Where Am I?

  

 Mark 12: 28b-34

The Greatest Commandment

²⁸ One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

²⁹ “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ ³¹ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

³² “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. ³³ To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

³⁴ When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

As we read this passage and put ourselves into the scene, would we have been able to say that yes, love of God and love of neighbor are the greatest commandments...and even be able to take it a step further and say that indeed, these are the ones I practice the best?  We might have to admit that ::"part B" needs a little more work, or more truthfully, a lot more work. To love everyone as myself is no easy task, And truly, is God #1 in my life?  I might give myself a passing grade until I look closely at how I spend my time, and find that God and his commandments have little to do with it. May  we spend some time with this passage today and in the months ahead to see where we are and to do something about it.  It's an on-going process...there's no one quick, "I'm there." answer.

Bro. Rene

 

 

Banish Pride

 Luke 14: 1, 7-11

14 Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely. 

Take the Lowly Place

⁷ So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: ⁸ “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; ⁹ and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. ¹⁰ But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. ¹¹ For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

In subtle ways, how often do we seek "the best places"?  We want to be recognized for our achievements,or lauded for our "fine words", or acclaimed for our wisdom.  Oh yes?  What will that get us?  On the contrary, Jesus advises us to "take the lowest place."  "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be humbled." (Lk 14: 11).  Pure and simple, but the work of a lifetime. It's time to banish pride.  If we haven't :begun yet, why not start today?

Bro Rene

Practical Good Sense

 

Luke 14: 1-6

Jesus at a Pharisee’s House

14 One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. ² There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. ³ Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” ⁴ But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way.

⁵ Then he asked them, “If one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?” ⁶ And they had nothing to say.

There are times when the Law must bend to accommodate a legitimate need, as Jesus points out to the rigid Pharisees. They could not answer him,, for he made eminent sense. Jesus set the bar for us, to use good common sense, while at the same time, not fall into Lawlessness.  The rule of thumb: the Law of Charity takes precedence over the letter of the Law.

Bro. Rene

Called For A Purpose

 

Luke 6: 12-16

The Twelve Apostles . 

12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: 14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot ..16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.

Nearly 2,000 years after the naming of the Twelve as men with a special mission, Marcellin Champagnat, an uneducated country boy who was called to the priesthood and when confronted with the startling situation of a dying 17 year old boy who knew little or nothing of the Faith, decided  to act on his plan to start a religious  congregation that would  address the need for Christian Education.  Thus the Marist Brothers came into existence, is present in 83 countries and has recently welcomed lay people into the Marist Family. As those first apostles were called to spread the teachings of Jesus, so do the Marists also participate in the mission to make Jesus known and loved.  May God bless all Marists and all who are fortunate to be taught by them or work alongside them.

Bro. Rene

 

Take the Narrow Door

  

Luke 13: 22-30

The Narrow Door

²² Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. ²³ Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

He said to them, ²⁴ “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. ²⁵ Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’

“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’

²⁶ “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’

²⁷ “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’

²⁸ “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. ²⁹ People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. ³⁰ Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”

Evidently, the answer to the question, "Are only a few people going to be saved?" is YES!  The narrow gate of prayerfulness, self-discipline, self-sacrifice,  sharing of time, talent and goods,  elimination of frivolous pleasures, and focusing on the Way outlined by Jesus, is not for everyone. It's so demanding that only a few can accept and live it. Which is worse, to give up a few earthly pleasures, or to be excluded from "the feast of the kingdom of God"? Let us pray that we may be able to enter the narrow door and not be deluded by the values and attractions of this world and bond with others who seek the same goal,

Bro. Rene

Small Beginnings

  

Luke: 13: 18-21

The Mustard Seed and the Leaven

¹⁸ He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? ¹⁹ It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”

²⁰ And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? ²¹ It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”

Two small items, a mustard seed, one of the tiniest seeds, and a bit of leaven.  Any gardener or chef (even an amateur who has dabbled with yeast) has met the potential of these tiny items to grow into something much larger, a tall bush, or a loaf of bread.  Always a wonder to remind us that in our spiritual lives, we don't begin at the top, but by slow stages move from the tiny beginning to the larger end. The growth cycle takes time, patience and trust.  With the right ingredients and right temperature, the seed sprouts and the batch of thick dough expands and doubles, if not triples in size.  Punch it down, and it rises again.  How many restarts have we attempted with prayer, or with our attempts to avoid gossip or be charitable in thought and speech?  Each new beginning represents some progress, so let us banish "Demon Discouragement" and realize that we will eventually reach our goal.  "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again" ... an adage we learned in early childhood but still holds true in our adult  lives.

Bro. Rene

 

A Gift

Luke 13: 190-17

Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman on the Sabbath

¹⁰ On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, ¹¹ and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. ¹² When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” ¹³ Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

¹⁴ Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”

¹⁵ The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? ¹⁶ Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

¹⁷ When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

Sabbath or no Sabbath, Jesus saw a need and took care of it. Can we be so generous and able to move above the Law or convention to relieve the needs of  someone else?   Imitate the generosity of Jesus and never go wrong

Bro. Rene.

 

Faith and Persistence

Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight

⁴⁶ Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. ⁴⁷ When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁸ Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁹ Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” ⁵⁰ Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

⁵¹ “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.

The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

⁵² “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

A simple, direct request, and as simple and direct a response. Would that we could muster up the faith of Bartimeus!  Or, if we could learn to pray so simply or have even half the confidence that motivated Bartimeus, who had never seen Jesus, (naturally), but had only heard of him.  We too have never seen Jesus, and have only heard of him, but through the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, we have had contact with him.  Why is our prayer then so feeble?  Where are our convictions and faith? Like Bartimeus, we are blind, but like Bartimeus, may we learn to pray with faith and conviction. How many times did we read Jesus say, "Your faith has saved you"?  Let's begin there.

Bro. Rene

 

Bearing Fruit

 Luke 13: 1-9

Repent or Perish

13 At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. ² He asked them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? ³ No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. ⁴ Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? ⁵ No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.”

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

⁶ Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. ⁷ So he said to the gardener, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’ ⁸ He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. ⁹ If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”

Did you ever feel like you were a barren fig tree, existing,  leading a unproductive life bearing no fruit? There are low times such as these that could easily discourage us, but they are normal and can be rectified by more sleep, a change of routine, a change of scenery, and above all, more time in prayer. God speaks in the silence and assures us of his Presence and Love, even when we are dry and barren. Repentance, a "soul cleaning" and a "time-sharing" with our God can and will make us open to his plan and his grace. Even the "barren time" can produce  fruit if we let it.

Bro. Rene

Open Our Eyes

 

Interpreting the Times

Luke 12: 54-59

⁵⁴ He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. ⁵⁵ And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. ⁵⁶ Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?

⁵⁷ “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? ⁵⁸ As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled on the way, or your adversary may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. ⁵⁹ I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”

Sometimes when we are bogged down with our own problems, faced with challenges to ourselves or those we love, or just listen to the daily news, we an become overwhelmed.  Where are we going?  It wasn't  always like this.  Remember when... Discouragement overpowers us.  Jesus challenges us to judge for ourselves what is right. If the signs of the times are so bad, then what can we do to rectify the situation, even in the smallest way?

Today a dozen Central Catholic students are going to help feed breakfast and lunch to some of Lawrence's poor...a help to both, as the poor will be fed and the students will learn what it means to be as blessed as they are and how they can help those in need.

We celebrate Pope St. John Paul II today, a man who spent his life to bring life to others, traveling the globe and teaching profusely how to follow Jesus and make his message known and lived.  We are not Pope John Paul, but we can in our little corners show people how even in little ways, they can find life, hope and love...even if it's in the form of a sandwich!

Bro Rene

Setting On Fire

Luke 12: 49-53

Not Peace but Division

⁴⁹ “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! ⁵⁰ But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! ⁵¹ Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. ⁵² From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. ⁵³ They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

 When we were children, our parents cautioned us about the dangers of playing with fire, but here Jesus proclaims that he has come to bring fire to the earth.  He's not talking about re-orange flames, but the the zest and enthusiasm, the fearlessness and power of a ravaging blaze.caused by a heart "on fire" with a sense of the mission and purpose of igniting the love of goodness in the hearts of all who hear his message, believe it and practice it.  It's a dangerous fire in that it will devour lethargy and disbelief, and motivate people to radically change their behavior  and turn their lifestyle from serving self to serving others. So doing, it might cause division, but one that will lead to new life.  Let us not fear this holy fire nor its ensuing holy division.  New life, God-life is born and grows from the death of old life.  Let the fire begin!

Bro. Rene

Integrity

 Luke 12: 39-48

The Faithful and Wise Manager

³⁹ But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁰ You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

⁴¹ Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”

⁴² The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? ⁴³ It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. ⁴⁴ Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁵ But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. ⁴⁶ The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

⁴⁷ “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. ⁴⁸ But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Jesus calls us to a fidelity that does not depend on "being watched" as little children, but as trusted adults who will be faithful to who we are and to what he expects of us.  When the "Master's" back is turned, yes, we could easily slack off, or lay down our guard and revert to childish or immature behavior, but in a love relationship of trust, whether the boss is looking or not, we still work and behave as diligently as we would if he or she were standing over our shoulders. We have been given much, blessed with the gift of integrity, and know what God expects of us, so let's JUST DO IT whether we FEEL his Presence or not. 

Bro. Rene

Keep Your Lamps Burning

Luke 12: 35-38

Watchfulness

³⁵ “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, ³⁶ like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. ³⁷ It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. ³⁸ It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak.

Today, we celebrate the martyrdom of the North American Jesuit Martyrs, 6 priests and 2 lay associates, who worked among the Hurons and Mohawks in upstate New York. St. Isaac Jogues was the leader of the group but St. Rene Goupil , a deaf lay brother, was the first to be martyred for making the sign of the cross over a sick boy. These men came from France and certainly kept the  lamp of their faith burning as they tried to evangelize the Native Americans. They learned the languages and dialects of the people, suffered through frigid winters, and hot, muggy, bug-ridden summers, and the physical beatings from the tribal members who blamed them for the epidemics of small pox which decimated family after family. Their determination, their willingness to serve and to sacrifice of their lives eventually resulted in the conversion of many whose descendants are faithful Catholics to this day.  When we think we are having a bad day, may these men inspire us to watch and wait patiently for the Master "to open the door" for us as he did for them.

Bro. Rene 

 

The Mission Continues

 Luke 10: 1-9

The Mission of the Seventy

10 After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. ² He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. ³ Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. ⁴ Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. ⁵ Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ ⁶ And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. ⁷ Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. ⁸ Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; ⁹ cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’

We might think that our missionary situation is unique to our time:  not enough missionaries to reach everyone, but see, even in the time of Jesus himself, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few" (Lk 10: 2). Jesus told the people of his time (and ours) to ask the Lord of the Harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.  That we can and must do, but we might ask ourselves, what else can we do?  We don't normally see ourselves as missionaries but it might be time to take another look at ourselves and see the potential missionary who, although late on the scene, might be able to step into this role.  It won't be easy, as it wasn't for the first missionaries, but we have the commission from Jesus himself to go and preach, even if it means being lambws in the midst of wolves.  Again, there is nothing to fear, for Jesus is always with us.

Bro. Rene

To Serve, To Give

  Mark 10: 35-45

The Request of James and John

³⁵ And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” ³⁶ And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” ³⁷ And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” ³⁸ Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” ³⁹ And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, ⁴⁰ but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” ⁴¹ And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. ⁴² And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. ⁴³ But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴ and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Contrary to the notion that being a leader means an aggressive, "take command and give orders" model, Jesus proposes a humble stance of service and self-giving as the heart of authentic and successful leadership. No glory to "me", no throne, no marquis, no recognition, but  a "you first" and I am at your service" approach is what scores points with Jesus.  He set the bar and encourages us to follow his lead.  Verse 45 sums it up and can be further encapsulated into "I am here to serve and to give".  So let it be done. Amen!

Bro. Rene 

Do Not Be Anxious

 Luke 12: 8-12

Acknowledge Christ Before Men

⁸ “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, ⁹ but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. ¹⁰ And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. ¹¹ And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, ¹² for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

The advice Jesus gives, :"do not be anxious" not only applies to the situation of being on the defensive before leaders of the synagogue, but in so many other circumstances of our daily lives, especially these days.  How much higher will gas and food prices go?  Will I have a job next week? This afternoon?  Will we be able to have a traditional Thanksgiving family dinner? Will I come down with Covid-19?  Will the Chinese take over? The list could go on and on. We forget and need to be reminded that the Holy Spirit is with us, and not only will give us the defense we need against those who oppose us, but against all other real or imaginary opponents, especially our own runaway fears.  Let the Holy Spirit calm us and be in charge.  With the Spirit we win, without him, we lose.

Bro Rene

More Than Many Sparrows

Luke 12: 1-7

Warnings and Encouragements

12 Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. ² There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. ³ What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.

⁴ “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. ⁵ But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. ⁶ Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. ⁷ Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

 Can you picture this crowd so great that people were trampling on one another? .Such was the magnetic attraction of Jesus and the power of his teaching and miracles. His message is clear: hypocrisy lurks within and around us, as yeast in dough; danger surrounds us, fear can easily creep in and undo the good that God has given us and expects us to share with others. Yet Jesus tells us not to fear for as God protects the sparrows, he protects us...even more so!  May we find encouragement from these words to profess our faith boldly by our words and actions. In this prayer of St. Teresa of Avila, whose memorial we celebrate today, may we find the encouragement we need to be a "re-former" of our own lives, that of our families and church.

 Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things pass away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
He who has God
Finds he lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.

Bro. Rene

Calling It Like It Is

  

 Luke 11: 47-54

Jesus Spares No Words

⁴⁷ “Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them. ⁴⁸ So you testify that you approve of what your ancestors did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. ⁴⁹ Because of this, God in his wisdom said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.’ ⁵⁰ Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, ⁵¹ from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.

⁵² “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”

⁵³ When Jesus went outside, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, ⁵⁴ waiting to catch him in something he might say.

We've been listening to Jesus describing what he saw in the religious leaders of his day with truth as his weapon. No one likes such blunt confrontation, and the tendency is to trap, oppose, and ultimately eliminate the accuser. Such was the climate Jesus faced, but it did not stop him.

The verses of Luke 11 could describe the situation today as leaders back off from confrontation and allow ease and laxity to creep in.  Not only leaders, but ourselves as well.  Jesus warns us to clean the inside of the cup, our cup, first, before criticizing others. (cf. Mt 23: 26).  Let's begin today to hear Jesus speaking to us, not just to scribes and pharisees who lived 2,000 years ago!

Bro. Rene

More Woes

^{Luke 11: 42-46}

^{Beware The Hypocrisy of the Pharisees}

⁴² “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.

⁴³ “Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces.

⁴⁴ “Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it.”

⁴⁵ One of the experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.”

⁴⁶ Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.

Jesus is direct, even harsh as he "calls out" the  Pharisees whose behavior belies their teaching.  We too can fall into such a trap...words and "lofty phrases" are easy to spew out of our mouths, but to live authentically, to PRACTICE what we preach is another story and a life-long process. A daily, even hourly mini-examen of our words and behaviors might shine light on our sincerity and help us "clean up our acts."

Bro. Rene

 

Give Alms From Within

  Luke 11: 37-41

Woes to the Pharisees and Lawyers

³⁷ While Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him, so he went in and reclined at table. ³⁸ The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner. ³⁹ And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. ⁴⁰ You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? ⁴¹ But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you.

We most often think of almsgiving  as giving of money or goods to help the less fortunate. a note worthy gesture, long honored in the Church, as Pope Leo XIII says,  "Once the demands of necessity and propriety have been met, the rest of your money belongs to the poor."  John Chrysostom says,"The man who has two shirts in his closet, one belongs to him; the other belongs to the man who has no shirt." We can also share our faith, give of our time and expertise,  or our insights and experience. When we look at almsgiving from this perspective, we see that we all have much more to share than we would have suspected or acknowledged. Let look into the treasures with which we have been blessed and share them freely with others.

Bro. Rene.

Something Greater

Luke 11: 29-32

The Sign of Jonah

²⁹ When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. ³⁰ For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. ³¹ The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. ³² The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

 The  "something greater" than Solomon and Jonah, is Jesus. The people of his time, although having him physically present were still blind to him. We, who live 20 centuries after him, could use that as an excuse for not recognizing him, but the Scriptures, the teachings of the Church, the amazing witness given by those recognized as saints, and the good people with whom we live and work. as well as our own experience of him in prayer, are more than enough to compensate for his physical absence.  We are blameworthy if we claim blindness. No excuses. Let us pray that the eyes of our hearts see him as if he were face to face with us.

Bro. Rene

What Would I Do?

 Mark 10: 17-30

The Rich Man

¹⁷ As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ¹⁸ Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” ²⁰ He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” ²¹ Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” ²² When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

²³ Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” ²⁴ And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” ²⁶ They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” ²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

We might feel sad too as we see this promising man turn away from the challenge to take a further step in his pursuit of "eternal life". If he was so good, so close to the kingdom that Jesus looked upon him with love, why did he refuse? His many possessions stood in the way.

As I am in a month long process of settling int to my new community and have all my possessions out of their hiding places and cluttering my new room (and parts of the basement), I am embarrassed, ashamed, angry and determined to "divest".  It is a difficult, tough process, as so much meaning is attached to the the things....gifts, awards, representing my achievements over the years, too much clothing, most of which arrived under the Christmas tree; all of these things representing the love of the people behind them.  That's what makes is so hard.  BUT, as long as the love persists, the things can go.

How do YOU deal with possessions?  Jesus's invitation to is given to each of us, not just to the rich man. What do Ii really need, what can go to benefit someone who has less?  May this gospel passage set the wheels in motion for a necessary but freeing streamlining.

Bro. Rene