What or who will you follow?
Jesus continued his teaching about the entrance into the kingdom of God as the rich man walked away sad by stating, “Children how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God” (Mk 10:24-25). The disciples are stymied, primarily because present Jewish belief was that those who had amassed wealth and riches did so because they were blessed by God. If someone who had followed the commandments of God, appeared to be blessed by God, would he or she not be a part of God’s kingdom, what then was one to do?
Yesterday’s reading ended with Jesus responding to the disciples astonishment. First by stating that “For human beings it is impossible.” Jesus said this because there is nothing that we can do to earn or buy our way into heaven. It is not through perseverance, dogged determination, or will power that we are saved. Our security also is not to be placed in the things of this world, our happiness and fulfillment is not to be placed in the apparent goods and glitter of the finite things that offer comfort and pleasure. For if we place our hope in the things of this world, in our own belief that we can control our own destiny, we will be building our foundation on sand. Jesus continued, “For human beings, it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God” (Mk 10:27).
There is only one way to enter the kingdom of God. A person is to say yes to his invitation. The rich man refused the invitation, because he chose his possessions over the kingdom. The disciples of Jesus chose differently. The opening line of today’s Gospel reading is given by Peter, speaking up for those, who like him, did what the rich man did not do, when he said “We have given up everything and followed you” (Mk 10:28). Jesus affirmed Peter and the other disciple’s acceptance of the invitation to come and follow him, as well as to assure those who would willingly sacrifice and voluntarily give up, house, family, or land, to follow him. He insisted that they would receive back “a hundred times more in this present age… and eternal life to come” (Mk 10:30).
Jesus, in today and yesterday’s Gospel accounts, is not a preaching a kind of prosperity gospel or free reigning capitalism, nor is he a proponent of socialism or communism. Each of these are human socio-political, economic constructs. Jesus instead is painting a picture of the reign of God as a new family. One that exists, not of the world’s making, but of God’s design. A kingdom not of this world, though still present in it, and the good news is that all are invited to be a part of it.
Those who are a part of this kingdom are not connected through bloodline, tribe, political party, or nation, but are united through a transformation of heart and mind and spirit. The followers of Jesus become brothers and sisters. They care for one another, provide hospitality, charity, support, access, means, and encouragement for one another. Together, they meet the challenges and persecutions that would come from those who oppose the kingdom.
Jesus offers us the same invitation that he offered the rich man and his disciples. Jesus is inviting us to follow him by letting go of that which distracts us and binds us from giving our life more fully over to him and building up his kingdom. We need to assess our lives, to divest ourselves from anything that is not necessary, that we place before God. In this way, we can become less attached and resist looking to our material goods for our security and pleasure, and instead build our foundation on the solid rock of our relationship with Jesus, his Father, and the love of the Holy Spirit.
What or who are you going to follow today, the allure of wealth, power, pleasure, and/or honor, or Jesus?
Painting: Ariel Agemian, “The Face of Christ”
Link for the Mass readings for Tuesday, March 5, 2019: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/030519.cfm
“You are lacking one thing. Go…”
A man approached Jesus seeking to know what he must, “do to inherit eternal life” (Mk 10:17). Jesus shared that following the commandments, such as: do not kill, commit adultery, steal or bear false witness; do not defraud, but do honor his father and mother (cf. Mk 10:19), would be a good place to start. The man affirmed that he had followed them all. I can imagine the eyebrows of Jesus raise and his mouth curl into a smile as he realizes the sincerity of the man kneeling before him. The disciples recognized that look and held their breath.
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You are lacking one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to [the] poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come and follow me” (Mk 10:21).
The man was crushed. He had followed the prescriptions of Torah all his life, he was blessed by God with the gift of having many material goods, but in the end it was those possessions that had enslaved him. He genuinely came seeking eternal life, and Jesus gave him just what he sought, and more, by giving him the opportunity to be one of his disciples, but he could not give up the one thing he was lacking.
The heart of the commandments is to help us to be freed from that which enslaves us, so that we can put God and each other first and foremost in our lives. This is what we all have been created for, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you” (St Augustine, Confessions).
The man in today’s Gospel account knew what he needed to do, but was too attached to his wealth and material things to let them go. He walked away sad, because he clung to the false substitute of wealth that would not ultimately satisfy him. The man turned away from that which would fulfill him, give his life meaning, as well as the promise of eternal life. This was path of love, to give and share, and to become a follower of Jesus.
Return to this scene in Mark 10:17-31, read it slowly, and prayerfully. Then set your Bible aside. Next, visualize each of the details of this account of Jesus and the man. Place yourself in this scene also, standing a few paces behind Jesus and the disciples as the rich man walks away with his head bowed. Their backs are to you, but then, slowly, they turn to face you.
A bit hesitant, your eyes focus on the eyes of Jesus. You feel his invitation without a word spoken between you, and you ask, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus holds your gaze in his, and you feel his acceptance and love as he speaks, “You are lacking one thing…” What does Jesus say next? What is your response? What are you holding onto that is keeping you from giving yourself completely to Jesus? Are you willing to let it go and journey with him in this life and into the next?
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Painting “Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler”, 1889, by Heinrich Hofmann
Link for the Mass readings for Monday, March 4, 2019: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/030419.cfm
Lord Jesus, heal us of our blindness.
As Christians we are often called, along with Jews and Muslims, the people of the Book. This is in reference to our sacred texts, the Torah, the Qu’ran, and the Bible. In actuality, Christians are not a people of the Book, nor is Christianity an idea, philosophy, even a theology, or series of practices. Christianity and being a Christian is about an encounter with a person. That person is Jesus the Christ.
If we do not know Jesus, then the words of our Bible just become dead letters, our philosophy and theology are just intellectual exercises, and our religious observances provide little meaning or relevance for our life. Our presence in Mass or Church can just be something we do.
This could be why for every one person who joins the Catholic Church today six to eight people are leaving. People leave for their own reasons, but the underlying cause could be that in their experience of Church they are not encountering Jesus, they are not feeling welcomed or a part of a community that cares about them, and/or maybe in their daily lives they are not building, nor are they aware of how to build and sustain a relationship with Jesus.
Each of us hunger and thirst to experience and know the living God. Each of us seek meaning, purpose, and fulfillment in our lives. We have been created to be loved and to love, we have been created to belong, to be a part of, to be in relationship. We live, crave, and desire to be in relationship with God and one another, and this is true for the atheist and the mystic alike.
In our Gospel reading from Luke today, Jesus is speaking to his disciples, those who have encountered him and said yes to following him. Jesus teaches them and us important lessons of discipleship.
One we hear or read today is that a blind person cannot lead a blind person, otherwise both will fall into the pit. Jesus is speaking about more than physical sight, but spiritual sight. We all have some level of spiritual blindness. We do not see those thoughts, behaviors, and desires within ourselves that keep us from deepening our relationship with Jesus or even those that will help us to develop and sustain a relationship with him. Jesus invites us to experience his love, to receive his healing touch, to bask in the light of his grace so to reveal to us our sin.
Jesus meets us where we are and loves us as we are. When we receive his love, we experience that he loves us, as we are, with all of our faults, mistakes, sins, wounds, and our brokenness. We then receive his healing touch when we let our guard down and lower our defenses. As we heal, we can see our sinful actions and patterns and the reality that they are apparent goods, empty promises that will leave us unfulfilled.
As we experience the love of Jesus, the knots of our sins are loosed, and we feel more comfortable to let God into all the areas of our life. Then our lives begin to change, we are transformed from the place of only focusing on our self and our own needs, and begin to be aware of the needs of others, even those who have looked down at us or hurt us with their prejudicial and abusive looks and words.
How then do we come to know, build, and sustain a relationship with Jesus?
We do so by spending time each day reading and praying God’s word. I remember reading from the Gospel of Luke 12:22 when I was about seventeen. The passage talked about not worrying about your life. I then felt God speak to me. He said that I would never win the lotto, but he would always provide work for me. My wife and I read the daily readings of the Mass each evening together and then I read a reflection that I post online each day. In this way, this is no ordinary book, but the living word of God. Through this daily practice, JoAnn and I draw closer to God and each other.
We can spend five to ten minutes a day in quiet prayer, meditating on the Gospel, sharing our concerns with Jesus, thanking him for our blessings, and just being still to be led by him. We can ask Jesus to reveal to us our sin, we can ask him to help us to remove the log in our own eye, so that we can see more clearly to help another to remove the splinter in their eye. I pray when I first get up before I head to school and this time with Jesus has provided a firm foundation for me to meet the challenges of the day.
We encounter Jesus by learning about our faith through reading and praying with the Bible, studying the Catechism and the lives of the saints, as well as other spiritual reading, videos, podcasts and the like. On my way to and from work, I listen to different podcasts that I find enriching and empowering.
My wife and I, though resisting at first because of our busy schedules and enjoying winding down in the evenings, joined a small group at church about two years ago. We have been blessed by our weekly time of fellowship, learning, and growing in our relationship with Jesus and each other.
We can also encounter Jesus in our negative thoughts. When a judgmental thought, urge to gossip, to say something that is negative arises, we can seek Jesus at the first moment this poison arises and ask him to help us to instead think and say the good things that people need to hear, things that will be instructive, empowering, and hopeful. We can do the same with our temptations.
We can encounter Jesus by allowing our hearts and minds to be open to respond when he moves us to reach out to be present to someone with our words and actions, even in simple ways such as sharing a smile, making the time to listen, or offering support or assistance in the moment of another’s need, even when it is not convenient, or the best time for an interruption.
We also encounter Jesus in the sacraments, especially the Mass, through the word proclaimed, the music, in our fellowship together, and especially, in the Eucharist, Jesus’ Body and Blood that we will receive. This is a sacred moment of encounter with Jesus and his Body coming together as one.
Each of these examples are small, practical ways that we all can encounter Jesus in our daily lives. Jesus is already reaching out to us, inviting us to be in relationship with him and his Father. This encounter and building our relationship with him is not only for ourselves but as we come to experience, develop and deepen our relationship with Jesus, as we experience his love and mercy and how his grace builds on our nature, we are to share Jesus with others.
As Jesus becomes more present in our lives, we are healed of our blindness and begin to see and share, that which is truly good, true, and beautiful. As we see our sin, and through our participation in the life of Jesus are healed so to remove the log in our eye, we can then lead others to remove the splinter in their eyes.
Jesus, help us to pray for each other, support and be present to one another in our everyday experiences, open our hearts and minds to receive the loving embrace of God our Father. And may the flame of the Holy Spirit catch fire and rise within each of us such that we may go forth and set the world on fire with God’s love.
Photo by Mathew Thomas from Pexels
Link for the Mass readings for Sunday, March 3, 2019: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/030319.cfm
“The kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”
In today’s Gospel scene, or pericope, people are bringing their children to Jesus to receive a blessing. The disciples step in to prevent this process from happening. The reason for their actions is not offered, but what is shared is the indignance of Jesus. Jesus rebuked his disciples: “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it” (Mk 10:14-15).
Jesus consistently offered grace to those who might otherwise be prevented from receiving it. Jesus provided healings for the possessed, lepers, women, the blind, the lame, tax collectors and sinners. The very fact that this short account mentioning children is even included in an ancient near Eastern text says something profound. Jesus recognized the dignity of children as was also recorded in Mark 9:36-37 when he stated that whoever receives a child in his name, receives him.
Children in the ancient Near East had no recognized social status. Orphans were at risk and needed to be taken care of. Children up to two years old were vulnerable in many ways and as such, experienced a high rate of infant mortality. Because of this reality, many parents may have developed an unconscious, defensive posture that they did not become too attached to their children until after they were two years of age. This harsh reality could also be a reason why these children were being brought to Jesus for a blessing.
Jesus, in his reaching out to the children, impresses the point that he takes the life of children seriously and so encourages others to do so. There are historical accounts that Christians continued to take this teaching seriously. In ancient Roman society, if parents did not want a child, one recourse was to leave them in a local dump to die. Christians would retrieve the infants and bring them into their homes and raise them as their own.
Jesus also used this opportunity as a teachable moment when shared that “the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Jesus is recorded as using the image of God as a Father one hundred seventy five times in the Gospels. From the historical context of infants and young children during the time of Jesus and Jesus equating that the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as them, he could be leading his followers and us to the understanding that we are to depend totally and place all our trust in God as our Father.
God has created us to be in relationship with him and one another. We need him as an infant does for his or her own very survival. This also means that we do not buy or earn our way into the kingdom of Heaven because God and his realm is so transcendent, so beyond us, that we cannot possibly get there on our own effort and merit. We enter the kingdom of God through the door of his Son, who is the way, the truth and the life.
Just as Jesus opens his arms to embrace the children in today’s Gospel, to receive and bless them in his arms, so he does so with us. In our willingness to enter into and receive his embrace, we enter into the kingdom of our Father. It is relationship with God who we are wired for, he is our hope, our meaning, and our fulfillment.
Thank you Jesus for the gift of loving us and revealing to us our dignity, value, and worth. Help us to accept and embrace this gift of your love so that we may love each other as brothers and sisters. Help us to promote a culture of life that recognizes and acknowledges the dignity and value of each and every person without exception from the moment of their conception, birth, throughout the ups and downs of daily life, up to and including our elder years until natural death.
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Photo: First grade class I assisted with during my time in the pre-novitiate with the Franciscans of Holy Name in the Bronx, around 1990.
Link for the Mass readings for Saturday, March 2, 2019: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/030219.cfm
Marriage: a gift, a covenant, a sacred bond
Jesus addresses the challenge of divorce in today’s Gospel as some Pharisees approach him about the issue. Jesus acknowledges the stance of Moses in that he did allow for “the husband to write a bill of divorce” because the people were not able to live up to the prescriptions of the Torah. Jesus then sites Genesis, stating that, “from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate” (Mk 10:6-9).
Jesus, in quoting from Genesis 1:27 and 2:24, reaffirmed God’s intent, that marriage is to be a union that is to be indissoluble. The reason for this is that God intended marriage to be a covenant, not a contract. Contracts can be signed or broken. Covenants are sacred bonds for life. Marriage is also a natural ordering that mirrors on earth the reality of God who is a communion of Three Persons in heaven. Jesus building on this natural order bestowed his grace upon marriage thus elevating it to a sacrament in which there is a sacred bond between the husband, the wife and Jesus himself: “Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate” is interpreted by the Church to mean that a valid, sacramental marriage cannot be undone.
The unfortunate reality is that many who marry within the Church have not been sufficiently catechized to understand the reality of the sacrament of marriage, and Pope Francis acknowledged this in June of 2016 when he stated that, “the great majority of our sacramental marriages are null”. The Pope referred to those who have entered into and have celebrated the Sacrament of Matrimony did so invalidly, meaning that the marriage certainly did happen, but it has not been elevated to the sacramental bond of a covenant.
Pope Francis recognized two things with this statement, that those who seek to marry in the Church do so with a good intent, but are grounded in a culture that is more provisional than seeking permanence. We are losing our sense of indissolubility. We live in a culture in which the acquisition of material goods that are produced and purchased are done so with the understanding that our economy has been built to thrive, not on what will last, but that which will be quickly replaced through innovation, updates, and newer models. Our consumer culture is being translated to the person and to our relationships with horrific consequences.
Jesus has set the bar and ideal for marriage high for the reason that marriage and the family is the closest mirroring on earth to the divine communion in heaven of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The infinite outpouring of love, of sacrifice and willing the good of the other, is the foundation for any relationship, but even more so for marriage. For this union is meant to be open to a third, the child. For the family to be stable, they must be present to one another, to sacrifice, to give of themselves to each other, and to encourage and support one another on their mutual path to heaven.
Sadly, there are those who enter marriage with good intentions, but not fully aware of what they are getting into, not fully aware of the truth of love being more of a sacrifice and less of a feeling, and not fully comprehending that marriage is not a trial process but a sacred bond. In addition there are many factors that work against the couple such as, the relationship meets a crossroad, a better model comes along, there is a lack of the proper social and conflict resolution skills, the realization of a false premise unknown before the marriage surfaces, domestic abuse, self centeredness of one or both, and then the choice for separation, and regrettably a dissolution.
From this choice, whether made by one or both, there is deep pain, trauma and wounds that need to be healed. Jesus does not seek disunity but unity. He does not lessen the bar as did Moses, but is present to those affected by the wounds of the separation and dissolution of the union. He is and calls us to be willing to accompany our brothers and sisters who are in need of healing from the trauma of the ending of a relationship for those involved.
Marriage is a wonderful gift, and as with anything that is going to last, those seeking to be married need to be prepared and committed to one another. Certainly, no one can prepare for everything, nor can we foresee the unannounced surprises that life can bring, but there must be at the beginning a willingness to commit to putting in the effort, the sacrifice, the support, and the love, not the lust for each other. There needs to be an openness to the possibility of children, a genuine caring and commitment to willing each other’s good through the ups and downs of life’s journey together, for better and for worse, as well as a willingness to seek Jesus for help when life gets bumpy.
I would also like to offer six suggestions from Pope Francis regarding marriage advice: the first is to end every day with forgiveness, the second is to ask permission, the third is to show gratitude, the forth is to help your spouse reach his or her highest potential, the fifth is to keep alive the romance, and the sixth is to refuse to give up so easily.
Please, please, please, remember that we are not commodities, we are created in the image and likeness of God. We are not to use one another for our own gain or just as a means of pleasure. Each of us are sacred, human beings endowed with dignity, value, and worth. We are loved more than we can ever imagine by God and we are to mirror that same love on earth as it is in heaven.
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Photo: JoAnn and me Thanksgiving 2005
Article with more information on Pope Francis’ six marriage tips:
https://www.liveabout.com/marriage-tips-from-pope-francis-2492126
The link for the Mass readings for Friday, March 1, 2019:http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/030119.cfm
Resist the sin of turning in on one self, choose the transforming love of Jesus that wills the good of the other.
What we think, say, do or do not do, has consequences for ourselves and others. The smallest act of kindness, like suggesting, as Jesus did in today’s Gospel, of giving someone a drink of water goes a long way. The reality that 844 million people do not have adequate access to the most basic of needs, safe drinking water (water.org), is an amazing and saddening statistic. The most serious of sins in this regard is not bothering to care. Jesus shared clearly, in the Gospel of Matthew (cf. chapter 25), that what we do to the least of our brothers and sisters, we do to him.
We have a choice to act in ways: that limit or provide access for people seeking such basic necessities as food, water, and shelter; that harm or hurt; that divide or unify. Jesus uses graphic, hyberbolic words in today’s Gospel, such as “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire” (Mk 9:41-50). Jesus does not literally mean that we are to cut off our hand or foot, or pluck out our eye, but he is showing us the seriousness and cost of our sin in this life and the next. Whether we refuse to give or provide someone a drink has consequences.
Life is hard, people suffer. When we choose to shut ourselves off from others and the wonders of creation, and retreat into our own self-made world, keeping the need of others at arm’s length; when we engage in thoughts, words, and actions that are divisive, dehumanizing, and self serving; when we rationalize and justify behavior that goes against our Gospel values and our conscience, we play a part in contributing to the condition of original sin that plagues our world. When we act in these ways, we are going against God’s plan that we pray for each day: “May your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Jesus is not calling us to jump out of bed today and amass heroic acts of virtue, nor is he asking us to change all alone and all at once. The disciples took time to get his message and get on board, so it will take time for us as well. As followers of Jesus, we need to resist the temptations of turning in upon ourselves and of being self-centered, looking only out for our own concerns. Jesus loves us more than we can ever imagine and when we open our hearts and minds to receive his love and share it by willing the good of each other, we will be transformed.
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Photo: Crucifix at St Peter Catholic Church, Jupiter, FL.
Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, February 28, 2019: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/022819.cfm
“Whoever is not against us is for us.”
An elitist posture can be dangerous in that others are excluded that ought to have access. There are those areas in which there will be limited access. Select positions such as a principal, CEO, or manager. At higher levels of sports, the arts, and civic leadership, there are limited positions available as well. Yet access ought to be granted for the most qualified. Artificial impositions regarding racial, ethnic, gender, or religious litmus tests are to be avoided. Regarding having access to God, worshipping as a community, and spreading his love and word, an elitist approach has no place.
Jesus addresses this concern in today’s Gospel from Mark. The Apostle John approaches Jesus to complain that someone who does not belong to their inner circle of disciples was healing in the name of Jesus. John even shared that they attempted to prevent this person from healing. Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us” (Mk 9:39-40).
Jesus shared in words what he modeled in action throughout his life and that is the kingdom of God is open to all those who were willing to receive him and receive the invitation of his Father to enter into relationship. That relationship with him was to then be a spark that lit a fire in those of his followers to reach out to teach, preach, cast out demons, heal, and be present to others in their need in his name. The kingdom of God is not for the select few, not for the frozen chosen, or not to be an elite club. The depth of active participation is only limited by one’s willingness to be engaged in participating in the life of Jesus.
May we hear the message of Jesus’ universal message today. May we strive to work toward seeking that which unifies us more than what divides us. May we embrace his message that “whoever is not against us is for us.” This can be translated outward beyond our tradition as Catholics. There is much we can do together with Christians of other denominations, of people of other faith traditions, and of no tradition or belief in faith at all.
There are many who are in dire need of support in our communities, our states, countries, and world. May we resist the us vs. them mentality that is a temptation on so many levels. May we resist the temptations of indifference or feeling like we have nothing to contribute. Jesus calls us to be contemplatives in action.
Jesus, lead us to pray, to come to know God our Father, and his will for our life. Help us to hear and meditate on your living word, to know what you would have us do so that we can be your presence to others in our midst. In our unique ways, let us meet the actions of division, polarization, and dehumanization, with the healing balm of unity, dialogue, and empowerment.
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Photo: CN contemplatives in action!
Link for the Mass reading for Wednesday, February 27, 2019: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/022719.cfm
Serving Jesus will bring us true joy and fulfillment!
Power and honor are attractive temptations. Power is alluring because we want to be in control. Many of us believe that control provides security and safety. Many of us believe that power provides access and control over our environment and situations as they arise. Honor has an attraction also because we want to belong, we want to be a part of. With honor and fame we believe we will be accepted, liked, have access, without less risk of rejection.
Power and honor become a problem when they are grounded in our self and when we feel we attain them on our own initiative. They become an asset if we recognize them as gifts from God that help us to promote his kingdom. In and of themselves, power and honor are finite expressions. If they are only fueled by our insatiable desire to put our self first, front and center, we will not only constantly fall short, but we will constantly be seeking more, because nothing finite can fulfill the transcendental hunger that we have to belong to someone so much greater than ourselves, who is God.
The disciples of Jesus fell for the temptations of power and honor in today’s Gospel from Mark. Jesus had just shared with them that he will be handed over and killed and that he will rise again. The disciples do not understand what Jesus was saying to them and instead grasped at their idea of what the messiah means to them based on their experience and culture. He would be a powerful ruler, and so they began to jockey among themselves for seats of honor in his kingdom.
Jesus was aware of what his disciples were discussing, even though they are not willing to come clean, he sat down among the Twelve and presented to them what it will mean to be his follower: “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all” (Mk 9:35). Power and honor does not come by being served, true power and honor comes from the source of all existence, God the Creator. Nor is the infinite power of God some impersonal force that we tap into.
True power is trusting not in the material and finite things of the world because they are unstable. True power comes from God, the source of our existence, the one who is omnipotent, all powerful, and worthy of all honor and praise. We receive the power of God by experiencing, developing, and sustaining a relationship with him, through participation in the life of his Son and the Love of the Holy Spirit. The path of discipleship is traveled by those willing to follow the lead of Jesus, submitting to his will, embracing the gifts that the Holy Spirit grants us, and sharing what we have received with others.
Let us relinquish our perceived access of control in a fallen world that is ever unstable and changing and instead place our hope and trust in the one who is our destiny, who is our hope, our refuge and our strength. Let us let go of the desire to be liked and adored by the fickleness of others and instead strive to be true to who we are called to be. May others see no longer us but Jesus shining through us in our acts of service, kindness, accompaniment, and love.
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My classmates and I prostrating ourselves during our ordination, as a sign of our dying to self so to rise as servants of Christ. Photo credit Deacon Mike Miller
Link for the Mass readings for Tuesday, February 25, 2019: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/022619.cfm
Spiritual Stepping Stones 