The Right Perspective

Readings for Friday October 31, 2008

First Reading: Philippians 1:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 111
Gospel: Luke 14:1-6


How great are the works of the Lord! Creation of the heavens and the earth, delivering Israel out of Egypt, turning water into wine, feeding 5,000 men with a few loafs and some fish, His glory and resurrection; we could go on and on about His great works. Throughout the bible we are told of the great works of the Lord, and as well we know of and could tell of the great works that He has done in out lives and in others. Today we read of His greatest work in our lives and in history ... giving us the right perspective. Since the beginning God has provided for us, and all that He has asked from the beginning is for our love and loyalty. But as is out nature, we rebel, find ourselves in terrible situations and come crawling back to God; and how does God respond? He takes us back with open arms, and He tries to give us the same perspective that He has always tried to give us: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Jesus tells us that this is the greatest of commandments.

In today's gospel, Jesus reduces everyone around Him to silence by giving them a new perspective. He challenges their old way of thinking, into a new way of thinking, and thinking that puts God and others first. This new perspective provides freedom from the law of man, and freedom through Christ Jesus. This challenging of a new perspective is kind of what happens in our lives when God or someone else challenges us in a way that we are living or a direction we are headed; this is God's way of giving us a new perspective for our lives, and reminding us of our mission, which is to get to heaven. God puts things on our hearts, or events in our lives, or people around us to help us to refocus on Him. He uses these things to make sure that we are seeing things as we should, and that with every decision, there are thoughts of God's will.

To really have a good perspective on our lives, then we need to be seeking the Father's will. Saint Paul understood this need for the right perspective when he told the church of Philippi; "And this is my prayer: that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ ..." (Phil. 1:9-10)

Father above, we thank you for the gift of this day. We praise you for the many gifts in our lives and we ask for your forgiveness for all the times that we turn away from you. Lord, be on our hearts and minds at all times so that we may make every decision with thoughts of you and your will for us. Lord, increase our faith so that we may follow you no matter what. We pray for all those who are seeking you. We pray for all those who are suffering from addictions, may you deliver them from these dangerous habits that lead them away from you. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.

To be a good son

Readings for Wednesday October 29, 2008

First Reading:  Ephesians 6:1-9

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 145

Gospel:  Luke 13:22-30

Right now is a a very exciting time for my wife and I, as we are expecting our first child.  It is truly a joy to be blessed with such an amazing gift from God.  While our excitement is certainly at a high, we also realize the important role that God has given both of us.  In preparing for the arrival of our child (we are due this spring), I pray everyday for God's help.  I pray that He will help to prepare me to be the father that He created me to be.  I think that many men and women question the type of parents that they will become once they are expecting a child, and they should.  The truth is, that if we rely solely on ourselves to be the best parents we can be, we will fail ... but if we rely on God to help us be the parents that He created us to be, then we will succeed.  And in succeeding, we will pass onto our kids something that no one can ever take away from them ... their faith, hope, and love of God.  Saint Paul tells us today to how we should go about raising our children, to "bring them up with the training and instruction of the Lord."  

God calls each of us to many things in our lives; marriage, parenthood, a religious vocation, students, teachers, businessmen, "joe the plumbers," etc.  He calls us to many things in our lives, and we should try to give Him glory through all that we do.  In whatever we are called to we should strive to be the best that we can be to honor God.  In order for us to be the best that we can be while on this earth, we must first strive to be good sons and daughters of God.  If we cannot be the sons and daughters that we were created to be, then we cannot have any hope of being the best at what we are doing in other areas of our lives.  God asks that we put Him first, after all He is the one who gives us life, and offers us salvation.  

While I am preparing for fatherhood, while also trying to be the husband that I was created to be, I know in my heart that I cannot be any of these things to my family unless I am willing to be a humble, loving, obedient son.  

Are you putting God first in your life?  Are you asking God for help in becoming the son or daughter that you were created to be?  

"Slaves, be obedient to your human masters with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ, not only when being watched, as currying favor, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, willingly serving the Lord and not men..." (Eph 6:5-7)

Father above, we thank you for our lives.  We thank you for calling us to where we are at, and we pray for your guidance in our lives.  Lord, let only your will be done in us, and give us the strength and courage to persevere against all the things and people who would try to hold us back from you.  Lord, we praise you name as blessed children, and thank you for all that we have and all that we are.  We ask this all through Christ our Lord.  Amen. 

    

Saying Yes to God

Readings for Tuesday October 28, 2008

Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles

First Reading: Ephesians 2:19-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 19
Gospel: Luke 6:12-16


"Members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone."

This is the message that we are sent today from Paul's letter to the Ephesians. Before I came home to the Church, I am still bewildered that like most protestants, I never questioned what the early church was like. What did the apostles do after the ascension? What did they do during the services of the early church? When was the new testament written? It is questions like this that I had never even thought of, I guess that I just kind of took it all for granted.

Today, we celebrate the Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles of the Church, men who literally followed and knew Jesus as He was on earth. I cannot being to imagine what this was like. I am sure that these men had questions racing through their heads constantly. We have much to be thankful for to these men, for their passing along the faith, for their helping to build the foundation for the Church today, but most of all we should be thankful for their saying "yes" to God. Not only did their saying yes help to provide the foundation for our faith, but it is their example of saying yes to God, and no to themselves, that gives us a powerful example of what it means to follow Christ. Following Christ means surrendering our lives to Him, picking up our cross and to follow where ever He leads and calls us to. Simon and Jude, while there is not much said in the scriptures about them, their titles as apostles speak loudly about who they were as servants of God.

May we have the faith and courage to say yes to God in our lives. Saints Simon and Jude, pray for us.

Father above, we thank you for the gift of this day. Lord, we thank you for the examples of your apostles and for the foundation that you have set for our faith. Lord we praise you for the lives that we are called to and pray that through you we can continue to persevere. Lord, guide us and protect us on this journey. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Love and Thanksgiving

Readings for Monday October 27, 2008

First Reading: Ephesians 4:32 - 5:8
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 1
Gospel: Luke 13:10-17


How do you respond to misfortunes and adversity? With resentment? With self pity? With apathy? We all respond many different ways, but how many of us respond with thanksgiving? How many of us respond with love? I can tell you that the last several weeks have been a combination of joyous celebration and very trying times. I realized from the reading today that I need to not respond with anger, jealously, self-pity, or resentment ... I should be responding with love, thanksgiving, and humiliation. It is interesting how we as Christians are called to so much more. The ways that we should respond to situations and others are the ways that are often the most difficult for us. Jesus shows us in today's gospel how we should respond to others with love and compassion.

For today, let us reflect on the following passage from Saint Paul's letter to the Ephesians.

"Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma. Immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is fitting among holy ones, no obscenity or silly or suggestive talk, which is out of place, but instead, thanksgiving. Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure or greedy person, that is, an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God."

Father above, we thank you for the gift of this day and for the gift of our lives. Lord, increase our faith so that no matter what you bring us we can always respond with love and thanksgiving. Lord we pray for all of us on our journey to you, may we all keep focused and continue to grow deeper in love with you. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Paying the debt

Readings for Friday October 24, 2008

First Reading:  Ephesians 4:1-6 

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 24

Gospel:  Luke 12:54-59

Debt.  This is a word that haunts most of us everyday.  It seems as though we are always owing something to someone.  Some to our mortgage, some to our credit card, some to our bills ... it seems as though we are always owing something.  And we should not dare be late in paying our debts due to the fact that those that we owe will certainly come after us for our lateness and inability or refusal to pay.  The consequences of not paying our debts can be very grave, this can have a negative impact in our lives.  Not only are our reputations tarnished, but our credit score drops, our interest rates may change, we can even lose the things that we are paying on. 

There is a great debt that we must constantly be striving to pay for, that is the debt for our lives.  Jesus payed the ultimate price for our lives ... He paid for our lives with His.  We need to remember this always and be eternally grateful and forever in His debt.  We need to remember to constantly be striving to serve Him and surrender to Him for the great price that He paid for us.  In the gospel today, Jesus speaks about before being taken to the judge, and how we should settle our debt peacefully with our opponent along the way; so that way we are not to pay the negative penalties for our refusal to pay.  If we settle the  matter along the way then we can avoid these negative consequences.  This gospel today reminds us to settle our debts while we are on our journey in this life.  Saint Paul tells us today to "live in a manner worthy of the call that your have received."  God calls us to live according to a higher purpose, not for our own selfish purposes, but for His glory and for His right and good purposes.  

Lord, forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.  

Father above, we thank you for the gift of our lives and of all that we are given.  We praise you for your glory.  Lord give us the strength to serve you with all that we are and to not hold anything back from you.  You are our God and we are your servants.  We pray for all those seeking you and all those struggling in their journey.  We ask this all through Christ our Lord.  Amen.    

The Earth is full of the Goodness of God!

Readings for Thursday October 23, 2008

First Reading:  Ephesians 3:14-21

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 33

Gospel:  Luke 12:49-53

I had an interesting conversation with a co-worker the other day.  She was telling me about her sister who recently passed away from a fight with cancer.  She was telling me how she just didn't understand how this could happen to her sister because her sister was such a religious person.  She told me how her sister was so kind and involved in her local church.  It seems that when tragedy of any sort befalls a person of faith, it is hard for others and us to understand.  Many people think that once you have a conversion and begin to follow the Lord that you are living on easy street and that your life will be filled complete peace and harmony, and that nothing tragic will ever happen to you.   

In today's gospel Jesus tells us that He has come "to set the earth on fire!"  Our lives of faith, not only bring us a life of joy and peace in the Lord, but it also brings us into many confrontations and even division amongst those who do not believe.  In fact, many times that division can even be amongst those who we are closest with.  Many of us know the pain that comes with feeling divided amongst family and friends.  While it is certainly not an easy situation, this is what we are called to ... not a life of ease, but a life of faith.  Jesus makes it very clear that we are to follow our Heavenly Father above only, and by following Him, we can earn our eternal life in heaven.    

Today's psalm reminds us that the earth is full of the goodness of God!  It is through Him that we are given life and all that we are blessed with.  Saint Paul tells us to know the love of Christ, so that we can "be filled with the fullness of God."  The fullness of God, I can only imagine how much different my life would be if I opened myself up to God every minute of every day in order to be completely filled with Him.  I pray that we all can have the courage and strength to surrender to Him and constantly seek to know the love of Christ, so that we too may be filled with the fullness of God, for God is good all the time.  

The earth is full of the goodness of God!

Father above, we thank you for the gift of this day.  We praise your name and give you glory for all that we are and all that we do.  Lord Jesus we thank you for your great sacrifice for our lives, may we have the strength to sacrifice for you in our lives.  We pray for all the youth and families out there seeking holiness, may they be brought closer to you.  We ask this all through Christ our Lord.  Amen.    

Don't Forget God's Plan

Readings for Wednesday October 22, 2008

First Reading:  Ephesians 3:2-12

Responsorial Psalm:  Isaiah 12

Gospel:  Luke 12:39-48

I always enjoyed the diligence of the the dwarfs from the famous fairytale Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  They really took such a positive attitude towards their work (except for grumpy, he wasn't the most positive dwarf).  But they always went out doing very hard labor and singing along the way in perfect harmony.  Now how many of us do that on our way to the office?  I know that I do not exactly skip along the way to my desk.  But I imagine if more of us went about our work with the positive attitude and diligence, then we would actually find joy from our work and not think of it as such a burden.  

In today's gospel we are are challenged on the work we are doing in our faith journey.  We are told of two servants, one who does the work of his master, and is thereby rewarded.  The other abuses his lack of supervision, and when the master returns finds the servant abusing his role, he is thereby punished severely.  This parable teaches us that not only do we need to show up to do the work of God, but we need to stay active while working.  We do not ever know when the master will come, but we should be ready at all times from when he does come.  

What sort of work should we be doing?  Are we spending enough time in prayer?  Are we giving enough of our money to the church?  Are we giving enough of ourselves to others?  Are we at the right place of employment?  God has a plan for us, and He has things that He calls each of us to do.  The point is to ask God, He will always show you the way and the plan that He has for you.  It is during these times of discernment that we must have great patience and trust in our Lord.  Saint Paul tells us today that we have "access through faith in him," and it is through this access that we can have "boldness of speech and confidence."  

Many times in our lives, we get so consumed with our own plans, we tend to forget about the plans of God and the plans of those close to us.  God's plan is for us to reach Him one day in heaven ... but if at the time we are called we are not working, then we will not be granted the eternal blessing of our heavenly father, instead we will be like the servant who abused his role and greatly punished.  

Who's plan are you following ... yours or Gods?  

Hi ho, hi ho, its off to work we go!   

Father above, we thank you for the gift of this day and the gift of our lives.  We praise you for your glory and we pray for your will to be done in our lives.  God, you are the make of all that is good, and we ray for that goodness in our lives.  Help us to cast off the things of this world that try to hold us back from you.  Lord, you are our God let us follow no others in our lives.  We ask this all through Christ our Lord.  Amen.