Then the disciples approached Jesus in private and said, “Why could we not drive it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith.” (Mt 17:19-20).

How do the disciples get from this recurring theme of having little faith in the Gospel accounts to Peter healing a crippled beggar by saying with boldness, “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, [rise and] walk” (Acts 3:6)?

A helpful definition “is to say that faith always entails a relationship between persons which stands or falls with the credibility of the person who is believed” (Rahner and Vorgrimler 1965, 164). Faith is not just an intellectual exercise, it is a lived experience. Christian faith is the absolute conviction, belief, and relationship experienced with Jesus the Christ. The disciples learned from Jesus but more importantly developed an intimate relationship with him, such that the love they received and shared became so strong that there was no more room for doubt, distraction and/or fear, such that they would align themselves with the will of God and do what Jesus did and by his power working through them they would do even greater deeds than he (cf. Jn 14:12-14)!

We are invited to do the same. If we only read the Gospels or hear them read at Church we may know something about Jesus, but our life will for the most part remain unchanged. But when we read, meditate and pray with the Gospels and put into practice what we read, we will encounter Jesus as did his disciples and we will come to know and develop a relationship with Jesus and be conformed to him. In this way, we are not just reading a dead letter but encountering the living Word, the Son of God, who invites us to share in the infinite dance of Love that he participates in with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.

As our relationship and intimacy with Jesus grows and matures we too will be able to say with conviction the words of Paul: “I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20).

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Painting credit: CB Chambers, Sacred Heart of Jesus, gift given to me by Jim and Christine Zoeller, now hangs in my classroom at CN!

Link for the Mass readings for Saturday, August 11, 2018: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/081118.cfm

Rahner, Karl and Vorgrimler, Herbert. Theological Dictionary. New York: Herder and Herder, 1965.

Jesus said to his disciples: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. (Jn:12:24).

In reading this verse, I was transported back to Middle School. Our sixth-grade class was dismissed to head to the cafeteria for the Science Fair. As I drew closer I could hear some unintelligible chanting going on. Of course, I was curious and craned my neck to see over the other students filing in as we entered our destination. I drew closer to see a circle of kids chanting and circling. I stopped as I heard muffled groans and then saw one of my friends standing in the center of the circle, his forearms pulled up to cover his face. No one was laying a hand on him, but the heckling and chanting was inflicting its damage. I froze not knowing what to do or how to act.

I don’t remember how the situation was resolved, but I remember how bad I felt that day, and still do for not doing anything. I also withdrew from my friend when I saw him later that because I felt so bad for not speaking up or stepping in. I wasn’t there for him, I didn’t provide any comfort, because I was still only thinking of myself and not his feelings.That day, I remained just a grain of wheat. I was unwilling, unable to die to myself, unwilling to stand up for my friend or provide any comfort.

When we find ourselves in such situations, when another human being’s dignity is being diminished, Jesus reminds us that we are not to love our life, assess our own self-interest first, or we will lose it. Instead we are to love, to will the good of the other, to hate our life in this world so as to preserve it for eternal life (cf. Jn 12:25) By building a foundation of thinking of the other first instead of ourselves we will be in a better position to serve as Jesus did.

May we pray for each other today, asking Jesus to give us the eyes to see and the ears to hear those who are demeaned, belittled, or dehumanized. May we draw on the strength of the Holy Spirit, so to act with courage, to be that grain of wheat that dies to our own self-centered and fallen self, such that we are not just silent bystanders. May we who have been blessed by God the Father, stand up and speak up for the dignity of those who are vulnerable, who do not have access, or the avenue to speak up for themselves.

May we grow and mature as stalks of wheat to bear the fruit as God’s mouthpiece, speaking truth to power, working to change systems in our culture and society that oppress and devalue others, and preventing further attacks on the dignity of the person. As we strive for change within ourselves, others, and society, may we at the same time accompany and provide support, person to person, for those who have been ignored, disrespected, devalued, objectified, or abused in any way within our realm of influence.
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Photo: agriculture-cereal-clouds-39015 from pixabay.com

Link for the Mass readings for Friday, August 10, 2018:
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/john/12:24

Peter shows, as he did when he walked and then sank in the water, how our faith journey can be compared to a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs, sometimes more intense than others. As expressed time and again in the Gospels, Peter provides examples of taking a step forward and two steps back.

In today’s Gospel from John, Peter, still called Simon at this time, exemplified this balancing act of our growth process as he first answered Jesus’ question as to who Jesus was when he stated that, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (John 16:16). Jesus not only commended Simon for being open to sharing this revelation given to him by God the Father, but also added, “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it” (John 16:17-18).

Name changes were common when there was a significant change in one’s life throughout the Bible. We can see evidence of this in the examples of Abram, changing his name to Abraham, Sarai to Sarah, and Jacob to Israel, just to name a few. Without a doubt, this event was a significant giant step forward for Simon Peter!

Yet, just as Peter reached the heights of theological insight he would just as quickly come crashing down again as he cut his teacher off, for when Jesus began to share with his disciples about how he would suffer, be killed, and rise again on the third day, Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.” He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do” (John 16:22-23).

From being called the rock upon which Jesus would build his Church in one instant, to being called Satan in the next, Peter’s experiences offer some solace for us on our own faith journeys. Peter apprenticed with Jesus and as in any learning experience, he made mistakes. We need to realize that in our spiritual life this is going to happen to us as well. We will have days when we feel the joy of the Holy Spirit filling our soul, and yet in the next instant we may feel empty. We may have clear discernment and direction and then feel indecisive and confused. Some days our prayer is fruitful and we feel energized and other days we may experience dryness and that we are just going through the motions.

Jesus’ admonition of Peter to get behind him was not the end of the story. In fact, it would get worse when Peter denied Jesus three times! Yet, Peter persisted, Jesus time and again gave him an opportunity to repent, to start over. After his resurrection Jesus asked Peter three times if Peter loved him, and three times, the third a bit exasperated, Peter said yes, undoing the travesty of his denials. After the Ascension of Jesus Peter lead the early Church and gave the ultimate witness and measure of his spiritual growth and maturity by giving his life.

We too will have fits and starts along the way, but the key is to remain faithful to the journey. To continue to dust ourselves off when we have fallen down and be willing to learn from our mistakes, seek the help and support of Jesus and one another, and be willing to begin again.

The Good News for us today, is that we are not defined by our mistakes or our worst moments. We are defined by Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God!

Photo: Beach clouds sun from Pixabay.com

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, August 9, 2018:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/080918.cfm

He said in reply, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But the woman came and did him homage, saying, “Lord, help me.” He said in reply, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” (Mt 15:23-24).

I would encourage you to read in full Matthew 15:21-28 to get the full feel of this Gospel account. (If needed, see the link below).

Jesus’ reaction in this scene does not appear to be consistent with how he has acted toward others who have approached him in the past. Is he just having a bad day and taking it out on this woman? Is his reaction because she is a woman and a Gentile at that? I don’t believe either case to be true.

Jesus has seen his disciples time and again attempting to turn people away, just as recently when the five thousand were hungry and they were ready to send them to the nearby villages, knowing the hour was late to get their food. Jesus was also tired that day too, all but spent, yet even so, I am sure that he did not check to see who were the card-carrying Jews among those gathered, but instead fed all that were present.

In today’s recording of Matthew, I wonder if Jesus was not so much testing the woman’s faith, as much as he was testing the faith and the response of his disciples. The woman was calling for help. Would the disciples offer to provide her support, following the lead of Jesus who they have observed so many times before? Jesus remained silent to her initial plea for help. What did the disciples do? They asked Jesus to send her away. Jesus appeared to support their indifference when he justified his non-response by stating that he was sent to the lost sheep of Israel, clearly she was of another fold.

Again, the disciples did not step up to defend the woman in need. Maybe they even egged Jesus on. The woman persisted. She came forward and knelt before Jesus imploring him to help her and Jesus met her with a degrading slur, referring to the woman as a dog. The disciples would now certainly appeal to Jesus for mercy, right? Nothing. Nada. His apostles stayed silent, or worse they may have even started to have a good laugh at her expense.

The woman did not back down, she remained resilient in her effort because her daughter needed her help and she would not be turned away. She did not react or get defensive, but returned with her own retort, by stating, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters”  (Mt 15:27). Jesus then upended the whole scene and shared that the woman was the one who had great faith! A woman, a Gentile, not his disciples.

Those who have great faith are the ones who believe and act on that belief. Coming up with excuses to support our indifference or to turn away people in need is not faith. Those who are aware of the need of another and are willing to take the risk, make the effort to reach out and help, are those who show great faith. How would we have acted in this same scenario? I invite you to read Matthew’s account again in full a few times, and imagine yourself in the scene.

With honesty, let us assess where we find ourselves in the scene? Are we aghast at Jesus’ initial responses, do we stay silent or speak up for the woman? Do we add our own insults? If we are going through a trial as did the woman, do we have her persistence, determination, and resilience, resisting to be turned away or lose our cool, but remaining laser focused on our goal, not willing to give up?

Can we recall times when we did not recognize the need of others or respect the dignity of others because we perceived them as different or other than us? Were there times when we have or supported others who loosed derogatory or dehumanizing speech or actions behind other’s backs or directly? Have we defended, justified, or rationalized our gossip, prejudices, or hurtful behavior?

If so, may we seek God’s forgiveness, and if possible reach out to apologize to those we have directly or indirectly hurt. May we commit today to follow the guidance that St. Paul offered to the members of his Church at Ephesus: “No foul language should come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for needed edification, that it may impart grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the holy Spirit of God, with which you were sealed for the day of redemption. All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling must be removed from you, along with all malice. [And] be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ” (Ephesians 4:29-32).

May we ask Jesus for his guidance and courage so to be filled with his love and grace such that our thoughts, words, actions, and facial features may be more empowering, supportive, encouraging, kind, and loving today and each day. As we reach out to respect the dignity, especially, of those we have considered different or other, we too may hear Jesus say to us, as he did to the Canaanite woman, “Great is your faith!”
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Picture: By Michael Angelo Immenraet – http://www.unionskirche-retten.de/seiten/bildpatenschaft/bild-18.php, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37307817

Mass Readings for today, Wednesday, August 8, 2018:  http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/080818.cfm

“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. (Mt 14:26-29).

This is one of my favorite Gospel stories. Yes, Peter quickly started to sink, but for that brief moment…

Life is a struggle. Challenges, fears, trials, and conflicts pound at us like turbulent waves. Do we allow ourselves to be paralyzed by our fears and begin to sink because of the weight of the pounding; or do we keep our eyes on Jesus who is already present in the midst of our storms?

In many a top ten list of fears, I would guarantee speaking in public consistently makes the top three. This is an area I have struggled with on and off again over the years. One incident happened about six years ago as I had the opportunity to share my first reflection during my acolyte year of formation for the permanent deaconate. I must have prepared for three to five hours, writing and rewriting well into the wee hours of the morning the night before. Just before the morning liturgy, our director of formation informed me that there had been a last-minute change of plans and we were going to have different readings than I had planned for. He offered to give the reflection in my place, as well as gave me the option to continue and incorporate what I had planned into the new readings.

I chose to remain on course to offer the reflection, and as we processed in, I immediately regretted my choice. The winds and waves of anxiety started to batter me and continued their assault as I came up to read the Gospel. As I came to the end of the reading, a quiet peace settled over me. I then began to preach extemporaneously, ignoring my notes. There was an unexplainable feeling of joy that welled up in me, and like Peter, for that brief moment it was as if, I too was walking on water! Half way through the reflection though, my mind directed me back to my prepared notes, and I lost the connection that I had just experienced. I sputtered a bit to the end, but finished free of any major catastrophe.

After the service ended, I remained in my seat quietly for a second to catch my breath. My classmates Dennis, Hank, and Pete, who all knew how nervous I was going into this, swarmed around me like I had just touched home plate after a walk off homerun. I can still feel Pete’s bear hug, and have drawn on my brother’s support and strength from that morning on more than one occasion, as similar storms have arisen.

There will be times when Jesus invites us to come out of the boat and step onto the water, he will call us to move out of our comfort zone. May we trust him and step out in faith. This will be a risk, and yes, there will be times that we will sink, just as Peter had done. But even though he sank, he immediately remembered to call out to Jesus to save him and Jesus immediately reached out his hand and pulled him up. Jesus was there for Peter, he has been there for me, and he will be there for you.

There may be something that you have been feeling led or encouraged to attempt, to start, to do, yet you have experienced the waves of doubt, anxiety, and fear rocking the stability of your boat.  “Be not afraid! Come.” Step out of the boat, take the risk, keep your eyes on Jesus, and walk on the water!
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Painting of Jesus reaching down to save Peter could not find credit.

Mass Readings for today, Tuesday, August 7, 2018:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/080718.cfm

Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother, John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. (Mt 17:1-2).

Peter, James and John certainly experienced Jesus’ profound teachings, his powerful signs and wonders, they also witnessed his healings, casting out demons, and forgiving of sins, which, alluded to the reality that he was the Son of God. I imagine Peter, James, and John, though acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah, still pretty much looked at Jesus as a human being. In the encounter of Jesus transfigured, Jesus revealed to his inner circle of Apostles not only a foretaste of what was to come in heaven, but a glimpse of his actual divinity.

Jesus is not 50% God and 50% human. He is fully God and fully man. This is the Mystery of the Incarnation; the reality that the second Person of the Trinity took on flesh and became human. This is an important reality, because in this very act of Infinite Grace, the Son of God assuming humanity, Jesus, the Godman, opened up heaven for us in the humanity he assumed. The Son of God became one with us so that we can become one with him. Through participation in the life of Jesus Christ we can restore our relationship with his Father.

“By revealing himself God wishes to make [us] capable of responding to him, and of knowing him, and of loving him far beyond [our] own natural capacity” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1997, 52). This reality of the invitation of communion with the Loving God and Father of all creation is for all. Our joy and fulfillment is achieved through developing a relationship with the God of Jesus Christ.

Many may say they are happy and living a good life without having a relationship with Jesus Christ or apart from God or his Church, and I would not disagree with them. I would only add that if we are honest with ourselves, there is more to life than the mere material and finite reality we see and experience with our senses. When we slow down enough, when we are actually still enough, we can experience a deeper yearning for more.

Even with great achievement, mastery, honor, and accumulation, there is still a lingering question, “Is this all there is?” We experience consciously or unconsciously a restlessness, we continually search to fill this unease, feeling satisfied for the moment, but eventually in short order, we are left empty, time and time again. This unease is our soul’s yearning, our transcendent nature longing for more, and that longing is for the infinite that the finite cannot provide. St Augustine of Hippo (354-430) articulated this desire and yearning so well in the opening chapter of his autobiography, Confessions: “You move us to delight in praising You; for You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find rest in You.”

The Feast of the Transfiguration is an invitation, not to reject our humanity, but to embrace the fullness of what it means to be human, as the Son of God did through the Mystery of his becoming one with us. We are invited to embrace the fullness of our humanity; the reality that we are physical, emotional, intellectual, while at the same time, spiritual beings. Our fulfillment and joy comes from a balance of nurturing each aspect of who we are in participation with Jesus.

Peter, James and John, as well as Augustine and the saints, embraced the invitation of Jesus and that has made all the difference. God invites us also to experience the wonder, to explore the full breadth, depth, and width of all that our reason and faith can open for us, and go even further, to embrace our yearning of our soul, that we may draw ever deeper into the intimacy of a loving relationship with God, ourselves, and each other. May we say yes to that same invitation today, tomorrow, and each day going forward, to continue to go deeper, to experience the fullness of our humanity and through participation in Christ, our divinity!
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Photo: Fourteenth Century Greek icon of the Transfiguration

Mass Readings for today, Monday, August 6, 2018:
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/080618.cfm

The people who had been miraculously fed by Jesus sought to make him their king. He slipped away from them, and withdrew to pray on the mountain alone. In the evening the disciples went to Capernaum and Jesus caught up to them as he walked on the sea. The following day the people tracked down Jesus and the disciples at Capernaum and asked Jesus what they were to do to accomplish the work of God.

Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent” (cf: Jn 6:27-29).

The response of Jesus may not appear to fit the request. But to believe is not just a passive activity. Belief is to be followed by action. If we say that we believe in Jesus, the one God sent, do we pray with him, do we worship him independently and in communion with fellow believers, do we sing songs of praise, do we serve him through giving of ourselves to one another by practicing the corporal and spiritual works of mercy? When we experience set backs, interruptions, conflict, or outright trials and tribulations, do we turn to cursing and yelling or to Jesus for guidance and direction? Do we turn within ourselves and cut ourselves off from others? Do we surround ourselves only with those of like mind, color, political and religious views? Do we embrace ourselves and engage in the richness of the uniqueness and diversity of God’s people? Where are we spending our time, talent, and treasure?

By engaging in an honest assessment of the questions above, we can better answer the most important question of our faith, “Do we really believe in Jesus the Christ, the one God sent?” Admitting to ourselves where we really are in our relationship with Jesus is good to do. If you are spending time reading these reflections, then most likely you are doing at least some of the above. May we thank God for helping us to develop healthy habits of holiness in those areas. For those areas we fall short, may we ask for forgiveness and help to do better today.

If we believe that Jesus is the one who God sent, then we must believe that Jesus is who he said he is, the Son of the living God. Jesus invites us each day to deepen our relationship with him and each other, because Christianity is not a solo endeavor. May we say yes to his invitation, commit to and schedule worship with his community of believers once a week; set up a daily place and time to pray each day to be still with God; spend time each day reading the Bible; and make an effort to give of ourselves to another in small ways with great love each day. These simple practices can have a profound, transformative affect in our lives, for they will help us to grow deeper in our relationship with Jesus and one another. This is what we have been created for!

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Painting from a cemetery in an imperial villa that belonged to Constantine and is dated to the 4th century. Accessed: https://churchpop.com/2015/03/09/6-of-the-oldest-images-of-jesus/

Link for the Mass readings for Sunday, August 5, 2018:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/080518.cfm

Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus and said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.” (Mt 14:1-2).

After the death of Herod the Great (4 BC), one of his sons, Herod Antipas, was given a portion of his father’s kingdom by the Roman Emperor Augustus. Thus, Herod Antipas was the tetrarch, or prince, of Galilee and Perea from 4 BC to 39 AD. Herod, like, Pontius Pilate, held power as long as he was a faithful servant to Rome.

News of the ministry of Jesus got back to Herod and he believed Jesus to be John the Baptist raised from the dead. What followed was some of the backstory of why Herod arrested and unjustly beheaded John the Baptist. John was killed for speaking truth to power, as happened often in the long line of prophets before him. Jesus would continue John’s ministry of calling for repentance, of returning to following the will of God. He too would also suffer capital punishment at the hands of Herod Antipas and Pontius Pilate. The Apostles and martyrs of the early Church followed John and Jesus, lived the truth publicly and courageously, and were bold witnesses of their faith even to point of many also giving their lives.

How are we living our faith today? Are we faithful to the Gospel values that Jesus and the Apostles taught and were willing to die for? Do we serve Herod Antipas and Pontius Pilate or Jesus the Christ? Do we serve fear or love? Are we putting our identity first or our integrity of living and holding others accountable to living the Gospel?

It is important to stop and reflect on questions such as these, to examine our conscience and determine who it is that we are truly serving. It is not easy living the teachings of Jesus. We will fall short, but we must remember that God loves us more than we can ever mess up. We experience the fullness of his forgiveness, light, love, and mercy when we are continually willing to follow the call of John the Baptist and Jesus, which is to acknowledge that we have put something or someone else first before God. To repent, to turn back to God, we are strengthening the union of relationship we were created for.

When we are willing to allow the Holy Spirit to shine in the darkness of our failure of not putting into practice his will, we will experience his forgiveness and mercy, we will become more open to truly knowing his will and how best to serve our loving God and Father. Embraced by and participating in the Trinitarian Communion of his love, may we recommit ourselves today to living as Jesus’ disciples, may we grow in courage to better follow his path, may we live and speak his truth in and out of season.
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Photo: Morning at Cardinal Newman High School, I will be returning Monday to begin another school year! May we pray for each other as we seek to live out our vocational call!

Link for the Mass readings for, Saturday, August 4, 2018:
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/080418.cfm

“Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter’s son?” (Mt 13:54-55).

Many people wonder what Jesus did from the age of twelve until he began his ministry around the age of thirty. Today’s reading gives us some insight into that question. Most likely, Jesus did nothing extraordinary, he was just as ordinary as any other first century Palestinian Jew living in the small town of Nazareth, with a population of about 250 to 500 people.

Jesus most likely worked as a carpenter. This was rough, menial work, and a position that was looked down upon. We can even see evidence of this in the Gospel accounts. Mark describes Jesus as the carpenter, the son of Mary, Matthew in today’s account portrays Jesus as the carpenter’s son, and Luke and John just refer to Jesus as Joseph’s son, leaving out any reference to carpenter altogether. Most scripture scholars believe Mark was written first, so we can see a progression in the biblical tradition moving quickly away from identifying Jesus as a carpenter.

Jesus’ return to his hometown and his teaching was first met with wonder. The question arose, “Where did he get such wisdom and how did he work such mighty deeds?” But wonder soon turned to judgment. Who is he? Isn’t he just the carpenter of Nazareth, no better than any of us. In effect, “Who does he think he is?” Not only does this show that Jesus probably lived a very simple peasant life, but that Jesus’ social status was set in stone.

The people’s hearts and minds were closed to Jesus. THEY KNEW who he was and there was no way someone like him could do what they had heard, so they “took offense at him… And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith” (Mt 13:57-58).

How many times have we judged someone? Have we said to ourselves, “I know who he or she is.” We box them in, not as they are, but as WE see them, as we define them. We look at another individual not as a person with dignity, but as a two-dimensional cut out character to satisfy our own prejudices. We also do this to ourselves by limiting our potential when we say we can’t do this or that. Maybe we have had a similar experience to Jesus, in that we have sought or are seeking to move beyond our particular social status, or follow a dream or career out of the norm of familial or community expectations. Through no fault of our own, by pursuing this path we threaten those who are not willing to accept this lateral movement or vision, those who are not willing to grow beyond what they have always known.

Jesus rebukes these limiting perspectives. Instead he seeks to do mighty works in our lives and so invites us to open our minds and hearts, to rest in the depths of our soul where we can touch the love and power of the Holy Spirit, repent from limiting ourselves and others through our judgmental and prejudicial dispositions, so to be healed from the finite limitations of our brokenness and sin. Let us resist the temptation to limit Jesus, others, and ourselves.

May we instead accept the invitation of our loving God and Father to embrace the infinite possibilities that will arise when we participate in his Life and Love. This invitation is for each and every one of us, no matter our race, gender, ethnicity, nationality, religious, political, economic, social, immigrant, or migrant status. Let us accept the invitation of the Holy Spirit who seeks to free us from the shackles that bind us, the limitations imposed upon us, and those we impose on ourselves and others. May we follow Jesus the carpenter who sees our potential, and seeks to impart his love and encouragement, so that we will actualize who he encourages us to be, and better be able to empower others in our realm of influence to do the same.
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Picture credit: Darrel Tank/GoodSalt.com used with permission

Parallel Gospel accounts: Mark 6:3, Matthew 13:55, Luke 4:22, and John 6:42

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, August 3, 2018: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/080318.cfm

Jesus said to the disciples: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind.” (Mt 13:47).

The invitation of God is universal and we are all lured by his invitation of love and intimacy. We long to belong, our very substance and essence as human beings is the reality that our ultimate fulfillment can only be reached in communion with the God who created us. Yet, though drawn, we resist being caught.

St Augustine (354-430), bishop of Hippo, came to a point in his life where he realized that the flame of his desire for wealth, fame and pleasure was dimming. He clearly felt moved toward “one reality that cannot decay, from which all other realities are derived.” Though he was caught in God’s net and being pulled in, Augustine still sought to wriggle free, for: “Though drawn to the Path, who is my savior, I shied from its hard traveling” (Augustine 2008, 161).

How many of us could echo Augustine’s dilemma? We have experienced God in our lives and feel the invitation to go deeper, yet, we want to wriggle free. We are attracted to God but our attraction to fame, pleasure, power, or wealth still has a stronger hold. At a baser level, we may believe that the minimalist approach is easier. God’s path is too hard.
Hard yes, but if we look at anything that has been worthwhile in our life, haven’t we received it through discipline, effort, and hard work?

Often it is more effort to work against God’s will, just read the Book of Jonah! May we instead surrender to the current and draw of the Father’s Love and allow ourselves to be drawn into his net of Grace. At first, anxiety and fear will arise, because the pull, we may feel, may appear too strong, his love too pure. Yet, when we align our discipline and effort with his will, the anxiety will wane, and we will indeed be free to swim again. This time with more exhilaration and joy than we had experienced before.

Lord bless us and draw us close to you!
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Photo by Josh Sorenson from Pexels

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, August 2, 2018: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/080218.cfm

St Augustine. Confessions. Translated by Gary Wills. NY: Penguin Books, 2008.