Man of Integrity

That is why you must rely on God’s armour, or you will not be able to put up any resistance when the worst happens, or have enough resources to hold your ground.
Eph.6:13

Do I want to resist the worst and hold my ground? Put on God's Armour.

What does this armour comprise? 

-    Truth

-    Integrity

-    Evangelism

-    Faith

-    Salvation

-    Holy Scripture

What part of this armour do I need to shine up today? 

Integrity catches my attention. It is the quality of being honest, trustworthy, and having an unwavering commitment to strong moral and ethical principles.

Holy Spirit, help me be a man of integrity today.

Love Submitting to Love

As the Church submits to Christ, so should wives to their husbands, in everything. Husbands should love their wives just as Christ loved the Church and sacrificed himself for her.
Eph.5:24,25

Marriage flourishes when it is love submitted to love. And this is a two way transaction. Wives submit to the love of their husband and husbands submit to the object of their love, their wife. That's what sacrificial love does. 

On first read Saint Paul appears to be favouring husbands here. But look at what wives are being asked to submit to. Sacrificial love. 

Jesus died for the Church. That's the height of sacrifice husbands are being called to for our wives. Who wouldn't want to submit to such love? In fact, that is what every Christian does. We submit to Christ's love.

If a husband's love isn't sacrificial, he's not fulfilling his side of the marriage and is not worthy of submission.

Am I that type of husband? Could I do better? Yes, I could. 

Jesus, help me love Kate sacrificially as you loved the Church.

Edify

Do you suppose that they were more guilty than all the other people living in Jerusalem? They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did.
Lk.13:4,5

The apparent random death of victims of a collapsed tower is used by Jesus to warn that death is a great leveler. No matter what our perceived righteousness, spiritual preparation is required by us all.

I read earlier this year of an American Christian author's public confession of years of adultery. Predicatibly, he was vilified. I was reminded of the ancient Roman playwright Terence's quote; "I am human. Nothing human is alien to me." I would add, there but for the grace of God go I.

As read in Ephesians yesterday, I am called to "Bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience." 

Jesus, rather than pulling  down with accusations of guilt, help me build people up, that my own guilt may be atoned. 

Bear with One Another in Love

Bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience. Do all you can to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together. 
Eph.4:1-6

Charitable forbearance has a beautiful fruit. Peace.

My wife and I have been married coming up to 48 years. We are two very different personalities and yet our marriage continues to flourish. The key? I would say we bear with one another charitably.

The world aches for this commandment to be exercised, in personal and international relationships. As the song goes, "Let there be peace on earth and let it  begin with me."

Jesus, you know my natural inclination is to put me first. Help me bear with others in selflessness, gentleness, patience and love.

He is Worth It

Do you suppose that I am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.
Lk.12:51

It is strange but true. Following the Prince of Peace can cause division.

I experienced this family division on my conversion to Catholicism. My mother and sister were, how can I say it... mystified.  Since that time my mother became a believer five days before she died. My sister remains on my prayer list.

In such times, as we read in today's first reading from Ephesians (one of the greatest books ever written in my opinion), I ask for "power through his Spirit for my hidden self to grow strong". Eph.3:16

This is one of those challenging gospel readings where I have to ask, "What is Love saying here?" 

He's saying to me, "Yes Mike, your faith in me is costing you but, am I worth it?"

I've counted up the cost and, yes Lord, you are worth it.

Stand Ready

You too must stand ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Lk.12:40

When will Jesus return? Wrong question. How will he find me? Right question.

Even Jesus doesn't know the hour of his return. That is only known by God the Father (Mt.24:36). For good reason. Me being me, I'd probably slacken off and then crank up the good works in a final dash to the finish line. Stack up the brownie points.

So, I'm left with the constant thought, "Is this the day?" 

Ha! My wife has just come in with a request from our daughter. She has four children at home with Chicken Pox and needs to do a supermarket shop. Am I standing ready to help?

Enough talk. Time for action!

He is the Peace Between Us

For he is the peace between us.
Eph.2:14

Saint Paul writes that pagans and Jews are now one body by the blood of Jesus.

Our  parish is a United Nations, with people from every continent. There is a beautiful unity in our diversity, by our shared faith in Jesus. It is a foreshadowing of heaven... many different peoples, one Lord all.

The peace Jesus brings doesn't require us all to be the same, thank God. We had a Fijian choir lead us last Sunday. Hearing them worship my God in their language lifted my spirit. 

So, Jesus, help me to continue to be at peace with all the different types of people in our parish. You are the peace between us.

Bend the Knee to His Furious Love

To you my friends I say: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. I will tell you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has the power to cast into hell.
Lk.12:5

Friendly advice from Jesus. Don't fear man. Fear God.

Jesus has a wonderful way of expanding my view. I do get weighed down by the concerns of what the world is doing and can do to me. Jesus says no, that world is temporary. Look to the eternal and make sure of that destination.

Fearing God is not a paralysing terror. It's a deep reverence, awe, and respect for God’s holiness, power, and authority. It's a bending of the knee to his furious love. 

I've noticed when I have a fervent fear of God, there's no room in me for the fear of man. It's a liberating outworking of perfect love casting out all fear. 

Father in Heaven, I place my trust in your great love. May your mercy triumph over judgement.

Salvation - Assured But Not Yet Received

We must hope to be saved since we are not saved yet – it is something we must wait for with patience.
Rms.8:24,25

For the believer, salvation is assured but not yet received.

When does Saint Paul say that salvation actually occurs? "When our bodies are set free" Rms.8:23.

This points forward to the Christian hope of resurrection and receiving a restored, glorified body free from pain and mortality. 

My glorified body has the final say. What a wonderful hope to carry into my day, whatever it brings.

So, when I'm asked, "Are you saved brother?"  My confident answer is, "Not yet, but I have every hope to be."

Thank you Jesus for your wonderful promise of salvation. I place my trust in you.
Saint Teresa of Ávila, please pray for us.

 

Faith and Love

What matters is faith that makes its power felt through love.
Gl.5:6

What is the first sign of faith? Love.

Paul warns against observing the Law in place of exercising faith. The Law is a yoke to slavery. Faith is the door to freedom.

There's a little Pharisee within me that quite likes the Law. It's so clean and black and white. The trouble is I could never keep it. My life is murky and grey. I need the mercy that comes by faith.

Faith is a free gift. All I need to do is receive it. 

Jesus, thank you for the gift of faith. I place my trust in you.

Hear and Do

‘Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked!’ But he replied, ‘Still happier those who hear the word of God and keep it!’
Lk.11:27,28

A woman in the crowd cries out the greatest compliment she can think of. Jesus responds with the greatest challenge.

Happiness comes from hearing God's word and doing it. Hearing is relatively simple. The Bible and prayer are there to help me. It's the doing that can be a challenge. 

Here is where the Holy Spirit can be invited. He animates spiritual virtues in my life, including love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Exercising any of these is keeping God's word.

Come Holy Spirit. Animate your fruits in me as I hear God's word and keep it.

Free Alive and Filled

This was done so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might include the pagans, and so that through faith we might receive the promised Spirit.
Gl.3:14

Believing Jesus died for me frees me from the curse of the law, brings me life... and the promised Holy Spirit.

Faith is such a wonderful gift. It's offered to all but received by few. Through faith I am free, alive and filled with the Holy Spirit.

Thank you Jesus for the gift of faith. I place my trust in you.

Manservant

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

Mary's angelic visitation could have had her responding with flight, fight or submission. She chose the latter. 

I'm not sure how I would respond to an angelic vision. Mary's response reveals her extraordinary trust in God. Being a handmaid wasn't just a figure of speech. That is exactly how she saw herself.

Am I a manservant of the Lord? Do I perform close, personal duties for God? Not to the degree Mary did. 

The key words here are "close" and "personal". I need to get closer and more personal with Jesus. Put simply, just hang out with him like mates do. 

When I have this level of intimacy with Jesus, Mary's instruction to the Cana wedding marshall's servants can apply to me. "Do whatever he tells you". 

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

Love Shown By Mercy

 

A lawyer stood up to put Jesus to the test, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’
Lk.10:25

Where am I in the parable of the Good Samaritan? Great question. 

Interestingly, I'm drawn outside of the famous parable and seem to identify with the conniving lawyer. I'm struck by how Jesus drew out of the lawyer the right answer... twice. Firstly that eternal life is found in loving God and loving others and then it is mercy that shows the outworking of these two great loves.

The lawyer actually knew the right answers, he just needed Jesus to draw them out. That's me. I already know what is right and what is wrong. That has been placed in all of us by God. I need Jesus to draw "rightness" out of me. 

How does that happen? By doing what the lawyer did. Enter into conversation with Jesus. Even though the lawyer's motivation was corrupt, Jesus drew right answers out from him.

Jesus, you see gold in my miry clay. Draw out of me all that is good, beautiful and true. Let my love show itself in mercy.

Less of Me More of You

I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children.
Lk.10:21

Any vainglory the triumphant seventy-two may have been tempted to embrace is deflated by Jesus. He calls them mere children.

I've come off leading a successful retreat and faced this same temptation. Haven't I done well. Well... no, I haven't. He has done well. I am just a child doing what I've been told.

Maybe a better response to watching "even devils submitting" is to say, 'I'm constantly amazed at how Jesus uses me.'

Jesus, less of me and more of you. My reward is that you know my name.

 

Less is More

Unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 
Mt.18:3

In Jesus' eyes, lesser is greater.

If there is to be any striving in God's Kingdom it is the striving to be the lesser. I'm reminded of those always-funny comedy scenes where two people are arguing over who should go through the door first. "After you. No, after you. No, I insist, after you!" Then out of frustration they both lunge for the door, only to both get jammed there.

Striving to be the least is counter culture in a world that esteems the biggest, the best, the brightest and the beautiful. 

To be honest, humility doesn't come naturally to me. Yet, if I desire to follow Jesus, humility is my very first step. I'm encouraged to know that Saint Thérèse at first struggled with this. Then a point came where she surrendered her ego to Jesus and "littleness" became her boast. 

Jesus, help my less become more. Saint Thérèse, please pray for me.

Be Ready for Any Good Work

This is how the man who is dedicated to God becomes fully equipped and ready for any good work.
2Tm.3:17

How can I be fully equipped and ready? By profitably using sacred scripture.

One of the first fruits of my receiving baptism in the Holy Spirit was gaining a ravenous hunger for scripture. I became inspired by what was inspired by the Holy Spirit. 

So, what does the Holy Spirit want me to be equipped and ready for today? Any good work.

Thank you Lord for the gift of Sacred Scripture. Let me not stray from your commands.

Angels of God

You will see heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending.
Jn.1:51

Our world is more than what we see. There is a constant traffic of angels ascending and descending between heaven and earth. 

This feast day of the Archangels expands my view. I'm invited by the Church to lift my head and see beyond what is in front of me and to envision the presence of angels, those pure spiritual creatures created by God to serve as His servants, messengers, and protectors of humanity.

I find this reassuring. There is a host that is on God's side, protecting me and those I love. 

St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in the day of battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
cast into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen. 

Fill Your Tank

In the morning, fill us with your love;
we shall exult and rejoice all our days.
Ps.89:14

Love in the morning gives joy through the day.

God's faithful, furious love is poured out morning by morning. This is the fuel that fills my tank, that sustains me through the day. I am reminded of my identity in God. A Beloved Son in whom God is well pleased, right where I am and not where I ought to be.

Thank you Father for your merciful love. Morning by morning new mercies I see. 

Who is He?

But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?
Lk.9:20

All humanity is faced with this most important of all questions. We either believe what Jesus says about himself or we don't.

My response to this question has changed over the years.  A fantasy... a wise man... a prophet... God.

My daily answer now reflects whatever part of his Godhead I am encountering. Who do I say Jesus is today? 

Jesus, you are my hope and joy. Holy Spirit, empower me to be a conduit of hope and joy to those I meet today.