look at the bronze serpent and live

Tuesday, March 31, 2009 Lenten Weekday

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Numbers 21:4-9 Psalm 102, 2-3, 16-21 John 8:21-30

Numbers 21:9 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and set it on a pole; and if a serpent bit any man, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

It is amazing that they could just look at the bronze serpent and be healed from their poisonous snake bites. But, they had to look.
I would be willing to bet that there were those who would not look because they thought it was foolishness. There were probably those as well that though that they were good and they could pray themselves and warrant a cure since God was curing all those who looked.
The problem was they had to look. They had to play the game so to speak. They had to believe that God would heal them. Today we are face with similar situations with what we call sacraments. We are dad in our sins and we must participate in the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper. These are like the bronze serpent. We must get washed and we eat and drink in order for our sins to be healed. We can think it is foolishness, or we can arrogantly think that we have a good relationship with God and we will be saved because of that. But ask yourself, if you have such a good relationship why wouldn't you trust that God will heal you in the sacrament?

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to trust you completely and not rely on some idea that I am good or that I am special. Have mercy and grace on me.

Amen

by their own words

Monday, March 30, 2009 Lenten Weekday

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 or Daniel 13:41-62 Psalm 23:1-6 John 8:1-11

Daniel 13:61 They rose up against the two elders, for by their own words Daniel had convicted them of perjury. According to the law of Moses, they inflicted on them the penalty they had plotted to impose on their neighbor:

I don't know if this scripture is studied in law schools, but it should be.
The truth is without need of defense. When people lie and falsely accuse they can usually be found out by simply listening to what they are saying. The problem is we are all too often ready and willing to pass judgement. Somehow we feel as though our own sins will not be discovered if we offer up another sacrifice. Often our strongest accusations are merely attempts to hide our own sins.
We must learn to listen rather than simply be moved by our fears and hatred. Justice must be rooted in truth.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to always listen to the entire story so that I can better know the truth and help me to not put the due punishment of my own sins on others, but I thank you for the sacrifice that you have already given me through Christ Jesus.

Amen

he is inconvenient to us

Friday, March 27, 2009 Lenten Weekday

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Wisdom 2:1, 12-22 Psalm 34:17-21, 23 John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

Wisdom 2:12 "Let us lie in wait for the righteous man, because he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions; he reproaches us for sins against the law, and accuses us of sins against our training.

This is something that has not changed over the many centuries. People who are righteous, who seek to know the Lord, are always an inconvenience to those who want to continue in their sin. They have a way of exposing their sin and the people know this. Sin always seeks darkness and lies to cover up. They know, at some level, that they are wrong and they must silence the voice of truth.
Today we must be careful. We think we live in an enlightened world, but sin will still seek to silence the voice of truth. Those who seek to have their own way know that they are wrong, but they will try all the more to shut up those who expose their sin.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to be careful that I am not one who seeks to silence the voice of truth, but rather accepts the criticism with humility and faith.

Amen

they have turned aside quickly

Thursday, March 26, 2009 Lenten Weekday

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Exodus 32:7-14 Psalm 106:19-23 John 5:31-47

Exodus 32:8 they have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them; they have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, `These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!'"

A little historical revisionism going on here wouldn't you say? When things do not go exactly like the people want, or think that they should go they right away turn to other gods and rewrite history, giving their false gods the credit.
Sounds a lot like the USA today. We are rewriting history in our culture and even in our school text books. We are writing God right out of the story and even making him to be a liability to people. If you are a Christian the time is coming when you will be the object of people's hatred and you will be discriminated against.
If we don't remember the truth of history, what God has done, that Jesus rose from the dead and that he will return to us, then we will face the same fate that those in the wilderness who chose the false gods received. If you remember they were swallowed up into the earth. Not good.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to always remember what you have done and to trust that you are the same today and forever. Help me to be bold in my faith and not give in to the temptation to go with the crowd just because things aren't going my way.

Amen

let it be to me

Wednesday, March 25, 2009 The Annunciation of the Lord (Solemnity) (Act of Total Consecration)

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel: Isaiah 7:10-14 Psalm 40:7-11 Hebrews 10:4-10 Luke 1:26-38

Luke 1:38 And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

The miracle virgin birth was a tangible, physical sign of God's miracle power and his willingness to save us. But we too can experience the virgin birth. When the Spirit comes to us we can also give birth to Christ. Not physically like Mary did, but as we become part of the Body of Christ we give birth to Christ in this world anew. We too must be willing, however, to say yes to God's plan as Mary did. We too must be willing to see the suffering and experience the tribulation as Mary did. We too must keep all these things in our hearts to be told as Mary did.

Father, help me to be like the handmaid of the Lord and to be willing to give birth to Christ in my life and in the lives of those I encounter.

Amen

the waters of the sea may become fresh

Tuesday, March 24, 2009 Lenten Weekday (Total Consecration - Day 33)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12 Psalm 46, 2-3, 5-6, 8-9 John 5:1-16

Ezekiel 47:9 And wherever the river goes every living creature which swarms will live, and there will be very many fish; for this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes.

You have to wonder why so many people are afraid of Christianity. What is it about love your neighbor that is so offensive. Sometimes I just can understand what would ever cause someone to be against the love of Jesus Christ.
Well, no matter, because when these people truly encounter the love of Christ they too can be changed. That after all is the idea, to be changed. Maybe it is change that people are afraid of.
The river here must be the Holy Spirit and/or the Church. When the river enters the sea the sea is changed to fresh water. The sea is not a good place in the minds of the people then. Fresh water is much better. Why would anybody object to fresh drinking water where life flourishes?
Well, maybe they just are afraid of change.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to not be afraid of change. Help me to want the fresh water that you give so that I will never thirst again.

Amen

his favor is for a lifetime

Monday, March 23, 2009 Lenten Weekday (Total Consecration - Day 32)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Isaiah 65:17-21 Psalm 30:2, 4-6, 11-13 John 4:43-54

Psalms 30:5 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

For us, sometimes this seems to be reversed. we often think that our suffering lasts forever and the moments of joy are few and far between.
The Christian faith is built on hope. We believe that we will have that peace and joy eternally and this life is but a moment. So the problem seems to be whether or not we can get our heads out of the limits of this immediate life that we lead and look to the life that Christ offers. That will give us peace and we can truly say then that his favor is for a life time.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to see that the troubles I have are few and small. You are the creator and sustainer of all things and in you I can enjoy the hope that I will one day be with you eternally.

Amen

with all your heart

Friday, March 20, 2009 Lenten Weekday (Total Consecration - Day 29)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Hosea 14:2-10 Psalm 81:6-11, 14, 17 Mark 12:28-34

Mark 12:30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.'

I hear a lot of people complain about the rules and the rituals of religion and the guilt that they are made to feel. I wonder if it is the church that is the problem or if it is the people that have the problem.
Suppose that there is a young American man who falls in love with a young German woman. The woman speaks no English and lives in Germany. This man, in order to show his love and to be able to relate to the woman at a more intimate level decides he is going to learn the German language. And, he takes a second job so that the can afford to fly to Germany to be with her.
The obstacles to their relationship aren't really obstacles at all. In fact as the man learns the language he is doing so in love and can't wait to show her how much he has learned.
If we love with our whole heart, the rules and rituals aren't going to stop us, but in fact they become a joy because we understand that these are the ways that we are able to related to God and to show him how much we love him. They become a joy and a blessing, not a burden.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to see the path to you as a blessing filled with moments of joy. Help me to understand that they are for my benefit and not to be an obstacle to my relationship with you.

Amen

who gives life to the dead

Thursday, March 19, 2009 St. Joseph, Husband of the Virgin Mary (Solemnity) (Total Consecration - Day 28)

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel: 2 Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16 Psalm 89:2-5, 27, 29 Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22 Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24 or Luke 2:41-51

Romans 4:17 as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations" -- in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

What was it that Abraham believed that was credited to him as righteousness? Well, basically it was the belief that God would make him the father of many nations. But in order for that to happen he had to obey one of God's commands. That was to kill his only son.
Now, we would look at that in horror, and probably because we are so familiar with the story and because we know the outcome we tend to not get too excited about it. But what if God asked one of us to kill our only child? Would we?
We tend to be results oriented. We judge things based on the value that we see and the possibilities that we understand. But God can raise people from the dead. He can turn stones into soldiers. He can create out of nothing. He can do anything. So with God the results is not so important. He can make the results he wants. What is important is that we make the right choices. It is important that we trust in him enough to do what he asks regardless of the results. We need to leave the results to him.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to trust you so completely that I would be willing to do what you ask. Lord I believe, help my unbelief.

Amen

least in the kingdom of heaven

Wednesday, March 18, 2009 Lenten Weekday (Total Consecration - Day 27)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9 Psalm 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20 Matthew 5:17-19

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.

We tend to think two things today that I believe are very dangerous. First, our lives are our own and we are free to do and believe what we want. The problem with this is we not only compromise our own lives , but others as well and those of future generations. As Christians we need to regain a little social conscience and work to maintain the integrity of the Gospel.
Second, that we are entitled to God's blessings simply because we are Christians. God says it will go well for us if you remember to teach and obey what he has commanded us. We must strive to maintain the integrity of the Gospel both in it's teaching and in it's practice.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to have enough reverence for your Word that I always practice and teach to the best of my ability those things that you have revealed to me.

Amen

if you do not forgive

Tuesday, March 17, 2009 St. Patrick (Commemoration) (Total Consecration - Day 26)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Daniel 3:25, 34-43 Psalm 25:4-9 Matthew 18:21-35

Matthew 18:35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."

There is a temptation to think that because God is love and our Christian faith is built upon mercy and grace, that we are OK and God's forgiveness is unending. Jesus tells his disciples in another scripture to forgive every time someone repents and seeks your forgiveness. But if they don't repent?
Well, here we have the words of Jesus telling us that if we refuse to pass on the grace and mercy that has been given to us, God the Father will take away our forgiveness and we will have to pay for our own sins. That is tough medicine.
Jesus says elsewhere to whom much is given, much is required and we have been given much.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to honestly and faithfully seek your mercy and grace by sharing what you have given me with others. Help me to have a heart of forgiveness and of charity.

Amen

none of them was cleansed

Monday, March 16, 2009  Lenten Weekday (Total Consecration - Day 25)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: 2 Kings 5:1-5 Psalm 42:2-3; 43:3-4 Luke 4:24-30

Luke 4:27  And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Eli'sha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Na'aman the Syrian."

There is always the debate about what is true and who are the true Christians etc...  We tend to think that you have to be one of us, whatever that means, to be blessed by God.  But God seems to go out of hi way sometimes to help others that seek his help.  I guess the key there is that they seek his help.  Those who would cast Jesus out of the city and throw him down and stone him aren't really seeking his help.

The question fo us is do we want to take Jesus out of the city and throw him down sometimes when things don't appear to go the way we think that they should?

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to trust you fully.  Help me to not think that I have the authority to decide what is right and just, but to look to you for that.

Amen

planted by water

Thursday, March 12, 2009 Lenten Weekday (Total Consecration - Day 21)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Jeremiah 17:5-10 Psalm 1:1-4, 6 Luke 16:19-31

Jeremiah 17:8 He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit."

Even in times of economic turmoil? Yes, even then. God is not part of this world in that he is a victim of it's ups and downs. It doesn't matter if it is good times or bad times, God is God and he can do whatever he wants.
When we align ourselves with him it shouldn't matter to us then whether it is good times or bad. The Kingdom of God is not swayed by the kingdom of man.
When we have faith in God we are like a tree planted by the water. No matter how hot it gets, we can always get a drink. This is not because we have any special ability, but because God loves us and chooses to be with us.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to always remember that you are with me even in tough times. Help me to be near the living water to drink from it in times of trouble and times of plenty.

Amen

It shall not be so among you

Wednesday, March 11, 2009 Lenten Weekday (Total Consecration - Day 20)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Jeremiah 18:18-20 Psalm 31:5-6, 14-16 Matthew 20:17-28

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

When we have a cause or some political agenda we think that the way to get what we want is to get someone into power so they can legislate, so they can force the world to be the way we want it to be.
Jesus calls us to a different way. He calls us to be leaders, not in the sense that we have power to command others, but to be an example to others, both of the love and mercy of God and the hope that we have in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Only when we lead by example can we give true hope to others. If we lead by command there will always be scepticism that we truly know what we are talking about, but if we walk with others and suffer with them, then when we show love and hope the people can see that this is real.
Rather than looking to political leaders to solve our problems we should be looking to be Christ to others to give them a hope for life, and a more abundant life at that.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to desire to lead rather than to hope for someone to force us to be what I want us to be. Make it not about what I want, but about what you want for us.

Amen

but not what they do

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Isaiah 1:10, 16-20 Psalm 50:8-9, 16-17, 21, 23 Matthew 23:1-12

Matthew 23:3 so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice.

This is not something that comes to us naturally. We are more likely to say, if they can do it then so can I. Or we may say that since they are not as righteous as we think they should be we don't have to listen to their words, they certainly are not capable of being leaders.
But, Jesus calls us to not only obey our leaders, but then to not act like they do when they do wrong. Another words, we have no excuse to justify our wrong deeds. We must honor those whom God allows to have authority and we mist maintain our own righteousness in doing so. You may have heard is said "do as I say and not as I do". This is what we would call hypocritical. But hypocritical or not we are not justified in doing wrong when we know what is right. We have no excuse. It is up to us then to be the example.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to always try to be an example of your righteousness, even when others around me are not, and even when those others are people in authority. Help me to have faith that you will be just and reward those who do right and punish those who do wrong. But Lor, I also that you be merciful to those who seek your mercy.

Amen

We have sinned

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Daniel 9:4-10 Psalm 79:8-9, 11, 13 Luke 6:36-38

Daniel 9:5 We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws.

Daniel was probably one of the most righteous men in the Bible, at least in the top three, yet when he prayed he felt the need to confess the sins of his people and to plead for God's mercy, recognizing that God was just to decide whatever he wills.
Today, in our culture, this prayer might sound more like this: "Lord, I have been wronged and it is not my fault so spare me and make the others pay."
I think that if we want to see the great works of God, if we want to believe in the God of the Bible and in his mercy and power, then we have to come to a place where we can truly confess our sins and recognize that God is just in whatever he decides.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to always trust in you judgment and in you mercy and grace. Help me to be able to truly confess my sins to you and to be free from their deceptive grip.

Amen

Is my way not just?

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Ezekiel 18:21-28 Psalm 130:1-8 Matthew 5:20-26

Ezekiel 18:25 "Yet you say, `The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?

We often hear people talk about how oppressive the church is and how self righteous we are, and how we are imposing our beliefs on others. The implication is that somehow we are being unjust. The truth, however, should be that we are in fact being just. If we turn from our evil ways and do what is right and just then God will look favorably on us. That isn't so hard. And when you get right down to it, even the non-believers have a sense of justice. At least they do when they feel that they have been treated unjustly.
Justice is something that we have a sense of, a God given sense. We often think that to be created in God's image means that we have free will, and I agree, but, I also think that it means we have within us a sense of justice. The question is do we listen and yield to that sense or do we allow our selfishness to take over.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to always seek to do justice and to have a sense of what is right. Help me to look beyond my own selfish desire and convenience to do you will.

Amen

do so to them

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25 Psalm 138:1-3, 7-8 Matthew 7:7-12

Matthew 7:12 So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.

When we feel most helpless and most vulnerable we really want to be able to depend on someone. God promises that he will be there with us and get is through. We can and must also care for each other and be there for each other. Now, God can help, but it is for our benefit to be there for each other. The Golden Rule, as it is called, is not something that is self serving. It sounds like it might be, but it does not say that we must do to each other as they have done to us. That would be a bad twist on the scripture. The purpose is to build community and to help us to know God. If we find it in our selves to be willing to go the extra mile for others we may begin to know the nature of God a little better. And we may come to know that he is there with us in our troubles.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to always seek to do to others as I would like them to do for me. Help me as well to know that you are there with me in times of trouble as well as in times that are good.

Amen

they repented

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Jonah 3:1-10 Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19 Luke 11:29-32

Luke 11:32 The men of Nin'eveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

I think that we have a very human tendency to define right and wrong in such a way that we always rationalize ourselves to be on the side of right. But, that does us little good because unless we repent we are on the side of wrong. Being on the side of right means acknowledging our sin and then repenting from it.
The people of Nin'eveh will arise and condemn those who think they are righteous because they have the revelation of God and think they have God's hand upon them. This presumption will lead to the demise of many. We must always have in us a certain humility that allows us to confess our sin and seek God's forgiveness through repentance. To not do that is to declare that we don't need God's mercy, and that is a bad place to be. Even the non-religious will condemn us then

Father, hep me by your Holy Spirit to never presume to have a lock on your favor, but to always seek it through humble repentance.

Amen

Father knows

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Isaiah 55:10-11 Psalm 34:4-7, 16-19 Matthew 6:7-15

Matthew 6:8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him

This is key to understanding prayer. We are not informing God about our troubles or other's troubles. He already knows about them. We are not convincing or persuading God to come over to our side on any given issue. He has all the facts and he is God, how could we, being limited in mind and strength, persuade God?

No, God already knows what we need, even better than we do. Prayer then is an act of faith. It is not a device used to get God to do what we want. We pray for God's mercy and grace, but we do it knowing that he already is at work showering us in it. The best way to pray is to starts out with adoration and then thanks. Then when we have contemplated what God has already done for us we can more readily trust that he will lead us to an even better place.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to always trust that you love me and to never lose hope. You already know what we need and you are providing us a way to find it.

Amen

do no injustice

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18 Psalm 19:8-10, 15 Matthew 25:31-46

Leviticus 19:15  "You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.

We are often tempted to think that we must favor the poor at the expense of the rich.  I find this command interesting because, even though Jesus tells us to care for the needy, we are to judge according to righteousness.  One may wonder what I am talking about.  Sometimes we favor one group or another out of some attempt to remove our own sense of guilt rather than judging fairly and rightly.  We then only add to the problems.  The answer is not always to just give away other people's money.  God calls us to righteousness as well as charity.

We must be able to "judge" with righteousness.  To judge doesn't simply mean to hand our punishment.  I means to decide how to handle the situations that we encounter.  If someone is hungry we must handle that.  But we must not take someonelse's money simply because we feel they have too much.  We must judge with righteousness.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to judge rightly.  Help me to not show favor out of my own bias and convenience, but help me to judge fairly and with you love, mercy and grace always before me.

Amen