Glorify God

Whatever you eat, whatever you drink, whatever you do at all, do it for the glory of God.

1Cor.10:31

Paul writes to the Church in Corinth, identifying the behaviour of a true believer. This he summarises by saying all that is done must glorify God.

This is setting the bar high. By myself  I can't do it. With the Holy Spirit's help, all things are possible.

Come Holy Spirit. Fill me afresh today that I may be Jesus to all I meet and add to his glory.

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for us.

Further Up Further In

Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is only despised in his own country and in his own house’, and he did not work many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

Mt.13:57,58

Jesus teaches in the synagogues of his hometown but his former neighbours reject him, labelling him as simply a man who gets his powers from somewhere else. Jesus leaves, working few miracles for their lack of faith.

There would have been need in the town, no different from the rest of Palestine. I suspect there were few miracles because there were few requests. And there were few requests because there was little hope that a miracle could be performed. Lack of faith leads to lack of hope.

This is the opposite to yesterday's Gospel, where Martha had complete faith in Jesus resulting in Lazarus' resurrection. I step into today as a man of faith and hope in the goodness of God. Here come the miracles....

Jesus, again I thank you and praise you for the gifts of faith and hope. Because of you I am always looking further up and further in. 
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for us.

Great Faith Great Miracles

‘I am the resurrection and the life. If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ she said ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world.’

Jn.11:25-27

Jesus arrives at the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus to be told that Lazarus had died four days earlier. Jesus asks Martha if he has an answer to this apparent tragedy. In the midst of her grief, Martha is still able to make a great proclamation of faith. 

Martha's great faith opened the door to a great miracle. We know the story. Lazarus is raised from the dead, still wrapped in funeral cloth should  anyone doubt. 

No situation is hopeless when Jesus is invited into it. Great faith leads to great miracles. This gift of faith I have been given is something I'm still unwrapping. I take hold and carry it into my day.

Thank you Jesus for my faith in you. I place my prayer list in front of you again this morning, believing you are the answer for every situation.

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for us.

 

Radiant Face

The Lord is compassion and love, slow to anger and rich in mercy.

Ps.102:8

God inspires David to write Psalm 102 as a self portrait. The recurring theme is God's love and mercy.

What keeps many away from the Church is the misconception of God as a stern and accusing judge, impatient to punish. I don't believe in that God either. The opposite is true. My God is compassion and love, slow to anger and rich in mercy. 

Yet that distorted view of God exists and exists for a reason. Maybe because we, the churched, present that harsh, judgemental face to people peeking in the door. Maybe we secretly want punishment to rain down on others whom we judge live wrongly. We'd better duck if that's the case.

Today I will be an undistorted mirror of God's face, shining forth love and mercy. I'll throw in laughter for good measure. Nothing is so attractive.

Jesus, forgive me for the times I have obscured and not radiated your face of love and mercy to others. Today give me your face of love, mercy and joy.

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for us.

 

Wheat Among the Weeds

Let them both grow till the harvest; and at harvest time I shall say to the reapers: First collect the darnel and tie it in bundles to be burnt, then gather the wheat into my barn.

Mt.13:30

Jesus tells the parable of the weeds among the wheat. The servants want to weed out immediately, destroying some wheat in the process. The owner says no, the time of separation will be at the time of harvest.

Jesus is telling three things here. There is evil in the world. There will be a day of judgement. Until then, we are to be wheat among the weeds. 

Listening to the news, you'd think the weeds are all that are left. The wheat doesn't made the headlines. But I look around where I live and I see that good people abound, in my family, in my neighbourhood, in my parish and in my work. They are the wheat among the weeds. 

I am not to despair. I am to continue growing, deepening my roots, reaching further up to the sun, helping others to do the same. I am not to let the weeds choke me. I am to choke the weeds.

Jesus, you are the source of my peace, hope and joy. I thrust my roots deeper into you and reach further up and further in.

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.

Twiddle Your Thumbs

Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy. For six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath for the Lord your God. You shall do no work that day...  For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that these hold, but on the seventh day he rested; that is why the Lord has blessed the sabbath day and made it sacred.

Ex.20:8-11

 The Ten Commandments are being given to Moses to promulgate among the people. The fourth commandment firmly establishes that regular rest is sacred.

We have forgotten how to observe the sacred, we have forgotten how to rest. God knew our all-consuming drive gather things of the world, to the point where we make sacrifices to them. The Sabbath is the antidote. We don't observe the Sabbath at our peril.

I need to work harder at resting. Sounds strange. My father-in-law knew how to rest. He is the only man I've meet who would happily twiddle his thumbs.  He was a happy man. It's time to create thumb-twiddling time.

Jesus, help me observe sacred rest. Help me keep the sabbath holy.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for us.

  

Great Lover

‘Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him.’ Jesus said, ‘Mary!’ She knew him then and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbuni!’ – which means Master.

Jn.20:15,16

Mary Magdalen is the first to find the empty tomb. After leading Peter and John there they leave while she stays, weeping. The risen Jesus appears but is unrecognised by her until he calls her name. 

Today is the Feast of Mary Magdalen. The Church celebrates the life of a great lover. Mary's love for Jesus cost her great anguish at his death and gave her greater joy at his resurrection. Love does that. It makes me vulnerable to pain and capable of joy. 

Jesus, lover of my soul. 

Jesus, I will never let you go.

You've taken me from the miry clay,

set my feet upon a rock

and now I know.

I love you

I need you

Though my world may fall 

I'll never let you go.

My savior, my closest friend,

I will worship you

until the very end.

Saint Mary Magdalen, please pray for us that we may be great lovers.

The Power of a Name

Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother.

Mt.12:50

Jesus' mother and other family members try to reach Jesus because of their anxiety for him. Jesus responds by extending the definition of his family. All who are obedient to God the Father are Jesus' family.

In one place in scripture Jesus calls his followers friends. Here he deepens the intimacy by calling us family. As they say, you can choose your friends but you can't choose your family. Family are family, warts and all. 

Some of my family members have a few warts. Come to think of it, so do I. Jesus knew the broken, wounded mob he was extending his hand over and calling family were not perfect. Yet, he named them family nonetheless. And that calling raised the motley group to eventual sainthood. 

There is power in naming. Jesus did it all the time. I can be more intentional in naming my family members positively, so they can be raised to eventual sainthood.

Jesus, you call me brother. Help me call my family names that raise them up.

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for us.

 

Rest for My Soul

Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.

Mt.11:28-30

Jesus has just said that God the Father is revealed in him. Now he invites all who are weary to come to him and find rest.

Rest for our souls. This has universal appeal. It's what everyone seeks. Here Jesus offers it. He describes rest, gentleness and humbleness as inherent characteristics of God. They are the light burden he gives in exchange for my weighty ones.

I carry the burden of a gentle and humble heart into my day. I'm promised in so doing I will find rest.

Thank you Jesus for your easy, light burden. I take up your offer and exchange it for my heavy burden.

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for us.

 

Attitude of Gratitude

My soul, give thanks to the Lord 

all my being, bless his holy name. 

My soul, give thanks to the Lord 

and never forget all his blessings. 

It is he who forgives all your guilt, 

who heals every one of your ills, 

who redeems your life from the grave, 

who crowns you with love and compassion.

Ps.102:1-4

David sings thanksgiving to God for all he provides.

I love this psalm. It calls me into right attitude to God, an attitude of gratitude. So, what are God's blessings for me to warrant this devotion? The second part of the psalm lists them. God forgives me, he heals me, he redeems me and he crowns me.

I step into today a man forgiven, healed, redeemed and crowned. Praise God!

My soul, give thanks to the Lord 

all my being, bless his holy name. 

My soul, give thanks to the Lord 

and never forget all his blessings. 

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for us.

 

Receive and Repent

Jesus began to reproach the towns in which most of his miracles had been worked, because they refused to repent.

Mt.11:20

Jesus reviews the towns in which he has just visited and worked miracles. He rebukes them for not turning from their sinful ways and turning to God, prophesying their destruction.

Jesus performed miracles from compassion but expected something in return. It appears the price of a miracle is conversion. 

There is a take it or leave it attitude in the Church, like selecting from a smorgasbord. The miracle of the Eucharist is regarded with a casualness that leads to complacency.  I'm guilty of this attitude at times. It's deadly. 

It's time to go to Mass, receive the miracle and repent.

Lord Jesus, thank you for the miracle of the Mass. I ask for your forgiveness for the times I have received you unworthily.

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for us.

Die to Live

Anyone who does not take his cross and follow in my footsteps is not worthy of me. Anyone who finds his life will lose it; anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.

Mt.10:38,39

Jesus is telling the Twelve that the life conversion he is calling them to is no small, half-hearted thing. It's an all or nothing affair that calls them to die and then rises them to a new life.

Jesus' audience knew about the cross even before Jesus was subjected to it. They didn't think of it as a heavy burden. They knew it as a cruel instrument of shame and death. So when Jesus told them they had to take up their cross they understood he was saying they had to die. 

The Gospel if fairly consistent on this point. When becoming a follower of Christ, becoming a Christian, the old self dies and a new self is born. If this hasn't happened then the conversion hasn't happened and the old self continues to rule. We're either born again or not. Jesus says when we are lukewarm, not hot or cold, he spits us out of his mouth. 

The old life tries to resurrect. The heat tends to drift to lukewarm. Today I embrace my new Christian life and invite Jesus to turn up the temperature again.

Jesus, thank you for the new life you have given me. Let my heat warm those around me today.

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.

 

Use Your Brain - Keep Your Joy

Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘Remember, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be cunning as serpents and yet as harmless as doves.

Mt.10:16

Jesus is giving instructions to the twelve just prior to them heading off on their first mission trip. He warns that it will be no picnic, that they are to be cunning yet harmless.

These instructions are to all who are engaged in evangelisation, which should be all of us. It seems contradictory to be like a snake and like a dove. My wife just said the saints were like that. Maybe that's the key. Emulate the saints. 

Saint Philip Neri is my current favourite. He was clever (cunning) in the way he established oratories to evangelise parishes in Rome. These were the very first Alpha Courses. Yet he laughed a lot and played with children (harmless). Yes, the saints are the key...

Jesus you were cunning and harmless and you changed the world. Help me use my brain while still keeping my joy as I spread your Good News. 

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for us.

The Sound of Forgiveness

No one therefore was present with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers, but he wept so loudly that all the Egyptians heard, and the news reached Pharaoh’s palace.

Gen.45:1,2

Joseph reveals himself to his brothers who had plotted to kill years earlier. In his position of power as Pharaoh's right hand man Joseph could have had his brothers killed. He chose to forgive although it was painful.

The Egyptian's heard Joseph's loud wailing. "What is that noise? Oh, it's just the sound of a man forgiving." Forgiveness may sometimes be painful but it's always life giving... to everyone.

Jesus, you have forgiven me at great cost. Help me always be an agent of forgiveness and mercy.

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.

 

Bring the Sheep Home

And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.’

Mt.9:36,37

Jesus is moving through the towns and villages, teaching and healing. The crowds that he saw were worn out and sad, causing compassion to well up in him. He saw these tired, dejected people as a rich harvest waiting to be brought home to the rest and peace of God.

This is the game-plan that motivates me. I am moved with compassion for the multitude of harassed and dejected people waiting to brought home to the rest, peace and love of God. This is why the Alpha Course excites me and why I don't have passion for programs and movements that just stroke the wool of the one sheep in the penfold. It's the ninety-nine harassed and dejected out in the wilderness that I want to go out after. 

Lord Jesus, there are so many harassed and dejected. Send labourers to help me bring in your harvest.

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for us.

Believe and be Happy

Doubt no longer but believe.’ Thomas replied, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him: ‘You believe because you can see me. Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.

Jn.20:28,29

The risen Jesus has doubting Thomas place his fingers in his wounds and hand in his side, leading Thomas to give an acclamation of faith. Jesus proclaims a happiness that is in store for all who believe without seeing. 

The devil wants us to doubt our beliefs and believe our doubts. Jesus invites us to doubt our doubts and believe our beliefs. Thomas made this transformation and gained a belief that eventually sent him to the furthest reaches of the known world, to martyrdom and to sainthood. 

Today I embrace my belief in Jesus. I am a Christian and claim the happiness that is promised me.

Lord Jesus, you are my rock, my fortress, my peace and my joy. I place my trust in you.

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for us.

 

Mercy Comes a Running

‘It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. Go and learn the meaning of the words: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. And indeed I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.’

Mt.9:12,13

Jesus is eating with tax collectors and sinners to the consternation of witnessing Pharisees. On hearing this, Jesus explains clearly for whom and why he has come... he came for the sick so they may be well.

When I say to myself I'm ok I distance myself from Jesus. When I admit my brokeness, he rushes into my life. He is merciful and he wants me to be likewise. 

Thank you Jesus for your constant mercy. Help me be merciful to those I meet today so I can help with their healing.

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.

Miraculously Forgiven

Now, which of these is easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up and walk”? But to prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,’ – he said to the paralytic – ‘get up, and pick up your bed and go off home.’ And the man got up and went home.

Mt.9:5-7

Jesus has declared a paralytic has been forgiven his sins. Witnessing Scribes criticise Jesus, so to demonstrate his authority Jesus heals the man of his paralysis. 

If in this story and given a choice, would I choose forgiveness of sins or physical healing? My obvious infirmity would be the expected focus of Jesus' attention. It was because the man was paralysed that his friends brought him to Jesus. Yet, Jesus sees the deeper, more serious malady and heals there first. The man is miraculously forgiven. 

The paralytic is me. I have "thorns in the flesh" that I have placed before Jesus, yet they remain. But my many sins have been forgiven. I am indeed a blessed man who goes leaping and dancing and praising God. I have been  miraculously forgiven.

Thank you Jesus for healing me of my evil heart. I praise your wonderful name.

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.