Best way to celebrate Mary’s birthday is to be people of integrity.
The Book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham (Mt 1:1).
Many may gloss over the long genealogy of names that follows verse one. Matthew certainly had a reason, Luke also had his, as did other ancient writers for compiling genealogical lists. Those reasons are interesting in and of themselves, but I wanted to key in on something basic we may miss if we quickly pass over Jesus’ bloodline.
Matthew placed the context of the incarnation of the Son of God in history, time, and place. Jesus belonged to a people. All of us, as human beings, have the same desire and yearning for belonging. Knowing where we come from, sharing stories of our families, of our culture, ethnicity, race, language, customs, celebrations, rituals, and religion, provide a place for us, provide stability and security. On the flip side, the more we lose the connectedness to our roots, the more we may feel adrift. The need to belong is primal.
Matthew penned for his community the roots of Jesus’ genealogy. Matthew invites us to hear them again, to recognize our place in the same saga of salvation history, for this is our genealogy also. The Church chose this Gospel today as we remember and celebrate the nativity of Mary. All of the Bible, this rich library of faith, is a part of a sacred Tradition, not separate from but an integral part of sacred Tradition. The Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is a compilation from Mary and our ancestors who encountered God and shared their stories. They passed them on, generation after generation, to provide for us a foundation, so we can know that we are never alone, that we have a place, that we are a people, we stand in solidarity with one another, that we belong. We are a part of something greater than ourselves.
One thing that can weaken the richness of the foundation of our roots and identity is when it is corrupted by a lack of integrity. We see this time and again throughout these same pages of the Bible. Those who not only turn their back on their faith, tradition, and God for their own means and purposes but also those who do not speak up for what is right and just. Yet, even in the darkest of times, there have been those judges, prophets, and people of integrity who have stood up to speak truth to power, to give voice and access to those on the peripheries, leading up to Mary and Jesus himself and his disciples who walked this path of solidarity with others.
Even if we may feel like our country, church, or even our own lives are spinning out of control, let us remain faithful and seek courage and strength from our ancestors in the faith, those people of integrity who remained true, remained faithful, and did not turn and flee, but drew closer to God and became his mouthpiece, even willing to give their lives for what they believed in.
May we resist the swirling clouds of corruption, negativity, hate and division, and instead draw strength from the Son of Mary, and conform ourselves to his life and teaching such that we choose to seek transparency, hold others accountable, empower, love, and seek reconciliation and unity. May we seek and live that peace that surpasses all understanding, such that we can be for ourselves and others a light in the darkness and a calm in the eye of the storm.
Photo: Mary, Mother of God, on this your birthday, please pray for us!
Link for the Mass readings for Tuesday, September 8, 2020
We must stretch out our hands to provide support for one another.
The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely to see if he would cure on the sabbath so that they might discover a reason to accuse him (Lk 6:7).
This is an unfortunate and sad scene in the Gospel. What is even worse is that this is not an isolated incident for some of the scribes and Pharisees. They are often watching him closely to accuse him. Accuse Jesus of what? Of not honoring the sabbath and breaking the law of God. There is quiet anticipation as Jesus calls a man with a withered hand up to him.
Jesus knows the hearts and minds of his would-be accusers, he also knows what is at stake regarding what he is about to do but because he is more concerned with the condition of the man and not his standing in the community, because Jesus seeks to express the will of God and not impress those in his midst he asks aloud: “I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it” (Lk 6:9)? Jesus did not wait for an answer but told the man to stretch out his hand. The man did so and was healed.
These two phrases coming from Jesus in today’s Gospel are not only good to commit to memory and meditation but to also put into practice, for they are foundational principles regarding how we ought to interact with one another. First, whenever we wonder as to whether or not we ought to help someone, we need to ask ourselves, “Is it lawful to do good or evil, to save life or destroy it?” If more of us ask this question, we will be more ready, willing, and available to help those in need in our realm of influence. If a law promotes evil, demeans the dignity of another in inhumane ways, we are to speak out against it and provide help to those oppressed by it.
Second, “Stretch out your hand”, is another phrase we can take to heart. We can address the need of a person by providing what understanding and assistance we can. Are we the Son of God? No, but we can access the power of God through calling on the name of Jesus. Maybe we will not heal a man’s withered hand but we can provide a smile, a cup of water, food, some money, our presence, volunteer with groups who are already engaged, and we can write to and pressure our congressional leaders to support the dignity of the people they represent, at every stage of development from conception until natural death. Ultimately, we just need to be open to where and to whom God sends us.
Pope Francis shared in a homily September 8, 2019, that “we Christians cannot stand with arms folded in indifference, or with arms outstretched in helplessness. No. As believers, we must stretch out our hands, as Jesus does with us.” To be a Christian is to be willing to serve as Jesus did. That means being willing; to encounter one another, to respect the dignity of each person we meet, to provide a human hand and human presence to those in need and to assist them the best we can, one person at a time.
Photo credit: Australian Jesuits
Link for the Mass readings for Monday, September 7, 2020
May we allow the light of Jesus to shine through us to dispel the darkness of division.
I am concerned about the gathering oppressive clouds and destructive winds of division, polarization, tribalism, nationalism, racial unrest, violence, and war that is wearing down our country and world. We are ripping ourselves apart with the lack of respect and unwillingness to acknowledge the dignity of one another. Our Gospel today offers some hope.
The opening and close of today’s Gospel reading is very telling: “Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone’ ” (Mt 18:15) and “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20). Jesus provides for us a model and he himself is the source for dealing with conflict.
Jesus offered the steps for coming together to resolve disharmony. First one to one, then three two one, then if the person still does not see their error, bringing in the elders and leaders of the Church. Each is an appeal to the conscience of the individual who has offended, who has sinned, who has caused harm, and at the foundation of each attempt is the intent to not bring down condemnation but conviction. Jesus insists that we resist the temptations of gossip, character assassination, and dehumanization. In this way, we can work to hold each other accountable in love, moving toward reconciliation and mutual respect, to win over our brother or sister.
We are called to embrace the gift and grace of our own God given dignity and diversity. Each one of us are a unique gift and expression of our loving Abba that no one has nor ever will again express, as each of us can, in our own original way. Yet, we will not attain the harmony and peace of Jesus’ call for unity if we keep making decisions rooted in our fear and prejudices, if we continue to crouch and operate from a defensive posture.
On our own initiative, from a posture of I am right and you are wrong, and even with the best of intentions, we will fall short, for “with human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible” (Mt. 19:26). As we deal with conflict and division, we need to be willing to come together, to see each other as human beings first and foremost, and with two or more, be willing to pray with and for one another, knowing and trusting that Jesus will be with us. Jesus, who spoke and stilled the storm can speak to through us and quiet the storm of division as well.
We need to be willing to unite in prayer, to accompany one another, to seek reconciliation, and be willing to work together to resolve our conflicts. St Paul in his willingness to be transformed by Jesus got this. We are to love our neighbor as ourself, for “Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:9-10). Even though the darkness and gathering gloom of division, polarization, and prejudice appears to be growing, let us commit to be bearers of light, love, and reconciliation.
Photo: A light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.
Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath, calls us to a greater good.
Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath” (Lk 6:5).
The disciples were traveling with Jesus, they gathered food where they could. In today’s Gospel, they picked heads of grain and rubbed them in their hands to make them easier to chew. The critique of those Pharisees, presumably, walking along with or close by to Jesus, was that his disciples were breaking the sabbath law by working and thus not keeping it holy.
The reason for this was that pious Jews would often practice what is called, building a hedge around the Torah, meaning that they would institute practices beyond the original law so that there would be no way of breaking it. Fr. Bill Burton, ofm, shared an example that has stuck with me since my Scripture studies in seminary.
There is a prescription in Exodus 23:19, that states that you should not cook a kid (baby goat) in its mother’s milk. So as not to even come close to breaking this law, observant Jews developed the practice, which continues today, to not cook any meat and dairy together; thus the idea of building a hedge around the Torah.
The hedge in today’s reading had to do with what constituted work and what did not, so as to keep the sabbath rest intact and keep the Sabbath holy. Jesus settled the debate by claiming that he was the Lord of the Sabbath.
The Lord of the Sabbath needs to be the Lord of our lives. We live in a fallen world, but even at its best, we live in a finite and fragile world. We as human beings can only do so much. The best we can do is to use our intellect and ability to reason while at the same time seek to discern God’s will and direction so to have access to the spiritual resources that he offers to us in our everyday affairs, especially when tragedy strikes.
Tragedy, pain, and suffering happen in our independent lives directly and in our world collectively. Yet, in each instance, we are not abandoned, we are not alone. God works with and through us and others who allow their hearts and minds to be open to his love working through them.
I cannot answer why these things happen. I cannot answer why JoAnn had pancreatic cancer. But I do know God was with us every step of the way and as JoAnn physically decreased she allowed her mind and heart to be open, such that Jesus increased in her life and she shared his love with others.
Jesus needs to be the Lord of our lives, in and out of season, in the midst of our trials as well as our joys and celebrations. As we lean on him and each other all things are possible and what may seem incomprehensible or hopeless at the moment, God will bring about a greater good through his will and timing.
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Photo: Sunset at Santa Monica Beach about this time last year with Jack and Christy watching the sunset.
Link for today’s Mass readings for Saturday, September 5, 2020
We can be blessed when we are willing to risk going beyond our comfort zones.
And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good'” (Lk 5:39).
Many of us can relate to holding on to the old. It is more comfortable, it is proven to be good and true. A favorite wine, a pair of broken-in jeans or shoes, a favorite book read time and again, these are all part of the simple pleasures of life. In Jesus’ parable, he is challenging us to go deeper. He is inviting us to recognize those things that we are holding onto that may be preventing us from more than just a mere existence or minimalist mode of living to instead actualizing the fullness of the potential for ourselves and others. He is also challenging us to discern the difference between apparent goods and the real good.
We have created patterns in our life that may appear and feel safe, but in actuality may be holding us back from a deeper and fuller experience in life. We may be influenced by cultural or social tremors that may dictate to us that we are too old, that we are too young, that to do this or that is too much of a risk… Each of these examples can be challenging on the material plane of existence, yet while Jesus seeks the best for us in our every day, at the same time, he is calling us to go even deeper spiritually.
God the Father is infinite and inexhaustible. Though the Gospel remains the same, there are always new ways, new means to hear the message, to go deeper, so to better be able to practice and share what we have learned. Each generation has to claim the deposit of faith passed on for generations as its own. Our faith is not some inanimate artifact passed on but an organic relationship that matures and deepens age after age.
I had heard of social media and its handful of platforms for some time but had not experienced any of it myself until a few years ago. For just over three years now, I have been sharing these reflections as a way to share my thoughts on the Gospels and journey with Jesus.
I was quite happy reading, learning, and sharing within the four walls of my classroom, but I felt Jesus urging me to reach out a bit more, to go beyond those four walls, to take a risk and try some new wine. I wasn’t sure how to begin but took a few steps and I have been typing away each day to share a reflection like this one that you are reading now ever since.
There was an initial risk in adding one more thing to my schedule in that there would be less time during the school year to be with JoAnn but it helped to open up time in the evening where we would pray together, read the daily Mass readings, and I would then share my reflection. JoAnn critiqued them and we would discuss what we learned together. So my initial concern was unfounded and in trusting the lead of Jesus, we had more intimate time together immersed in the Word that became even more precious than I would have ever imagined because now that time together is no more.
In what way is God calling you to take a step out of your comfort zone? In what way can you share your faith journey with others? As you take a look at the horizon this morning, take some deep breaths as the sun rises, realize that you have a unique gift or talent to share, a way that Jesus is inviting you to participate in building up his kingdom. A life surrendered to Jesus, lived in collaboration with him, is ever new, ever better. Let us be open to hearing his guidance and be willing to be led by him, to be engaged in a new way we haven’t experienced before, to taste some new wine in a new wineskin!
Photo: Valentine’s Day together 2019. Blessed that we continued to grow closer together each year.
Link for the Mass readings for Friday, September 4, 2020
Trust in Jesus, even when his guidance may not appear to make sense.
After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon said in reply,” Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets” (Lk 5:4-5).
Faith is to trust in God and believe that what he tells us is true. On our own initiative and will power we are limited as finite beings as to what we can understand and do. Today’s Gospel reading provides an example of this. Simon had been fishing all night with no results. Simon Peter follows Jesus’ command to go back out and put into the deep, and Simon not only accomplishes what he originally set out to do, but he also did so beyond anything he had ever imagined! When we follow God’s direction and initiative all things are possible for us as well.
God’s initiative and grace enter our lives daily as Jesus entered Simon’s boat. Do we have eyes to see, ears to hear, and a willingness to listen and follow the initiative of Jesus? Remember the rich man who had followed all the commandments, but when Jesus invited him to sell all and come and follow him, he could not do it? Simon the magician saw the works of Philip, Peter, and John and wanted to buy the power of the Holy Spirit to heal but was rebuked. Turning away from Jesus’ invitation or seeking to manipulate Jesus for our own personal gain will not bring us the fulfillment that we seek.
We need to follow the example of Mary, who when the archangel Gabriel shared God’s message with her that she was to bear a child, even though she did not understand how this could be, Mary trusted. She conceived in her womb, through the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit, the God-Man, the incarnate Son of God, Jesus the Christ. May we also follow such examples as Peter, James, and John, who said yes to lowering their nets, even though they did not see the point, yet they followed and were amazed. Then led by Peter’s humility and contrition, they “left everything” and followed Jesus. They went on to announce the Gospel of the Lord and caught people for the Kingdom of heaven.
Do we have the humility to follow Jesus, even when we may feel or see no point in his request? Jesus has a plan for us, as he did for Mary and the Apostles. He will give us the means to accomplish what he calls us to do. In that quiet place in our soul, in the stillness of our hearts, Jesus is inviting us to follow him, to put out into the deep water. What we may hear may seem unbelievable, or insignificant, we may experience anxiety or fear. Yet, let us take the risk and follow Jesus where he leads, where he would have us go, and what he would have us do.
About fifteen years ago, I remember taking a leave of absence after teaching in public school for five years. After time away from teaching, I thought about returning to the classroom. Instead of returning to the public school system, I wanted to explore the idea of teaching in a Catholic school. It was mid-year, so I was just looking for a substitute teaching position. After a few initial inquiries, I received no bites, then JoAnn recommended me reaching out to Rosarian Academy a school about 25 miles from us, my initial reaction was like Peter. I resisted because of the potential drive, but JoAnn persisted and I followed her lead and made an initial call, received an interview, and not only ended up getting a full-time substitute position for the remainder of the year, I was hired back full time at the middle school level for the following school year and taught at Rosarian for another wonderful eight years.
Jesus can guide us directly as he did with Peter or he can guide us through others as he did with me through JoAnn. We need to allow our hearts and minds to be open to where God is leading us and when we do so, we will not only be happy, but we will find fulfillment and meaning in our lives, such that it overflows to others. I thank JoAnn for her years of support of me and my vocational path. Her guidance and love have been an instrumental and integral part of helping me to be who I am today.
Photo: My first class teaching at Rosarian Academy!
Link for the Mass readings for September 3, 2020
How will you bring the joy of the Gospel to others?
But he said to them, “To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent” (Lk 4:43).
Jesus himself, the Son of God incarnate, fully divine and fully human, is the foretaste of heaven in the midst of those he encountered then and continues to be today, as he works through us, his Church. His work of preaching, teaching, healing, and casting out demons, shows that the divine flow of the Father’s Love is infused into our fallen human condition. Jesus came to restore unity to that which had been lost and once he began his public ministry he was ever on the go.
Through our Baptism, we have been conformed to and indelibly marked by Christ, and for Christ. We are nourished by his Body and Blood in the Eucharist and were empowered through the laying on of hands by the bishop at our Confirmation. We have been divinized, grafted into the life of God through our participation in the life of Jesus the Christ. We too then are priests, prophets, and kings in his name. We also are, to preach and teach the same Gospel, to be his healing and comforting presence, to make Jesus present to those in our midst, and yes we too are called to cast out all demons, and to shine the light on negativity, fear, dehumanization, and division in his name. As James teaches, we are to “submit [our]selves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee” (James 4:7).
Jesus did not travel very far during his three and a half year public ministry, yet his Word has touched all the corners of the world. That is because of those who have encountered him, said yes to his invitation, submitted to the will of his Father, so to be transformed into his saints, and they continued to spread his teachings and life.
We are also called to surrender our life to Jesus moment by moment, in each circumstance and situation so to build up our relationship with him, and embrace the gift of the unique vocation we have been called to do, to be holy, to be his saints. Let us ponder what Jesus’ inaugural message means to us: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel” (Mk 1:15). Then, filled with the Holy Spirit, proclaim with joy, in word and deed, this Good News through our everyday experience. Let us rise this day (or tomorrow morning) to follow Jesus and be on our way!
In our surrender, we become who we truly are meant to be. In losing our life we actually find it. Part of me would rather not go into work today (or tomorrow for those of you reading tomorrow’s reflection tonight). Today (or tomorrow, September 2) is the first anniversary of JoAnn’s death. JoAnn shared with me, Mia, Jack, and Christy that she would be closest to us when we were doing what made us happy. Even when life seems to be coming apart at the seams, when I am teaching or serving at Mass, there is a light of joy that stitches those tears back together. I feel joy because I am not thinking about my small ego-self but I am focused on those who, I hope, are touched by God working through me. In doing so, I believe I will feel closer to JoAnn as well.
Proclaim the Good News today in your own unique way!
Photo: Happy anniversary my heart and my love. Pray for us!
Link for the Mass readings for Wednesday, September 2, 2020
No darkness can prevail over the light of Jesus the Christ.
Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth, as we saw in yesterday’s reading, and that did not end so well, with his fellow Nazoreans running him out of town (Lk 4:29). In today’s reading, Jesus was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum. The initial reaction to Jesus’ teaching was similar in both accounts; the people were “amazed” and “astonished” with his teaching. But no one in either group makes the bold statement that arises today: “I know who you are – the Holy One of God” (Lk 4:34)! This phrase was professed by a demon. He who taunted Jesus.
From the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry opposition was present. In Nazareth, the fallen nature of our humanity reared its head. The people he grew up with were unwilling to see beyond the ordinary Jesus they always knew. Wasn’t he just the son of Joseph, just the carpenter? Jesus was safe when he merely worked a quiet life, participated in the life of the synagogue, even when he returned from surrounding territories amidst words of praise, and even stepping up to read in the synagogue from the words of Elijah: he was the hometown boy making good. But once Jesus began to equate himself in the line of the prophets and share how God was working beyond the people of Israel, with his accounts of Elijah going to the Gentile widow, and Naaman, another Gentile, going to Elisha, highlighting that God worked beyond the people of Israel, even his own had enough. Jesus had to go (Lk 4:29).
In today’s account, another source of opposition is the taunting demon. Jesus rebuked the demon immediately and called him out of the man. Jesus faced time and again the fallen nature of humanity, disbelief, lack of faith, as well as the opposition of demons, and soon the failure of religious and civic leadership. Sound familiar?
Where do we find our self in the scenes of Jesus’ ministry and teaching, in our own time today? Following Jesus is a day to day commitment and we must be willing to face the same challenges that his disciples did. We need to be willing to face our weaknesses, our woundedness, and our own shortcomings and conform our lives to the will of Jesus. By doing so we will be confronted with the darkness and sin within ourselves. With true humility, we will be better able to resist defending and rationalizing where we fall short of the glory of God and instead be willing to repent, to turn away from our sin, to turn back to God, and be willing to be healed.
We also need to resist dismissing Jesus’ encounter with the demon in today’s Gospel too quickly. Demons do exist and play a role in the principalities and powers that influence us and our world. We ignore this reality to our own peril, for they will tempt and subtly attack us at our weakest and most vulnerable points. This is not a cause for anxiety and fear. The weakest Christian is stronger than the devil himself but we must be aware and vigilant. When faced with temptation by Satan or his demons, we just call on the name of Jesus and those of the dark will flee from the radiant light of Christ. This is why it is so important to regularly examine our conscience, to be aware of, and to confess our sin. In doing so, we will be free, otherwise, they can and will be used against us.
The closer we draw to Jesus, the more we experience his light, the more of our own sin we will see. This is not a cause to run and hide but to humbly embrace the truth so that healing will be possible. This also means that we will see more clearly the dark influences that plague us and our world which we are blinded to when we turn in upon ourselves and our feed our own selfishness, embrace our own pride, and turn away from God.
May we instead place our trust and belief in Jesus today and each day, spend time in prayer, in his word, examine our conscience, and be willing to be led by him to serve one another, speak up for one another, and stand strong against the temptations and darkness of this world. When we fall short, fail, as we will, as did the apostles, we need to follow, not Judas, but Peter: repent, confess our love for Jesus, and begin again. Together, with our Loving God and Father, may we hold one another accountable, support, and lift one another up in love, for Jesus is at our right hand, and, even in the darkest moments, with Jesus, we will stand firm!
Solar Eclipse: Photo Credit: Reuters Daniel Chan
Link for the readings for Tuesday, September 1, 2020
Spiritual Stepping Stones 