“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners” (Mt 9:12-13).

How could Jesus have called Matthew, named Levi in Mark and Luke, to be part of his inner circle and then how he could eat with sinners? Matthew is a tax collector. Tax collectors were, at the least, believed to be collecting money over and above, skimming off the top, the allotted prescribed taxes. Think of how much IRS agents are thought of in our country. At worst though, they were considered to be in collusion with the occupying power of Rome. Not only were they unethical and unclean, tax collectors were in league with the enemy! And Jesus is sitting down and eating with THEM!!!

In quoting Hosea 6:6, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice,” Jesus was drawing reference to the growing Pharisaic influence to aspire to and take on the ritual purity status of the priests sacrificing at the Temple. To be in favor with the religious leadership, to be accepted as part of the religious community, one had to follow certain prescriptions and practices, otherwise be recognized as unclean and while in that state, one did not belong to the community. Sharing table fellowship was a measure of that social construct, so if one was unclean, they were to eat alone.

Jesus would have none of that. Jesus sought to enter into relationship with anyone who was willing, even those who were considered on the outside, the peripheries, even unclean. He modeled for the people of his day, and says to us today, that we are loved for who we are and as we are, a beloved child of God. There is no THEM for Jesus! He bestowed and bestows his Mercy, Love, and Healing first, as the starting point. He accepted and accepts people first, builds relationships first, then continues to walk with us, to empower us to be perfect as his heavenly father is perfect (cf. Mt 5:48).

The bar of perfection is indeed high, higher than that of the Pharisees; the difference is that Jesus’ mercy is higher. Jesus meets us in our sin, but he does not want us to stay there. Jesus’ teachings are hard, but when we fall, he does not kick us in the teeth and cast us out of the community, he lays down with us, right in the dirt with us, face to face, wipes the tears from our eyes, offers his hand, and helps us to continue our journey.

No matter what you may be dealing with today, I invite you to accept the Love and Mercy Jesus extends to us at this moment, in this reading. I type as, Peter said, to you the reader, “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, [rise and] walk” (Acts 3:6). Let us rise up, as did Matthew, and walk together with Jesus today. As we do so, may we also be willing to extend God’s Love and Mercy with those we will meet today.

Painting: The Calling of St Matthew – Caravagio, 1600

Link for the Mass readings for Friday, July 6 2018:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/070618.cfm

Parallel readings: Mt 9:9-13, Mk 2:13-17, Lk 5:27-32

And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven” (Mt 9:2).

Matthew’s account of this scene is much simpler than Mark and Luke’s, but the point is the same. The person paralyzed received healing because some people were willing to bear his weight and creatively bring him to Jesus. In neither of the three accounts do we know who the people are that bring this man to Jesus for healing. Were they family, friends, or neighbor? It does not matter. They were aware of someone in need, they believed Jesus could heal, and they put forth the effort to bring this man to Jesus.

Are we like those men; are we aware? St. Mother Teresa often said that people are “not only hungry for bread – but hungry for love, naked not only for clothing – but naked for human dignity and respect, homeless not only for want of home and bricks, – but homeless because of rejection.” Let us resist the temptation to be indifferent to the needs of others, to rationalize why we ought not to care, or worse give in to our fears and prejudices so to dehumanize and reject others in need.

There are so many in need, so many who are hurting that we can feel overwhelmed about how or where to begin. We can start by being aware. How is God speaking to us in our conscience toward those who are in need. If we feel called to support the unborn – good, the refugee or immigrant – good, the disabled – good. There are so many more different needs that I can list. Let us not get trapped into criticizing others for reaching out to help in a different way than we feel called to do. We just need to be honest about where God is leading us and act as the four in our Gospel reading today did; be aware of someone in need, meet that need with the resources available, access our personal gifts of creativity and bring them to Jesus as we are able. By collaborating with Jesus in this way miracles can and do still happen.

Today, let us reject the temptation to turn away from another person in need, and instead rise up and live our faith as disciples of Jesus to love, to give of our self to respect the human dignity of those in our midst, and do as the writer of Hebrews shares, “Encourage each other while it is still today” (Hebrews 3:13).

The Lord hears the cry of the poor do we?

Painting: Healing of the Paralytic – James Tissot

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, July 5, 2018:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/070518.cfm

See Mark 2:1-12, Matthew 9:1-8 and Luke 5:17-26

Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district (Mt 8-34).

After hearing of the healing of the demoniacs and the herd of swine rushing into the water, the townsfolk came out and begged Jesus to leave. This is also attested to in the Gospel of Mark 5:17. Luke adds that the people asked Jesus to leave because: “they were seized with great fear” (Lk 8:37). Jesus healed two demoniacs in Matthew’s account, one in the Mark and Luke accounts, and the people asked him to leave. Hearing of Jesus’ healing power to expel demons, hearing about his act of mercy and grace, would we too ask Jesus to leave?

Before answering, “No, of course not!” too quickly, how many times have our own judgements, prejudices, and self-centeredness, our own lack of understanding for the bigger picture, our own fear, been chosen over living the Gospel in our own lives? Is our life shaped by the Gospel message of Jesus? (One reason I started this series of daily reflections on the Gospels was to go a little deeper into the Gospels and invite others to do the same.) Do we wrestle with the challenge of how we are to love our enemies, to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect, to turn the other cheek, and to answer in practical, concrete ways, “What you do to the least of these: you do it to me?” Or, if we read or listen to the Gospels at all, do we seek to adjust Jesus’ message, to conform God to our will, to fit the message to our lifestyle, what works for us? Is the radiance of Jesus’ mercy, love and grace too bright for us such that we wince in pain, that we feel it is too much to bear, and we too say, “Go away!”?

In these slower summer days, may we make some time to read, slowly and prayerfully, each of the accounts of the healing of the Gadarene demoniacs in Matthew’s Gospel and the one demoniac in the Mark and Luke accounts. We will also notice in the Mark and Luke accounts, after the demoniac who was possessed with demons was healed, the townsfolk asked Jesus to depart from them, the man followed Jesus and asked to follow him. Jesus said to the man: “Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you” (Mark 5:19). The one who was so bound up by possession that he was out of his mind, still had some glimmer of hope that he could be healed and ran up to and prostrated himself before Jesus, was healed and freed. He then proclaimed the Gospel to the whole city.

In our reading and prayer, may we enter into this powerful account and also encounter Jesus. What still enslaves and binds us such that we continue to be separated from God and others? Will we give in to our fear and beg Jesus to leave us, or open our mind, heart, and soul to his healing word and touch? May we, as the man possessed did, prostrate ourselves before Jesus, surrender to him, so to experience the healing mercy, love, and forgiveness of Jesus that we too may be free. Free to experience a freedom for excellence, free to embrace who we truly are and who the Holy Spirit guides us to be.

Let us pray for each other this Independence Day that Jesus may forgive and free us from our fear, prejudices, tendencies to gossip, belittle, and dehumanize one another, and thus healed, align ourselves with Jesus, so to be willing to encounter, embrace, accompany, encourage, and love one another! We can share the Good News with others of how much the Lord has done for us, and how he has had mercy on us, by loving and bestowing mercy on others!

Painting: James Tissot, The Swine Driven into the Sea

To read the parallel accounts of today’s Gospel see: Mark 5:1-20, Matthew 8:28-34, Luke 8:26-39

Link for the Mass readings for Wednesday, July 3, 2018:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/070418.cfm

Then Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God” (Jn 20:27-28)!

Thomas’ acclamation “My Lord and my God!” came from his touching the wounds of Jesus. Jesus who had risen from the dead, had conquered death, and yet still bore the wounds of his Passion. This is a profound message to the Apostles, those Jesus sent to proclaim his Gospel, and for us who seek to follow him today.

The Body of Christ is still wounded by the sin and division of our fallen nature that put him on the Cross. This reality is a reason that many doubt and do not believe today. Many decry, how can a loving God allow such suffering and pain, especially of the innocent? Blaming and scapegoating, or putting blinders on and keeping the messiness of life at arm’s length is not the answer. The path of a disciple, an apostle, is to allow ourselves to be led by Jesus to experience with him our own woundedness, while at the same time, enter into the pain and suffering of others. Immersed in the chaos of life, like Thomas and the other Apostles, we come to touch the wounded side of Jesus .

May we resist the temptation to flee from the conflict, challenges, hurt, pain, and suffering that we and others are experiencing. Instead may we, with the courage of Thomas, accept the invitation of Jesus the Christ to touch his wounded Body. We do so when we are willing to touch one another, to be present and accompany those who bear his wounds:  those who are vulnerable; the unborn, widows, orphans, refugees, immigrants, hungry, homeless, and those without access to clean water; those who suffer from addiction, poverty, depression, disease, oppression, prejudice, discrimination, dehumanization, racism, sexism, misogyny, unjust immigration policies, unemployment, underemployment, wage theft, human trafficking, domestic violence, slavery, violence, war, terrorism and natural disasters. For what we do to the least among us, we do it to Jesus.

May we resist the feeling of being overwhelmed, resist the temptation to rationalize or to be indifferent to the suffering in our midst. If we are feeling this way, it is because we are focusing on the problem and not the solution. Apart from Jesus we can do nothing, yet with Jesus, the one who conquered death, all things are possible! When we feel overwhelmed, helpless, or indecisive, may we acclaim with Thomas, “My Lord and my God!” trusting that he is present to us. Jesus is with us so we can be confident and on our way today to make our corner of the world a better place by reaching out person to person, to share a smile, a touch, provide a listening ear, and/or speak up or out for the dignity of those who do not have access or a voice.

Painting: The Indredulity of St Thomas by Caravaggio, 1601-1602

Link for the readings of the Mass for Tuesday, July 2, 2018:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/070318.cfm

In today’s Gospel a scribe approaches Jesus. Often, when a scribe is mentioned in the Gospels, one can expect a conflict. This time though, it appears that this scribe has not come to challenge Jesus, but has a sincere interest in following him, of becoming one of his disciples because he said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go” (Mt 8:19). Just as Jesus responded to the rich man who sought what he must do to enter the kingdom of God, so Jesus challenged the scribe, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head” (Mt 8:20).

The life of the scribe was generally very sedentary and stable. They, more than likely, would have sought urban areas where they could have access to more opportunities to practice their writing craft such as the recording of the collection of taxes, the recording of royal decisions and decrees, secretarial roles in government, as well as be legal scholars of the Torah. Some scribes could rise to high levels influencing kings or sitting on the Sanhedrin, the Jewish high council in Jerusalem. The life of Jesus was that of an itinerant preacher. For the remainder of his ministry he would not be staying in one place for long. If the scribe truly wanted to follow Jesus he would need to give up his present lifestyle and be willing to go on the road with Jesus.

There is no response from the scribe to Jesus’ invitation. This is well and good because it gives us the opportunity to answer the question for ourselves. How would we respond? Where do we place our security? Do we place our security in our job, in our home, our family, our trade, vocation, or career choice? Those pursuing college degrees, are you being led by Jesus or the pursuit of power, pleasure, wealth, and/or honor?

When we truly place our hope and security in Jesus instead of that which is finite and limited, we will be less attached to the things of this world, we can live more simply and be freer to reach out beyond ourselves to give and provide aid, comfort, and support to those who are in need. Our lives will be more balanced and fulfilling when we let go of our white knuckled grip of those material realities that we cling to for security and safety.

As was true with the disciples, our minds, hearts, and spirits need to first be open to the invitation of Jesus to follow him. Then as we follow his guidance and where he leads us, we need to recognize that our transformation takes time. May we persevere in prayer, draw strength from the love of the Holy Spirit and each other as trials, experimentation, experiences, sufferings, conflicts, joy, and successes arise. Jesus has a unique vocational call for each of us. To close today, may we pray the hymn written by the Benedictine Nuns of Stanbrook Abbey:

O God of truth, prepare our minds
to hear and heed your holy word.
Fill every heart that longs for you
with your mysterious presence, Lord.
Almighty Father, with your Son
and blessed Spirit, hear our prayer.
Teach us to love eternal truth
and seek its freedom everywhere.

Photo: My mother and me after Mass at St Philip, the parish where I received my First Communion. Picture taken during my last visit to CT two weeks ago. Mass is a good place to hear Jesus’ guidance!

Link for the Mass readings for Monday, July 2, 2018:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/070218.cfm

Jesus is walking with a large crowd about him toward the home of Jairus. Jairus had pleaded with Jesus to come with him to lay hands on his daughter because she was near death. On the way, “a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years” (Mk 5:25) reached out and touched the cloak of Jesus.

This woman was considered unclean, an untouchable, likened to a leper, such that she could not participate in the regular social activities of her community, including worship. She was most likely able to weave her way through the crowd to get to Jesus because as she approached, people gave way, not wanting to be contaminated. She had sought help for years and found none. She had heard about the healing powers of Jesus and believed: “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured” (Mk 5:28). The woman knew the risk that was involved, touching a man in public, especially because she was unclean, was breaking the law, could lead to public shame and/or worse. Yet, she was willing to take the risk and was instantly healed.

Jesus, as the very embodiment of Love, healed her from his very being the moment she touched him. Jesus felt the power go out of him and asked who had touched his clothes. The woman could have attempted to walk away, could have remained silent, instead she “approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth” (Mk 5:33). Jesus did not condemn her for breaking the Levitical law. He acknowledged her faith and confirmed her healing, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction” (Mk 5:34). In the midst of storm clouds of gloom and despair, Jesus was the radiant sun of hope and renewal.

While this whole incident is transpiring, there is Jairus, who must have been in agony. Storm clouds of fear gathered in his mind, as the last hope for his daughter whose life was hanging on a thread, was being tied up by this woman who Jesus was making the time to talk! Then the horrific clap of thunder sounded, the news of his daughter’s death is brought to him. Could this woman’s interruption have cost his daughter’s life? Jesus, again a light in the gathering darkness, spoke to Jairus, “Do not be afraid; just have faith” (Mk 5:36).

The same faith of the woman who he had just witnessed interacting with Jesus. The woman who may had taken up the precious moments that prevented Jesus from getting to his daughter. The woman who he had most likely seen time and again over the past twelve years and kept at a distance, or worse indifferently ignored.  Most likely their eyes met after Jesus’ words to him. In his eyes fear and bewilderment, yet in hers a peace and strength of faith that may have given him just enough hope that led him to take those first steps with Jesus. They resumed their journey, arrived at the home of Jairus, and Jesus healed the daughter.

The account of Jairus, the woman with the hemorrhage, and their encounter with Jesus (Mk 5:21-43) has much to tell us today. Like Jairus, the synagogue official, who sought the aid of Jesus for his daughter, there are many in our country today that have serious need, and which is sometimes dire. Like the woman with the hemorrhage, someone on the peripheries, considered unclean, on the outside, who sought help for twelve years and could find no relief, risked all to get to Jesus, there are many seeking to come to our country seeking asylum, seeking a better life. They are willing to risk their lives to get here. Are we willing to encounter them as Jesus encountered the woman with the hemorrhage? Are we willing to provide access to healthcare for those in our country, as Jesus was willing to go to the home of Jairus to heal his daughter?

About 25.4 million refugees worldwide are fleeing their countries because of conflict or persecution. The United States, if it continues on its current pace, will resettle the least amount of immigrants in our history. Our approach to those seeking a better life economically, those seeking asylum, no matter their country of origin, whether it be from our southern border or from across the seas, ought to be one in which we afford the opportunity for our brothers and sisters to do so. Following the lead of Jesus, we can protect our country as well as extend open arms to welcome those seeking entrance, seeking aid. We can also provide better care for those in need in our country now, some 33 million who do not still have access to health care.

Too many times in the history of our country has fear arisen to support the storm clouds of protectionism and isolationism directed toward those without and assimilation toward those within. Neither is a healthy approach. Regarding how we interact with one another, how we seek to provide for one another, we need to resist feeding our fears and prejudices, and instead look to the light embodied by the words that Jesus spoke to Jairus, “Do not be afraid; just have faith” (Mk 5:36). May we resist looking for scapegoats and instead, be willing to encounter one another, embrace the gift of our diversity, and approach changing and creating policies that regard supporting the dignity of each person from the moment of conception, through each unique life, until natural death.

May we be willing to recognize the risk and hope that so many place in coming to our country, and provide a means for them to enter and become a part of our country. May we provide better means and access to health care for those who are here already and in need. With Jesus, who is our light and our source, we can create a way to support and uplift one another. Even when it seems impossible, even when the storm clouds gather, Jesus as the Son of God, provides the light to guide our way through the darkness. Let us trust in Jesus, reject our fear of one another. May we have faith in Jesus and embrace one another.

Photo: The sun shining bright amidst the gathering storm clouds one afternoon this past week.

Link for the Mass readings for Sunday, July 1, 2018:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/070118.cfm

The centurion said in reply, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed” (Mt 8:8).

After Jesus finishes his Sermon on the Mount, he comes down from the mountain. In the opening of chapter eight we see two hearts open to God, a leper and a centurion. The centurion may or may not have been a Roman but he certainly was a Gentile. He, a member of an occupying army, was aware of the animosity many Jews felt toward him. Yet he, like the leper approached Jesus.

Jesus saw in the leper, not revulsion, and in the centurion, not an enemy, but first and foremost, human beings in need, two persons with faith and belief. Reading on we see that Jesus also heals the mother-in-law of Peter and many who are possessed. Jesus reached out to them with a simple touch of his hand, with his healing words and in so doing brought to each of them the healing they sought. Jesus shows us that the kingdom of his Father is open to all who have faith and believe.

We are all wounded by sin and in need of the healing word and touch of Jesus in our lives. May we approach Jesus, who is already present to us, waiting for us to ask, and open our hearts and minds to him so to be healed, to be transformed by his love and mercy. May we also, like the centurion, approach Jesus on behalf of others who are also in need of healing. Let us resist the temptation to judge anyone as unworthy to receive the grace, love and mercy of Jesus.

God brings people into our lives, let us receive them as Jesus did: as fellow human beings, first and foremost, created in his image and likeness, regardless of another’s religious, ethnic, racial, political, social, gender, national, economic, refugee, immigrant, or enemy status. May we resist the urge to keep each other at arm’s length, instead may we be willing to allow Jesus to reach out through us to share his healing word or extend his healing touch through us to another.

Painting: Sebastiano Ricci, 16th century Italy

Link for the Mass for Saturday, June 30, 2018:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/063018.cfm

Jesus said to his Apostles, “But who do you say that I am” (Mt 16:15)

Do we take the time to get to know Jesus, to answer the same question he posed to his apostles? Too often we move from this to that, one situation to another, putting out fires and moving from one crisis to another, or we are just seeking to make it through another day.

To be a Christian is not a call to stop living our lives, but it is an invitation to live our lives with Jesus. We have been described as a People of the Book, along with Jews and Muslims. This is true, yet, in addition, we are also a people of encounter; we encounter the Living Word, the Son of God, Jesus the Christ.

Peter and Paul encountered Jesus in their lives and were changed forever. We can encounter the same Jesus when we slow down enough to pray with the word proclaimed in Liturgy or read in personal prayer.

As a very simple example: except for the first Office of the day, in praying the Liturgy of the Hours, the prayer begins, “God come to my assistance, Lord make haste to help me.” How many times have I just said those words mindlessly as a beginning to my prayers, but didn’t really take in what I was saying?!!! How many times do we make the Sign of the Cross without being attentive to the profound act we have just engaged ourselves in?

Through invoking this prayer and making this sacramental gesture, we are inviting the Creator of all that exists to come to be a part of our lives. Each are also prayers we may lean on when tempted, stressed, worried or anxious. Each are affirmations of commitment to resist giving in to a mindset of minimalism. All things are possible because we are choosing to align ourselves with the Holy Trinity.

Peter and Paul both answered the above question, Peter as recorded in Mt 16:16, said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” and Paul in Acts 9:20 “proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.” Let us spend some time praying and meditating on how we will answer Jesus’ question: “Who do you say that I am?” How we answer makes a difference as to the kind of Christian we will be.

Saints Peter and Paul, pray for us!

Painting of Saints Peter and Paul by El Greco, 16th Century

Link for the Mass readings for Friday, June 29, 2018:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/062918-day-mass.cfm

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock” (Mt 7:24).

Jesus speaks. His words are recorded in the Gospels, Jesus speaks in the silence of our hearts, he speaks to us through our conscience, Jesus is present where two or three gather in his name, Jesus speaks through the words of others, Jesus speaks in our daily activities, and through creation which has been loved into existence through collaboration with his Father and the Holy Spirit.

We can be unaware of his word spoken among us, we can hear his words but not listen, hear his words but ignore them, listen but not act upon them, or we can do with his words as Jesus encourages us to do. We can listen to his words and put them into action. We can hear the words of Jesus and let them come in through our mind and enter our heart, where we can then be transformed.

St Irenaeus, whose feast we celebrate today, said that Jesus became one with us so that we can become one with him. Not one with us, so that we can know about Jesus. Not one with us, so that we can say that we prophesy, cast out demons, do mighty works, cite Bible chapter and verse to show our knowledge or justify our behavior in his name. One with us so that we can become one with him. 

Jesus meets us on our level and lifts us up to his. Jesus has been doing just that in his Sermon on the Mount which we have been reflecting on these past few weeks. If you are just coming in today or need a refresher, this gathering of teachings began at chapter five of Matthew and takes us up to today with chapter seven. Jesus presented us with the Beatitudes, that we are called to be salt and light, he built on the law and the prophets by giving us the six antithesis (You have heard it said, but I say to you…), he taught us to pray the Our Father, that we are to depend and place our trust in God and not the things of this world, we are to refrain from judging others, we are not to cast our pearls before swine, we are to do to others as we would have them do to us, we are to seek to enter through the narrow gate, and to be aware of false prophets.

These are but just some of the words of Jesus that we are to put into action if our house is to be built on solid rock. May we go back through chapter five, six, and seven of Matthew and see which teaching Jesus is leading us to ponder, meditate upon, and put into action.

If this list is a bit overwhelming, let us start with what St Irenaeus taught us. Jesus became one with us so that we can become one with him. Jesus entered our humanity so that we can participate in his divinity. Jesus invites us to be in relationship with him, to know him, so that we can know his Father, so that we can be one as Jesus and the Father is one. Jesus loves us as we are, and for who we are, right now at this very moment. Jesus loves us more than we can ever imagine. May we receive his love as we would receive a loving embrace, stay with it, savor it, so to return his love, by loving each other as he has loved us.

Photo: Listening to the words of Jesus – models of kindness!

Link for the Mass reading for Thursday, June 28, 2018:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/062818.cfm

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them” (Mt 7:15-16).

So as not be taken in by false prophets within in our Church and society, and most importantly, so as not to be wolves in sheep’s clothing ourselves, we need to know the Shepherd. We need to know, as St Irenaeus (whose feast we celebrate tomorrow) described: Jesus, “who did, through His transcendent love, become what we are, that He might bring us to be even what He is Himself” (p. 526 Against Heresies, Book V, Introduction). Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, who entered and embraced our fallen and wounded condition to become fully human while remaining fully divine, came to shine a light on that which causes division and disunity. Jesus came to reveal those sinful acts which estrange us from God and one another. Jesus came to show us the value of our unique dignity as human beings, the wonder of God’s creation that we are, and empower us so as to restore our relationship with God and one another.

How can we know Jesus?

One way is that we can begin by following the lead of Pope Francis who has been encouraging us to read and prayerfully reflect on the Gospels each day.

May we resist the temptation to just read the Gospel with the sole intent to finish it and move on to something else, so as to just complete one more task. Instead may we read slowly, reflectively, spending time with Jesus by mediating on a word or phrase from the Gospel that peaks our attention. We may receive an insight, an intuition, a confirmation, a sense of excitement, or a question as we are reading. May we resist the temptation to just blow off what arises and instead pay attention, and follow where Jesus is leading us. We can also place ourselves in the scene as if we are watching a movie. In this way, allowing our senses to come alive and again pay attention to what arises.

We can then meditate for a time on that word, phrase, insight or other experience that has arisen, taking time at different moments during the day to return and ponder. Through a daily commitment of praying with the Gospels, meditating upon them, allowing Jesus to speak to us, we will not only know about Jesus, but come to encounter and know him and his voice as his disciples did. We will also see the fruit that Jesus bears and encourages us to bear through our thoughts, words, and actions.

Another gift of encountering Jesus in the Gospels is that we will naturally be drawn to examine our conscience as we read and ponder the life and teachings of Jesus. As we are able to see those fruits of selfishness, greed, judgment, gluttony, lust, pride, indifference, sloth, envy, wrath, or any others, seek God’s forgiveness and can begin to prune those branches within us that lead to such fruits. This will leave more room for the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, chastity, goodness, generosity and self-control, to grow and mature in our life.

As we come to know Jesus and his voice, we will begin to recognize, through the fruits they bear, those false prophets who seek to lead us astray, and so be better be able to resist their temptations as well as temptations within. We will better know the truth of who we are and are created to be. More importantly, we will no longer lead others astray, but as we bear the fruits of the Spirit we will lead others through word and deed to the Shepherd.

Photo: Picture of the Bible I received for my confirmation.

Mass readings for Wednesday, June 27, 2018: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/062718.cfm