If this, then that permeates across all spaces, Creating fear, stirring up all kinds of notions, Extracting excuses, and some hare-brained ideas, Running roughshod, shredding norms, raging all about. That mirror on the wall? It’s turning, twisting, And swiftly rotting away from the inside out. Say, who’s the Lear-est?, “What can you do for me-man”?
Stop running every which way, but right side up. Pause. Take a minute and step away. Make a change. Seek Grace. Take it in. Soak it up. Receive the gift. In a world traditionally conditional, Only unconditional love, honest and true, Steadies steps, bridges gaps, raises strength for the day, making whole whatever’s fractured, broken, or faux.
It is written: “The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.” – Matthew 4:10
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
Beating still, beating quietly, beating nonetheless, Attention becomes the disciple of intention. A stir within, roars within, formation from within. Look and listen closely as true passion is revealed.
Following the leader? Where? To what good do they lead? Igniting hearts? Uniting hearts? On whose behalf? All hearts can and must choose for whom and for what they burn. Discern! Discern! Deception has so many voices.
Does the message uplift all of us, like the true one Who gracefully overcomes the small, in all of us, Helping the steadfast to be ready, set, and to ask, How does this represent the good teacher serving all?
The Lord 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 the Lord sustains, but the way of the wicked he thwarts. The Lord shall reign forever; your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia. – Psalm 146:6-10
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
From the warmth of Christmas, Hearts brighten and faces glow; Generosity abounds.
The origin of one and all Drawing out our spirits; His Spirit placed within.
Let the peace of Christ control your hearts; Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. – Colossians 3:15a, 16a
Reflecting on this Christmas and the days surrounding it, envision your heart resting within the heart of the Lord. What feelings and experiences come to mind? How was your heart moved?
The following is the Gospel passage for the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph:
When the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, Out of Egypt I called my son.
When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back there. And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee. He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, He shall be called a Nazorean. – Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23
What speaks to your heart most from the above passage? What quality or characteristic would you assign to it?
Again, thinking of Christmas, the birth of our Lord, and the days surrounding it, what do you desire to carry forward? What does the Lord desire for you?
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.
Moving along, sometimes more quickly than others, Sometimes more like hobbling, or barely there at all, But hope and faith, always looking and taking pause, Trust that the moment will arrive, and take its place.
“Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.” – Psalm 72:7
During the season of Advent, we wait in anticipation of what’s coming—the birth of Jesus Christ. However, so much of life is about waiting and anticipating what’s coming. And persevering through it requires a level of trust. The response for the Second Sunday of Advent’s Psalm (above) tells us there will be “justice” and “fullness of peace” and it will be “in his time”.
What gets in the way of your ability to trust and be patient? How do you overcome it?
In the Gospel for this Sunday, it is written of John the Baptist:
It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: “A voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.’” – Matthew 3:3
Take some time now, and throughout the week, to envision yourself as the voice crying out in the desert. The way has already been prepared, and you are crying out, but to the Lord. Share what is on your mind and happening in your heart as this time. What do you need from the Lord? What does the Lord desire for you?
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
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