the evil from the righteous

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Jeremiah 18:1-6 Psalm 146:1-6 Matthew 13:47-53

Matthew 13:49  So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous

The good will need to be separated from the righteous at the end of the age.  That means that in the mean time we are all mixed in together.  That means that the people sitting side by side in church could find themselves separated at the end.  That means that our presence or affiliation with a given church is not what saves us.  It is our righteousness.  Or the righteousness of Jesus Christ that we live in.  We must take his righteousness and make it ours.  we must be Holy as hi is Holy.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to not take for granted the promises that you have made for me.  Help me to seek and to live a life of righteousness, not to rely on what I call myself but to rely on your grace and mercy and to live accordingly.

Amen

one pearl of great value

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Jeremiah 15:10, 16-21 Psalm 59:2-4, 10-11, 17-18 Matthew 13:44-46

Matthew 13:46  who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

A pearl of great price.  What is the value of the Kingdom of Heaven?  What are we willing to trade for it?

Life basically comes down to a value system.  We choose what we love.  We trade that which we do not love as much.  Relatively we hate.  The question is how much do we value the Kingdom of Heaven.  A pearl of great value would put a person on easy street.  They would have it made.  Why wouldn't someone value that more than all his possessions?

Yet, we hang on the things that are of less value and trade the Kingdom of Heaven.  We choose what we love.  The question is what is of value to each of us?

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to value the Kingdom of Heaven more than the traps of this world.  Help me to know the difference between grace and opportunity and greed and carnality.

Amen

I am the resurrection and the life

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Jeremiah 14:17-22 Psalm 79:8-9, 11, 13 John 11:19-27 or Luke 10:38-42

John 11:25  Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,

Martha was thinking like many of us think.  Yes, we believe in some kind of spiritual resurrection after we die way off into the future.  It is easy to believe in stuff like that because it makes no demand on us in the present.  But to believe that someone could actually rise from the dead right in front of our eyes?  That is too much to believe.  But that is what Jesus wants and expects us to believe.  He is the resurrection and the life.  anything that can happen or that can exist and even things that are beyond what we can even know are possible through Jesus.  It is not that there is a resurrection, like it is some kind of impersonal force.  Jesus is the resurrection and he can be for us what ever we need him to be right here right now, if we believe, and he is in fact even when our faith comes up short.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to believe that in you all things are possible and I can expect miracles to happen.

Amen

I spoil the pride

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Jeremiah 13:1-11 (Ps) Deuteronomy 32:18-21 Matthew 13:31-35

Jeremiah 13:9  "Thus says the LORD: Even so will I spoil the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.

I can't help but see our future as an American nation in the history of the scriptures.  God has richly blessed us and chosen us as a light to the world.  Yet, we have abandoned his ways and gone our own ways.  Now it is getting so bad that you can get arrested for displaying your faith under certain conditions. God will certainly spoil our good fortune if we continue to ignore him and mock him.

But, we can't blame those who are leading us into destruction.  God has said that it will be worse for them at the judgement.  But we must stand up for our faith ourselves and trust that God will be with us.  We must remember what God has done for us and we must honor his Holy Name.  We must be the light that he has blessed us and called us to be.  We must have a certain holy pride, a pride in Christ and what he has done for us.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to always remember what you have done for me.  Strengthen me in the battle against temptation and against fear.  Help me to be strong against the enemy always trusting in you grace and mercy.

Amen

blessed are your eyes

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Sirach 44:1, 10-15 Psalm 132:11, 13-14, 17-18 Matthew 13:16-17

Matthew 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.

I think of the word "blessed" as meaning "fortunate".  There is a tendency I think to assign it some kind of ordination like quality.  Somehow if one is blessed they are better than the others.  I think that it means they are more fortunate than the others because God has chosen to reveal his grace to them in a special way.

We must be thankful then for the blessing we are given.  Not that we are better than others, but because God has chosen to bless us.

Father, thank you for the many blessings that you show me and my family.  I feel that we are truly blessed.  I pray that I may find it within me to be thankful at all times and to share my grace with others.

Amen

whoever would be great among

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

2 Corinthians 4:7-15 Psalm 126:1-6 Matthew 20:20-28

Matthew 20:26  It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant,

This is a profound verse.  There is a tendency to want to do the Lord's work and to command people in the process of doing it.  But Jesus says that to be great we must be the servant/slave to all.  This really speaks more of a voluntary system than one of hard laws and enforcement.  That kind of flies in the face of what we think should happen.  Our tendency is to make many laws for the "benefit" of the people.  But are we really benefiting them?  Wouldn't it be better if the volunteered our to love and a sense of service?  This is why I think a democratic form of government is better.  It succeeds when we are volunteer based.  Communism demands adherence to laws and a forced charity.  A democratic and capitalistic society thrives on real charity.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to seek to be the servant of all.  Help me to see the value in the commitment of a sincere heart as opposed to a forced sense of commitment.

Amen

... hear but never understand

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Jeremiah 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13 Psalm 36:6-11 Matthew 13:10-17

Matthew 13:14  With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says: `You shall indeed hear but never understand, and you shall indeed see but never perceive.

Sometimes it gets very frustrating when the other side just doesn't seem to get it.  They don't see things the same ways and we think that they have evil desires.  Well, they do.  They do not see what God wants them to.  They see what their sinful hearts want to see. So, yes they are in fact evil because they go against the will of God.  But it is clear that the frustration is that they don't see because their eyes have become dull and their understanding has become distorted.

Anybody who is against God and Jesus Christ is one of them.  We need to be careful and not allow our selves to become trapped into their way of thinking.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to always have my ears of discernment on.  Help me to love my enemy but at the same time not allow myself to become like my enemy.

Amen

He who has ears

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Jeremiah 1:1, 4-10 Psalm 71:1-6, 15, 17 Matthew 13:1-9

Matthew 13:9  He who has ears, let him hear."

This is something that Jesus says several times in scripture.  He doesn't say "everybody" hear, but those who have ears.  Were there people walking around in those days without ears?

I think that having ears is part of being good soil.  God's word can take root and grow without being choked by weeds when the soil is good, when we have ears.  We must be open and willing to listen and obey.  We must be good soil.

Granted we can't become good soil just because we want to.  We really will not even want to unless God prepares our hearts.  God makes the soil good.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to hear your words.  Not just to physically hear the sounds or even to just commit to memory what you have said, but to make it part of my being, to be nourished by it as the plants are nourished by the rich soil.

Amen

she did not know that it was Jesus

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Micah 7:14-15, 18-20 Psalm 85:2-8 John 20:1-2, 11-18

John 20:14  Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus.

How often do we worry or live in despair and we are so close to a solution to our problem that we don't even see it?

Jesus is so close to us that sometimes we don't even know he is there.  I think of the popular picture of footprints on the beach and the questioning of where is God in times of trouble, there is only one set of foot prints.  Then it is revealed that the one set of prints is God's and not ours.  He is so close we don't even know he is there.

We need to trust that he is there and live as though we are being carried through the troubles of life.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to always trust that you are right by me, especially in tough times when it is easy to think that I am alone.

Amen

shake off the dust

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Wisdom 8:9-16 or 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 Psalm 67:2-5, 7-8 Luke 9:1-6

Luke 9:5  And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them."

In this post-modern world people are most concerned about everybody submitting and adhering to what they want.  It obviously is a situation that can only survive if everybody wants the same thing.

This is a clear sign that a person is not truly representing Christ.  If they are unable to turn it over to God and allow a person to stand in denial of Christ.  That is tough for us to do, but we must learn to do it.  The enemy can't do that because his only power is in fear and slavery.  Freedom is not part of the enemies plan.  We must not seek to force people to believe what we do, but rather be powerful witnesses by having the courage and faith to let them go.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to trust you to change the world.  Help me to honor each persons choice and to remain faithful myself.

Amen

He will not wrangle or cry aloud

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Micah 2:1-5 Psalm 10:1-4, 7-8, 14 Matthew 12:14-21

Matthew 12:19  He will not wrangle or cry aloud, nor will any one hear his voice in the streets;

What a contrast to some of those who we hear today claiming to be the voice of God. They yell in the streets and they take every opportunity to be heard and seen. Quite different than our Lord who hid himself from the crowd so that they wouldn't "make" him king or get the wrong idea from what he is saying.  He was humble and let his words and deeds and the Holy Spirit do his work.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to trust in you and not always seek to be heard but to humbly serve you and allow you to make know what you want to be known.

Amen

I desire mercy, and not sacrifice

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Isaiah 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8 (Ps) Isaiah 38:10-12, 16 Matthew 12:1-8

Matthew 12:7  And if you had known what this means, `I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless.

This is one of the hardest things to defend ourselves against.  It is really a test of our sincerity.  If we truly love God then we will be merciful as he is merciful.  But all too often it is more about our pride and our fear than it is about our love.

We want to be right.  We want to be saved.  God says he want us to show mercy rather than sacrifice. How often do we argue about what is "right" in the church, even to the point of division?  How often do we battle for power over political differences rather than honestly look for real solutions?

Mercy?  Sometimes I am not sure that we really know what that means.  And that is what Jesus says, if we know what that means then we wouldn't condemn the guiltless.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to always seek to be merciful, and Lord I seek your mercy everyday. I need you grace and your mercy to get through each day of life, even for life.

Amen

I will give you rest

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Isaiah 26:7-9, 12, 16-19 Psalm 102:13-21 Matthew 11:28-30

Matthew 11:28  Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

The times are changing.  When this happens we are fearful because of the uncertainty.  We feel trapped and begin to have a sense of hopelessness.  This is when we need to look to Jesus.  Pray for his grace and guidance in the tough times and take comfort that he has overcome and we are his.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to take rest in you.  Help me not to lose hope and act not in accordance with your will, but rather to continue to strive to be faithful.

Amen

he will not abandon his heritage

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Isaiah 10:5-7, 13-16 Psalm 94:5-10, 14-15 Matthew 11:25-27

Psalms 94:14  For the LORD will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage;

In the first verse the Psalmist says that they will afflict thy heritage.  Our heritage is important to God.  It is what he has given us so that we can know he is the true god.  The enemy will attempt to get rid of our heritage so that our knowledge of the true God will be lost.

But, much to their dismay, our God will not forsake his people.  He will not abandon his heritage.  We can trust that God will defend his heritage and thereby our knowledge of him, the one true God.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to seek to defend your heritage and to be open to the knowledge of you as the one true God.

Amen

Whoever then relaxes

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Isaiah 1:10-17 or 1 Corinthians 2:6-13 Psalm 16:5-9, 11 Matthew 5:13-19

Matthew 5:19  Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Relax one of these?!!  Today our culture is not only relaxing them, they are teaching that they are wrong and evil.  The Bible says a time will come when men call good evil and evil good.  We are rapidly entering into that time I think.  The Internet has provided Satan a way to get into the minds of many and corrupt their thinking.  We are killing babies, stealing from people who we think don't deserve their money (taxes) we are slandering all the time (politics) we are committing adultery at such a level that you are a minority if you don't.  We must have many gods now in the schools and in the city.

Yes, we are in big trouble.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to always seek to obey your commandments.  To hold up your word and to trust in your mercy and grace.

Amen

... but a sword

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Isaiah 1:10-17 Psalm 50:8-9, 16-17, 21, 23 Matthew 10:34 -- 11:1

Matthew 10:34  "Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

This doesn't mean that we are to hate people or go looking for a fight.  It does mean though, that if we are faithful to the truth, trouble will find us.  We must fight for truth and justice.  Peace and compromise are not what makes men great.  It is the strength to not give in to fear and pressure.  In today's political correctness climate it is easy to give in and there is no shortage of people who are giving up and joining the deceivers and fear mongers.  God help us stand firm against them and realize that we have a sword, the Word of God.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to always defend the truth and not to give in to fear and deception.

Amen

Easy come Easy go

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Isaiah 55:10-11 Psalm 65:10-14 Romans 8:18-23 Matthew 13:1-23  or 13:1-9

Matthew 13:5  Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil,

In this fast paced world you have to get it quick and make it fast.  But the price for that is shallowness. It is said that kids to day are much smarter than past generations.  I question that.  Oh yes, they have much information, but I think they tend to be more shallow.  They don't have the time to let the knowledge find its context.

There are churches that will spring up fast too and we look at them and say they have great faith.  But do they really?  Or do they spring up fast because the soil is shallow and they have no roots, and will quickly fail when hard times come.  You know, easy come easy go.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to not be easy come easy go.  Help me by your grace to seek the deeper things and to be in it for the long haul.  Help me find good soil.

Amen

So have no fear of them

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Isaiah 6:1-8 Psalm 93:1-2, 5 Matthew 10:24-33

Matthew 10:26  "So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.

Faith is what we need to be bold.  A belief and a desire to attain something to the point that nothing will stop us.

We need not be afraid of the enemy for God has defeated the enemy.  That victory lies in the truth.  We must therefor tell the truth and shout it from the hilltops.  We must not be afraid and hide the truth or disguise it.  Boldly proclaim truth where ever and whatever it is.  Truth is our only hope and it is what defeats the enemy because the enemy is empowered by lies and the fear they bring.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to always say the truth no matter what danger or perceived danger confronts me.  Help me to know the truth to say and to be bold enough to say it.

Amen

flee to the next

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Hosea 14:2-10 Psalm 51:3-4, 8-9. 12-14, 17 Matthew 10:16-23

Matthew 10:23  When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel, before the Son of man comes.

This is a very interesting verse.  We know that the Apostles got through Israel, in a sense anyway.  I think this clearly shows that Jesus was talking about a coming that would happen in their life time, namely the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD.

But the point is also interesting.  There is a sense of urgency here.  Jesus is telling them they will be persecuted and he will come in judgement.  These things we can count on, or at lest they could.  We also need to move on when we are not going to win a battle.  If we are not accepted, we need to move on.  This is quite different than today where we compromise in order to try to make peace with those who do not accept us.  They don't accept us and we are instructed to accept that an move on.  Today the politicians don't get that.  They think they can reach out to those who persecute and hate them.  But what we need to do is hold to our principles and move on and trust God.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to know when to reach out and when to move on.  Help me not to compromise the values that you teach me.

Amen

manifested in our bodies

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

2 Corinthians 4:6-11, 16, 17 Psalm 59:2, 10, 17-18 Matthew 16:24-27

2 Corinthians 4:10  always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

I may be reading into this too much, but I tend to think that his is a reference to the Eucharist.  If Paul had said that we carry the death of Jesus in our hearts or in our minds I wouldn't give that a second thought, but he says we carry it in our bodies and Jesus is manifested in our bodies.

At some point we have to come to terms with the reality of a bodily resurrection.  Do we really believe it?  If we do, then we have to ask where is Jesus' body and how is our body raised to life of it self.  If the bread is the true body of Christ and we eat that true body, then this all makes a bit more sense.  Otherwise I am not sure what Paul has in mind here.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to truly believe what is true, that you are present in the bread and wine of the Eucharist and as you promised those who eat this bread, your flesh, will be raise at the last day.

Amen

but go rather

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Hosea 10:1-3, 7-8, 12 Psalm 105:2-7 Matthew 10:1-7

Matthew 10:6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Don't go to the gentiles?  Why not?  I find this very interesting.  But sometimes things have to be done in the right way and in the right order.  The prophecy says first to Israel and then Samaria and then the rest of the world.

Sometimes we need to build foundations before we go to the harvest.  It is this ordered discipline that we often find objectionable.  I think we would all like to do the exciting stuff that has payoff and makes us feel good.  But it is often the tough hard work that is most important.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to seek to do what is necessary and what you will.  Help me not to get caught up with pride.

Amen

they made idols

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Hosea 8:4-7, 11-13 Psalm 115:3-10 Matthew 9:32-38

Hosea 8:4  They made kings, but not through me. They set up princes, but without my knowledge. With their silver and gold they made idols for their own destruction.

This is a troubling situation.  Today we have many churches that I honestly have to question if they are from God or if they are idols made with silver and gold.  No, don't get me wrong, I am not saying that Christians can't have wealth, but when you see a majority of expensive cars and SUVs driving into the church parking lot on Sunday you have to wonder.  Then when you see that much of what they do there is to satisfy their own congregation with comfort and quality sound etc...

Jesus started a church 2000 years ago.  He sent out his Apostles and empowered them with this task.  The question today is how is the church authenticated?  How do we know if we are in the church of God or the church of idols?

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to seek your truth and your righteousness.  Help me to discern what is right and proper and to understand where and how your church lives today.

Amen

If I only touch

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Hosea 2:16-18, 21-22 Psalm 145:2-9 Matthew 9:18-26

Matthew 9:21  for she said to herself, "If I only touch his garment, I shall be made well."

My question is where in all the law and all the rules and all the scripture is anybody instructed or otherwise recorded as having thought that if they only touch the cloak if Jesus they could be healed?

We spend so much energy debating the details of the faith and we miss the big picture.  We miss that fact that Jesus is God and there is a sacramental reality to him.  God became flesh and dwelt among us.  Yes, it may be reasonable to think that if we only touch his cloak...

The woman was commended for her great faith, not for her obedience to the rules of men.  She could see that Jesus was God.  She didn't think that she could use a symbolic cloth and touch it and be healed.  She didn't think that it was even necessary to make her request known to Jesus. She didn't think that she needed to do some great righteous act.  She thought that all she needed to do was touch his cloak.

Jesus gives is that kind of gift in the sacraments.  His real presence.  And there, if we believe, we can touch him and be healed.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to see and believe that you are truly present in the sacraments and in my life.  I need only to believe and then touch , or eat, your promise and your presence.

Amen

revealed them to babes

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel:

Zechariah 9:9-10 Psalm 145:1-2, 8-11, 13-14 Romans 8:9, 11-13 Matthew 11:25-30

Matthew 11:25  At that time Jesus declared, "I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes;

Today we see the church falling into the error of trying to be wise and learned.  We are all about studying the Bible and knowing all the answers and testing someone's faith by what they know.

Today at church there was an infant baptism which reminds me that it is not our knowledge or study habits that matter.  Jesus was giving thanks that God had hidden these things from the wise and revealed them to babes.  We all need to be a lot more childlike in our faith.  It is through knowledge that pride enters into our hearts.  Then we divide over pride and fear and jealousy. 

An infant does not divide over these things. An infant is capable of greater faith than an adult because an adult is limited by his own knowledge.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to be more childlike in my faith.  To trust rather than fear and to seek peace rather than division.

Amen

... so both are preserved

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Amos 9:11-15 Psalm 85:9-14 Matthew 9:14-17

Matthew 9:17  Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; if it is, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved."

I always assumed this verse was talking about how the new covenant is replacing the old one and the old one is no good anymore.  But when I read this again it doesn't necessarily seem that way.  I think that in the Psalm reading to day it says that salvation is at hand.  Jesus says that by not putting new wine in old skins "both" are preserved.  He doesn't say anything about being replaced.  He seems to say there are different circumstances for different people.

In other words, the Jews, even though they had no knowledge of Christ and were not under the new covenant an still be saved based on the covenant they were under.  This means to me that whatever our situation, be true to what we are and what we have before us.  God has some rules, but we must be faithful in following what we know and what we believe. 

In today's church that has many different belief systems this is important.  Who is right? we all have opinions, and someone might be right.  But if we are honest and faithful to what we truly know and believe, then we can stand before God with a sense of comfort that if we are wrong we truly did what we thought was right rather than trying to be something we are not.  God does not like deception.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to always seek to be honest and faithful to what I know and believe to be true.  Help me to not try to be a fake Christian, but one in truth and faith.

Amen