Help Me Believe

 

John 10: 31- 42

 Jesus and the Father Are One

³¹ Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, ³² but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”

³³ “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”’? ³⁵ If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— ³⁶ what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? ³⁷ Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. ³⁸ But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” ³⁹ Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.

⁴⁰ Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed, ⁴¹ and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true.” ⁴² And in that place many believed in Jesus.

 

 As in the time of Jesus, there are believers and unbelievers.  Where do I find myself? Am I firm in my belief or am I stumbling in a dark room trying to find the keys  on my laptop?  May we persevere despite the obstacles as Jesus did and eventually rise to new life.  He did it, so can we.

Bro. Rene

 

   Almighty and ever-living God, the words of Jesus your Son scandalized some of those who first heard them, and he was accused of blasphemy. Centuries later, we still seek to live within the outlandishness of Christ’s promises—promises so deep and abiding that they conquer all sin and death. Make us fearless in proclaiming the truths that set us free. You live and reign forever and ever. Amen.

  Rev. Paul Kollman, C.S.C.

 

The Great I AM

John 8: 51-59

The Conflict Mounts

⁵¹ Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”

⁵² At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. ⁵³ Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”

⁵⁴ Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. ⁵⁵ Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. ⁵⁶ Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”

⁵⁷ “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”

⁵⁸ “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” ⁵⁹ At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

The Jews understood the I AM to mean that Jesus equated himself with God, whom they understood to be the ONE AND ONLY God of their Fathers. Such an assumption and declaration was totally unacceptable. As we approach Holy Week, let it be clear that Jesus is God and in sacrificing his life, he secured eternal life for us. Let us not pick up stones to destroy him, but let us pray for a deeper faith to accept him, no matter what challenges we might be facing.

Bro. Rene

 God in heaven, Jesus your Son spoke the truth, a truth rejected by many who heard him. We strive to live in that truth—we want our Lenten observances of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to keep us faithful. Make us ever more aware of the life-giving promises that Jesus proclaimed, that we may live forever in your sight. Amen.

  Rev. Paul Kollman, C.S.C.

Jesus Obeys the Father

:NB: Not off to a good start this morning. Very late with this slice.  May your say be blessed...

 

 John 8: 21-30

Assurance of the Father

²¹ So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” ²² So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” ²³ He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. ²⁴ I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” ²⁵ So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. ²⁶ I have much to say about you and much to judge, but h with ee who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” ²⁷ They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father. ²⁸ So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. ²⁹ And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” ³⁰ As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

As we approach Holy Week, we see Jesus deeper and deeper in confrontation with earthly leaders who cannot understand his heavenly mission. When we face frustration and confrontation we can find assurance that Jesus knows what we are going through, for he was in our shoes too.  As he obeyed his Father, may we too obey and accept his will too.

Bro. Rene

Father, Jesus your Son proclaimed your reign and embodied it in his intimacy with you and his generous self-sacrificing life. Be with us in our Lenten pilgrimage of faith. May our prayer, fasting, and repentance draw us ever more deeply into Christ’s example of oneness with you and kind attentiveness to others. Amen.

 Rev. Paul Kollman, C.S.C.

Sin No More

 

John 8: 1-11

The Woman Caught in Adultery

 ¹ but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

² At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. ³ The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ⁴ and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵ In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” ⁶ They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. ⁷ When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

⁹ At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. ¹⁰ Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

¹¹ “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Gentle compassion, forgiveness, and a chance to start again. Is that not what we all are seeking, especially during Lent? We are now into our final week of  "working on ourselves" (Next week is Holy Week, when we focus on the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus). May we use these days to seek the forgiveness we need and experience the healing touch of Jesus, which is always there for us. Let us not persist in darkness but walk in the light he promises. the Light he IS!

Bro. Rene

Good and loving God, we desire to live your law rightly, but at times we lose sight of your call for us to love. Have mercy on us, and grant us the courage and strength to act mercifully with everyone we meet. Convert our hearts, that we may draw others to you with our love. Amen.

  Ricky Bevington, C.S.C.

A Preview

 

John 11: 1-45

The Death of Lazarus

11 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. ² (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) ³ So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

⁴ When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” ⁵ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶ So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, ⁷ and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

⁸ “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”

⁹ Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. ¹⁰ It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”

¹¹ After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”

¹² His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” ¹³ Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

¹⁴ So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, ¹⁵ and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

¹⁶ Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Jesus Comforts the Sisters of Lazarus

¹⁷ On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. ¹⁸ Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, ¹⁹ and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. ²⁰ When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

²¹ “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²² But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

²³ Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

²⁴ Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

²⁷ “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

²⁸ After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” ²⁹ When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. ³⁰ Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. ³¹ When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

³² When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

³³ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ³⁴ “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

³⁵ Jesus wept.

³⁶ Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

³⁷ But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead

³⁸ Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ³⁹ “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

⁴⁰ Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

⁴¹ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

⁴³ When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” ⁴⁴ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

⁴⁵ Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.

 As we approach the final weeks of Lent, the Church gives us this preview of the Resurrection of Jesus, the key element of his mission: that death will no longer have dominion over us and that Eternal Life is our destiny. The dramatic raising of Lazarus assures us that physical death is not final; life will continue beyond it. Now we understand that our Baptism puts us on this track to everlasting life.Let us firm up our faith and pray for those preparing for Baptism, that they might grow in their understanding and appreciation of the sacrament they are preparing to receive.

Bro. Rene

The sting of death is as sharp as it is crushing. We weep with Martha and Mary at the death of our loved ones, upon hearing of the horrors of war and of senseless violence. Through our tears we also profess with Martha, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” Jesus, fill us with the hope that allowed Martha to make this powerful statement of faith. In you is our life and we believe in you, so that even if we die, we will live. Amen.

 Rev. Matthew Kuczora, C.S.C.

 

Doing God's Will

 Luke 1: 26-38

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

²⁶ In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, ²⁷ to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

²⁹ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, ³³ and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

³⁴ “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

³⁵ The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. ³⁶ Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. ³⁷ For no word from God will ever fail.”

³⁸ “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

We celebrate this Solemnity of the Annunciation  of the Lord, so dear to Christians, and particularly, the Marist Brothers, with joy and gratitude for by her willingness to accept God's plan for us, Mary opened the door to the presence of the God-man, her Son, Jesus, among us and our salvation. Even with Gabriel's explanation, Mary might not have fully understood what was being asked of her, but she surely took a leap of faith and put herself totally at God's disposal. And what a difference that has made for us!

We may not be asked to make such a dramatic choice, but there are choices we face that demand faith and trust; Mary shows us the way. May we accept the grace of the Annunciation in our lives and always be at the full disposal of God's plan. Mary learned that it was better than any plan she might have had, and we will discover that too.

Bro. Rene

 
Almighty and ever living God, Mary found favor with you, and you chose her to bear your saving promise. She questioned “how?” and was told nothing is impossible for the power of the Most High. When we are troubled and question amid our doubts or fears, may your grace abound, stirring the hope that moves us, too, to declare “Thy will be done.” We ask this through Jesus, your Word made flesh, who is Lord forever and ever. Amen.

Rev. Bill Dorwart, C.S.C.

Not For "Softies"

Jn 7: 1-2, 10, 25-30

Jesus Goes to the Festival of Tabernacles

7 After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him. ² But the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near.

¹⁰ However, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went also, not publicly, but in secret.

Division Over Who Jesus Is

²⁵ At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? ²⁶ Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah? ²⁷ But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”

²⁸ Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, ²⁹ but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.”

³⁰ At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.

The stage is being set for the arrest and eventual death of Jesus as opposition and confrontation mount. Jesus walks bravely forward, unafraid of his menacing opponents. What would I do if I were wearing his shoes?  His mind was fixed firmly on his mission and he refused to back away from it.  Am I as firm and determined in my discipleship, in my practice of the Faith, even in my Lenten sacrifices? As humans, we tend to slack off, back off, when the going gets tough.  Not Jesus. May we find the fortitude and strength to remain faithful to him despite the invitations and temptations that besiege us to duck from our commitments or go soft on ourselves.  Jesus was not a "softy". If I am to be his follower, neither can I be.

Bro. Rene

Jesus, Son of God the most high, you live in intimate union with the Father and you invite us to share in your life. May the fruits of our own Baptism be more evident than ever these Lenten days, that we may celebrate Easter with unrestrained rejoicing. You live and reign with the Father and the Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.

 Rev. Paul Kollman, C.S.C.

For Or Against

 

 

 Luke 11: 14-23

Jesus and Beelzebul

¹⁴ Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. ¹⁵ But some of them said, “By Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” ¹⁶ Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.

¹⁷ Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. ¹⁸ If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. ¹⁹ Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. ²⁰ But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

²¹ “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. ²² But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder.

²³ “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

It seems that Jesus was criticized at every  turn. Today it's the power of Beelzebul, not the power of God he's accused of using as he cures the mute. He uses the occasion to clarify his own status and mission, and  calls us  to accept him as God's emissary.  May our eyes and hearts be opened more as we plunge further into Lent to see and know Jesus better than we have an become his emissaries who stand strongly with him.

Bro. Rene

Dear God, may my actions and choices stand clearly WITH you as  your faithful witness and help others to benefit from my example.

 

Seek To Please God, Not Self

 Note:  This is our 4,500th slice of Daily Bread!

 

John 5: 17-30 

By Myself I Can Do Nothing

¹⁷ In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” ¹⁸ For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

¹⁹ Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. ²⁰ For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. ²¹ For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. ²² Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, ²³ that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.

²⁴ “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. ²⁵ Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. ²⁶ For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. ²⁷ And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

²⁸ “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice ²⁹ and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. ³⁰ By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

 This passage not only explains the relationship of Jesus with his Father, but also reminds us that we are here not to do our wills, but like Jesus, to do the will of the Father.  In so doing we find life here and pave the way for eternal life after death.  Headlines of earthquakes and ferocious storms, political turmoil, war and moral decay can scare us, but Jesus reminds us that our life reaches its maturity in our relationship with Our Father, a path he followed faithfully...to the cross and resurrection.  Our "SELF" gets in the way all the time, but our Lenten meditations and sacrifices can serve as effective medications to free us from self-centeredness, to joy-filled service to one another and thus to God.

Bro. Rene

Father in Heaven, we stand before you today and ask for the grace to do your will. We await the hour when you will call out to those in the tombs, and for the dead to hear your voice. Breathe new life into us, that we may hear your voice, and act in accordance with your will. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 Rev. Mr. Andrew Fritz, C.S.C.

 

Do You Want to Get Well?

 NB. We're back in business...surgery went well; now rehab.  Praise God!

 John 5: 1-16

 The Healing at the Pool Called Bethesda

5 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. ² Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. ³ Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. ^{[4]  5} One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. ⁶ When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

⁷ “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

⁸ Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” ⁹ At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, ¹⁰ and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”

¹¹ But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ”

¹² So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?”

¹³ The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.

¹⁴ Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” ¹⁵ The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.

The Authority of the Son

 ¹⁶ So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him.

Writing this morning from Whittier Rehab after knee repair surgery, the question,  "Do you want to get well?" is most pertinent. Who among us likes to be confined to a bed, forced to walk with a walker, subject to needles, blood draws, and poking of all shapes and sizes? Happily, we know that we won't be subject to this for 38 years, but still can have s a sense of his longing to get back to "normal." How happy he must have been when Jesus told him to pick up his mat and walk! I know I'll be jumping for joy to walk out of this place, as good as it is, get behind the wheel of a car and get on with life again.  

If this is the case on the physical level, how much ore on the spiritual?  How much healing do we need in our relationship with God, our worship and prayer life, our relationship with others? Lent is here just for that reason. Let us reach out to Jesus, or better, let us allow him to reach out to us, pick us up and get us back on our spiritual feet again.

Bro. Rene

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the healing power of your Son was made manifest through signs and wonders during his earthly ministry. Open our eyes to the ways of grace at work among us in these Lenten days. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

  Rev. Paul Kollman, C.S.C.

No Greater Commandment

Note: I will be having surgery today to repair damage to my knee as a  result of a slip on black ice a month ago. There will be no "slice" of Daily Bread for a day or two after this, depending on how long I stay in the hospital. Thank you for your prayers.

 

 Mark 12: 28-34

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.

Love God, Love neighbor, four words, the Gospel in a nutshell, the task of a life time. One of those "easier said than done" commands, yet this is our call as disciples of Jesus, and especially during Lent, are we encouraged to put this "Greatest of commandments" into practice. May we keep trying, keeping it by simple acts of kindness, an encouraging word, or simply by "being there" for another. If all Christians lived this way how true the saying "See how they love one another", and how peace-filled, love-filled, our world would be!  It's worth the effort. Let's give it a heroic effort today and in the days ahead.

Bro. Rene

Lord God, draw us in! Draw us closer to your Kingdom! Help us to understanding rightly that we were made to love you and our neighbor, in all we think, say and do. May this Lent be for us a true season of renewal. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

  Ricky Bevington, C.S.C.

For or Against

 

 Luke 11: 14-23

Jesus and Beelzebul

¹⁴ Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. ¹⁵ But some of them said, “By Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” ¹⁶ Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.

¹⁷ Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. ¹⁸ If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. ¹⁹ Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. ²⁰ But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

²¹ “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. ²² But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder.

²³ “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

Jesus makes it clear:  "Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters." (Lk 11: 23) We cannot serve nor follow Jesus only halfheartedly; we need to take a stand, for or against. As we pursue our Lenten program of prayer, penance and almsgiving, let us remember that we are aiming at a change of attitude, a change of heart, the deepening of of our relationship with God. Half-way measures are not enough, God deserves, wants, all. Can we give it to him? That's what Lent is for.  Let's not hold back.

Bro. Rene

Lord Jesus, we know all too well what it is to be a house divided—we are often confronted with our own powerlessness and limitations. Please silence the selfish voices within us, or at least help us to not act on them. We so much want to be one with you. Amen.

 Rev. Herbert Yost, C.S.C.

Practice and Teach the Law

 

Matthew 5: 17-19

The Fulfillment of the Law

¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸ For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. ¹⁹ Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

 This short passage reminds us that Jesus did not come to abolish the Law of the Old Testament, but to fulfill it, and that fulfillment is accomplished through love...of God and of neighbor. Indeed, he laid down his life to show us the way we should love: totally and unconditionally, as we see when we look at and meditate on the Cross. During Lent we are trying to integrate that Love Law more completely into our lives, both to live it and teach it by word and example. Let us renew our efforts today, strengthened by the example of Jesus.

Bro. Rene

Lord God, in your great mercy you sent your Son to pour out himself for our sins. By his blood, he paid the price that we are unable to pay. May we always give thanks for so great a gift of love and may we in turn show your love and mercy to our neighbors. Give us the gift of your healing forgiveness to soften our hearts to be able to love as you do. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

  Rev. Tim Mouton, C.S.C.

Forgive From Your Heart

 

Matthew 10: 21-25

The Unmerciful Servant

²¹ Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

²² Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

²³ “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. ²⁵ Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

²⁶ “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ ²⁷ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

²⁸ “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

²⁹ “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

³⁰ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. ³¹ When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

³² “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. ³³ Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ ³⁴ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

³⁵ “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

It always bothered me that the servant whose debt had just been cancelled should treat his fellow servant so harshly.  Indeed, he was justly punished for his lack of mercy and forgiveness.  However, a closer scrutiny of my own life and thinking finds a bit of him in me too.  It's so easy these days to put down and condemn the behaviors of others, and wish their removal from society. Is that the best way to "rehab" them?  While not attempting to address the major "sinners", perhaps we might look at the way we treat the "minor" culprits whose behaviors are crass or unjust. Would love, compassion and time spent with them help? Lord show me what I should do and help me to forgive from my heart.

Bro. Rene
 

Lord God, in your great mercy you sent your Son to pour out himself for our sins. By his blood, he paid the price that we are unable to pay. May we always give thanks for so great a gift of love and may we in turn show your love and mercy to our neighbors. Give us the gift of your healing forgiveness to soften our hearts to be able to love as you do. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 Rev. Tim Mouton, C.S.C.

Unacceptable

 

Luke 4: 24-30

Jesus Rejected

²⁴ “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. ²⁵ I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. ²⁶ Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. ²⁷ And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”

²⁸ All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. ²⁹ They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. ³⁰ But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

A very tense moment for the "hometown boy"! Jesus spoke harshly about his lack of acceptance by the people of his hometown and aggravated them even more, to the point of their desire to throw him off a cliff! Jesus spoke the truth bravely, and met with rejection. Do we have the courage to do the same? The answer might be obvious, or muddled by circumstances but no doubt there is fear of rejection or uncertainty about stepping on toes.  May our prayer today offer the clarity and conviction we need to be a stronger witness to Jesus than we are right now.

Bro. Rene

Lord Jesus: In your hometown synagogue you told your neighbors that no prophet is accepted in his native place and that prophets tell people what they don’t want to hear. They turned on you! Lord Jesus, give me the strength to speak your word even in the face of rejection. Amen.

Rev. Jim Lackenmier, C.S.C.

Living Water

John 4: 5-42

Saving Waters

⁵ So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. ⁶ Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.

⁷ When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” ⁸ (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

⁹ The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

¹⁰ Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

¹¹ “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? ¹² Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”

¹³ Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

¹⁵ The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”

¹⁶ He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”

¹⁷ “I have no husband,” she replied.

Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. ¹⁸ The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

¹⁹ “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. ²⁰ Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

²¹ “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. ²² You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³ Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. ²⁴ God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

²⁵ The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

²⁶ Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

The Disciples Rejoin Jesus

²⁷ Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”

²⁸ Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, ²⁹ “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” ³⁰ They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

³¹ Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”

³² But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”

³³ Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”

³⁴ “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. ³⁵ Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. ³⁶ Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. ³⁷ Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. ³⁸ I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

Many Samaritans Believe

³⁹ Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” ⁴⁰ So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. ⁴¹ And because of his words many more became believers.

⁴² They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”

As we approach Easter and the baptisms or reception into full communion of the Elect, this Third Sunday of Lent presents the "Living Water" which quenches our thirst for what really matters in life: an intimate and lasting relationship with Jesus. He guides the Samaritan Woman to the conclusion that He only can satisfy her need for water, her thirst. This conversation is a reminder and a call to us to renew our thirst for Jesus. even if we are already baptized, for we can so easily fall into complacency and no longer feel the excitement and joy of being an active Christian. We go through the motions often enough, but do we allow ourselves deep down to be "born again" and again and again. May we join the Elect on their journey to Baptism by preparing to renew our Baptismal promises at the Vigil or on Easter Sunday.

Bro. Rene   

Lord Jesus Christ, you revealed yourself to the woman at the well. She thirsted, and you provided her with life-giving water. Create in us a spring of water welling up to eternal life, that we may believe for ourselves that you truly are the savior of the world. Amen.

  Rev. Mr. Andrew Fritz, C.S.C.

The Forgiving Father

 

 Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32

 

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

15 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. ² But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

³ Then Jesus told them this parable:

The Parable of the Lost Son

¹¹ Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

¹³ “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴ After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

¹⁷ “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

²⁵ “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷ ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

²⁸ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

³¹ “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³² But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

This is one of the most beloved of the parables Jesus gave us, for we can easily identify with the son who squandered his inheritance on "loose living", and if not with him, then with the loving, faithful, forgiving father. And some of us might find ourselves in the older, self-righteous brother.  There is something for all. Now almost at the third week of Lent, may we take time to reflect on this parable, put ourselves into it, and hear again the call to return home to the Father, repentant about our straying, seeking and experiencing the lavish forgiveness and love of our Father. We may even see ourselves in the older brother and ask to be more understanding and compassionate to those who have strayed and wish to return, aware that we too have strayed and need to return.  There is something for each of us today; may our "busyness" not keep us from finding it.

Bro. Rene 

Lord, in these 40 days of Lent, we pray, fast, and give alms, knowing that it is we who have taken ourselves away from you through our sins and our transgressions. By welcoming your forgiveness in our hearts these Lenten days, may we be brought by you to the joy of new life on Easter morning. Amen.

 Rev. Andrew Gawrych, C.S.C.

Accept the Cornerstone

 

 Matthew 21: 33-43, 45-46

The Parable of the Tenants

³³ “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. ³⁴ When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.

³⁵ “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. ³⁶ Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. ³⁷ Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

³⁸ “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ ³⁹ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

⁴⁰ “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”

⁴¹ “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”

⁴² Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

“‘The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

⁴³ “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

⁴⁵ When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. ⁴⁶ They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.

 

As believers, we  pride ourselves for "accepting the cornerstone" and being faithful followers of Jesus, but Lent always proposes a challenge to our fidelity to Jesus and encourages us to do more, to be more like him, to empty ourselves or selfishness and pride,  and serve others even better than we are already doing. When we rub shoulders with families who no longer practice their faith, with teens who have no knowledge of God; when we read about empty churches being sold and converted into condos, we see the great need for more prayer, sacrifice and work on our part. If we have accepted the cornerstone, Jesus, we have accepted the mission to help others accept him as well. It bears repeating: Accept the cornerstone, accept the mission!

Bro. Rene

Our Time Is Now

 

Luke 16: 19-31 

The Rich Man and Lazarus

¹⁹ “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. ²⁰ At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores ²¹ and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

²² “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. ²⁴ So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

²⁵ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

²⁷ “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, ²⁸ for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

²⁹ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’

³⁰ “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

³¹ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

 Too often we do things and regret them later. There is a good deal of the rich man in all of us.  We are  well into Lent now and might be finding it difficult to pursue the program we set out two weeks ago, but let us not grow weary or soft on ourselves. Rather, let us adopt the humility of Lazarus and assume  to role of beggar, asking not for material things but for the spiritual strength and generosity to "stick with our program", especially if includes helping the poor Lazaruses who frequent our street corners,

Dear God, keep me strong in my Lenten resolutions, and not squander these precious days with self-indulgence. Our Lenten time is short, keep me faithful to my plan and help me to accept whatever else you may ask me to do.

Servant Leadership

 

 Matthew 20: 17-28

Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time

¹⁷ And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, ¹⁸ “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death ¹⁹ and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”

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 many.”

Jesus clearly predicted his suffering and death, yet the mother of James and John seems to have missed the point and ambitiously seeks  prestigious place for her sons in the Kingdom of Jesus, as she understands it. Happily she did so, for it gave Jesus an opportunity to explain what it means to be one of his followers: a servant to others, and ultimately as he did, one who is willing to lay down his life for others. As we move further into Lent, may we not weary of the program we have set for ourselves, and continue to pray, sacrifice and give alms. And let us also think ahead to what we will do after Lent.  Will we be able to continue to keep some of these practices as now part of our spiritual life?  To be a servant for others is not just for Lent, but for life!

Bro. Rene 

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The life of your followers is one of service and self-sacrifice, a life like yours, Lord. Though you must have trembled before the betrayal, condemnation and suffering ahead, you did not turn away. No, you continued up to Jerusalem out of love for us.Fill us with your love and your strength, O God, so that we might be the servant of our sisters and brothers and thus imitate your great gift of love.