It is not lawful

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Jeremiah 1:17-19 Psalm 71:1-6, 15, 17 Mark 6:17-29

Mark 6:18  For John said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."

It is interesting.  Today Sarah Palin was announced as John McCain's running mate for VP.

She is one who stands up for truth.  John stood up for truth.  It cost him his head, but he did it because if you don't stand for truth, then why stand at all?

Do we stand for truth, or do we give in to convenience?

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to stand for truth, to not be weak when the heat is on.

Amen

you also must be ready

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

1 Corinthians 1:1-9 Psalm 145:2-7 Matthew 24:42-51

Matthew 24:44  Therefore you also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

We tend to think because each day passes and there is no judgement that God will always be patient and we have plenty of time to come around.  The fact is we don't know when our last moment will be and we must be ready at all times.  That means we must be working on righteousness all the time.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to always be seeking to be righteous.  Help me not to rest in my sin thinking that I I will always have time.

Amen

If any one will not work

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading:

2 Thessalonians 3:6-10, 16-18 Psalm 128:1-2, 4-5 Matthew 23:27-32

2 Thessalonians 3:10  For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: If any one will not work, let him not eat.

We are called to share the blessings that God gives us with our brothers.  We are called to seek justice and with humility we mist show mercy on others, but, if they are not willing to work and to provide for their families, they are not obeying the command of Paul.  We are called to work and by the sweat and labor of our hands we are to be blessed.

In today's political arena it is important to realize that working is part of God's plan.  This should be an important part of any polity.  We must encourage and enable people to work and through their work they are able to honor God and be blessed by God.

Father, help me to remember to help my brothers when I can, and provide for me the opportunity to work to honor you and to be blessed by you.

Amen

stand firm and hold to the traditions

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, 14-17 Psalm 96:10-13 Matthew 23:23-26

2 Thessalonians 2:15 So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter.

We often here the warnings that doom is right around the corner so we must act quickly.  Paul seems to be giving another strategy to the people here.  When the time comes it is important that we hold firm to the traditions that we have been taught.  One might call that conservative ideology, but it is the ideology that we are given by the Bible.  It is important to hold firm to tradition because in time of trouble we don't think clearly and we must rely on what we know and have known.  Tradition is also them mechanism through which the truth is handed down from generation to generation.  When we abandon tradition we leave our selves vulnerable to corruption.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to hold firm to your traditions so that I will be strong in time of trouble.  Help me to not allow tradition to become a device of my own pride, but a discipline of faith in you.

Amen

his heart is firm

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Isaiah 58:6-11 Psalm 112:1-9 Matthew 22:34-40

Psalm 112:7  He is not afraid of evil tidings; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.

We are called in today's readings to have a heart that is willing to give to the hungry and free the oppressed.  To do that we must be strong however.  We must be able to trust God or we will resort to our own selfish ways.  It is natural for man to act to survive.  If we feel our survival is at stake, then we will turn to our own defenses.  If we trust God we can be generous because we realize that he can do all things.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to trust in you full so that I can have a generous heart and be willing to give when it is needed.

Amen

How shall this be

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Isaiah 9:1-6 Psalm 113:1-8 Luke 1:26-38

Luke 1:34  And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?"

The fact that Mary had no husband is important here.  She was betrothed.  So she soon would have a husband and there was no time limit given for this amazing thing to happen, so it would seem that she could still conceive with her husband.  This tends to imply and be consistent with other tradition that Mary was in fact a "virgin" by choice.  In today's culture you might consider her a nun.  She was dedicated to her faith and had no intention of having sexual relations.

So the question then is significant.  Mary would have to go back on her vow to fulfill the word of God.  Or, that is what she thought.  But God doesn't as us to go back on our word, but rather to remain faithful to it.  That is how we are then able to see the miracles that God can do.  Mary didn't need to ask how can this be.  She could have made it happen.  But to remain faithful she couldn't see how it would happen.

So if you want to see miracles, you may have to show some faith first.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to trust you completely and to remain faithful in order to see the mighty works that you can do.  Help me not to rely on myself, but to trust in you.

Amen

Then I will teach

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Ezekiel 36:23-28 Psalm 51:12-15, 18-19 Matthew 22:1-14

Psalm 51:13  Then I will teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners will return to thee.

Today it seems that everybody who becomes a Christian wants to be a teacher and/or Bible scholar.

I think that there is a certain amount of cleansing that needs to happen before we can speak with authority. When new believers who haven't struggled with their own sin and truly repented teach and preach, there is a risk that their message will be distorted.  Even Paul tells Timothy not to put new believers in places of authority too soon because they can become "puffed up".

Today's verses seem to talk about this time of cleansing and then having the new heart and teaching others.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit not to get ahead of myself, but to realize that more than being a teacher of others I need to be cleansed and then truly know your grace and love.

Amen

I myself will search for my sheep

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Ezekiel 34:1-11 Psalm 23:1-6 Matthew 20:1-16

Ezekiel 34:11  "For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out.

We, as humans, tend to want to have our own style of justice and fairness.  You can see it today in the area of political correctness.  You can see it in countries where there is limited or no freedom.  The point is man fails repeatedly to be fair and honest.  God, therefore, said he will seek his people himself.  He will not rely totally on the fairness or honesty of man.

Freedom is a fundamental Christian value.  When people choose to limit the freedom of others in the name of doing goo, they are most hypocritical.  We must trust God for justice and grace, not our own distorted sense of fairness. Isaiah says that the heart is desperately wicked and deceitful. Who can know it?  That means who can control it?  

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to know your freedom and your grace and justice.  Help me not to think that I know better than you how to live rightly.  Thank you for your mercy and grace.

Amen

Who then can be saved?

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Ezekiel 28:1-10 Deuteronomy 32:26-28, 30, 35-36 Matthew 19:23-30

Matthew 19:25  When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"

There are those that will ask "are you saved?"  I find it interesting that Peter asks who can be saved.  In those days if you weren't rich you could do nothing.  We have plenty of rags to riches stories to day and stories of people overcoming great obstacles to achieve success. But in Peter's day these didn't really exist.  You were either rich or not.

This sheds some light on his amazement that someone like him could be saved.  The good news is someone like me can be saved.  I am not great, I am not rich, I have no reputation, yet Christ promises that I can be saved.

So what is the answer to are you saved?  The answer is the same one that Jesus gives; with God all things are possible.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to trust that I can be saved and help me to live as though I am.  Help me to love and show mercy and walk in faith, knowing that with God all things are possible.

Amen

keep the commandments

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Ezekiel 24:15-23 (Ps)  Deuteronomy 32:18-21 Matthew 19:16-22

Matthew 19:17  And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments."

We spend a lot of time debating what is good.  What is necessary for salvation.  How we enter into relationship with God.  But Jesus says why do you do this.  Obey the commandments.  That is all.  When you fail  ask for forgiveness and repent.  But stop the endless debate.

Then he says if you want to be "perfect" sell all you have and follow him.  That is a commitment that most of us probably are not ready to make.  Does that mean there is no hope.  I don't think so.  I think that being "perfect" is a good thing to commit to, but I think that we have enough to do simply to obey him.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to be obedient to your commands.  Help me to rest in your grace and not strive to justify my own indulgence.

Amen

all generations will call me blessed

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel:

Revelation 11:19; 12:1-6, 10 Psalm 45:10-12, 16 1 Corinthians 15:20-27 Luke 1:39-56

Luke 1:48  for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed;

This is one of my favorite passages in scripture.  I really covers the bases for me.  But, the controversial words are that all generations will call me blessed.  This is very interesting because I don't recall that being said about other major personalities in scripture.  Yes, we regard them with great esteem, but nobody was so bold to predict it, and none were has humble as Mary.  I can only conclude that this is in fact a prophecy that we will regard Mary in a special way, a little bit more than the others, perhaps.

This doesn't mean that she has some kind of judgmental authority. It means that she is the role model that we should honor and emulate. Sure, Jesus is the ultimate, but Mary is special because she was not divine.  She is what we are called to be.  We are called to make our decision to receive Christ and all that comes whit Him as she did.  This is what defines her as blessed.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to be able to answer you call to me and to be able to be humble and old as Mary was.  Help me to look to  her example and to call on her intercession with all the saints.

Amen

the world hates you

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

1 John 3:13-18 Psalm 116:10-13, 16-17 John 15:12-17

1 John 3:13  Do not wonder, brethren, that the world hates you.

Pretty basic message today, but one that is tough to take.  Yes, the world hates us and in that we are blessed.

The problem is we too often want to be friends with the world in opposition to the will of God.  That doesn't mean that we are to go around hating and doing evil, or even having a chip on our shoulder.  It means that we are to stand up for what is right and what is true and not compromise that for the friendship of those who are perishing.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to be string enough to stand up to the world and live in truth.  Help me to trust and love you and not desire the friendship of the world.

Amen

men who sigh and groan

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Ezekiel 9:1-7; 10:18-22 Psalm 113:1-6 Matthew 18:15-20

Ezekiel 9:4  And the LORD said to him, "Go through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark upon the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it."

I don't like the terms conservative and liberal.  They have been much over used and no longer have any true meaning other than us against them.  I am open to new knowledge and experience that enhances life, but often we get into stuff that is simply self indulgent.  I do identify with those who sigh and groan over the abominations that are committed in our country.  These abominations are the liberal misuse of God's blessings on our country.  We need to have a sense of what has been established as a foundation for truth and righteousness in our land. We can't just re-invent these things to satisfy our flesh.  We must sincerely sigh and groan when we see these abuses taking place. We must sigh and groan when we see people deny the will of God for their own pleasure or power.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to see the abominations that we have committed.  Help me to not accept these with indifference, but to see truly the pain and disappointment that you must have in us.  Help me to have a righteous sigh and a merciful groan for the things that we may, or even have already lost.

Amen

like this child

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Ezekiel 2:8 -- 3:4 Psalm 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131 Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14

Matthew 18:4  Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

I hope not to be making excuses for my lack of good deeds, but when Jesus says that to be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven we must be as a little child, he didn't say that we must do great and wonderful deeds.  A child is helpless and innocent and trusting.  It seems that these are the qualities that Jesus is referring to.  We don't usually think of children doing wonderful and great deeds, but they inspire us with there purity and innocence. 

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to be honest, trusting, and humble.  Help me to be as a little child and to do what you call me to and to trust you totally.

Amen

earthen vessels

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Hosea 2:16, 17, 21-22 or 2 Corinthians 4:6-10, 16-18 Psalm 45:11-12, 14-16 John 15:4-10

2 Corinthians 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us.

I think there may be some confusion with this verse.  What are the "earthen vessels"?  Some may say they are us, human beings.  But then what do you do  with the rest of the verse?  This is to show that the power does not belong to us, but to God.  Why then would we think that we are the earthen vessels?

I think the earthen vessels are the cup, the bread, the water ...  The sacraments and that we have as means of God's grace.  We can't boast of our power when we confess that God's power and grace is wrapped up in a piece of bread and a sip of wine.

The sacraments are in deed humbling and they remind us as the scriptures tell us of what Christ has done.  As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup we proclaim the death of Jesus Christ.  There in lies our power.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to trust in your power and grace and not in my own.  Help me to be a reflection of your love and mercy and to enjoy the completeness of the life you want for me through my service to you and to man.

Amen

teachers to suit their own likings

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

2 Timothy 4:1-5 Psalm 37:3-6, 30-31 Matthew 5:13-16

2 Timothy 4:3  For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings,

They say truth is always the first victim.  Today that seems very true.  People do not really care for or even want truth anymore.  It is all about getting consensus among the people they want and excluding the ones they don't.  It is a new segregation, a new racism or bigotry based not on skin color or nationality but on ideology.  If you don't want and believe what they want, then you are the enemy.

The problem is in an effort to secure one's place in this post-modern culture, truth is irrelevant.  It is more about who you are and what you say, and if that fits our own imaginary world view.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to always seek your truth.  You alone are God and you have created all things and therefore any other "truth" is only imaginary at best, and even a lie.  Help me to not fall into the temptation of self gratification.

Amen

Blessed are you

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Jeremiah 31:31-34 Psalm 51:12-15, 18-19 Matthew 16:13-23

Matthew 16:17  And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

This perhaps is one of the most controversial verses in all of scripture.  The question is, is Peter being set up as leader of the church here, or is he a model that shows that all can be blessed by God, even Peter.  Peter was not part of the religious elite.  He was a fisherman.  Yet God blessed him.  Jeremiah tells us that we will all know the Lord, not just those in authority.

My hunch  is that even though Peter was very special, as we all are to God, it is more important to get that we all need to know the Lord and not rely solely on those who claim to have religious authority.  Rather we should look for those whom God has blessed to be his witnesses and we should expect that that could be us at any moment.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to always be ready to be a Peter.  Help me to be prepared to witness for you and to be bold enough to speak what you give me to speak.  Help me to be able to discern whether others are truly called by you or they are speaking from their own pride.

Amen

cleverly devised myths

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel:

Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 9 2 Peter 1:16-19 Matthew 17:1-9

2 Peter 1:16  For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

It is getting more and more difficult to discern between what is made up and what is true.  When a fictional novel such as the Divinci Code and create such a stir you have to wonder.  There is a lot of stuff made up in other areas as well.  Politicians make stuff up all the time.  Management makes stuff up and so do the workers.  It is getting so bad that you have to wonder if truth even matters any more.

Well, Peter and the others were eye witnesses of Christ's glory.  There is nothing made up here.  So the question for us is are we comfortable with made up stuff, or do we hunger for the truth?  Do we put truth above everything else?  I think we need to, or we should choose to anyway.  All the made up stuff will fail, but the truth will last because it is real.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to seek the truth above all else.  Help me to be able to discern what is truth and what is made up for the benefit of men.

Amen

Do you know that the Pharisees were offended

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Jeremiah 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22 Psalm 102:16-21, 29, 22-23 Matthew 15:1-2, 10-14

Matthew 15:12  Then the disciples came and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?"

In this age of Political Correctness we are being very sensitized to the idea that we offend each other with what we say.  Here Jesus says that if God has not planted the people, they will be rooted up.  In context he is saying that the Pharisees will no longer have their authority when the Church is formed and the Temple is destroyed.  In our lives we need to believe that if God has called us we need not worry about those people who appear to have authority.  God is the ultimate authority and those who stand in our way will be rooted up.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to trust that you will stand by me if I answer your call.  Help me to see clearly your call and follow you in truth.

Amen

O man of little faith

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Jeremiah 28:1-17 Psalm 119:29, 43, 79-80, 95, 102 Matthew 14:22-36

Matthew 14:31  Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "O man of little faith, why did you doubt?"

Why don't we see miracles today as in Biblical times?  Some might say that these weren't really miracles and they try to explain them away.  An honest reading of scripture however does not support that view all the time.

I think that we just don't truly believe.  Peter had a moment where he was overcome by faith.  He trusted and desired to walk on the water, and he did.  As he walked he began to check on his situation.  His rational sense took over and he became afraid.  

We need to trust what God says,not what we see and think.  We can do miracles if we truly believe.  Jesus says so.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to truly believe and to have miracles in my life.  Help me not to fear what this world shows me, but to trust in your word.

Amen

Wisdom will praise herself

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel:

Sirach 24:1-4, 16, 22-24 (Vulgate) Psalm 34:5, 7, 9-10, 18-19 Galatians 4:3-7 Luke 1:26-33

Sirach 24:1  Wisdom will praise herself, and will glory in the midst of her people.

When you read about Wisdom in the Bible you cant' help but think that it is talking about Christ.

The Bible says that fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.  Somehow it is all related to each other.

Wisdom also seems to be in the feminine.  The Church is also in the feminine and one could make an association with the church, which is the Body of Christ, and the Bride of Christ.

We can see that Wisdom is very integral in our faith.  I think about what Solomon asked for, wisdom, and was commended for that.

We should as for wisdom as well.

Father, by the power and grace of you Holy Spirit, grant me wisdom, and the faith that is with that.

Amen

because of their unbelief

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Jeremiah 26:1-9 Psalm 69:5, 8-10, 14 Matthew 13:54-58

Matthew 13:58  And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.

We often ask the question, why aren't there any miracles today as in Biblical times?

We answer, there are plenty of miracles, birth, people getting well from sickness etc..

We tend to make some of the blessings that we enjoy in this life out to be miracles.  I have often been uncomfortable with this sort of thing.  To me a miracles is something that is beyond explanation and our understanding of basic laws of nature.  Walking on water for example would be a miracle.  Someone getting cured from cancer may simply be good medicine.  

I wonder if the reason we don't see the miraculous anymore is because we don't believe anymore.  We have become a very technical and skeptical society.  We think there is an explanation for everything.  We are quick to take God right out of the equation.  I think we sill feel foolish if we attribute something to God and a miracle.  We will also be faced with the reality that there is a real God and this God may have some expectations of us.  We really don't want that.  So we deny that there are real miracles and we call the normal miraculous.  This frees us from obligation to God in our own minds.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to truly believe that you can do all things, miracles in my life.  Help me to not want to push you out of my life but to look for you at every turn.

Amen