for a proof to the people

Friday, June 26, 2009 St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, Priest (Optional Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Genesis 17:1, 9-10, 15-22 Psalm 128:1-5 Matthew 8:1-4

Matthew 8:4  And Jesus said to him, "See that you say nothing to any one; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to the people."

We often tend to thin that ceremony and ritual is of little value or even considered to be idolatrous.  Jesus himself though instructed the leper to go and present himself to the priest and follow the ritual rules.  Why would he do this?  Perhaps there is value in ritual.  How do we know something is from God?  Ritual may have value beyond what we understand.  For example there was ritual specifically for the cure of a leper, but there was no cure for leprosy.  Why would that be the case?  Well, when Jesus cured the leper we see that this was a testimony of God’s grace.  We should honor ritual that is given to us.

Father help my by your Holy Spirit to honor the things you have given us by being obedient and looking for youto work in and though them.

Amen

Not every one who says

Thursday, June 25, 2009 Weekday

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Genesis 16:1-12, 15-16 or 16:6-12, 15-16 Psalm 106:1-5 Matthew 7:21-29

Matthew 7:21  "Not every one who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven

That pretty much puts the debate to an end don’t you think?  The question is are works necessary or do we simply have to “believe” which is itself a deception.  If we believe we will do what we are called to do.  There are many that say they believe but when it comes time to decide how to act they forget their own beliefs.  Jesus says we must not simply say the word of God, but we must do it.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to do you will and to have the strength and courage to make the right choices in love.

Amen

by this name

Wednesday, June 24, 2009
The Birth of St. John the Baptist (Solemnity)

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel:

Isaiah 49:1-6 Psalm 139:1-3, 13-15 Acts 13:22-26 Luke 1:57-66, 80

Luke 1:61  And they said to her, "None of your kindred is called by this name."

There is a lot to a name.  We tend to do a lot of naming based on family.  We name our kids after uncles and parents etc…  Or, at least we used to.  I don’t think people do this as much any more and with the break down of the family that is to be expected.  But your name says a lot about who you belong to, what family you come from. There is usually some kind of meaning in a name.  When we are given a name at baptism we are indicating that we are in God’s family.  Now certainly our name doesn’t by itself make us a member of God’s family, but it is a sign that we have been baptized into the family of God.  We should take out name seriously and celebrate our membership in God’s family, more than other meanings that might be applied.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to know that I am in your family and help me to stand up an be counted as a child of God.

Amen

the way is hard

Tuesday, June 23, 2009 Weekday

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Genesis 13:2, 5-18 Psalm 15:2-5 Matthew 7:6, 12-14

Matthew 7:14  For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

We often here that it is easy to follow Christ, to be saved.  Well, the Bible doesn’t really say that.  In fact, is says quite the opposite.  The way it difficult and few find it.  We have to make tough choices every day about what is right and what is wrong.  It isn’t just a matter of saying the sinners prayer.  We have to take up our cross daily and actually follow Jesus.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to be strong to follow you.  Help me to not give into the temptations of the flesh and take the easy way out, but to strive for righteousness.

Amen

Blessed is the nation

Monday, June 22, 2009 Saints John Fisher, Bishop, Martyr and Thomas More, Martyr (Optional Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Genesis 12:1-9 Psalm 33:12-13, 18-20, 22 Matthew 7:1-5

Psalms 33:12  Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!

Do we really believe this?  Do we really believe that the nation whose God is the LORD is blessed?  We used to.  Now I am not so sure.  It seems as though it is frowned upon to be to dogmatic about anything, especially religion and more specifically the Christian religion.  But that is what God calls us to, to stand up and be counted as his people and to celebrate his heritage.  There are those who are trying to remove the heritage thinking that they can eliminate God if they get rid of the knowledge of him.  That will not work, but for those who willingly reject God they will face real consequences.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to be proud that you are my Lord and that I am blessed to be a citizen of your nation.

Amen

with all the saints

Friday, June 19, 2009 The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel: Hosea 11:1, 3-4, 8-9 (Ps) Isaiah 12:2-6 Ephesians 3:8-12, 14-19 John 19:31-37

Ephesians 3:18  may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

Though the mystery and the love of God is beyond human understanding, we are still able to wrestle with it with all the saints.  The body of Christ is more than just Jesus and me.  It is Jesus and all the saints, and everything that we know is the total revelation of God to all his children.  We must protect ourselves from thinking that it is just Jesus and me.  That can lead to pride and bad doctrine.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to take into account that I don’t know everything and I must live as a part of your body and community.

Amen

your Father knows

Thursday, June 18, 2009 Weekday

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: 2 Corinthians 11:1-11 Psalm 111:1-4, 7-8 Matthew 6:7-15

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

 

Today, with the communal popcorn style prayer, it is very easy to fall into the trap of trying to make good prayers and say all the right words.  Jesus gave us words to say so that we would not have to do that.  What can we add to the Lord’s Prayer?  The father already knows what we need.  The reason we say a prayer that is given to us is so that there is no pride or self serving in it.  It is a clear act of worship and reverence to say the prayer, the very words that Jesus told us to say.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to be humble in prayer, trusting that you know what I need and not to use it as a means for my own pride.

Amen

Each one must

Wednesday, June 17, 2009 Weekday

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 Psalm 112:1-4, 9-9 Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

2 Corinthians 9:7 Each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

 

This doesn’t mean that we all get to choose what brand of religion we want to practice.  What it does elude to, though, is our level of sincerity. Are we doing things for show, or out of guilt, or to have relationships with certain people?  Our alms and our deeds should be done out of love of Christ and thanksgiving for the blessings he gives us.  Our prayers, likewise, should be sincere and private.  Yes, in worship we practice a corporate, public prayer, but our personal prayer should be done between God and us.  Again, not for show or out of guilt, or for personal reasons.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to be sincere in my deeds and in my prayers.  Help me to seek you truthfully and to enjoy who you are because of who you are.

Amen

must be perfect

Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Weekday

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

2 Corinthians 8:1-9 Psalm 146:2, 5-9 Matthew 5:43-48

Matthew 5:48 You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Paul effectively challenges the Corinthians to give by telling them how the others gave. Jesus challenges us to do more than others do. They love their own. The challenge is to love those we don't consider to be our own.

As Christians we as called to be better then the others, but all too often the others appear better than us. And there is a gospel today that says it doesn't matter, that deeds don't matter, that we just have to say we give our hearts to Jesus. Well, Jesus never said that. He calls us to be better than the others, to be perfect even as our heavenly Father is perfect.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to be better than I am and to be willing to give what it takes to follow you.

Amen

we commend ourselves

Monday, June 15, 2009 Weekday

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: 2 Corinthians 6:1-10 Psalm 98:1-4 Matthew 5:38-42

2 Corinthians 6:4  but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities,

 

We tend to want others to be converted to our ways of thinking and we usually take the position that they must come to our side. But, we are actually to be servants of others.  That is we are to want their conversion, not just their coming to our side.  That may mean that we have to give as well, in fact we should be willing to give more than they since we are already converted. As Christians we should always be willing to give more and do more.  I don’t mean just financial, but ourselves, our dogmatism, our sense of self superiority.

 

Father help me to be willing to not put obstacles in others ways but to truly want their conversion.

Amen

Then he saw

 

Friday, June 5, 2009 St. Boniface, Bishop, Martyr (Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Tobit 11:5-17 Psalm 146:1-2, 6-10 Mark 12:35-37

Tobit 11:14 Then he saw his son and embraced him, and he wept and said, "Blessed art thou, O God, and blessed is thy name for ever, and blessed are all thy holy angels.

When the scales were removed from his eyes he was able to see and what did he do?... He embraced his son and gave thanks to God.
When we are able to see we are more likely to give thanks. When we don't see we are more likely to despair and to be cynical. The question to ask ourselves is are we thankful to God or do we think that we have been given an unfair or unjust situation? If we see, we might be more thankful.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to see and to be thankful for the blessings you give me and for who you are.
Amen