The parable of the unforgiving servant shows us that we are to have compassion in our hearts for others, as the Father has had compassion for us. Let us let go of anything that is holding us back from serving Christ with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Father in heaven, we ask for your forgiveness for all our our sins. Help give us the strength to forgive our fellow brothers and sisters as you ahve forgiven us. We pray for all those struggling with past hurt and pain, and for all those who are struggling in their faith. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.
8.14.2008
8.13.2008
The right things
First Reading: Ezekiel 9:1-7, 10:18-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 113
Gospel: Matthew 18:15-20
In one of my previous jobs, I used to have to supervise many people. While there were many aspects of this that I loved such as training and supporting the staff; there was always one aspect of supervision that I never did like. This was having to confront and reprimand my staff who did something wrong. While this was extremely difficult with my workers, it was even more difficult with my fellow colleagues. It is never easy to confront those we work with, or those we are friends and family with. I know that for many of us that when we do need to confront somebody, we are definitely stepping outside of our comfort zone. But as followers of Christ, we are called to confront those who sin against us no matter how comfortable we are.
In the gospel today, Jesus tells us "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone." So we are told, when someone sin against you confront them and do it discretely. I am a huge advocate of the rule "praise in public, criticize in private." One of the reasons that I think that this is a great rule in our professional and personal lives is that this is how we would like to be treated. I think that by treating people this way; we are then treating them with the dignity they deserve. The gospel also goes on today to tell us the process of how we should continue to confront this person. Then if going through all these steps is not working and the persons will still not listen or stop, then sometimes separation is necessary. I often wonder which is harder to deal with, the confrontation or the possible outcome?
When talking about confronting people in situations that we know are not right, things are always easier said than done. But in these situations, one thing that always gives me good insight is the following quote: "Doing what is right isn't always popular, doing what is popular isn't always right." Remember, we are not called to easy lives, we all have crosses that we must carry at times. Many times confrontations and the outcomes of those confrontations are crosses that we will have to carry often. Always remember to turn to Christ for the peace and healing that you need during these times.
He is always there for us, I pray that we will never forget this.
Father above, we thank you and give you praise for our lives and all that you call us to. We ask for guidance and wisdom in all our relationships, and pray that you use us how you will. Lord, we pray for all those who are struggling to find the courage to confront those individuals and situations that need faced. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 113
Gospel: Matthew 18:15-20
In one of my previous jobs, I used to have to supervise many people. While there were many aspects of this that I loved such as training and supporting the staff; there was always one aspect of supervision that I never did like. This was having to confront and reprimand my staff who did something wrong. While this was extremely difficult with my workers, it was even more difficult with my fellow colleagues. It is never easy to confront those we work with, or those we are friends and family with. I know that for many of us that when we do need to confront somebody, we are definitely stepping outside of our comfort zone. But as followers of Christ, we are called to confront those who sin against us no matter how comfortable we are.
In the gospel today, Jesus tells us "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone." So we are told, when someone sin against you confront them and do it discretely. I am a huge advocate of the rule "praise in public, criticize in private." One of the reasons that I think that this is a great rule in our professional and personal lives is that this is how we would like to be treated. I think that by treating people this way; we are then treating them with the dignity they deserve. The gospel also goes on today to tell us the process of how we should continue to confront this person. Then if going through all these steps is not working and the persons will still not listen or stop, then sometimes separation is necessary. I often wonder which is harder to deal with, the confrontation or the possible outcome?
When talking about confronting people in situations that we know are not right, things are always easier said than done. But in these situations, one thing that always gives me good insight is the following quote: "Doing what is right isn't always popular, doing what is popular isn't always right." Remember, we are not called to easy lives, we all have crosses that we must carry at times. Many times confrontations and the outcomes of those confrontations are crosses that we will have to carry often. Always remember to turn to Christ for the peace and healing that you need during these times.
He is always there for us, I pray that we will never forget this.
Father above, we thank you and give you praise for our lives and all that you call us to. We ask for guidance and wisdom in all our relationships, and pray that you use us how you will. Lord, we pray for all those who are struggling to find the courage to confront those individuals and situations that need faced. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.
8.12.2008
The faith of a child
First Reading: Ezekiel 2:8-3:4
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119
Gospel: Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14
In the gospel today we are told that the greatest in heaven are those who are like children. What is it about the child that makes them the greatest? Is it their unshakable faith? Is it their complete trust and loyalty to people and things? Is it their amazing ability to believe without seeing? Maybe it is their joy and playfulness that makes them great. My guess is that it is not just one thing, in fact I believe that there are many things about our faith that we could learn from children.
Today I think that we all should reflect on what it means to have the faith of a child. I think that this can best be done by sharing a story. This is the story of Saint Tarcisius, taken from the book "The One Year Book of Saints" by Rev. Clifford Stevens. Here is the story of Saint Tarcisius.
Tarcisius was a twelve-year-old acolyte during one of the fierce Roman persecutions of the third century, probably during that of Valerian. Each day, from a secret meeting place in the catacombs where Christians gathered for Mass, a deacon would be sent to the prisons to carry the Eucharist to those Christians condemned to die. At one point, there was no deacon to send and so St. Tarcisius, an acolyte, was sent carrying the "Holy Mysteries" to those in prison.
On the way, he was stopped by boys his own age who were not Christians but knew him as a playmate and lover of games. He was asked to join their games, but this time he refused and the crowd of boys noticed that he was carrying something. Somehow, he was also recognized as a Christian, and the small gang of boys, anxious to view the Christian "Mysteries," became a mob and turned upon Tarcisius with fury. He went down under the blows, and it is believed that a fellow Christian drove off the mob and rescued the young acolyte.
The mangled body of Tarcisius was carried back to the catacombs, but the boy died on the way from his injuries. He was buried in the cemetery of St. Callistus, and his relics are claimed by the church of San Silvestro in Capite.
I have heard it say that Tarcisius never once let go of the "holy mysteries" and when the fellow christian came to rescue him, he immediately asked if the Eucharist is safe. Now I don't usually get too emotional during stories or movies, but I cannot help but get a little choked up when I hear or think about the story of St. Tarcisius.
Here is a twelve year old boy who shows us what it means to be a courageous christian. This boy gave his life for Christ and to protect one of the things that we hold most dear, which is the Holy Eucharist. This boy definitely got what being a follower of Christ is all about. St. Tarcisius shows us why those who are like children are the greatest in heaven. By being humble and believing without seeing, children show us every day how we can be better followers of Christ. Do you have the faith like a child?
Father in heaven, we thank you for the examples of your faithful followers like Saint Tarcisius. Lord, increase our faith so that we might follow you no matter what obstacles we might encounter. Lord, let your will be done in our lives, and let us praise you always. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119
Gospel: Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14
In the gospel today we are told that the greatest in heaven are those who are like children. What is it about the child that makes them the greatest? Is it their unshakable faith? Is it their complete trust and loyalty to people and things? Is it their amazing ability to believe without seeing? Maybe it is their joy and playfulness that makes them great. My guess is that it is not just one thing, in fact I believe that there are many things about our faith that we could learn from children.
Today I think that we all should reflect on what it means to have the faith of a child. I think that this can best be done by sharing a story. This is the story of Saint Tarcisius, taken from the book "The One Year Book of Saints" by Rev. Clifford Stevens. Here is the story of Saint Tarcisius.
Tarcisius was a twelve-year-old acolyte during one of the fierce Roman persecutions of the third century, probably during that of Valerian. Each day, from a secret meeting place in the catacombs where Christians gathered for Mass, a deacon would be sent to the prisons to carry the Eucharist to those Christians condemned to die. At one point, there was no deacon to send and so St. Tarcisius, an acolyte, was sent carrying the "Holy Mysteries" to those in prison.
On the way, he was stopped by boys his own age who were not Christians but knew him as a playmate and lover of games. He was asked to join their games, but this time he refused and the crowd of boys noticed that he was carrying something. Somehow, he was also recognized as a Christian, and the small gang of boys, anxious to view the Christian "Mysteries," became a mob and turned upon Tarcisius with fury. He went down under the blows, and it is believed that a fellow Christian drove off the mob and rescued the young acolyte.
The mangled body of Tarcisius was carried back to the catacombs, but the boy died on the way from his injuries. He was buried in the cemetery of St. Callistus, and his relics are claimed by the church of San Silvestro in Capite.
I have heard it say that Tarcisius never once let go of the "holy mysteries" and when the fellow christian came to rescue him, he immediately asked if the Eucharist is safe. Now I don't usually get too emotional during stories or movies, but I cannot help but get a little choked up when I hear or think about the story of St. Tarcisius.
Here is a twelve year old boy who shows us what it means to be a courageous christian. This boy gave his life for Christ and to protect one of the things that we hold most dear, which is the Holy Eucharist. This boy definitely got what being a follower of Christ is all about. St. Tarcisius shows us why those who are like children are the greatest in heaven. By being humble and believing without seeing, children show us every day how we can be better followers of Christ. Do you have the faith like a child?
Father in heaven, we thank you for the examples of your faithful followers like Saint Tarcisius. Lord, increase our faith so that we might follow you no matter what obstacles we might encounter. Lord, let your will be done in our lives, and let us praise you always. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.
8.11.2008
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
First Reading: Ezekiel 1:2-5, 24-28c
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 148
Gospel: Matthew 17:22-27
Death and Taxes, we can't escape them. These are just two things in life that we all need to face. In the gospel today, it appears as though this was the case in the days of Jesus as well. In the gospel today Jesus and Peter are confronted with the scenario of whether to pay the temple tax. In order not to offend the tax collectors, Jesus and Peter pay the temple tax through a miraculous fishing event.
So, what do we take away from this reading? The first thing that came to my mind was a song by the "Queen of Soul", Aretha Franklin. The song as we all know it is called "R-E-S-P-E-C-T." There it is plain and simple, I believe this gospel speaks a lot about how we need to respect those in authority. Now hearing this may cause some of you to start seeing red, but before you click away, just hear me out. I am not saying that we need to agree and support all of our authority figures, but we do need to respect them and their positions. I don't think that it matters whether it is the president of the US, your boss at work, or your parents; everyone deserves respect, especially those who have a position of authority. Remember, the golden rule is to "do to others as you would have them do to you (Luke 6:31)."
Jesus not only taught truth and wisdom, but he lived it out. He was not sent here to be a law breaking heathen, he was sent here to fulfill the law and to save us. Jesus shows us to have respect for the law and for authority figures. The greatest leaders throughout history always lived out their message. If Jesus sought out to do this during His life here on earth, shouldn't we also be doing the same thing?
Father in Heaven, you gave us your Son to save us and guide us through this life. Fill us with your Spirit so that we might be better servants of you. Let us lead by your example so that others may see your goodness and love through us. Lord, we pray that your will be done in our lives, and we pray for all those who are struggling in their faith. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 148
Gospel: Matthew 17:22-27
Death and Taxes, we can't escape them. These are just two things in life that we all need to face. In the gospel today, it appears as though this was the case in the days of Jesus as well. In the gospel today Jesus and Peter are confronted with the scenario of whether to pay the temple tax. In order not to offend the tax collectors, Jesus and Peter pay the temple tax through a miraculous fishing event.
So, what do we take away from this reading? The first thing that came to my mind was a song by the "Queen of Soul", Aretha Franklin. The song as we all know it is called "R-E-S-P-E-C-T." There it is plain and simple, I believe this gospel speaks a lot about how we need to respect those in authority. Now hearing this may cause some of you to start seeing red, but before you click away, just hear me out. I am not saying that we need to agree and support all of our authority figures, but we do need to respect them and their positions. I don't think that it matters whether it is the president of the US, your boss at work, or your parents; everyone deserves respect, especially those who have a position of authority. Remember, the golden rule is to "do to others as you would have them do to you (Luke 6:31)."
Jesus not only taught truth and wisdom, but he lived it out. He was not sent here to be a law breaking heathen, he was sent here to fulfill the law and to save us. Jesus shows us to have respect for the law and for authority figures. The greatest leaders throughout history always lived out their message. If Jesus sought out to do this during His life here on earth, shouldn't we also be doing the same thing?
Father in Heaven, you gave us your Son to save us and guide us through this life. Fill us with your Spirit so that we might be better servants of you. Let us lead by your example so that others may see your goodness and love through us. Lord, we pray that your will be done in our lives, and we pray for all those who are struggling in their faith. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.
8.10.2008
Sunday August 10, 2008
First Reading: 1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13a
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 85
Second Reading: Romans 9:1-5
Gospel: 14:22-33
Have a blessed day! Also, remember to pray for all the athletes competing in this years Olympics!
8.09.2008
Because of our faith
First Reading: Habakkuk 1:12-2:4
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 9
Gospel: Matthew 17:14-20
In the gospel today we have the story of a boy who is possessed with a demon. The father brings the boy to Jesus to have Him cure the boy. The father says that when he took the boy to the disciples, they could not cure him. Jesus then goes on to cure the boy, which causes the disciples to question Jesus. The following scenario plays out:
"Why could we not drive it out?"
Jesus answers; "Because of your little faith."
Ouch, what a blow that must of been to the disciples trying to do their good works. I think that the advice that Jesus gave is what we tend to call constructive criticism. Jesus identifies the problem and then gives them the instructions and inspiration that they need to hear. "if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Nothing will be impossible for you. What does it take? Faith the size of a mustard seed. Now this is not to say that we can drive to the grocery store and have the person behind the counter measure out a little bit of faith for us; but this analogy does provide some wonderful insight into they type of faith that we should have. I don't believe that we are given a specific size and shape for our faith, but we are being taught about the actual presence of our faith. If our faith is truly present, and we truly believe in our hearts in the power of Christ, then nothing will be impossible for us. It is because of our faith in Christ that we can do anything that God calls us to do. If we limit our faith, we limit God in our lives and therefore we cannot become all that we were created to be.
Do you want a full life? Do you want to do amazing things for God's glory? Do you want to find your life? Then all it takes is faith. The prophet Habakkuk was given this message by the Lord: "...the just man, because of his faith shall live." Jesus said yesterday in the gospel, "whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
If we wish to find out life, then our faith must be present. May the Lord increase our faith so that we may serve Him with all that we are.
Lord Jesus, you are our savior and the giver of life. Help us to continue learning how we can be faithful followers of you and to serve you no matter what the costs. Increase our faith so that we will serve and follow you without hesitation. Help us to never limit your work in our lives and help us to trust in you completely. Lord we pray for all those who are wavering in their faith. Ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 9
Gospel: Matthew 17:14-20
In the gospel today we have the story of a boy who is possessed with a demon. The father brings the boy to Jesus to have Him cure the boy. The father says that when he took the boy to the disciples, they could not cure him. Jesus then goes on to cure the boy, which causes the disciples to question Jesus. The following scenario plays out:
"Why could we not drive it out?"
Jesus answers; "Because of your little faith."
Ouch, what a blow that must of been to the disciples trying to do their good works. I think that the advice that Jesus gave is what we tend to call constructive criticism. Jesus identifies the problem and then gives them the instructions and inspiration that they need to hear. "if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Nothing will be impossible for you. What does it take? Faith the size of a mustard seed. Now this is not to say that we can drive to the grocery store and have the person behind the counter measure out a little bit of faith for us; but this analogy does provide some wonderful insight into they type of faith that we should have. I don't believe that we are given a specific size and shape for our faith, but we are being taught about the actual presence of our faith. If our faith is truly present, and we truly believe in our hearts in the power of Christ, then nothing will be impossible for us. It is because of our faith in Christ that we can do anything that God calls us to do. If we limit our faith, we limit God in our lives and therefore we cannot become all that we were created to be.
Do you want a full life? Do you want to do amazing things for God's glory? Do you want to find your life? Then all it takes is faith. The prophet Habakkuk was given this message by the Lord: "...the just man, because of his faith shall live." Jesus said yesterday in the gospel, "whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
If we wish to find out life, then our faith must be present. May the Lord increase our faith so that we may serve Him with all that we are.
Lord Jesus, you are our savior and the giver of life. Help us to continue learning how we can be faithful followers of you and to serve you no matter what the costs. Increase our faith so that we will serve and follow you without hesitation. Help us to never limit your work in our lives and help us to trust in you completely. Lord we pray for all those who are wavering in their faith. Ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.
8.08.2008
Take up your cross
Memorial of Saint Dominic
First Reading: Nahum 2:1, 3, 3:1-3, 6-7
Responsorial Psalm: Deuteronomy 32
Gospel: Matthew 16:24-28
Have you ever thought about why it is so hard to say "no" to something or someone? If you have, then you probably realize that it is really not the act of saying no that is difficult, it is usually the reaction to that word that we do not like. Think about the last time you said no to someone, what was the reaction? Was it anger, frustration, disappointment, pain, etc? Is it just as hard to say no to yourself? Think about a time when you had to say no to yourself, how difficult was this to do? I know that there are many times that I do not feel like working out, then I start thinking of other things to do such as taking a nap or sitting in front of the TV with a big bowl of ice cream. It is during these times that I need to say "no" to myself. Now it is not the act of saying no that is hard, it is the following through with that "no" that is difficult.
We are told in the gospel today that we must deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus. We realize that these may seem like very simple instructions, but as simple as they are, following through on them is very difficult. These instructions are the conditions for discipleship. To be a good and faithful follower of Jesus Christ we are to lose our life to Him. This means saying no to ourselves when we want to act on things that we want instead of what God has planned for us. Then we have to follow through on this "no", and that means picking up our crosses and carrying them on our journey. We all have different struggles and different things that weigh us down and try to pull us away from God, but we must persevere during these times. How do we do this? St. Paul tells us in the book of Romans to "...endure in affliction, persevere in prayer.(Rom 12:12)" If we try to carry our crosses by ourselves we will fail. Now I am not trying to be negative here, just realistic. But if we trust in the Lord and pray for His help and guidance, we will carry our crosses through our journey. Trust in the Lord and trust in His power in you.
We all know firsthand how difficult it is to carry our crosses through life. It can be so overwhelming to think about having to carry something the rest of our lives. I have a simple (yet difficult) solution for that. Take one day at a time. In football when running or working out, we used to always encourage each other that "you can do anything for ____ minutes!" The same mentality helps in our faith journey, "you can do anything for one day!" Take one day at a time, things will not seem so overwhelming then. We are instructed to not worry about tomorrow, so let us only trust for today and prepare to take on whatever this day brings.
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. (Mt 16:24)"
Heavenly Father we thank you for all that you give to us. Increase our faith and hope so that we might take up our crosses with courage and persevere though any hardships or struggles that we have. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.
First Reading: Nahum 2:1, 3, 3:1-3, 6-7
Responsorial Psalm: Deuteronomy 32
Gospel: Matthew 16:24-28
Have you ever thought about why it is so hard to say "no" to something or someone? If you have, then you probably realize that it is really not the act of saying no that is difficult, it is usually the reaction to that word that we do not like. Think about the last time you said no to someone, what was the reaction? Was it anger, frustration, disappointment, pain, etc? Is it just as hard to say no to yourself? Think about a time when you had to say no to yourself, how difficult was this to do? I know that there are many times that I do not feel like working out, then I start thinking of other things to do such as taking a nap or sitting in front of the TV with a big bowl of ice cream. It is during these times that I need to say "no" to myself. Now it is not the act of saying no that is hard, it is the following through with that "no" that is difficult.
We are told in the gospel today that we must deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus. We realize that these may seem like very simple instructions, but as simple as they are, following through on them is very difficult. These instructions are the conditions for discipleship. To be a good and faithful follower of Jesus Christ we are to lose our life to Him. This means saying no to ourselves when we want to act on things that we want instead of what God has planned for us. Then we have to follow through on this "no", and that means picking up our crosses and carrying them on our journey. We all have different struggles and different things that weigh us down and try to pull us away from God, but we must persevere during these times. How do we do this? St. Paul tells us in the book of Romans to "...endure in affliction, persevere in prayer.(Rom 12:12)" If we try to carry our crosses by ourselves we will fail. Now I am not trying to be negative here, just realistic. But if we trust in the Lord and pray for His help and guidance, we will carry our crosses through our journey. Trust in the Lord and trust in His power in you.
We all know firsthand how difficult it is to carry our crosses through life. It can be so overwhelming to think about having to carry something the rest of our lives. I have a simple (yet difficult) solution for that. Take one day at a time. In football when running or working out, we used to always encourage each other that "you can do anything for ____ minutes!" The same mentality helps in our faith journey, "you can do anything for one day!" Take one day at a time, things will not seem so overwhelming then. We are instructed to not worry about tomorrow, so let us only trust for today and prepare to take on whatever this day brings.
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. (Mt 16:24)"
Heavenly Father we thank you for all that you give to us. Increase our faith and hope so that we might take up our crosses with courage and persevere though any hardships or struggles that we have. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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