The Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?” He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb, ‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say, ‘Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’” And he said, “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.”

In this gospel, we are given the example of people who initially speak highly of Jesus, but because of their familiarity with him, they expect him to perform miracles for them just as he did in Capernaum. However, Jesus tells them that there will be no miracle for them. The people in the synagogue were filled with fury at this and tried to kill him, but Jesus walks away from them unharmed. Just like the people in the synagogue, we can sometimes begin to expect God to take care of our problems and console us as a sign of his love. But God’s Love is a gift freely given. We cannot demand how and when He manifests His Love for us. In addition, just because God loves us does not mean He will do everything we want, when we want it, and exactly the way we want it. Sometimes sacrifice and sufferings on our part are necessary for our spiritual growth. Also, God never forces us to follow His Will, and as such He allows us to doubt Him and deny His Love just as the people in the synagogue did so long ago. He lets us grow furious with Him, while He continues to love us in spite of our complaints. Perhaps we would do better if we complained less and loved more.

Do we expect God to perform miracles or give us consolations in our lives? Are we willing to see our sacrifices and sufferings, not as punishment or abandonment by God, but as opportunities to grow in our faith? What can we do to remind ourselves of God’s Love even when things aren’t going our way?

O Lord, cure us of our impatience and demanding natures.

Amen.

Third Saturday of Ordinary Time

On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples: “Let us cross to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet!  Be still!” The wind ceased and there was great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” They were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”

Sometimes when we are undergoing a trial, we become afraid, doubtful, and even feel abandoned. We might be tempted to wonder if God cares for us or why He would let us suffer. However, God never deserts us. He is always with us waiting for us to trust in him. And if we do trust in Him, we will be rewarded with peaceful hearts that can weather any storm. So the next time we feel anxious or forsaken by God, we should have faith that He will see us through our trials and safely to where we need to be. He will not let us perish so let our hearts be at peace in the knowledge that if we have faith in God, we have nothing to fear.

What are we afraid of and doubtful about? What can we do to remind ourselves of God’s Presence even in the midst of our trials? How can we build up our faith so that it can weather the storms of life?

O Lord, quiet our hearts and give us the faith to be good and faithful servants.

Amen.

Third Friday of Ordinary Time

This is how it is with the Kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come.

God provides each of us the graces we need to grow in our faith and one day we will all be harvested and the fruit of our lives will be weighed out. Some of us will bear much fruit and some will have very little to show for their lives. As we go throughout our days, we should constantly be on the watch for opportunities to nourish our faith and grow as followers of Christ. These chances to do God’s work will come in various ways and in different places and times. Some will require small sacrifices of our time, talents, and treasures. Others will ask us to risk or change our lives for the good of others. Whatever God is calling us to do, we must prepare ourselves and be ready to go where God is leading us and do what He wants us to do. This fidelity to our Heavenly Father is the only way for us to flourish as Christians and yield good fruit.

What are we doing to grow in our faith? What opportunities for spiritual growth are present in our lives? What are we willing to sacrifice in order to bear good fruit?

O Lord, give us the graces to grow and yield good fruit throughout our lives.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church

Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light.

Our faith should never be hidden from others. It should be upheld so that its light can lead others to God. This does not mean we flaunt it or force it on others, but rather we are not afraid to act like Christ in both our public and private lives. When people see us, they should see Jesus in our thoughts, words, and works. These manifestations of God’s Love for and mercy towards His children should constantly flow from our actions. Too often we hide our faith from others, but Jesus calls us to go forth into the world and bear the light of God's Truth to everyone we meet. We cannot do that if we are not willing to risk ourselves completely for him and his gospel message.

Do we hide our faith from others? How do we manifest God’s Love and Mercy for others? Are we willing to risk everything to bear the light of truth into the world?

O Lord, lift us up so that we can bear your light into the world?

Amen.

Third Wednesday of Ordinary Time

The sower sows the word. These are the ones on the path where the word is sown. As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy. But they have no roots; they last only for a time. Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.

God constantly scatters the seeds of His Word onto the soil of our souls. How we receive His message is up to us. Some of us allow Satan to take away our belief in God and His Divine Truths. Others of us harden our hearts to God’s calling so the seeds of faith never take root in us. Still more of us are in the midst of the thorns of anxiety, fear, doubt, temptation, and the like and let our worldly worries choke the good we could and should do. A few of us are like rich soil, we hear the word, accept it, and go forth into the world to bear fruit in God’s Holy Name. However, during our lives we are not always the same type of soil. Some days we are fruitful, but other days we let the thorns of the world strangle the good we could have done. When our souls are becoming thorny, rocky, or trodden by sin, we should seek help from our family, friends, and neighbors, but also from the Church and its sacraments, especially Reconciliation and Communion. These two sacraments restore and sustain us. Reconciliation tills the soil of our soil, breaking up its hardness and weeding out those temptations and sins that choke our faith. This prepares us to not only receive the Word of God, but also the Bread of Life and Wine of Salvation. Together, these sacraments replenish our souls and make them ready to bear good fruit again and again.

How do we receive God’s Word into our lives? How can we prepare the soil of our souls to accept God’s Divine Grace so we can bear good fruit? Do we make use of the sacraments, especially Reconciliation and Communion to maintain and sustain our faith?

O Lord, we hear and accept your word and with your help we will bear much fruit.

Amen.

Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops

The mother of Jesus and his brothers arrived at the house. Standing outside, they sent word to Jesus and called him. A crowd seated around him told him, “Your mother and your brothers and your sisters are outside asking for you.” But he said to them in reply, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

Our spiritual kinship with Jesus should be at the center of our lives. When we do God’s Will, we proclaim our connection with Jesus and accept him not only as our Lord and Savior, but also as our brother. Just like any relationship, we have to work at it constantly if we do not want to weaken and lose it. As such, we ought to make time every day to spend with God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We can do this through vocal prayer, silent reflection, and even by the works of charity and mercy we perform for others. God always makes Himself present and available. It is up to us to make time to spend with Him and to listen to His Divine Counsel. And if we do listen, then at the end of our lives, we will be blessed to be brothers and sisters of Christ and faithful heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Do we do God's Will in our lives? How can we build up our relationship with the Holy Trinity? Are we open to receiving God’s Presence into our hearts?

O Lord, you are our spiritual brother. Help us to be more and more like you each day.

Amen.

Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle

Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.  They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Each of us is called to a deeper conversion of spirit by God. This process of purification and sanctification will last throughout our lives. We are asked by God to go into the world and proclaim the Gospel to everyone. The conviction to do this work, in spite of the opposition from the world, comes from our faith in God, Our Heavenly Father. The example of Jesus Christ gives us the model of how to undertake this task in a spirit of self-sacrifice. The inspiration and strength to accomplish this vocation flows from the Holy Spirit. Together, the Holy Trinity gives us every grace we need to transform ourselves into lights of love, instruments of peace, and fonts of mercy. We manifest God’s Compassion for all His children as faithful followers of His Church and active members of the One Mystical Body of Christ.

Do our lives proclaim the Gospel to those around us? Do we manifest the conviction, charity, and motivation to do God’s Will without reservation or complaint? What can we do to become more deeply converted?

O Lord, give us the graces to go into the world and proclaim your Gospel to every creature.

Amen.