discipleship

The spiritually blind will lead us to fall, Jesus will light our path to healing and freedom.

“Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit” (Lk 6:39)?

This phrase from today’s Gospel appears to be one of Jesus’ simple teachings. It seems to be straightforward, practical and makes sense. Yet, as with much of what Jesus teaches, there is a deeper level. There are many degrees of spiritual blindness that we can succumb to. We can follow others, thinking we are improving, yet allowing them to lead us to fall into a pit or off a cliff.

Succumbing to a cult of personality is very tempting. Who are our models, our heroes? Who is it that we seek to emulate? Are they people who are seeking all that is good, true, and beautiful? Are they people who are guiding us to our highest hope and good to actualize our potential, or do they constantly lead us astray?

We need people in our lives that are not afraid to tell us the truth, or who respect us enough to guide us in such a way that they do not manipulate and take advantage of our blind spots but instead, help reveal to us our shortsightedness and give us the light to see clearer to avoid the pitfalls. Any person we place on a pedestal is dangerous because they are imperfect and finite, sooner or later they will fall or not live up to our expectations. The one who we can trust is Jesus.

We can do so because Jesus is more than just a man, he is the God man, the Christ the Son of the Living God who became one with us in our humanity so that we can become one with him in his divinity. How can we follow a dead man? We can do so because he rose from the dead, he conquered death and became the first born of the new creation.

When we read the Gospel accounts prayerfully by inviting the Holy Spirit to guide us, we can enter into the biblical scenes. As we read, meditate and pray with them, we can also as St. Ignatius of Loyola taught, apply our senses. We just watch and listen, smell, taste, and feel what is happening around us. This can be done even with lines of scripture that are not narrative.

I remember at the beginning of my thirty-day retreat reading from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. As I slowed my breath, I read this verse a few times: “To know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19). I then imagined Jesus sitting next to me on the bench. I hesitated for a moment and then asked him, “How can I know your love?”

Jesus said, “Trust me.”

Trust him I did and because I did, for the remaining days of the retreat, as I walked with him through the Old and New Testaments, I experienced forgiveness, healing, joy, and transformation. We need to discern wisely who we are to follow. Jesus will light the path leading to our freedom when we are willing to trust him, follow his teachings, and put them into practice.

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Photo: Continue to trust in and follow Jesus.

Link for the Mass readings for Friday, September 12, 2025

Real love has a cost.

Our Gospel today, may not appear to be related or confusing in the analogies that Jesus is making. Jesus first begins by stating that to be a disciple of his, there is a need to, first hate “father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life,” and then be willing to “carry his own cross” (cf Lk 14:26-27). Jesus continues to talk about the wise builder calculating the cost of materials and labor to be sure he has enough to complete his project. In the same way, a king preparing for battle, assesses whether he has enough soldiers to win, and if not, he needs to be honest and prudent enough to “ask for peace terms.”

With each point, Jesus is emphasizing the cost of his discipleship. Nowhere in the Gospels and definitely not here in today’s, does Jesus say, follow me and all will be wonderful, there will be no pain, no suffering, and you will have all the material pleasure this world can offer. There is a cost to discipleship and those who seek to follow him in his time and our’s must pause and be aware of the cost.

Is the cost really to hate our mother and father, family and friends, and ourselves? This is graphic language. It is also an important reminder that each word and phrase we read in the Bible is to be read in the context of the whole Bible, not on its own or in isolation. Dr. Brandt Pitre identifies where the same Greek work miseō translated here in Luke as hate is used in the same context in Genesis 29:31, “When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb…” The way miseō is used in this context in Genesis helps us to interpret Jesus’ usage which is to “prefer one person over another” (Pitre). Jesus is saying, starkly, that we are prefer God over and above anyone or anything else.

Another help to recall where Jesus himself, in Luke 7:27, is emphatic that we are to love our enemies. To say that we are to love our enemies and hate, in the sense of loathing, our family would not make sense. It does make sense in the context of we are to place God first before any other person. This interpretation also aligns with the fourth commandment which is to honor our father and mother. We honor our father and mother best by living out the first three commandments that have to do with putting God first.

Context also helps us to understand that the hyperbolic language used by Jesus is a rhetorical strategy common to rabbis to make a point by waking up their listeners to get their attention. This statement did just that and continues to do so. The Catholic author, Flannery O’Connor, can help us to understand what Jesus is doing in describing her own writing shared that: “To the hard of hearing you shout, and for the almost blind you draw large and startling figures”. 

Why? To awaken the listener’s from their spiritual stupor. But even when we step back from Jesus’ hyperbolic language, the message to a first century Israelite, as it is for us today, is still hard to fathom.  Jesus is making it clear to the multitude that is gathering around, and letting them know clearly, that if they really want to follow him, there will be a cost. God must be first in their lives before all else, even the closest of family members and most intimate of friends.

Throughout the gospels, Jesus is consistent about the demands of being a disciple of his. A relationship with God is not just knowing about him, but knowing him intimately, and that means transformation. Not only is God to be first before family and friends, God is to be first before even ourselves. Being self-reliant, self-focused, and self-centered will not do. St. Teresa of Avila puts it quite well: “We shall never learn to know ourselves except by endeavoring to know God; for, beholding his greatness, we realize our own littleness; his purity shows us our foulness; and by meditating upon his humility we find how very far we are from being humble.”

Jesus is inviting us today to be his disciple, his student, and to join him in the most wonderful experience and adventure known to humanity. The Son of God who became one with us in our humanity is inviting us to be one with him in his divinity and to share in the communion of love that he shares with the Father and the Holy Spirit. To do so, we need to be as prudent as the wise builder and king. We need to assess the cost that Jesus is demanding of us. We are in the same position in this moment as the young rich man was who asked Jesus, “What do I need to do to inherit eternal life” (see Mt 19:16-22). The man was not willing to accept the cost of discipleship and walked away sad.

We have been created by Love, to receive his love, and to love in return, God, ourselves, and one another. Love is the greatest gift that we can receive and what we all seek in the depths of our souls. Jesus is giving us the key to unlocking the treasure chest and that key is to put God first before family, friends, self, and anything else. The way we put God first is to spend time with him every day. The amount of time is not as important in the beginning. What is most important is to set up a time you can commit to, show up, and let God happen.

If you are not sure what to do when you show up, you can start simply. Make the Sign of the Cross, take three, deep breaths, one for the Father, one for the Son, and one for the Holy Spirit. Continue to breathe slowly and receive God’s love for you and you alone in this moment. Remain until your mind starts to wander, then you can pray one slow and intentional Our Father. One Our Father said with meaning is more important than a thousand rattled of with no meaning. They are just words. When we pray, we are not just speaking words, we are speaking with someone: God our Father, who created us for this very moment: to be loved.

Photo: Spending time with Jesus in prayer each day – priceless!

Dr. Brandt Pitre. “Mass readings explained.” 23rd Sunday in OT

Flannery O’Connor quote accessed from “Listening to Flannery O’Connor” National Catholic Reporter.

Link for the Mass readings for Sunday, September 7, 2025

Is the lord of the sabbath the Lord of our lives?

Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath” (Lk 6:5).

The disciples were traveling with Jesus, they gathered food where they could. In today’s Gospel, they picked heads of grain and rubbed them in their hands to make them easier to chew. The critique of those Pharisees, presumably, walking along with or close by to Jesus, was that his disciples were breaking the sabbath law by working and thus not keeping it holy.

The reason for this was that pious Jews would often practice what is called, building a hedge around the Torah, meaning that they would institute practices beyond the original law so that there would be no way of breaking it. Fr. Bill Burton, ofm, shared an example that has stuck with me since my Scripture studies in seminary.

There is a prescription in Exodus 23:19, that states that you should not cook a kid (baby goat) in its mother’s milk. So as not to even come close to breaking this law, observant Jews developed the practice, which continues from many today, to not cook any meat and dairy together; thus the idea of building a hedge around the Torah.

The hedge in today’s reading had to do with what constituted work and what did not to keep the sabbath rest intact and keep the sabbath holy. Jesus settled the debate by claiming that he was the lord of the sabbath.

The lord of the sabbath needs to be the Lord of our lives. We live in a fallen world, but even at its best, we live in a finite and fragile world. We as human beings can only do so much. The best we can do is to use our intellect and ability to reason while at the same time seek to discern God’s will and direction so that we may access the spiritual resources that God offers to us in our everyday affairs, especially when tragedy strikes.

Tragedy, pain, and suffering happen in our independent lives directly and in our world collectively, the list and variety are vast and varied. Each situation arises for different reasons, some sensible and others with no apparent rhyme or reason. The why to our own personal or broader national and international sufferings we may not ever receive an answer. Yet, in each instance, we are not abandoned, we are not alone. We need not despair because the Holy Spirit works with and through us when we turn to him and allow our hearts and minds to be open to his love working through us.

The Holy Spirit, through Mary’s yes, helped to bring our world a savior. When his time came, he healed, exorcised, preached and sought the unification of his people so to unify all of humanity. Many of the Pharisees could not accept that Jesus was the Messiah and instead saw him as a threat. In their minds, Jesus was disobeying God. If he wasn’t God incarnate, they would have been correct. That is the decision we need to make. If he is God, Jesus needs not only to be the lord of the sabbath, but the Lord of our lives, in and out of season, during our trials as well as our joys and celebrations.

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Photo: Jesus in the Wheat Field” by Hangwallz on Etsy

Link for the Mass readings for Saturday, September 6, 2025

Let us spend time with Jesus, trust, and follow where he leads.

After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon said in reply,” Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets” (Lk 5:4-5).

Faith is to believe in God and that what he tells us is true. On our own initiative and will power we are limited as finite beings regarding what we can understand and do. Today’s Gospel reading provides an example of this. Simon had been fishing all night with no results. Simon Peter follows Jesus’ command to go back out and put into the deep, and Simon not only accomplishes what he originally set out to do, but he also did so beyond anything he had ever imagined!

When we follow God’s direction and initiative all things are possible for us as well.

God’s initiative and grace enter our lives daily just like Jesus entered Simon’s boat. Do we have eyes to see, ears to hear, and a willingness to listen and follow the initiative of Jesus? Remember the rich man who had followed all the commandments, but when Jesus invited him to sell all and come and follow him, he could not do it. All he was asking for was right in front of him, and yet, the man did not believe in Jesus.

Rejecting the offer is one way to miss the mark. We can also miss the mark as Simon the magician did. When he saw the works of Philip, Peter, and John, he wanted to buy the power of the Holy Spirit to heal for his own aggrandizement, but was rebuked. Turning away from Jesus’ invitation or seeking to manipulate Jesus for our own personal gain will not bring us the fulfillment that we seek. Discipleship with Jesus is about relationship with him.

A better example to follow is that of Mary, who when the archangel Gabriel shared God’s message with her that she was to bear a child, even though she did not understand how this could be, Mary entrusted herself to God. She conceived in her womb, through the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit, the God-Man, the incarnate Son of God, Jesus the Christ. Joseph also trusted. After hearing the news from Mary, he had decided to quietly divorce her. Gabriel also spoke to him in a dream and Joseph trusted.

Peter, James, and John, although less adept in their faith, are maybe even better examples for us. They followed Jesus’ request and lowered their nets, even though they did not see the point. They followed through and were amazed. Then led by Peter’s humility and contrition, they “left everything” and followed Jesus. They went on to announce the Gospel of the Lord and caught people for the Kingdom of heaven.

Where are we today in our faith journey? Are we walking away from Jesus, are we seeking to gain access to the power of Jesus on our own terms, or do we have the humility to follow Jesus, on his terms, even when we may feel or see no point in his request? God has a plan, as he did for Mary, Joseph, and the Apostles. In a quiet place in our soul, in the stillness of our hearts, Jesus is inviting us to follow him. What we may hear may seem unbelievable, or insignificant, we may even experience anxiety, fear, and/or trepidation. Yet, let us trust, risk, and follow Jesus where he leads and what he asks us to do.

I did just that a few years ago. After following JoAnn’s guidance to put everything on the table regarding my options of how to live my life without her, I whittled down eight options to two, and then asked God, “What do you want me to do?” In the silence of my heart, I heard quietly, but clearly, “priesthood.” The two years returning to seminary were not easy, and about two months in, when I told Jesus that, “I didn’t think I can this.” He said, “You can’t. But I can.” I trusted and followed his lead.

When we allow our hearts and minds to be open to where God is leading us, we will not only be happy, but we will find fulfillment and meaning in our lives, such that it overflows to others. As Pope Benedict put it during his first homily as Pope, “There is nothing more beautiful than to know him and to speak to others of our friendship with him” (Gadenz, 111). I agree.

Photo: St. Mary’s Chapel, St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary where I went often to listen.

The Gospel of Luke. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2018.

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, September 4, 2025

Jesus continues to proclaim the Gospel today, and is inviting us to join him.

But he said to them, “To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent” (Lk 4:43).

Jesus himself, the Son of God incarnate, fully divine and fully human, is the foretaste of heaven. His work of preaching, teaching, healing, and casting out demons, shows that the divine flow of the Father’s Love is infused into our fallen human condition. Jesus came to restore unity to that which had been divided and once he began his public ministry, he was ever on the go.

Through our Baptism, we have been conformed to and indelibly marked by Christ and for Christ. We are nourished by his Body and Blood in the Eucharist and we’re empowered through the laying on of hands by the bishop at our Confirmation. We have been divinized, grafted into the life of God through our participation in the life of Jesus the Christ. We too then are priests, prophets, and kings as we participate in his life. We also are, to preach and teach the same Gospel, to be his healing and comforting presence, to make Jesus present to those in our midst, and yes we too are called to cast out all demons, and to shine the light on negativity, dehumanization, and division in his name. As James teaches, we are to “submit [our]selves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee” (James 4:7).

Jesus did not travel very far during his three and a half years of public ministry, yet his teachings have touched the corners of the world. That is because of those who have encountered him, said yes to his invitation, submitted to the will of his Father, and continued to spread his teachings and life in each generation. We too are called to experience “a resurrected new life”, just as the mother-in-law of Peter did. And what did she do once she was healed? Out of gratitude, she immediately rose and served him. She mirrored Jesus in her willingness to serve (cf. Gadenz, 107).

Moment by moment, in each circumstance, we are invited to surrender to the will of his Father, and follow the gentle guidance of the Holy Spirit. Each yes to the guidance of the Trinity is an embrace of the gift of the unique vocation we are called to put into practice. The time of fulfillment is now because Jesus is present in our midst, he is at hand. So let us repent and believe in the Gospel, (cf. Mk 1:15), and follow the lead of Jesus that we read about each day.

These are not just nice stories. They are invitations for transformation and participation. By reading, praying, and meditating with these scriptures, we deepen our relationship with Jesus and begin to experience the love of the Holy Spirit and we are given clearer sight about what to let go of that holds us back from a more intimate union with the Father. Each day is a new opportunity to learn from Jesus, follow his guidance, and be advocates of his love and healing in the unique expression he would have us share! Let us like, Peter’s mother-in-law, arise and serve.

Painting: The Exhortation to the Apostles by James Tissot

Gardens, Pablo T.. The Gospel of Luke. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2018.

Link for the Mass readings for Wednesday, September 3, 2025

Daily prayer with Jesus helps us to be better and more prudent stewards.

“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household to distribute to them their food at the proper time” (Mt 24:45)?

Jesus is calling us to be that “faithful and prudent steward” and the household we are to serve is our own homes, churches, communities, states, countries, and world. For the world is our home and those we serve are our brothers and sisters. Jesus’ call is a universal call to solidarity. We are all invited to be united in this effort for and with one another because we are all created in the image of our loving God and Father.

God has created us, not as automatons or robots, or drone worker bees. He has created us as unique persons, one of a kind, distinct wonders that have never been nor ever will be again. Within our uniqueness, there is also the gift of diversity. We are not intended to be separate from one another, for God has created all of us to be interconnected, to be loved, and to love. What affects one, affects all.

Jesus clearly emphasizes this distinction in his parable, often called the Judgment of the Nations, when he stated: “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?” And the king will say to them in reply, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mt 25: 37-40).

Being faithful and prudent stewards means being aware of and willing to attend to the needs of the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, those ill, and/or imprisoned. This is not an exhaustive list. We are to allow our hearts to be open to have compassion upon those for whom God calls us to serve. We begin this process with prayer, for prayer is the most important thing that we can do each day. We are to make the time to spend in silence to discern the will of God for each our thoughts, words, and actions.

Not all of us will be moved in the same way or for the same cause. We just need to remain open to the nudge of the Holy Spirit, trust his direction, and follow him regarding how and who best we can serve, no matter how small of a gesture. One thing that can limit us is if we are unwilling to admit to and confess our prejudices, insecurities, or biases, as well as toward whom we have been unaware or indifferent. When we have the humility to confess, God is ready to forgive, heal, and transform our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh.

As we are forgiven and begin to heal, as we experience the love and mercy of Jesus, we can draw strength from him, begin to see the dignity present in ourselves, and one another, begin to see each person we encounter as God sees them and begin to take steps to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit to love, to will each other’s good, in each thought, word, and deed.

Photo by Jay Mather, The Courier Journal, of St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta at Bellarmine College, Louisville, KY, June 22, 1982. “Until you can hear Jesus in the silence of your own heart, you will not be able to hear him saying, ‘I thirst’ in the hearts of the poor.” – St. Mother Teresa

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, August 28, 2025

Press pause and breathe for a while.

Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth. Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing” (Mt 23:27-28).

How many of us spend an inordinate amount of time regarding physical externals? Washing, makeup, the right clothes, the correct scents, teeth whitening, plucking, nipping, and tucking. How about time spent exercising through gym memberships, home exercise equipment, physical trainers, sports, stretching, running, or cycling. How about time spent towards a career through education, updating, professional learning, seminars, webinars, and networking. There are other categories that I can add, and the point is that there is not anything necessarily wrong with any of the above when they are properly ordered and each is in a healthy balance.

Yet, if external activities are all we are investing our time and energy in, then Jesus has a point. We may “appear beautiful on the outside” with great looks, a body that doesn’t quit, and a career to die for, but what is going on inside? Are we empty, unfulfilled, achieving goal after goal, yet feeling adrift or hollowed out? Do we have all the right social skills and etiquette down, know the right things to say in public, we have friends in the hundreds or thousands on our social media accounts, yet we feel alone and not a part of anything meaningful?

Worse yet, do we go to Church, say the right prayers, are active in ministry, tithe, are members of boards, involved in the community, and doing some great works of charity, but when the door is closed, and no one is looking… what kind of “hypocrisy and evil doing” are we up to? It is easy to rest in a false sense of security while Jesus chews out the Pharisees, right now, yet, do Jesus’ words have an effect on us if we allow his light to shine also on the imperfections and shadow sides of us as well.

We can spend our time whitewashing the outside, projecting a perfect image, while chasing the finite and material pursuits alone, which will more than likely leave us still feeling anxious, restless, unsatisfied, and worn out. Maintaining and protecting a false image on any level is exhausting. Instead, we can take a good look at the time we invest, where we focus our energies, examine our conscience, and assess the health of our relationship with God, family,  significant friendships, our vocation instead of occupation, and our service to those within and beyond our intimate circle.

Instead of expending energy maintaining a perfect persona, we will do better to be in touch with our weaknesses, our faults, and wounds, so we can resist defending or rationalizing them and seek healing, reconciliation, and transformation. By doing so, we may be more accepting, patient, understanding, and forgiving of others because we will come to realize that we are not all that perfect and we come to accept that the world does not revolve around us.

The path lit by Jesus will reveal our imperfections and sins and also will help us to distinguish between apparent goods and what is authentic and truly good. When we can step off the treadmill of chronic stress, come to a stop and breathe, and press pause, we will begin to experience the peace and love of God. We can rest in just being, just being ourselves and be ok with that.

Photo: Some quiet time with Jesus.

Link for the Mass readings for Tuesday, August 26, 2025

Are we locking the doors to the Kingdom of heaven or helping to open them?

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men” (Mt 23: 13).

Context, in any reading of the Gospels, or any scriptural text, is important, but certainly with today’s reading. Our country is already experiencing enough division, polarization, and racial unrest as it is. These comments have too often been used to fuel anti-Semitic rhetoric. We need to remember that Jesus is Jewish. “The criticisms are leveled with those of power and/or influence as in the prophetic denunciations, not against the whole people of Israel. The aberrations denounced by Jesus were also denounced by other Jewish teachers in the rabbinic tradition. The goal of the denunciations is to highlight the error, to preserve others from it, and perhaps to bring those who err to the way of righteousness” (Harrington 2007, 327).

Those who would use these verses to denounce people of the Jewish faith tradition, just for being Jewish, would be acting in the same way as those for whom Jesus was convicting. Jesus spoke to the specific actions of specific leaders he had encountered who were using their power and influence for their own means and agendas. The hypocritical behavior that Jesus brought to light unfortunately still exists in some of our civil and religious leadership. This is one of the reasons many are disillusioned with authority and institutions. Jesus saw the danger of hypocrisy especially from the perspective of how it can alienate people such they turn away from his Father.

We seek truth, authenticity, and transparency because these qualities are foundational for building trust and relationships. St. Augustine, whose feast we celebrate this coming Thursday, wrote in his Introduction to his Confessions, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and we are restless until we rest in you.” He experienced a life without God and with him, and regretted the days he had resisted accepting Jesus’ invitation. It is unfortunate how many today have not come to embrace the words of Augustine, because of their experiences with those, who in the name of Christ, have “locked the kingdom of heaven” before them.

It is easy to point out the hypocrisy of others, but Jesus is convicting each of us as well. How have we erred, sinned, and been hypocritical? When have we allowed past hurts and wounds, anxieties and fears, prejudicial and judgmental attitudes, to limit us from living a life more aligned with his life and teachings? We all fall short in living the “Way, the Truth, and the Life” (cf Jn 14:6), but when we are willing to have the humility to be contrite, to recognize and to be sorry for the harm we have done, we have a loving Father with his arms wide open ready to embrace and comfort us, as well as offer us forgiveness and healing.

As we are more conformed to living and loving like Jesus, we have more credibility when we speak up, out, and against any act that diminishes or denounces the dignity of another, while at the same time resisting the temptation to do so in a way that diminishes even those who inflict division and hate. Jesus invites us to convict others and hold them accountable as he did with love and mercy but we need to begin with ourselves.

When we align our thoughts, words, and actions and are willing to be held accountable, we will have more credibility in guiding others. Our goal is not to humiliate, condemn, and/or shame, but to lead others to a place of contrition and reconciliation, such that each of us can be people of integrity, transparency, and holiness. Our hope is to win back a brother and sister and lead them toward the doors of heaven that Jesus opened for us in the humanity he assumed.

Photo: Pope Francis opening the Holy Door at St. Peter back in 2015 for the Jubilee Year of Mercy. Photo credit, Vatican News file.

Link for the Mass readings for Monday, August, 25, 2025

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

Prayer will help us to heal and grow closer to God and each other.

“Lord, will only a few people be saved?” He answered them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough (Lk 13:23-24).

This can be a challenging verse to understand and to put into practice. Our salvation is assured in Christ, for he died for all of us and not just for a select few. It is also true that there is no way we can buy or nothing we can do to earn our way into heaven. That said, with the free gift of the grace we have been given by Jesus in the giving of his life for us, we have a responsibility to work out our salvation in this life, “with fear and trembling” (see Philippians 2:12).

Christianity is not a pie in the sky or walk in the park religion, we do not seek a utopia, because Christianity is about a relationship. God loves us and gives us the choice to reject or accept his love. If we say yes, then we collaborate in building a relationship with him and one another. Our fear and trembling is not in a cowering observance, but through humble obedience. We recognize that God is God and we are not. When our relationship with God is properly understood, when he is first, then our relationships with each other as well as what we do and what we seek will stand a better chance of being properly ordered.

Authentic relationships take an investment of time and hard work if those relationships are to move beyond the masks and pretenses we project, pretending to be something we are not or trying to be who others want us to be. This is the same for God. We can pray falsely and for false purposes, and in so doing, grow no closer in our relationship with God. Jesus loves us as his Father loves him, and he invites us to experience the same. This is more than an emotional experience, but a willing of each other’s good. Love is accepting the other as other, in their brokenness and pain, their failings and shortcomings, their sin. It means being willing to take off our masks, being vulnerable, revealing our fears, and resist being defensive or reactive when we are hurt or offended by those who are close to us.

Our prayer becomes real, not when we say the right prayers or words, but when we are honest with God. Our relationship with him grows when we let go of our false understanding that we are self-reliant and we admit that we need the help of the Holy Spirit. When we trust in God, are humble and honest with him, allow ourselves to see our weakness and sin, we can begin to be loved and begin to heal, we can be forgiven and transformed.

When we approach our human relationships, love does not mean that we endure physical and emotional manipulation and abuse, for then we are enabling someone’s destructive behavior. The goal of healthy relationships is to mutually respect each other’s boundaries, be willing to support and empower one another and grow together. We accept each other as we are, while at the same time, we are willing to accompany one another as we seek to hold each other accountable, grow in our relationship with God and who God calls us to be.

Every relationship, if it is to grow and develop, will at some point, come to a cross-road, a narrow gate, in which each person needs to make a decision. We can remain stubborn, hold our ground, and build up a wall, or  we can instead work through the conflict, be honest, risk sharing what we truly believe, allow another to see our best and our worst, admit when we have been wrong or made a mistake, and then mutually support one another, as well as get the help from counseling or spiritual direction as needed.

Healing and growing together happens when we are willing to enter into and seek the root of the conflicts, to each own the parts we have played, and have the humility to say, I am sorry or I forgive you. We heal when we are willing to uncover the underlying issues below the surface, that is most likely veiled by our insecurities, anxieties, and fears. What can help us to feel safe and move toward healing and transformation is the willingness to invite God into our relationship through personal and mutual prayer.

Prayer is the most important thing we can do each day. The light of the Holy Spirit will help us to identify and let go of the baggage we carry and identify the voices we are listening to. Is it the father of lies or the Father who loves us more than we can imagine? Spending time with God and allowing the fire of his love to burn freely anything that is not of him, will help us to discern between the enemy’s voice and God’s. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life who seeks to lead us each step of the way to more intimate relationships. We get to decide whether we want to go our own way or follow Jesus through the narrow gate.

Photo: Praying together helped us to grow through conflicts, and closer to God and each other. Picture taken after we finished evening prayer with only 18 days before JoAnn would transition from this life to the next.

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

“Whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

“The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Mt 23:11-12).

Jesus warns us to resist the sin of pride, and hubris, where we place ourselves as the focal point instead of God. This happens when we seek to be the center of the gravitational pull within our realm of influence. Through our subtle and not so subtle actions, we can embrace this temptation to live a life of, “Look at me, look at me!” Desiring to be affirmed is not a bad thing but that ought not to be our primary motivation for our actions. Ultimately, we will be better served when we seek our affirmation from God.

Choosing our own self-determination free of God’s guidance is the height of pride. God does not seek to limit us but to inspire us so that we may actualize the fullness of who he has created us to be. St Mother Teresa often guided her sisters not to seek to do great things but to do little things with great love. I came across a cassette tape of one of her talks during my freshman year of college. Her words started to plant a seed in my soul that urged me to look out beyond myself toward others.

Growing up with an introverted and shy nature, I spent much of my youth in my own world and spent more time with myself than others. The invitation to change that perspective would happen during my second semester of that same year. I took a psychology course and thought it would be interesting to work in a hospital. A close friend of mine, Steve, shared with me that his mother was a nurse in a nursing home in our hometown. That summer, when the semester ended, I applied for the job as a certified nursing assistant and was hired.

The first resident I assisted was named Margaret, age somewhere in her 90’s. She rolled passed me in her wheelchair and a particular odor followed. The aide I was training with caught my eye and I realized this would be my first solo attempt of service. I redirected and guided her to the toilet, which was in a small closet-sized area in between two adjoining bedrooms. It was a particularly hot day, and as I removed Margaret’s depends, I found quite the surprise. For the next fifteen minutes as I cleaned her up, I sweat, teared up, and repeatedly fought back the urge to gag, all the while Margaret – sang. Once finished and in a fresh nightgown, I helped her into her bed, tucked her in, and then Margaret said, “Give me a kiss lover.”

Others may have run for the door and never looked back. I stayed, and for the next four or five years, I experienced the wonderful gift of building relationships with the many residents and coworkers who drew me out of myself. What started out as a job became an extended family, and I served them with great joy.

God presents us with opportunities daily. We can choose to curve in upon ourselves or we can risk being present for and give of ourselves to others. Let us resist the urge to be led by anxiety or fear and instead pray for the courage to be open to the opportunities to extend the grace God offers us to serve in little ways with great love, one person, one encounter at a time. I pray that you may encounter your Margaret! For Margaret helped me to live what St Mother Teresa taught me: “Love only can become our light and joy in cheerful service of each other” (Teresa 2010, 355).

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Photo: Let us serve one another with joy as St. Mother Teresa did.

Mother Teresa. Where There Is Love, There is God. Edited by Brian Kolodiejchuck, M.C. NY: Doubleday, 2010.

Link for the Mass readings for Saturday, August 23, 2025