Saturday 23rd week of Ordinary Time

 

Being a Christian Lk. 6:43-49

When we come to church on the weekend we say

“Lord, Lord!”

We Praise God and thank Him.

But what good is it to say “Lord, Lord”, On Sunday

If on Monday we do not do what He has commanded?

Jesus warns us that if this is how we practice our Faith,

Then the house of our Faith is built on sand,

And when the storms of life come,

Our Faith will not sustain us.

God Bless

Friday 23rd week of Ordinary Time

 

How have we changed ? 1 Tim. 12-14

St. Paul told Timothy how he had changed

from a blasphemer and a persecutor and an arrogant man,

To being a servant and minister of the Lord.

How has our Faith changed us?

Does coming to Church change us?

No one is perfect

And as long as we are in this world

There is always something to change;

No matter how little it may be.

For with God’s Grace and Mercy

All things are possible.

God Bless

Thursday 23rd week of Ordinary Time

 

Feast of St. Peter Claver

St. Peter left the luxury of Spain for Columbia in 1610

And became the “slave of slaves”

The daily life of St. Peter Claver consisted of hurrying to the slave ships when they arrived Carrying baskets of oranges, lemons, sweet biscuits. Large numbers of the sick were always lying on wet ground or rather in puddles of mud. To prevent excessive dampness, they would build up a mound with a mixture of tiles and broken pieces of bricks. This was their couch, a very uncomfortable one not only for that reason, but especially because they were naked, without any clothing to protect them. Then using his own cloak he covered them.

We haven’t really come too far.

The slavery that existed in our country;

continues to haunt us.

Human beings continue to be sold and trafficked in many parts of the world for sex, body parts and labor.

And then there is the slavery to sin to which everyone struggles to become free.

We must Pray and work

that all people may know the freedom of being a child of God.

God Bless

Wednesday 23rd Week of Ordinary Time

The Birthday of the. Blessed Virgin Mary

Because Mary was destined to be the Mother of God’s only begotten Son,

She was holy and blameless in God’s sight.

She was full of love.

St. Paul however tells us in his letter to the Ephesians

that each one of us is called to be holy and blameless in God’s sight.

To be Full of Love. Eph. 1:4-5.

The birth of Mary therefore is not only a day to remember her holiness

but also a reminder that we too were created

be holy and blameless;

And full of Love as well.

Tuesday 23rd Week of Ordinary Time

 

The Calling Lk. 6:12-19

While Jesus called his chosen 12 To be His disciples.

At our Baptism each one of us were chosen by God to be disciples of Jesus.

Maybe not to go forth and be fishers of men or to preach the Gospel to the nations ,

But each one of us in our own way are called to follow Jesus and share His message with others.

How we do that is a question each one of us must answer.

God Bless

Monday 23rd Week of Ordinary Time

 

Watching Others. Lk. 6 :6-11

The Pharisees were always watching Jesus.

Checking to see if He was doing what He was supposed to as a Teacher of the Faith.

So that they had an excuse to ignore and His Teaching.

Do we ever watch what others are doing?

So that we can catch them in the act!

So that we can make a comment about them?

Hopefully not!

Because we are called to imitate Jesus

And not the Pharisees.

God Bless

23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time

 Vindication and Recompense Is. 35:4-7

Prophets are hard to understand at times. 

They always seem to be swimming against the tide. 

They warn us of impending doom when everything is going great. 

And offer boundless Hope when when everything appears lost. 

This is why so few people believe them. 

Israel has just been crushed by the Babylonians 

Everything was lost. 

And those exiled to Babylon are wondering what to do now. 

They are tempted to walk away from their Faith

So that they can “fit in” with society. 

Get jobs and live comfortable lives. 

And Isaiah says Be Strong!  Fear Not!

God will come with Vindication. 

And prove that their Faith was true 

By restoring Israel. 

God will also come with Recompense. 

And repay Israel a hundredfold for what it has suffered. 

And God did. 

The Babylonian Empire fell. 

And The Kingdom of Israel was restored. 

Christendom is over. 

We now live in a secular age. 

And are tempted to walk away from our Faith 

So that we can “fit in” with society

And get good jobs and live comfortable lives. 

Isaiah says to us, Be strong and fear not!

For one day God will come with Vindication and Recompense. 

For all those times when people thought you were crazy for going to church when you could have gone out to dinner Saturday night or slept in on Sunday morning. 

For all the times you preserved in the Faith when others walked away because of scandals;

For all those times people thought you were closed minded, old fashioned or even hateful for what you believed. 

God will come and Vindicate you. 

And show that you did the right thing by holding on to your Faith.

For all those times when you turned off the TV and prayed instead. 

For all those times you turned the other cheek;

For all those times you sacrificed for others;

God will come with Recompense And reward you. 

And welcome you into His Kingdom. 

For you Preserved in the Faith.