He will Live

Jesus said: ‘I am the resurrection. 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.11:25,26

Jesus is addressing Martha, the sister of Lazarus who has just died.  Jesus has deliberately set the stage for what was to be His last great miracle of calling Lazarus back from the dead.  This prefigures what is about to happen to Jesus himself in His passion, death and resurrection. The whole event is recorded in detail in John's Gospel and most dramatically demonstrates what Jesus has come to do... offer eternal life.

This verse is the source of my hope and joy in Jesus.  No other thing can offer me what Jesus offers me; life with Him forever.  This puts everything in perspective, my joys and struggles here on earth, why I want others to meet Jesus with me, where my real home is.  This gives ultimate meaning to my day, to this day...

Yes Lord Jesus, I believe!  You are my way, my truth, my life.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Loins and Heart

But you, the Lord of Hosts, who pronounce a just sentence,
who probe the loins and heart,
let me see the vengeance you will take on them,
for I have committed my cause to you.
Jm.11:20

Jeremiah has just discovered there is a plot to do away with him as his prophesies are unpopular.  In many ways the persecution of Jeremiah prefigures the persecution of Jesus.  The greater the pressure becomes, like Jesus, the more Jeremiah presses into God trusting in His protection and His final judgement.

I find this verse unsettling.  Probing the loins and the heart gets to the root of two places in me where sin can try to hide.  Nothing about me is unknown to God.  Yet in a strange way this gives me great comfort also.  While knowing my sins, God loves me still.  Nothing separates me from His love shown by His Son Jesus.  Satan points to the sins of my loins and heart and says, "see what a scum bag you are?"  God points to all of me and says, "see how much I love you?"  My sins catapult me into His arms, today...

Thank you Father that you love me so much that you throw me a rescue line from my sin.  Jesus, I place my trust in you.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Fatal Blindness

...their malice makes them blind. They do not know the hidden things of God, they have no hope that holiness will be rewarded, they can see no reward for blameless souls.
Ws.2:22

All of today's readings hint to the closing noose around Jesus' neck. The Gospel of John states the only reason Jesus wasn't captured and killed is that "His time had not yet come".  Jesus has become intolerable to those in authority and so His fate was sealed.

I often wonder at how the Pharisees and Scribes missed God so completely.  The final verse from the Book of Wisdom gives both a hint and a warning. "...their malice made them blind".   There is something totally debiliting about evil.  It is completely self-centered and separates one from the rest of humanity.  It is why a burglar can break into a home a steal a child's toys.  Lord spare me from malice.

Lord Jesus, You knew no malice.  Help me keep hatred from my heart.  Keep me soft towards my brothers and sisters that my soul may be blameless.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Idol Worhip

At Horeb they fashioned a calf, worshiped a metal statue. They exchanged their glorious God for the image of a grass-eating bull. They forgot the God who saved them...
Ps.106:20,21

Today's Psalm is a fitting response to the first reading from Exodus which recounts the apostasy of the Jewish people while Moses was up Mount Sinai conversing with God.  They quickly turned from God and demanded idols be fashioned so they could worship them instead.  Worship of the Creator was replaced by worship of creation.

How little things have changed.  People today have replaced God with things which they worship and make sacrifices to.  We will always have a god, the only question is which god?  I am among this apostatizing people and I can easily be swept up in the seduction of the temporal.  The antidote?  Jesus. I need to keep my eyes on Him, daily.  I need to keep my eyes on Him today.

I live a simple life, I take a day at a time.
I spend my mornings with God before I hit the grind.
The subtleties of darkness never cease to amaze,
as the physical world creates a spiritual haze
(DC Talk)

Lord Jesus, I place my trust in You.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Son of the Father

Jesus answered and said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, a son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees his father doing; for what he does, his son will do also.
Jn.5:19

The Jewish leaders are starting to persecute Jesus because of His growing popularity.  Instead of backing down, Jesus asserts more strongly who He truly is - the Son of God the Father.

In proclaiming His sonship Jesus declares a universal and timeless truth;  "...a son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees his father doing; for what he does, his son will do also."  This both frightens me and gives me hope when I ask what role-model I am setting for my son, for my daughters.  Parents and especially fathers have a huge influence on the character of their children.  Children are born with their personalities but their character comes from the environment in which they are raised.  What I do more than what I say is the influencing factor. Lord help me be a doer of The Word.

Father in heaven, You have the perfect Son in our Lord Jesus.  Help me be a great father to the children You have given me.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

River of Life

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. ...because this water comes from the sanctuary.
Ez.47:9,12

The prophet Ezekiel is describing His vision where he is shown the river of life flowing from the Temple.  Because the river's source is sacred it brings life where ever it flows.  From bareness is brought forward fertility, from sickness is brought forward healing. 

I am reminded of the Gospel two Sundays ago where Jesus meets the Samaritan woman and offers her living water to drink that she may never die. This living water is offered to me every time I go to Mass.  Jesus is there offering himself to slake my thirst.  I need to go to Mass... soon.

Lord Jesus, I thirst for Your living water that You offer me today.  Thank you Lord that You are the source of everlasting life.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Love God and Love Others

‘Which is the first of all the commandments?’ Jesus replied, ‘This is the first: Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You must love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.’
Mk.12:28-31

A Scribe comes to Jesus with an authentic question for a change, not one to try and trick Him. So Jesus gives an authentic answer.  The resulting dialogue recorded in Mark gives one of the greatest encapsulations on how I am to live my Christian walk -  Love God and love others.

This "way to follow the Way" is constantly stretching me.  Love is such a high ideal that I can never say I have fully exercised it.  My love of self sometimes distracts me from loving others and even from loving God. And sometimes others aren't very lovely.  And yet there the commandment lies - Love God and love others.  When I achieve something of its fulness I know it is such a glorious and fulfilling way to live. 

So here I go again...Today I look for opportunities to love God and love others.  It's simply the best way to live life in its fulness.

Jesus, lover of my soul, today I'm calling on your help to love You and love others.  You are perfect love, help me in my imperfection.
Little Flower, please pray for me.