A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loudly lamenting: it was Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted because they were no more.
Mt.2:18
The Feast of the Holy Innocents sadly every year has new current victims come to mind. This year it is the children of Gaza.
I'm not pro Palestinian. I'm not pro Israeli. I am pro humanity. For God's sake, for the sake of God, let there be peace in the Middle East.
Amen.
I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.'Lk.1:38
With the spirit and power of Elijah, he will go before him to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children and the disobedient back to the wisdom that the virtuous have, preparing for the Lord a people fit for him.
Lk.15:17
Zechariah is receiving the amazing prophecy that he, in his old age, will receive a son. This son , John the Baptist, will be anointed for a mission to prepare the way for the Lord. Primary in his sights will be fathers, to turn their hearts to their children.
No one disputes our western society is in a bad way. The hand-wringing starts when trying to identify why. My two cents worth... the hearts of fathers have turned from their children. I would go further and say there is a silver bullet. Have fathers demonstrably love the mothers of their children. Even if children go to school with an inadequate breakfast and no shoes, if they know that Dad loves Mum... all is well in their world.
Once I have demonstrably loved the mother of my children (for me, an easy task) my heart is turned back to them and I join those people fit for the Lord.
Saint John the Baptist, please pray for us.
Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally.
Mt.1:19
Joseph's kindness and concern for Mary is shown even before Jesus was born. He was the right man to become her husband and the foster father of Jesus.
I've heard it said that womanhood comes naturally to a girl but manhood has to be taught to a boy. To become fully human, Jesus needed a true fleshly man to raise him, someone to teach him what it means to love, protect and provide. Joseph was that man.
Jesus, as Saint Joseph taught you, help me to teach my son and grandsons what it means to be a man.
Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock.
Mt.7:24
Jesus has just warned about false prophets and false disciples. The test for authentic prophets and disciples is to see how they act.
Go on to social media and there is a lot of "Lord, Lord". They are very good at tickling my ears. But how do these speakers act? It would be interesting to ask their wives, husbands, children.
But the power of scripture is that it turns the spotlight on me. How do I act? Am I an authentic disciple?What do my wife and children say about me? I confess I do have my "Lord, Lord" days. Today is a good day to be a sensible man, a man of action.
Jesus, you are my rock. I build my life on you.
Jesus said to them, ‘How many loaves have you?’
Mt.15:34
Jesus is concerned for the large crowd he has been teaching out in the wilderness. He takes the little food the disciples can scratch together and miraculously feeds the multitude.
This is one of the great mysteries of our faith. Jesus takes my paltry offering and magnifies it. All he asks for is something, anything, to work with. It's as if he can't (won't) do anything until I get involved, make a commitment to be part of the solution. Everyday there is always something I can offer him, no matter how small, to further God's Kingdom. What will it be today?
Jesus, it appears you have placed trust in me to be part of your solution. I place my trust in you.
Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.
Lk.21:36
The final gospel of the Church's liturgical year gives good advice for a New Year's Resolution. Stay awake and pray.
So, how should I pray? For strength. It's going to take strength to stand with confidence at Jesus' return. It's a battle. "Gin Street" is always there, tempting and seductive.
The encouragement of other believers is a great source of strength. I'm about to go off to a men's prayer breakfast, a real source of encouragement and strength.
Thank you Jesus for fellow believers that strengthen me for the battle.
At once, leaving the boat and their father, they followed him.
Mt.4:22
Peter and Andrew are called by Jesus while in the very business of being fishermen... steering their boat, casting their net. Their extraordinary response is to immediately cast aside their income stream, fishing, walk away from family, their father, and follow Jesus.
Peter and Andrew's instant and total conversion to followers of Jesus is both impressive and challenging. I'm forced to ask, "What is my commitment to following Jesus?" To be honest, it fluctuates. One day hot and the next, lukewarm.
Jesus has harsh things to say about lukewarm followers (Rev.3:16). Maybe it's time to raise the temperature.
Your endurance will win you your lives.
Lk.21:19
Jesus has just prophesied bad news to his disciples. Persecution and betrayal is coming. But he ends with good news... your endurance will win your lives.
No matter how dire the situation, there is always good news. Dear friends have just received bad news for one of them from their doctor. In their own words, it has rocked them. However, they are believers which means the good news in today's gospel is still theirs to hold on to.
Thank you Jesus for giving my friends, and me, good news to hope for today. I place my trust in you.
He taught in the Temple every day.
Lk.19:47
Jesus has just driven out the money changers from the Temple. He now uses the Temple for what it was intended. Teaching and prayer, his words.
The people didn't miss the money launderers, they "hung on his words", they were being given what they sought.
"His words" are still available for me today in my local church, in scripture, in liturgy, in prayer.
Thank you Jesus for your words to me in our House of Prayer. Speak Lord, your servant is listening.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.
I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?
Lk.18:8
Jesus finishes his parable of the unjust judge by promising God will come to the aid of those who pray persistently, "day and night". The key to fulfilled prayer? Faith.
My mother was an atheist for most of her ninety two years. For at least thirty of those years I and my family prayed for her conversion. She became a professed believer and was baptised five days before she died.
Somewhere within those thirty years of intercession, our prayer changed from pleading to thanking God for what he was doing in my mother's life. It could have been my wife who led that change but it felt right, and more faithful, to pray with thanksgiving.
This is a good reminder for me as I have other family who are in need of persistent prayer.
Thank you Jesus for what you have done, and are doing, in the lives of my family.
For, you must know, the kingdom of God is among you.
Lk.17:21
Jesus is answering a question from the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God was to come. Jesus' answer... now.
The kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven are the same, but different, if such a thing is possible. Maybe it's better to say the kingdom of heaven is within the kingdom of God. Heaven is in heaven while the kingdom of God encompasses everything. So, the kingdom of God can be among us and even within us believers.
At first this sounds too good to be true, but Jesus said it so I believe it. The kingdom of God within me... how wonderful and how scary. I'm a son of the King, which makes me a prince. Today I chose to live like one.
Thank you Jesus. You lift me up from beggar to royalty, from a Jack to a King.
Finding himself cured, one of them turned back praising God at the top of his voice and threw himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.
Lk.17:15
Jesus heals ten lepers, only one of which turns back to praise the source of his healing.
Jesus' response to the one thankful leper hints that more than a physical healing has been gained by this man. "Your faith has saved you" declares Jesus. The other nine lepers are so caught up in the physical that they miss out on the spiritual.
Ingratitude keeps me grounded, in the worst sense of the word. Gratitude lifts me up into the spiritual, where salvation awaits. Oh, I have so much to thank God for. Today I choose to have an attitude of gratitude.
Thank you Jesus for all you have done and are doing in my life.
So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say, “We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.”
Lk.17:10
Jesus is teaching his disciples about duty, which for the Christian can be described in one word. Humility.
For me, humility is an unnatural disposition. How does the song go? "Oh Lord it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way." We smile at these lyrics, but secretly, don't we admit a little bit of that describes us. I'm a pretty good chap. I've worked hard. Don't I deserve...?
Yet, there are wonderful promises given to those who are humble. Blessed are the meek, says Jesus. And of course, Jesus practices what he preaches. He is the Servant King.
I don't think humility comes from trying hard at it. For those truly humble people I have met, humility seems a natural characteristic, like the colour of their eyes. There's something deeper within them, something to do with having absolute confidence that they are loved. Now there's something I don't have to strive for, just knowing that I am loved by God no matter what. And, wonder of wonders, from that comes the desire to serve.
Thank you Jesus for loving me.
Wherever the river flows, all living creatures teeming in it will live. Fish will be very plentiful, for wherever the water goes it brings health, and life teems wherever the river flows.
Ez.47:9,12
Ezekiel describes his vision of a life-giving river flowing from the Temple where God dwells.
This feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica reminds me the Church is universal. Today's Mass will be celebrated throughout the world by the faithful family of God, my family. The life blood of the Church flows freely and is life-giving for me and my family.
Thank you Lord for the universal Church. Bless us all this day I pray.
Pope Sylvester, please pray for us.
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the man who humbles himself will be exalted.
Lk.14:11
Jesus warns against the natural tendency in us all to seek the higher place.
One of the best work bosses I had was the man who first hired me. At the time I was a long haired teenager who thought he knew everything but knew nothing. This man must have seen past my posturing bluff and took me on, gently winning me by his gentleness and humility. There was no blood under his fingernails. I felt safe with him.I remember not wanting to disappoint him, not through fear of him but respect for him.
Humility seems to draw out the best in those subjected to it. Lord, help me be humble before those I meet today that I may help draw out the best from them and in so doing, draw out the best in me.
When we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, we were still enemies; now that we have been reconciled, surely we may count on being saved by the life of his Son?
Rms.5:10
Paul displays the source of our hope of salvation... the death and resurrection of Jesus.
There's a misplaced hope that all good people get to heaven. Not so, only forgiven people do. This means I need to admit I need forgiveness and that there is a person greater than me who is the only one who can grant it.
This is a stumbling block for many and reason enough to pray for all souls here on earth as well as those in purgatory.
Thank you Jesus for dying for me to gain me mercy and hope .
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.
For we must be content to hope that we shall be saved – our salvation is not in sight, we should not have to be hoping for it if it were – but, as I say, we must hope to be saved since we are not saved yet – it is something we must wait for with patience.
Rms.8:24,25
Paul writes to the suffering Church of Rome that present suffering and future glory are two sides of the same coin. Our suffering is made bearable by the hope we have in attaining salvation.
"Are you saved brother?" The only honest answer I can give to this question is, " No, but I have every hope to be". Paul is very clear in saying that salvation is something to be waited for with patience.
Faith is the sure belief that salvation will be mine in Jesus. Hope is based on that faith. Love for God and others is the result. Not a bad way to live out my day today.
Jesus, thank you for the sure hope you give me today. Help me pass on that hope to others I meet today.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.
What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body doomed to death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Rms.7:25
Paul writes of struggle with his fleshly desires. He concludes that, by himself, his case is hopeless. However, with help from Jesus he is victorious.
Paul's admission can be heard in any therapy group today. Nothing has changed in two thousand years. I've said as much myself. The good news is that the antidote is the same as well. Keeping pressed into Jesus is the only way I have to walk the talk. He rescues me.
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Saint Augustine, please pray for me.
Do you suppose that I am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.
Lk.12:51
Jesus' popularity is peaking with crushing crowds now following him. He chooses this time to start preaching the hard side of the gospel such as fire, discord and division.
At first it seems strange to hear the Prince of Peace, who usually prays for unity, unequivocally state he has come to bring discord and division. However, my experience has been that there are two sides to the coin that is the Gospel of Christ. Yes there is peace, joy and love but there is also discord, sadness and animosity.
My conversion to Christianity led to heated discussion within my atheist family. At times I was mocked at work. It was a testing time. I guess this is why Jesus is giving us warning. My zeal had better run deep because it will be tested. The good news is my mother converted on her deathbed.
Jesus, at times it is hard being your follower. Give me courage when I strike opposition.
Happy that servant if his master’s arrival finds him at this employment. I tell you truly, he will place him over everything he owns.
Lk.12:43,44
The Church is approaching the end of the calendar year and shifting her gaze to end times, to the master's return. Jesus' warning is consistent. We do not know the hour or the day of his return but we had best be at our God-given work when he does.
What is that God-given work? The title of "servant" gives a clue. Serving others does not come naturally for me. I'd much prefer it the other way round. Yet, Jesus promises happiness comes with servitude.
Let's give it a try...
Jesus, help me see you in those I meet today so I may serve them with joy.
You too must stand ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Lk.12:40
Jesus instructs his disciples to be always ready for his return, whenever that time may be. The only thing we know for sure is the timing of his return will be unexpected.
I have a friend who was told six months ago he has three months to live. When I visited him yesterday he was very much alive and still waiting. There's a strange sort of comfort in acknowledging it is the Lord who gives life and who takes it away. I don't need to fight for the last nanosecond of my life. The timing of my last heartbeat is already recorded. Worrying about it is not going to change that.
So, what is left? Stand ready says Jesus. Now that is an exciting way to live out each day until he returns.
Thank you Jesus for your perfect timing. I place my trust in you.
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But God said to him, “Fool! This very night the demand will be made for your soul; and this hoard of yours, whose will it be then?” So it is when a man stores up treasure for himself in place of making himself rich in the sight of God.
Lk.12:21
In response to a request to settle a family inheritance dispute, Jesus gives a warning about greed.
It seems almost weekly that a news story surfaces about another family inheritance quarrel before the courts. It makes sad reading about a family imploding. Jesus warns about treasures on earth. They are always temporal, never giving laying satisfaction.
The difficulty is that treasures in heaven aren't visible, aren't always before me. Or are they? I spent time wasting time with some grandchildren yesterday. Treasures? Yes. Eternal? Yes.
Thank you Jesus for the treasures you have given me.
Why, every hair on your head has been counted. There is no need to be afraid: you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.
Lk.12:7
While a crush of people is trying to see Jesus he turns to his friends with a warning (against hypocrisy) and encouragement (don't be afraid).
Every landmass on the planet has sparrows. I can hear them outside my window this morning as I write. They are the most prolific and so could be said to be the most successful of God's creatures. It follows that this quote from Jesus is among the most widely known. We all see the result of God's blessing on sparrows by their proliferation. And yet God wants to bless me even more than hundreds of sparrows.
I have no need to be afraid. What is around the corner will come with or without my worry. I choose not to worry, knowing God knows me intimately and loves me mightily.
Thank you Jesus for your steadfast love. Morning by morning new blessings I see.
In this way God makes his justice known; first, for the past, when sins went unpunished because he held his hand, then, for the present age, by showing positively that he is just, and that he justifies everyone who believes in Jesus.
Rms.93:25,26
Paul writes to the Roman Church declaring that Jesus has won justification for all believers, pagans and Jews alike.
I have experienced God's mercy both in the past and in the present; In the past as an unbeliever when he withheld his hand and the present as a believer when he still withholds his hand. Jesus' sacrifice protected me when, even as an unbeliever, I wouldn't acknowledge him. My indebtedness is huge.
Thank you Father for your mercy. Jesus, help me be an agent of mercy to those I meet today.
Whenever you go into a town where they make you welcome, eat what is set before you. Cure those in it who are sick, and say, “The kingdom of God is very near to you.
Lk.10:8,9
Jesus is instructing the seventy two before their mission trip. They are to seek out the welcoming places, receive whatever support is offered and repay with healing and the Good News: "The kingdom of God is very near to you".
I recall us billeting two members of a visiting youth ministry team for three weeks. Our young family was mightily blessed. It was a pivotal, faith-building time. There is a blessing that comes with welcoming hospitality. We never know when we could be entertaining angels.
Lord Jesus, give me a welcoming spirit today for all those you send my way.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.
Fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside too? Instead, give alms from what you have and then indeed everything will be clean for you.
Lk.11:41
After accepting a Pharisee's invitation to a meal, Jesus rebukes him for his hypocrisy. External observance is only of value if internal life is clean. Jesus suggests almsgiving as a way to clean the interior.
People who are generous are great to be around, they are so encouraging. Giving alms is not a natural action for me. It's always a struggle. Yet, here is Jesus saying almsgiving as the way to cleanliness, a way to purify my soul.
Jesus, help me to be generous with those I meet today that my soul may be made clean.
Saint Barnabas, please pray for me.
He who is not with me is against me; and he who does not gather with me scatters.
Lk.11:23
Jesus is explaining to his detractors how spiritual warfare works. He then delineates all people into two camps. Those with him and those against him.
There's no middle ground with Jesus. He doesn't give any place for the , "He was a great teacher but not God" camp. We either work with the "finger of God" or against him. I choose to gather with Jesus.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. I place my trust in you.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.
If you then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!
Lk.11:13
It is he, the Lord Most High, who gives each his place. In his register of peoples he writes: ‘These are her children,’ and while they dance they will sing: ‘In you all find their home".
Ps.86:5-7
A thousand thousand waited on him, ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. A court was held and the books were opened. I gazed into the visions of the night. And I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man.
Dn.7:10,13
Daniel describes his prophetic vision of the final court of judgement in heaven. All looks bad for the accused until the defence lawyer turns up.
This is my hope. I'm dead meat until Jesus turns up. I'm guilty as accused. Jesus not only pleads for me but also has paid the price for me. I'm free to leave the courtroom. The noose has been removed from around my neck.
My response? Gratitude. I step into my day as a free man with thanksgiving and praise on my lips.
You rescued me and picked me upI am the way, the truth, and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me.
Jn.14:6
Today's Gospel Acclamation has Jesus making a bold, provocative declaration. He is the only way to God the Father.
Jesus is answering Thomas's question, "How can we know the way?" The answer is simple and clear. Know Jesus and know the way. Other religions may have elements of truth, Christianity has the complete truth, in fact, truth incarnate.
This is a great incentive to hang out with Jesus to get to know him better. Today I can find him in holy scripture, in the sacraments, in other Christians, even in the beautiful spring day that is unfolding outside my window. He is there, waiting for me, wanting to show me the way, the truth and life.
Jesus, in you I place my trust. Walk with me today and show me the way.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.
As for the part in the rich soil, this is people with a noble and generous heart who have heard the word and take it to themselves and yield a harvest through their perseverance.
Lk.8:15
Jesus explains the parable of the sower. Of the four types of people Jesus describes only one type bears fruit from the word of God, those with noble and generous hearts.
Noble and generous. These speak of a virtuous character into which Jesus is clearly calling us.
Maybe each time I am tempted to sin, I could ask myself, "Is this noble or generous?" My answer determines the type of soil I am.
Jesus, help me rich soil with a noble and generous heart today.
Saint Padre Pio, please pray for me.
"What description can I find for the men of this generation? What are they like? They are like children shouting to one another while they sit in the market-place."
Lk.7:31,32
Jesus vents his frustration with the fickleness of people with which he is trying to communicate. He damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.
"Children shouting at one another while they sit in the marketplace". Boy, doesn't that describe our social media saturated society. Everyone shouting, no one listening, all very shallow.
This is a good reminder for me to be more mindful of my social media use. I've recently started a new discipline by observing "No Device Sundays". It's quite liberating. I started talking with my family. They seem like nice people.
Jesus, help me shout less and listen more.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.
When the Lord saw her he felt sorry for her. ‘Do not cry’ he said.
Lk.7:13
Jesus has encountered a funeral procession for a widow's only son. The widow is understandably distraught. Jesus' compassion hints at what he is about to do to take away the widow's reason for sadness. Her son is to be raised back to life.
This is a beautiful story because it highlights Jesus' spontaneous compassion. He came to bring life and joyous life at that. That was the direction his compass was set.
Today I need to re-calibrate my compass to lifegiving joy.
Jesus, you naturally bring life and joy. Help me be a joy bearer to those I meet today.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.
A good man draws what is good from the store of goodness in his heart; a bad man draws what is bad from the store of badness. For a man’s words flow out of what fills his heart.
Lk.6:45
Jesus continues his Sermon on the Mount, highlighting the condition of a person that matters to him, the state of the heart.
Jesus constantly talks about a person's heart, that is, one's innermost character, feelings, or inclinations. These can be good or bad. What fills my heart? If I'm honest, a bit of both. The litmus test is to listen to what flows from my mouth (eeek!).
Jesus, today may the words from my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing unto you.
Saints Cornelius and Cyprian, please pray for me.
Mercy, however, was shown me, because until I became a believer I had been acting in ignorance; and the grace of our Lord filled me with faith and with the love that is in Christ Jesus.
1Tim.1:13,14
Paul writes to Timothy, starting with a confession of where he has come from, ignorance, and what has saved him, mercy.
It's good for me to recall the ignorance I have come from. It helps me be empathetic with those I encounter who are ignorant of Jesus. It's even better for me to recall the mercy that has been, and is being, shown to me. That dictates the way in which I reach out to the ignorant.
Jesus, being merciful isn't easy but it's essential if I am to be an authentic witness for you. Help me eliminate the judgement within me and accentuate the mercy.
Our Lady of Sorrows, please pray for me.
For God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved.
Jn.3:17
Jesus is explaining to Nicodemus the purpose of his mission, not to condemn the world but to save it.
Before I was a believer I didn't need to be condemned, I already knew I was basically rotten. What I needed was hope, hope of being saved. If I am a true follower of God's Son, I should be continuing his mission of offering hope of salvation to the world.
It's high time my parish ran another Alpha Course. It's not the only way to offer Jesus' message of hope but it's the best way I've come across so far.
Saint Helena, please pray for me.
Happy are you who are poor, ...who are hungry, ...who weep.
Luke 6:20-26
Jesus starts his sermon on the mount with the challenging and counter cultural litany of the Beatitudes.
The Beatitudes are unsettling. At first reading they can sound as though Jesus is endorsing the hardships of poverty, hunger and sadness as the preferred state of living. I don't believe so. Certainly in my own life, suffering is where I tend to open up more to God and invite him in. It's in those times I am closest to God who knows all suffering. It's in those times I am blessed.
Lord Jesus, I want to invite you into my life in the good times and in the bad. I invite you in today.
Saint John Chrysostom, please pray for me.
Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally.
Mt.1:19
Mary is honoured today because of her yes to becoming the mother of Jesus. Her yes drew out a yes from an essential second player in the drama of God's incarnation, Joseph.
Very little is written about Joseph but what is recorded says a lot; "Being a man of honour". Oh, that these five words could be said about me. Honour is the quality of not only knowing, but doing what is morally right.
As a tree is defined by its fruit, the character of Joseph is revealed by his wife, by his son. The Holy Family reflects the character of the man.
Fatherhood is a blessed and scared role given to me. Jesus, help me be a man of honour as I father my family.
Saint Joseph, please pray for me.
You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets also.
Mt.22:37-39
Jesus answers the Sadducees trick question with a concise description of mankind's purpose in life... love God and love others.
Dare I add to Jesus' command by saying, I love God by loving others. Today is a fresh opportunity to do just that. If I am able to express love to another in word or deed, my day will have been successful.
Jesus, help me be a channel of your love to the people I meet today.
Saint Stephen, please pray for me.
Then Peter spoke. ‘What about us?’ he said to him ‘We have left everything and followed you. What are we to have, then?’
Mt.19:27
Following on from the rich young man walking sadly away, Jesus teaches how difficult it is for us to let go of material things in order to follow him. Peter expresses all our concerns. What about us getting into the kingdom? Is it impossible?
Jesus assures Peter, and me, that the kingdom of God is attainable to all who follow him. It just won't be in the order we are used to. The first will be last and the last first. My focus is to simply keep on following. Yes, I will stumble. But the getting back up and doggedly following will result in what at first appeared impossible, my walking through the very gates of heaven.
Saint Peter, the first stumbling follower, please pray for me.
If you wish to be perfect, go and sell what you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.
Mt.19:21
The rich young man leads a pious life but Jesus calls him to more, to a sacrifice he is unable to do. He is recorded as the only genuinely seeking person to walk away from Jesus sad.
I was a huge Beatles fan (showing my age). At great expense, my wife bought me the complete boxed set of Beatles albums. As I grew in my faith I started feeling uneasy about my Beatles mania. It wasn't so much their music that I worshipped , it was their lifestyle. For me, they had become gods. To rid myself of this I gouged a screwdriver across each record in the boxed set and then threw them in the bin.
Extreme? Maybe. I certainly felt freer afterwards. My wife was sympathetic. She understood my motive. Now, I'm not saying Beatles music is from the devil. It's not. But for me it had become an obstacle I had to remove. We all have different obstacles I guess and even these can change over the years. What's important is that I'm aware stuff can get in the way of me moving further up and further in. I don't want to be the one sadly walking away from Jesus.
Saint Pius X, please pray for me.
Let the little children alone, and do not stop them coming to me; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.
Mt.19:14
Jesus rebukes the disciples who are stopping children from coming to him. He elevates children to level of primary inheritors of the kingdom of heaven.
I help lead Children's Liturgy in our parish. For me, it is the most fulfilling of all ministries. Children are blank slates, carrying no baggage. They are so open to the Gospel it is breathtaking. Their openness and faith in the Good News challenges me. Truly they are ready candidates for the kingdom.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.
I cancelled all that debt of yours when you appealed to me. Were you not bound, then, to have pity on your fellow servant just as I had pity on you?
Mt.18:32,33
Jesus is answering Peter's question on how many times we must forgive. Peter thinks he is being generous with suggesting seven times and I would agree. Jesus shockingly ups the ante. We should never stop forgiving.
This is another facet of the amazing grace of God over which Jesus keeps circling back. Why so much emphasis on grace, mercy and forgiveness? Because we're so bad at it.
I like to think I'm a forgiving sort of chap, but I'm not. I love the black and white of the law. I love to see perpetrators suffer in their repayment. There's nothing much outrageous about my grace. Jesus expects better of me. As CS Lewis said, "To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you."
Jesus, help me to let go of resentments and to forgive outrageously.
Saint Stephen, please pray for me.
For where two or three meet in my name, I shall be there with them.
Mt.18:20
Jesus makes a solemn promise to the Church. All we have to do is turn up, in his name, and he is there.
Does this mean our individual prayer is not received by Jesus? Of course not. It's just that he is present in a different way in a Christian gathering, in a way that is not better but in a way that is essential. Jesus never intended for most of us to be Lone Ranger Christians. We are intended to gather. I need others and others need me.
This "group power" is found in my family prayer time, in my meeting with other Catholic brothers and in my parish. Thank God for Church.
Jesus, thank you for my Church. Help me be present to my brothers and sisters in faith and so present to you.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.
If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Mt.16:24
I tell you, most solemnly, unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain; but if it dies, it yields a rich harvest.
Jn.12:24
In predicting his own death, Jesus teaches a fundamental truth of Christianity. In dying to ourselves we gain eternal life.
Death is only seen by Christianity as an attractive thing to attain. My natural inclination says it is something to avoid. Generosity calls me to die to myself, to give without counting.
Jesus, you know my self obsession. Help me die to myself and be generous to others today.
Saint Laurence, please pray for me.
You are God’s chosen race, his saints; he loves you, and you should be clothed in sincere compassion, in kindness and humility, gentleness and patience.
Col.3:12
Saint Paul instructs the Church at Colossae in the type of life they are to live as believers. Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience are the believer's hallmarks.
The virtues listed by Paul are contrary to the strength, aggression and hedonism lauded by the world. Yet, they are what we all hunger for. If I want a world of kindness and patience where people are more inclined to compassion and humility, then let it start with me.
Jesus, you know my grasping self centeredness. Forgive me Lord and help turn my obsessions off myself and onto others.
Saint Mary of the Cross, please pray for me.
John’s disciples came and took the body and buried it; then they went off to tell Jesus.
Mt.14:12
John the Baptist's head has been cut off at the vengeful and macabre direction of Herod's wife. John's followers, in their grief, do the only thing left to them. Go to Jesus.
When grief is at its peak and despair takes a hold, Jesus is waiting. I'm reminded of the two disciples, in their trauma over Jesus' death, stumbling along the road to Emmaus. The risen Lord meets them not only physically but also emotionally. In response to their incoherent outpouring of grief over the "things" that had happened, Jesus asks, "What things?" This starts the movement from intense sorrow to joy for the two disciples.
I recall rushing to two dear friend's home on learning of the suicide of their son. At first we could only weep with them. Then someone said, "Let's pray". A corner was turned at that point as we poured out our sorrow to Jesus.
Jesus, you are the only one to turn to in our sorrow. Thank you Lord for your healing love.
Saint John the Baptist, please pray for us.
And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.
Mt.9:36
Jesus is preaching and healing in towns and villages. The desperation and sadness he encountered moved compassion within him.
Compassion: Concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. This was the hallmark of Jesus when on earth and is to be the hallmark of all who follow him. Others may shrug their shoulders and call it karma. A Christian rolls up his sleeves and helps the one who is suffering.
The task can seem overwhelming. The key is to focus on one person at a time.
Jesus, help me have your compassion for the harassed and dejected I meet today.
Saint John Vianney, please pray for me.
Once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.
Lk.9:62
Jesus sets the tone for what it means to be a follower of him. No rest, no burying your dead, no saying goodbye.
Now, all these things are good in themselves, sometimes even necessary, so what is Jesus saying? Maybe it's that following him is not a stroll in the park. There's an urgency to being Christian. When I find myself in cruise mode I'm usually losing altitude.
Jesus, help me maintain energy and urgency in my faith so I can till more ground and more ground effectively.
Saint Dominic, please pray for me.
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field...
Mt.13:44
Jesus is using parables to describe the indescribable value of heaven, not only of heaven but of God who resides there.
With both the treasure found in a field and the pearl of great price, the finders sold everything they had to obtain them. The treasure and the pearl were seen as worth much more than what the finders already had.
I recall the time before I was Christian when I thought I had it all. It was only after meeting Jesus that I realised how tiny and poverty stricken my hedonistic world was. The seduction of the world had blinkered me.
How do I stop sliding back into that tiny self centered space? A start is getting my gaze off the reconstituted dust of counterfeit sparkling trinkets and back onto the treasure. And where is the treasure found? Good places to start looking are in the sacraments, in my daily prayer time, in fellow believers. In truth, the treasure can be found anywhere.
Thank you Jesus for revealing yourself to me today. I keep my eyes on you.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.
The Son of Man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all things that provoke offences and all who do evil, and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. Then the virtuous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Listen, anyone who has ears!
Mt.13:41,43
Jesus is explaining the parable of the weeds among the wheat. At the end of time there are only two possibilities for all people... heaven or hell.
We all believe in heaven and want to get there. The possibility of the fire of hell and me providing fuel for it is not quite so attractive.
Jesus doesn't pussyfoot around this topic to spare my sensibilities. He is very clear that there is a place called hell and many, sadly, will end up there. My job is to make sure I, and as many others as possible, don't fuel its fires.
I have New Age family members who believe in a nirvana into which everyone will simply drift after death. I've even heard this belief within the Church. Where do I start to counter this heresy? I guess shine a light in the opposite direction. Introduce them to love in the person of Jesus. He has promised if I lift him up he will draw all to himself, even my New Age family members.
Saint Alphonsus de' Liguori, please pray for us.
The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed ... The kingdom of heaven is like yeast...
Mt.13:31, 33
Jesus explains how the kingdom of heaven starts small and insignificant but ends up being mighty and all encompassing.
From small beginnings to huge results, that's been my experience of the kingdom of heaven. My conversion started with admiring my bride's Catholic faith but happy to leave it as "her faith". It ended by affecting every day, every hour, every minute of my life! Yeast is like that. I'm learning to respect the small beginnings that I see in others. God alone knows where they will end up. I had to drink milk before I could eat the meat of faith.
And it's not over for me yet. The yeast continues to ferment and expand, until it will carry me through the very gates of heaven itself.
Saint Ignatius of Loyola, please pray for us.
‘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?’
Jn.11:25
In answer to Martha's rebuke for being too late to attend to her dying brother Lazarus, Jesus reveals his ultimate plan not just for Lazarus but for all of us. Even though we die, we will live.
If our faith has anything to say about anything, it has something to say about death. Death does not have the final say, Jesus does.
I am walking alongside a friend who is dying of cancer. He has a strong faith in Jesus and in life after death. Even though his current walk is pain-filled and terminal, he has a wonderful hope. He knows his death is not the end of his story. It's just the bottom of the title page. His real life story is about to begin.
Thank you Jesus for gaining the victory over death. I believe in you.
Saint Martha, please pray for me.
And the one who received the seed in rich soil is the man who hears the word and understands it; he is the one who yields a harvest and produces now a hundredfold, now sixty, now thirty.
Mt.13:23
Jesus unpacks his parable of the sower. The good soil represents the man in whom the seed of God's word is most fruitful.
We all want to be the good soil in the parable. Maybe, in our pride, we secretly think we are already good soil. The synoptic Gospel passage in Luke 8:15 has Jesus describing the good soil as people "with a noble and generous heart".
I find this a good litmus test of my thoughts/words/deeds. Is what I have thought/said/done either noble or generous? If not, it's time for the Confessional (again).
Jesus, help me uproot what prevents me having a noble and generous heart today.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.
The disciples went up to Jesus and asked, ‘Why do you talk to them in parables?’ ‘Because’ he replied, ‘the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven are revealed to you, but they are not revealed to them.
Mt.13:10,11
Why does Jesus speak in parables? Because there is a mystery to what he teaches and parables engage faith and reason to present the truth.
I recall wanting to understand everything about Christianity before becoming Christian. That was a stumbling block. It wasn't until I chose to step out in faith (scary) that I came to understand. That's the workings of a mystery.
Faith keeps the fire of my first love burning hot. Reason draws me further up and further in. I need both for as long as I am in this mortal coil. I'll need neither when I meet Jesus face to face in heaven.
Thank you Jesus for presenting your mysteries so I can look and see, hear and understand.
Saint Thomas Aquinas, please pray for me.
‘Happy are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! I tell you solemnly, many prophets and holy men longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.’
Mt.13:16,17
Mother Church has chosen these verses for the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, the parents of Mamma Mary and the grandparents of Jesus. What did they see and hear? They saw the infant Jesus and they heard his cry. The saw and heard love.
There's no mention of Joachim and Anne in the Bible. All we know is that Mary would have had parents and they most likely would have seen and heard their grandson Jesus. We also see their character, reflected in their daughter Mary, a character fine enough to be chosen as the Mother of God.
What character have I given to be reflected in my five children and my sixteen (so far) grandchildren?
Jesus, help me be an inspiration of love and devotion to you for my family.
Saints Joachim and Anne, please pray for me.
Jesus said, ‘Mary!’ She knew him then and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbuni!’ – which means Master.
Jn.20:16
Mary Magdalen is the first person to experience Easter as she meets the risen Jesus outside the tomb. She is taken from Good Friday to Easter Sunday by the calling of her name.
To my mind, the first reading from the Song of Songs is a natural choice for the feast day of Saint Mary Magdalen. It starts describing a very physical, sexual love. Eros. It ends with a deeper, more profound heart-love. Agape. I picture Mary's relationship with Jesus moving through these stages (Gospel according to Mike).
In today's Gospel, Mary's agape love for Jesus is consummated by the calling of her name. This fulfilled relationship with Jesus is available to every Christian believer... is available to me. My name is being called by the one whom my heart loves.
Thank you Jesus for calling my name. I place my love before you.
Saint Mary Magdalen, please pray for me.
And if you had understood the meaning of the words: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the blameless.
Mt.12:7
Jesus answers criticism from the Pharisees about his disciples picking and eating corn on the Sabbath. He places mercy on a higher level than the law.
There's a little Pharisee in me that baulks at mercy. The law is so neat and clean, so black and white, so easy to administer. Mercy is messy. There's always a nagging suspicion that those who are being given mercy are getting off the hook.
Well, that's exactly true for me. I've been let off the hook. Jesus has been oh so merciful to me. I'd be dead without it. God's mercy and grace is called outrageous for good reason. It is outrageous and wonderfully so. I want to be an agent of outrageous mercy today.
Jesus, I place the little Pharisee in me on the Cross to be nailed there. Help me be an agent of outrageous mercy today.
Saint Maria Goretti, please pray for me.
Jesus said, ‘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 gives an irresistible invitation. Give me your burdens and I will give you rest.
Who among us has never felt overburdened, felt in need of rest? Being fully human, Jesus knew exhaustion, he knew rest. His yoke is one of gentleness and humility.
When I am gentle, when I am humble I am inevitably rested. The opposite is also true. When I am harsh, when I am proud, these take constant energy and I end up exhausted. It is said more muscles are engaged in a frown than in a smile.
Lord Jesus, help me be gentle and humble today.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.
As you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. You received without charge, give without charge.
Mt.10:7,8
Jesus commissions the twelve for their first mission trip. They are to proclaim, cure, raise, cleanse and cast out. Their motivation is clear. They have received, now it is time to give.
Jesus' commission applies to every believer. Giving is worthy only when it comes from gratitude. Any other motivation can make it self-serving.
Lord Jesus, you have given me everything. Help me be as generous to others.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.
Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; if they do, the skins burst, the wine runs out, and the skins are lost. No; they put new wine into fresh skins and both are preserved.
Mt.9:17
Jesus is asked why his followers don't fast as John the Baptist's followers and the Pharisees do. In reply, Jesus introduces a new discipline in place of rote fasting, the discipline of discernment.
There is a time for every purpose under heaven, a time for fasting and a time for feasting. Seasons and circumstance change. I need to be discerning in my Christian walk but I don't trust my own discernment. I need the wisdom, discernment and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Come Holy Spirit, fall afresh on me.
Then some people appeared, bringing him a paralytic stretched out on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, ‘Courage, my child, your sins are forgiven.’
Mt.9:2
A paralytic is brought to Jesus by his friends. Their action reveals faith that fuels a double healing for the paralytic, healing of his body and forgiveness of his sins.
Jesus has never called me to be a Lone Ranger. I both need friends and need to be a friend. When this two way synergy is happening, there is church.
Lord Jesus, show me the people needing my friendship and help me be befriended today.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.
A leper now came up and bowed low in front of him. ‘Sir,’ he said ‘if you want to, you can cure me.’ Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him and said, ‘Of course I want to! Be cured!’
Mt.8:1-3
Jesus has just completed his Sermon on the Mount. His first act from spontaneous compassion is to heal a leper.
The Sermon on the Mount is the longest recorded teaching from Jesus. It's as though Jesus says "Enough talk", as he instantly heals the leper. He is almost impatient to heal.
For Jesus, there was a time to teach and a time to act. For me, there is a time to listen and a time to act. Listening without acting is not an option in the Christian life. I just need to be sure the action is motivated by love.
Jesus, sometimes I'm impulsive not from love. I can be impatient, judgemental, and angry. Help me check my motivation before acting.
Saint Peter, man of tamed impulsiveness, please pray for me
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.
Mt.16:19
The greatest authority Jesus could give the Church was the authority to forgive sins. Authority over demons, over sickness, even over death are all lesser. As the Pharisees acknowledged, only God can forgive sins.
The most anticipated event of my reception into the Church was receiving Holy Communion. A very close second was receiving absolution in the sacrament of confession. I strained for the peace I knew only this sacrament could give.
It's time I again darkened the doorway of the confessional.
Saints Peter and Paul, please pray for me.
Enter by the narrow gate, since the road that leads to perdition is wide and spacious, and many take it; but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Mt.7:13,14
Jesus continues his Sermon on the Mount with a warning that the road to hell is deceptively easy and attractive while the road to eternal life can be difficult and requires effort.
This is counter to popular belief, even within the Church, that you have to work to go to hell and that most people will simply drift into heaven without effort.
I'm finding that, yes, following Jesus involves sacrifice, selflessness, discipline, lifting up others, self denial... in short, it requires effort. But, I'm also finding it a joyful way to live here and now. The benefits aren't just eternal but also temporal.
Lord, help me choose the narrow gate today, the difficult way that leads to you.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.
Store up treasures for yourselves in heaven.
Mt.6:20
Jesus continues his Sermon on the Mount, warning of the destruction that follows earthly lust and endorsing the benefits of heavenly treasure.
There is a tension here for me as I live in the world. Worldliness is required to eat, to sleep, to work, even to love. What I'm hearing Jesus say is that while engaged in my world, keep one eye firmly fixed on heaven. That keeps it all in perspective.
Saint Paul, please pray for me.
Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours; but if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failings either.
Mt.6:15
Jesus chooses to highlight one particular verse from his newly given prayer to the Church. Forgive us as we forgive others.
This puts the "love your enemies" and "pray for those who persecute you" commands into action. My loving and my intercession can only come from my first forgiving. Jesus knew that following him is as easy and as difficult as that.
Saint Stephen, please pray for me.
Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest.
Mt.11:28
Jesus offers what every human soul is seeking. Rest.
When I am rested I am at peace. When I am at peace I have greater energy to love. When I love I can get overburdened. When I am overburdened I can go to Jesus for rest.
The true circle of life.
Saint John the beloved, please pray for me.
Go and be reconciled with your brother first.
Mt.5:24
Jesus provides the way to stop anger in its tracks. Be reconciled.
To reconcile is to restore, in this case to restore friendly relations. Unbridled anger always leads to sin, at its worst in the form of murder. Reconciliation defuses the destructive force of anger.
One who reconciles is a peacemaker. Jesus says peacemakers are blessed and are called the children of God. They most closely express God's character.
I've found that offering reconciliation often involves giving up my rights. If I am an authentic follower of Jesus I can do no less.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.
You are the salt of the earth... you are the light of the world.
Mt.5:15,14
Jesus uses simple analogies to present what his disciples are to be in the world. Salt and light.
Salt and light make a huge difference to the environment they are in. The world ignores self absorbed, inconsequential Christians. If I'm not making a difference, it's questionable as to whether I'm authentically Christian.
Lord, today may the world see my good deeds so our Father in heaven may be glorified.
Saint Anthony of Padua, please pray for me.
It is the Lord who gives sight to the blind,
who raises up those who are bowed down,
the Lord, who protects the stranger
and upholds the widow and orphan.
Ps.145:8,9
Today's psalm proclaims the compassion and goodness of God. It could well be added to the canticle of Tobit whose sight has just been restored in the first reading.
Praising God for his transcending goodness is a great way to step into my day.
Thank you Lord God for your mercy, your forgiveness, your love. Help me reflect your love for those I meet today.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.
One of the scribes came up to Jesus and put a question to him, ‘Which is the first of all the commandments?’
Mk.12:28
Jesus gives the first and the second greatest commandments in answer to the scribe's question. Love God and love others.
An authentic question from a scribe is rare. Jesus's definition of the two greatest commandments draws an acclamation of faith from the scribe that is so great Jesus proclaims he is very near to the kingdom of God.
Love God and love others. Here are the supreme marching orders for every Christian, marching orders for me. It's that simple and that difficult. It defines what makes life worth living.
Saint John the beloved, please pray for me.
Next morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered to the roots. Peter remembered. ‘Look, Rabbi,’ he said to Jesus, ‘the fig tree you cursed has withered away.’ Jesus answered, ‘Have faith in God.'
Mk.11:20-22
A fig tree is cursed for bearing no fruit, even though it is out of season. Faith produces fruit no matter the season.
This appears to be a curious event. Jesus curses a fig tree for having no fruit, even though the time was out of season for figs. I would have thought Jesus could have forgiven the fig tree for being seasonal. But Jesus emphasises that fruit for God's kingdom should appear no matter the season. How? By faith.
I'm in a season of later life. Too old for fruit? Not according to Jesus.
Saint Peter, please pray for me.
Then Jesus spoke, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ ‘Rabbuni,’ the blind man said to him ‘Master, let me see again.’
Mk.10:51
Persistent shouting from the blind beggar Bartimaeus earns him an audience with Jesus. He asks Jesus for a miracle healing and his faith in Jesus earns the miracle.
Why would Jesus ask a blind beggar what it is he wants? Is it not obvious? Yes, his blindness is obvious, but his faith is not. It was faith Jesus was looking for. "Go, your faith has saved you", says Jesus to Bartimaeus and immediately his sight is restored.
It is good to name what is needed as this exercises faith. From faith comes miracles. I'm praying in faith for healing for a friend with multiple stage four cancers.
Lord Jesus, you raised Lazarus from the dead. You can heal my friend, for your glory.
Bartimaeus, please pray for us.
Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months.
Lk.1:56
Mary's first response on learning that Elizabeth was with child was to go to her and stay with her. That's what love does.
Mary is still grappling with the news she is pregnant herself. She needed a friend's support. Elizabeth gives her that the moment they greet. This strengthens Mary to step up to her new role as Mother of God. Her Magnificat shows she is ready.
I have three "Elizabeths" in my life, life-giving friends who speak candidly and prophetically into my life. I call them my 3:00 am friends. I could call them at 3:00 am for help and know I would receive it. I am blessed.
Who can I be an "Elizabeth" to today?
Saint Elizabeth, please pray for me.
At that time Peter began to tell Jesus, ‘What about us? We have left everything and followed you.’
Mk.10:28
The rich young man has just walked away despondent at not being able to meet Jesus' challenge to give his wealth away. Impetuous Peter speaks what's on all the disciples'minds... what about us? We gave everything away to follow you. What do we get in return?
What's in it for me? A very human response when the demands being made are big. Being overtly Christian costs me. Not as much as some truly persecuted believers in other countries but still, there's a price to pay in our secular society. We are regarded as a lunatic fringe group at best, dangerous bigots at worst.
Jesus gives an answer. Everything is in it for you Mike, especially where it counts in eternity.
Saint Peter the asker of good questions, please pray for me.
There were many other things that Jesus did; if all were written down, the world itself, I suppose, would not hold all the books that would have to be written.
Jn.21:25
John puts down his pen after writing his account of the life and works of Jesus. Then he writes one last verse, a postscript, adding there is so much more to say but it would be impossible to record.
Jesus is alive and still at work. His story continues to be told in the life of every believer, and continues to be told in my life. What will I write in the Gospel According to Mike today?
Jesus, let me write about your love in my day today.
Saint John the Apostle, please pray for me.
Jesus showed himself to his disciples, and after they had eaten he said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me.
Jn.21:15
The resurrected Jesus appears to the apostles and converses with Peter. Peter's three-time affirmation of his love for Jesus helps him move on from his earlier three-time denial and pick up his mantle of leadership in the fledgling Church.
There's power in voicing a belief. Speaking out makes the belief take deeper roots. A tree with deeper roots withstands the storm and can protect others. Jesus knew Peter would soon need to do this for the persecuted Church he was called to lead.
How deep are my roots of faith? Where can I speak out in order to deepen them? Anywhere and everywhere. Anytime and all the time.
Jesus, give me courage to speak out my belief in you.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.
Holy Father, I pray not only for these, but for those also who through their words will believe in me. May they all be one.
Jn.17:20,21
I am not asking you to remove them from the world, but to protect them from the evil one.
Jn.17:15
In Jesus' final prayer for his disciples in the upper room he calls on God the Father's protection for them. They are in a hostile world, under attack from the evil one.
This "in the world but not of the world" reality continues for all believers today, for me today. The antidote for this hostility is love and joy. I'm to work in the opposite spirit. That's how Jesus' command to go make disciples is acted out. It's the reason I'm not being removed, not just yet.
Jesus, you promised to be with me always. With your promise I step out into a hostile world to win it for you with love and joy.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.
I tell you most solemnly, you will be weeping and wailing while the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy.
Jn.16:20
You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy.
Jn.16:20
Jesus is giving a glimpse into end times. For a time, a short time, he will be physically absent from earth. But... he will return and our joy will return with him, never to depart.
Jesus never promised the absence of pain, suffering and sorrow on earth. But he has promised he will return and sorrow will depart to be replaced with everlasting joy. Joy will have the final say and it's the final say that counts.
Thank you Jesus for your promise to return. This promise gives me joy today.
Saint Paul, please pray for me.
I still have many things to say to you...but when the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth.
Jn.16:12,13
Jesus knows he's running out of time. The cohort is already forming that will lead him to his passion and death on the cross. He has a plan B that will become plan A after his ascension. That plan is the Holy Spirit.
The "many things" Jesus wanted say have been entrusted to the Holy Spirit who in turn has entrusted them to Sacred Scripture, Mother Church's teachings and traditions and, dare I say, to me. When these all line up in agreement, we have a glimpse into the "many things".
Pentecost is coming. Come Holy Spirit, fall afresh...
Become a believer in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, and your household too.
Acts16:31
High drama as an earthquake miraculously frees Paul and Silas from gaol. The gaoler is rescued from suicide and led to life as a believer, along with his household.
From death to life through Jesus. What a great story showing the dramatic change to life allowing Jesus in can have. My conversion was not so rapid but a Copernican revolution nonetheless, a 180 degree about turn to a fullness of life I had never previously experienced.
It's good to remember my conversion story. I walk into today with gratitude in my heart and a desire to call others into the fullness of life only found in Jesus.
Saints Paul and Silas, please pray for me.
I call you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have learnt from my Father.
Jn.15:15
Knowing his death was imminent, Jesus ups the stakes he has with his disciples. They are no longer servants, they are friends.
There are no secrets with Jesus. He has told everything to us, his friends. Scripture, the teachings and traditions of Mother Church contain it all. Friendship with God has been given to me. What an outrageous claim that can be made in no other religion.
I step into today and whatever it contains with this assurance. Beside me walks my friend, who is God.
Lord Jesus, I accept your offer of friendship. Holy Spirit, help me live as God's friend today.
Saint Peter, please pray for me.
I have told you this so that my own joy may be in you and your joy be complete.
Jn.15:11
Jesus gives his great final discourse immediately before being arrested. His final gift to all believers is complete joy.
What is the "this" he has told? To remain in his love. His love has been given through the sacraments, starting with baptism, has been given in his Word, and has been given in his Church of fellow believers. Jesus' inference is that I can move away from his love. Indeed, I drift away from his love each time I sin.
So, today I have the task of remaining in God's love and receiving complete joy.
Thank you Jesus for your sublime and divine gift of complete joy.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.
I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing.
Jn.15:5
This reminds me of Steve Green's classic song 'He'll take Care of the Rest' where there's a great verse...
Remember he is de vine, and you are de branch,
He loves to get you through it if you give Him a chance
Just keep doing your best and pray that it's blessed
Jesus takes care of the rest.
Sometimes I judge I'm not bearing much fruit. This is a great reminder to "keep doing my best and pray that it's blessed" and let Jesus take care of the rest.
Saint Peter, please pray for me.
For he (Barnabas) was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith. And a large number of people were won over to the Lord.
Acts.11:24
Barnabas was entrusted by the Apostles to go and assess what was happening in Antioch. The Holy Spirit residing in him affirmed that the preaching to Greeks was producing good fruit.
The Church is starting to grow and its growth was not from Jewish converts but from the pagans. This was unexpected and unsettling. Yet, on investigation it was seen as a genuine work of the Holy Spirit.
It took good, Jewish men such as Barnabas, filled with the Holy Spirit, to let the early Church move in a new and fruitful direction. The Church eventually became a church not of the Jews but of the gentiles.
It seems a prerequisite to being in the center of a move of the Holy Spirit is to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Come Holy Spirit, fall afresh on me.
Saint Barnabas, please pray for me.
I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep.
Jn.10:11
Jesus addresses Pharisees who are enraged by Jesus healing a blind man on the Sabbath. He highlights the difference between their shepherding and his. He is prepared to lay down his very life.
I associate with the sheep carried across Jesus' shoulders. I'm weak. I stray. I get lost. I follow my own path. I need such a shepherd.
Thank you Lord that you carry me home again and again. You are my good shepherd. I am your sheep.
Then Jesus said to the Twelve, ‘What about you, do you want to go away too?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe; we know that you are the Holy One of God.’
Jn.6:67-69
Many disciples leave Jesus after his insistence that his body and blood are to be consumed to gain eternal life. He then asks his closest friends if they want to leave too. Peter gives the only answer possible for a believer... to whom else would we go?
A point eventually comes when I find a teaching too hard or I'm disappointed in prayer or in the Church. At such times I ask Peter's question, to whom else would I go? This refocuses me on the person of Jesus, my best friend, my lover, my healer, my saviour.
It's a good question to ask. It reinvigorates my faith and trust in him.
Jesus, you alone have the words of everlasting life.
Saint Catherine of Siena, please pray for me.
And so, while the Jews demand miracles and the Greeks look for wisdom, here are we preaching a crucified Christ; to the Jews an obstacle that they cannot get over, to the pagans madness, but to those who have been called, whether they are Jews or Greeks, a Christ who is the power and the wisdom of God.
1Cor.1:22-24
Paul is very aware about the challenge of the Cross, how it appears as an obstacle and madness. He is also very clear that coupled with belief, it is the supreme wisdom of God.
There is a winsome madness about the Christian message. The Cross is the ultimate symbol for love. God so loved the world that he handed his torturers the nails. God so loved the world that he begged forgiveness for his executioners. God is so lovesick for me that he died for me.
What is my response to such mad love? To love him and those he loves.
Saint Peter Chanel, please pray for me.
I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.
Jn.6:51
Jesus confronts the mob surging after him for more miracles with a clear explanation of who he is and why he has come. He is bread to be consumed for the life of the world.
As a non-Catholic, this was the great stumbling block for me. I associated with the people shaking their heads saying this is too hard to believe. However, I couldn't get around it. Jesus is emphatic on this point, repeating over six times, "eat my flesh, drink my blood".
In the end I had to concede if Jesus said it then I believe it. The eucharist is now the main reason I could never leave the Catholic Church. It has become my food for life.
Thank you Jesus for your wonderful gift of the eucharist. You give me eternal life.
Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation. He who believes and is baptised will be saved.
Mk.16:15,16
Jesus gives the apostles their final commission, go proclaim, heal, and cast out. He then ascends to heaven and the apostles do as commanded. They go.
Two thousand years later the command remains. We tend to be a Church that stays rather than goes. Somewhere along the line we have handed over the commission to the missionaries, the professionals. Jesus says anyone who believes has been given power and authority to use, to go with. To not go is a sign of unbelief.
Lord, show me who to go to and how to go.
Saint Mark the Apostle, please pray for me.
There is a small boy here with five barley loaves and two fish; but what is that between so many?
Jn.6:9
Jesus gives the twelve an opportunity to meet the need of five thousand hungry people. They looked at the problem and saw only obstacles. Jesus looked for the solution and found it in the offering of the least significant person, a small boy with five loaves and two fish.
I'm impressed that Jesus used the smallest of offerings from the weakest person to perform his miracle of feeding the five thousand. I look at world poverty, at my country's growing godlessness, at the burgeoning sadness and sickness of spirit in people and I feel overwhelmed.
The small boy's offering restores my hope. I can make a difference, as Mother Teresa said, one hungry person at a time.
Jesus, help me see the individuals in the mass and respond with charity, one person at a time.
Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta, please pray for me.
By his own right hand God has now raised him up to be leader and saviour, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins.
Acts.5:31
The apostles are brought before the Sanhedrin, accused of preaching about Jesus after being instructed not to. Their defence is to preach about Jesus.
There's something about good news that compels a believer to tell others. Good news travels fast. Peter summarises the good news of what the role is of the risen Jesus, to lead and save by giving repentance and forgiveness.
Holy Spirit, compel me to tell the good news about Jesus to those I meet today.
There was a Levite of Cypriot origin called Joseph whom the apostles surnamed Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’). He owned a piece of land and he sold it and brought the money, and presented it to the apostles.
Acts.4:36,37
The early Church lives as a community, sharing all they have. Barnabas is recorded as a shining example of support and encouragement to the apostles.
Encouragement (n): The act of giving someone support, confidence, or hope. This is a great virtue to be practiced by believers. It is love in action.
I love the company of encouragers. We are currently being blessed by an encourager who is helping us branch out into coffee at our bakery. He keeps saying how great it will be for our business and he has helped in setting up the coffee machine and training staff. He truly is a son of encouragement.
Lord, you always saw and drew out the best in people. Help me do likewise today and be a "Son of Encouragement".
Alleluia, alleluia!
This is the day the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad.
Alleluia!
Today's Gospel Acclamation encapsulates the joy of Easter. The only sensible response to the Good News that Christ is risen is joy and gladness.
Today is Easter Saturday, day seven of the Easter Octave. Easter is so big that the Church has made Easter Sunday last eight days. Eight days of long faces stuck in Lent? No! Eight days of riotous joy.
That's the Church I love.
Alleluia, Christ is risen!
He's risen indeed, alleluia, alleluia!
Throw the net out to starboard and you’ll find something.
Jn.21:6
The risen Jesus appears to the apostles, advising them to cast their net where they hadn't been fishing. A massive catch ensues and Jesus is finally recognised.
The apostles were starting to drift back to their old ways, for fishermen that means back to fishing. Jesus calls them back to the mission he had originally set for them. The bountiful catch got their attention, the shared breakfast regained their purpose.
Easter is a time of new life, of renewed purpose.
What is it Lord that you want me to do? Am I to cast my net in a new direction?
Saint Peter, please pray for me.
In his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations.
Lk.24:47
The risen Jesus appears to the disciples and assures, teaches and commissions them.
There is the mission, preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins in Jesus' name. To the degree I'm doing that is the measure of my Christian life. I'm not just to receive forgiveness, I'm to dispense it in Jesus' name.
Lord, your forgiveness has set me free. Help me unlock the chains of guilt in others in your mighty name.
Saint Peter, please pray for me.
Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us...
Lk.24:32
The two disciples are despairing and unknowingly share their broken hearts with the risen Jesus. When they stop talking and start listening, burning heart surgery takes place.
Prayer is a two way conversation. I forget this, pouring out my burdens and requests, not giving my Lord a chance to speak back, a chance to work on my heart.
Speak Lord, your servant is listening...
Jesus said, ‘Mary!’ She knew him then.
Jn.20:16
Mary Magdalene had been standing outside the empty tomb of Jesus weeping in despair. Thinking him a gardener, Jesus calls Mary's name, causing her to recognise him. Suddenly her mourning is transformed into great heights of joy.
Jesus knows my name. One day I will hear him call me. At that moment all tears, anguish, guilt, sickness death and despair will permanently disappear, leaving what? Everlasting, indescribable joy.
Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus come.
If I, then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you should wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you.
Jn.13:15
The night before Jesus' passion and death he gave the Church two gifts, the eucharist and servanthood.
Lately I have felt like everyone wants a piece of me. I've recently retired and I've never been so busy. Jesus is saying to me, "Yeah, good aye!"
Servanthood is not a drudge for a Christian. It's an opportunity to love someone my Lord loves. Isn't that what true servanthood is?
Lord, help me embrace the towel as you did and serve in love.
Saint Therese of Calcutta, please pray for me.
Judas, who was to betray him; asked in his turn, ‘Not I, Rabbi, surely?’ ‘They are your own words’ answered Jesus.
Mt.16:25
Judas plays out his duplicity to the end. "Not I, surely?" He is condemned by his own words.
These are also my condemning words. "Not I, surely?" Yet, each time I sin I betray. Thank God for his mercy. I need it.
Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.
Saint Dismas, please pray for me.
It is better for one man to die for the people, than for the whole nation to be destroyed.
Jn.11:50
The high priest Caiaphas unwittingly prophesied the reason Jesus was to die. He died so we can live.
Where am I in the crowd around him on Golgotha? Good question. I see myself on his right hand cross, nailed there deservedly for my sins but crying out, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom".
Saint Dismas, please pray for me.
Even if you refuse to believe in me, at least believe in the work I do; then you will know for sure that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.
Jn.10:38
If I were to seek my own glory that would be no glory at all; my glory is conferred by the Father.
Jn.8:54
If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.
Jn.8:31,32
Jesus unflinchingly defines to the Jews what it takes to be set free from slavery to sin. Follow his teaching, know the truth and the truth will set them free.
There are lots of people proclaiming their version of the truth. Social media is choked with it. On this point Jesus is uncompromising. The truth that sets people free can only be found by following him. Anything else, no matter how moral or good, is an empty promise.
Following Jesus' word starts with allowing myself to be loved, loved by God no matter what I've done. When I let that truth soak into my inner being I am set free.
Thank you Jesus for loving me, for seeing gold in my miry clay. You have set me free.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.
And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.
Jn.8:29
Jesus is answering disputes over who he is. He is the one sent by the Father, not only sent but accompanied.
Here is a wonderful promise. When I am sent by Jesus I am never sent alone. He accompanies me. The Holy Spirit comforts and guides me. And not only that. All I have to do is lift Jesus up. He does the drawing of people's souls.
Thank you Jesus for your companionship today. Come Holy Spirit, be my guide and comforter.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.
They would have arrested him then, but because his time had not yet come no one laid a hand on him.
Jn. 7:30
Jesus unflinchingly proclaims again he is sent by God the Father, infuriating the Jewish leaders. Jesus' inevitable trap looms larger on the horizon, waiting for the right time to snap.
Timing is everything. From the charge of a cavalry brigade on the field of battle to the swing of the conductor's baton, timing determines its effectiveness. The Jewish leaders had Jesus' end all planned, just waiting for the right time.
There's a right time for everything in my life, the trick is to sense the right time and then act.
Lord Jesus, your timing was perfect. Give me the right sense of timing in my day, my year, my life.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.
How can you believe, since you look to one another for approval and are not concerned with the approval that comes from the one God?
Jn.5:44
Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces, but he will heal us;
he has struck us down, but he will bandage our wounds;
Hs.6:1
God speaks through the prophet Hosea, pining for his chastised people to return to him with repentant hearts.
This is so much like a loving father to his children. Yes, he has torn them but he will heal them. Yes, he has struck them but he will bandage them. The child, or in this instance me, is wiser and even more secure in the father's love.
This is not very PC parenting in the world's eyes, but it works. I sin I suffer. The short, sharp, shock is followed by loving healing. The law of the harvest (I reap what I sow) is unavoidable like the law of gravity and it's a hard law to learn.
Father, help me always keep one eye firmly fixed on your unquenchable love for me.
Saint Therese the Little Flower, please pray for me.
Yet do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you; rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven.
Lk.10:20
The seventy-two have returned rejoicing at the success of their mission trip, that devils submitted to them. Jesus says they have won a greater victory than they think, that their names are written in heaven awaiting to be bestowed on them.
I like to think there has been a "Simon the Sandpile" to "Peter the Rock" type of renaming here. It's like the receiving of a medal after heroism in battle.
What name awaits me in heaven, "Mike the Magnificent" or "Mike the Mashup"? What I do on earth for the Kingdom will have a say in this.
Jesus, give me a boldness to witness for the Kingdom of God near at hand.
Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.
