Late afternoon the other day as sunset was moving in, the sky displayed a beautiful spread of colors in between the homes and trees, utility poles and power lines. Through all the obstacles intruding on the view, there was light, not only persevering, but also bringing hope, showing up in shades of glory, working among its surroundings, in a most remarkable way.
When was the last time your attention was caught by light? Recall where you were and what was happening at the time. How were your heart and mind stirred by the experience? As you remember it, how are you touched by it today?
The following verses from the Gospel reading for the Second Sunday of Lent (Matthew 17:1-9) come after Peter, James, and John witness the Transfiguration of Jesus. The three disciples saw remarkable light as they watched Jesus, transfigured, speaking with the prophets, Moses and Elijah. Peter is all about wanting to build three tents at the site—one each for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah.
Take some time to consider what you seek to preserve and what kinds of things lead you to a sense of reverence or admiration?
While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. – v. 5-6
Envision yourself on the mountain alongside the three disciples. Like them, you hear the voice and fall to the ground, face down in fear. In that moment, it’s as if you’re alone. But then, Jesus puts his hand on your shoulder and says, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” (v. 7). You lift your head and the first thing you see, are Jesus’s eyes, tenderly looking into your eyes. You reach for and grab his hand as he helps you to stand up. Next, the two of you sit down, and Jesus asks you to tell him what you are afraid of, what is weighing on you or puts your gaze down toward the ground. What do you say? And how does Jesus respond?
What do you need from Jesus to continue raising your eyes toward Him?
Continue the conversation, taking time to reveal what’s on your heart and pausing to really listen to what Jesus wants you to know. When this exchange with Jesus feels complete, allow for some words or a gesture between you and Jesus as you prepare to rejoin the disciples for the trek back down the mountain.
What does Jesus want you to carry with you or to remember most at this moment?
And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone. – Matthew 17:8
In the First Reading for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, it is written:
If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you; if you trust in God, you too shall live; he has set before you fire and water to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand. Before man are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses shall be given him. Immense is the wisdom of the Lord; he is mighty in power, and all-seeing. The eyes of God are on those who fear him; he understands man’s every deed. No one does he command to act unjustly, to none does he give license to sin. – Sirach 15:15-20
Take some time to reflect on your words and actions this past week. Consider to what or to whom you “stretched forth your hand” as you went about the week. Invite Jesus to reflect with you. As you review situations that come to mind, how is your heart touched? How do you imagine Jesus’s heart is touched?
The final verse in this week’s Psalm is verse 34 of Psalm 119:
Give me understanding to keep your law, to observe it with all my heart.
There are 613 laws within the first 5 books of the Old Testament (the Torah), there are 10 commandments revealed by God at Mount Sinai, and there are Jesus’s words and example among which is:
You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments. – Matthew 22:37-40
Taking what you have learned through both Scripture and personal experience, how would you describe the heart of God?
In the Second Reading (1 Corinthians 2:6-10), St. Paul gives voice to the fact that knowledge born of the earthly is different than wisdom, pure and true, which is a gift that emanates from God.
But as it is written: What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him, this God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God. – verses 9-10
Contemplate these verses. Notice where your heart is drawn and what comes to mind. As you do so, enter into conversation with Jesus. Reveal your innermost thoughts and feelings and ask him for whatever you need (healing, peace, insight, etc.).
In the Gospel for this week (Matthew 5:17-37), Jesus tells his disciples:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven. I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” – verses 17-20
As you navigate the world around you, how is your heart informed and motivated by God’s laws and commandments, and the spirit of them, along with Jesus’s words and example?
The Gospel passage continues with Jesus stating a few examples of what the disciples have heard or what’s been said of the law of God followed by “But I say to you…”:
“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you…”
“You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you…”
“It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce. But I say to you…”
“Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors, Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow. But I say to you…” – excerpted verses 21-37
In these verses, Jesus is teaching the disciples a deeper understanding of what they have heard or what’s been said; what they’ve come to know. He’s shifting the focus to connect the law/commandments back to their divine intent—preserving the goodness of God in our hearts.
How might the wisdom of God bring a new understanding or bring greater depth to what you have heard or what’s been said? In what ways might your heart exercise more like the heart of God, the intent of God’s law and commandments, and the teachings and example of Jesus?
Lord, God, creator of all, stretch forth our hearts, So that your goodness and mercy may shine through. Let our words and deeds, give you honor and praise. May they spread hope and love, light and peace, to all.
Blessed those who keep the Lord’s testimonies, who seek the Lord with all their heart. – Psalm 119:2
It’s human nature to try to assign meaning to the things that happen in life. We all have experiences that can leave us wondering, “What was that all about?”. They are situations or encounters that may or may not eventually become more fully known or revealed. However, oftentimes, instead of waiting for that moment to come, where everything comes together and starts to make sense, we rush ahead making our own sense of it.
In those times of “What was that all about?”, temptation seeks to make the situation neatly fit into our own understanding or way of looking at things. That is, the temptation is to see what one wants to see through the lens through which one chooses to see it, rather than allowing time for the grace of God to open the eyes of one’s heart.
In the Second Reading for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17), St. Paul writes:
“For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with the wisdom of human eloquence, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.” – 1 Corinthians 1:17
What words or images come to mind when you consider the meaning of the cross of Christ, and what values do they imply?
How are you influenced by, and how do you remain mindful of, the meaning and those values as you go about each day?
In what ways do you leave room for the possibility that there’s more that you need to consider regarding a situation? How might you rely upon the grace of God more fully?
In the verses that proceed the one above, St. Paul appeals to the church of God—the people—in Corinth not to succumb to temptation, which seeks to separate them and pit them against each other. He starts off by imploring them to be united:
“I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.” – 1 Corinthians 1:10-11
St. Paul’s audience is the early Christian community in Corinth. Surely, they had more than just a few disagreements! Don’t people almost always though? Despite this, people always also have much in common.
Take some time to contemplate areas of disagreement that you may have with family, friends, and/or others. After naming the point(s) of contention, think about at least one thing you have in common and that you both value. How might that become, or continue to be, a source of unity? Pray with the desire that enters your heart as you consider this.
In the Gospel passage for this Sunday (Matthew 4:12-23), in part, it is written:
As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him. He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people. – v. 18-23.
Notice how Jesus called two sets of brothers. Chances are that within each set as well as taken all together, the brothers, didn’t see eye to eye on everything. However, they were all called, and they all left something behind or had to let go of something.
Simon (Peter) and his brother, Andrew, James and his brother, John, certainly must have had their differences, but they all made the individual choice to place their focus on following Jesus, who taught in the synagogues, proclaimed the Gospel, and “cured every disease and illness among the people.” They embraced the Way. And in doing so, they were able to draw closer to God, they were strengthened through their differences, and they stayed united rather than becoming divided.
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The Lord is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? – Psalm 27:1
In the Gospel passage for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, John the Baptist gives witness, or testimony, to Jesus being the Son of God.
John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.” – John 1:29-34
Notice how the passage starts with Jesus coming toward John and John, seeing Him, stating what he has come to know—Jesus is the Son of God. John doesn’t just make this statement or claim, out of thin air. The day before, as written in the previous verses of this Gospel, he was asked who he is, to which he responds, “I am ‘the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.” (John 1:23). He continues, explaining to the priests, Levites, and Pharisees sent to question him that he is not the Messiah. John knows his God-given role and accepts it.
Praying with and reflecting on this passage, what have you come to know about your God-given role, and how does the grace of God reaffirm you in it, and help you to accept and live it out?
Contemplating John’s explanation of how he has come to know that Jesus is the Messiah, what do you make of John saying twice in this passage, “I did not know him”? What strikes you about the words that follow each, “I did not know him”?
I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
When you find yourself in a situation of not knowing, how do your instincts and what you know come together with, and make room for, God’s wisdom? How about when you find yourself in a situation where you think, or are sure, that you know?
The Gospel passage ends with John saying, “Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.” Recount whatever comes to mind about what you have seen or experienced that is of God, and how you have come to know.
What is your testimony to God? (Keep in mind that there are many ways in which testimony can be given to God.) How do you desire to give witness to what you have come to know?
Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. – Psalm 40: 8a, 9a
The Baptism of the Lord in the Gospel according to Matthew describes an interaction between Jesus and John the Baptist. John is a prophet who has his own disciples, and of whom it is written, “At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins.” (Matthew 3:5-6). And Jesus is the Christ, the Anointed one, of whom John said, “the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11). Yet, as it is written, they meet and engage with each other without pretense or posturing.
Read and reflect on the Gospel passage for the Baptism of the Lord (below), receiving it as an invitation to prayerfully consider human interactions, both your own and those that you witness. Ask the Lord for insight and wisdom as you do so.
Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. John tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?” Jesus said to him in reply, “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him. After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” – Matthew 3:13-17
What divine qualities do the words and actions of John the Baptist and Jesus exemplify in this exchange? What strikes you most?
Next, put yourself in John’s shoes as the prophet of whom it is written, “A voice proclaims: In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!” (Isaiah 40:3). What’s it like to encounter Jesus, knowing that He is the one of whom you’ve been preaching and waiting for? and knowing that it is time for you to step back while He steps forward? What thoughts and feelings arise when you envision saying to Jesus, “I need to be baptized by you” and he replies, “Allow it now. For thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness”?
Now, ask Jesus to help you to envision His experience in this passage. In what ways might His perspective enlighten your interactions and/or assessments of interactions to which you have been a witness?
How might you be inspired by the example of Jesus and John the Baptist in interactions and when you encounter something or someone known, new, or different?
“You are sent into this world to believe in yourself as God’s chosen one and then to help your brothers and sisters know that they are also beloved sons and daughters of God who belong together. You’re sent into this world to be a people of reconciliation. You are sent to heal, to break down the walls between you and your neighbors, locally, nationally, and globally. Before all distinctions, the separations, and the walls built on foundations of fear, there was a unity in the mind and heart of God. Out of that unity, you are sent into this world for a little while to claim that you and every other human being belongs to the same God of Love who lives from eternity to eternity.” – Henri Nouwen
With the news of yet another mass shooting in the United States along with violence and conflict around the world, on top of any personal challenges, from which no one is spared, a sense of doom or a feeling of imprisonment can hang in the air and weigh on one’s heart and mind. Yet, as we enter the Third Week of Advent, Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday, our faith encourages us to remain a people of hope, holding firm to the Lord, and continuing to strive to be living testaments to the Way, knowing that there is something greater, and that God is with us.
In today’s Gospel (Matthew 11:2-11), it is written:
“Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” – v. 3
This is the question that an imprisoned John the Baptist, having heard about “the works of the Christ,” (v.2) had his disciples ask Jesus.
With the events occurring around you, and in the world today, what are you looking for?
Taking a step back, in the First Reading (Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10), it is written:
Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak, say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you. – Isaiah 35:3-4
Spend some time recalling some of the ways that you have been strengthened by the Lord. What happens as you allow yourself to remember?
Read aloud today’s Psalm (146:6-10):
The Lord God keeps faith forever, secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets captives free. The Lord gives sight to the blind; the Lord raises up those who were bowed down. The Lord loves the just; the Lord protects strangers. The fatherless and the widow he sustains, but the way of the wicked he thwarts. The Lord shall reign forever; your God, O Zion, through all generations.
Reflecting on the qualities of God expressed in the Psalm, bring forth your own petitions, praying for the cares and concerns that are pulling at your heart at this time. Following each one, say the response, “Lord, come and save us.”
In the Letter of Saint James, from today’s Second Reading, it is written:
Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You too must be patient. Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another, that you may not be judged. Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates. Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. – James 5:7-10
Share with Jesus, the ways or situations in which you are feeling challenged when it comes to patience, complaining/criticizing, and/or a heart firm in the Lord. Allow Jesus to impart his wisdom regarding this.
When you are ready for this prayer period to come to a close, offer an expression of gratitude, and ask the Lord to help you to draw inspiration from the experiences recalled and the insights gained during your prayer.
Lord, help me to discern what’s important as I face the moments before me today, and in the days to come. Help my choices to reflect your goodness, and my prayers to reflect your heart.
The readings for the First Sunday of Advent begin with the prophet Isaiah’s vision:
This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it; many peoples shall come and say: “Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.” For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!” – Isaiah 2:1-5
What does your vision of walking in the light of the Lord look like?
Picture yourself ascending the mountain to receive instruction from the Lord. Be attuned to the stirrings of your heart as you do so. Thinking about your ways (words, actions, and general way of being), ask the Lord to join.
Letting the Lord be the judge, what adjustments might help you to greater reflect the image of God?
The Responsorial Psalm is from Psalm 122 (verses 1-9):
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me, “We will go up to the house of the Lord.” And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city with compact unity. To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord. In it are set up judgment seats, seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May those who love you prosper! May peace be within your walls, prosperity in your buildings.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Because of my brothers and friends I will say, “Peace be within you!” Because of the house of the Lord, our God, I will pray for your good.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
What phrase(s) draws your attention most? In what way does it strike a chord with you? Spend some time praying with this verse(s). How are you inspired? Share the thoughts and feelings that arise with the Lord. Ask the Lord to deepen your understanding and the grace to embody the wisdom of this psalm.
In the Second Reading (Romans 13:11-14), St. Paul writes that time is of the essence as he urges the Christians in Rome to embrace that which is eternal, the Light of Christ, over “works of darkness” (verse 12). Knowing that works of darkness can enter through the disguise of light and that the Light of Christ is not stagnant, in what ways do you invite the Lord to be with you as you make decisions, and how do you keep the Lord in your heart and on your mind, as you proceed through the tasks of each day? Ask the Lord to help you in areas you find challenging and to awaken you to areas of potential growth.
The Gospel for the First Sunday of Advent is from Matthew, chapter 24, verses 37-44:
Jesus said to his disciples: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
“Stay awake!”, “be prepared,” the time is unknown to you. It could happen in the next breath, far into the future, or somewhere in between. What is your initial reaction to this Gospel passage? And, in what ways does it move you?
Part of awareness and preparation involves thinking about when something will be coming or how long it might last. However, no matter how much one might plan, things can change. And while there are things that one can do regularly to be ready, faithfulness to God is about holding fast to the Lord with an openness or flexibility that allows one to cooperate with His grace. In this way, impediments to staying awake and being prepared are cast out, rather than interfering with discernment and a greater sense of God’s will.
What gets in the way of your openness to change, or things being different than what you thought, hoped for, or planned? Think of a situation where you were open to change. What was that like? And what role did prayer play in it?
Now think of a situation where you were resistant or hesitant to change because what you saw was different than your way of thinking, your approach, or what you pictured. What were you clinging to that removed the choice of being flexible? Ask the Lord to step through this situation with you and for the willingness to accept His point of view, whether it includes reaffirmation, further instruction, or gentle correction.
Continue to reflect on and pray with the insights revealed to you throughout the week. Ask for the grace to be inspired and guided by the will of God, and the desire to draw closer to God this Advent.
Show us, Lord, your mercy; grant us your salvation. – Psalm 85:8
The Gospel for The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (Luke 23:35-43) gives witness to how honesty, and owning up to the truth, leads to the path of healing and salvation. And, as the days in the week ahead lead to the First Sunday of Advent, it can also be seen as an invitation for personal reflection and contemplation on areas of growth as well as places or spots that could benefit from greater attention through prayer and other practices throughout the journey toward Christmas. While the Gospel for this week has us at the crucifixion, as always, the focus is ultimately on salvation—Resurrection.
Turning to the Gospel for this Sunday, of the men on either side of Jesus at the crucifixion, one cast shade at him, while the other set the record straight, and then said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” The first man seems unable to look beyond himself, and only lashes out at Jesus, and doubts him. It is written:
“Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us.”
The man on the opposite side of Jesus, responds differently. He seems better able to look at the situation he is in with greater clarity. He recognizes and accepts (or owns up to) the truth. Not only that, but he also speaks it. Furthermore, he expresses to Jesus, his desire to be remembered by Him. The second man’s response is, in effect, an act of repentance. It is written:
The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, “Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Take some time to re-read and consider this Gospel passage more deeply.
What do you imagine is at the heart of each man’s response? How does your heart respond to them? Given your experience of Jesus, how do imagine his heart responds to each man?
During our lifetimes, there are various challenges of varying degrees that we all face. We all have ups and downs, and days that are better than others in terms of how we respond and react. However, our faith tells us we are not alone and encourages us to do our best, and to remember Jesus, and His example.
Think about honesty, healing, and salvation and what your experience has been. Bring whatever comes to mind and heart into conversation with Jesus, trusting that it will be received with sincerity, love, compassion, and mercy.
Acknowledge areas of improvement and growth and how that came about. How are your practices (words, actions, prayer, etc.) an example of honesty, healing, and salvation?
Invite Jesus to share insight on areas where you know you can do better and to reveal ones in which perhaps, you may not be aware.
When your prayer time is coming to its completion, envision yourself asking Jesus for whatever you feel you need at this moment, and then saying to Jesus, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Close your eyes, take comfort, and trust that Jesus, who said to the criminal asking to be remembered, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”, remembers you always.
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. – Corinthians 1:17
September 21 is the feast day of St. Matthew, the tax collector turned disciple. It is Matthew’s home at which Jesus and his disciples are having dinner, among, “many tax collectors and sinners” (Mt 9:10), when the following exchange occurs:
The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” He heard this and said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” – Matthew 9:11-13
If you were Matthew or a dinner guest at his house and witnessed this exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees, how would you feel, and what would you make of Jesus’s words? How about if you were a Pharisee? A disciple? Envision yourself in the shoes of the different people present or groups represented.
While there can be a wide range of perspectives and experiences in earthly regards, looking beyond that, what do you see or sense as a common bond or thread between them all?
Next, take some time to remember and pray with some of your experiences of compassion, forgiveness, and kindness. What’s it like to reflect on instances in which you received mercy, as well as the ones where you exhibited mercy toward another, as originating from the heart of God, for whom nothing is impossible? Not only that, but also to consider that these instances involved your cooperation with God, through whom anything is possible?
Share with the Lord what’s on your mind and in your heart as you contemplate his words.
In the Gospel for the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, St. Luke writes:
Jesus said to his disciples: “The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours? No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon.” – Luke 16:10-13
Continuing to pray with your experiences of mercy, reflect on God’s grace and the extent to which honesty, trust, and trustworthiness, have helped or aided you toward receiving and extending compassion, kindness, and the benefit of the doubt to yourself and others. Ask the Lord to help you to see clearly your areas of growth, and to gently acknowledge, and commit to cooperation with Grace in, areas in need of conversion.
What wisdom is waiting on you today?
Closing prayer: Hallelujah! Praise, you servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord both now and forever. From the rising of the sun to its setting let the name of the Lord be praised. High above all nations is the Lord; above the heavens his glory. Who is like the Lord our God, enthroned on high, looking down on heaven and earth? He raises the needy from the dust, lifts the poor from the ash heap, Seats them with princes, the princes of the people, Gives the childless wife a home, the joyful mother of children. Hallelujah! – Psalm 113:1-9
“The Holy Scriptures were not given to us that we should enclose them in books, but that we should engrave them upon our hearts.” ― St. John Chrysostom
Praying with the scripture readings for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Numbers 21:4b-9; Psalm 78:1b-2, 34-38; Philippians 2:6-11; and John 3:3-17), contemplate what it means to engrave them upon your heart.
In the First Reading, we hear of the Israelites, at wit’s end, upset by their situation in the desert, and making it known to Moses. We also learn of the punishing arrival of saraph serpents, leading to the surmise of many, and the subsequent realization of sin and prayer for relief. Following this, Moses prays for the people to be spared from the serpents, and the Lord replies, “Make a saraph and mount it on a pole, and if any who have been bitten look at it, they will live.” (Numbers 21:8).
What do you make of the notion that to be cured, or to overcome the serpent’s bite, requires looking at the bronze serpent mounted on the pole?
Take some time to consider a situation or area in which your patience is worn thin, or where you have been bitten. What has your reaction or response been? And how might you ask for, and receive, God’s grace to move toward peace and healing—a better way?
The response for the Psalm (Psalm 78:1b-2, 34-38) is, “Do not forget the works of the Lord!” (Ps 78:7b). Like it was in the desert for the Israelites and Moses, it can be tempting for anyone to react or respond out of feelings of discontent or anger, when it feels like needs are not being met or answers are nowhere to be found. This psalm invites us to recall what is true. None of us are without mistakes and missteps along the way. Still though, God is merciful and forgiving. This psalm encourages us to recall and remember the ways that God has been, and is, steadfast toward us.
Think about your experience of God turning something bad into something good?
Throughout the week, in moments with or without concern or upset, pause to acknowledge and give praise to God for God’s faithfulness to you. Allow yourself the space and invite God into it, to help you to see the entire picture, and to remember what is true.
In the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians (Philippians 2:6-11), it is written:
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Continuing to pray with the thoughts, feelings, and situations that have come to mind and heart thus far, where might the words emptied, humbled, exalted, and bestowed—the past tense verbs used by St. Paul to describe actions of Jesus and God—be applicable or come into play? Ask the Lord to help you to identify ways that these words operate in your life, and what purpose they might be serving.
Turning to the Gospel passage (John 3:13-17), Jesus is mid-conversation with Nicodemus, a Pharisee who has come to see Jesus in the darkness of night. Nicodemus is trying to understand what Jesus means by, “no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” (Jn 3:3).
What does being born from above mean to you?
For the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, we are reminded of where, and who, we currently are—our place as well as our call—eternal life through Jesus.
In the Gospel passage, Jesus refers to Moses lifting up the bronze serpent in the desert and says, “so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” (Jn 3:14-15). He knows that Nicodemus will be familiar with and understand what has been written in Scripture. However, an earmark of Jesus is to elevate and help us along toward living Scripture. This is what he is trying to do, when he follows up with:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” (Jn 3:16-17).
Enter into conversation with Jesus about these two verses, inviting him to elevate and help you along in your journey toward living Scripture, or living it more fully. When your prayer time comes to a close, add the following:
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your Cross you have redeemed the world. – St. Francis of Assisi
HopeThatFloats 
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