What Really Matters

 Luke 12:13-21

The Parable of the Rich Fool

13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

In this day of. very high gas and food prices, it seems time to stop the spending spree simply. from a practical standpoint: conserve and exercise restraint on non-essentials in order to be able to eat and get around  to do what really matters.

Jesus emphasizes that in the realm of our spiritual life,  focus on the essentials is  necessary. How much of our daily 24 hours do I devote to God in personal prayer, worship, or service to others? What is my attitude regarding material things?  Am I a hoarder or a slave of the newest gadget? Am I generous or. stingy with my time?  What spiritual treasures am I storing up in heaven?

May my prayers and actions of this day help me to shift my focus to what really matters to God.

Bro. Rene

 

A Martyr For Jesus

 Matthew 14: 1-12

John the Baptist Beheaded

14 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, 2 and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

3 Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, 4 for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.

6 On

Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much 7 that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted 10 and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. 12 John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.

Fairness is not the rule of this world. John sincerely and steadfastly spent his life preaching repentance and readiness for the coming of the Savior. When the scandal of Herod's unlawful marriage to his brother's wife took place, he confronted and decried iHerod, landing himself in jail and not on the list of Herodias's favorite people. When the opportunity arose for his elimination, she wasted no time. Standing up for justice and truth. have brought others to martyrdom through the centuries, even to this very day. Even if it will not actually be our lot, let us pray for those who do suffer persecution and martyrdom unjustly.

Bro. Rene

Martha and Mary

 Luke 10: 38-42

At the Home of Martha and Mary

³⁸ As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one.^[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Some of us choose to be in the camp of Mary, busy with serving, or what we might call, "active ministry". Others might prefer the more contemplative approach as exemplified by Mary. A third possibility is a combination of the two:: a life of service fortified and made possible by a commitment to daily contemplative prayer. It is possible to find this hour if we trim down the time we spend on other things such as the all time consuming internet. Less e-mail or facebook, more prayer.  It can be done. JUST DO IT!

Bro,  Rene

Old And New Treasures

 Matthew 13:47-53

The Parable of the Net

47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.51 “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked“Yes,” they replied.52 He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

A Prophet Without Honor

53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there.

We live in an age of fast-moving change, and disconnection from our roots.  There is a growing faction which is ready to discard all the old and replace it with "the new". I would suggest that is it not a good ideas to lose our connection with the past or become detached from our foundations,  a move that would leave us floating in mid-air; It is important to preserve what generations took centuries to establish.  We need prudence and fidelity to the truth as well as openness to the feasibility of applying the old to our ever-changing world. Let us be cautiously bold, if possible.  May the Holy  Spirit guide us on what can be a precarious but necessary path.

Bro. Rene

What Price, God's Kingdom?

(Note: I'm on the  Pine Ridge Reservation  and it has taken all morning to be able to publish a slice of bread on a borrowed laptop> Please bear with me for the next week)

Matthew 13:44-46

Parables of  the Kingdom

Jesus said to  his disciples, "The kingdom of heaven is  like  a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.  When he finds a pearl of great price he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.

The value of worldly things cannot compare with the value of heavenly things in the time of Jesus and even now with the economy shaky, inflation skyrocketing, and wars threatening, the pearls and treasures of   God rise as THE ONLY VALUE worth countless spiritual dollars and the only bargain worth acquiring. May we set our priorities straight and sink our energy into these.

Bro, Rene.

Only The Father Knows

 Matthew 23: 36-43

The Day and Hour Unknown

³⁶ “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even rhe angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³⁷ As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹ and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰ Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

⁴² “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. ⁴³ But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.

For centuries, this passage had people shaking in their boots.  When would the Son of Man come?  Not so much nowadays..  So many are totally unaware of the coming of the Lord, it does not wrinkle their view of life one bit..   WE are all guilty of plodding along, or have reached the point of complete trust that no matter what our state of soul, God will not punish us. Both attitudes are false and dangerous.  Serving God is more than plodding along, and an "anything goes" approach falsely removes the necessity of bearing responsibility for our actions.Yes the Father knows us and where we'll end up, but it does not give us carte blanche to do whatever we want.  There are certain parameters we must observe, and he has set them for us..

Bro. Rene 

Aim To Serve Others

 Matthew 20: 20-28

A Mother's Request

²⁰ Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. ²¹ And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” ²² Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” ²³ He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” ²⁴ And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. ²⁵ But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority  over them. ²⁶ It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, ²⁸ even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for others.

A mother always wants what's best for her children, but in this case the mother of James and John went a bit too far, not knowing as Jesus told her, what she was asking for. He calmly sets the standard of service to others as the goal of ambitious energy and directs his followers to seek the last place, to be the "slave", even as he came to serve and give his life as a ransom for us. In the end, this formula is what brigs us peace and happiness.  It goes against our natural tendencies, so we must keep vigilant through prayer that we do not slip back into worldly ambition. Praying over these words of Jesus frequently will keep us on the road of humble service.

Bro. Rene .

The Power of Prayer

  

Luke 11: 1-13

Jesus’ Teaching on Prayer

11 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

² He said to them, “When you pray, say:

“‘Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom com
³ Give us each day our daily bread.
⁴ Forgive us our sins,
    for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.

⁵ Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; ⁶ a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ ⁷ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

⁹ “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

¹¹ “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? ¹² Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Here's a day's, yea, even a lifetime's meditation on prayer.  Jesus speaks so calmly about it, a man of prayer himself as we read how he so often slipped away to be with his Father in prayers  How much time to I spend in  prayer? Can I, do I want to do more? Luke's succinct version of the Lord's prayer captures its essence and demonstrates to us that a multiplication of words is not necessary for an effective prayer..My faith behind my prayer is what counts, not the string of words or y distracted thought wanderings that always seem to pepper my prayers.No, peace confidence, the attitude and belief that God knows these needs and will grant them in due time.  He wants my faith, confidence and love.  May I make an effort today and in the weeks ahead to pray from these foundation stones.

Bro. Rene

 

Living With Our Weeds

 Matthew 13: 24-30

The Parable of the Weeds

²⁴ He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, ²⁵ but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. ²⁶ So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. ²⁷ And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ ²⁸ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ ²⁹ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

It seems that the weeds will always be with us, no matter how much we might detest them or work to remove them. The owner of the field knows this and calmly allows them to grow along with the wheat until the end, and then will have them separated and burned. We might take heart at this as we live with our faults and failures which persist day in and day out despite our efforts to eradicate them.  Or, looking beyond ourselves to the daily headlines of woe, injustice and violence, and the feeble ineffective ways of removing them, and just accept that they will always be there.   Our efforts should be centered on cultivating the goodness in ourselves and in others, and living with the weeds which will eventually be bundled up and burned.

Bro. Rene

Bro. Rene

His Beloved Friend

The Resurrection

20 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. ² So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

¹¹ Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb ¹² and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

¹³ They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” ¹⁴ At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

¹⁵ He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

¹⁷ Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

¹⁸ Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

We have a tender episode and a lasting image of the love Mary Magdalene had for Jesus and he for her.  He wanted to make sure that she knew he had risen from the dead, and gave her a unique and personal experience to verify it. The scene is filled with tenderness and energy as Jesus lifts Mary from her doldrums and sorrow to another level of tears: tears of joy.  He wanted to make sure his special friend was one of the first to experience his resurrection and one of the bearers of this good news.

We might put ourselves in this garden as we meditate today.  What would by my reaction to the sudden appearance of  Jesus I thought dead and buried, now alive  and more loving and tender than ever?   How would I react when he called my name? Would I embrace him and then run to tell others this good news?  Isn't that our calling as Christians, as followers of Jesus? 

Bro. Rene

Open Eyes and Open Ears

 Matthew 13: 10-17

Why Speak in Parables?

¹⁰ The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

¹¹ He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. ¹² Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. ¹³ This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;
    though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

¹⁴ In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
    you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
¹⁵ For this people’s heart has become calloused;
    they hardly hear with their ears,
    and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,
    understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’

¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. ¹⁷ For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

Some of us can be obstinate, stubborn defensive and blind. Others are searchers, who patiently listen study and pry over questions in search of the answer  We would not like Jesus pointing isi finger at us because we appeared to listen, but actually did not, or only gave lip-service to Jesus' teachings;  May we find our place among the blessed who see with their eyes, hear with their ear and follow with all their heart.

Bro. Rene 

Some Seed Produced

Note: This marks our 4,300th post!  Praise the Lord!)

Matthew 13: 1-9

The Parable of the Sower

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. ² Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. ³ Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴ As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹ Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

Even an amateur farmer knows that not all the seed germinates or produces fruit. Water, sunshine,. weeding, cultivating, and  patience are all involved. Insects and rodents also demand attention before the crop is ready. So it is with the sowing of the seed of faith...all might hear it, but all might not fully accept it, or even totally reject it. Even I might be borderline on some issues, and a quick look at my life reveals a lot of cultivating must come before I'm ready to be harvested. Keeping in mind that some seed produced abundantly,, let us do all we can to make sure we are part of that "some seed."

Bro. Rene 

We Are One Family

 sed

 Matthew 12: 26-30

Jesus' Mother and Brothers

⁴⁶ While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. ⁴⁸ But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” ⁴⁹ And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ⁵⁰ For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Our families are one of our greatest gifts; we treasure them. How much more blessed are we to be invited into the family of Jesus?  The key to the door of his family is to do the will of our Father in heaven.  We pray daily as Jesus taught us: "Thy will be done on earth a it is is heaven;" may it be done in us as well.

Bro. Rene

 Loving God, we have heard the call of your Son, our faithful shepherd. May we imitate his love and compassion towards those we serve. Help us to be faithful in our responsibilities, and in our service of your kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Rev. Bob Loughery, C.S.C.
 

Looking For Signs

 Matthew 12: 38-42

The Sign of Jonah

³⁸ Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”

³⁹ He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰ For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ⁴¹ The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here. ⁴² The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.

A dose of the daily headlines usually makes our head spin.  Can it get any worse?  A look at our TO DO LIST makes us ask if even Hercules could accomplish all we want to do or need to do. We too look for a sign to verify that we are on the right track. Jesus reminded the Pharisees and reminds us to look at our past history and past leaders such as Jonas, who so much like us, was full of doubts, disappointments and anger until he learned to accept GOD'S WAYS.  Yes, they are different from ours, but they always work out the  best.  God knows, God cares, God guides and he leaves signs all around us. Time to step back, calm our worried souls and give our anxieties over to God can help us see more clearly the signs he lays out daily. Lord,open my eyes  that I may see, understand and trust in your ways.

Bro. Rene 

Balancing Action and Contemplation

 

Martha and Mary

³⁸ Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. ³⁹ And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” ⁴¹ But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, ⁴² but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

The world is full of Mary s and Marthas, and if we look into our own hearts we find them there too. We are attentive to the never-ending demands and needs of others be it a family member or the daily dose of phone calls or letters from "do-good" organizations looking for a donation.  How do we sift though all of this to find quiet time, Mary time", to be with Jesus and listen to him speak in the quiet of our hearts? Even when we do this, we find our minds racing about all the things we have to do he rest of the day. It seems we can never get that "quiet moment " of prayerful contemplation, but we can keep trying by focusing on a word or phrase, or even a favorite image and just resting with it.  The distractions melt away and we have that "Mary Moment"which  is so important if we are going to be effective in our "Martha Work". Lets give both "girls"a chance today!

Bro, Rene

In Him Is Our Hope

  

Matthew 12: 14-21

¹⁴ But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

God's Chosen Servant

¹⁵ Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all ¹⁶ and ordered them not to make him known. ¹⁷ This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁸ “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,
    my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.
I will put my Spirit upon him,
    and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
¹⁹ He will not quarrel or cry aloud,
    nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
²⁰ a bruised reed he will not break,
    and a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory;
²¹and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

Well spoke Isaiah when he described the Messiah, and well did Jesus fulfill this description.  The chosen beloved of God did proclaim justice, gently bring peace hope and victory to a broken world.  He gave us the pattern to follow and the mission to fulfill, the same as his! Our daily prayer, our daily  bread help us to carry out this mission as best we can.  Let us be fortified and emboldened by that same Spirit who guided Jesus.  . Nothing is impossible with God! In him is our hope!

Bro Rene

Mercy, Not Sacrifice

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

Mathew  12: 1-8

12 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. ² When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”

³ He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? ⁴ He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. ⁵ Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? ⁶ I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. ⁷ If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. ⁸ For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Jesus sets the tone, makes the rules, and in the contest between mercy and sacrifice, MERCY wins.  Common sense and the needs of others take precedence over the rules, which are really meant to be guidelines, helping us to keep focused on goals, but not ends in themselves.  The Law of Charity takes precedence over the Law.. May our prayer and daily meditation open our eyes and hearts to see  and respond to NEEDS rather than to strict adherence to the "letter of the law."  Then we will be following the spirit of the law of love.

Bro Rene.

Come To Me

^{Matthew 11: 28-30} 

^{Jesus Is  Our Rest}

²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Perhaps one of the best beloved and best known passages of the entire Scriptures,  quoted often in prayer and song, it recognizes our need to focus on Jesus in the midst of our busyness, worries, sorrows and joys. As our bodies need hours of sleep each night to function properly. so too our souls, our minds our hearts, need confident and restful repose in Jesus.  We might picture ourselves as a child in his arms, or a fishing partner whose silent presence gives us strength and peace.  Let us walk with Jesus as our best friend and find renewal of spiritual and even mental and physical strength in  him.  He alone can provide what is missing..

Bro. Rene 

The Heart Of A Child

 

(note: Thus far there have been 198,500 views of Br. Rene's Daily bread.)

Matthew 11: 25-27

The Father Revealed in the Son

²⁵ At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. ²⁶ Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

²⁷ “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Jesus reminds us that intellectual contortions Will not bring us closer to the Father than  the loving trust of a little child. His call is for us to become more childlike. A challenge for we pride ourselves on our educations,  our ability to think for ourselves and "stand on our own." Becoming an adult includes the risk of losing the child in us, the abiity yo find joy in the small things of each day, the trusting confidence to "let go and let God", to be free from the shackles of worry. Let us pray for a return to our childhood, in the bet sence, and ask God to help us if we can't find out way to it. 

Bro. Rene

 So today, let us quiet our minds, quick and bright as they may be, and ask God to reveal himself in the silence and simplicity of our love for him. Let us look to God with the trusting faith of a child, cultivating our love for God above all else!

Emmeline (Schoen) D’Agostino ’03, ’05 M.Ed.

 

Help Us To Repent

 Matthew 11: 20-24

Woe to the Impenitent Cities

²⁰ Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: ²¹ “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. ²² But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. ²³ And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. ²⁴ But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”

As we  read these "woes" may we imagine what woe Jesus would address to us? We are all guilty of sin, and it's healthy and a good sign of repentance to acknowledge it and ask for forgiveness. God is a forgiving and loving god; no sin is beyond his ability to forgive, lest we sink so far in despair that we cannot even ask for forgiveness.

Bro. Rene

Forgiving God, help us to repent of our sins and failings, and renew our lives by our imitation of you Son. May we be always grateful for the mighty deeds you have done for us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 Rev. Bob Loughery, C.S.C.

 

 

 

A Radical Call

  

Matthew 10: 34-11: 1

Not Peace, but a Sword

³⁴ “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ³⁶ And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. ³⁷ Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸ And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹ Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Rewards

⁴⁰ “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. ⁴¹ The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. ⁴² And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

Messengers from John the Baptist

11 When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.

As we celebrate the Memorial of St. Benedict  whose Monastic Rule has been an immeasurable gift  to those called to the contemplative life and to the whole world itself, we look at the challenges and demands, as well as the rewards Jesus presents to all of us. The demands of these few verses take a lifetime to fulfill but present an answer to a world that ignores them and flounders in chaos. Witness the violence,  unhappiness and uncertainty we experience daily, compared to the orderly,  focused and fruitful way of life proposed by this Gospel and the Benedictine Rule. What the world and its values offer cannot compare to the joy that results  from a life based on these radical demands proposed by  Jesus. We are not all called to be monks, but we are all called to take up our cross and follow Jesus, to put the things of God first and to give what we can of ourselves and our goods, even if it be only a cup of water, to others.

Bro. Rene.

 

Be A Good Samaritan

Luke 10: 25-37

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

²⁵ And behold, a certain ^[a]lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

²⁶ He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”

²⁷ So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

²⁸ And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”

²⁹ But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰ Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among ^[b]thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. ³¹ Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³² Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. ³³ But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. ³⁴ So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵ On the next day, ^[c]when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ ³⁶ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”

³⁷ And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

This endearing parable has been a favorite since Jesus told it.  So simple, so compassionate, so easy, so challenging!  Why can't I  be a good Samaritan? How many intersections or corners in my town find men (and women) of all ages holding cardboard signs with "HUNGRY" "WILL WORK:" written on them? Do we tend to avoid eye contact with them? Do we wonder how they got there,?  Do we wonder if they will use a donation to buy drugs? It's not comfortable waiting for the light to change, to say the least.  What would the Good Samaritan do? What will I do?

Bro. Rene

 

Fear Not

 

 Matthew 10: 24-33

 ²⁴ “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. ²⁵ It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house ^[a]Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! ²⁶ Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

Jesus Teaches the Fear of God

²⁷ “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. ²⁸ And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in ^[b]hell. ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a ^[c]copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. ³⁰ But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Confess Christ Before Men

³² “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. ³³ But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

In advising us not to fear, Jesus encourages us by his own example to boldly preach and live the TRUTH. Persecutions have been part of the history of his followers since the beginning and will be till the end of time Martyrs have blessed our ranks in every era and serve as models for us. "The blood of martyrs is the seed of faith," a saying that has proved true over the centuries, and one that should embolden us to live and p=profess our faith boldly  and fearlessly. If we hide it under a bushel basket what good will it do?  It will not serve as the LIGHT  for which it was intended and must be.  Let us pray for the courage and grace to live our faith  as Jesus encouraged us to live it.

Bro. Rene

Not Easy

 As Sheep Among Wolves

 Matthew 10: 16-23

¹⁶ “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. ¹⁷ Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. ¹⁸ On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, ²⁰ for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

²¹ “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. ²² You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. ²³ When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes 

The task of preaching the kingdom of God is not for sissies. Jesus warns his disciples of challenges including persecution and death.  The History of the Church has proved him right, even to this day.The powers of darkness militate against the message of love and forgiveness, self-denial and self-sacrifice modeled by Jesus. A look at the headlines, the reality of shrinking church congregations and leaders is all too blatant evidence that somethings is grossly amiss. Are we going to wait for a "new Messiah" or is each one of us ready to bravely and sincerely ready to live our faith to demonstrate that "it works" and is the foundation for true happiness and peace?  Let us not be afraid to be sheep among wolves; if others have done it, so can we!

Bro. Rene

Proclaim The Good News

 Matthew 10: 1-7

The Twelve Apostles

10 Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. ² These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee and his brother John; ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus and Thaddaeus; ⁴ Simon the Cananaean and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.

The Mission of the Twelve

⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not take a road leading to gentiles, and do not enter a Samaritan town, ⁶ but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷ As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’

As the Twelve were mission-ed to proclaim the Good News,, so are we.  Some to devote their entire lives to not only teaching, but also by living what Jesus proclaimed.  There is salvation, there is hope for all who accept his words, his way of life, his way of relating with one another.  It's a life of simplicity, generosity, forgiveness, trust and obedience to the Father's will. A look at the world today gives us a pasture of what happens when we follow Jesus and when we don't;  There are pockets of people who live what Jesus taught and enjoy a peaceful and loving life. For those who don't, the news papers and news broadcasts show them to us daily.  They are not happy nor do they bring happiness to others.  May our daily prayer keep us faithful to Jesus and pmoved to reach out in some way to these people, created and loved by God as we are, but who don't as yet know nor accept him. It's a life-long endless aim but part of the package of being a follower of Jesus.  The 12 accepted their mission, can we?

Bro.Rene

We Need Workers

 

Matthew 9: 32-38 

³² While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. ³³ And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”

³⁴ But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.”

The Workers Are Few

³⁵ Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ³⁸ Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

What would Jesus say if he saw I(and he does) our situation today?  A great need,  lots of unchurched, not enough priests and ministers, daily hate-shootings, people bewildered and wandering in  and out of useless solutions.We certainly do need a new batch of laborers to help bring back the sheep.  It has been like this before and laborers did appear...St. Francis and his Franciscans, St. Dominic and is followers...St. Ignatius and the Jesuits.  Who will be our new reformer?  What can I do right now to help?

Bro. Rene

 

Faith in Action on the Fourth

 Matthew 9: 18-26

A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed

¹⁸ While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” ¹⁹ And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. ²⁰ And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, ²¹ for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” ²² Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly^[a] the woman was made well. ²³ And when Jesus came to the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, ²⁴ he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. ²⁵ But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. ²⁶ And the report of this went through all that district.

Two wonderful examples of total belief and trust in Jesus: the ruler and the suffering woman. They serve as models for our faith-life, for our prayer, and stand with us today as we celebrate our independence in a country, a world, where violence shakes us daily, traditional values waver and weaken, and finds themselves relegated to the back shelf more and more. Time to stop this downhill spiral, put on the brakes and come to Jesus for healing.. Parades and fireworks are external expressions of our gratitude and pride for what we still enjoy, but let us also polish up our hearts and restore the goals of our founders that we may preserve a nation that is free to pursue and provide life, liberty and happiness for all. 

Bro Rene
God of compassion, we are mindful this day of the blessings you have given to us. May we be grateful for the freedoms we enjoy, and faithful to the responsibilities they demand of us. Help us to be mindful of those who cry out for your justice and mercy. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Rev. Bob Loughery, C.S.C.