God's Idea

They went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. Meanwhile the child grew to maturity...
Lk.2:39,40

After hearing the amazing prophecies of Simeon and Anna, Joseph and Mary take their baby back to ordinary but also amazing life in Nazareth. What was their assignment? To have Jesus mature in a home of love.

I've had a type of epiphany this Christmas. On Christmas Day our parish priest described Mary and Joseph as a couple deeply in love. They held hands. They had eyes for each other as well as their baby. 

In the past I've beheld the Nativity with Joseph being Joseph and Mary being Mary, not as a loving couple. They would have felt a profound, grounding connection, prioritizing each other's happiness, sharing vulnerability, moving beyond initial "falling in love". The other's joy became as vital as their own.

With this new vision of Mary and Joseph's love for each other, it made sense to me that God would choose no lesser environment in which to have his son nurtured. Also, this elevates marriage to the sacrament it is. 

Mum and Dad raising children is God's idea. I best give my all to it and support it in others. 

Mary and Joseph, please pray for us.

He Saw and He Believed.

Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in; he saw and he believed.
Jn.20:8

John the Apostle writes of the moment he came to fully believe that Jesus was all who he said he was. What was the final convincing evidence? The empty tomb.

John lived with Jesus for three years, heard his teaching, witnessed the miracles, but it was the absence of Jesus, the empty tomb, that convinced him that Jesus was God. 

The awe and wonder I have for Christmas is only possible because of Easter. Like John, it's the empty tomb that reveals to me who the baby in the manger really is. 

Jesus is God! O come let us adore him...

Saint John the Apostle, please pray for us.

Endure to the End

But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
Mt.10:22

Jesus warns his Apostles, and us, that being a follower will attract discrimination and hardship. So why follow him? The only honest answer I have... to be saved.

Being a Christian is no picnic in the park. Yes it's exciting, fulfilling, full of joy and hope, but a cakewalk? No.

Jesus says very clearly that being a follower of him requires endurance. This implies withstanding challenges or continuing to thrive despite them, as in "a love that endures" or "to endure a long delay". 

The saints are wonderful examples of what living with endurance to the end can look like, as with Saint Stephen. He was filled with the Holy Spirit and gazed into heaven seeing the glory of God! 

I can recall my life without Jesus. I was simply existing. Give me enduring any day!

Saint Stephen, please pray for us.

A Father's Blessing

And you, little child,
you shall be called Prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord
to prepare the way for him.
Lk.1:76

Zechariah's canticle includes a prophetic blessing over his newborn son John. Preparing the way during Advent includes the hearts of fathers being turned to their children. Here Zechariah shows what that can look like. 

I grab any occasion I can to speak blessing over my children. Birthdays, graduations, weddings, family gatherings. When these opportunities arise, if I don't seize them they pass, never to be reclaimed. 

I remember on my son's thirteenth birthday, with extended family gathered, I made a "bar mitzvah" type speech with Matthew standing beside me. He initially felt awkward, but I saw his head lift up and chest expand as I spoke of how proud I was of him as he grows into manhood and how wonderful the plans are that God has for him.

A father's blessing is powerful.

A Yes Man

‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ 
Lk.1:38

Mary says yes and POW... the Word becomes flesh.

I am constantly amazed at the power of a "Yes". The other week I was approached to be the Archangel Gabrielle in a nativity play at our local Cathedral. I wanted to say no but was stunned when I heard myself say yes. The resulting pantomime was so much fun. I felt blessed to be a part of it.

Lord, let me be a "Yes Man", in the best sense of the phrase. 

Mumma Mary, Handmaid of the Lord, please pray for me.

Further Up and Further In!

He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.
Lk.1:17

John the Baptist's prophetic role was to prepare the way for God by calling people to change. He cries out to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, the disobedient to wisdom, the unprepared to readiness. The status quo is not enough.

What held back my surrender to Jesus for years was a fear of change. I thought I was going to lose fullness of life and freedom. I was shocked to find when I made my step of faith, fullness of life and freedom were the very things I gained. 

John's cry in the wilderness continues to call me to change. The more I discover, the more I learn there's so much more to discover. Everything becomes grander and more beautiful the closer I get to God. 

As Jewel the Unicorn cries out in C.S. Lewis' book THE LAST BATTLE, "Further up and further in!"

John the Baptist, please pray for me.

A Man of Honour

Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour...
Mt.1:19

On first learning that Mary is pregnant, Joseph reveals why he was called to be the foster father of Jesus. He was a man of honour.

For such a pivotal person in God's plan for redeeming the world, it is surprising how little is said of Joseph in scripture. Yet, much can be learned of his character from the woman he married and the son he raised. Maybe in this context, "a man of honour" says it all.

 Oh that I could be worthy of those four words on my tombstone. 

Saint Joseph, please pray for me.

Welcome to the Family

A genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham:
Mt.1:1

Jesus' genealogy includes the good, the bad, the ugly, saints and sinners. Among all that I fit quite comfortably. 

I'm reminded of the "rumbling heaven-bound horde" of yesterday's Gospel. We're not a stately, pious procession but a noisy, smelly bunch whose common DNA is simply that we are all liked and loved by God. 

Welcome to the family!

The Rumbling Heaven-bound Horde

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you” (Matthew 21:31).

The very people the religious elite despised were the ones being welcomed into God’s kingdom first. Why? Because they were convicted and converted. True transformation works from the inside out, not the outside in.

This passage always reminds me of Mrs. Turpin’s vision in Flannery O’Connor’s short story *Revelation*. She sees a vast company of unlikely souls making their way into the next world. It is not a “respectable” sight—not a quiet or dignified procession—but a crowd of people rumbling toward heaven. Among them are “battalions of freaks and lunatics,” shouting, clapping, and leaping like frogs.

I hope to be there too—shouting, clapping, and leaping like a frog among that rumbling, heaven-bound horde.

Jesus, teach me to fear God more than impress man. I place my trust in you.

Father's Heart Turned to His Children

To turn the hearts of fathers towards their children,
and to restore the tribes of Jacob,
Happy shall they be who see you.
Eccl.48:10

In today's feria first reading, Sirach prophesies the return of Elijah to "make all things ready" as Jesus says. One symptom of this readiness is the turning of father's hearts back to their children.

The great sign of our "unreadyness" is the terrible fatherlessness in today's world. More children are being raised in homes where the father is dysfunctional or totally absent. A home where the father's heart is turned towards his children is a home where the kingdom of God is close at hand. 

There's no age limitation to this. Even though my children are now adults, they still are my children and my heart needs to be turned towards them. 

Jesus, help me always have a heart turned towards my children. 
Saint Lucy, please pray for me.

Wisdom is Silent

Jesus spoke to the crowds: ‘What description can I find for this generation? It is like children shouting to each other as they sit in the market place:
Mt.11:16

Fools shout in the market place. But even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise. (Prv.17:28)

I have regrets about many things I've said when I wish I had been silent. Perhaps the greatest wisdom I can have is to turn to Mumma Mary for help. Scripture records her as a woman who spoke little but pondered in her heart much. 

Our Lady of Guadalupe, please intercede for me that I may have a guard over my mouth and keep watch on my lips.

His Hand My Hand

I, the Lord, your God.
I am holding you by the right hand;
I tell you, ‘Do not be afraid,
I will help you.
Is.41:13

God's strong right hand holds me. My weak left hand reaches out and holds on to him.

How wonderful that God wants to support me in my weakness. I don't need to hide, just reach up. 

Hand holding people are generally people who are walking, not running. There's a slow but steady Advent feel about this. 

I step out into today holding God's hand as I follow the donkey plodding slowly but inexorably towards Jerusalem. 

Lord, I rely on your strong right hand today. Thank you for always being there. 
Mary, Mother of God, please pray for me.

Slow But Sure

At that time: Jesus declared, ‘Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mt.11:28

Tiredness is part of life as long as I live on this mortal coil. God incarnate in Jesus knows this. He experienced it and He offers the remedy for it. Rest for my soul. 

How beautiful that at the very time when heavy burdens and tiredness are at their peak, in the days leading up to Christmas, Mumma Church leads me away to a place of rest. 

It's a time to focus back on the donkey plodding slowly but surely to Bethlehem. Slow but sure. That's a better pace for me today. 

Thank you Jesus for exchanging my burdens for your light easy yoke. Mumma Mary, please pray for me.

Focus on the Donkey

Happy are all who long for the coming of the Lord.
-Psalm Response-

Advent is a time of waiting for something, or more accurately, for someone. It is a time for happiness that is to be followed by a consummated joy.

The liturgical colour of Advent is purple, not the black lamenting purple of Lent. No, it is the rich purple of desire. We desire a person, Jesus. And this person is being carried in the womb of a frightened but trusting Jewish girl on a donkey.

Advent is a time to focus on the donkey. Donkeys are slow but they are steadfast. As the world revs up to Christmas Day, I am called to slow down to prepare. Prepare for what? Not for a day but for a person. And in my preparing, in my longing, I receive a hint of the joy that is to come.

Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!

Come See Go Tell

Jesus appeared to the Eleven and he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.'
Mk.16:15

Jesus gives his final command to the Apostles before his ascension. The command is simple. Go tell.

If I had to distill all that Jesus commands of the Church it would come down to two things. Come see and go tell.  'Come see' as he invited the two disciples of John the Baptist. 'Go and tell' as he commands the Apostles in today's Gospel. 

Everything that happens in my parish should be either an extension of the invitation to come and see, or a response to the command to go and tell. This is our DNA, defining what we are here for. It's our mission.

The Church is the only organisation whose primary purpose is for the benefit of its non-members. Is my parish in mission mode with an outward focus or in an introspective maintenance mode? Or, to bring it closer to home, am I a missionary or a maintenance man?

Saint Francis Xavier, please pray for us.

Lord I am Not Worthy

Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.
Mt.8:8

The Centurion starts his great declaration in faith by a declaration of humility. I am nothing, you Lord are everything.

Before I became a believer I was very hedonistic. Everything and everyone was assessed on how they would benefit me. My world had a population of one and I was in the centre of it. I thought I was living the high life. In fact my world was microscopic. 

I'm reminded of Captain Hook's argument as to why parents don't like children, describing children's nagging demands being all about, "I want a party! I want a cookie! I want to stay up! I want, I want, I want, me, me, me, me, mine, mine, mine, mine, now, now, now, now!

There is still that little child in me that I need to put in his place. The Centurion's Prayer just before Holy Communion is a great time to do that. 

Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my soul shall be healed.

Yet Still I Love You

And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 
Lk.2:33

How wonderful that mamma Church completes the liturgical year by illuminating Mary. Our Advent focus will now all the more easily shift to heavily pregnant Mary, on the donkey led by Joseph, slowly but inexorably making their way towards Bethlehem. 

It strikes me that even on the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Joseph is mentioned. Whenever I think of Mary I can't help but see the figure of Joseph, protectively in the background. 

It gives me hope that even in that blessed Holy Family, sin was still present. Even Joseph didn't escape the stain of original sin. Yet he was chosen to be the lover, the provider and the protector of incarnate God at his most vulnerable. And somehow, I can just see Mary seeing the sin in Joseph, smiling and saying, "Yet still I love you."

Mamma Mary, I see you now looking at the sin in me, smiling and saying, "Yet still I love you."

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

Happy New Year everyone!

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.

Hound of Heaven

One Sabbath, when Jesus went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully.
Lk.14:1

Jesus enters the home of an adversary, not to attack but to teach.

I am struck by how Jesus never gave up on the Pharisees. Knowing their deadly antagonism, he joins them for a meal and engages with them. He made small gains numerically from this sect. The few converts included Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea and, most famously, Saint Paul. Yet, Jesus still pursued them.

I am one who has benefited from Jesus' tenacious pursuit. It wasn't until my mid thirties that I finally put my hands in the air and surrendered. He never gave up on me. 

This outrageous, reckless love of God is staggering. He releases the hounds of heaven to chase us down, to bring us home, and he leads the hunt. 

Jesus your pursuit of me shows how much you love me. Make me a hound of heaven to chase down others and bring them home. Lord, you lead the hunt.

More than a Conqueror

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Rms.8:38,39

Saint Paul underscores his claim that we are more the conquerors through the love of Jesus.

There is something incongruous in the claim that love fights for us. Isn't love the bearer of peace? Yet, I do have spiritual enemies who seek the ruin of my soul and today I am reminded that love has beaten them.

This victory isn't just for this time. It's for all time, for present things and things to come. 

Today I walk is one who is more than a conqueror, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

A Clown for God

And men from east and west, from north and south, will come to take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Yes, there are those now last who will be first, and those now first who will be last.
Lk.13:29,30

In answering the question, who will be saved, Jesus is clear that many will try and not succeed while many who are considered unworthy will enter the Kingdom of God.

I'm reminded of Flannery O'connor's short story 'Revelation' where the central character, Mrs Turpin, has a vision of end times. She sees a huge company of unlikely souls making their way to the next world. It’s not a ‘respectable’ sight, not a sedate procession, but a mass of people ‘rumbling toward heaven.’ The heaven-bound horde includes ‘battalions of freaks and lunatics shouting and clapping and leaping like frogs.’ 

At the rear of the procession are the 'respectable' people like herself. She could see by their shocked and altered faces that 'even their virtues were being burned away.'

Going by Flannery O'Connor's description, I want to be among the ‘battalions of freaks and lunatics shouting and clapping and leaping like frogs.’  If I remain 'respectable' I risk even my virtues being burnt away.

Jesus, strip away my respectable hypocrisy. I want to be a "Jongleur de Dieu", a clown for God.
Saint  Francis of Assisi, please pray for me.

Available

When day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named Apostles: 
Lk.6:13

Jesus didn't appoint the perfect, he chose from those who were available.

When I run over the names of the apostles I am both astounded and encouraged. They are such a ragtag collection of humanity, exhibiting all the sins and weaknesses that I possess. So what recommended them? Their availability.

I don't need to be perfect to serve Jesus. Just available. What a relief. 

Here I am Lord, I've come to do your will.
Saints Simon and Jude, please pray for me

 

Repent and Live

No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did.
Lk.13:3

Jesus twice repeats a warning. Without repentance there is no eternal life.

It is said that good people don't necessarily get to heaven. Only forgiven people do. This was an obstacle to my atheistic pride for many years. Even then I knew that to seek forgiveness meant acknowledging someone greater than me who could forgive. 

Praise be to God I've met the one who can and does forgive. As Saint Paul writes in today's first reading, "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then he who raised Jesus from the dead will give life." Rms.8:11  

Today my joy is in knowing I have sought forgiveness and been granted it. I have been given life.

Thank you Jesus that even from the Cross you prayed for my forgiveness. I place my trust in you.

Sin's Solution

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

Saint Paul shares his very human struggles and their very divine solution.

No one had to teach me how to sin. It comes naturally. But I did need to be taught about the solution to sin's pervasive, persistent problem. The solution to sin is a person. Jesus. He was Paul's go-to. He is mine as well.

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Let the Fire Burn

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I have come to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were blazing already!'
Lk.12:49

Jesus brings a fire that transforms lives. He desires the whole earth to be ablaze.

Faith is caught, not taught. The task of catching the earth ablaze is given to us, his body the Church. We are his Holy tinder, running amongst the stubble. 

This has me recalling when I was "baptised with the Holy Spirit and with fire". I was one of those new Christians some say should be locked up in a cupboard for six months. I wore "Jesus is Lord" t-shirts and badges shouting "Jesus Loves You". Workmates thought I had gone crazy, which in a sense I had.

Looking back I can see where this blaze of zeal first spread... to my children. I started reading the Bible to them. We initiated regular family prayer time. Christian music was playing when they got out of bed each morning. As a family we became involved in parish ministry.

It's a great joy to watch this blazing faith now being spread among my grandchildren. I fan the flame where and when I can. The fire of that first love doesn't go out.

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

Much Grace Much Love

"When a man has had a great deal given him, a great deal will be demanded of him; when a man has had a great deal given him on trust, even more will be expected of him.
Lk.12:48

Jesus makes it clear that the priceless gift of faith brings with it responsibility. 

G.K. Chesterton would agree. In The Everlasting Man, he argues that a Christian who sins is in a worse position than a pagan doing the same, because a Christian possesses greater spiritual knowledge and should therefore know better. 

Where does this leave me, a believer and a sinner? Convicted, repentant, absolved, restored and finally, leaping and dancing and praising God. One who has been forgiven much, shows much love.

Saint John Paul II, please pray for me.

Peace be With You

Let your first words be, “Peace to this house!” 
Lk.10:5

Jesus instructs the seventy-two in preparation for their first mission trip. The first message of the Gospel to be spoken over a household is "Peace!"

Two thousand years ago the world desperately needed to hear words of peace, as it does today. Pope Leo's first words as Pope, "Peace be with you." reverberated around the world, striking a chord with believers and non-believers alike. 

I am the 73rd disciple. Let my words today be words of peace. 

Peace be with you and with those you love.
Saint Luke, please pray for us.

My Refuge

Take refuge in God, all you people.
Trust him at all times.
Pour out your hearts before him
for God is our refuge.
Ps.61:7-8

David sings of his own experience. He has poured out his heart to God and found refuge in him.

Being vulnerable with people can be risky. Not so with God. It's a strange thing as God already knows what is in my heart. He wants me to risk myself with him.  The more of my heart that I pour out to him the more he wraps his arms about me and draws me to himself. It's the safest of all places, a perfect refuge.

What a wonderful transaction, a transaction I'm invited into today. 

Lord God, I pour out my heart to you now. Be my rock, my safe place, my refuge.

Lord Teach Us To Pray

Lord, teach us to pray
Lk.11:1

Jesus' disciples recognised the source of his power. Prayer.

I love the Our Father. It's the one prayer my mother knew on conversion from ninety years of atheism.

As a new convert I too had to be taught how to pray. My prayer life exploded on receiving baptism in the Holy Spirit. As today's Gospel Acclamation says, "...in that Spirit we call God our Father." Prayer moves God's hand. There's a wonderful mystery to this.

A friend once told me he happened to see my family and I sitting in our van at a petrol station. We were obviously about to embark on a holiday journey. He was mystified as to what what were doing, until we all gave the sign of the cross. 

Our children are adult now and teaching their own children how to pray. Prayer is not only the source of power for Jesus, it's the source of power for us.

Our Father who art in heaven...

Extravagant Lover

Alleluia, alleluia!
I give you a new commandment:
love one another as I have loved you.
Alleluia!

Today's Gospel Acclamation is a clarion call to the Church, heralding the preeminent characteristic of a follower of Jesus. Above all, I am to love others.

The parable of the Good Samaritan shows that I am called to love those who are hard to love, even my enemies. 

This I cannot do on my own. But it's not impossible. My help comes from Jesus himself. He doesn't set me up to fail. He wants me to succeed, especially as an extravagant lover, a pourer of wine and oil. 

Jesus, help me love the unlovely, extravagantly as you love me.

The Joy of the Lord is My Strength

Do not be sad: the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Neh.8:10

The Hebrew people, on hearing the Word of God read by Ezra, are convicted and lament. Ezra cries out for them not to weep but to rejoice for God's Word gives life, hope and joy.

God's Word convicts, the devil condemns. Conviction turns me around and stirs me on to confession, repentance and new life. Condemnation robs me of hope and buries me in despair and death.

Today I am an ambassador for joy, for the joy of the Lord is my strength.

Lord, your Word calls me a beloved son. I lift my head and rejoice as such.
My guardian angel, please protect me. 

Hope that doesn't Disappoint

‘The Son of Man’ he said ‘is destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death, and to be raised up on the third day.’
Lk.9:22

Jesus prophesies his passion and death followed by his crowning glory, his being raised up on the third day.

The predicted suffering and death of Jesus grieved the disciples much. They may have missed the puzzling appendix, "I will be raised up on the third day." The same happens to me when confronted with suffering and death. The promise of resurrection can be lost in grief.

If our faith has anything to say about anything, it has something to say about death. Like, "Where is your victory, where is your sting?" The ultimate enemy, death, has been vanquished by the ultimate victory, resurrection. Here is the source of hope that doesn't disappoint. 

Saints Cosmas and Damian, please pray for me.

Seek Him

Herod said, ‘John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?’ And he sought to see him.
Lk.9:9

Herod found Jesus hard to ignore. Love him or hate him, you just can't get rid of him.

I recall the moment I first started being curious about Jesus. My wife and I were on the last day of a Marriage Encounter weekend. My heart was softened by a renewed love for my wife. A priest on the presenting team made a passing comment. "The love you are experiencing is mere a fraction of the love that Jesus has for you." 

That impacted me, a non-believer at the time. I remember thinking, "He's either telling a fat porkie, or I need to find out more about this man/God called Jesus". Four years later I was banging on the door of the Church shouting, "Let me in. I want to eat Jesus!"

This desire for intimacy with Jesus is insatiable. The more I know him the more I want to know him more. And, he wants me to know him more as well. 

Draw me closer dear Lord, that I may touch you.

Cast-out Cure and Proclaim

Jesus called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all devils and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.
Lk.9:1,2

Jesus commissions the twelve apostles for their first mission trip. He does this by giving them power and authority. 

The Church Militant is given its founding mandate. Cast out demons, cure diseases and proclaim the Good News. This is what the Church was created to do. Are we doing it? 

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. 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.

The Light of the World

No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light.
Lk.8:16

Jesus called himself the Light of the World. Receiving him brings a responsibility to share his light. 

I recall with gratitude the people who shone the light of Christ into my life. A Presbyterian minister who came weekly to my primary school class. My mother in law. My wife and even, unintentionally, my children. The faithful souls in my parish. The list goes on...

Many of these light-bearers do so unwittingly. There is simply a light about them that radiates. 

It's a bit like the radiating face of Moses after he had spent time with God in the Tent of Meeting. And there is the key to being a light-bearer. Spending time with God. 

Jesus, you are the light of my life. Help me make you the Light of the World in my world today.

The Good Dirt

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 describes who the good soil in his parable of the sower represents. People of noble and generous hearts.

NOBLE:         Showing fine personal qualities and high moral principles.
GENEROUS:   A readiness to give more than is necessary or expected.
HEART:         Innermost part of something.

Jesus could be describing himself here. But he's not. He's describing the man he is calling me to be. 

My wife doesn't like it when I describe myself as a reformed dirt bag. "Power of words Mike", she says. Perhaps the moniker becomes palatable in the light of this calling from Jesus for me to become "good dirt", a man of noble and generous heart.

Jesus, you know the rocks and weeds in my life. Come root up, pull out and then cultivate.
  

Forgiven Much Love Much

I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven — for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.
Lk.7:47

Jesus points out how to discern the forgiveness one has received. By the amount of love given in return.

I've heard it said the good aren't assured of heaven, only the forgiven are. In my experience, forgiveness involved acknowledging a higher power to grant that forgiveness, a stumbling block to my atheist pride for many years. 

C S Lewis says Jesus forgiving sins committed against other people without consulting those who were directly harmed only makes sense if Jesus is God, the one ultimately offended by all sin.

Yes, restitution to the wronged needs to be made where possible, but in the end it's Jesus who I've offended and it's Jesus from whom I need forgiveness. Hence my great love for him. 

Jesus, you have forgiven me much. Lord, you know how much I love you.
Saint Mary Magdalene, please pray for me

A Friend of Sinners

The Son of Man comes, eating and drinking, and you say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.”
Lk.7:34

The critics of Jesus are correct in their observation even if not in their judgement. Jesus was fully human and a friend to all.

This is part of what attracts me to Jesus. Yes, I love him as God but I also love him as man. He is relatable, as every good friend should be. I feel safe with him. He knows all my dirt but he still not only loves me, he likes me. 

I'm called to be that sort of friend. Someone I haven't seen in years has reached out to me, suggesting we meet for a coffee and a chat. We're meeting this morning at a local cafe. I sense Jesus will be with us also.

Jesus, thank you for your friendship. Help me be a friend to others.

The Source of Power

We are only the earthenware jars that hold this treasure, to make it clear that such an overwhelming power comes from God and not from us. 
2Cor.4:7

The great treasure of our faith in Jesus can be contained in the most ordinary looking people. In fact, the more ordinary the better as it shows where the power comes from. God, not us.

Pride can strike anywhere, even in ministry. My work in the Church has led to more occasions of leadership, of being the tall poppy. There is a temptation to pat myself on the back. I look at Saint Paul, a great leader in the early Church. As he rose in prominence he grew in humility. In his final letters he called himself the greatest of all sinners. 

This seems a common characteristic among the saints. The closer they get to Christ, the more aware they are of their brokenness and need of him. Truly, I'm just a stumbling follower. 

Jesus, may I become lesser as you become greater in my life, proving the power comes from you.

God Wants Everyone

He wants everyone to be saved and reach full knowledge of the truth.
1Tim.2:4

Saint Paul gives the reason why we are called to intercede by prayer for all people. God wants all people to be saved.

God's love and mercy isn't for just a chosen select few. He wants all people drawn back home to him. I live next to a school where hundreds of pupils are just now being dropped off by parents and family. Among them I'm sure are the good, the bad and the ugly but God makes no such distinction. He wants them all.

 This defines my mission field. Every person I encounter today is desired by God to be embraced and drawn back to him. 

Lord, help me be an effective missionary for you today.
Saint Paul, please pray for me.

Think then Speak

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 gives advice on how to discern a man's character. Look at  his fruit.

To see what a man is really like in his heart I only need to listen to him. More importantly, what is really in my heart is revealed to all by my words. 

Mental note to self: Think before I speak.

Lord, place a guard at my mouth and a sentry on my lips.

Love

Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
Lk.6:27,28

Jesus starts his Sermon on the Mount with a radical new message. Love without counting the cost. 

Before I was Christian, if I was asked what is one thing I knew about Christian doctrine it would be "love your enemies". I would dismiss it as pie in the sky dreaming, but secretly I wished it was true. 

Love isn't for sissies. Now I'm Christian it's the constant stretch, calling me to holiness. It is what makes being Christian both challenging and fulfilling. When I can manage it, I love being loving. 

I have family members who aren't Christian and yet are very hospitable and loving. I would say they are Christ-like on those occasions. I guess where the difference lies is in Jesus' call to love our enemies, the unrepentant, the abusers. I can only do that with the help of Jesus. 

Jesus, loving is easy when it's easy but hard when it's hard. Help me love in the hard times so I can more like you.

Saint Sebastian, please pray for me.

 

Blessedness

Jesus lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 
Lk.6:20

Jesus starts his great sermon on the mount with a clear proclamation of his shockingly counter cultural view of the world. Blessed are the poor...

This cuts to the core of my Christian belief. True blessing comes not from my circumstances but from His presence with me. It's the secret to happiness those with little seem to grasp more quickly than the affluent. 

The danger from my affluence, relative though it may be, is that it seduces me into believing it is the necessary source of happiness. It isn't. God's presence with me is the source of my blessedness. 

Jesus, I am grateful for the physical comforts I experience today. Help me remember that while they are blessings they are not the source of my blessedness. You are.

Honour and Mercy

Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally.
Mt.1:19

While the Church rightly honours Mary's birthday, I'm drawn to Joseph her husband. Little is written of Joseph but much can be surmised from the woman he betrothed and the boy he raised.

While Matthew writes that Joseph was "a man of honour" he also records he was a man of mercy, wanting to spare Mary as much fallout from her "unplanned pregnancy" as he could. 

Honour and mercy, two great virtues that temper each other. Joseph was not only a law abiding, honourable Jew but a merciful man. His honour defined the landscape in which his mercy worked. His power and strength from honour was controlled and constrained by his mercy. This is meekness, a manly character reminding me of a great warhorse submitting to restraint from its rider.

Today I can be a man of honour and mercy. Mary, Jesus and Joseph, please pray for me.

Holy Pure Blameless

Not long ago, you were foreigners and enemies, in the way that you used to think and the evil things that you did; but now he has reconciled you, by his death and in that mortal body. Now you are able to appear before him holy, pure and blameless.
Col.1:21,22

From an evil doer to one who is holy, pure and blameless. What a transformation!

It's good to remember where I've come from. It highlights the great benefits of where I am now, reminding me of the enormous grace, mercy and love that has been lavished on me by God. In short, it makes me grateful.

Thank you Jesus. You are my way, my truth and my life. 

Listen to Him

‘Master,’ Simon replied, ‘we worked hard all night long and caught nothing, but if you say so, I will pay out the nets.’ And when they had done this they netted such a huge number of fish that their nets began to tear.
Lk.5:5,6

Jesus convinces an exhausted and failed fisherman to one more effort. The result, the catch of a lifetime.

"But if you say so." I can see the shrug of Peter's shoulders. He is spent from following his own plans. Now, under the direction of Jesus... boom! Peter is never recorded catching fish except when under Jesus' instruction. 

Like many, I find the human weakness of Peter relatable. He's stubborn and intractable even when results are screaming for a change of direction. Yep, been there done that, especially in the ministry of "catching fish".

The trick, as Peter shows, is to finally do what Jesus suggests. Even a halfhearted "If you say so" is enough for Jesus to work with. The results can be staggering. 

Jesus, I'm so busy writing my own playbook that I don't have time to read yours. Lord, I put down my pen. Tell me where to cast the net. 

My Cheerleader

God never meant us to experience the Retribution, but to win salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that, alive or dead, we should still live united to him.
1Thes.5:9,10

God doesn't want me to be a loser. He wants me to be a winner!

My mother was one of those parent, and grandparent, supporters who was a loud, vociferous sideline supporter of competing children and grandchildren. Diminutive to look at, she commanded the bleachers once her cheering arose. And she would use our names in her shout-outs, much to our embarrassment. She never rained on a parade. She was a true cheerleader and I now fondly remember her loud, unwavering support and encouragement. 

I'm reminded of mum in this exhortation from Saint Paul. God is my cheerleader, shouting out my name. "Come on Michael! You can do it!" He sees me as a winner. 

Thank you Father that you believe in me, even when I'm unbelievable. 
Mum, thank you for your unflinching love. I know you are praying for me and cheering me on.

Good News!

Unrolling the scroll he found the place where it is written:

The spirit of the Lord has been given to me,
for he has anointed me.
He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives
and to the blind new sight,
to set the downtrodden free,
to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.

Lk.4:17-19

Jesus reads from the prophet Isaiah to outline his gameplan. As a follower, it's my gameplan as well. I am anointed to bring good news, liberty, sight, freedom and proclamation. 

Good news folks! In the name of Jesus you are free, you can see clearly, your shackles are broken, you are lifted up and you are alive under the blessing and favour of God almighty. 

Now, who wants to cancel me, dismiss me, throw me over a cliff? The good news is good news and it can't be stopped.

Come Holy Spirit. Fill the hearts of your faithful. 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.

Bold Investments

“I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground.”
— Matthew 25:25

It wasn’t laziness that kept the third servant from acting—it was fear. Fear froze him. Fear whispered that the master couldn’t be trusted, that failure would be punished, that it was safer to bury what was given rather than risk losing it.

This parable always makes me stop and ask: What are my talents? How am I using them—or hiding them? A talent here isn’t just money, it’s every God-given gift, every skill, every spark of opportunity placed in my hands.

Jesus tells this story to give me a glimpse of the Kingdom of Heaven. And what does it look like? It looks like people trusting God enough to take risks with the gifts He’s given them. It looks like bold investing in love, service, creativity, and faith. But it also reveals the opposite: when fear wins, gifts get buried.

I know this tension personally. I’ve been the bold servant who steps out, invests, and risks for God. But I’ve also been the fearful one, digging holes to hide what I was too anxious to use.

So the real question is: How do I become a more confident investor of God’s gifts?

By remembering who the Master truly is. He’s not harsh or stingy—He’s extravagantly generous. He trusts me enough to place His treasures in my hands. And what matters most to Him is not flawless success, but faithful effort. Every step of trust, no matter how small, is an investment in His Kingdom.

Jesus, thank you for the gifts you give me. Help me be a bold investor and not a fearful burier.  

 

Be a Waiter

You are now waiting for Jesus, his Son, whom he raised from the dead, to come from heaven to save us from the retribution which is coming.
1Thes.1:10

Saint Paul points out that the Christian life is not just one of doing. It is also one of waiting.

Waiting develops a lot of good fruit, like patience, hope and trust. These in turn give me peace the world cannot give and that sort of peace fosters joy. 

Jesus, you have promised to return. Help me be a waiter, not just a doer. Give me patience to wait expectantly with hope, peace and joy. 

A Little More Perfect

Jesus said to him, ‘If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’ 
Mt.19:21

The rich young man has everything. He is rich and young, things the world values. But he senses there is more that he lacks. There is, and to gain it he must give everything away.

As usual this story throws a light on me.  What is the "wealth" that I find hard to give away? Wealth is not just money. Tolstoy gave everything away to the poor but it ruined his relationship with his family. Was that what was really required of him? 

There's no easy answer to this. Weasel words come up when I try to justify my position of holding on to my "wealth". I guess it's the old question of, "Where is my heart?" If it's not in heavenly things then it's probably a hindrance to me becoming perfect as Jesus understands the word. 

Maybe if I just focus one day at a time on following Jesus. Then each step makes me a little more perfect than I was yesterday.

Jesus, help me today to be a little more perfect as I follow you. 

Upside Down

Jesus said, ‘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

Once again Jesus turns the world upside down. The small, the weak, the vulnerable are the inheritors of the Kingdom.

I have seventeen grandchildren. I love them dearly but... When they arrive, whatever I'm doing gets paused or simply stops. Children's time domain is very simple. Now! The concepts of "Wait a minute" or "When I've finished" don't compute. In a sense they become a mini autocracy. 

They force my world to go upside down. It's no longer about me... my time, my goals, my rights. This is not my natural world and I fight it. 

Yet, as was the case yesterday, there is two year old Lucy holding a book saying "Story! Story!" while I'm trying to engage with unexpected visiting family. I finally sat her on my knee and read in parts while talking with our guests. Lucy knew she wasn't getting the full deal but she was gracious, as were our visitors.

Upside down is where Jesus wants me to be. Perhaps my grandchildren are part of his design to get me into that unnatural pose. 

Jesus, thank you for the lessons I am sent via my grandchildren. Help me become malleable so that upside down becomes my new right side up. 

The Power of More than One

For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.
Mt.18:20

Jesus promises a unique presence among gathered believers. Nothing less than himself.

This is the "Power of More than One". We're not meant to be Lone Ranger Christians. Jesus calls believers to gather to powerfully experience his presence. Does this mean he isn't present when I pray alone, like now? Of course not. It's simply a promise that he will be with us in a uniquely influential way when we are Church. The Eucharist couldn't happen for me by myself. 

This promise of Jesus' to be especially present in a gathering has motivated our family prayer time for decades. We open our time of family prayer usually by thanking Jesus for his promise and welcoming him into our home. Children get it. 

Thank you Lord for being among us in Church, large and small. Thank you for the Power of More than One.

When I am Weak I am Strong

The disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ So he called a little child to him
Mt.18:1,2

The disciples ask who is the greatest. Jesus replies by presenting who is the least.

If I'm honest, I must admit to a constant desire to be the greatest, the handsomest, the cleverest, the most powerful. Jesus tells me this is not only rubbish and reconstituted dust but the source of all my dissatisfaction, anxiety and grief. It's the source of stress in my life.

The greatest blessing I've found with humility, on the occasions I achieve it, is peace. It's the green pasture and still waters where he leads me.

Jesus, without you I am lost. Be my shepherd. Carry me home on your shoulders like a little lamb.

My Cheerleader

I am no longer trying for perfection by my own efforts, the perfection that comes from the Law, but I want only the perfection that comes through faith in Christ, and is from God and based on faith.
Ph.3:9

Perfection comes by faith in Jesus. Perfection by the Law is doomed for failure.

This is a great relief for me. Faith in Jesus includes faith in his mercy, his grace, his love... all wonderful gifts to help me. I am no longer striving by my own efforts. Jesus is striving with me, cheering me on. 

Thank you Jesus for being my cheerleader. My faith is grounded in you. You are my hope and joy.

One Priority

Your heavenly Father knows you need them all. Set your hearts on his kingdom first, and on his righteousness, and all these other things will be given you as well. So do not worry...
Mt.6:32-34

Jesus is just warming up in his Sermon on the Mount by addressing a core malady in all of us.Worry.

Worries, fears, anxieties... these all rob me of my peace. This gives a hint as to where they all come from. Jesus gives the antidote to the devil's ploys. Seek first the kingdom of God. Make this my daily priority and everything else falls into line. The result? Peace.

The word "priority" is recorded as first in use during the thirteenth century. Then in the 1940s something strange happened. "Priority" began to be replaced by "priorities". Like, "What are your priorities in life?" The thing is, this creates an oxymoron. Having multiple "priorities" means none of them can be a priority. Priority is the single most important thing. 

Why's this important? Because when I have priorities in my day I become stressed, I lose my peace. One thing alone is my priority today. Seek first his kingdom. Then all is well.

Saint Mary of the Cross, please pray for us.

Jesus is God

‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’ he said, ‘the Son of the living God.’
Mt.16:15,16

Jesus asks the pivotal question to his disciples.... and to me. Who do I say he is?

What must a person believe to be called Christian? Many theological answers come to mind but the essential faith proclamation is simple and direct. Jesus is God.

I recently saw the words "Jesus is God" written in large letters on the T-shirt of a man who, with his wife, evangelises in the Middle East. The same phrase was also written underneath in Arabic. The phrase is jolting in its boldness, even to me let alone a Muslim. 

The modern world will say Jesus was a good man, a prophet even, but God? Yes, Jesus is God. My best friend is the creator of the Universe! Mind blowing but true. 

Jesus, I say you are God. I place my trust in you.

The Beggar's Friend

A court was held and the books were opened.
Dn.7:10

Daniel's vision of end times presents a courtroom. Jesus steps into the room and "the books" are opened.

My book is going to be opened. All, yes all, will be revealed. This is where I cling to the promise of Jesus to Nicodemus. "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." Jn.3:17 I'm counting on Jesus being my merciful advocate, like Moses was for Miriam. 

As Saint Paul states, "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!" Rms.6:1,2. I have died to sin, so how can I live in it any longer? Yes, mercy and grace are mine in Jesus, but so is a new life. I would be the greatest of fools to turn my back on becoming a new man, born again.

So, let the books be opened, let my beggared life be exposed and let my reliance on the beggar's friend be my hope. Meanwhile, I live as a new man born again full of the hope, peace and joy that only Jesus the beggar's friend can give.

Jesus, I place my trust in you.

Preach Cast and Cure

He summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness.
Mt.10:1

Jesus' pity and compassion for the people prompts him into action. He sends out the twelve, the labourers in the harvest, to do what he was doing at the start; preaching, casting out demons and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness. 

The commission hasn't changed or stopped. If I want to be a labourer in the harvest, and what professing Christian wouldn't, I should be preaching, casting and curing in my sphere of influence. Jesus didn't die for a powerless Church. 

Come Holy Spirit. Fill me with power to preach, cast and cure that Jesus is glorified.

Go Tell Jesus

And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus.
Mt.14:12

John's disciples would have been overwhelmed with grief at their rabbi's brutal murder. Their first response is to give John's body the dignity of a burial. Their second response is to go tell Jesus.

When calamity strikes my first response is that of an autotron... I robotically clean up the mess. When I can lift my head above the panic, the grief, the shock... I go tell Jesus. 

The response of John's disciples to his beheading always takes me back to the nightmare of the suicide of a son of close friends. I was his confirmation sponsor and, as is the way with suicide, I felt guilty. We and other friends went to the parents' home. All we could first do was weep with them. 

Then someone suggested we pray. We went and told Jesus. The boy wasn't brought back to life. He remained tragically dead, but... a corner had been turned. We were now facing the right direction, away from despair and towards hope, a hope that does not disappoint. 

Thank you Jesus for being especially close when I grieve. I place my trust in you.

Faith Fuels Miracles

‘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

Perception determines expectation. You receive what you perceive. Jesus' townsfolk perceived the carpenter's son. They expected only woodwork. 

Jesus gives the key to miracles here. Expectant faith fuels miracles. If I perceive the Eucharist as merely a symbol of bread and wine, that's all I receive. When I perceive it as his body and blood, I receive the miracle of his full divinity. As Flannery O'Connor famously said, "If it's just a symbol, to hell with it!"

When I perceive Jesus as the living, loving God who walks beside me today, well... today anything could happen!

Holy Spirit, fan into flame the gift of faith I have received. Let miracles work through me to the glory of Jesus. 

Speak for His Glory

Whatever you eat, whatever you drink, whatever you do at all, do it for the glory of God. Never do anything offensive to anyone.
1Cor.10:31

Saint Paul presents a model for the lives of believers. In all things desire to glorify God.

Probably my tongue is the thing that fails in this the most. I say things I regret. I desire my words to always be edifying, building people up, to speak less and listen more.

Lord, may the words from my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing unto you.

White Hot and Excited

The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed.
Mt.13:31

With the Holy Spirit involved small beginnings are assured of large outcomes. 

I recall with gratitude a seed of faith planted in my life at a time when there wasn't much soil to nourish it. A Presbyterian minister would come into my primary school class room once a week to talk about things of God. 

I remember nothing of what he said but I do remember what he was like. There was something authentic about him and... kindly. Even as a child I could tell he believed in what he was saying and that he lived it out. 

I came from a home with no active faith life so that seed remained dormant for decades until it was fed and watered by someone else. But that is another story.

My wife and I lead children's liturgy in our parish. We focus on the Gospel reading but I'm reminded here of what is important. When I'm white hot for Jesus and excited about being Catholic, seeds are planted.

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

Glory That Does Not Fade

In their descendants there remains a rich inheritance born of them. Their descendants stand by the covenants and, thanks to them, so do their children’s children. Their offspring will last forever, their glory will not fade.
Eccl.44:12,13

Saint Joachim and Saint Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary 

For better or worse, grandparents shape the future. Scripture may be silent on Saints Joachim and Anne but it speaks volumes on their influence. 

Seventeen grandchildren last count. Yep, I've got  a full quiver. All of them are being raised in households practicing their Catholic faith. Yes, my wife Kate and I have had some role in this but I'm always aware that we stand on the shoulders of giants. 

I can trace my faith back three generations but beyond that, not so clearly. Yet, back one hundred years, two hundred... a thousand years ago, there were brave and faith-filled souls who said yes rather than no to Jesus, resulting in the faith of my grandchildren today. I'm looking forward to meeting them to say thank you.

Saints Joachim and Anne, please pray for us.

Bruised Reeds - Smouldering Wicks

A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not quench.

Mt.12:20

Jesus is recorded quietly healing people and setting people free, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah. While murderous plots were being formed around him, he kept his focus on his mission. Heal the sick. Set prisoners free.

Bruised reeds. Smouldering wicks. I meet them everyday. Holy Spirit, help me sooth the bruises, breath oxygen into the splutter wicks. Let your kingdom be on earth as it is in heaven.

Amen.

The Meaning of Mercy

Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” 

Mt.9:13

The Pharisees distanced themselves from sinners. Jesus embraced them.

The law demands sacrifice. Love demands mercy. I blush when recalling my enthusiasm for measuring others by the law. This didn't stop until I measured myself. I then threw myself into mercy's arms and was cured of my ailment. I had learnt the meaning of mercy.

God help us, the Church, become a hospital in the field of battle dispensing truckloads of mercy. Does this mean sinners are let of the hook? Praise God yes!

Treasure

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Mt.6:21

Jesus exhorts me to store my treasures in heaven. Why? For it is there that not only my present but also my future lies.

So, what are my treasures, the things of greatest value to me? Those I love would be up in the list. My faith in Jesus. 

It's good to remember what are my true treasures. The tries to seduce me with sparkling bling. It's just reconstituted dust that mouth and first week eventually consume. 

Generous Spirit

The more you sow, the more you reap. Each one should give what he has decided in his own mind, not grudgingly or because he is made to, for God loves a cheerful giver.

2Cor.9:6,7

Generosity or parsimony. These say a lot about my inner soul. God loves the generous spirit for he is the father of all generosity.

I'm currently visiting Rome, beggar central. From among the hundreds of beggars I will encounter today, I need to know who to give to and who to withhold from. 

Come Holy Spirit, help me see as you see and be generous in response.

Saint Philip Neri, please pray for me.

Image of God

We prove we are God’s servants by our purity, knowledge, patience and kindness; by a spirit of holiness, by a love free from affectation.   2Cor.6,6

Purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness and love. I am made in the image of God, not the image of man. When I see myself rightly, I live up to that image.

Lord, help me see myself through your eyes and act accordingly.

Saint Paul the Apostle, please pray for me.

Ambassador for Christ

So we are ambassadors for Christ; it is as though God were appealing through us, and the appeal that we make in Christ’s name is: be reconciled to God.
2Cor.5:20

Paul explains clearly the role of all believers. We are ambassadors for Christ.

Being an ambassador implies that I go out into foreign lands. Going out means leaving the comfort of home, it means taking risks. I'm not meant to be a "homebody". I'm an ambassador, an ambassador for Christ.

Saint Paul, pray for courage so I may go out and appeal to those in "foreign lands" to be reconciled to God.

Cure and Preach

Cure those in it who are sick, and say, “The kingdom of God is very near to you.
Lk.10:9

Jesus instructs the seventy two prior to their mission trip. The mission's objective is simple. Cure the sick and preach the Gospel.

This mandate is unchanged today and is for all believers. Cure the sick, preach the Good News. The faith of the first action gives authority to the second.

When did I last pray for healing with someone and then tell them the good news of Jesus?

Saint Anthony of Padua, please pray for me to have boldness in faith for healing and zeal in preaching the Gospel.

What's My Credentials?

For he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith.
Acts.11:24

Barnabas is sent as emissary to the fledgling Church at Antioch. His credentials are goodness, faith and the Holy Spirit.

Barnabas is famously remembered as "the son of encouragement". His goodness and faith either welcomed the Holy Spirit or were the fruit of the Holy Spirit. 

I want the credentials of Barnabas. Goodness and faith are gifts of the Holy Spirit that I wish to possess so, like Barnabas, I can edify and build up the Church.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. 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.

  

Shine!

Alleluia, alleluia!
Let your light shine before all,
that they may see your good works and glorify your Father.
Alleluia!

Mt.5:16

Today's Gospel acclamation is a clarion cry to the Christian life. This is how we battle with the forces of the evil one. We outshine him.

The smallest light  overcomes the deepest darkness.

Lord , I choose to reflect your light today. Just help me polish up the mirror.

Look Up!

My soul, give thanks to the Lord, all my being, bless his holy name. My soul, give thanks to the Lord and never forget all his blessings.
Ps.102(103):1,2

David encourages his soul to never forget the blessings of God. He builds an attitude of gratitude.

Gratitude involves all my being; body, soul and spirit. I can sing of God's goodness, meditate on God's goodness, pray thanks to God for his goodness.

An attitude of gratitude makes me look up, not down, regardless of circumstances. What a great way to walk into my day!

Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his Holy name!

Church

When Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Lk.1:41

The first four members of the Church meet in an embrace and the Holy Spirit is there among them.

This first meeting of Mary and Jesus, Elizabeth and John the Baptist lays the foundation for what happens at Church. People meeting Jesus in body and in spirit. The first fruit is joy. 

Every time I go to Mass is a Visitation. I embrace Jesus in his Word and in the Eucharist. My heart burns within me as I am filled with the Holy Spirit. I fellowship with other believers and leave with Joy in my heart. I love being Catholic.

Mary Mother of God, please pray for us.

Joy that Sticks

So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. 
Jn.16:22

The night before his Passion, Jesus warns his disciples of their impending grief. But, he then promises a following complete and permanent joy due to his resurrection. 

Life is made from cycles of grief and joy, joy and grief. But the joy Jesus promises is deep and breaks the cycle. His resurrection gives me a joy that sticks. No one can take it away from me.

This gift of a joy that sticks is mine to take into my day and share with others.

Jesus, you are the source of my joy that sticks. All praise to you my Lord and my God.

The Winning Side

‘In a short time you will no longer see me, and then a short time later you will see me again.’
Jn.16:16

Jesus calls the disciples to an eschatological worldview. His impending death was not the end of the story.

It's said WWII was won on D-Day but it took another eleven months of "mop up operations" before the war finally ended. In a similar way, the war against evil has been won with Jesus' death and resurrection. We're living in the in-between times, fighting mop up operations before Jesus' final return to take us home.

Are two thousand years a "short time"? Well, for God to whom a thousand years are like a day, yes. The message here for me is; we're on the winning side, keep up the good fight, the final triumph over evil is coming, heaven awaits.

Church Militant will become Church Triumphant. Alleluia!

Love Lives within Me

Yet in fact he is not far from any of us, since it is in him that we live, and move, and exist.
Acts.17:28

Paul presents God as someone beyond any man made image or idol. He lives within us as he has created us. Without him we don't exist.

There is something beautifully intimate about my God living within me. Every breath I take, every beat of my heart occurs only because he wills it so. My breath and my heartbeat are constant reminders that God is with me, nurturing me, supporting me, guiding me, loving me. Indeed, love lives within me.

Today is a gift from my God who loves me.

Thank you Lord. It is in you that I live and move and have my being. 

He is Divine, I am de Branch

I am the vine; you are the branches.
Jn.15:5

There's no way around this. Connected to Jesus I thrive and bear fruit. Disconnected I'm just fuel for the fire, briefly giving heat then turning into lifeless ashes. 

He is divine, I am de branch. 

Stay connected!

The Way The Truth The Life

Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’
Jn.14:6

Thomas asks a fair question of Jesus. "How can we know the way?" Jesus' answer is unambiguous. "Follow me."

I've heard people say there are many paths to God. Jesus doesn't agree. I've tried other paths and they've all been dead ends. There's peace and joy in following Jesus that gives a hint of the glories yet to come. 

Thank you Thomas for your question. Thank you Jesus for your answer.

Saint Thomas the Apostle, please pray for me.

Less is More

After he had washed the feet of his disciples, Jesus said to them:

‘I tell you most solemnly,

no servant is greater than his master,

no messenger is greater than the man who sent him.

‘Now that you know this, happiness will be yours if you behave accordingly. 

Jn.13:16,17

Jesus demonstrates the key to happiness. Humility.

Striving for human approval is exhausting. Human exultation is temporary at best. In the Christian world, humility is held up as a virtue that  brings me closer to God, and that's where I want to be... closer to God.

Jesus, I want to be less that you may be more in my life.
Saint John the Baptist, please pray for me.

Complete Joy

I have told you this

so that my own joy may be in you

and your joy be complete.

Jn.15:11

Complete Joy. What is it I must do to obtain it? Keep Jesus' commandments, the greatest of these being 

the commandment to love.

The hallmark of authentic Christianity is joy. Not forced. A natural joy. A complete joy. 

I have met people with this kind of joy. They are great to hang around. Their joy is contagious. 

Lord Jesus, I want your complete joy so I can be an authentic witness for you. Help me love.

Saint Philip Neri, patron saint of joy, please pray for me.

A Good Man

for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith. 
Acts.11:24

Barnabas, recognizing the Holy Spirit was at work, encouraged the Church of Antioch. He lived up to his name "Son of Encouragement".

What makes a good man? The Holy Spirit and faith. 

Come Holy Spirit, give me the gift of faith so I may be a son of encouragement to others.

If not You then Who?

Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life.
Jn.6:68

After many disciples leave him because of his "intolerable language", Jesus challenges the twelve. "And you?" Peter replies, "If not you then who? You alone have the words of everlasting life".

Following Jesus is challenging. Lose your life. Love your enemies. Turn your cheek. Walk the extra mile. Forgive all. Eat my flesh. Drink my blood. 

Intolerable.

An yet... and yet... if I'm honest, each of these actions is lifegiving, brings joy, and imbues hope. "We believe" says Peter. Amen say I. With belief the intolerable becomes more than tolerable, it is essential. 

If not you Lord, then who? You alone have the words of eternal life.

Come and Eat - Come and Drink

Jesus said to the crowd, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.'
Jn.6:35

Jesus satisfies my hunger, no matter what form that hunger takes.

Hunger and thirst, the most basic of human needs that we strive to satisfy. Of course, Jesus is not talking about physical food and water. He's talking about spiritual food and water which is even more essential to a healthy life. 

So, how do I avail myself of Jesus' satisfying sustenance?  Jesus says, "come and believe". This is a daily initiative I can take action on. Come and believe. Morning prayer. Daily Mass. Sacred Scripture. These are all places where I can have my hunger satisfied, my thirst satiated. 

Jesus, you invite me to come and eat, come and drink. I accept your invitation.

The Way

I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
Jn.14.6

Thomas has just said he doesn't know the way to the place of "many rooms" where his heart will not be troubled. Jesus puts his mind at rest. "Just follow me. I am the way".

Jesus doesn't give any options to him being the way. He doesn't say "I am one way". He is THE way. The way to where? The way home with the Father.

Like Thomas and the other apostles, my heart is not troubled when I follow the way to truth and life.

Jesus, I stumble along behind you. You are my way, my truth, my life. I place my trust in you.

Small made Great

There is a small boy here with five barley loaves and two fish; but what is that between so many?
Jn.6:9

Andrew is so blinded by the problem of feeding over five thousand people that he fails to see the solution standing in front of him.

Andrew looks at the boy and his five loaves and two fish and says, "Useless." Jesus looks at the boy and his offering and says, "Perfect!" Jesus is master at using anything to perform a miracle when it is offered in faith. This lesson would not have been lost on Andrew as he watched the miracle of the loaves and fishes unfold.

I remember leading music at Mass in fear and trepidation. I'm not a great musician, a "hit and hope" guitarist at best. Yet people told me afterwards how moved they were by the music. I am constantly amazed at how God uses me when I offer the little I have in faith. 

The little boy with his loaves is me.

Jesus, I am weak, small and insignificant. I offer to you again what I have. Use me Lord and be glorified.
Saint Andrew the Apostle, please pray for me.