See Rightly

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles.

Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church.
Mt. 16:17,18

Jesus has asked His disciples who do they say He is.  After the burbling replies of the other disciples, Peter proclaims the right answer;  ‘You are the Christ,’ he said ‘the Son of the living God.’ .  As though waiting for this expected answer, Jesus grabs it and uses it to instate Peter as the head of the fledgling Church.

I love this side of Jesus' personality.  He only sees the best in people.  He looked past the ignorant, impetuous, betraying, course fisherman in front of Him and saw Peter the Rock.  Eventually Peter grew into that vision of himself.  This is a great lesson for how I need to look at people... for how I need to look at myself.

Jesus, thank you for seeing gold in miry clay, for turning sinners into saints.  Help me to see others, to see myself, through your eyes.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Faith

Abram put his faith in the Lord, who counted this as making him justified.
Gen.15:6

Abram has laid his heartache before God; "I remain childless" Gen.15:2.  In response God shows Abram the stars in the sky to indicate the number of descendants he shall have.  In the face of this outrageous and improbable promise, Abram puts his faith in God.  This enormous act of faith God counts as good enough to make Abram worthy of every promise, not only in this life but every promise for eternity.

My little girl is still sick after months of medical investigation and prayer.  We have a promise from Jesus that He brings Rebekah fullness of life; "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Jn.10:10.  In the face of her illness I hold on to this promise, believing it will be fulfilled.  Faith is the key to healing.

Lord Jesus.  Thank you for the work You are doing in Rebekah and the work You are doing in me.  
Little flower, please pray for us.

The Higher Way

'But I say this to you: offer the wicked man no resistance. On the contrary, if anyone hits you on the right cheek, offer him the other as well; if a man takes you to law and would have your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone orders you to go one mile, go two miles with him. Give to anyone who asks, and if anyone wants to borrow, do not turn away.’
Mt.5:38-42 

Jesus is giving His great Sermon on the Mount, laying out the blue print for the authentic christian life.  He sets a very high standard, a standard that flies in the face of the ways of the world.  The world says focus on me and happiness will be mine.  Jesus says the world can never satisfy, focus on others and not only will I find Joy but I will also have peace.

This is a constant struggle within me.  I like "things".  The world seduces me quite easily with its tinsel. Power, prestige and possessions all make seductive promises to me.  This is the great battle for me, but it's one worth fighting, today...

Lord Jesus, you know the weakness of my flesh.  Help me win this battle which is a battle for my very soul.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Bring Back Home

The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus 

I shall look for the lost one, bring back the stray, bandage the wounded and make the weak strong. 

Ezek.34:16

Ezekiel ministered to the Jews in exile in Babylon.  His teaching is centered on inner conversion, a new heart and a new spirit that will be given by God.  Today's first reading from Ezekiel portrays God as Shepherd, looking after and protecting His sheep.  The 23rd Psalm today echos this; The Lord is my shepherd...  The Gospel amplifies this further with Jesus' parable of the shepherd rejoicing in finding his one lost sheep.

This is Good News for those of us who have been, or are still, lost.  It is Good News for those of us worried about loved ones who have strayed  We have a God who comes searching for us, brings us home and bandages us, turns our weaknesses into strengths.  This is Good News for me...

Lord Jesus, Your heart burns with a passion for love of me.  Thank you for saving me, bringing me back home and bandaging my wounds.  Please bring back home my loved ones who are lost.

Little Flower, please pray for us.

Unity of Faith

And together they said, ‘Amen, Amen’, and lay down for the night.
Tob.8:9

Tobias and his bride Sarah have just finished praying for protection and blessing on their wedding night.  Their very first act as a couple was to turn to God and worship Him.

This is a very popular scripture for Catholic weddings and it is easy to see why.  For a young couple to have unity in faith from the very beginning of their marriage is a huge blessing.

This has been brought into focus for me recently with the engagement of a daughter to a non Catholic Christian young man.  My daughter has held out for a Nuptial Mass as her standard for marriage.  God has honored this by placing a desire in her fiancee's heart to become Catholic.  Their very first act as a married couple will be to go to God's table and receive His Body and Blood.  What a foundation for their marriage!

I am reminded of the preciousness of my shared faith with my wife.

Jesus, thank you for the unity of faith that Kate and I have.  I pray your blessing over us and over our children and their spouses.  
Saint Thomas Moore, please pray for us.

Keep On Praying

This time the prayer of each of them found favour before the glory of God, and Raphael was sent to bring remedy to them both.
Tob.3:17

The wonderful story of Tobit is continued as today's first reading.  Two of the main characters, Tobit and Sarah, have reached the depths of their despair.  Tobit is crushed by the poverty his blindness has brought him and Sarah is similarly despairing through the curse over her that has killed her fiancées. Both have not given up on God but have given up hope.  Their final prayer is that God releases them of their distress by taking their lives. But this time, this time... the prayer of each of them found favour before the glory of God.

This is a wonderful story of the power in persistent, authentic prayer.  Both Tobit and Sarah, though crushed and defeated by their circumstance, never walked away from God.  They travailed and wept out raw emotion in their prayer.  Like Job, they were honest in their communication with God.  This raw, emotional, some would say unpious prayer found favour with God.

I have been travailing before God for the healing of a daughter for four months.  My daughter continues to be in pain.  My options?  Walk away from God?  Not an option.  Continue to trust in God by persistent, authentic prayer?  Tobit and Sarah would say yes.  I say yes...

Father in heaven, in Jesus' name I beg for healing for my daughter.  Lift the pain from her and give her back the fullness of life that Your Son has won for her.   
Little Flower, please pray for us.