Glorify God

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

1Cor.10:31

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

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

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

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for us.

Further Up Further In

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

Mt.13:57,58

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

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

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

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

Great Faith Great Miracles

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

Jn.11:25-27

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

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

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

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

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for us.

 

Radiant Face

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

Ps.102:8

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

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

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

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

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

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for us.

 

Wheat Among the Weeds

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

Mt.13:30

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

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

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

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

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

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.

Twiddle Your Thumbs

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

Ex.20:8-11

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

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

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

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

  

Great Lover

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

Jn.20:15,16

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

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

Jesus, lover of my soul. 

Jesus, I will never let you go.

You've taken me from the miry clay,

set my feet upon a rock

and now I know.

I love you

I need you

Though my world may fall 

I'll never let you go.

My savior, my closest friend,

I will worship you

until the very end.

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