Peter shows, as he did when he walked on and then sank in the water, how our faith journey can be compared to a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs, sometimes more intense than others. As expressed time and again in the Gospels, Peter provides examples of taking a step forward and two steps back.

In today’s Gospel from Matthew, Peter still called Simon at this time, exemplified this balancing act of our growth process as he first answered Jesus’ question as to who Jesus was when he stated, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Jesus not only commended Simon for being open to sharing this revelation given to him by God the Father, but also added, “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:17-18).

Name changes were common when there was a significant change in one’s life throughout the Bible. We can see evidence of this in the examples of Abram, changing his name to Abraham, Sarai to Sarah, and Jacob to Israel, just to name a few. Without a doubt, this event was a significant giant step forward for Simon Peter!

Yet, just as Peter reached the heights of theological insight he would just as quickly come crashing down again as he cut his teacher off. Jesus began to share with his disciples about how he would suffer, be killed, and rise again on the third day when, Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.” He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do” (Matthew 16:22-23).

From being called the rock upon which Jesus would build his Church in one instant, to being called Satan in the next, Peter’s experiences offer some solace for us who are on our own faith journeys. Peter apprenticed with Jesus and as in any learning experience, he made mistakes. We need to realize that in our spiritual life this is going to happen to us as well. We will have days when we feel the joy of the Holy Spirit filling our soul, and yet in the next instant, we may feel empty. We may have clear discernment and direction and then feel indecisive and confused. Some days our prayer is fruitful and we feel energized and other days we may experience dryness and that we are just going through the motions.

Jesus’ admonition of Peter to get behind him was not the end of the story. In fact, it would get worse when Peter denied Jesus three times! Yet, Peter persisted and Jesus time and again forgave and gave him an opportunity to repent, to start over. After his resurrection, Jesus asked Peter three times if Peter loved him, and three times, the third a bit exasperated, Peter said yes, undoing the travesty of his denials. After the Ascension of Jesus, Peter lead the early Church and gave the ultimate witness and measure of his spiritual growth and maturity by giving his life.

We too will have fits and starts along the way, but the key is to remain faithful to the journey. To continue to dust ourselves off when we have fallen down and be willing to learn from our mistakes, to repent and be forgiven, to seek the help and support of Jesus and one another, and be willing to begin again. The Good News for us today, is that we are not defined by our mistakes or our worst moments. We are defined by Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God!

Photo: Silhouette of Tress from Pixabay.com

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, August 5, 2021

He said in reply, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But the woman came and did him homage, saying, “Lord, help me.” He said in reply, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” (Mt 15:23-24).

I would encourage you to read in full Matthew 15:21-28 to get the full feel of this Gospel account. (If needed, see the link below).

Jesus’ reaction in this scene does not appear to be consistent with how he has acted toward others who have approached him in the past. Is he just having a bad day and taking it out on this woman? Is his reaction because she is a woman and a Gentile at that? I don’t believe either case to be true.

Jesus has seen his disciples time and again attempting to turn people away, just as recently when the five thousand were hungry and they were ready to send them to the nearby villages, knowing the hour was late to get their food. Jesus was also tired that day too, all but spent, yet, even so, I am sure that he did not check to see who were the card-carrying Jews among those gathered, but instead fed all that were present.

I wonder if Jesus was not so much testing the woman’s faith, as much as he was testing the faith and the response of his disciples. The woman was calling for help. Would the disciples offer to provide her support, following the lead of Jesus who they have observed so many times before? Jesus remained silent to her initial plea for help. What did the disciples do? They asked Jesus to send her away. Jesus appeared to support their indifference when he justified his non-response by stating that he was sent to the lost sheep of Israel, clearly, she was of another fold.

Again, the disciples did not step up to defend the woman in need. Maybe they even egged Jesus on. The woman persisted. She came forward and knelt before Jesus imploring him to help her and Jesus met her with a degrading slur, referring to the woman as a dog. The disciples would now certainly appeal to Jesus for mercy, right? Nothing. Nada. His apostles stayed silent, or worse they may have even started to have a good laugh at her expense.

The woman did not back down, she remained resilient in her effort because her daughter needed her help and she would not be turned away. She did not react or get defensive, but returned with her own retort, by stating, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters”  (Mt 15:27). Jesus then upended the whole scene and shared that the woman was the one who had great faith! A woman, a Gentile, not his disciples.

Those who have great faith are the ones who believe and act on that belief. Coming up with excuses to support our own indifference or rationalizing turning away people in need is not faith. Those who are aware of the need of another, even and especially when the task seems beyond them and is willing to take the risk, to make the effort to reach out and help, are those who show great faith. How would we have acted in this same scenario? I invite you to read Matthew’s account again in full a few times and imagine yourself in the scene.

With honesty, let us assess where we find ourselves in the scene? Are we aghast at Jesus’ initial responses, do we stay silent or speak up for the woman? Do we add our own insults? If we are going through a trial as did the woman, do we have her persistence, determination, and resilience, resisting to be turned away or lose our cool? Would we have this woman’s laser-focused unwillingness to give up?

Can we recall times when we did not recognize the need of others or respect the dignity of others because we perceived them as different or other than us? Were there times when we have or supported others who have loosed derogatory or dehumanizing speech or actions behind people’s backs or directly? Have we defended, justified, or rationalized our gossip, prejudices, or hurtful behavior?

If so, may we seek God’s forgiveness, and if possible reach out to apologize to those we have directly or indirectly hurt. May we commit today to follow the guidance that St. Paul offered to the members of his Church at Ephesus: “No foul language should come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for needed edification, that it may impart grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the holy Spirit of God, with which you were sealed for the day of redemption. All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling must be removed from you, along with all malice. [And] be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ” (Ephesians 4:29-32).

Jesus, please fill us with your love and mercy. Guide and give us the courage to resist hurting others with our thoughts, faces, words, actions, or inactions. Help us to be your light in the midst of the darkness of prejudice, hate, and racism by being more aware, understanding, patient, present, kind, encouraging, empowering, and loving today and each day. Help us to respect the dignity of all we encounter, especially, those we have considered different or have in the past kept at a distance, so that one day we too may hear the words you spoke to the Canaanite woman, “Great is your faith!”
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Picture: Jesus and the Woman of Canaan by Micahel Angelo Immenraet, 1673-1678

Mass readings for today, Wednesday, August 4, 2021

“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. (Mt 14:26-29).

This is one of my favorite Gospel stories. Yes, Peter quickly started to sink, but for that brief moment…

Life is a struggle. Challenges, fears, trials, and conflicts pound at us like turbulent waves. We may be tempted to be paralyzed by our indecisiveness and begin to sink because of the weight of the pounding. Yet, when we trust and keep our eyes on Jesus, who is present in the midst of our storms, we will overcome.

In many a top ten list of fears, I would guarantee that speaking in public consistently makes the top three. This is an area I have struggled with on and off again over the years. One incident happened about nine years ago as I had the opportunity to share my first reflection during my acolyte year of formation for the permanent diaconate. I must have prepared for three to five hours, writing and rewriting well into the wee hours of the morning the night before. Just before the morning liturgy, our director of formation informed me that there had been a last-minute change of plans and we were going to have different readings than I had prepared for. He offered to give the reflection in my place, as well as gave me the option to continue and incorporate what I had planned into the new readings.

I chose to remain on course and offer the reflection. As we processed in, I immediately regretted my choice. The winds and waves of anxiety started to batter me and continued their assault as I came up to read the Gospel. As I came to the end of the reading, a quiet peace settled over me. I then began to preach extemporaneously, ignoring my notes. There was an unexplainable feeling of joy that welled up in me, and like Peter, for that brief moment, it was as if, I too was walking on water. Halfway through the reflection though, my mind directed me back to my prepared notes, and I lost the connection that I had just experienced. I sputtered a bit to the end but finished free of any major catastrophe.

After the service ended, I remained in my seat quietly for a second to catch my breath. My classmates Dennis, Hank, and Pete, who all knew how nervous I was going into this, swarmed around me like I had just touched home plate after a walk-off home run. I can still feel Pete’s bear hug.

JoAnn had appendicitis during her first-grade year of school. She missed a lot of her reading lessons but worse became very self-conscious from that time forward about reading aloud. During our husband/wife retreats each year, wives were given the opportunity to read during the Liturgy of the Hours and Mass. JoAnn did not feel comfortable nor did she want to do so but accepted the invitation. We prepared, she practiced ahead of time, and then she prayed to the Holy Spirit just as she approached the ambo. JoAnn felt very nervous but as she began to read, she felt this deep sense of peace fill her whole body. She was no longer fighting back nerves but tears of joy at God’s presence.

There will be times when Jesus invites us to come out of the boat and step onto the water, he will call us to move out of our comfort zone. May we trust him and step out as Peter did. This will be a risk, and yes, there will be times that we will sink, just as Peter had done. But even though he sank, he immediately remembered to call out and Jesus immediately reached for Peter and pulled him up. Jesus was there for Peter, he has been there for JoAnn and me, and he will be there for you.

There may be something that you have been feeling led or encouraged to attempt, to start, to do, yet the waves of doubt, anxiety, and fear have been rocking the stability of your boat.  “Be not afraid! Come.” Step out of the boat, take the risk, keep your eyes on Jesus, and walk on the water!
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Photo: JoAnn and I during our formation period in the permanent diaconate program.

Link for the Mass Readings for Tuesday, August 2, 2021

When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself (Mt 14:13).

This is not the first nor the last time that Jesus withdrew to a deserted place. Unfortunately, his effort for some alone time ended abruptly, for when he got off the boat he was immediately met by people seeking him.

Making time for quiet may seem like a waste of time, just a simple act, but it is one that is very necessary. As busy a Jesus was, Jesus would make time to pray. Though the “deserted place” was full of people by the time his boat reached the shore, he did have some quiet, alone time on the boat before he disembarked. Jesus showed no frustration for having his plans interrupted, in fact, his “heart was moved with pity for them” (Mt 13:14).

Often we lose our patience when we are interrupted. When we are cut off or cut short by someone else we may react in a negative way internally or externally. Most of the times our hearts are not moved with pity nor do we show compassion for those who may consciously or unconsciously come to us in need.

If we find that we are constantly impatient, short with others, one reason could be that we do not give ourselves time to stop and be still, we do not make time to pray, we do not sit for a few moments and breath. We just keep moving ahead, on the phone, on our apps, on the computer, working, studying, interacting with others, completing this activity believing that once we finish we will be all caught up. Hyped up on caffeine to keep up the pace we have set, we then wonder why we are consistently anxious or on edge, if we are even aware!

Jesus sought some downtime to process the death of John the Baptist, and in today’s Gospel, we read that he did not get the amount of time he set out to have, yet he did get a brief respite on the boat before he reached the shore. When he saw the people he did not whisper to himself, “Oh no, here they come again.” He instead was moved in his heart with compassion to serve their needs.

We need to follow the lead of Jesus today and each day to create some time to withdraw and be still. I recall a period of about a week during the first year after I graduated from college. I was working for the National Audubon Society and lived on a 680-acre sanctuary in northwest Connecticut. It was summer and each night as the sun began to set, I would take out my Bible, read a few passages and then just sit quietly and meditate on what I had read. As the natural light ended, I went to sleep with the sun.

The peacefulness and calm I felt for that week period of time, I can still remember vividly some thirty years later. Jesus invites us to make time to be still and pray daily. The time that we commit to need not be a long period, five to ten minutes a day can work wonders, but we must be consistent. Making some time to withdraw today and each day this week to be still, to meditate, and pray will make a difference. Also with this regular practice, we may be more aware of, open and compassionate toward those in need.

Photo from Sharon Audubon Center

Link for the Mass readings for Monday, August 5, 2019

The people who had been miraculously fed by Jesus sought to make him their king. He slipped away from them, and withdrew to pray on the mountain alone. In the evening the disciples went to Capernaum and Jesus caught up to them as he walked on the sea. The following day the people tracked down Jesus and the disciples at Capernaum and asked Jesus what they were to do to accomplish the work of God.

Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent” (cf: Jn 6:27-29).

The response of Jesus may not appear to fit the request. But to believe is not just a passive activity. Belief is to be followed by action. If we say that we believe in Jesus, the one God sent, do we pray with him, do we worship him independently and in communion with fellow believers, do we sing songs of praise, do we serve him through giving of ourselves to one another by practicing the corporal and spiritual works of mercy? When we experience set backs, interruptions, conflict, or outright trials and tribulations, do we turn to cursing and yelling or turn to Jesus for guidance and direction? Do we turn within ourselves and cut ourselves off from others? Do we surround ourselves only with those of like mind, color, political, and religious views? Do we embrace ourselves and engage in the richness of the uniqueness and diversity of God’s people? Where are we spending our time, talent, and treasure?

By engaging in an honest assessment of the questions above, we can better answer the most important question of our faith, “Do we really believe in Jesus the Christ, the one God sent?” Admitting to ourselves where we really are in our relationship with Jesus is good to do. If you are spending time reading these reflections, then most likely you are doing at least some of the above. May we thank God for helping us to develop healthy habits of holiness in those areas. For those areas we fall short, may we ask for forgiveness and help to do better today.

If we believe that Jesus is the one whom God sent, then we must believe that Jesus is who he said he is, the Son of the living God. Jesus invites us each day to deepen our relationship with him and each other, because Christianity is not a solo endeavor.

What is helpful for us to grow closer to God and each other is, commit to and schedule worship in community at least once a week; set up a daily place and time to meditate and pray each day to be still with God; spend time each day reading the Bible, the lives of the saints, and other works that help us to grow; and make an effort to put what we have learned into practice as well as give of ourselves to another in small ways with great love each day. We can also ask God to show us a particular way he wants us to serve him.

These simple practices can have a profound, transformative effect in our lives, for it is through contemplation, action, and engaging with others that our relationship with Jesus and one another deepens. This is what we have been created for!

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This photo was taken May 6, 2016. Today, Saturday, July 31, 2021, I was blessed to witness Pietro and Gabrielle’s marriage.

Link for the Mass readings for Sunday, August 1, 2021

Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus and said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.” (Mt 14:1-2).

After the death of Herod the Great (4 BC), one of his sons, Herod Antipas, was given a portion of his father’s kingdom by the Roman Emperor Augustus. Thus, Herod Antipas was the tetrarch, or prince, of Galilee and Perea from 4 BC to 39 AD. Herod, like, Pontius Pilate, held power as long as he was a faithful servant to Rome.

News of the ministry of Jesus got back to Herod and he believed Jesus to be John the Baptist raised from the dead. What followed in today’s Gospel were some reasons why Herod arrested and unjustly beheaded John the Baptist. John was killed for speaking truth to power, as happened often in the long line of prophets before him. Jesus would continue John’s ministry of calling for repentance, for a return to follow the will of God. He would also suffer capital punishment, at the hands of Herod Antipas and Pontius Pilate. The Apostles and martyrs of the early Church followed John and Jesus, lived the truth publicly and courageously, and were bold witnesses of their faith.

How are we living our faith today? Are we faithful to the Gospel values that Jesus and the Apostles taught and were willing to die for? Do we serve Herod Antipas and Pontius Pilate or Jesus the Christ? Do we assume a defensive posture or open ourselves to love? Are we putting our identity first or our integrity? Most of us are somewhere in between. The hope is that we are moving closer to serving God, being people of prayer and practice, and loving one another as we have been loved.

It is important to stop and reflect on questions such as these, to examine our thoughts, words, and actions and determine who it is that we are truly serving. It is not easy living the teachings of Jesus. We will fall short but we must remember that God loves us more than we can ever mess up. We experience his forgiveness, light, love, and mercy when we are continually willing to follow the call of John the Baptist and Jesus, which is to acknowledge when we have put something or someone first before God. When we then repent, we strengthen the relationship we have been created for.

When we are humble enough to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to us our mistakes, failures, and sins, we will experience his forgiveness and mercy, we will become more open to truly knowing his will and how best to serve him and each other. Embraced by and participating in the Trinitarian Communion of love, let us recommit ourselves today to living as Jesus’ disciples, to growing in courage to better follow his path, so to better live and speak his truth by promoting forgiveness, justice, love, mercy, and reconciliation in and out of season.
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St. Mother Teresa knew who she served – “I belong entirely to the heart of Jesus.” Photo credit: Press Association

Link for the Mass readings for, Saturday, July 31, 2021

“Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter’s son?” (Mt 13:54-55).

Many people wonder what Jesus did from the age of twelve until he began his ministry around the age of thirty. Today’s reading gives us some insight into that question. Most likely, Jesus did nothing extraordinary, he was just as ordinary as any other first-century Palestinian Jew living in the small town of Nazareth, with a population of about 250 to 500 people.

Jesus most likely worked as a carpenter. This was rough, menial work, and as a day laborer, a position that was looked down upon. We can even see evidence of this in the Gospel accounts. Mark describes Jesus as the carpenter, the son of Mary, Matthew in today’s account portrays Jesus as the carpenter’s son, and Luke and John just refer to Jesus as Joseph’s son, leaving out any reference to carpenter altogether. Most scripture scholars believe Mark was written first, so we can see a progression in the biblical tradition moving quickly away from identifying Jesus as a carpenter.

Jesus’ return to his hometown and his teaching was first met with wonder. The question arose, “Where did he get such wisdom and how did he work such mighty deeds?” But wonder soon turned to judgment. Who is he? Isn’t he just the carpenter of Nazareth, no better than any of us. In effect, “Who does he think he is?” Not only does this show that Jesus probably lived a very simple peasant life, but that Jesus’ social status was set in stone.

The people’s hearts and minds were closed to Jesus. THEY KNEW who he was and there was no way someone like him could do what they had heard, so they “took offense at him… And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith” (Mt 13:57-58).

How many times have we judged someone? Have we said to ourselves, “I know who he or she is.” We box them in, not as they are, but as WE see them, as we define or label them. We look at another individual not as a person with dignity, but as a two-dimensional caricature to satisfy our own prejudgments and lack of vision. We also do this to ourselves by limiting our potential when we say we can’t do this or that.

Maybe we have had a similar experience as Jesus did in returning to his hometown, in that we have sought or are seeking to move beyond our particular social status, or follow a dream or career out of the norm of familial or community expectations. No matter our age, through no fault of our own, by pursuing this path some or many may feel threatened. Thus, not willing to accept our vision, those who are not willing to grow beyond what they have always known.

I read an account from the writer/producer Stirling Silliphant and how one day Bruce Lee challenged him to run five instead of his usual three miles. Into their fourth mile, Stirling said, “if I run any more I’m liable to have a heart attack and die.” [Bruce] said, “Then die.” He was so mad he finished the five miles. Afterward, Stirling approached Bruce and asked him why he said that.

Bruce replied, “Because you might as well be dead. Seriously, if you always put limits on what you can do, physical or anything else, it’ll spread over into the rest of your life. It’ll spread into your work, your morality, into your entire being. There are no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. If it kills you, it kills you. A man must constantly exceed his level” (p. 23).

Jesus rebukes limiting attitudes and perspectives. His Father has a plan for our lives and so he invites us to open our minds and hearts, to see the potential he sees in us. Jesus, the carpenter, invites us to embrace the infinite possibilities that will arise when we participate in his life and love. This invitation is for each and every one of us, no matter our race, ethnicity, nationality, gender identification, religious, political, economic, social, immigrant, or migrant status.

The Holy Spirit seeks to free us from the shackles that bind us, the limitations imposed upon us without, as well as those we impose upon ourselves. Cooperating with the Spirit, we will actualize who God calls us to be as well as be encourage to not put labels and limits but to empower others.
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Photo accessed from Bruce Lee Podcast Episode #77

Stirling Silliphant story accessed from Bruce Lee: The Art of Expressing the Human Body, compiled and edited by John Little.

Parallel Gospel accounts: Mark 6:3, Matthew 13:55, Luke 4:22, and John 6:42

Link for the Mass readings for Friday, July 30, 2021

The Gospel account from Luke may be more challenging because of the encounter of Martha and Jesus. Martha approached Jesus in the midst of his teaching looking for support in rebuking her sister Mary for sitting at his feet with the male disciples gathered around him. Jesus not only did not do so but said that Mary had chosen the better part. Martha’s boldness is on display again in today’s Gospel reading from John. Martha again approaches Jesus when she becomes aware that he has come close to their home. She does not wait but “went to meet him” (Jn 11:20). Martha’s brother, Lazarus had now been dead for four days and Jesus, who had the time to arrive before his death, was not present to help his friend Lazarus in his time of need.

How many times have we been in Martha’s position? We felt that Jesus was not there when we needed him most. Why does God allow suffering? Especially the age old question of why does God allow the suffering of the innocent. Part of the answer is that we live in a fallen world of sin and self-centeredness. God does not bring about suffering but he does allow it because he loves us so much he is willing to give us the free will to reject him and each other. The cost of our freedom to choose means that there are consequences to our choices which can be detrimental or beneficial. We are all interconnected so when we choose to act on our own apart from God’s guidance and the welfare of others, the damage that ensues affects not only those around us but everyone. On the other side of the coin, there is the presence of grace when we draw close to God and each other.

We are not alone in our suffering, especially, when we do as Martha did. She went out to meet Jesus, most likely not holding back any of the full range of her hurt and pain. Martha’s words expressed her anguish. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (Jn 11:21). We can only see from our limited point of view, especially in the midst of our own grief. Yet God sees far beyond our finite perspectives and Jesus helps to not only bring about a greater good, though it may take time to come to understand and experience, he accompanies us in each agonizing breath of our suffering.

Jesus came too late to heal his friend, which Martha and Mary could not understand, but what he did was beyond their wildest imaginings Jesus came to restore him to life, which would also be a foreshadowing of his own Resurrection. The difference being that Jesus would not merely be resuscitated as Lazarus was and die again. Jesus conquered death and became the firstborn of the new creation. We need not fear death, our own, or our loved ones. Jesus has conquered death for all of humanity.

It will be two years this September since JoAnn died and I still sometimes feel like she will walk through the door any minute or when I come home, she will be there. Neither will happen. Jesus did not heal her from pancreatic cancer. I also know despite these facts we were not alone in our suffering. Many people drew close from near and far in many unique ways and Jesus was present with us every step of the way during those agonizing months. My heart is still heavy and still aches and it doesn’t take much for tears to flow, yet, I believe that JoAnn who has died with Christ has also risen with him to experience the greatest healing beyond anything we can ever imagine in this lifetime. I believe that God will bring about a greater good for me and our adult children because I believe with Martha that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (cf. Jn 11:25-27).

Photo: Pictures and stories shared can help us to remember that love never dies.

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, July 29, 2021

Jesus said to his disciples: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” (Mt 13:44).

God is hiding in plain sight. God is in our midst, present to all of us, a wonderful treasure just waiting to be found. God’s eternal love and grace is ever reaching out to us. Our soul hungers, yearns, and seeks for that love, whether we know it or not. It is when we seek satisfaction, filling this deepest of our desires in material and finite pursuits alone, that we miss the mark. When we sin, create idols, seek the allure of apparent goods, we block our access to the very union we seek, we are not satisfied and our desire increases all the more. We can attempt to keep filling that hunger with more or different apparent and material goods and yet, we will continue to feel empty and unfulfilled. God acts in the everyday events of our lives, but we limit those experiences by waving them off as mere coincidences. Each time we do so, we miss the opportunity to find a great treasure.

The saints and the mystics are those who have found the treasure of God’s will in their lives, they have experienced his love and mercy. They have encountered the living God in the mundane events of their lives and given all to be immersed in his communion. They “are amplifiers of every person’s more hidden life of faith, hope, and love. Their lives help us to hear the interior whispers and see the faint flickers of divine truth and love in ourselves and others. The Christian mystics point the way to fully authentic human life by illustrating what it means to be a human being, what life means: eternal union (which begins here) with the God of love” (Egan 1996, ix-xx).

God speaks in the silence of the heart. Setting aside time to be still will help us to hear his whisperings. Opening our hearts and minds to recognize those faint flickers and God-incidences present in our daily experiences will help us to recognize God’s ongoing presence. We can also experience Christ by reading and meditating on his Word, as well as reading the lives of the mystics and the saints, those who have found the treasure of Jesus’ presence and want to share it: St Francis of Assisi, St Teresa of Avila, St John of the Cross, St Therese of Lisieux; and/or St Mother Teresa, so many leading us and urging us on to experience the rich encounter of the loving God of Jesus Christ.

Another who found this great treasure was St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), whose memorial we will celebrate this Saturday. He found great consolation in reading the lives of the saints.  “While reading the life of Christ our Lord or the lives of the saints, he would reflect and reason with himself: ‘What if I should do what St. Francis or St. Dominic did?'” (Luis Gonzalez, The Liturgy of the Hours, vol III, 1975, 1566).  Might we ask this same question so to find the great treasure in our midst which is to experience the love of God in the depths of our soul, to love as Jesus loves us so as to become saints.

St. Ignatius, Pray for us!
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Photo: Hiking in California a few years back.

Egan, Harvey D. An Anthology of Christian Mysticism, Second Edition. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1996.

Link for the Mass Readings for, Wednesday, July 28, 2021

“Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom. The weeds are the children of the Evil One, and the enemy who sows them is the Devil.” (Mt 13:36-39).

In this parable of the wheat and the weeds, Jesus is addressing the ancient question of why God allows evil and how are we to deal with it. Why do bad things happen to good people? As a starting point, we need to recognize that God is God and we are not; meaning that we are not capable of reading the mind of God. Any answer to explain how and why God allows suffering will be insufficient. A second reality is that the Devil exists, though he is a created being. An angelic being, yes, but not equal in any way to God.

God is not a being. At best we can say he is Infinite Act of Existence, he is, or as God told Moses, “I am who am” (Exodus 3:14). God did not create evil, he only created good. “God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good” (Genesis 1:31). The Devil, Satan, the one who opposes, was created good also, as a high archangel, Lucifer, yet he chose to turn away from the will of God, and those angels who followed him are demons. God is greater than the Devil and his demons, and his good is greater than the evil they sow.

Evil is not so much a created thing, but a deprivation, or distortion of the good. God does not create evil, but he does allow it, and even though we cannot understand the reasons why God allows or permits evil or suffering, it is not a sufficient reason to say that God does not exist. This is especially true if we are seeking to grasp spiritual realities and truths from purely physical and rational means alone. We are indeed rational beings, who seek to know and to understand which is good, but we are so much more. As human beings, we are physical AND spiritual, so need not limit ourselves to the merely sensate and empirical realm alone.

To better be guided by God, to hear his voice in the silence of our soul, to be fulfilled, our hearts and minds need to be open to the will of the Holy Spirit working in our lives. We are called to be people of prayer. As we mature spiritually and deepen our relationship with God we will come to experience God as did Job: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be hindered. I have dealt with great things that I do not understand; things too wonderful to me, which I cannot know” (Job 42: 2-3). In essence, Job acknowledged and accepted that God was in control and he was not, and though he could not grasp everything, he trusted in the will of God for his ultimate good.

How do we deal with evil then? We need to surrender our pride and control over to God and acknowledge that he is in charge and knows what is best for us. We need to choose to put God first above ourselves and everything and everyone else. Our fundamental option, our telos, our end goal, is to be above all an embrace of the reality that we are striving to be in a relationship with God. From the moment of our conception, we are a living, craving, hunger, and desire to be one with God and one another. This is true of the atheist and the mystic alike, whether we believe it or not. As we embrace this reality, put God first and focus on him, no matter what arises, we will begin to experience his presence in not only our everyday lives but begin to feel his presence with us in the midst of our suffering. We will come to know that he is stronger than any pain or evil, his grace is greater than any of our sins, and he will guide us through and give us what we need to endure.

Our loving God and Father has given us the means to understand suffering and evil especially in sending his Son to enter into our humanity, to suffer with us, even unto his unjust death on the cross. Our deepest prayer is when we willingly offer up our suffering and enter into the Mystery of the Passion of Jesus. Jesus, the pure and innocent one, beaten and crucified, understands our pain and agony, our cry for the horrors of injustice, and he understands the presence of evil. Jesus himself, asked not to be crucified, though he relinquished in saying, “Not my will but yours be done” (Lk 22:42).

In that acknowledgment, Jesus faced the utter evil, horror, betrayal, and injustice of humanity, his crucifixion. In taking upon himself the sin of the world on the Cross, he even felt his separation from the Father. Through his complete surrender into God forsakenness, into his death, and descent into hell, Jesus made the Resurrection possible. He conquered suffering, evil, and death forever, he brought about a greater good, through the evil of the crucifixion. No matter what trials we face, the Father has the last word over sin, suffering, and even our death.

We may not receive a sufficient answer to suffering but we can enter into the challenges we face with our hope intact because we can trust that God hears our prayers and is present in our trials and tribulations. For our part, we need to be willing to be honest in our prayer, even when we are angry, afraid, doubtful, or frustrated. We will not find Jesus when we deny or run from our challenges. We will find him with his arms wide open and waiting for us when we are willing to except his help, enter into, and face our suffering and pain.  “Suffering is never the last word. Life is stronger than death, love is stronger than hatred, hope is stronger than despair, nothing is impossible with God” (Fr. James Martin, S.J.).

We are not alone in our suffering when we resist running from our pain and instead bring what we are going through to Jesus. Our faith grows with each experience of Jesus accompanying us through every agonizing ache. He understands our pain because he experienced the worst of what we suffer through himself being betrayed, his suffering, and dying on the cross. Our hope is strengthened because Jesus has already won the battle and he sends us the Holy Spirit to give us the strength to endure.

No darkness can or will overcome the love of the Holy Spirit. Aligned with God we will be victorious even in the face of the greatest evil that confronts us. Let us, with God and each other, meet whatever storm that arises with confidence and courage as did Jesus when he set his face toward Jerusalem. Empowered by the Holy Spirit we shall overcome.
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Photo by Johannes Plenio from Pexels

The quote above comes from Fr. James Martin, S.J. who answered a question on how we deal with suffering. You may access his answer on the YouTube video On Pilgrimage With James Martin SJ Fordham University. His response to dealing with suffering begins around the 1:30:00 mark. The whole video is well worth watching!

Link for the Mass Readings for Tuesday, July 27, 2021