Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

You know how one must imitate us. For we did not act in a disorderly way among you, nor did we eat food received free from anyone. On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked, so as not to burden any of you. Not that we do not have the right. Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you, so that you might imitate us. 

There may be times in our lives when we cannot support ourselves. We might lose our jobs, be burdened by debts, our suffer some other setback that leaves us dependent upon others. We should not be afraid to ask for and accept charity at those times. However, when we are able, we should strive to regain employment, to work ourselves out of debt, and keep ourselves healthy. We should never want to be satisfied with being dependent on anyone except for God. On the contrary, we, like Paul, should work day and night so we might not be a burden on others and to set ourselves up so when those around us need help, we can give them a lift out of their troubles and help them to regain their feet.

How can we become independent of others? What can we do to not be a burden? What can we do to help others who are in need?

O Lord, help us to work and be only dependent upon you.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

One day as Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there, and the power of the Lord was with him for healing. And some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed; they were trying to bring him in and set him in his presence. But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle in front of Jesus.  When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “As for you, your sins are forgiven.”

We all need help on our way to following Christ. Some, like the paralytic man, need physical help to meet Jesus where he is. Others need mental, emotional, or spiritual help to find their way to Jesus. Sometimes the help we receive is from another person, who shows us what it means to be Christ-like. Other times, we have a sudden conversion of heart because of an event in our lives. Of course just because we realize that we need Jesus doesn’t mean getting to him will be easy. There will be obstacles in our way, built up over time by our bad habits and misguided relationships. But no matter what these hindrances might be, if we are persistent and willing to do whatever it takes to make Jesus present in our lives, eventually we will be able to find him and be forgiven. Along the way, we will probably need more help from others and further conversion experiences. This is why it is so important to surround ourselves with relationships that build up our faith because without good people to carry us when we are weak and direct us when we are lost, we might never make it to Jesus.

Who are the people in our lives that are helping us get closer to God? Do we listen to their council or to the council of more worldly people? Are we willing to persist in our pursuit of Jesus even if it requires us to give up everything else?

O Lord, forgive our sins.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Claire, Virgin

“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.”

In the eyes of our Heavenly Father, the greatest of us are like children. We trust in Him and depend upon Him for everything. When we are doubtful, worried, or hurt, we turn to Him for guidance, consolation, and healing. We are humble before Him and recognize His dominion over our hearts, souls, minds, and bodies. When we act selfishly, we are punished, but when we do well, we are rewarded. Our smallest victories and virtues are magnified by God love for us. Our failings and sins are quickly forgotten when we say we are sorry and do penance. By being child-like, we reaffirm our dependence upon our Heavenly Father and constantly seek His approval for our every thought, word, and work.

Do we act in a child-like or selfish manner in our dealings with God and His children? Do we seek our Heavenly Father’s guidance, consolation, and healing? Do we recognize our total dependence upon God for all that we have been, are, and will be?

O Lord, we seek to become like children and enter your heavenly kingdom.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.

We belong to Jesus. It’s as simple as that and yet we have such a hard time letting go of our independence. We try to do everything by ourselves. We only come to God when things get too heavy to bear on our own. However, we are never by ourselves. When we triumph, it is because God is with us and not because of our own efforts. When we persevere in times of trial, we do so because God is holding us up. We might not know God as we ought to or as we would like to, but one thing is certain: Jesus is with us in good times and in bad because we have been handed over to him and he never leaves his flock.

Do we try to do everything ourselves first? Wouldn’t it be better for us if we went to God first? How can we remind ourselves of Jesus’ presence in our lives in good times and bad?

O Lord, we have been handed over to you. We are yours now and forever.

Amen.