Just Trust

Readings for Thursday July 8, 2010

First Reading: Hosea 11:1-4, 8-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 80
Gospel: Matthew 10:7-15


Jesus said to his Apostles: "As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you. Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet. Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town." (Mt. 10:7-15)

In today's gospel, we see Jesus is asking a lot from the disciples. Not only is He sending them on a mission to preach the good news and to heal people, but He is also asking something else ... that they trust in God. He was very clear with them that they were not to take any money, extra clothes, walking stick; and they were not to accept anything of value from the people they met. I can only imagine how the disciples were thinking about if they could survive this mission or not. Jesus was sending them into the unknown, on a mission unlike any other, and not only was He teaching about the power of God and how God works through His people, but He was also teaching them about trust.

Trust in God, this is much easier said than done. Many times we say that we are trusting, but many times our actions do not match up to our words. I think an area where many people have trouble trusting in God is with tithing. Too many times people are trying to stockpile their money, to buy the extra things that they "need" instead of giving to God. They don't give to God because they feel as though they do not have the extra money to. But what most people don't realize is that God will always provide, give to Him first and He will not overlook you. I know many people who are struggling financially, but continue to tithe all that they can, and the Lord blesses them and continues to see that they have all that they really need.

The reality is that God calls each of us to a specific purpose in this life, a specific mission, and we can choose to go about it in fear, or we can look out into the unknown and trust in our Lord.

Father above, we thank you and praise you for the gift of this day. Lord, thank you for all that you have blessed us with and for all that you do. Lord, you always provide for us and we pray for an increase in faith. Lord, we trust in you, help us to remember that you will never fail us or abandon us. We pray for all priests and religious. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Uniqueness

Readings for Wednesday July 7, 2010

First Reading: Hosea 10:1-3, 7-8, 12
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 105
Gospel: Matthew 10:1-7


Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. The names of the Twelve Apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus.
Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, "Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'"

Have you ever watched an artist make something? Perhaps it was a potter on a wheel, or a sculptor with their chisel, or a painter with their brush. I am always in awe to watch people create art, whether they are professional or amateur, it is a treat to be able to see people use their God given abilities to create something new. One thing that I particularly find interesting is that each piece of art is unique. No matter how many times the potter throws the same bowl on the wheel, each bowl with be slightly different. No matter how many times the artist paints the same scene of the fruit bowl and wine bottle, each painting will have its own uniqueness. All art has similarities, but it is its uniqueness that makes it special.

In today's gospel reading, we read about the mission of the twelve apostles. In the gospel, we read each of their names, and for some we get a little sense of who they are. Some are tax collectors, some have been given new names, some are brothers, and one who betrays. Each have similarities in the fact that they are each apostles and followers of Christ, but each also is a individual, and unique person created by God for a specific purpose. We read of the mission of the twelve, which is to go out and proclaim the good news of the kingdom of heaven. We share in this same mission today, this is something which all Christians are called to do. What makes each of us unique is how we are to share this message. God gives each of us different gifts and abilities, and we are to use those gifts and abilities for His glory. No matter what our setting or situation in life, we can proclaim the good news either through word or example.

Today let us reflect on this passage from the Psalms: "I praise you, so wonderfully you made me; wonderful are your works! My very self you knew ... Your eyes forsaw my actions; in your book all are written down; my days were shaped, before one came to be." (Psalm 139:14, 16)

Father above, we thank you and praise you for the gift of this day. Lord, thank you for our lives, and for creating us with the gifts and abilities that we have. Help us to always use what we are given for your glory and to do your will. Each of us are made unique for your purpose, help us to truly take this to heart and to live in this way. Lord, we pray for all those in need of conversion and all those who do not know your love, may they be brought to your arms. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Moved with Pity

Readings for Tuesday July 6, 2010

First Reading: Hosea 8:4-7, 11-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm
Gospel: Matthew 9:32-38


Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest." (Mt 9:35-38)

Sometimes when people view God, they view an impersonal God who sits up on His pedestal cooking up schemes to make people miserable. Or they view God as someone who likes whip up natural disasters or send down fire and brimstone to teach us a lesson. Sometimes people view God as someone who just doesn't even care, or has bigger things to worry about than our small problems. Well, if you have ever thought that, then take a look at today's gospel, and then take a look at the entire bible. It is filled with stories and examples of God's love and compassion for His people. We see from today's reading that after looking at His people, Jesus "was moved with pity for them." He was moved with pity for the people, because they were lost, they did not have hope nor did they know where they were going. That is why God came down from heaven, to teach them straight from His mouth, and to give us a way to heaven.

We should never view God as impersonal, as a bully, or as someone who just doesn't care; because these things couldn't be anything farther from the truth. When God sees our pain and suffering, He is not saying things like, "well you brought this upon your self!" He is hurting with us, His heart goes out to us and He is moved with pity for our pain. He loves us more than we can possibly know, that is why He came down from heaven to take on all of our sins. It is His sacrifice that shows us the love and compassion that God has for us.

We are His children, and the truth is that sometimes we get distracted and only want to view things from our own perspective. It is easy to feel lost and abandoned in this world, that is why it is so important to focus on Christ. He is the good shepherd who does not lead us to death, but leads us to eternal life in heaven.

Father above, we thank you and praise you for the gift of this day. Lord, we praise you for all that we have and all that we are. Lord, you are our rock and our salvation, help us to humbly serve you with all of our lives. Lord, thank you for your great love and compassion, we pray that we can courageously go out and share this same love and compassion with all those we come into contact with. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Unshakable Faith

Readings for Monday July 5, 2010

First Reading: Hosea 2:16, 17-18, 21-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 145
Gospel: Matthew 9:18-26


While Jesus was speaking, an official came forward, knelt down before him, and said, "My daughter has just died. But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live." Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples. A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the tassel on his cloak. She said to herself, "If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured." Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, "Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you." And from that hour the woman was cured.
When Jesus arrived at the official's house and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion, he said, "Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping." And they ridiculed him. When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand, and the little girl arose. And news of this spread throughout all that land. (Mt 9:18-26)

In today's gospel reading, we read of two different miracles performed by Jesus. We read of the healing of the woman with a hemorrhage and we read of the healing of the official's daughter. While both of these acts of healing leave us in awe and amazement of God's power, what is also amazing is the faith of the official and the woman. Both of them demonstrated an unshakable faith.

Think about the official for a moment, there was no way that anybody was going to change his mind. You couldn't convince him that all hope was lost, even when things looked the absolute worst. I mean, his daughter was dead, but even then you couldn't convince him that there was no hope. This man knew where to turn to, he knew deep down in his heart that if his daughter were going to live again, then there was only one place he could turn to ... Christ. This official knew who Christ was, this is why he humbled himself before him and knelt down before his Lord. His faith in Christ was absolutely unshakable, we too should take his example of when things look their worst, that we too should always turn to Christ.

The woman with the hemorrhage also displayed an unshakable faith before her miracle as well. She had such faith in Christ that she knew if only she could touch His cloak, that she would be healed. Even though this woman had lived in pain and suffering for many years, she found hope in Christ, and did not let anything stop her from reaching Him. After touching Him, Jesus knew what had happened, He addressed her and said, "Courage daughter! Your faith has saved you." Because of her unshakable faith, not only was she healed physically, but we can bet that that moment impacted her spiritually as well.

Unshakable faith, both the official and the woman had it, and because of it they found healing in their lives. May we always remember to look to God for comfort, answers, and healing; not only when things are good, but even when they seem their worst. As Christians we are called to have a faith that is unshakable, one that is built upon solid rock, not shifting sand.

Father above, we thank you and praise you for the gift of this day. Lord, thank you for all that you have blessed us with and thank you for the gift of our lives. Help us to see every life as a great gift, no matter how young or old. Lord, increase our faith and hope in you, so that we too may have an unshakable faith, one in which no one could bring us down. Lord, you are our God and we are your people; help us to serve and honor you all of our days. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Sex Au Naturel

Catholic Book Review: Sex Au Naturel: What It Is and Why It's Good For Your Marriage by Patrick Coffin

Sex Au Naturel ... the content of this book by Patrick Coffin is as intriguing as its title. This book is essentially a clearly articulated and straightforward explanation and defense of the Church's teaching against contraception and reproductive technology. The book draws the majority of its information from Pope Paul VI's encyclical Humanae Vitae, as well as other sources (i.e. Scripture, Catechism, Theology of the Body, etc). Through this book the author educates about the teachings of the Catholic Church in regards to sex, contraception, sterilization, and reproductive technologies. The author educates while weaving in his own journey of originally rejecting the Churches teaching, then coming to see the beauty and the truth of what the Church teaches.

Sex Au Naturel does a fantastic job or clearly articulating what the Church teaches ... and why! I think that one of its strengths is that it shows where we stood on the issues many years ago, and where we stand today. One interesting nugget of information from the book was this: "No protestant body accepted contraception before 1930." This means that not that long ago, contraception was not an acceptable thing in any church, and it was most likely that it was not acceptable in society either. It is very interesting to me that we have gone from a world where contraception was viewed in such a negative light, to today where people look at you crazy if you are not using it. The book goes on to address this, and the reasons why we have gone to a society that now embraces contraception as the way to true freedom. Unfortunately, so many people, and especially Catholics, do not realize that that sense of freedom is a false one; and that contraception leads us away from our true calling to love and be loved. Thankfully we have books like Sex Au Naturel that can be a part of helping people understand the truth about God's plan for us and for our marriages.

Some of other topics and issues that this book goes into are: the impact of Humanae Vitae on the world, the biblical arguments against contraception, the blessed trinity and the sexual union, information about the myth of the "population bomb", sterilization, the differences between birth control and Natural Family Planning, and information about reproductive technologies. These topics are all straightforward and easy to understand. The author also adds a great number of resources at the end of the book on many great organizations if one wishes to go further in their journey towards God's truth.

Whether you are some one who strongly believes in the Church's teaching against contraception, someone who would like to know more about what and why the Church does not approve of contraception, or simply someone who disagrees with the Church in this area; then this is the book for you. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more behind the what and the why of the Churches teaching on contraception.

**For more information about the Catholic Company or Sex Au Naturel please click on one of the following links below:

http://www.catholiccompany.com/

http://www.catholiccompany.com/catholic-books/1004850/Sex-au-Naturel/

Follow Me

Readings for July 2, 2010

First Reading: Amos 8:4-6, 9-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119
Gospel: Matthew 9:9-13


As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" He heard this and said, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners." (Mt 9:9-13)

Imagine you are sitting at work one day, and someone who you've never even seen before walks by your cubicle and says, "Come, follow me." Now even though you've never met this man before, there is authority in his voice, and your heart is screaming on the inside, "GET UP AND GO!" So without much delay, you get up and follow this man. Now it is this exact same scenario that actually happened to Matthew. In today's gospel, Jesus walks by and simply says to him, "follow me." Matthew, without question or hesitation gets up and follows Christ. We can only imagine what Matthew must have been going through his head, or what he must have been feeling at that moment. While we may not know what he was experiencing, we do know that his life was forever changed at that moment.

The words that Jesus spoke to Matthew are the same that He is speaking to us each and every day ... "follow me." He is calling out to each of us, the question is will we get up and go or will we stay behind in the comfort of what we know? Will we be afraid, or will we trust. By trusting in Jesus, Matthew went on to become an apostle of the Church, he wrote one of the Gospels, and became a saint who resides in heaven with the Lord. Just think if he hadn't gotten up and followed Christ when he was called, those other things might have never come.

Our goal in life should be to get to heaven, and the only way to get there is by following Christ. He is here, calling out to each of us, are you ready to get up and go?

Father above, we thank you and praise you for the gift of this day. Lord, thank you for your many blessings in our life, thank you for your great love and mercy. Lord, we praise you for all that we have and all that we are, let us never take advantage of our lives. May we seek to follow your will and to always love as you love. Lord, you are our God, we are your people, help us to never forget this important truth. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Readings for Thursday July 1, 2010

First Reading: Amos 7:10-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 19
Gospel: Matthew 9:1-8


After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town. And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.” At that, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said, “Why do you harbor evil thoughts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”— he then said to the paralytic, “Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.” He rose and went home. When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe and glorified God who had given such authority to men. (Mt 9:1-8)

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallow be thy name. They 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. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.