“Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For men this is impossible, but for God all things are possible” (Mt 19:25-26).

The disciples are “greatly astonished” about Jesus’ comments about how difficult it would be for the rich to enter heaven. Their astonishment came from the belief system that those who had wealth did so because they had been blessed by God for following his commandments. Just remember the rich young man’s attitude from yesterday. He had followed God’s commands and was blessed with riches, but Jesus turned his world upside down when he asked the man to give up all he had to follow him.

Jesus attempted to help the man and his disciples to understand that what we have is a gift from God, starting with our life, our very existence. He is our very sustenance and fulfillment. A problem arises when we place our security in material things instead of God who provides them for us. If our security is dependent on that which is finite, we are always going to be left unfulfilled, attached, and/or at worst addicted, and so like the rich man, unwilling to give of ourselves to those in need, because we are afraid we won’t have enough. Also, when we look to our own effort and work ethic, we can build a reliance on our self alone, we are putting our self as the supplier of our security instead of God. Pride then becomes a dangerous idol. We think and start to believe that we don’t need God because we can do well enough on our own.

The disciples question can then very easily be our own, “Who then can be saved?” If we can’t buy, earn, or achieve our way into heaven, how will we get there? Jesus is clear. For men this is impossible, because there is no means for us to get there on our own merit. But for God all things are possible. Our salvation is a free gift.

May we then be grateful for what we have been given as we recognize the source of what we have been blessed with comes from God. In this way, we can share freely from what we have, because God, who is our source, is unlimited. What is primary then is deepening our relationship with him and collaborating with him. As we do so, we will have the proper orientation to encounter one another in love.

What is essential in our life is not what we have, but that we recognize that God is the source of what we have, he will provide for us and be present with us. Time goes fast. This life we have been given is good, but it is also finite, and fragile. Let us not take each other for granted, let us make the time to love God and each other as he loves us. “Let us encourage one another while it is still today” (Hebrews 3:13).

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Photo: One of the gifts from God I am most thankful for, talking walks with JoAnn and enjoying God’s creation. Visit from a Red Shoulder Hawk about a month ago on one of our walks. Think about what you are thankful to God for.

Link to the Mass Readings for Tuesday, August 21, 2018: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/082118.cfm

A young man approached Jesus seeking to know what he must do to attain eternal life. Jesus shared that the key to entrance was to keep the commandments. The man asked which ones he was to follow, a reasonable request as there were 613 commandments to choose from! Jesus gave him six: do not kill, commit adultery, steal or bear false witness; do honor his father and mother, and love his neighbor as himself (cf. 19:18-19). The man affirmed that he had followed them all. Then he asked that next question, “What do I still lack” (Mt 19:20)? I can feel the disciples wince, see the mouth of Jesus curl into a smile while his left eyebrow raises. Mark is more eloquent than me: “Jesus looked at him, and loved him…” (Mk 10:17).

Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions (Mt 19:21-22). He was so close!

Jesus saw the one thing that was keeping this man from following Jesus, and gave him the opportunity to renounce what he had, give to the poor and have eternal life, which was what his original request was. It is what we have all been created for, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you” (St Augustine, Confessions). The young man knew what he needed to do, but was too attached to his wealth to let go, so he walked away sad.

I invite you to find a quiet space today, enter the stillness, and draw up the image of the disciples and Jesus watching the rich man walk away sad. Slowly, they turn their heads and gaze at you. You then ask Jesus, what it is that you need to let go of. What are you holding onto that is keeping you from giving yourself to the One who is Good? Jesus looks at you and loves you, and says, “If you wish to be perfect…” How does he fill in the blank for you?
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Painting: “Christ and the Rich Young Ruler” Heinrich Hoffman, 1889

Link for the Mass readings for, Monday, August 20, 2018: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/082018.cfm

Painting by Heinrich Hofmann

All that Jesus has been building up to in chapter six of John’s Gospel and as we have been reading these past few Sundays is now coming to a climax. Any silent shock of disbelief or quiet murmuring has now escalated. The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his Flesh to eat” (Jn 6:52). Jesus hears the growing concern and disbelief. If he was speaking in a figurative or symbolic way, this would be the moment to clarify his point.

Jesus does speak, but he does not walk back or qualify his comments. Jesus doubles down: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood, you do not have life within you” (Jn 6:53). Jesus does not only repeat that his disciples are to eat his Flesh but he also adds and insists that they are to drink his Blood as well. Drinking or even eating meat with the blood of an animal was inconceivable for devout Jews. Also, the Greek used here in John’s Gospel for eat is trogein, which is used to describe how an animal eats, by gnawing and tearing at the flesh. The imagery that Jesus is using here is more graphic than the customary use of phagein, which would be used for chewing, as a human would chew their food.

Jesus continues to make his point that whoever does eat his flesh and drink his blood, will not only remain in him, but also Jesus will remain in them, and they will have eternal life. A wonderful end goal, but would any be able to make the leap of faith to get there?

Almost two thousand years later, we continue to have the opportunity to celebrate daily the person of Jesus in our midst. This happens through participating in the source and summit of our faith, the Mass. Our hearts have the opportunity to be set on fire as we hear the word proclaimed during the Liturgy of the Word, and then Jesus is made known to us in the breaking of the bread in the Liturgy of the Eucharist. We are invited to experience an intimate encounter with the Son of God, as we consume him, Body, Soul, and Divinity.

These words may sound as bizarre as when Jesus’ words were first presented to those who heard him say that they would have to eat his Flesh and drink his Blood. The term we have for this miraculous transformation of bread and wine is transubstantiation. What happens during the words of consecration and the calling down of the Holy Spirit is that the substance, the reality, of the bread and wine is transfigured into the Body and Blood of Jesus, while the accidental form, or appearance, remains the same. So we consume Jesus’ acceptable sacrifice.

Jesus is giving all of who he is of himself corporally, fully, holding nothing back of himself so we can receive all of him. We become what we eat. In consuming Jesus, we become divine through our participation with him. We are then dismissed at the end of the Mass to go, like Mary, to bear Jesus Christ, to love others as Jesus loved us, by giving of ourselves to others. We are called to proclaim the Good News. Jesus is risen, he has risen indeed, and he has not left us orphans but remains with us now and for all ages! We are alive, because the Bread of Life lives within us! Amen. Alleluia!

Photo: Our tabernacle in the chapel at Cardinal Newman High School. Jesus is present to us in the consecrated hosts within.

Link for the Mass readings for Sunday, August 19, 2018: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/081918.cfm

“Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Mt 19:14).

Again we see the disciples refusing access to Jesus. The scriptures are not clear why they are consistent in acting in this way. We see them doing so with the blind man Bartimaeus, the tax collector Zacchaeus, and the Canaanite woman. In today’s reading, they are refusing access to children. The consistent characteristic of each who are being refused is that they are considered to be on the periphery of Jewish society.

Children, paidia in Greek, especially so. Paidia could represent a child from infancy to twelve years of age. In ancient Palestine, children were particularly vulnerable, had no status and were completely dependent on their family for survival. Luke goes even further than Mark and Matthew by using, brephē, meaning infant, to describe the children. It is to these children and infants that Jesus states the Kingdom of heaven belongs.

Jesus is consistent in his ministry of paying particular interest to the individual person. He welcomes the children and blesses each one of them. Jesus continually acknowledges and affirms the dignity of each person he meets, especially those neglected and ignored. Those who have been on the periphery, those who have been on the other side of the glass looking in, Jesus gives admittance to. Jesus bridges the divide of separation through his healing touch.

To enter the Kingdom of heaven, we must be willing to trust and accept Jesus’ invitation. We must place, like children, even more so, as infants, our total dependence on him, not on our own initiative or effort alone. There is nothing we can do to earn our way into heaven. Entrance into the Kingdom of heaven is a free gift of God’s grace. We just need the humility and the recognition of our dependency on God to accept the invitation. God must be the total center of our life.

Photo of Jesus with children accessed from turnbacktogod.com

Link for the Mass readings for Saturday, August 18, 2018:  http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/081818.cfm

Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever” (Mt 19:3)?

The question about divorce came from an already existing debate within Jewish circles of interpretation and schools of thought. Testing Jesus arose from time to time to better understand who he would side with. Regarding the issue of divorce, there was a range of interpretations. On one end of the spectrum there was the School of Shammai, which permitted divorce only in the event of some sexual misconduct. At the other end of the spectrum was the School of Hillel, which would allow a man to divorce his wife if she cooked a bad meal (cf. Harrington 2007, 275).

The Pharisees sought to understand the perspective of Jesus in this debate. Jesus responded: “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'” (Mt 19:4-5)? This response negated both schools as well as rejected the precept that Moses set who allowed divorce, explaining that, “from the beginning it was not so” (Mt 19:8). Jesus’ defense went back to God’s original intent recorded in the Book of Genesis, which allowed no provision for divorce.

In God’s plan, marriage is a covenantal relationship, as is the relationship between God and his people. A covenant is a sacred bond that is not to be broken. In marriage, a man and a woman giving themselves to one another and being open to a child as the fruit of their union mirrors the Trinity, where the Father and the Son give and receive themselves to one another. The love between the two is the Holy Spirit. This union also represents the communion between God and his people. The ideal of marriage then is to be a lifelong commitment; for God does not break his covenant with us, nor should we. The goal is clear, yet we live in a fallen world and we do not often live up to what God has planned for us.

For many reasons there are times where a marriage does not work as intended, but that does not mean we are to give up on marriage. Even though Jesus holds the standard high, he does not abandon us when we ourselves fall. He is present in our brokenness, and fallibility. He reminds us: “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners” (Mk 2:17).

It is right to keep our goals high and resist the temptation to settle for anything less than what God has in store for us, which is a covenant relationship with himself. We need to provide education, support, modeling, and mentoring so to remain faithful to one another and to God. And when a relationship breaks down, we need to walk with those who suffer through the pain of the rupture.

Jesus does not abandon us, nor should we abandon each another. We are a broken people seeking healing and reconciliation in so many areas of our lives. May we strive to be aware of each other’s needs, support and encourage one other as we seek to be faithful to our covenant relationship with our God who knows and loves us more than we can ever mess up.

Photo: Wedding bands accessed from: http://withtheseringshandmade.com/

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

Link for the Mass readings for Friday, August 17, 2018:  http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/081718.cfm

Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times” (Mt 18:21)?

Peter’s initial question of asking to forgive seven times may sound pretty generous to us, because the usual question most of us ask is, “Do I have to forgive at all?” Many of us do not do forgiveness well, even if we look at it as a virtue. If someone says to us they are sorry, do we reply, “I forgive you?” Often our automatic response is, “That’s alright”, “It’s ok”, or “No problem”. When we are convicted of a mistake, error or offense, do we ask for forgiveness or operate from a defensive posture to explain why we did what we did, or defend what we did as right, not willing to admit any inappropriate action?

We are very habitual creatures, and much of what I shared above is learned behavior. We are conditioned and shaped from our youth. That is why when we hear Jesus’ answer to Peter, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times”, we may dismiss Jesus’ statement as mission impossible. Another thought that may come to our minds are those cases or positions in which we feel justified in our stance of unforgiveness. Jesus is yet again raising the bar for us.

We are to strive to forgive as our heavenly Father forgives. Forgive the same person seventy-seven times? Yes. If someone is seeking forgiveness, we are called to forgive. Jesus does not mean that we don’t hold people accountable, remain in a dangerous or life threatening situation, or enable people in their self-destructive behavior. Forgiveness has to do with not holding on to the hurt, not allowing the offense to fester as a grudge that builds to hate and negative or violent behavior. Forgiveness is also not a curse but a blessing. For when we forgive, it is an antidote to the poison someone has injected us with. If we refuse to forgive, we allow the person who has injured us to do so over and over again, for by being unwilling to forgive we allow that poison to fester.

If you are struggling with holding onto a grudge and/or past hurts. One approach that may be helpful is to visualize yourself approaching the person you have the issue with and saying to them, “I forgive you”. You may also find it helpful to visualize Jesus standing beside you while you do this exercise. Repeat the process each day in your time of prayer until you start to feel yourself coming to a place of forgiveness, and can imagine that reconciliation is indeed possible.

If you find visualizing difficult, sit down and talk to Jesus. Be honest with him, tell him the situation and that you do not want to forgive the person. Then ask for Jesus to help you. Embrace the sacrament of Reconciliation and confess your unwillingness to forgive. When ready, determine how best to reach out to the person to say that you forgive them; a phone call, letter, email, text message, or in person.

A third idea that may work is to write the person a letter, whether you send it or not. Each of these are practical ways to approach a great gift that Jesus offers us, to forgive seventy-seven times, or to forgive each and every time we are given the opportunity to do so.

We don’t do forgiveness well. But with Jesus, we can begin again. Let us practice saying each morning, “Please forgive me, (Name)” and think of a few thoughts, words, or actions you need to be forgiven for. Then say, “I forgive you (Name), for…” and think of a few words, actions, or inactions to insert. Also, Jesus gave us a pretty good prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” We are not alone. Remember, Jesus asked God to forgive those who crucified him. We can ask God to forgive those who have offended, hurt, or abused us. Then we can actually move to the point where we begin to develop the freedom to say to others, “I forgive you”, and “Please forgive me.”

Photo: By Albrecht Dürer – Praying Hands – gwGj6BUX8D5Kug at Google Cultural Institute maximum zoom level, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21792217

Link for the Mass reading for Thursday, August 16, 2018:   http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/081618.cfm

“For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy” (Lk 1:44).

When we experience great joy we want to share it with others, just as Mary did when she conceived Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit and also heard that Elizabeth was also with child. When we unite with those we love we leap for joy, sometimes literally, as John did in the womb!

There was no one on this earth closer to Jesus than Mary. She bore him, nursed him, raised him, initiated, in motherly fashion, his public ministry, held him in her arms as he was taken down from the cross, and she was with the Apostles in the upper room when the Holy Spirit descended upon them. Mary, like Jesus, was also Immaculately conceived. When her time came to leave this life, who better than Mary to have experienced the “singular participation in her Son’s resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1997, 966)?

Today we celebrate the official dogmatic constitution issued by Pope Pius XII in 1950, the Assumption of Mary, a special grace she received from her Son. Today is a day of joy! Jesus is the promise and Mary is the hope that we will live eternally with our heavenly Father, for Mary is now where we will one day be, body and soul. This is a day to celebrate!

Jesus and Mary have undone the sin of Adam and Eve. They, in their continual faithful life of saying yes to the will of God, opened up heaven for us. In our darkest trials, when the storm clouds of injustice gather, when a situation or conflict does not appear to be getting any better, when death may be imminent, and/or when a loved one has died, even then, death does not have the last word.

There is hope, because there is a light that shines in the darkness when we echo Mary’s song, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.” (Lk 1:46-48). God is ever faithful and present to us in his mercy. May we, like Mary, ponder the wonderful gifts of our Father’s love, mercy, and the bestowal of his grace. May we also, like Mary, reflect the light of her Son as we experience the foretaste of heaven. Let us go forward today with haste as beacons of joy and actually leap with joy!

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us now and at the hour of our death!

Photo: bright clouds country from Pexels.com

For the readings of the Mass for Wednesday, August 15, 2018:  http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/081518-day-mass.cfm

“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me (Mt 18:3-5).

The above response Jesus gave was to the disciples question regarding who is the greatest in heaven. Jesus offers an unexpected response, as children had no esteem, honor, or greatness in his society. Jesus was not pointing out so much the innocence of children, but emphasizing that children were completely dependent on others for the very survival.

If we are to embark or stay on the journey that will lead us to the Kingdom of heaven, we need to do the same. We need to give our control and apparent, self sufficiency over to God and place our dependence on him alone. We need to depend on God as would an infant or young child does on their parent.

Very young children have also not developed a defensive filter and they say what is on their mind, often with precise insights! How often do we do the opposite by automatically responding in a defensive manner or fearing an ulterior motive from the question? Jesus has taught us that our yes is to be yes, and our no is to be no, and anything more is from the evil one (cf. Mt 5:37). As his disciples, Jesus calls us to be humble, to admit to our sins, our mistakes, to confess, correct and learn from them.

May we turn away from that which we place before God, those biases and idols that can lead us down the path of prejudice; the allures of material, apparent goods and our own self-centered postures, that so often lead to the imprisonment of addiction. Instead, may we “become like children”. May we depend more on God, surrender our control, and place our trust in him. By doing so, we can build a firmer foundation of truth and humility. We will begin to find that we will be more satisfied, fulfilled, and begin to be less defensive and more present to those in need.

We are all wounded, a bit beaten up, emotionally, physically, and spiritually, and in need of God’s healing. Yet, instead of reacting defensively or taking offense, by aligning ourselves with God and asking him to love others through us, we can be more understanding, loving and empowering. We could all use a little more support, empathy, and kindness. May we begin to be a little more present, a healing balm for one another today, for whoever receives one child such as this in Jesus’ name receives him (cf. Mt 18:5).

Photo: Me and my nephew Nicholas about 18-19 years ago. He is now 22. Please join me in prayer that in the name and power of Jesus, Nick may be freed and healed from the battering cycle of addiction. If you know of anyone struggling with addiction, add their name here and we can join in praying together for the healing of so many who are shackled and needing to be set free! Thank you.

Link for the Mass reading for Tuesday, August 14, 2018:  http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/081418.cfm

Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were overwhelmed with grief (Mt 17:22-23).

This is the second time in the Gospel of Matthew that Jesus shares with his disciples about his passion. They are overwhelmed with grief, because their focus is on the first part of Jesus’ statement that he will be handed over to death. They do not understand the second part about how he will be raised on the third day. How could they? There was no point of reference for the disciples.

For us today, we can read these statements and gloss over them a bit too easily because we celebrate Easter each year, we celebrate that Jesus has risen, but do we really take in what that means for our lives? Does the fact, the reality, that Jesus has conquered death and become the first born of the new creation really matter to us?

The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus matters! The missing piece may be that we just need to learn to recognize his guiding voice in our lives. He understands each of our struggles and tribulations, our sins and our failings, as well as our deepest hopes and dreams. Jesus also knows how best to communicate with us because he meets us where we are and will walk with us. Jesus will help us to bear our crosses, he will help us to see our sins and repent from them, and he will give us the encouragement, guidance and tools to actualize our hopes and dreams. May we turn to him today with trust and hope, let us listen for his voice in the stillness of our hearts, and say yes to the invitation for a new life that he offers us today.

Photo of an icon of Jesus my Aunt Nicky gave me.

Link for the Mass readings for Monday, August 13, 2018: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/081318.cfm

In our first reading from the first Book of Kings we hear that Elijah is sitting under a broom tree asking God to take his life. How is it that Elijah, one of the greatest prophets in the Old Testament, is sitting there asking God to take his life?

This is especially surprising, since just in the chapter before, CH 18 of 1 Kings, there is the account of the powerful story of a showdown of faith between Elijah and the 450 prophets of Baal, who he humiliates and has put to death. Yet when news reaches Ahab and Jezebel, the king and queen of Israel, Jezebel sends word to Elijah that she has called for his death. Elijah is running for his life from Queen Jezebel.

Yet in Elijah’s fear and despondency, God leads Elijah to a broom tree, one of the few types of bushes that grew tall enough to provide shade in the Palestinian desert. Elijah is then awaken to find a hearth cake and a jug of water. An angel of the Lord is also sent to encourage Elijah to eat and drink. God provides for Elijah in his time of need. If we read on we will see how God helps to restore Elijah’s courage and deepen his faith in God.

In our Gospel today we continue with chapter 6 of John. To quickly summarize some of the key points of what we have heard from the past few Sundays. Jesus has miraculously fed the five thousand, they sought to make him king, Jesus retreated from them, and they would track him and his apostles down the next day. Jesus then began his Bread of Life Discourse.

Jesus is the One from above, the One who has seen and has been sent by the Father, the One who is fully divine, as well as fully human speaking to those who have come to him. He has responded to the people’s request regarding how they were to “accomplish the works of God” and his response was that they are to believe in him, he who had been sent by God. They were to “work for food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give”. Jesus himself, as he did with the multiplication, will provide the food that will endure for eternal life. Jesus shared that he is this food, the bread from heaven, that will give life to the world.

What Jesus has shared thus far and what he shares in today’s Gospel has been given to him to say from his Father and is for everyone who is willing to accept his invitation. Then he adds: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world” (Jn 6:51).

It is at this moment in his presentation that Jesus and his followers come to a crossroads. Jesus has been talking about the reality that he is the bread of life, which his listeners are struggling to understand, yet, they are willing to follow along to see where he is going. Once he states, at the end of today’s reading, that this bread “is my Flesh”, those in the crowd who only the day before sought to unanimously make him king by popular acclamation, with these three words began to grow very uncomfortable.

This discourse is moving away from a figurative discussion to a more dramatic and concrete presentation with horrific implications. After an initial gasp or two, some murmuring would have begun, centering around such questions such as:

“Did he really just say he would give us his flesh?”

“Is he equating himself with the bread from heaven, and the bread he is offering is his flesh?”

“Is he saying what I think he is saying?”

Yes! The Son is saying all these things because the Father has given all that he is, holding nothing back, emptying himself into the Son. The Son has received all that the Father is and returns himself, giving all that he is, holding back nothing to the Father. This eternal communion of Love shared between the Father and the Son is the Holy Spirit. Jesus is offering all that he is to his disciples and to us, FOR OUR CONSUMPTION. He is holding nothing back of himself in his offer.

We are invited to this intimacy of relationship, to receive all that Jesus is. We are invited to participate in the divine communion of Love, the Holy Trinity.

God provided shade, a cake, and water for Elijah, Jesus provided the multiplication of the loaves and fish for the multitude, now Jesus is stating that he will provide his very self. Jesus is stating that God is present for us, no matter what.

Here is a true story that may help us to get a glimpse of the depths of God’s love for us.

On December 7, 1988 an earthquake devastated the northwestern section of Armenia, killing an estimated 25,000 persons. In one small town, directly after the earthquake, a father rushed to his son’s school only to find that the school had been flattened and there was no sign of life.

But he had no thought of turning back. He had often told his son, “No matter what, I’ll always be there for you when you need me!”

Though the prospects appeared hopeless, he began feverishly removing rubble from where he believed his son’s classroom had been. Other forlorn parents only wailed hopelessly. “My son!” “My daughter!” Some told the father to go home, that there was no chance that any of the pupils could be alive. To which this loving father replied, “I made my son a promise that I’d be there for him anytime he needed me. I must continue to dig.”

Courageously, he proceeded alone. No one volunteered to help him. He simply had to know for himself: “Is my boy alive or is he dead?”

With strength and endurance beyond himself, the faithful, loving father continued to dig… for 8 hours… for 12 hours… 24 hours… 36 hours. Then in the 38th hour, as he heaved away a heavy piece of rubble, he heard voices. “Armand!” he screamed.

A child’s voice responded: “Dad! It’s me,… Armand!” Then, “I told the other kids not to worry. I told ’em that if you were alive, you’d save me, and when you saved me, they’d be saved. You promised you would always be there for me! You did it, Dad!”

Moments later, the dad was helping his son Armand and 13 other frightened, hungry, thirsty boys and girls climb out of the debris. Free at last! When the building collapsed, these children had been spared in a tent-like pocket. The father lovingly carried his son home to his mother, where he was given the care he needed.

When the townspeople praised Armand’s dad, his explanation was, “I promised my son, ‘No matter what, I’ll be there for you!'”

This is what Jesus is saying to those gathered around him in today’s Gospel. This is what Jesus is saying to us today. My Father is here for you. I and the Father are one, and I will not leave you orphans, I will give you my very self to eat, so that as I and the Father are one, we too can be one.

No matter what we are going through, no matter who has let us down, Jesus is here for us. We can come anytime, receive him in the Mass, look at him as he looks at us from the tabernacle, but also in our everyday lives and interactions with one another Jesus is present.

We will receive Jesus in the Eucharist today so to be more conformed to him, but this is not just for ourselves. This is so that we may go and bring Jesus to others in our lives. We do this by following Paul’s guidance to the Ephesians from our second reading.

– Put away falsehood and speak the truth
– Be angry but do not sin, do not let the sun set on your anger
– Do not steal but do honest work so to share with one who has need
– No foul or evil language is to come out of our mouths, but we are only to say the good things people need to hear
– All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling must be removed from you, along with all malice
– be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.

Like Armand’s Dad, no matter what, God is here for us, just exponentially multiply his presence. God loves us more than we can ever mess up, more than we can ever imagine.  May we turn back to him, let us receive Jesus today, let us receive and savor his love today in the depths of our minds, hearts, and souls. May we go forth to be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love and share his love with one another.

Photo: Artistic representation of the Shroud of Turin

Link for the Mass reading for Sunday, August 12, 2018: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/081218.cfm