Monday 6th Week of Ordinary Time

The Testing of Faith James 1:2

Every teacher tests the knowledge of their students. 

Every coach tests the skill of their athletes. 

And so God tests our Faith!

For by the testing of our Faith

Our Faith is revealed and strengthened. 

And God tests our Faith by various trials. 

Are we up to the challenge?

How do we prepare for these tests of our Faith?

Through daily prayer and following the example of the saints who passed these tests and trials of their Faith with flying colors and who won the crown of victory. 

6th Sunday of Ordinary Time

The Last Penny Mt. 5:26

Would you bend over to pick up a penny?

Probably not. 

But a jar full of them is worth something. 

So why does Jesus think pennies are so important?

And that no one will be released until they have paid the last penny!

Because even the smallest sins add up. 

By themselves they may seem to be so small. 

Not something to get hung up about. 

But add them up and they amount to something more. 

Most people don’t commit the big sins

Like murder or embezzlement;

Adultery or idolatry. 

Most people in the world commit the smaller, everyday sins;

Some gossip here;

A jealous thought there;

Neglecting Mass or Prayer;

Ignoring a person in need;

Small acts of selfishness;

A critical or angry word;

A little lust here and a little lie over there. 

Now Take 8 billion people;

And add up all those smaller sins

And one begins to see;

How big they become. 

And why the world is the way it is.

And how even the smallest sins,

Can eventually add up to something bigger. 

And before one knows it we have a jar full.

As they say;

“It is the little things that matter.” 

With sins and pennies.

Friday 5th Week of Ordinary Time

Hearing and Speaking.  Mk. 7:31-37

Jesus opens the ears of a man who can’t hear

And the tongue of him who could not speak. 

Just imagine what it must be like to not to be able to hear or speak. 

God has given us the gift of hearing and speaking. 

But What do we listen too?

What do we talk about?

Sometimes it might be better to be deaf and mute 

Than listen to the things we do and talk about the things we talk about. 

Thursday 5th Week of ordinary time

The betrayal of Solomon 1 Kings. 11:4-13

Solomon is most famous for his Wisdom but what most people don’t know is he had 700 Wives.  

This was not uncommon back then. 

But his wives were all pagans and the led Solomon away from the Faith of David his father. 

And God took away his Kingdom from him. 

We have many things in our lives that threaten to take away our Faith.  

And if we lose our Faith we lose the Kingdom of God. 

Wednesday 5th week of Ordinary Time

Our Lady of Lourdes

When most people think of Lourdes they think of the Miraculous Waters. 

But that was not the message of Our Lady. 

The message that She gave to Bernadette was,

“Penance, Penance Penance !  Pray to God for sinners.”

So often we think that it is our words and our convictions and our wit and intelligence that others need to hear in order to change their minds. 

When Penance is what Our Lady asks of us 

and will go so much further to touch and change hearts. 

Tuesday 5th Week of ordinary time

 Where does God dwell?  1 Kings 8: 22-30

God’s hands stretch from one end of the universe to the other 

From the highest mountain to the depths of the ocean. 

And King Solomon built the most beautiful Temple of cedar and stone and gold for God to dwell in. 

And yet Solomon wondered How could that Temple contain the God of Heaven and earth. ?

That is nothing.  

We must wonder and be amazed how the God of Heaven and earth can be contained in a piece of bread. 

Yet not only does the God of Heaven and earth come to dwell in this Church and in this Bread but also in us. 

How lovely is your dwelling place O Lord refers to us and our souls. 

5th Monday of Ordinary Time

 Just touch His cloak Mk. 6:53-56

Jesus was surrounded by sick people

Who only wanted to touch His cloak

And be healed. 

We are not going to be touching the cloak of Jesus 

At Communion we are going to be touching His very Body. 

How much more healing can we obtain from touching His very Body in the Eucharist we will receive at Communion.