God's Word is Alive and Active

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Lk.21:33

Jesus nears the end of his final teaching before his passion and death. His words are about to cease but not to die. 

The book of Hebrews states, "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Heb.4:12

"Dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow" makes Jesus' words sound like a scalpel in a surgeon's hand, which is what they are. Jesus is the divine physician, forever healing and restoring my heart. His living words are at the sharp end of that process. 

Thank God for mumma Church who is the compiler and safe-keeper of God's Word. 

Jesus, my heart burns within me as you talk with me on the road and open the scriptures to me. I place my trust in you.

Stand Up and Lift Your Head

When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.
Lk.21:28

Jesus warns his disciples of the tribulations to come with the end of time. As the world quakes in fear the disciples are to stand up in joyful expectation. Why? Because our liberation is near at hand. 

I'm looking out my window on a beautiful spring morning (I live in the antipodes). It's easy to be seduced into believing this is as good as it gets, that this is all there is. This atheistic world view may work when the sun is shining but must become more difficult in the tough times. As the saying goes, there are few atheists in a foxhole. 

The end of time prophesied by Jesus is the final foxhole with men "dying of fear", unless... unless there is a King of the Universe in whom we place our hope. For those who believe it will be party time. 

Thank you Jesus for your promise of liberation for your followers. I place my trust in you.

Die So We Live

By your endurance you will gain your lives.
Lk.21:19

Jesus is warning all followers that tribulations will come, including death. But dying for Jesus gains life. 

I'm reminded of a scene in the animated movie, Over the Hedge. The Opossum dad is explaining to his teenage daughter why opossum's feign death when in danger. "Playing Opossum is what we do. We die so that we live!"

Die so that we live. Yes, there's a mystery to this, but we have Jesus' resurrection to assure us. Saint Paul writes,  "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." 1Cor.15:19,20

Christian belief in hope for the resurrection and an afterlife is central to our faith. Without the promise of life after death, we followers of Christ, who often face persecution and sacrifice in our earthly lives for his sake, would be the most unfortunate or "miserable" of all people.

Thanks be to God, we are the most joyful! 

Come Holy spirit, grant us endurance that we may stand up and lift our heads for our redemption draws near.

With You Always

And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified.
Lk.21:9

Jesus instructs his disciples to be alert but not afraid of end times. 

It's not a matter of if bad things happen, it's a matter of when. And for a believer, even the 'when' becomes less important when we are sure of the 'who' we are following. 

Jesus promises, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" Mt.28:20. With you always... I like that promise. That puts everything else into perspective. Together, there's nothing Jesus and I can't face. 

I sense this was the source strength with which Saint Catherine faced her torturers. 

Saint Catherine, please pray for us.

Just the Beginning

Saint Cecilia, Virgin, Martyr

Alleluia, alleluia!
This is the wise virgin whom the Lord found watching;
she went in to the wedding feast with him when he came.
Alleluia!

The violent death of Saint Cecelia was not the end of her life but just the beginning.

That men could brutally kill a defenseless young woman shows the depth that evil can lie in a heart. That a young woman could courageously face such a death without compromising her faith shows the heights that courage and faith can blossom. 

What appears to be a tragedy is celebrated by the Church as a mighty victory. Why? Because the Church always has an eternal perspective. Cecelia's martyrdom opened the door for her into the wedding feast, the same feast I have hope to participate in. 

As Jesus says in today's feria Gospel, "Now he is God, not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all men are in fact alive." 

Jesus said it. I believe it.

Jesus, thank you for the hope of eternal life with you, a hope that does not disappoint.
Saint Cecelia, please pray for us.

Trust Humility Obedience

For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.
Mt.12:50

Jesus stretches out his hand to his disciples, and to me, and proclaims, "Behold, my family".

How wonderful that I am given an invitation to be family with Jesus. This elevates me even beyond being a friend. As the saying goes, "You can choose your friends. You can't choose your family." 

But of course, there's a caveat. Doing the Father's will. Mary exemplifies what this means. "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto me according to thy word," is a statement of profound trust, humility and obedience to the Father's will.

I can learn so much from Mary. Trust, humility and obedience aren't my natural strengths. 

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

God's Opportunity

 ...and all because you did not recognise your opportunity when God offered it!
Lk.19:44

Jesus weeps for Jerusalem's impending destruction, all the more tragic as it could have been avoided.

The tragedy of missing God continues today. If it breaks Jesus' heart it should also be breaking mine. Do I weep over the Jerusalems I see? 

Sometimes.

So, what do I do? Well, what did Jesus do? He steadfastly kept offering God's opportunity. Some received it and some rejected it. But he kept on offering it.

One way to offer God's opportunity I've discovered is the Alpha Course. Its genius is that it introduces Jesus to people in an engaging way wherever they are in their faith walk, from regular Mass goers to the completely unchurched.

Time to stop weeping and start planning. People's eternal lives are at stake. 

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth.

Holy Boldness

Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man.
Lk.19:20,21

The third servant returns the money entrusted to him, with no interest earned. Fear stopped him from investing  it.

Fear stifles growth. Pope Francis said,“A Christian without courage, who does not turn his own strength to good, who does not bother anyone, is a useless Christian.” He encouraged "parrhesia", a holy boldness to speak the truth. This is a gift of the Holy Spirit.

Holy boldness. I like the sound of that. It makes me want to use, to invest the "talents" I have been given by God. 

Today's first reading from Maccabees shows holy boldness at work, even at the cost of a tortuous death. Jesus demonstrated no less in his passion and death.

Come Holy Spirit, give me the gift of bold courage, that God's Kingdom may come on earth as it is heaven.

Welcome Him Joyfully

When Jesus reached the spot he looked up and spoke to him: ‘Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I must stay at your house today.’ And he hurried down and welcomed him joyfully.
Lk.19:5-6

Jesus must have seen into Zacchaeus' heart, a heart yearning to come out of darkness into the wonderful light. Jesus meets him magnificently and magnanimously. Zacchaeus' response is of the same kind, magnificent, magnanimous and joyful.

I sense Jesus was just as joyful as Zacchaeus. What was lost had been found. All heaven rejoiced and Jesus would have known that. What a party!

The same party erupted spontaneously when I invited Jesus into my life. This is a good time to remember that and re-savour the moment.

Thank you Jesus for rescuing me. I continue to welcome you joyfully into my home, into my life.

Recall and Rejoice

For he remembered his holy word, 

which he gave to Abraham his servant.

So he brought out his people with joy,

his chosen ones with shouts of rejoicing.

Ps.104:42,43

Psalm 104 recalls the wonders of God in delivering the Israelites from Egypt. The strongest emotion remembered is joy.

It's good to remember where I've come from, my land of Egypt where I was a slave. Not because I want to go back there. Heaven forbid. No, I remember to give thanks for the wonders God has done in rescuing me. 

So, today is a day of recalling and rejoicing.

I sing my praise to you Lord. I tell of your wonderful works. Let hearts that seek you rejoice.

The Last Day

It will be the same as it was in Lot’s day: people were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but the day Lot left Sodom, God rained fire and brimstone from heaven and it destroyed them all. It will be the same when the day comes for the Son of Man to be revealed.
Lk.17:28-30

Jesus tells his disciples to always be ready for the day of judgement, the end of time.

Death has a 100% success rate. We all are going to die. We just don't know exactly when. And this is Jesus' point. We don't need to know when, we just need to be ready. 

I try to live out my day with an eschatological world view. That is, with one eye firmly fixed on judgement day. It sharpens my focus on what is before me, on what love is doing or on what love needs to do. 

Three things remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. This is all that matters, really. 

Jesus, help me live out today as though it's my last. I place my trust in you.

God's Kingdom is Here

‘The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, “Look, here it is!” or “There!” for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.’
Lk.17:20,21

When asked about the coming of God's Kingdom, Jesus points away from the calendar and towards the very questioners. The Kingdom of God is not a 'when' event. Rather, it's a 'where' place, and the where is in the midst of us.

This hints at the mystery of the timelessness of God. Jesus, the same yesterday, today and forever, is just that... always the same. This places me before Jesus today in just as real a way as he was before the Pharisees in today's Gospel. 

So, when Jesus says the Kingdom of God is in the midst of us, he is telling me as much as he is the questioning Pharisees. What's my response? Yes Lord, you are my king. I choose to be a subject of your kingdom, here, now, today. 

What a privilege Lord, to serve in your kingdom today. Holy Spirit, be my strength and my guide.  

Gratitude

The other nine, where are they? It seems that no one has come back to give praise to God, except this foreigner.’ And he said to the man, ‘Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.’
Lk.17:17-19

Only one of the ten lepers healed by Jesus returns to acknowledge the source of his healing. This required faith, a faith that gave him what the other nine did not receive. Salvation.

Time and again the Gospels record Jesus responding to faith, or lack of it. Faith is the key to miracles and, as shown in today's Gospel, salvation. 

My faith waxes and wanes. One day I'll pray for world peace, the next day I'll shrink from praying for a car park. The grateful leaper shows that gratitude demonstrates faith. 

Today I can be intentional in my gratitude. 

Lord Jesus, you are the source of my joy, hope and peace. Thank you Lord for all you have done, are doing, and are going to do in my life. I place my trust in you.

Merely a Servant

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 describes obedience not as a great virtue but as a duty.

Vainglory is a lovely old word from medieval English. It is derived from the Latin vana gloria ("empty glory"). It describes perfectly a temptation with which I struggle.

The antidote is the humility of a servant. With each success, especially in the field of faith, I am to think, "I am only a servant doing no more than my duty".

I am constantly amazed at how God uses me. 

Lord Jesus, give me a servant's heart. To you be the glory.

Trustworthy

The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great.
Lk.16:10

Jesus classifies money as the tainted, little thing compared to the true riches of heaven. As a "little thing", money is something that tests our trustworthiness.

I recall a past prime minister who, at the high of his public fame, had been cheating on his wife. His fall soon followed. The "little thing" of his marriage proved him untrustworthy for the leading of a nation.

 It's in the little things that I can flex and train my "trustworthy" muscle, building habits that I can apply to all things great or small. 

Jesus, help me build the virtue of trustworthiness.

Mercy Given is Mercy Received

“And how much do you owe?” He said, “A hundred measures of wheat.” He said to him, “Take your bill and write eighty.” 
Lk.16:7

In the parable of the shrewd manager Jesus shows how dispensing mercy and grace can attract mercy and grace.

There is something about mercy that overrides its motivation. In this parable the shrewd manager is clearly attempting to feather his own nest, and with his masters assets. Yet, mercy given is mercy received and it is beautiful regardless. 

I'm reminded of a court case where the mother of a child who was killed by the reckless driving of a young man forgave the young man, not because she wanted to but because she felt obliged to as a Christian. The young man was remorseful, to the extent that he went to high schools in his city to share his story and plead with his peers to not make the mistakes he made.  

In the months following, the young man and the family of the child reconciled. The family started helping the young  man get back on track with his life. He had come from a broken home. The mother is quoted as saying she is so grateful the episode hadn't resulted in two lives being destroyed.

Mercy given is mercy received.

Lost Sheep

Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.
Lk.15:6

Jesus tells the story of a lost sheep being found to illustrate the joy in heaven when a single sinner is saved.

Who among us can't identify with the image of a lost sheep being brought home on the shoulders of the Good Shepherd. But I think there is a wider message from Jesus here. He wants us, the Church, to be good shepherds, out searching for lost sheep and on finding them, to bring them home.

The reality today is that it is the ninety-nine who have drifted off into the wilds and are lost, leaving one sheep in the penfold. We are very good at stroking the wool of that one sheep. We have programs galore to feed and coddle him. Searching for the lost ninety-nine? Not our strength. 

The Church is the one organisation whose primary reason for existing is for the benefit of its non-members. If our parishes aren't making evangelisation (sorry to use the 'e' word) the main focus of all activity then we are failing the Great Commission and are disobedient to Jesus' very clear command. We tend to leave that to the 'missionary priests and nuns'.

Yikes! This is all a bit negative from me. 

There is good news. Some parishes are moving from maintenance to mission. My job is work for my parish being one of them.

Saint Paul the evangelist, please pray for us.