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Mary, the model of faith, can help us to grow in our faith.

Why celebrate the Annunciation at the beginning of the third week of Lent? Simple math. If we celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25, it is logical to celebrate his conception nine months earlier on March 25.

Gabriel, an angel, a messenger of God, a spiritual being, interacts with a human being; though Mary is not the first one to experience such an encounter. There are personal encounters with God and his messengers throughout the Bible. This is how the God of Israel, the God of Jesus Christ acts, person to person, through invitation, either directly himself or indirectly through one of his angels.

We can read such encounters going back to Genesis. God invited Abraham to be the father of a people that God would call to be his own. This reality would come to be with the birth of Isaac, while Sarah, like Elizabeth, was well past child-bearing years. Jacob would wrestle all night with an angel and become the father of the twelve tribes of Israel, during the time of the Judges the mother of Sampson, and Hannah, the mother of Samuel, both barren women would encounter angels bearing the message that each would give birth to those who would grow to lead the people Israel in their time of need. Moses, the judges, David, and the prophets all would hear and answer God’s invitation. Zechariah had an encounter in the temple and his wife Elizabeth, also barren and older, would give birth to John the Baptist. God has communicated and reached out to his created beings in history, at specific times and in specific places.

With Mary, this announcement and encounter was different, for, at this appointed time, the Son of God himself would become, while remaining fully divine, a human being in the womb of Mary. The God who is. Period. Full stop. He is not a being, not a human, or even a supreme being. Infinite Act of Existence, the Sheer Act of to Be, at the appointed time was sent to take on flesh. This is the message that Mary receives, and we can understand why she might be “troubled”. Mary, the model of discipleship, pondered what this might mean as Gabriel said to her:

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God” (Lk 1:30).

Mary, who knew the arch of salvation history as briefly sketched above, knew of the encounters God had with his people, her ancestors. She knew of the promised coming of the Messiah as she and Joseph were both of the line of David. She would now be the bridge between heaven and earth, the bridge between the old and the new covenant, the bridge between a people lost and a people to be found. Mary in her fiat, her “yes,” would become Theotokos, the God-bearer.

This is a solemnity that we celebrate each year because the Son of God has been born to us because Mary said “yes.” Yet, her yes is not in isolation. It was made possible by so many who had gone before her. Joachim and Anna, Mary’s parents who provided care and guidance, as well as the many named above and not named throughout the Biblical tradition who said, “yes” to God and played a part in making this moment possible. Mary is not alone in the Annunciation, not alone in this definitive moment. This is the distinctive feature of Judaism and Christianity: We cannot save ourselves. We are not God. Our very life as created beings is a gift from God and we are in need of constant help and support from God and one another (cf. Lohfink, 254).

God invites us, not just today as we celebrate the feast day of the Annunciation, but every day. Each day is a day to ponder, to wonder, to be still, to be silent, to be in awe. The Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity, loves us so much more than we can ever imagine, more than we can ever even begin to conceive, that he became one with us in our humanity so that we can become one with him in his divinity. Us, you reading this, me writing this, and each unique person taking a breath on this earth.

No matter how much we have messed up, no matter how distant we feel we may be from him, no matter how confused, overwhelmed, disillusioned, Jesus, is present for and with us. The question is not whether we are worthy to play a part in salvation history, for none of us are worthy. The question is, “Are we willing?”

Are we willing to trust as Mary did even when we may not understand God’s will for our lives. Mary’s answer to her invitation was: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). We too are called to participate in God’s invitation. What will our response be?
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Painting: Some quiet time with Mary, Holy Cross Catholic Church, Vero Beach, FL.

Lohfink, Gerhard. No Irrelevant Jesus: On Jesus and the Church Today. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2014.

Link for the Mass readings for Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Would we accept Jesus reaching out to those we consider “Gentiles” – other?

The people in Jesus’ hometown synagogue in Nazareth are incensed, rise up to drive him out of town, “and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong” (Lk 4:29). What got Jesus’ hometown crowd so twisted and contorted? Not only did he stand up earlier in this account of Luke and proclaim that he, the carpenter, was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah, but it was to the widow of Zarephath that Elijah came and Naaman the Syrian that Elisha healed.

All three of these points may be a big ho-hum to us, but they were a big deal to his people. Being a carpenter, more likely a simple day laborer, was not high on the social status ladder even in a poor town like Nazareth. The gospel writers even show the sensitivity of this. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is mentioned in this scene as  “the carpenter” (6:3), in Matthew, “the carpenter’s son” (13:39), and in today’s Gospel of Luke, “Joseph’s son” (4:22). By the time we get to Luke’s account, Jesus is not even associated with the trade of carpenter, how could someone of such simple and humble means assert the mantle of a prophet, let alone the Messiah?

Jesus does not go quietly in the night as the people’s wonder at his words turn to doubt and consternation. Jesus instead gives two seemingly obscure examples of people who receive God’s blessings. There were many widows and lepers in Israel, but it was to the widow of Zarephath that Elijah came and from Elisha that Naaman the Syrian received healing. The significance of these two people was that they were Gentiles, they were other, they were not part of the chosen people. Jesus is aligning himself in the prophetic tradition of Isaiah with the universal promise of God’s salvation that would also go out to the Gentile world. Jesus is invoking a choice that will consistently ripple throughout the remainder of his public ministry. People will either embrace his universal ministry or they will oppose it.

Jesus said to his own people, from his hometown, “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place” (Lk 4:24). We may look and wonder why Jesus would say such a thing and why after speaking of the widow of Zarephath and Naaman the Syrian that these same people were “filled with fury” and sought to throw him headlong out of town. One concrete reason is that Gentiles had been oppressing the Jewish people for generations. Beginning with the slavery they experienced in Egypt, the conquering of the ten northern tribes of Israel by the Assyrians, the Babylonians decimated the remaining southern tribes, exiled, and destroyed the Temple. After their return from exile, they suffered the occupying power of the Greeks, and during the time of Jesus’ preaching, the Romans. The hope of most Jews was that the Messiah would come to evoke a military uprising and overthrow their Roman occupiers.

Jesus’ hometown crowd was none too happy with Jesus’ universal message. We might too quickly judge them, but if we resist domesticating Jesus and allow ourselves to hear his words echoed today from our podiums and ambos, might we feel some of the same angst that the people of Nazareth felt? Who might we not be willing to welcome into the universal invitation of salvation that Jesus is still inviting us to experience in our day?

Would we embrace his message or begin to cross our arms and seethe? Would we too want to rise up and reject Jesus outright? If we are humble this Lent, we can walk up to Jesus and ask him to heal us of our own prejudices and biases, we can come to realize what gifts he has given us, and ask him to show us what ways we can bring glad tidings to those in our families, parishes, and communities. The choice is ours. Will we be an obstacle to Jesus’ healing or welcome the Holy Spirit to fall afresh upon us?

Photo: Jesus in the synagogue of Nazareth from Jesus of Nazareth, Franco Zeffirelli film, 1977

Link for the Mass readings for Monday, March 24, 2025

Jesus helps us to repent, to prune, and to uproot so that we may receive the life of God within us.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus presented the importance of repentance, of changing our minds and hearts, to turn away from our sins and to turn back to God. This means we need to acknowledge anything that we are placing before God. Anything or anyone that we place before God is going to be off the mark, for we are to seek God and his kingdom first and all else then has a better chance to be properly ordered as we grow in our relationship with God.

In our first reading, Moses is faced with an interesting sight, a bush on fire. The interesting feature is that this bush is not being burned. Moses draws closer and is welcomed by the voice of God to remove his sandals and approach. Moses does and God calls Moses further to go to Egypt to free his people. Although, we do not read in this account about Moses resistance to this invitation, Moses does resist but repents from his hesitation and lack of trust in God and follows his guidance. Because he does so, Moses frees the Hebrews from their slavery.

Jesus then in the Gospel of Luke has been sent as was Moses, but God to free us from our slavery to sin. He recalls to historical tragedies in which men from Galilee are horrifically and sacrilegiously killed at the hand of Pontius Pilate, and then tragically, how eighteen people were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them. In both cases, Jesus stated that the reason for their deaths was not because of their sins while at the same time after relaying each account he shared with his listener’s: “If you do not repent, you will all perish as they did” (Luke 13:3, 5).

Just the prophetic rhetoric that causes the jaw to drop and the mind to be shaken awake. Jesus will follow with a gentler expression of the mercy of God by sharing the parable of a fig tree. The owner of the orchard wants to cut it down because it has born no fruit. The gardener appeals to the owner: “‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’” (Luke 13:8-9).

Jesus is the gardener who has asked to cultivate, prune, and weed. This is why since he began his public ministry he said, “This is the time of fulfillment, the kingdom of Heaven is at hand, repent and believe in the Gospel” (Mark 1:15). Jesus’ mission is to help us to understand the importance and need to repent, to turn away from sin and turn back to God. He is inviting us to nothing less than “a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil, with repugnance toward evil actions we have committed” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1431).

Jesus does not define us by our worst mistakes, yet he also recognizes that we cannot just go along and do whatever we want to do on our own terms apart from God. In doing so, we will continue to not bear fruit because with each action and decision opposed to the will of God, the source and sustenance of our lives, our growth becomes stunted and disordered.  Jesus meets us where we are, loves us as we are, and then cares enough to show us the branches that need to be pruned and the weeds that need to be uprooted. Are we willing to receive his love and nourishment? Are we willing to repent and begin to prune and uproot? If so, pray this prayer with me to Jesus.

Jesus, help me to recognize that your grace is sufficient and builds upon our nature. May we trust in you as our Divine Gardener to: prune our pride, that we may bear the fruit of humility; our envy, that we may bear the fruit of mercy; our anger, that we may bear the fruit of meekness; our greed, that we may bear the fruit of generosity; our lust, that we may bear the fruit of chastity; our gluttony, that we may bear the fruit of temperance; our sloth, that we may bear the fruit of diligence; and our sadness, that we may bear the fruit of joy.

Photo: One of our oaks struck by the tornado last year. The dead limbs were cut, branches pruned, and new life has begun.

Link for the Mass readings for Sunday, March 23, 2025

Lent is a time for reconciliation and to come home to the Father.

Those who edited the lectionary readings for the day chose to present the parable of the lost son and skip the parable of the lost sheep and the lost coin. This trilogy of parables is found in Luke chapter 15. Reading the three together allows us to get a better sense of what Jesus is showing. There is great joy in finding what has been lost, there is great joy in being found! Maybe we can recall something or someone that had been lost and then found, or have we ever experienced a time where we had been lost or separated, or a time when we have experienced a time of reconciliation from someone that we have been estranged from?

I was somewhere in the age range from about six to eight when I came to the realization that I was separated from my parents in the Enfield Mall in Connecticut. I believe it was close to Christmas and we were in the toy store. I must have become distracted by something interesting, and stayed to investigate, while my parents and sister continued on. At some point, I became aware of that fact. It did not take long for the anxiety and fear to rise within me and the tears to well up. I walked through a few isles with no success in finding my family and then I headed toward the entrance that led out into the main mall.

Before continuing on I remembered my mother telling me that if I ever got lost, that I was to stay where I was and she would find me. As I stood indecisively and wondering what to do, a woman noticed my predicament and led me to a stone bench outside the store. We sat and she stayed with me until my parents returned. I am sure the time of separation seemed a lot longer to me than the actual time, and much of the memory is fuzzy, but the anxiety of separation had an impact on me as did the relief and joy of reconciliation!

In my story as well as each of these parables, there is a great joy for that which has been lost and found. How many of us are not even aware of our separation from God or each other? While I was in my own world of material wonder, I was left behind. The son who had squandered every bit of the inheritance he asked of his father before his death, realized not so much that he had really messed up, but that he was in a dire situation, and he made the right decision to come back home. His father never stopped looking for him, he actually saw his son returning “while he was still a long way off” and “filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him” (Lk 15:20).

This father is not seeking his son to bow before him and prove his repentance, his loyalty, and allegiance. The father runs to his son without hesitation. This act is no small thing, for an elder to run to a younger family member was unheard of and simply not done. He was breaking this social taboo, most likely to redirect the focus away from his returning son; the one who had betrayed his father, the son who would receive glares and snide remarks. Instead, the father rushed out with a reckless abandonment of love to embrace his son. The jaw-dropping, followed by echoes of gossip surely rose in chorus about the father’s present actions, not his son’s past actions.

God is watching and waiting, seeking opportunities to run to us with compassion and love to welcome us home as the father did in the parable of the prodigal son. God is also like the shepherd who does the absurd in his outpouring act of love, leaving the ninety-nine sheep to go and find the one stray. God seeks each and every one of us just like that shepherd. God is represented by the woman who rejoices over finding one seemingly insignificant coin, for God rejoices in our turning back to him because not one of us is insignificant to him. We are all precious to God, each in our own unique way, and he loves us more than we can ever imagine.

No matter the reason that we have strayed, no matter the temptations and distractions we have fallen for, and/or how far we have wandered away, God loves us more than we can ever mess up. Lent is a season to open our eyes and recognize where we are in our relationship with God and with each other, to recognize the separation our choices have caused, and begin to turn back to God and those we are estranged from within our lives. There is indeed great joy in the healing of relationships and reconciliation! Lent is a time to be found, Lent is a time to come home.

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Painting: “The Return of the Prodigal Son” by Esteban Murillo

Link for the Mass readings for Saturday, March 22, 2025

Envy and greed are deadly, thankfulness and generosity give life.

A foundational quality of a good leader, whether he or she be a political or religious leader, would be that they are seeking the best interest of those they serve. They also seek to be good stewards. Unfortunately, self-interest is a tremendous temptation. For how long are they willing to approach the position as one who is willing to serve instead of being served? Another important attribute in a leader is their openness to critique and guidance when they are in need to hear it.

Jesus in today’s parable presents a landowner who turns his vineyard over to tenant farmers. They are to oversee the crops to bring about a productive yield of grapes come harvest time. A mutually decided upon part of the harvest would then be offered to the landowner. Unfortunately: “When vintage time drew near, he [the owner] sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned” (Mt 21:34-35). Eventually, the owner sends his own son, and the tenants kill him.

Jesus offered this parable as a mirror to the “tenants” of his time, the chief priests and Pharisees. The vineyard is an image used to represent Israel. Clearly, the owner is God, and the tenant farmers are those in leadership positions overseeing the care of Israel. We do not know which leaders hearing this parable took it to heart and changed their minds and repented from their self-centered focus. We do know that there were those who carried out exactly what Jesus laid out in the parable. They persecuted, beat, and killed the prophets, and would do the same to Jesus.

Jesus offered this parable hoping to soften the hearts of the leaders who were seeking to arrest him. He was hoping that they would repent, like Isaiah and the prophets had sought to influence the generations before him. The leaders that Jesus shared this parable with unfortunately did not receive Jesus’ message, as was highlighted vividly when Jesus asked what the owner ought to do to with the wicked tenants. The chief priests and the elders did not show any mercy at all but instead, called for the death of the unfaithful tenant farmers. In refusing to repent and condemn those in the parable, they heaped punishment upon themselves.

Jesus said, “the kingdom of God will be taken from you and be given to a people that will produce its fruit.” The parable was not just for the chief priests and the elders, nor just for his disciples then, but also is for us today. All of us are stewards awaiting the return of the Son of the Land Owner. May we have eyes to see and ears to hear so that we may resist the temptation of the unfaithful tenant farmers. Let us not grasp at but instead receive and be grateful for what God has given us, resist the deadly sins of envy and greed, and be good stewards, as generous as God is with us.

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Photo: 6th century, Eastern Orthodox icon of Jesus. Grateful for his life, teachings, love, and guidance.

Link for the Mass readings for Friday, March 21, 2025

Ourselves first or God first, will impact our discernment in helping others.

The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus that is offered for us today from the Gospel of Luke 16:19-31 is well worth the read. Jesus challenges us through parables such as these. For the people of his time, those who had wealth and status in society did so, it was believed for the most part, because they were blessed by God. And likewise, those who were poor, were so because of God’s punishment. When the rich man and the beggar, Lazarus, die, I am sure Jesus paused to allow his listeners to imagine what would happen to these two men and to give their presumptions some time to ferment. Many would not have predicted what happened next.

Lazarus was taken up “by angels to the bosom of Abraham” (Lk 16:22). The rich man found himself suffering from the torment of flames, such that he was parched, begging just for a drop of water from Lazarus (cf. Lk 16:23-24). Abraham, the model of faith and father of Judaism, was not sitting with the rich man, who must have always been seated at the highest places in his day. Now that seat, at the bosom of Abraham, was offered to Lazarus. There was no hope at this moment for the rich man to cross over because of the wide chasm that separated them. An ironic subtlety was afoot as well in Jesus’ telling of the parable to the Pharisees. Lazarus the poor beggar is named, whereas, the rich man is not. Some biblical scholars, based on the context of this exchange with Jesus and the Pharisees, believe that Jesus was alluding to the rich man to be Herod Antipas and indirectly calling out the Pharisees for their too close of an association with Herod, especially in leading to the death of John the Baptist.

This state of suffering and separation for this rich man, the uncrossable chasm, is a revelation of the life he lived prior to his death. He walked over or by Lazarus day after day not giving him even a second look. Lazarus would have been grateful even for the mere scraps that fell from the rich man’s table, just as the rich man now sought just a drop of water from the finger of Lazarus. The rich man committed the root offense from which sprouts much of our sin; he failed to bother, to care, to love his brother, to will his good. He failed to come close to Lazarus who was in need.

Jesus’ parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, echoes very closely Matthew 25:40, “whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.” How we treat others matters. Failing to care, to reach out to those in need around us is sinful. We, probably like those who first heard this parable, experience time and again, a wicked mind storm that swirls with reasons, rationalizations, and justifications as to why we do not reach out to help others. The majority, if any, are not valid. We are invited to give and to love joyfully from a natural, not a hesitant disposition, to provide aid and support.

Almsgiving is one of the three pillars of Lent. The first step is to be aware of those who are in need. This can be in our own home! Second, when we see someone in need and we feel the wind and the waves of our mind surging with reasons of why not to help, it is important to take a breath and call on Jesus to calm the storm of our minds. In that moment of pause, may we allow our eyes to adjust so that we can see the person before us as a human being, as a brother or sister with dignity, value, and worth.

What we are to seek in each moment of encounter with another is the guidance of Jesus. We are to allow him to work through us so that we may be present and allow God to happen in whatever form or act of kindness that he directs us to take. We can do this best when we are daily entering into God’s word and allowing the Old and New Testament readings to shape and transform us. In this way, when we trust “in the Lord”, we will be “like a tree planted beside the waters” (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

Almsgiving as one of the pillars of Lent is a helpful practice that will help us to grow in compassion and generosity. What will help us to grow in the practice of this pillar as disciples of Jesus is to seek to be nourished by God’s word and his laws that teach us how to love one another. If not sure where to begin, we can pause and listen to Mary and do the same as she directed the servants at the wedding feast, “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5).

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Photo credit: “The Rich Man and Lazarus” by John Everett Millais

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, March 20, 2025

Discerning? Trust in Jesus, Joseph, and the angel of the Lord.

Who do we want to be? It is so easy to get caught up in being busy, taking care of children, the home, school assignments, work, as well as a myriad of other activities that each of us, experiencing our unique vocation in life, can add to the list. These can all be good things, but we can lose ourselves in our business and responsibilities such that we slip into a state of survival mode or merely existing. One day can move into one week, into one month, into one year, and then we wake up one morning and wonder where the last ten years have gone!

We can fall into the trap of being defined by what we do instead of who we are and who God is calling us to be. God has a plan for each one of us with the end result being eternal communion with him in heaven. Living a life of holiness and becoming saints is who God seeks each of us to be. We need to remind ourselves of this from time to time, by assessing where we are now and if we are listening to the guidance of God.

Our Gospel account from Matthew today gives us an opportunity to see holiness in action. Joseph has become aware that Mary, his betrothed, is with child and he is not the Father. Joseph, “a righteous man” follows the law, but is “unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly” (Mt 1:19). Joseph’s life of righteousness pulls him to follow the law, yet he shows that discernment in matters of the dignity of the person is just as important. Joseph not only was unwilling to make Mary into a public spectacle but was also unwilling to allow the possibility of her to be stoned to death.

Joseph pondered the idea of divorcing her quietly. Before he made his final decision, Joseph slept on the matter, which is often a good course of action when weighing such a heavy issue. How many times do we rush into decisions only to regret them later? Joseph receives God’s direction through the angel of the Lord in a dream.

When Joseph awoke in the morning, he did not dig in his heels feeling that he knew best, that he knew better than Gabriel, and returned to his original decision. Joseph did not let fear or anxiety about the possible scenarios that were running through his mind regarding what others may say or think sway him, nor did the possible and real difficulties he could envision deter him. Joseph trusted in God. With confidence and assurance of who he was and what God called him to do, Joseph acted on the guidance he had received.

St. Joseph is a model for us. When faced with decisions to make, we need to remember who we are, whose we are, and who we are called to be. We are children of God, and that means we belong to God, a God who loves and cares for us. He has a plan for each of our lives. Every decision and action is a step in fulfilling that plan.

When we are discerning, no matter how large or small, we are invited to gather information, look at the reasonable options available, all the while, continuing to seek God’s guidance. God will guide us through many means and ways such as a thought, a family member or friend sharing an insight at an opportune time, as well as through our dreams. Joseph followed these steps and God granted him not only the guidance he sought but the support to fulfill the commission he received. We can be assured that God will do the same as we discern his direction too.

St. Joseph, pray for us!

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Painting: Closeup of Rembrandt’s “Dream of St. Joseph”

Link for the Mass for Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Jesus will not let us down, and he will help us to be faithful even when we fall.

The challenge of Jesus’ convicting the hypocrisy of the Pharisees may be one for which most hearers and readers would agree with: “For they preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them” (Mt 23:3-4).

We have an innate sense that alerts us to hypocrisy and when hypocrisy raises its head with religious leadership it can be catastrophic because many look to our leaders, and rightly so, as representatives of the God they are to be serving. The inexcusable behavior not only affects how we look at our leaders, it also affects the way we look at the institution, as well as God. The Catholic Church is still reeling from not only those clergy who have abused children, but those bishops who have covered up the abuse.

As horrific as these acts are, and even though there have been many improvements that have been made to put practices and protocols in place, the damage is still there and will take time to heal. There also are many other ways that people have been hurt or disillusioned by the hypocritical actions and statements of priests and leaders in the church. It is easy to give up, walk away and say this is not my problem, to point fingers and justify our own acts of hypocrisy by saying well at least I am not that bad. Yet even the human frailty and fallen nature of each of us does not change the truth that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the source of our being and fulfillment.

Even for those who have left the Church, many would say they are still spiritual. This is true because, we all have the inborn desire to be in relationship with the God who has created us. Those of us who are followers of Jesus, are to receive the message as he gave it then directed toward the religious leadership of his time, as well as it was given for his disciples, and as well as each of us who follow him today. The standard that is set and for which we strive after is to live as Jesus lived his life. Jesus always pointed the way to the Father. We as human beings are finite and we are going to make mistakes and sin. While Jesus is our model, even more, he is the source for our living faithfully to his teachings. Through his forgiveness and love working through us and directed out toward others, we are capable of standing up for the dignity of those entrusted to us within our realm of influence. For we are to be our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers.

If we want to guide someone in the ways of our faith tradition it is not enough to say this is what you need to do and live accordingly. We need to put into practice and live what we are sharing, be willing to accompany, assist, and walk with them along the way. As a Christian, just giving someone the Bible, saying there you go, that’s all you need, and quoting a couple of scripture passages is not enough. If we are sharing a principle to put into practice and we are not willing to lift a finger to help them, or worse to not put it into practice ourselves, we do more damage than if we said nothing.

Jesus has been calling us again this Lent to resist judging and condemning, to love our enemies, to be forgiving, and merciful. Powerful actions to live up to and even a heavier lift than the laws of the Pharisees. To say that the bar Jesus sets is high is an understatement, but he who lived them out calls us to do so. We not only learn how to act from reading about the life and teachings of Jesus but even more importantly, when we pray with, meditate upon, contemplate, and then seek to put into action his teachings, Jesus empowers and assists us to live them out. Apart from him we will not be able, with him all things are possible.

Even when our leaders fall, we need to remain in the Church. Nor can we use poor leadership as an excuse not to be willing to see where we sin and seek to improve. When we miss the mark, let us be humble, ask Jesus for forgiveness, and his help to continue on step by step. From our own experiences of falling down and getting back up, we are better able to help others. The most important guidance we can give anyone is to help them to encounter and experience Jesus for themselves. Even when we fall, they will still have Jesus as their ultimate guide. Then we can hold each other accountable and help each other as we continue our journey through this life side by side.

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Photo: Mosaic of Christ Blessing, in the cathedral in Cefalu, Sicily, Italy. Cover image from The Gospel of Matthew by Mitch and Sri, Baker Academic, 2010.

Link for the Mass readings for Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Tired of division and polarization, how about we practice forgiveness and mercy?

Polarization, division, and finger-pointing continue to seem to be the order of the day on the national level. Unfortunately, it is taking a firmer hold at the community and familial level and within the Church as well. Instead of looking for someone to blame for the cause of this situation, we need to look in the mirror and honestly assess how we are contributing to division instead of seeking to uphold the motto of the United States of America – E Pluribus Unum – Out of Many One; or instead of upholding a motto of our faith – “That they may all be one” (John 17:21).

It is important to take a step back, take a breath or two or three, and examine our conscience and honestly acknowledge how we are contributing to the divisiveness and polarization through our own thoughts, words, and actions. Then we will be in a better position to act instead of react. We can disagree and offer different points of view and seek different approaches to solve problems respectfully when we are willing to engage in dialogue and collaboration instead of forcing or seeking to prove our own point.

A beginning place for us this Lent can be to understand and put into practice what Jesus said in the opening of today’s Gospel:

“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Lk 6:36)

Mercy, from the Hebrew word chesed, meaning to show tender compassion, can help us to turn the momentum away from disunity and polarization toward respecting the gift of our diversity while at the same time embracing our unity.  Fr. James Keenan, S.J. defines mercy as the willingness to enter into the chaos of another. Instead of imposing our point of view, mercy is the willingness to draw close instead of keep someone at a distance, to come to know instead of prove wrong, and to make a concerted effort to understand instead of prejdudge.

When we aspire to be merciful we seek to hear first and assess thoughtfully what has been said, even when the message conveyed is heated, derogatory, and inflammatory. There may be some truth in the maelstrom of what has been spewed. Jesus also encourages us to stop judging and condemning. We are limited by our own finite natures as it is. We are not God and are not capable of fully reading another person.

In most cases, we do not know another’s struggles, anxieties, fears, traumas, and experiences. When encountering one another we need to resist the knee-jerk reaction to judge, and instead, listen first, allow someone to vent without taking offense, and without seeking a way to “fix” them or a problem.

Jesus also reminds us to forgive. As God forgives us we are also invited to forgive others, to let go of grudges. Not to do so means allowing the poison injected into us to spread instead of seeking the healing antidote of forgiveness. The one who has wounded us has walked away and if we are not willing to forgive we continue to do harm to ourselves as we allow that wound to fester.

It is much easier to stay in our shell or bubble. We feel protected and safe so no one can hurt us, but that is not the posture Jesus would have us assume, for in doing so we remain focused on our self. Staying in our bubble suffocates us, stunts our growth, and limits our potential as human beings created in the image and likeness of God. Jesus calls us, not to cave in upon ourselves, but to go out from ourselves, to be agents of love and mercy.

Each day we have a choice. We can withdraw and remain indifferent seeking to protect ourselves, we can choose to dig in our heals to prove we are right and contribute to disunity and polarization, or we can seek to be merciful and build relationships. We can hear and put into practice Jesus’ teachings to resist the temptation to judge and condemn, and instead seek to understand, listen, and forgive. In our willingness to forgive, we can promote healing and invite others to forgive. Let us choose today to allow the Holy Spirit to expand our hearts and minds that we may become more understanding, forgiving, and merciful just as our heavenly Father is merciful.

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Image: Blessed to receive a touch of God’s forgiveness and mercy many times while at prayer in St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary Chapel.

Link for the Mass readings for Monday, March 17, 2025

Jesus reveals to us his divinity and love through the Transfiguration and the Cross.

In our lives we experience periods of both desolation and consolation. There is an ebb and flow where we suffer from trials and also celebrate joys. The key to living a life of faith is to see God in both types of experiences. Jesus provided a period of great consolation for Peter, John, and James, the inner circle of the Twelve with the purpose carrying them through the deepest desolation to come on the cross. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white (Lk 9:29).

Jesus revealed his divine nature to his disciples in an awe provoking display that would prepare them for the next mountain that he would ascend, the cross on Golgotha. Not only was the Transfiguration a foreshadowing of his death, it may as well have also been a foretaste of Jesus rising from the dead in the Resurrection and his ascent to the Father at the Ascension.

Each year we are given opportunities to experience the wonders of Jesus’ significant moments of revelation in his Transfiguration, the Passion, Death,  Resurrection, and Ascension. In entering into the yearly rhythm of the liturgical season as well as providing ourselves with anchor moments daily to pray, meditate, and contemplate with Sacred Scripture, we can begin to experience the life and presence of Jesus in our everyday experiences. May we resist the temptation to miss a transfigured moment, because we are seeking our security in those things or persons other than God first.

Jesus came to this mountain, traditionally Mount Tabor, to pray. To lift his heart and mind to the Father in a place of the heights, away from the everyday hustle and bustle, a place where the peak met with the sky, a place where heaven and earth met. He did not go alone but invited the three of his inner circle, Peter, John, and James. Moses, whose burial place was unknown and was thought to possibly have been lifted up to heaven and Elijah, who rose up in a chariot of fire, were both present as well. Their presence most likely impressing the stamp of approval of the Law and the Prophets.

Jesus invites us to let go of our pride, fear, and any sin that may prevent us from journeying to the mountain top. We can experience moments of transfiguration in our daily lives when we acknowledge that God breaks into our lives at that moment when we need him the most, recognize the assistance he has given us, and/or has revealed to us the path and direction we were to take. Our natural response is to offer prayers of thanksgiving, recognizing that we don’t walk alone, that God and those he sends to help us are a tremendous support.

Jesus cares and is also present in our desolations. Many of us run from our suffering, we are afraid of the cross. And yet, it is through the cross that we come to experience the Resurrection. We may not be aware, but when we run away from our suffering, we are running away from Jesus who awaits us with his arms wide open to embrace us in our suffering; to comfort, heal, and transform us. To receive the healing embrace from Jesus, we need to be willing to enter into our suffering.

The older I get, the crucifix becomes more and more of a consolation. His body broken, emptied out for us on the cross, represents his unconditional love for us. He gave everything he had, holding nothing back. He took upon himself our sin, our anxieties, fears, and selfishness, and transformed the worst of our fallen nature through his love such that we are invited to be redeemed. The crucifix is not a sign of despair, but of hope and transfiguration, for it reminds us that no matter what we go through or are going through, what trial that we may be in the midst of at this very moment, Jesus has experienced it. He is now, and will be present with us.

Looking at, praying with, and meditating upon Jesus on the Cross has provided me moments of transfiguration, granting me the courage that I did not have to face various conflicts, challenges and trials so to grow and mature as Jesus calls. As he looks down from the cross he continues to love me despite my sin, my weakness, and failures, and is willing to lead and accompany me onward, so that I too may be continually renewed and transformed.

We were not there with Peter, John and James to experience Jesus’ transfiguration, but when we are blessed to participate in the gift of the Mass, we climb the holy mountain and sit at the feet of Jesus and are able to experience the transformation of the bread and wine that become the Body and Blood of Jesus the Christ the Son of God who became one with us in our humanity so that we can become one with him in his divinity. With each reception of the Eucharist, we are more and more transfigured by his holiness and become more and more like Jesus. As we receive him in that intimate encounter, may we also listen to the words of his Father and “listen to him” (Luke 9:35) and the words of his mother, “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5).
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Photo: The crucifix that I have had with me since my early twenties and which is now on my office desk.

Link for the Mass readings for Sunday, March 15, 2025