“’Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest” (Mt 13:27-30).

One of my favorite trees is the Maple. When JoAnn, the kids, and I moved to Florida twenty years ago, the thought did not cross my mind that Maples grew in Southern Florida. A few years after we moved into our home, I was walking in our backyard and thought I saw a maple leaf. I squatted down for a closer look and found that not only was it a maple leaf but a sapling with three leaves! I carefully cleared some of the weeds and grass growing among and around it, but otherwise let it be because it was so fragile. As it grew I cleared more around it. Today it is a fully mature Swamp Maple!

About a year ago, I saw a new Maple sapling emerging, though this time, some poison ivy was growing around it. I sprayed poison ivy killer, thinking I was carefully avoiding the Maple. Unfortunately, I must have gotten some of the poison on the Maple leaves because the sapling also shriveled up and died.

I related well to Jesus’ parable in today’s Gospel. The master warned his servants to let the wheat and weeds grow together until they were more mature at the time of the harvest, so as not to pull up the wheat with the weeds. Weeds in this verse is translated from the original “Greek [as] zizanion [which] refers to a noxious weed that in its early stages closely resembles wheat and cannot be readily distinguished from it” (Harrington 2007, 204). Both, in their immature state, were indistinguishable.

We may resist the temptation to be quick to judge another. Even when there are those who commit heinous acts of evil, we may feel justified in our judgment and condemnation. Jesus says no. We may convict the person of their action and we are certainly to hold each other accountable, but judge and condemn, no. The Father is the ultimate arbiter and judge.

All of humanity has been created in the image and likeness of God, each of us are a unique gift to this world, we have been created good, yet all of us fall short of the glory and grace of God. God the Father will judge at the end of time and only he knows the time or the hour. Let us leave the judgment to God, and let us rather to be about following the teachings of Jesus, repenting, and encouraging each other in the maturation process which can include, convicting others when needed, but condemning, no. As St Paul wrote: “We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak and not please ourselves” (Romans 15:1).

May we resist the temptation to spread the poison of judgment, gossip and condemnation, otherwise we are promoting division and a culture of death. Let us instead welcome, nurture and care for one another, promoting unity and a culture of life. May we pray for patience, understanding, and the ability to seek forgiveness in our interactions, as well as be willing to forgive each other. Life, even when going well, is hard. We need the encouragement and support of each other if we are to mature and actualize the fullness of who God calls us to be. “Encourage each other while it is still today” (Hebrews 3:13).
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Photo: Our Maple tree enjoying the sunrise this morning, much more mature than the little sapling I discovered about twenty years ago (As to why I picked this picture, you may read the full reflection by clicking the link to my blog below).

Mass readings for today, Sunday, July 28, 2017: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/072818.cfm

Harrington SJ, Daniel J. “The Gospel of Matthew”. In vol. 1, Sacra Pagina Series, edited by Daniel J. Harrington. Minnesota, Liturgical Press, 2007.

In the Gospel today, Jesus shares with us his Parable of the Sower. Their are four settings in which seeds are sown. Some fall on the path, some on rocky ground, some among thorns, and some on rich soil. I would like to primarily focus on the seed sown among thorns today.

From this perspective, our hearts, minds and souls are open to know him more. We have some understanding of our faith, it has not been stolen away because our hearts are not completely hardened like those on the well trod path. Nor have we allowed a hyper sense of cynicism, scientism, secularism, or relativism to steal our joy away completely. We have endured some times of stress and trial and our faith has not diminished but endured. Jesus has taken root in our heart, unlike those suffering from rocky soil.

Most of us would fall into the third category: “The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit” (Mt 13:22). Jesus is a part of our life, we are growing in our faith, but our maturation, and bearing of mature fruit is diminished. We are limited because Jesus is only a part of our life, not the core foundation. This is because we look to the world and its false promises to be our security and support.

Pope Francis questioned in his apostolic exhortation, The Joy of the Gospel: “How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points? This is a case of exclusion. Can we continue to stand by when food is thrown away while people are starving? This is a case of inequality” (Francis 2013, 53). How often is it that the top voting issue in our national elections has to do with concern about the economy?

If we are placing our hope and focus, if our primary source of building for ourselves a  secure foundation is in the political and economic realm, we are going to be consistently anxious and stressed. Our faith is going to be choked, and worse our politics will be shaping the Gospel instead of the Gospel shaping our politics. We will justify and rationalize behaviors from our leaders that are contrary to living our life aligned with the teachings of Jesus as long as the economy is going well.

These subtle vines of false security also promote a privatization of our faith. If we seek to counter and challenge injustice, if we call for an awareness of those who are vulnerable and suffering, if we call out actions that are immoral, we can face the backlash of being accused of stamping on an individual’s personal rights, regarding speaking out for the rights of the unborn; being unpatriotic, when protesting by taking a knee for the inconceivable number of unjust killing for people of color by police;  a socialist or a leftist, by seeking to keep migrant families together, to provide safe haven for asylum seekers or refugees. We become anxious and stressed because we want to belong, to be liked, to be a part of. Taking the risk to be “God’s microphone”, to speak the Gospel publicly, is challenging today because: “The process of secularization tends to reduce the faith and the Church to the sphere of the private and personal” (Francis 2013, 64).

To live our faith means more than just doing so in our own home. This is certainly a good start. But if we are to mature as disciples of Jesus, we are going to need to resist the false lures of riches and material security, we are going to need to be willing to face the anxieties of criticism and hostility for speaking the truth of our faith. The unfortunate part is that we may face a lot of push back from those of our brothers and sisters within our own churches, the Body of Christ.

We can mature as disciples when we are willing to commit daily to reading the Bible, seeking resources to better understand his word, praying and meditating, pondering on the teachings of Jesus, and so better have the eyes to see and ears to hear his Word and guidance. As we build our foundation on Jesus and his teachings, build a support group of those of like mind and support, we can share with others the trials and successes of our journey of faith. These small acts will make a tremendous difference.

Courage is a mark of feeling the fear and doing what we are inspired to do. Let us call on the name of Jesus when we are tempted to place our trust in anything other than our loving God and Father, may we call on the love of the Holy Spirit to give us the words to speak and the actions to impart, with understanding, and kindness, when we are in the midst of unjust, disrespectful, or dehumanizing words or actions.

We need to trust in Jesus’ invitation. He is calling all of us to deepen our relationship with him and to invite others to do the same. The road ahead, and the trials we will face will not be easy. But as we face them, with Jesus and one another, we become stronger. We begin to mature and bear fruit when we allow Jesus to be our constant source, our foundation. Sustained by his power we can then act with courage and put into practice what we learn.

When we are choked by vines of temptation from apparent goods and false senses of material security that seek to lull us into complacency and indifference, when the tendrils of anxiety and fear squeeze at our heart and throat to keep us indecisive and unresponsive to God’s call for us to act beyond our comfort zone, to step out in love, we need to remember that we are not alone. May we call on Jesus, trust in him, reach out to our brothers and sisters in faith, so to cut away the vines and thorns, all that is not of God, that attempt to choke us. Over time our soil will become richer, the Love of the Holy Spirit will increase in our hearts, minds, and souls, we will begin to see others through God’s eyes, we will become more human, more open to a maturing relationship of communion with our loving God and Father and each other, that bears mature fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self control.

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Photo: Plant in our backyard, like us who place our trust and build our foundation in Jesus, growing and maturing free of the vines that attempt to choke it.

Pope Francis. Evanglelii Gaudium: The Joy of the Gospel. Frederick, MD: The Word Among Us, 2013. Link for online access:
http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html

Link for Mass readings for today, Friday, July 29, 2018 http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/072718.cfm

The root of the message offered in today’s Gospel is what is foundational to beginning and continuing as a disciple of Jesus. This is the disposition of our heart. Are we closed to receiving the message of the Gospel, or are we open to embrace the invitation of Jesus to become more active in living our faith in our everyday life?

The exchange of Jesus with his disciples in today’s reading from Matthew comes after his sharing of the Parable of the Sower (Mt 13:1-9). In this parable Jesus offers scenarios regarding the conditions of seeds sown. Some fell on a hardened path, some on rocky ground, some fell among thorns, and some fell on the rich soil. The seeds in the first three settings were not able either to germinate or come to full maturity. The seed that was sown in rich soil was able to germinate, sprout, mature and bear fruit.

As disciples we are meant to bear fruit. That means our beginning step to preparing rich soil is to have an open heart and mind to the message of the Gospel. If we have eyes to see and ears to hear, we can quickly assess when our hearts are hardened and our minds are closed. When someone makes a statement, do we immediately judge it before the sentence is even completed? If we are in touch with our emotions, are we aware of the tenseness of our body and our shortening of breath. Think back to some times when we have reacted in this way, think of some times when we have had similar reactions in prayer, or when we feel God leading us to serve in a particular way, or when a scriptural passage peaks our interest and we ignore it, read on, or close our Bible. How about times when a person interrupts us with an issue, or we see someone in need and keep walking and while we walk away with feel the angst of guilt.

The good news presented in the above examples is that we are alive and our conscience is somewhat intact. Our soil may be on rocky ground, but at least there is some soil. The worst state, and the one Jesus addressed in today’s Gospel is the heart of indifference that is closed, the seed falling on the well trod path, that is hard and packed down so nothing gets through. For these people, “they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand” (Mt 13:13). Yet, even this soil can be broken open and tilled. Even the hardest heart can be softened, if one is willing to turn to Jesus.

Jesus, in his explanation of why he spoke in parables, returned to the inaugural message of his ministry: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel” (Mk 1:15). To be a disciple of Jesus we need to be willing to repent, to acknowledge the hardness of our heart, the closing of our mind, the turning in on our self, and to begin again. We need to turn to Jesus in our brokenness and pain, to seek healing for the wounds that tempt to separate us and keep us isolated.

We need to be willing to risk, to care, to hope, and to love. As we go through the day, as we seek to grow as disciples, we will make mistakes, we will not be perfect, we will be hurt, betrayed, we will fall and sometimes feel we can’t get up. But if we trust in Jesus, are willing to learn from our mistakes, go to him for healing and confession, our hearts will soften, our minds will open, we will have eyes to see and ears to hear. We will come to experience that we are not alone, that we have not been abandoned, that there is hope because there is a way forward, there is a goal we have to attain, which is to be perfected in Christ, to be one with our loving God and Father.

Jesus, soften our hearts and open our minds to you and your Father’s will that we may experience the transforming love of the Holy Spirit.

Photo: Autumn Heart Leaf from pexels.com

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, July 25, 2018:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/072618.cfm

“The mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something. He said to her, ‘What do you wish?’ She answered him, ‘Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom’” (Mt 20:21-22).

The context of this request from the mother of the sons of Zebedee, James and John, comes from reading a few verses before the quote above. Start reading at Matthew 20:17 and you will see that Jesus and his twelve apostles are heading toward Jerusalem. Jesus stops to share with them, for the third time, that he will be condemned and crucified.

Jesus’ statement of his imminent suffering and death appears to be ignored by the mother of James and John. The other ten are indignant, not because of the apparent lack of acknowledging Jesus’ statement, but about who is the greatest among them! It is easy to imagine how the chaotic scene ensues! As Saint John Chrysostom wrote: “See how imperfect they all are: the two who tried to get ahead of the other ten, and the ten who were jealous of the two” (Chrysostom 1975, 1552)!

This event is recorded in Matthew, Mark and Luke. Mark has James and John speaking for themselves, not their mother, as in Matthew. Luke does not even record the initial request of James and John at all, but comes in at the point of the apostle’s dispute. What all record, including the Gospel of John, is Jesus’ interjection where he made it clear to his apostles that he came to serve, not to be served. To follow Jesus meant, not that James and John would be given positions of honor, the sitting at his right or his left, but that they were to serve as he served, to love as he loved.

As disciples of Jesus, one of the most powerful ways we can serve, the most powerful ways we can love, is to be truly present, done most effectively when we actively listen. This is done when we look at each other, resist the temptation of thinking about our own needs or thinking about what we are to say. We need to, in my case, put the book down, set the work aside, we need to turn off the tv, put away the cell phone, disengage our thoughts, and instead look at and listen to what the person in our midst has to say.

Today, may we make the time to stop and listen to Jesus, to our family, our children, our parents, friends, colleagues, and those to whom, in the past, we may not have given the time of day. Jesus came to serve, to love, to listen. May we too give of ourselves with our time and undivided attention directed toward another. If you are in need of a little help on the this memorial of St. James, ask for his intercession, “St. James… pray for us.”

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Photo: Laughing along with friends, a fruit and gift of listening 🙂 photo credit Jack McKee

Chrysostom, St John. Homily. The Liturgy of the Hours: According to the Roman Rite. Vol. 3. NY: Catholic Book Publishing, 1975.

Parallel Gospel passages to review:
Mark 10:35-45; Matthew 20:20-28; Luke 22:24-27 and John 13:12-17

Mass readings for today, Wednesday, July 25, 2018: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/072518.cfm

What Jesus proposes is not an either/or statement, but is meant to be a both/and statement. The end goal of our life is to be in communion with God. To attain that goal, we need to not only acknowledge that God exists but also come to know and follow his will. As Jesus said, “For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.” (Mt 12:50). The challenge is that there is so much that pulls at us for our attention, so much that reaches out to us, people, activities, material pursuits are all vying for first place for our minds, hearts, and souls.

The challenge and demands of family life are tremendous. We often read, hear, and experience ourselves, how much the family is being challenged in our modern age.

Many of us strive to put family first in our lives. That ought to and needs to be a priority as healthy relationships require commitment, love, sacrifice, and persistence. What Jesus offers then seems to be counter intuitive. Jesus is approached, in the midst of is teaching, and told that his mothers and brothers were there wanting to see him. We would think he would say, “Great! Bring them right in, I have a place reserved for them front and center!” Yet, his comment, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers” (Mt 12:49), raised a few eyebrows and hackles.

Jesus was not choosing his disciples over his family, he was clarifying that the primacy of place of God his Father is to be first and foremost. “For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother” (Mt 12:50). Families come in many different shapes and sizes, one size indeed does not fit all. Building our relationship with our heavenly Father is the foundation toward striving toward healthier relationships.

This means that we become less and his Son becomes more in our life, this means we come to truly experience what love is: sacrifice, willing to give of ourselves to each other, willing the good of each other, and making time for each other. As we deepen our relationship with God, balance will come into better focus. This is even truer for those in our family who say no to the invitation of building a relationship with Jesus. We need to resist the temptation of becoming defensive, imposing our will and God’s will on others. Instead, we continually invite, but ultimately live our faith authentically, and others will see the transformation in us. Just as important, is that we will be able to be more present to our loved ones, be better equipped to accompany them, encourage and support them as they need us.

As we grow closer and deepen our relationship with God, we mature and begin to experience the fruits of our relationship with him, which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control (cf. Galatians 5:22-23). As we are putting these values into practice toward one another, we will be more present to and develop deeper relationships with our own family, while at the same time coming to experience a larger extended family, the Church, the Body of Christ.

Who was the closest relationship Jesus had? Mary. Not because she gave birth to him, but because she was the premier model of discipleship. Would you like to deepen your relationship with your family? May we follow Jesus’ invitation and with Mary begin our day today and often throughout by saying, “May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38).

Photo: Last Christmas, altogether at the Grove, LA!

Link for the Mass readings for Tuesday, July 24, 2018:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/072418.cfm

“An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet” (Mt 12:39).

Jonah is the prophet best known as the one who spent three days and nights in the belly of a whale, great fish or sea monster, depending on your scriptural translation. Jonah ended up in that predicament because he refused to follow God’s direction to speak his message of forgiveness to the sworn enemies of Israel, the Ninevites. It would be like God asking one of us to fly out to the Middle East to meet with members of ISIS or Al-Qaeda and invite them to repent. Not only would we not believe they would want to repent, would we want them to even if they would? Also, whether they did or didn’t, would we be able to return from such a meeting with our heads intact?

These were probably some of the issues running through Jonah’s mind when he refused to follow God’s will. Jonah overcame his resistance and followed the command of the Lord, kept his head on his shoulders, and the people of Nineveh repented. Happy, happy, joy, joy! Not exactly. At the repentance of his enemies and God’s expression of mercy and forgiveness, Jonah said to God, “This is why I fled at first to Tarshish. I knew that you were a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, rich in clemency, loathe to punish” (Jonah 4:2)”. Jonah shows his hardness of heart in that he did not want to go to Nineveh because he did not want his enemies to receive God’s forgiveness!

The scribes and the Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign and the sign of Jonah is what he gives them: The Ninevites, who were Gentiles, non-Jews, were willing to repent at the word of Jonah, and those scribes and Pharisees questioning Jesus, God’s chosen, were not willing to repent at the urging of one greater than Jonah, the Son of God, who was in their midst.

Jesus announced his ministry, as recorded Mark 1:15, with the words: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel.” That is again our invitation today. Let us examine our conscience by asking God to help us to recognize his presence among us, then reflect on what good God has done in our lives and give him thanks. Review the last day or two to see where God has called us to act. Where did we answer his call, where did we, like Jonah resist?

Where we resisted the will of God, especially in refusing to bestow God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness upon someone else, or committing some other sinful action, may we ask God for forgiveness. May we ask God that he bestow his grace upon us today.

Someone greater than Jonah is in our midst today, he is Jesus the Christ. May we be willing to bestow his Love and Mercy on all those we meet today even, and especially, those to whom we would rather not: those who get under our skin, grate on our nerves, or those we may consider an enemy. Let us repent from our hardness of heart, be willing to forgive, and be willing to encounter one another today with an attitude of understanding, kindness, patience, and encouragement.

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Photo: Encountering each other with patience and encouragement!

Link for the Mass readings for, Monday, July 23, 2018: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/072318.cfm

“Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture, says the LORD… You have scattered my sheep and driven them away. You have not cared for them” (Jer 23:1-2).

The shepherds that Jeremiah spoke about in our first reading were the five kings that Jeremiah consistently called to task during the 7th and 6th centuries BC. Each of these leaders were more corrupt than the next. More and more they looked after their own interests and welfare and less and less they sought to provide care and support for their people.

Jeremiah not only spoke truth to power he also prophesied:

“Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David” (Jer 23:5).

As Christians, we believe that Jesus is that righteous shoot. He is the Shepherd that has been caring for his sheep for generations up to this day. Jesus is also the one who the Psalmist sings of:

“Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage” (Psalm 23:4).

In today’s Gospel from Mark, Jesus gathered his apostles together and lead them off to a quiet place for rest, but once they arrived at their location and disembarked from their boat, Jesus “saw the vast crowd, [and] his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd” (Mk 6:34).

I invite you to imagine for a moment, that Jesus disembarks today on the shores of America. If he is allowed to enter, who does he encounter? Unfortunately, he will meet two thousand plus unborn whose lives have been cut short today, ninety-six citizens killed by gun violence today, two thousand plus immigrant children who still have not been reunited with their families. He will also walk among thousands affected by human trafficking, domestic violence, discrimination, racism, sexism, and addiction, hundreds of thousands of homeless, millions without access to healthcare and gainful employment. Jesus weeps because of the level of indifference and rationalization, the widening gap between the rich and poor, and his heart aches as he witnesses the gathering darkness of polarization and division.

May we too have the eyes to see and the ears to hear, the suffering of our brothers and sisters. It is time for us as Christians to remember who we are. We are an Alleluia people, we are a people of hope and joy because we are members of the Body of Christ, the Church. We just need to remember who our Shepherd is.

Moments ago, we heard the words that St. Paul wrote to the Church at Ephesus and he speaks to us right now:

Jesus is our peace, he who made both ONE and broke down the dividing wall of enmity.

Our starting place is to acknowledge where we contribute to building walls of enmity, or hatred, between ourselves and others. Instead of projecting our fears, anxieties, biases, and prejudices out toward one another, Jesus shines a light for us, to help us to see within our own darkness, to identify the roots of our sin growing deep within us, so that we can confess them to God and one another.

Jesus commands us to love, to will the good of the other as other. We are better able to do so when we are willing to die to our own ego, our own self-centered, fallen nature and instead collaborate with Jesus in his work of redemption, to establish peace, and with God, in one body, through the cross, tear down the walls of division that have been suffocating us.

Christianity is not a private club for the select few. Jesus’ message of the Gospel is an invitation for ALL PEOPLE to share in the oneness of a relationship with the Trinitarian communion of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God, in giving us life, has created us each unique and we as the Church are at our best when we embrace the gift of our diversity.

The challenges of a culture of death and division that poison our country and world can be countered, if all of us are willing to work together. How do we meet the myriad of challenges that are before us?

The best way we can begin to bring about effective change, is that we first, need to resist making ourselves, our family, groups, political affiliations, president, the flag, and/or nation into our idols. For when we place our identity solely in anything other than God we will go astray. When we put God first, develop and deepen our relationship with him, learn about and live his teachings in our daily lives, we will begin again to see each other through God’s eyes, so to see people not as other, but as human beings created in his image and likeness.

When we are less governed by protecting the group and seeing the dignity of the person, we will be less apt to belittle, demean, dehumanize, and demonize those who are different as well as those who have opposing views and perspectives. We can be more open to engage in dialogue, instead of shouting at or over each other. We can be more open to share our diverse ideas, talents, cultures, and perspectives, so to learn from one another, stand up for and empower one another.

Second, we must make the time to pray and be still so to discern what is the gift that God has given each of us to contribute to building up his kingdom. Each one of us, has something to bring to the table, because each of us are loved by God more than we can ever imagine. When we engage ourselves in whatever challenge we face, no matter the situation in which we are called to serve, we are to bring the love that we have received in our own unique way and allow God to be God through us.

Third, we need to trust in Jesus. When anxieties and fears arise, it is a barometer that we are not trusting in the love and power of God.

I understand this very well. Much preferring to stay in my own world, I have struggled often with the fear of going out from myself. Speaking publicly in my youth was not even an option. When I was a child my father introduced me once as, “This is my son, he doesn’t talk.” The first time I read from this ambo as a lector, my legs shook the whole time. I have felt the urge, too many times, to reach out and help another, was instead indecisive and the moment passed where I did nothing. Each day I seek God’s help to do better, to not give in to my fears, but instead trust in the Good Shepherd who has remained by my side and who has led me to be a husband, father, teacher, and deacon.

Finally, we need to, in the words of Blessed Archbishop Oscar Romero, “be God’s microphone”. We are called to speak truth to power, to speak and act on behalf of the dignity of those for whom we witness being belittled, demeaned, disrespected, or dehumanized in any way.

As followers of Jesus the Christ we need to be willing to stand up for one another, for God’s creatures and his creation. When we begin to act and speak as God’s microphone, and the first experiences of anxiety and fear attempt to silence us, we need to call on the power of the Holy Spirit and he will give us the courage and the words to speak. Even if Satan himself stands before us, the weakest Christian is stronger. For all we need to say is, “In the name of Jesus, get behind me Satan.” And through the power of his name, the devil must flee.

Jesus has come to us today as our Shepherd and preaches peace to us who are far off, who are polarized and divided. He promises that through him we all have access in one Spirit to the Father. As we receive Jesus today, may we remember who we are called to be as Christians. Let us refuse to contribute to building walls of hatred and division, but instead commit our lives to putting God first, praying and discerning how best we will serve him through each other. May we trust that Jesus is with us, even in the darkness, and seek the courage of the Holy Spirit to be God’s microphone, speaking on behalf of a consistent ethic of life for all of humanity and all of God’s creation.

Let us be good shepherds today, by being a light in the darkness of division, by providing hope for those in despair, by offering a smile of acceptance, an understanding ear to hear, a kind word of encouragement, and a loving shoulder to lean on for someone in need today.

Photo:Jesus in the Breadline, woodcut by Fritz Eichenberg

I am also preaching at the 9:30 and 11:00 Mass, join us at St Peter or watch our live feed at: https://www.stpetercatholicchurch.com/ and click on WATCH, then then Live Streaming at St Peter.

Link for the readings of the Mass for Sunday, July 22, 2018:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/072218.cfm

In today’s Gospel from Matthew, Jesus realized that: “The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus to put him to death” (Mt 12:14). Jesus did not then start to plan how he would defend himself against their plot, he did not arm his supporters, nor is there any indication that Jesus let the fact that he was a marked man bother him. What did Jesus do with this bit of news?

“He withdrew from that place” (Mt. 12:15) and cured those who followed him. Was Jesus being a coward by withdrawing? No. Jesus was refusing to engage or give any of his time or energy to their negativity. He focused on what he was about and that was continuing the mission that God had sent him to achieve, which was to help bring about the salvation of humanity and the world, and call those who would work with him to continue his mission.

Many of us will hopefully not receive death threats, but many of us have and will witness and/or receive critical, negative, belittling, or dehumanizing looks, words, and outright actions to cause physical, mental, emotional or spiritual harm, just in the course of our daily interactions. For those of us who choose to practice publicly the teachings of Jesus, we may receive even more!

Our common response to the many forms of perceived or actual animosity directed toward us is to react. Our reactions generally are based on learned defense mechanisms we have adopted through our lives. Often when we react, we slip into survival mode, experience increased anxiety, defensiveness, anger as well as a myriad of other emotions. Ideally, as we mature in our faith, our response is to draw into the present moment, breath, and call upon God’s guidance to direct us.

Many times the best way to diffuse negativity is to do as Jesus did in today’s Gospel, resist to engage in it altogether and continue to be about enacting God’s will in our life. May we recall a time that we have taken offense and reacted in kind toward someone who pushed our buttons and got under our skin. Let us ask Jesus how we could have reacted differently in that situation and then imagine doing so, and pray for God’s guidance and help to be more patient and understanding in the future. Life is short in the best of scenarios, let us not take a day or moment for granted, nor give away our precious time to engaging in negative reactions. Instead may we begin our day today by meditating on these words attributed to St. Teresa of Avila (1514-1582):

“Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.”

Photo: 2010 Hike, taking a walk is often a good way to decompress and leave negativity behind! Photo credit – Jack McKee

Link for the Mass readings for Saturday, July 21, 2018:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/072118.cfm

I say to you, something greater than the temple is here. If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned these innocent men. For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath.” (Mt 12:6-8).

Jesus continues to rock established regulations and practice. Here he is challenging the understanding of the Sabbath itself when justifying the accusations leveled toward his disciples who were picking and eating grain on the Sabbath, and he does so in a profound way by saying that, “something greater than the temple is here.” Present in the heart of the temple, the area called the Holy of Holies, was the ark of the covenant. Atop the ark was the lid called the mercy seat of God. Jews believed that this was where God sat and when the blood of atonement was offered from sacrifices, God’s mercy was offered to the people. In the temple then, was the very presence of God.

Jesus’ claim that he is greater than the temple is putting him on the same level as God. A blasphemous statement to say the least, unless of course, he is God. Not only does he make this claim, but he doubles down by claiming that he is the Lord of the sabbath; Jesus is God!

In quoting Hosea 6:6: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice”, Jesus is not only saying that he is the something greater, but that his way is something greater. One of the foundational points of the Way of Jesus is mercy. Through the incarnation, the Son of God dwelt among us, became one with us in our humanity. He restored our dignity in the midst of our brokenness. What Jesus is saying, in his defense of his disciples eating from the grains of wheat on the Sabbath, he is saying to us today, and that is: “What is owed to every human being on the basis of his or her human dignity is personal respect, personal acceptance, and personal care” (Kasper 2014, 202).

We as the Church are also greater than the temple, because in our participation in the life of Christ we become the Body of Christ and are to follow Jesus in his bestowing acts of mercy on our neighbor. “The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his [or her] spiritual and bodily necessities. Instructing, advising, consoling, comforting are spiritual works of mercy, as are forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently. The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead. Among all these, giving alms to the poor is one of the chief witnesses to fraternal charity: it is also a work of justice pleasing to God” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. 2447).

Let us review the spiritual and corporal works of mercy above and choose one to practice this week. May we desire and seek the mercy of God, be open to receiving it, and be open to sharing his mercy. May we pray for and communicate with our leaders that they apply works of mercy regarding a consistent ethic of life respecting the dignity of all people living in and seeking to come to our countries. Let us draw strength and courage from Jesus, so to be willing to face our own brokenness and come to healing, while at the same time bestowing mercy; which is “the willingness to enter the chaos of another” (Keenan, 2015).

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Photo: Soldier giving refugee child water accessed from powerful article from Wall Street Journal from May 2017. Would that our president and his administration read it especially regarding the quote from the UNICEF six-point agenda that stresses the need for the G7 to protect child refugees and migrants: https://wsimag.com/economy-and-politics/26464-a-tale-of-children-and-smugglers

Link for the Mass readings for Friday, July 20, 2018:
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/072018.cfm

Kasper, Walter. Mercy: The Essence of the Gospel and the Key to Christian Life. NY: Paulist Press, 2004.

Catholic Church. Catechism of the Catholic Church: Revised in Accordance with the Official Latin Text Promulgated by Pope John Paul II. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997.

Keenan SJ, James. “The Scandal of Mercy Excludes No One.” Thinking Faith. December 4, 2015.
http://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/scandal-mercy-excludes-no-one

Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28).

Scripture scholar, Fr. Daniel J. Harrington, SJ, states that in this passage Jesus’ invitation was given to those who are not yet his disciples, those Jews who do not yet believe in him and his way. He also intuits that Jesus is calling them from the heavy burdens laid upon them by the scribes and Pharisees and inviting them to accept his burden that is lighter (cf. Harrington , 167). We can read this in Matthew 4:3: “They tie up heavy burdens [hard to carry] and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them.”

The key to the conviction that Jesus levels against the Pharisees is that they impose the law, but do nothing to assist those they are teaching. I would say the demands of Jesus are even more challenging than those of the Pharisees, Sadducees, or the scribes! I shared yesterday one of the six antitheses, here is another: “You have heard that it was said… whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to the judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna” (Mt5:21-22). Jesus is equating calling someone Raqa – an air-head, or calling someone a fool akin to murder. Our words can destroy or empower! We need to choose our words wisely.

The difference between Jesus and the religious leadership is that Jesus, the Son of God in the fullness of his divinity, entered the chaos of our humanity as a human being, walked among us and suffers along with us. He offers to yoke himself to us and so carry the burden with us, making it lighter. Many impose burdens on us, we impose burdens on others, as did the Pharisees. We also impose them on ourselves and turn away from the invitation of Jesus’ help.

A handful of injuries I have suffered through the years were because I attempted to lift or carry something beyond my strength, instead of seeking assistance from another. I would think, “I can do it, I don’t need any help!” That is just the physical; there are also the mental and emotional burdens of anxiety, doubt, pride, fear, worry. This is not Jesus’ way. He offers a path for us to follow that leads us to joy, peace, and rest in this life and fulfillment in the next. No matter what pain, suffering, trial or challenge we are facing right now, we do not have to go through it alone. May we remember to reach out our hand to Jesus, and then we will find his hand already waiting there to grasp ours.

We will find rest not in going it alone but in our collaboration with Jesus. In aligning ourselves with God’s will life isn’t necessarily going to be easier, but he will give us the strength and peace of mind to endure. Let us take our first step together today, hand in hand with Jesus, and so find rest in knowing we are not alone! Also, may we be kind to those in our midst with our words, actions and faces. May we not react toward others but instead be present and understanding. We are not aware of the burdens they carry. A simple smile can make a heavy load just a little lighter.
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Photo: California visit 2015

Harrington, S.J. Daniel J. The Gospel of Matthew. Vol. 1 of Sacra Pagina, edited by Daniel J. Harrington, S.J. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2007.

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, July 19, 2018:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/071918.cfm