Way Truth Life

Alleluia, alleluia! I am the way, the truth, and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me. Alleluia! 

Acclamation (Jn.14:6)

Jesus is revealing who he is to his uncomprehending disciples. Here he gets specific, saying he is the only way to God the Father.

No other religion has its founder saying this. This is the stumbling block for many. Jesus is either mad, bad or who he says he is. Evidence says clearly that he was not mad and not bad. That leaves only the last option. He is who he says he is, the Son of God and the only way to the Father.

This clarifies my thinking in a world clamoring to place a smoke screen. I recommit myself to The Way again today, my truth and my wonderful life.

Jesus, you are my way, my truth and my life. I place my trust in you.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Sorry Thank You Please

So they set out and went from village to village proclaiming the Good News and healing everywhere.

Lk.9:6

Jesus has just commissioned the twelve disciples for their very first mission trip. They carry nothing but the message of Good News in their hearts and a burning desire to share it. Healing follows the proclamation of the Good News.

So, what is this life changing Good News? Today's acclamation gives a hint. "The kingdom of God is near: repent and believe...". I am helping lead an Alpha Away Day this Saturday. There will a time for those who want to to make a commitment to following Jesus. That prayer is very simple... Sorry, Thank you, Please. The starting point is "Sorry". Repentance is the crucial turning point, admitting I've tried doing it my way, I now want to do it your way. Emotional, spiritual and physical healing can then follow.

This not such a bad prayer for me to say each day... Sorry, Thank you, Please.

Lord Jesus, I'm sorry for the times, the many times, I have chosen my way over your way. Thank you Jesus for your death on the Cross that has taken the burden of my sins off my shoulders. Please come into my life today. I take my hands off the steering wheel and hand control over to you. Amen.

Little flower, please pray for me.

Family

He was told, ‘Your mother and brothers are standing outside and want to see you.’ But he said in answer, ‘My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and put it into practice.’ 

Lk.8:20,21

Jesus' family come looking for him but the crowds are so thick they can't reach him. Jesus uses the situation to teach on what it means to be a member of his family, that is hear God's word and do it.

Even to be a friend of God is a lofty ambition. Here Jesus is showing how I can be even more, how I can be a member of his family, how I can be his brother.

So, how does this come about? First I must hear God's word. Sacred Scripture is an obvious place to start, not only directly from the Bible but from Daily Mass readings, even from Christian songs on the radio, most of which are based directly on God's word. Prayer is another place I can hear God's word. My morning prayer time has proven this time and again. God can even speak to me through others he places in my life. My wife is often his prophet without realising it.

The next step is the hard step, practicing God's word. I guess this means facing that I have a choice on how I act in any given situation. I then make a decision to act either God's way or my way. There's a challenge to take into my day...

Jesus, thank you for your word which is life to me. Help me practice what I hear from you.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Win Friends

And so I tell you this: use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends, and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into the tents of eternity.

Lk.16:9

Jesus has just told the parable of the dishonest steward. In the parable, the steward is lifted up as an example of astuteness. Jesus does the same, saying that even money wisely spent can help with entrance into heaven.

On first appearance this parable is puzzling. But what if the steward's reducing of debts is seen as acts of mercy. Even though it was self serving, his mercy would have won him friends when he needed them most. He knew he had been a poor steward and that his master's judgement was deserved.

I'm a sinner. By any definition I have been a poor steward of the blessings given me... wealth, health, life itself have all been squandered by me. Jesus is advising me to shorten my account of indebtedness by being generous in acts of mercy. Then, on judgement day when the book of my life is opened, I will have friends who will speak up for me to receive mercy.

Lord Jesus, help me be generous in dispensing mercy so I in turn may receive mercy.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Liberation

I tell you that her sins, her many sins, must have been forgiven her, or she would not have shown such great love. It is the man who is forgiven little who shows little love. 

Lk.7:47

At a feast hosted by Simon the Pharisee Jesus is lavished with loving attention from a woman of "bad name". This offends Simon but Jesus challenges him, saying that this great demonstration of love shows the woman has been forgiven much. Jesus then turns attention back on Simon by adding, "It is the man who is forgiven little who shows little love".

Demonstrated love shows outwardly the inner condition of the soul. A forgiven soul, knowing only too clearly its own brokenness, radiates great joy and love. It seems I can only be forgiven by first acknowledging my need of forgiveness. I need to be broken in order to be put back together rightly. Then my spontaneous reaction to received forgiveness will be joy and love.

Self righteousness places a barrier to this wonderful healing Jesus offers me. The Pharisee in me is very quick to compare myself superior to the broken people around me. Meanwhile, the broken people who are honest about their condition focus on Jesus, are liberated and express great joy and love.

I want to be a joyous, loving person. I want the Pharisee in me to die. It's time for me to acknowledge my own great need of forgiveness.

Jesus, forgive me my sins, my many sins, that I can be liberated to show great love.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Love Bursts Forth

When the Lord saw her he felt sorry for her. ‘Do not cry’ he said. Then he went up and put his hand on the bier and the bearers stood still, and he said, ‘Young man, I tell you to get up.’ And the dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him to his mother.

Lk.7:13,14

Jesus felt compassion for the widow burying her only son. Her grief touched him and prompted the great miracle of raising the dead man back to life.

This spontaneous act of mercy and love reveals the face of God. The woman did nothing to directly appeal to Jesus but her grief was more eloquent than any spoken prayer. In her pain she would have been blind to his presence yet Jesus stepped into her world and changed everything.

Prayer is good. It can move the hand of God and bring great blessing. Yet here we learn that it is not always necessary. Jesus can act where and when he wants. I can be blessed by God at any time without needing to earn it. Maybe even today...

Thank you Jesus that you are on my case, that your love can burst forth in a moment and change everything. 
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Mercy Triumphs over Judgement

The father said, “My son, you are with me always and all I have is yours. But it was only right we should celebrate and rejoice, because your brother here was dead and has come to life; he was lost and is found".

Lk.15:31,32

The Pharisees and the scribes complain about Jesus showing mercy to tax collectors and sinners, so Jesus tells the parable of the prodigal son to highlight the obligation of mercy.

I have heard this parable called the most miss-named parable in the Bible, that it is really a story about the resentful brother. It is not so much a story about reckless spending as it is about miserly mercy.

The younger brother still holds on to his son-ship when he calls out to his father. The older son calls himself a slave and so distances himself from his brother and, more tragically, from his father. Resentment does that. It builds a fence out of all the rules and regulations, isolating itself from everyone.

Mercy jumps over the fence and rushes out into the street, uncaring about its loss of dignity. It embraces, lavishing undeserved love upon the sinner. Oh how I have been all three of these characters at some stage of my life. The repentant, undeserving son. The resentful, judgmental brother. Even the grace-filled merciful father which is surely who I am called by God to be.

Jesus, source of all mercy, help me tear down the fence of judgement I build around myself and make me a generous dispenser of mercy.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

The Cross

Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life. For God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved.
Jn.3:16,17

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross 

Jesus is teaching Nicodemus, explaining the all-sufficiency of who he is and what his death and the cross is about to gain... the coming home to heaven of all the world.

The most well known verse of the Bible is well known for a reason. It says it all. When I loose the point of my faith I come back to these two verses. Here is the why and the wherewithal of who Jesus is (the Son of God), what he did (died for me) and what that means (me back home with God).

I'm looking up at the crucifix in our lounge as I write. This is why I am thankful for the cross and why the cross is the source of my greatest joy.

Jesus, you handed out the nails and climbed on the cross for me. What can I say but thank you... thank you Lord.
Saint Mary of the Cross, pray for me.

Where to point the Finger

Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned.

Lk.6:37

Jesus is giving his great teaching in his Sermon on the Mount. Here he explains how we are to relate with other imperfect human beings. He's very clear... do not judge, do not condemn, forgive.

These are very easy to agree to when reading but they're hard to practice. People are just so in need of my judgement, condemnation and unforgiveness.... yeah right!

I fell into this trap just yesterday when I met with a church worker who I judged was not only doing a poor job but actually doing damage. What do you do with that? I guess a starting place is to not judge. Yes, things are being done poorly but maybe I could help or offer encouragement? Also, a dose of compassion would go a long way as well. I don't know what else is going on in that person's life, what crosses she is carrying.

So today is to be a day of no finger pointing or if there is, point the finger at me.

Dear Jesus, forgive me for my finger pointing propensity. Help me start with compassion and then offer constructive help and encouragement instead.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Look Up

Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ, you must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand. Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on the earth, .Col.3:9,10

Paul writes to the Colossian Church to encourage them in the new life they have inherited since becoming believers. Old self-centered habits are listed for throwing away and thoughts are directed to heavenly things.

This describes the tension in my life, the battle between my old self and the new, between the world's seductions and the call of heaven. Lust and greed, malice and bad language are all things that won't go away. I have to be vigilant to stop them creeping back into my life.

There's good news here as well. There is the promise of progress, that my new self will grow more like God the more I do battle. And this has been my experience, especially when I pray more, read scripture more, embrace the sacraments more. These good habits do the stripping off, the killing my old self.

Thank you Jesus that you have given the Church to help me in my stripping away process. Help me have my gaze lifted up and not down today.

Encourage to Strengthen

God never meant us to experience the Retribution, but to win salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that, alive or dead, we should still live united to him. So give encouragement to each other, and keep strengthening one another, as you do already. 

1Thes.5:9-11

Paul is on his missionary journey with Silas and Timothy when he writes to the Church of the Thessalonians. It is a letter of encouragement, reminding them of what Jesus has won for them. Paul asks that they encourage one another with such thoughts as these.

Encouragement among believers. It's such a beautiful thing. We all need it and we all should be giving it. I occasionally write to our Catholic newspaper. I only write when I have something positive to say. I'm dismayed by the number of negative and carping letters the editor receives.

Paul tells me to encourage in order to strengthen. Today I am visiting a friend who is sick with cancer and in hospital. My task is simple. Encourage to strengthen.

Jesus, help me be an encourager today to strengthen the flickering flame, to steady the quavering legs.
Little Flower, please pray for me.