When Jesus had driven out a demon, some of the crowd said: “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons”(Lk 11:15).

There are consistent acts present during Jesus’ ministry. The Gospels show him teaching, preaching, healing, and exorcising demons. Many will accept that Jesus preached and taught, some might even agree that he healed, but there are many who might dismiss that he exorcised demons. The person in today’s passage did not scoff at the fact that Jesus dispelled a demon, but emphasized that he did so through the power of Satan. Jesus corrected him with simple logic by stating that, “if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?”

This Gospel passage expresses the reality of the culture and beliefs of their time. Were, and are, all illnesses caused by demons? Most likely no. But to dismiss demons all together, we do so at our own peril. There is a spiritual reality as well as a physical reality. Demons are fallen angels, those angels who chose to follow Satan, a fallen angelic being (cf. Luke 10:18), the archangel, Lucifer, instead of God. The term śāṭan is Hebrew and is found in both the Old and New Testaments. There are some English equivalents depending on how it is used. Most commonly śāṭan can be translated as accuser, slanderer, or adversary. Clearly, Satan is one who opposes the will of God and the demons are his minions who support him in that effort.

Satan and his demons roam the world seeking to sow division, to do us harm, as well as seeking the ruin of souls. Their power lies in false truths, temptations of apparent goods, deception, and condemnation. Although it is important to acknowledge that they exist, we need not fear them; for no demon, nor Satan himself, can possess or harm us against our will. The weakest Christian can overpower any negative spiritual influence, because we have access to the name of Jesus. In invoking the name of Jesus, the powers of evil have no sway. “So submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

Condemnation is one of the devil’s worst attacks. First we are tempted, and then when we fall, the hammer of accusation and slander comes down to invoke shame. We are not to feel guilty regarding our misdeeds or sins. Instead we are to have a healthy sense of guilt. The difference is that when we walk around moping in a cloud of feeling guilty and berating ourselves for how awful we are, we keep the focus on our self and sink deeper into our own morass of self pity. When we embrace a sense of guilt, we are clear when we have sinned. With humility we can admit that sin, come to a place of contrition – truly being sorry, then seek confession, absolution, forgiveness and reconciliation.

Satan, demons, and evil are realities in this world. God did not create evil. All that God created he created good. Evil is a deprivation, a twisting, and distortion of the good. The angelic beings he created good also with free will like us, and yet some turned away. Demons distort their original purpose as messengers of God. We need not be paranoid, just aware. We need to develop spiritual discipline, we need to discern spiritual influences, from our guardian angels, as well as fallen angels, and build our relationship with Jesus, knowing that we are God’s children and under his care. We need to resist any thought that says we are not worthy of being in relationship with God, that our sin is too great, or that it is too late to repent. God loves us more than we can ever mess up. Be strong and stout hearted, be not afraid. Whenever you feel threatened, anxious, tempted, or fearful, just call on Jesus, speak his name, he is our great deliverer.

One of the most powerful weapons against evil is music, a reflection for another time! But for now here is a quote from the chorus of Trust in Jesus, track 5, from Third Day’s Move as well as the You Tube link. A good song to carry with you throughout the day!

Trust in Jesus
My great Deliverer
My strong Defender
The Son of God
I trust in Jesus
Blessed Redeemer
My Lord forever
The Holy One, the Holy One

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/101317.cfm

Painting of St Faustina’s vision of the Divine Mercy by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski

“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Lk 11:9).

There is a challenge to prayer and that is our pride and self-centered stance. We can be frustrated in prayer because when we do make the time to pray, we feel or think that nothing is happening or has happened. We may pray a specific petition for our self, or for a particular intention for another and felt, or thought, that there was not an answer from God. One may pray a sincere, seemingly selfless prayer for a loved one, a child, a spouse, a friend, to be healed and the person still dies. They may be deeply hurt because they did what Jesus said, they asked, they pleaded and begged, but felt they did not receive the healing; they sought for, but found no cure, instead what they found was nothing but pain and heartache from the loss; they knocked until their knuckles were raw and experienced no one on the other side.

Our attitude and orientation to prayer matters. When we sincerely turn our heart and mind to God in prayer, something happens between us and God, though it may be beyond our cognitive grasp to understand or our sensory access to experience. There may indeed be emotional high’s and consolations experienced in prayer, but if seeking those is the primary motivation for prayer we will find ourselves more frustrated than not. Emotions are fleeting and not a good barometer when measuring the effectiveness for prayer.

Another big misconception is when we pray, “Our Father, highest gumball machine of all…” It may seem a silly analogy, but how many of us really do pray and only pray that way, and when we do not receive the specific thing we asked for, at the specific time specified, and as we wanted, we brood and think God doesn’t care or does not, in fact, even exist. We may even slip into the barter posture. God if you grant me this, I will do that. Now, prayers of petition are valid, but if that is the only way we pray, and we are only open to receive on our terms, again we are setting ourselves up for frustration.

The primary orientation, the primary foundation of prayer is relationship with God. Like any relationship, if we are only going to be a part of the relationship when all is good, free of conflict, fun in the sun, but once things get bumpy we are out of there, or we are only going to be a part of another’s life as long as we get what we want when we want and how we want with no concern for the other involved, our relationships will be shallow and unfulfilling.

The answer to ask, seek, and knock is found at the end of the Gospel reading for today: If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him” (Lk 11:13)?

God knows what is best for us, he sees our potential, he wants us to experience joy and be fulfilled. How can we best live our lives in this world to attain that reality? We do so by receiving the Holy Spirit. Who is the Holy Spirit? The infinite, communal love expressed between God the Father and God the Son. Our goal in prayer is to enter into God’s reality of infinite Love. Through building a relationship with God, participating in his very life, we come to see the truth of empty promises, apparent goods, and faulty defense mechanisms that we have been utilizing as guideposts to get through life. In aligning ourselves with the Holy Spirit, we can then begin to conform our lives to that which is True, that which is Good, and that which is Beautiful. This is our true barometer of whether something is happening in prayer, if our life changing. Are we bearing the fruits of the Holy Spirit in our lives which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control (cf. Galatians 5:22-23)?

Why mounting violent deaths, why prejudice, racism, polarization, when we pray for peace? There is no simple answer to the questions of why. For to answer those, we would need to be able to read the mind of God. We do need to remember that God is God and we are not. He does not cause evil, but he does allow it to happen. God sees from a greater perspective than we can from our individual, finite point of view. Though through prayer, we can glean some insights, as we trust in him, get to know him, experience his love, and so become not a part of the problem, but having experienced his love and blessing, ourselves reach out in giving ourselves to others so to be part of the solution.

Why did God not answer a prayer for healing a loved one that had to be taken so soon? Can’t answer that either. But we need to resist running from the pain of loss and be willing to mourn, to spend time in prayer. Our tears can then become a healing salve, a doorway into the open arms and embrace of Jesus who awaits us in the depth of our grief. Our loved ones have not come to an end, but a new beginning which we may experience with them when we become still enough. There have been many who have been graced by after death encounters.

Ultimately, what we ask, what we seek, and what we knock for is to be loved, to belong. We have been created as a living, craving hunger and desire to be one with God and one another in his love. The Holy Spirit, the love shared between the Father and the Son, is the gift of prayer that is open to us all. He is the answer to our prayer, though sometimes to be aware of him it takes perseverance, because it is not that God is not answering, but that we are needing time to mature, to send or roots deeper into our soul; we are needing time to heal or to build trust; to receive, and recognize his presence, his answer, his guidance.

Photo credit:

31 Days of Praying for Your Husband (or Wife)

Link for the Mass readings for today:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/101217.cfm

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him,”Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples” (Lk 11:1).

Jesus’ response to the disciple’s question is what we typically call the Lord’s Prayer or the Our Father. The longer and more common words are paralleled in Matthew 6:9-13. The Lord’s Prayer provides for us two basic ways to pray this prayer: as a rote prayer and as a model of prayer.

Rote prayers are those prayers that we memorize word for word. The value in rote prayer is that when we have memorized them, it gives us a good starting point for prayer. How many times do we sit down to pray and not even know where to begin? Starting with the Our Father shows us a way to lift our hearts and mind to prayer. Also, during times of stress, anxiety, or trial, having rote prayers at the ready, when we are not able to focus our mind, gives us a natural rhythm that we can access and slow ourselves down. The more we can then be mindful of the words we are saying, adding slow and deep breathes, matched with their familiarity, will assist us in bringing a calm and collected manner which we have experienced in the past having prayed these prayers over and over before. It is a calm alternative to feeding a mental storm that seeks to undo us.

Rote prayers are also beneficial when we pray with others. When we gather for worship or fellowship, praying the Lord’s Prayer is a wonderful place to begin. This is where we can pray together no matter the age gap. I have fond memories of my grandfather leading us in the Our Father before Sunday meals, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, or Easter dinners. When I pray the Our Father, I can often hear his voice, his laugh, how he called me Sergie. As I type these words, I can feel him with me and I could write on and on with the memories flooding in, let loose just from reciting the first few words, “Our Father, who art in heaven…”! Even in the worst case, if we are just saying the words without being attentive to them, I think there are worse things we could be saying without thinking. Though the Our Father can also draw us deeper.

The Lord’s Prayer as a model takes the prayer, which we can apply easily to other rote prayers, like the Hail Mary, Come Holy Spirit, and many others, to a deeper level. As a model of prayer, we pray the prayer slowly, then stop at a word or phrase and then speak freely. Here are a few examples. “Our Father, thank you for this moment that we have to spend together.” From there we can enter into a conversation with God, as we would with our parent, sharing the joys as well as the struggles. This could take two or twenty minutes or more and we have only recited two words!

“Hallowed be thy name. God you are holy, majestic, so beyond my understanding. How can you be so distant from me, yet know me better than I know myself?” Again, from there we just enter into a dialogue. We can then, with the first or second phrase go into prayers of petition, bringing our needs before our loving Father. We can offer prayers of intercession, praying for the needs of others with Holy One who is Love. We can also continue our conversation or just quietly pause and rest silently in the loving presence of our God. We can continue to take each part of the prayer and do the same, there are infinite possibilities to explore.

I invite you today to pray the Our Father as if for the first time, slowly embracing each word. Another opportunity is to allow memories to emerge from times praying this prayer with others. Maybe reach out beyond yourself and pray the Our Father imagining yourself sitting next to Jesus, or someone living in a different part of the state, another state, or country, or who has left this physical plane of existence that we know and is now where we too will be. Pray the Our Father with someone you seek to forgive or seek forgiveness from, pray for reconciliation and healing.

Create a quiet place for yourself with a picture, a cross or crucifix, a candle, rosary beads, pictures of those you would like to be closer to, whatever sacramental object helps you to turn your heart and mind to God in prayer, then take a deep breathe, say “Our Father,” and let God happen!

Photo: My maternal grandfather, Bernard Morcus, just about to lead us in the Our Father

Link for today’s Mass readings:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/101117.cfm

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her” (Lk 10:41-42).

Many deacons get to enjoy fuller and more in depth discussions regarding this reading than do priests, as many of us are married and the greater majority of priests are not. My wife JoAnn and I have had a few spirited exchanges on this Gospel each time it arises. One reason may be, is that from many women’s point of view, they see Jesus as not showing any empathy and regard for not only Martha’s gift of hospitality, but also all the work she is doing while all the men are sitting around listening to Jesus with Mary doing the same, and who is left to do all the work – Martha.

It is not only deacon’s wives who carry extra weight and burdens in support on the homefront to allow their husbands the time to serve, (Just the time it takes for me to write this daily post is less time I am spending with JoAnn or less time that I have to devote to the needs of our home) but many wives who are full time homemakers, run in home businesses, or carry a job outside the home, as well as caring for the children, overseeing the bills, the day to day grind, find themselves at times, rightly so, underappreciated, undervalued, and not respected for all they do. To all husbands reading this, WE definitely need to do a better job of being present, more patient, respectful and attentive to our wives and be more of an equal partner in our journey. God is to be first, then our vocation to marriage and family must come second, then work, then our vocation.

With that said, I do not believe that Jesus was dissing Martha. Especially, in the Gospel of Luke, there are so many instances in which Jesus empowers women so far beyond the cultural reality of the time period. We read this account from our twenty first century mind set. Contextually, the men sitting at the teacher’s feet in a different room, the women cooking and most times eating in another was commonplace for those in the first century AD. The only person out of step was Mary.

Another possible consideration, the root of Martha’s anxiety may not have so much been that she wasn’t helping in the kitchen, but because she was breaking a social construct of sitting with the men. Jesus addresses her from the perspective that Martha is anxious about many things and that Mary has chosen the better part. I can visualize Martha being taken aback at first, but slowly seeing the muscles in her face relax, and then taking her apron and throwing it off to the side and then sitting down next to Mary. Before you think I have watched one too many Hallmark movies, there is consistent evidence that beyond the Twelve, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus were Jesus’ closest friends.

When Jesus came four days after the death of Lazarus, it was Martha who came out to Jesus, not Mary, and in that exchange made the claim that he was the Messiah, the Son of God (cf Jn 11:27). She would not have had this insight, the same as Peter, who Jesus said only knew this through the intervention of the Holy Spirit, if she was still holding a grudge over the dinner. Also, Jesus who had compassion on the 5,000 and fed them with a few loaves and fish, who washed his disciples feet at the last supper, would he not step up to assist with the meal, the clean up, would he leave Martha hanging? We don’t know.

The reaction and push back from this scene is not so much a reflection of Jesus, but how poorly we have emulated Jesus in our interactions with our wives. When women are told to honor their husbands, that is only the half of it. Men are also told to honor their wives as Jesus does the Church. Women are to be respected and appreciated not exploited, demeaned, and devalued.

And let us not forget the vocation of single women who were instrumental in the beginnings of the Church and continue to be so today! By all accounts, I believe Martha and Mary were single women. They were close friends with Jesus, that is no small thing. The gift of the Church, and when we are at our best, is when we recognize the gifts, contributions, and value of each of our members. When we embrace the diversity in our midst and empower one another.

Let us meditate on this image today, Jesus, Martha, and Mary, and the other disciples present, sitting in communion, learning how to be supportive and caring, and then living as contemplatives in action. When we are anxious about many things, let us not take out our anxiety on one another, but come and sit a Jesus’ feet, breathe slowly, let the anxiety dissipate, and then seek his guidance, and begin again. Let us be sure tell those we know that we love them. “Encourage one another while it is still today” (Hebrews 3:13).

Special prayers today for those individuals and families who are anxious about many things because they are: contemplating an abortion; homeless; in fear that one or more of their family members may be deported; sacrificing everyday their members who go off with the possibility of not coming home because they are serving in the military, as police officers, firefighters, or EMT’s; still recovering from the hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and the South East and the earthquakes in Mexico; and refugees throughout the world who would love to find themselves in this situation where they were arguing over having help in the kitchen, instead of wondering if they will live another day.

Mass Readings for the day:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/101017.cfm

photo source:

http://www.soulshepherding.org/2012/06/prevent-burnout-be-a-mary-nated-martha/

“And who is my neighbor” Luke 10:29.

This question of the scholar of the law lines up with Peter’s question: “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him. As many as seven times” (Mt 18:21)? Both the scholar and Peter knew the letter of the law, but sought justification in following a minimalist approach to putting the law into practice. Jesus invites us to a deeper appreciation of the purpose of the law of God and that is to uphold the dignity of the person. Laws can be certainly unjust, and a mere following of the law for the law’s sake can wreak havoc .

Jesus made this point when he was challenged for even thinking that he would heal someone on the Sabbath when he said: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mk 2:27). Time and again Jesus is calling us to have the courage to resist keeping others at arm’s length. He is calling us to risk assuming a stance of understanding, taking time to listen and be present to, as well as accompany those we encounter. The Samaritan did just that. The Jericho road was known for attacks just as the one suffered by the man who was left for dead. The priest and Levite may not have stopped to help because they might have thought the man was faking, or in the time they took to care for the man those that harmed him could have returned to abuse them. We don’t know the reason they continued on, what we do know is that they did not stop to help, but the Samaritan did.

When Jesus asked who was the neighbor to the man robbed and beaten, the scholar said, “The one who treated him with mercy.” The scholar could not bring himself to say the Samaritan, as the Jews and Samaritans had a long standing agreement of mutual loathing. Just remember a few days back when we read how Jesus sought hospitality from a Samaritan home, did not receive the invitation, and James and John were quick to implore God to send fire to destroy them.

Before we discuss amongst ourselves life’s issues or implore our lawmakers to enact policies, and the topics of the unborn, people on death row, Syrian refugees, immigrants and refugees who have fled from violence and drug wars from Mexico and Central America seeking hope and a better life, children who have made a life here and this is the only home they know, oil corporations seeking to lay pipe lines that threaten clean water resources and disregarding indigenous people’s rights, opening up dialogue with the LGBT community who have felt like they have been treated like dirt by members of the Church, and people of color who have been humiliated, profiled, and lost their life for nothing other than the color of their skin, we may want to read the parable of the Good Samaritan again, slowly and prayerfully.

In speaking to the US Bishops in his 2015 visit Pope Francis said: “And yet we are promoters of the culture of encounter. We are living sacraments of the embrace between God’s riches and our poverty.” Many human beings feel demeaned, dehumanized, lost, and afraid in our country.  Those listed above are our neighbors. They are wounded and in need. Will we whip out the statutes and law code, wrap ourselves in the flag; will we, like the priest or the Levite just walk on the other side of the road, indifferent or afraid; will we dig in our heels and embrace our fear and prejudices; or will we have the courage to show forgiveness, mercy, compassion, and understanding and accompany them on their journey? The scholar said the neighbor was the one who showed mercy. Jesus’ response to him and us: “Go and do likewise.”

Let us join Pope Francis and the world this week. Pope Francis has invited all of us to participate in Share the Journey, a global campaign in support of migrants and refugees in partnership with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Catholic Charities US (CCUSA), and Catholic Relief Services (CRS). The Share the Journey campaign aims to engage the Church and others who care about migrants and refugees, around the world and in the United States.

October 7-13 Week of Prayer and Action: Love Your Neighbor!

Link for Mass readings today:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/100917.cfm

“Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people that will produce its fruit” (Mt 21:43).

With these words, Jesus is speaking to the leadership of Israel, those entrusted to shepherd God’s chosen. Jesus is not, as some have suggested, advocating supersessionism: the claim that the Church has replaced Israel in God’s plan. The Vatican II document, Nostra Aetate, Declaration on the Relation of the Church and Non-Christian Religions, states clearly: “It is true that the Church is the new people of God, yet the Jews should not be spoken of as rejected or accursed as if this followed from holy Scripture” (741). There is clear evidence that there have been anti-semitic movements and supersessionist views in the Church and it has created division instead of interfaith communion, and there are traces that still support a view contrary to Nostra Aetate, and there is still much to do to heal and promote better mutual understanding. We must remember that Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and the Apostles were Jewish, not Christians. As Pope Paul VI stated spiritually we are all Semites.

What we need to glean from Jesus’ words is that we who say we believe in God are given a sacred trust and duty to care for one another and all of creation. We cannot go through each day with blinders on to the needs around us. Though we cannot meet all the needs everywhere and for everyone, we can begin to approach each day with an attitude of service, as faithful tenants in which we seek to be good stewards.

We can begin by looking at our own home. First, on the material level, do we have more than we need? Are there material goods that could be used better elsewhere rather than just taking up space? Then, going forward, may we purchase with an attitude of attaining what we need and resisting what we think we want. I know I need to apply this to books as well! “Wealth, explains Saint Basil, is like water that issues forth from the fountain: the greater the frequency with which it is drawn, the purer it is, while it becomes foul if the fountain remains unused” (Compendium, 329). May we pray to be guided to manage the gifts and resources that God has entrusted to us free of attachment, so we may be people of generosity giving freely with joy, not choking on our own stagnation of excessive acquisitions.

We also need to assess how we treat one another. A good practice here is to follow St. Mother Teresa’s five finger Gospel: “You did it to me.” This was an embodiment of Matthew 25:31-46, where Jesus emphasized what you do to the least, you did it to me. If we can approach each person we meet, in person and now online, not as if they were like Jesus, but in fact Jesus, we might treat others with more dignity or respect. The act of respecting the dignity of one person makes a big difference, certainly to that person, as well as rippling out to counter the negativity that permeates our culture of growing cynicism and polarization. A waterfall begins with one drop. Helping people to feel they matter, that they have worth and dignity begins with one smile or a listening ear.

Moving out to issues beyond our immediate reach, we can seek to write our congressional representatives asking them that they choose as their starting point the dignity of the person instead of corporate or special lobby interests when they are considering shaping policies regarding the unborn, indigenous people’s rights, civil rights, guns, immigration reform, access to health care, war, capital punishment, human trafficking. There might be more of a chance that those without a voice, those on the peripheries may not then be considered as other or just a drain on the system. We need to appeal to their conscience so they can come to see that people without lobby access, without a voice, those who are vulnerable, do matter.  This is true within our country and our world, that we seek to work toward the common good of all. “Collaboration in development of the whole person and of every human being is in fact a duty of all towards all, and must be shared by the four parts of the world, East and West, North and South” (Compendium, John Paul II, 446).

We are not the owners of the vineyard, we are the tenants placed in charge by God to be good stewards. How we use our time, talent, and treasure matter. This is a good point of daily meditation as we examine our conscience each evening before we retire to the land of dreams. How have we done in the matter of caring for one another and our environment? For those places we have fallen short, may we seek God’s forgiveness, and vow to begin anew. Where we have done well, may we ask for God’s guidance to continue to strive to reach out even more, such that the water of generosity we draw continues to be pure so we may bear good fruit.

Link for today’s Masses: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/100817.cfm

Photo credit: Discover California Wines

Flannery, Austin. Vatican Council II. Fifth ed. Vol. 1. 2 vols. New York: Costello, 1998.

Compendium of the social doctrine of the church. Cittá del Vaticano: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2005.

Video Clip of St. Mother Teresa explaining her five finger gospel

Turning to the disciples in private he said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it” (Lk 10:23-24).

What did the disciples see, what did they hear that the prophets and kings desired to see? The kingdom of God in their midst was no longer a saying or teaching of Jesus, but a reality uniquely experienced by the disciples who were sent by him. Those who were sent by Jesus took the risk, trusted, and believed in him and went out and preached, exorcised, and healed in Jesus’ name doing what they had seen him doing!

Deeper still the disciples experienced the gift of the Mystery of God. The Mystery of God is not a problem to be solved because God is not one being among many, not even the greatest or supreme being. God is, “I am who am” (Ex 3:14), as he described himself to Moses. He cannot be solved or proven, but he can be experienced, and that was the joy and exhilaration that the disciples felt coming back after having experienced God working through them. Jesus himself rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, not so much because they had healed in his name but that they had entered into communion with the Father, “do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” (Lk 10:20).

In following Jesus, learning directly from him, and then going off to minister in his name, they experienced the kingdom of Heaven. They had participated in the loving communion of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. How did they do so? They became childlike in that they lost themselves in their mission of following the will of God. Jesus had prepared them to be free from all sense of ego, how others would look at them or how others would react to their preaching or healing. The disciples were in the zone of being directed by God and doing his will, like Jesus, without hesitation.

When I was younger I used to live, eat, and breathe baseball and hockey. I would make up different versions of playing for the NHL or MLB with those players of that time in our backyard which became the Montreal Forum or Yankee Stadium. One experience I remember was setting up cinder blocks in a steps formation, three on the bottom, two next, and then one on the top. I then strode some steps back with my left hand fit snugly into my worn baseball glove and tennis ball in the right. Each step led me to the pitching mound of Yankee Stadium. When I wound up and threw the ball at the makeshift concrete pitchback the game had begun and within minutes, I was on the field with Willie Randolph, Thurman Munson, Mickey Rivers, looking to retire the batters Jim Rice, Pudge Fisk, and Carl Yastrzemski.

Each time the ball skirted across the ground or soared into the air, I leaped for it, or dove into the ground to come up and throw to first base, then zipped over to first base to make the stretching grab. Of course, during some of the better plays I reenacted them as instant replay. I completely lost myself in the game, I was in the zone. After some time, I happened to look up and saw my mother, stepfather, and some family friends who had all come over to visit, all of them with big smiles on their faces. I sheepishly put my head down and stood for a few moments. Within a minute or so, they went back to their business and I returned to Yankee Stadium to finish the game.

I share this experience to show an example of how we as children can lose our self, “free of reactions, expectations, and approval of those around” us. The disciples did the same, the only difference is that they lost themselves in hearing the word of God and just doing what he wanted them to do. Bishop Robert Barron shared it this way in his daily homily: “The best moments in life occur when we lose the ego, lose ourselves in the world and just are as God wants us to be.” 

I invite you to lose yourself today in something you love to do, whether that be drawing, singing, playing an instrument or sport, running, praying, reading, writing, or serving in ministry, even as Brother Lawrence did, he lost himself in doing the dishes. Find moments to be free of expectations and approval, letting go the weight of what others might be thinking or expecting. Instead, be present and mindful in the moment and immerse yourself in what you are doing. These are very real acts of spiritual discipline that prepare us to be in the present, where we experience and find God, and so then like the disciples, we will be better able to follow his will, serve him, without hesitation or concern for what others think. We will then also experience Jesus rejoicing with us that we have our names “written in Heaven”.

Photo: Me about seven?

Quotes from Bishop Robert Barron’s homily from today 10/7/2017. He is the auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and founder of Word On Fire Ministry. Check out his web page link below, for many wonderful resources. I also added the direct link below to sign up for Bishop Robert Barron’s daily Gospel messages:

https://www.wordonfire.org/

https://www.wordonfire.org/resources/blog/free-daily-gospel-reflections-from-bishop-barron/5315/

Link for today’s Mass readings:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/100717.cfm

Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me (Lk 10:16).

Jesus continues to prepare the 72 as they go out to proclaim his message of repentance. This echoes Mark’s recording of Jesus’ missionary statement: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mk 1:15). This may sound like a Debbie downer of a message, but it is actually the road map, the passage that will lead us from the darkness of slavery steeped in our own sin to the light of truth and freedom in Christ.

Sin is any actively contemplated thought, word, or action that we knowingly know goes against the will of God and we freely choose to act on it anyway. This is why many of us prefer the darkness to the light, because we do not have to see and name our sin. We hold on to apparent goods that we believe make us happy and fulfill us, when in actuality they are empty promises that we quickly realize do not bring any happiness once the emotion or passion of the moment or experience wanes. So we seek more to fill the void. We are setting the stage for ensnarement and addiction. But if we repent, turn away from the darkness and back to the light of God’s truth, trust in his willing our good, we can be healed and begin to live a life to the full.

We as servants of the Lord who have repented, said yes to building a relationship with him, and continue to examine our conscience to see clearer our sin, are called to bring the light of truth to those we meet. This does not mean we are perfect. The only difference is that we are more aware of our sin, because we are incrementally willing to come into his light. The more of the light of Christ we are willing to embrace, the more our sin is revealed to us. We are seeking healing and wanting to share that healing balm we have received from Jesus with others.

We need to resist the temptation to go forth and wag thy finger of judgment. For then we are only a darker storm cloud approaching those living in the shadows, in which those we seek to provide healing will either draw deeper into their own shell or come out fighting seeking to cast us away. We are to instead encounter one another with understanding, mercy, patience, grace, and love. We need to remember that in the beginning, our light needs to be soft, like the morning dawn, so as not to blind those who we seek to provide invitation to, those to whom we call from the shadows.

We are to embody and sing the Canticle of Zechariah, father of John the Baptist: “In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Lk 1:76-79). We are to prepare the way for others to encounter Jesus, not be barriers preventing access to him.

Jesus, may we meet those you place in our path this day with warmth, welcome, and joy. May we respect the person before us; accept them, be present to them, so they may know that they exist, that they matter, that they are loved as you love us. May we help others know that they are not alone. May we be like the first light of dawn to help awaken those in the darkness of their pain, suffering, and sin, so to light the path to an encounter and embrace with you; our Truth, our Way, and our Life.

Link to Mass readings:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/100617.cfm

Image: Morning Nature Path wallup.net

Jesus appointed seventy-two other disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit (Lk 10:1).

Jesus appointed 72, or 70 depending on the ancient scriptural evidence, to share the Gospel. We are also appointed by Jesus but we may resist saying yes because we are concerned that we are unable to fulfill the task. We may be concerned that we will not  have what we need, or that what we have been called to do may not be received or even that we may be rejected. Jesus assures us as he assured those 72.

We will not be alone in the task we have been given. Jesus wants us to succeed. He sent his disciples out in pairs so they could provide each other with mutual support and accountability. If you explore the lives of the saints, you will consistently see as they begin to actualize their unique expression of vocation, others are drawn to join them. We too can be assured that when we are following God’s initiative, he will provide who and what we need directly and through others.

Jesus also sent the disciples off without money bag, sack, or sandals; they were, as we are, to depend on divine providence, trusting that God our Father will provide. A wonderful gift also awaits those of us who say yes to Jesus’ appointment. As we begin our service we will begin to develop confidence in and become aware of the gifts that he has given us, that he saw in us, when we may not have even seen them in ourselves. Other gifts may come to light as well. We can be as assured as Paul was when he offered these words of support to the Church at Philippi: “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).

Another concern we may feel is how we will be received. We need not to buy into this fear either. Instead let us be focused on following Christ’s lead and that our own agenda does not creep in. We are to express not to seek to impress, and what we offer to others is an invitation not an imposition. Also may we resist holding back as Jonah initially chose to do when he was called to preach repentance to the Ninevites nor are we to call down fire from heaven as James and John wanted to do to the Samaritans who refused to be hospitable. If others reject us or our message we are to just dust off our feet and move on.

One final point, that could be lost on a quick reading of today’s Gospel, is that when someone shows us hospitality, let us be gracious in accepting that hospitality no matter who they are. “Do not move about from one house to another” (Lk 10:7). Jesus means here that if you are staying in the home of a gracious family and then a wealthier or more prestigious offer comes along, don’t leave the family that opened their home and leave them for what you perceive as better. We can also translate this to our encounters and relationships as well. Look to the soul and soundness of the person’s character instead of their appearance, position, title, or use of flattery.

The kingdom of God is at hand, the harvest is abundant, and the laborers are few. Jesus is inviting us to join him and share in his ministry. We have gifts we may or may not be aware of, but Jesus is. He will guide us, mentor us, support us, and provide what we need to fulfill what he calls us to do. We do not even need to worry about the result, because that is in God’s hands. All we need to do is trust and be willing to take his hand so that he may lead us and do what he asks us to do. Let us be, as St Mother Teresa described herself, a simple pencil in God’s hand.

Photo: Wonderful visit with a true servant of God, Pastor Jerry Scott. It was great to reconnect after twenty years! He truly played an instrumental part in helping me to form a firm foundation of my vocation. I am blessed to have him as a friend and brother in Christ and to be a co-laborer with him in the vineyard.

Mass readings for the day:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/100517.cfm

And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” Jesus answered him, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God” (9:61-62).

Jesus again invites us to the radical call of the Gospel to put God before all else, even before family and again even more radical than the Old Testament. When Elijah called Elisha to follow him, Elijah allowed Elisha to say goodbye to his family and settle his estate, so to speak, before they left together (cf 1 Kings 19:19-21).

A dramatic account of one who took this radical call literally is recorded for the person whose memorial we celebrate today, St Francis of Assisi. Francis who lived a carefree life, self absorbed with dreams of glory in his youth, moved to a total commitment to Jesus. And his choice to renounce his clothes, and his inheritance publically, standing naked before the bishop and his parents, expressed the dramatic expression of “taking the most rigorous form of the sequela Christi [the following of Christ]… the highest and most rigorous form of asceticism” (Manselli, 59).

This conversion scene is artfully expressed in Franco Zeffirelli’s, Brother Sun Sister Moon, the YouTube link of which is posted below. It is still powerful, as it expresses Francis’ total commitment to give his whole life to Christ. “His supreme choice matured slowly and, clarified by his kiss for the leper, was to move from one part of society to another – from the part that had an orderly family and social system over to the other of the poor, the derelicts, the abandoned. With this renunciation, his choice achieved its ultimate and definitive consummation” (Manselli, 59).

Most historians agree that it was his kissing of the leper that was the significant event that led to Francis being able to give himself totally to Jesus, because it was the leper that so repulsed his senses. Francis led a pampered life of the early emerging middle class. The leper represented the complete antithesis of who he was. In the act of embracing that which he abhorred, he was free. Francis loved the leper unconditionally and in so doing encountered Jesus in his distressing disguise of the poor.

Who are the lepers in our life? Who or what is the key barrier between us giving our life totally and wholly to our loving God and Father as Francis did? Jesus give us the courage to identify that which we abhor and to then be empowered to embrace you in its distressing disguise and so be free to serve you wholly. St Francis of Assisi, pray for us!

Today’s Mass readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/100417.cfm

Painting: Jusepi de Ribera 1643

Manselli, Raoul. St Francis of Assisi. Chicago, IL: Franciscan Herald Press, 1988.

1972 Franco Zeffirelli movie Brother Sun, Sister Moon