Still a teenager, he left the poverty of his youth from a small peasant farm and entered the seminary in the hopes of having a better life. One day during his studies, his father came to visit him. When he saw the ragged clothes that his father wore, he was ashamed, and refused to meet with him. He would go on to be ordained a priest at nineteen years old.

For the next ten years, he appeared to have reached his goal of leaving a life of poverty in the past. He used his intelligence and way with people to gain access to wealthier patrons and became a tutor for the children of the rich. By his own admission, this young priest had a short fuse and was very impatient.

Then one day, he was called to hear the confession of a servant of one of the richest families in Paris. His heart was moved with compassion when he experienced this man’s faith and heard his confession. No longer did he live a life of comfort, luxury, and ministering to the rich but became a servant of the poor. Vincent de Paul’s heart found the same rhythm of the heartbeat of Jesus as we heard in today’s Gospel:

“At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).

As we celebrate the feast day of St. Vincent de Paul, let us follow his example of being willing to be transformed by the love of Jesus. In allowing our minds and hearts to receive the love of Jesus our souls will be set free to expand and share the love we have received from him. May our hearts become like a prism so that as we receive the light and love of Christ, we may reflect it in our own unique ways to others radiating out like a beautiful rainbow of compassion in action.

There has never been before nor will there ever be again, another you. Each of us are here at this time and this place having experienced our own challenges and traumas, as well as our victories, healings, and blessings, so that we can allow our hearts to be moved with compassion to be there for another and allow God to happen through us. Don’t believe the enemy who says there is nothing we can do. We do not need to do big things as Mother Teresa taught, but let us today do something for someone with great love. Let us begin there.

St. Vincent De Paul – Pray for us!

Photo: Statue of St. Vincent De Paul with rainbow overhead from the first day I moved back into St. Vincent De Paul Regional Seminary, Boynton Beach, FL.

Link for the Mass readings for Wednesday, September 27, 2023.

Many people experience anxiety, sadness, and confusion. Especially many of our youth today. This can be caused by a medical condition or natural chemical imbalance, or listening to the lies of the enemy and being led away from living out the reality that we are created to be loved and to love in the proper order. God loves us, and we are to receive, rest, and abide in his love and share it with others. When we place others or other things before God, or take out God altogether, all other pursuits are going to fall short, and we will be left wanting.

I think we are also forgetting who and whose we are. Our loving God and Father has created us to be in relationship with him. He does not want us to be enslaved by sin and inordinate attachments, nor does he want us to merely survive. As St. Irenaeus wrote, “The joy of God is the human being fully alive.” God wants us to live a life full of meaning, purpose, fulfillment.

The message that Jesus offers us today then is good news: “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it” (Luke 8:21).

Jesus came to be one with us in our humanity to remind us of our familial relationship with his Father so that we can become one with him in his divinity. He has come to tell us and show us that we are not alone, that we belong, that have a seat at the table, because we are his brother or sister. That said, each member of the family has a responsibility to do their part. Jesus is asking us here to hear the word of his Father and put it into action. And he is not putting down his mother by saying so. She is the model for us. Mary has heard and put into practice the word of God better than any other!

To hear the word of God, we need to slow down enough to hear. We can do so by attending Mass, spending quiet time reading of the Bible, in his creation, listening for him in our daily activities, and/or interactions with others, because God is speaking to us all the time. The next step after we have heard, is to trust and put into practice what God is sharing with us. That is when miracles happen, and lives are changed.

I invite you to take some time now to enter into the scene and sit with the others around Jesus. Breathe slowly and allow your senses to come alive. What do you see, smell, feel, and when Jesus begins to speak, what word or words does he give you this day to put into practice? Sit with this scene, the teaching he shares with you, and return to it throughout the day, and over the next day or two. Then put what he has shared with you into practice. As you do so, know you belong, you are loved, you are beginning or continuing your journey as Jesus’ brother or sister and each day is a new adventure!

Photo: My nephew Nicholas and me last month back home in Connecticut.

Link for the Mass readings for Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Imagine yourself sitting on a hill somewhere in central Alaska. It is this time of year and not January, so you can enjoy doing so without risk of frostbite! You are watching a herd of caribou grazing. Then a wolf runs full speed at the herd. In rapid response, as one, the herd runs. If they remain tight and run as one, the wolf will give up quickly so as to preserve its energy.

The goal of the wolf rushing the herd is to isolate a younger, weaker, or sickly caribou. If able to do so, other members of the pack will then come in to help and take down the isolated prey.

The enemy: Satan, his evil spirits, and demons, is a predator and works in the same way. The enemy seeks to isolate us by tempting us into sinning and then when we do, stab us with shame, and then lie that we need to keep our sin a secret because if we tell anyone they won’t understand. The enemy tells us that we will be judged, condemned, that we are unlovable, as well as a myriad of other lies. In falling for this next level of attack, we then isolate ourselves further from those who care for us. In this way, we are more susceptible to be tempted again, and again, and fall deeper into sin, slip into desolation, and even despair.

To remain free of the snare of the enemy, we need to walk by the light of Christ. His word is the light that shines in our darkness. A nice clear beam is offered to us this morning:

“For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17).

What we attempt to hide is revealed, at times overtly as the truth will more often than not come to light. Even if it doesn’t, the lie, the untold offense, or sin, creates a wedge that separates us from God, our true selves, and others that are close to us, even when it appears another does not know because they can feel or sense it. This is true because God has created us to be in unity and as one, we are interconnected with one another.

God knows and we know what we have done and what we have failed to do. The best thing we can do for ourselves and our relationships with God and each other, is to be honest, humble, and trust in the love of God and each other. There will be hurt involved but much less than any holding back inflicts. And once we come forward, the bleeding will stop, and the healing can begin. Bringing our vices into the light will also help us to break any cycle or pattern that has developed over time, and we can then work with God and others we trust to create new habits that can lead to virtue.

God loves us more than we can ever mess up, there is nothing he will not forgive. He never tires of forgiving us, let us not tire of seeking his forgiveness. The more we trust in Jesus and allow his light to shine in our darkness, the more we will experience his forgiveness, love, and healing, and the lies will dissipate.

None of us are perfect. When we trust God with our worst, experience his forgiveness and love, we can come out from the shadows into the Lord’s light, and be there for each other. We can forgive, love, and hold each other accountable which helps each of us to resist temptation better because we are no longer isolated. We need to trust in Jesus and surround ourselves with those people we can trust, hopefully family, but in our fallen world sometimes that is not always the case.

Let us turn to God our Father and stand together against the enemy with those we trust for: “Love is given freely, it’s not deserved, and our deficiencies don’t prevent God from loving us – just the opposite… we always have the hope of advancing in love. God can make us, sinners that we are, into saints: his grace can accomplish even that miracle, and we can have unlimited faith in the power of his love” (pp. 39-40, Interior Freedom, Jacques Philippe).

Photo: Evening Rosary walk in August, Egret Landing, Jupiter, FL.

Link for the Mass readings for Monday, September 25, 2023

“Not fair!”

The day laborers who were hired at dawn and had worked the whole day through were not happy that those who were hired at the end of the day made the same amount as them and only worked for about an hour. Upon a first reading, we may feel the same. If so, the landowner is speaking to us as well as those dawn laborers:

“My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous” (Matthew 20:13-15)?

The landowner fulfilled his agreement with each of the laborers that agreed to work with him for the day. He was not shortchanging those laborers that were complaining, he was generous with them as well all as all who worked for him that day.

The challenge for them and for is our perspective. Are we focusing on comparing ourselves to others, to what we don’t have, on what we would like to have but it hasn’t happened yet, or are we grateful for what we do have? The more we compare and dwell on what we don’t have, the more we will be tempted to grumble, feel down, and slip into a place of desolation. The enemy is quite happy for us to go there.

The more we take a pause and think about what and who we are grateful for and then thank God, we will experience more appreciation, peace, and joy. Most of us fluctuate between the two. When we make time each day to think about what we are grateful for and how much God provides for us, we will not only feel better, we will begin to see more of what God has been doing for us all along that we have taken for granted or may not even have noticed.

It is important that we realize how much God loves and cares for us and that his love is not just for a select few. He is reaching out and inviting us all to breathe, receive, rest, and abide in his love. We decide to accept his gift or not. He is generously offering his love and inviting us to be in relationship with him now. We are not to begrudge others who say yes and experience his closeness but be grateful for them. As we experience his love, we are not to keep it locked up for ourselves but share our experiences with others.

On this priesthood Sunday, may we also take time to be grateful for the dedication and service of our priests. They have said yes to God’s call and serve to bring his Son to us through the sacraments, especially, making Jesus present again on the altar. Each serve in their unique way and express their charism to shepherd us through the challenges of this life and ultimately guide us to our true home in heaven.

Photo: Thank you, Fr. Don, for leading JoAnn and me back to the Church, convalidating our marriage, celebrating JoAnn’s funeral Mass, leading me to the diaconate, now hopefully on the way to priesthood in May, and all you have done and continue to do for St. Peter Catholic Church in Jupiter!

Link for the Mass readings for Sunday, September 24, 2023

A person can go on a walk and hear the beautiful sound of a bird and think to themselves, that is a very nice sound, enjoy it, and keep walking on. Another person may hear the bird song, actually stop, and listen for a time and then move on. Still, another person may not only hear the sound, stop, and listen, but also look in the tree to see what type of bird is making that sound, identify it as a cardinal and then walk on.

Each person experienced the bird on different levels. Even the one who stopped to appreciate its song and take the time to identify it as a cardinal, still limited himself from experiencing the deeper wonder and uniqueness of this particular cardinal. God knows though. He knows this bird intimately, as he does with the entirety of his creation, including knowing each of us better than we know ourselves.

We may hear or read Jesus begin with these words of his parable: “A sower went out to sow his seed” (Luke 8:5). Our minds may go immediately to say to ourselves, “Oh, I know this parable well,” identify it like the person identifying the cardinal, and may even appreciate the parable, but then tune out because we have heard it before or many times before. We too would then miss the greater depth and wonder of what God wants to share with us.

Jesus helps his disciples to understand the parable when he tells them, “The seed is the word of God,” and then identifies how different people hear, and then act or not act on the word they have received. Those on the path of hard, traveled ground, the word is stolen by the devil; those representing rocky ground which has some soil “receive the word with joy” but since there is no depth in which to root, “they believe for only a time and fall away”; and that seed that fell among thorns was choked by the anxieties, riches, and pleasures of life. The final resting place was the best, “rich soil” symbolizing “those who embrace the word with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.”

God knows each of us, knows our deepest and authentic desires, our deepest wounds, our sins, and our greatest promise. He loves us, wants the best for us, and so shares his seed, his word with us in many ways.

Are we willing to open our hearts and minds to receiving the wonder of his guiding and leading, are we willing to be patient to not only receive and savor his word, but also put it into practice? Are we willing to place his word in a place of prominence so that the many diversions, anxieties, stresses, and strains don’t choke its life? Are we willing to be persistent and daily call to mind this gift God has given to us each day and allow it to flourish and grow in our lives?

Something as simple as, “God please plant your seed of love in my mind and my heart.” Or any word he gives you. Then continue to meditate, savor, and bring this phrase to your mind and allow it to dwell in your heart. After a few days, or even a few hours, there may be some lies that attempt to sneak in like vines to choke its growth. Resist them, renounce them, pull them out as you would weeds and just repeat this word or phrase or another like,  “Jesus, I Trust in You”. Give your phrase all the room it needs to breathe and grow in you so that you may experience the greater depth and wonder from it that God wants to share with you. Each day we can gain something new.

Receiving, resting, and abiding in a phrase such as “Jesus I Trust in You” persistently, in challenging times, as well as tranquil times, will have more to offer you. It is like a key that opens the door to allow Jesus into your heart to dwell there. This practice allows you to receive the deeper meaning of putting your faith into action and you will not only trust Jesus more, but you will also know him more intimately, and continue to be transformed by his love for you.

Photo: Evening rosary walk, St. Vincent De Paul Regional Seminary, Boynton Beach, FL

Link for the Mass readings for Saturday, September 23, 2023

Today’s gospel account from Luke is very simple, but if we lived out its implications, we and our world would be dramatically changed for the better!

Luke mentions how Jesus journeys “from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God” (Luke 8:1). Once Jesus begins his public ministry, he is constantly on the go, preaching and proclaiming the good news, as well as healing people of “evil spirits and infirmities”.

The key point – Jesus does not do so alone. Luke tells us that he is accompanied by the Apostles, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and many others. They also are not just people tagging along for a good walk. This group is not just present here but will also remain with Jesus all the way to the cross, the tomb, and the resurrection (Mary and Joanna are recorded to see Jesus first). The Apostles have left all to follow Jesus and many of the women are providing financial support for Jesus and the Apostles.

What is important to Jesus is not amassing wealth from a speaking tour but building relationships. Paul, who encounters Jesus after his resurrection and ascension echoes this message in the first reading from today. He writes that: “If we have food and clothing, we shall be content with that” and, “the love of money is the root of all evil”.

One of the key messages of the good news from Jesus is that we are not to put money, material goods, or even anyone else before our Father in heaven. The Apostles, as we witnessed yesterday with Matthew, left everything and everyone behind, and followed Jesus. Mary Magdalene, healed from being possessed by seven demons, was not only grateful but continued to follow Jesus and became the apostle to the Apostles when he sent her to announce to them that he had rose from the dead.

We are to surrender to God’s will in the unique way that he has called each of us. We will receive his guidance the more we are willing to open our hearts and minds, receive and abide in his love, and then share it with one another. Christianity is not a Lone Ranger religion where God is calling us to do everything on our own. As we grow in intimacy with Jesus, we are also to do so with a core, intimate group of people of mutual support as well.

Just like we need to spend time with Jesus to get to know him, we need to do so with others. Intimate and chaste relationships are possible as we see recorded here, though as with anything worthwhile, building relationships takes time, energy, commitment, dedication, and a willingness to grow in the love that God is sharing with us and calling us to aspire to embody as well. That means we need to be willing to allow Jesus in to heal us in those areas that create friction and conflict in our relationships.

We don’t heal or grow in isolation. We need times to step away and to be still with God, but we ultimately heal and grow in relationship and community. And as we begin to heal, we are encouraged to accompany and be there for others who still are rough on the edges. As St. John of the Cross wrote, “Where there is no love, put love, and you will harvest love.”

Photo: With Jack and Christy, Pacific Palisades hike in August.

Link to the Mass readings for Friday, September 22, 2023

Jesus is not striking a condemnatory tone when he says to the Pharisees, “I did not come to call the righteous but sinners” (Matthew 9:13). Nor is he talking from a place of arrogance and looking down on them. He is revealing the truth that we all fall short of the glory of God, we all sin and the sooner we embrace this truth and allow Jesus into our lives, our healing and can begin. Also, we will experience more peace when we are freed from the lies of the enemy that keep us bound.

If we don’t believe we need his help, as did many of the Pharisees, Jesus will respect that. Although Jesus knows and wants to forgive and heal us, he will remain close but not impose. He will wait for that time when we are ready to let him in and accept his invitation as he did with Matthew.

When Jesus saw him, he did not condemn or expose Matthew for any shady tax deals, he said, “Follow me.” And Matthew wisely did so. Jesus invited him to see the world from a different perspective, from his. As he spent time with Jesus, Matthew let go of the old and that which may had appeared good to him at one time, but in the light of the love of Jesus came to realize that what he chose to focus his time and energy on were apparent goods.

The enemy and father of lies entices us, seduces us, and attempts to lead us astray with half-truths, false promises, and with each step we take in his direction condemns us for each temptation that we trip over. Then he manipulates and tries to isolate us in shame, to tempt us with how bad we are, that no one will love us if they know what we have done, even God will not forgive us. We begin to forget who and whose we are.

Jesus is reminding us in today’s gospel who and whose we are. We are God’s beloved daughter and son. God loves us no matter how far we think we have walked away from him. The good news is no matter how far away we think we have walked or crawled, Jesus is right by our side waiting for us.

Even if you feel you have fallen face first into a figurative mud puddle of how much you think you have messed something up now, recently, or in the past, all you need to do is turn your head to the side. As you blink and wipe the mud and water out of your eyes, you will see Jesus, face to face with you. He greets you there with his loving smile, and then he extends his hand and says, “Follow me.”

I invite you to keep your eyes on Jesus and place your hand in his. Share with him what you feel is buried in the dark. He will forgive you and love you as you trust him. There is nothing that is beyond Jesus’ forgiveness. Nada. In fact, he’s already died for the worst sin you can think of. Then at your next opportunity go to confession and you will be clean, free, forgiven, loved, and ready to begin again.

Painting: One of my favorites, Caravaggio’s Calling of St. Matthew

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, September 21, 2023

We cannot please everyone, we cannot make everyone happy, and not everyone is going to like or affirm us. Nor is this to be the point of our life, although many of us have learned to operate from this model. We aren’t to be self-centered and not care about others either.

Jesus is revealing this to us in the Gospel today when he shared how the people complained about John the Baptist for his extreme aesthetical practices of fasting and the same people accused Jesus of being a “glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Lk 7:34). When in fact John and Jesus were both following the will of God and doing what he sent them to do.

Ultimately, the point and goal in life is to be the same. We are to receive and share God’s love. Each thing we do is to come from the will of God. We are called to strive to become as St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta taught, “a pencil in the hand of God.”

We aren’t there yet, and that is ok. God loves us in this moment right now as I am typing away and you are reading. That God loves us is our starting point and then a good practice is to daily assess where we are not following the will of God in our lives and where are we. The hope is each day we can do a little better than the day before.

Slowly those attachments we have to the things not of God will fall away, our shortcomings and faults will start to be more recognizable so that we can choose to improve, and we can continue to grow in humility to admit when have done something sinful or harmful, to repent, and begin again. No shame or putting ourselves down necessary.

It is important to recognize our wounds and weaknesses so through Jesus we can heal and mature, and it is just as important to get in touch with our strengths and build upon them!

Daily assessing where we need help and need to change, as well as where we are doing well and thanking God for his help and guidance will help us to mature to a point in our lives where we so intimately know Jesus that we better understand his will, recognize his voice over and above all the others demanding our attention, and continue to grow in our trust of him so that we will act without hesitation upon his direction. We will act not to impress others or seek their affirmation but instead to express and share the love of God as he moves us: whether it be a smile needed to brighten another’s day, an ear available to listen, a helping hand to lift up, a word to affirm and encourage, a text to remind someone they are not alone, and that we care.

Our goal each day is to spend more time breathing, resting, receiving, and abiding in God’s love, so that we may think, act, and speak from that place of wholeness. When we do, it will not matter what others think, say, or do because we are being and acting as God is calling us to be in each moment.

Photo: Rosary walk after supper, where I slow down each evening so I can tune in to God’s voice. St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary, Boynton Beach, FL.

Link for the Mass readings for Wednesday, September 20, 2023

When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!”
The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother (Luke 7:13-15).

Jesus was moved with pity for her. Pity has been watered down in our contemporary understanding of the word. Pity is often understood as feeling sorry for someone, which is not untrue, but from the original Greek there is a stronger translation for the word used which is splanchnizomai, (try saying that three times fast, no really it’s fun :)). It means to be moved from a deeper level of the abdominal area. Thus, for Jesus he is deeply and emotionally moved, has compassion for, is willing to suffer with her.

Why this woman he has only just encountered now? As a widow, she has already lost her husband, and now she has lost her only son. She may still have family but is suffering with the loss of the two closest people in her life. During the time she lives, in such a paternalistic culture, she has also lost her protectors and providers, her means of safety and support. Another possibility is that once Jesus begins his ministry, there is no mention of Joseph. He most likely has died, and Jesus is moving closer to the same. Could he see his own mother, Mary, in this woman?

Jesus, as he does with us, is moved deeply because he recognizes the multiple layers of her grief and pain. She has not asked for help, he comes close to bring her son back to life and does so.

A question might also arise for those of us who have especially lost someone we care about deeply. Why didn’t Jesus do that for my spouse, my child, Marietta’s daughter? One response is that Jesus sees further down the line.

Even in this healing of the son, and later the daughter of Jairus, and Lazarus, they will all die again. Their healings are but a foretaste of the true healing Jesus came to bring. Jesus became one with us in our humanity to give his life, to die for us, to conquer death once and for all so that we might have life for all eternity. Those of us who die with Jesus will rise with him on the last day. Death does not have the last say, Jesus does. This means we want to develop a relationship with him now, not just learn about him, but to intimately know and give our lives to him as he gave his for us.

As our relationship with Jesus continues to mature and develop, we begin to die more to our old selves and to our fallen natures as we are willing to be stretched beyond our many comfort zones. As the perfection of Jesus dwells more within us, the partial, the attachments, the lies, the fears, insecurities and disfunctions, begin to pass away. Sooner rather than later would be nice yes, but that is how patience grows as well.

We will experience anxiety and stress as we let go, similar to when we heal from a broken bone as there is pain while the bone heals. We can take comfort in the truth that Jesus leads us through our inner healing, surrender, and growth gently and slowly. He lovingly offers his hand to lead us as we are willing. The process goes more smoothly the less we resist and the more we trust and abide in his love. Again, not as fast as we would like, but he knows what we can bear, and when sometimes we feel we are bearing too much we must lean on him all the more.

A good sign of our dying to self is when we too can experience a movement of splanchnizomai, deep compassion, not only for those we hold close to our hearts, but also for those who, like Jesus with the widow, we just meet and reach out to help in their need and allow God to happen through us.

Photo: Orthodox icon accessed from: orthochristian.com/87110.html

Link for the Mass readings for Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Sometimes the psalms are neglected in the daily Mass readings, but they, like the other readings and the gospels, offer guidance. Often, the psalms express best our daily lives and reflect our challenges and our victories with rich imagery that we can then carry with us to help us throughout our day. As we heard or read or if you are just reading now:

“The LORD is my strength and my shield. In him my heart trusts, and I find help; then my heart exults, and with my song I give him thanks” (Psalm 28:7).

The image presented today that God is our “strength and shield” is a good one to begin this day and the week with. No matter what may come our way, God is with us to shield and protect us. Many times, it is the mental attacks of the enemy that seek to derail us in subtle and persistent ways, and we just need to continue to stand on our rock, Jesus, who keeps us from growing weary. He not only shields us from the enemy but also gives us the strength to endure.

As we begin our day, let us trust in and open our hearts and minds to our loving God and Father. He is our shield, yes, but we are not perfect. Some of those negative thoughts sneak through, and we may even slip and start to believe them. As soon as we recognize them though, we just need to immediately turn to him, breathe, receive, rest, and abide in his love again and again. Sometimes even just a minute or two of this practice, turned to as much as needed, properly orders us back to the Father and his love.

The centurion in today’s gospel did not feel worthy enough to have Jesus enter his home, yet he asked him through his emissary to heal his servant from afar. Jesus did not admonish him but commended him for his act of faith in the power of his healing word. None of us are worthy, that is not a lie. We all fall short of the glory of God because we are not God, we are human. The lie is that in our unworthiness we are not loved by God. That is false through and through. God loves us, period. We just need to be willing to recognize our limitations and like the centurion to reach out to Jesus as he did.

We do so when we pray to or ask each other to pray to Jesus for us. As long as we trust in Jesus, continue to turn to him, and reach out to others when we are in need and/or notice we need to turn back when we have turned away, all will be well.

Rest in the truth that the Lord is your strength and your shield. Let these simple words settle into your mind and heart and abide with them, trust in him, give him thanks, and maybe even break into song, throughout this day!!!

Photo: Chapel at St. Joseph and Mary Retreat Center, Mundelein, Illinois

Link for the Mass readings for Monday, September 18, 2023