Small Works

 

Luke 13:18-21

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast

¹⁸ Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? ¹⁹ It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.”

²⁰ Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? ²¹ It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

When we take the time to picture what Jesus is describing, we have to stop in amazement: a tiny seed becomes a huge bush (tree?); a pinch of yeast inflates a huge bowl of dough; punch it down and it comes back even bigger. We can't underestimate the the power of the Word of God, nor the power we ARE if we allow that Word to grow in us, to be the leaven in the loaf of our soul, of our life. Let us allow that seed, that yeast to grow in us.

Bro. Rene

Dear God, our potential is greater than we can imagine. Help us to foster its full fledged maturity, as the mustard seed produces a huge bush, or a pinch yeast, a large loaf. Amen. 

 

Compassion Overrides Legalism

 

Luke 13:10-17

Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman on the Sabbath

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

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

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

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

Clearly Jesus demonstrates that the well-being of another outweighs a strict adherence to the "letter of the law." The cure of this woman's infirmity certainly took precedence over the regulation against working on the Sabbath. Sometimes we find ourselves in a similar situation where we have to work on Sunday to support our family or to help someone in need. What makes us more God-like, compassion or strict adherence to the law? Jesus gives us the answer.

Bro. Rene

Dear God help me to be compassionate and flexible, as Jesus was, without flauntingly disregarding "the rules".Amen.

 

Love God, Love Neighbor

 

 Matthew 22:34-40

 The Great Commandment

³⁴ But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. ³⁵ And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” ³⁷ And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ³⁸ This is the great and first commandment. ³⁹ And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ⁴⁰ On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Again we are presented with a succinct formula for happiness, direction and purpose. It's what we were created for, it's what God himself does, and IS: LOVE. When we were young we had to learn true love through the many false loves we might have experienced, "love" that had a lot of "me" in it, self-serving, self-centered "love". We eventually found out, that was not it; love does not point to me, but to you. Love pulls me out of myself, purifies me, empties me so that others might benefit and grow. And when we eventually learn that love of and for God is really the reason for our existence, then the debilitations, disruptions and diseases of aging fall by the wayside and love becomes our main preoccupation, our main "raison d'etre", the fuel that fires our engines in the final phase of our journey. The sooner we discover this and center on love, the more pleasant the journey becomes. Let us spend time this Sabbath, this Sunday, to reflect on the gift and the power of LOVE.

Bro. Rene

Dear God, you are  LOVE and you love us unconditionally.. Help us to live and grow in your love and share it with others. Amen.

 

A Night of Prayer

 

 Luke 6:12-16

The Twelve Apostles

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

Today we remember two of the Apostles Jesus chose to carry on his ministry, and we Marists remember the encounter St. Marcellin had with the dying 17 year old Jean-Baptiste Montagne which precipitated the establishment of the Marist Brothers whose teaching ministry now bolstered by thousands of Lay Marists continues to make Jesus known and loved. It is significant to note that Jesus prayed all night before announcing his choices, including Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.  St. Marcellin too was a man of prayer, relying on it to help him with personnel, political and financial issues throughout his life.He was a man of action as well, ordained on July 16, 1816, met the Montagne boy on October 28, 1816, and began the first community of Marist Brothers on January 2, 1817. Not a procrastinator for sure, and a model for us who face countless challenges ranging from indifference to the Faith to divisions within the Church. May St. Marcellin continue to inspire us to ACTION and CONVICTION, that what we do IS God's will and work, and that we all can play a major role in accomplishing it. We are the Marcellins for our time; we must pray and work with faith, energy and love to carry on the Marist Mission.

Bro. Rene

Dear God, as Sts. Simon, Jude and Marcellin used their time and talents to spread knowledge and love of you, help us to carry on this mission with all our strength, energy and gifts.. Amen.

Try Hard To Be Reconciled

 

 Luke 12: 54-59 

Interpreting the Times

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

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

As Jesus reminds us, we have no trouble interpreting signs of good and bad weather, but we're not as clever when it comes to our own behavior in our distinguishing right from wrong. Certainly we might think it obvious  that wrong would be evident, but it's so cleverly camouflaged, or our own sensibility to it has been dulled, that we don't see it as readily as we used to or as we ought to. Mass shootings in quiet towns, countries at war, empty churches, mounting national debts...are these not signs that "something's rotten in Denmark"? What more do we need before we not only see the problems, but actually do something about them? The signs of the times are not good. Where do we begin? What can I  do?

Bro. Rene

Dear God, it is obvious that all is not well. Guide and direct me so that I might  in some small way get my life back on track and help others to do the same. Amen.

Setting The World On Fire

 

 Luke 12:49-53

Not Peace but Division

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

We get a sense of passion and urgency from verse 49; there is zeal and a strong desire "to get the show on the road", to set the world on fire, to get the mission underway and accomplished.  Jesus sets the tone for us his followers: we have a job to do, a word to preach even if it causes division among those we love. The mission must come first even at the cost of peace! It's not a warm fuzzy fire, but one that burns with fierce heat, eliminating whatever is in its way. It's the fire that made Peter of the Denial into the Leader of the Church, that transformed Paul from a persecutor to a preacher, that can mold me into a zealous apostle. Pray that we might catch fire!

Bro. Rene

Dear Jesus, set me on fire. Amen.

 

Much Will Be Demanded

 

 Luke 12:39-48

Be Ready

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

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

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

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

This is a BE ON YOUR TOES Gospel passage, reminding us that complacency and lackadaisical-ness  have no part in the Kingdom of God. We need to keep ourselves attuned to God's daily instructions or requirements as we reflect on the Gospel for the day and listen to God instruct us on how to implement it in the hours ahead. We are to be wise managers of the gifts and hours with which God generously blesses us and use them for our own spiritual growth and that of our neighbor. We are not here on this earth for ourselves but to know, love and serve God and others. Let us work on being wise and prudent servants.."From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." (Luke 12: 48)  God will see and reward our efforts

Bro. Rene

Dear God, thank you for the gifts and talents you have given me. Help me to use them to their fullest. Amen.

 

Be Ready

 

 Luke 12:35-38

Watchfulness

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

As we approach the end of the Liturgical Year, Jesus reminds us to remain vigilant, to be "on deck" for whatever  he may be calling us to do. "Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning." (Lk 12: 35)  As we begin this day, we have no idea what lies ahead, what need we might have to fulfill, but we are to be ready for it. We are to put ourselves at God's disposal, willing to lay aside our plans in favor of his. Our morning prayer takes its cue from Mary's, "Be it done to me according to your word." (Lk 1: 38).  Let us be watchful and willing, using our prayer time to dispose us be watchful and ready.

Bro. Rene 

Dear God, as I begin this day, help me to open my mind and heart to take up whatever task you ask of me willingly and joyfully. Amen.  

 

Greed Creeps

 

  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 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” ¹⁵ Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

¹⁶ And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. ¹⁷ He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

¹⁸ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. ¹⁹ And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

²⁰ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

²¹ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

Jesus reminds us that "life does not consist in an abundance of possessions." Yet, it we look around our homes, what do we see?  An abundance of possessions! We tend to collect, accumulate, pile up THINGS that we don't really need but for some reason hold on to.  The clutter might not matter until it stands in the way of our helping others or contributes the the easy or "eat, drink and be merry" life. Jesus reminds us that all of this can disappear in a flash and that being "rich toward God" or in the things of God, that is sharing our material things with those who have less, is a way of counterbalancing the insidious creeping of greed and hoarding into our lives. 

Bro. Rene

Dear God, open my eyes to the presence of greed in my life, and help me to curb it before it curbs me. Amen.

 

Priorities

 

 Matthew 22:15-21

 Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar

¹⁵ Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. ¹⁶ They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. ¹⁷ Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax^[a] to Caesar or not?”

¹⁸ But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? ¹⁹ Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, ²⁰ and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

²¹ “Caesar’s,” they replied.

Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

Again this famous exchange with the Pharisees and Herodians challenges us to visit our own priorities. Do we, can we give to God what is his and to "Caesar" what is his?  A question that ever causes us to pause and examine our use of material goods and whatever "wealth" is at our disposal, even our personality gifts and talents. Being selfish with or hoarding these assets is not the ideal, but using them to honor God and sharing them with our neighbor is what we are called to do.It's easy to slip away from this ideal, so we need to step back from time to time to examine our priorities and behaviors, and make adjustments accordingly.  Hence, our task for this Lord's Day.

Bro. Rene

Dear God, help me to give you your due and to my neighbor, what is his. Amen.

Stand Up For Jesus

 

 Luke 12:8-12

The Holy Spirit Will Teach You

⁸ “I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. ⁹ But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God. ¹⁰ And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

¹¹ “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, ¹² for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”

This short passage is a call to us to witness to our faith in this ever increasingly "anti-faith, anti-religion era." there have been other times like these but people like St. Francis of Assisi have emerged and brought people back to the an active practice of their faith.  We need to remember  that the promised Spirit is indeed still present and will not let the gates of hell prevail against us. We cannot succumb to helplessness nor despair but trust that the Spirit will help us find our way back to Jesus.

Bro. Rene

Dear God, send us your Spirit and save us from discouragement. Help us find courage and strength in you. Amen. 

 

 

 

More Than Many Sparrows

 

 Luke 12:1-7

 Warnings and Encouragements

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

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

Can we visualize this scene of thousands of people crushing each other to get a closer look at Jesus, to her him better or be cured by him? He tells the crowd, and us, to beware of hypocrisy and not to be afraid. If God takes care of the tiny sparrows, he will certainly take care of us who are worth more than many sparrows.  We need these words of encouragement today with two wars going on, empty churches, and selfishness growing ever more rampant.  Not a pretty picture. These words of Jesus speak to our times when the Evil One seems to be making a permanent foothold and pushing aside all that we consider sacred. If we give into FEAR, the Devi will succeed, but if we listen to Jesus, we shall overcome. Indeed, if the sparrows survive why won't we? Aren't we worth more than many sparrows?

Bro. Rene

Dear God, increase our trust in your loving care, and do not let us succumb to FEAR, the major tool of the Evil One. Amen. 

Do Not Reject the Prophets or Teachers

 

 Luke 11:47-54

 The Woes Continue

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

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

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

Needless to say, Jesus taught and preached in a hostile climate but his opposition was not from the people, but from religious leaders. How disconcerting that must have been.  Those who should have known better were those who opposed and rejected him! As Jesus unfolded the truth, he incurred more opposition. 

Today we celebrate the North American Martyrs, men dedicated to the Truth of the Gospel and passionate about teaching it to the Native Americans of what is now upper New York State, and part of Canada. Their zeal and willingness to suffer for the spread of the Gospel continue to inspire us today, when the Gospel is the last thing on the minds of people. We need exemplars and teachers are willing to sacrifice and suffer to make the Gospel known.  Our Marist Mission is "to make Jesus known and loved." May we be emboldened to do so as we reflect on the lives of these men and honor them today.

Bro. Rene

Dear God, my mission, as that of these Jesuit martyrs, is to spread the Good News of the Gospel, no matter what the cost to me.  Help me to be faithful to this calling. Amen.

Our Mission

  

 Luke 10:1-9

 Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two

10 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. ² He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. ³ Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. ⁴ Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.

⁵ “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ ⁶ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. ⁷ Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.

⁸ “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. ⁹ Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’

Like the seventy-two, we the followers of Jesus are also sent out on a mission to spread the Good News.  Most of us are not teachers, but by our lives we can witness to the teachings of Jesus by demonstrating them in action.  We need no lesson plan other than a knowledge of the Gospels, nor teaching certificate other than the experience of one who lives the Gospels. Our daily prayer and reflection on a passage such as today's gives us the commission to teach and helpothers mold their lives according to the Gospel. It's a demanding but most rewarding vocation, profession, mission, call it what you will, but it comes with our baptism and role as Christians. We are not to be passive but active and vocal disciples.

Bro. Rene

Dear God, help me to live my calling as one of your disciples by finding ways to teach your message simply by living it naturally and unabashedly. Amen 

 

Be Generous To The Poor

 

 Luke 11:37-41

Woes on the Pharisees and the Experts in the Law

³⁷ When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. ³⁸ But the Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus did not first wash before the meal.

³⁹ Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. ⁴⁰ You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? ⁴¹ But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.

Jesus shows us that ritual cleansing is not enough, nor even necessary to have a clean heart. True cleansing comes with being generous to the poor. How many pieces of mail do we receive each day asking us to support and help the poor around the world? If these mailings don't drive us crazy, they at least make us aware that there are millions who need help. Jesus said, "the poor you will always have with you:" (Mt 26: 11) and two thousand years later these words are still true.We can't help everyone, but we can help some. Let us heed the injunction, "be generous to the poor" as best we can. Certainly we can freely offer our prayers at least.

Bro. Rene

Dear God, keep me mindful of the poor and help me to do whatever I can to help them. Amen.

 

Looking For Signs

 

Luke 11:29-32

The Sign of Jonah

²⁹ As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. ³⁰ For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. ³¹ The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom; and now something greater than Solomon is here. ³² 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.

The more skeptical we become, the more we look for proof, for signs. We sense Jesus' frustration with his generation who were fortunate enough to have the ultimate sign, Jesus himself, but refused to see it, to accept it. Our generation, fast becoming more and more faithless, not only would reject the sign of Jonah, but have in so many instances rejected Jesus himself. Witness our empty churches, our younger generation growing p with no knowledge of God, nor experience with a believing community. To combat this trend, believers have to become more visible, more vocal, to stand up and witness to their faith, to preach it by their actions, not just by their words.

Bro. Rene

Dear God, help me to be a sign of your presence in this world and of your love for us. Amen.

 

 

 

Do I Accept?

 

 Matthew 22:1-14

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

22 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: ² “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. ³ He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

⁴ “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

⁵ “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. ⁶ The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. ⁷ The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

⁸ “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. ⁹ So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ ¹⁰ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

¹¹ “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. ¹² He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.

¹³ “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

¹⁴ “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

We are all invited to the wedding banquet, but not surprisingly, as with the folks in the parable, we find excuses not to attend. How can we be so short-sighted? Is what we "need to do" more important than being a guest at this celebration? Or would we be the person without the wedding garment and so be cast outside? There are rules, norms, protocols we must observe if we are to enjoy this wedding banquet and being a guest there certainly outweighs whatever excuses I can come up with. Let us  not be foolish enough to reject God's invitation but participate as fully as we can at the wedding feast.

Bro. Rene

Dear God, with your grace I can accept your invitation to the wedding feast. Help me to be wise enough to welcome your invitation gladly and gratefully. Amen. 

Put the Word Into Practice

 

 Luke 11:27-28

Hear and Do

 ²⁷ As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”

²⁸ He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.

With his short answer, also translated as "observe it", Jesus sanctions action over passive hearing. This is THE challenge for today and our lives. How can we, I,  best put into practice all that Jesus has taught, all that God has revealed from the 10 Commandments to the Two Great Commandments: love of God and love of neighbor? Servant of God, Chiara Lubich puts it this way: "Let us remember that every day has value insofar as we have assimilated the Word within us. Christ will live in us and he will give value to the works we accomplish, whether directly or through our prayers and sufferings. In the end these are the works that will follow us into everlasting life. (cf. Rv 14: 13).

Bro. Rene

Dear God, help me to be a Doer of the Word, not just a Hearer! Amen. 

Stay With Jesus

 

 Luke 11: 15-26

Whoever Is Not With Me Is Against Me

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.

Today's world does not provide a consoling picture: Bombs and threats galore in the Middle East, Europe abandoning its Christian  roots, division and violence spreading like wildfire in the USA, the Church struggling to make sense of all of this and steer the straight course. All of this makes us ask, "Is Beelzebul winning?" Confusion marked the time of Jesus, and we are no stranger to it.  " A house divided against itself will fall." Now's the time to return to JESUS, to LISTEN to him and PRACTICE WHAT HE PREACHED. We are seeing right before our eyes that nothing else works. It's time to wake up and recommit ourselves to Jesus, otherwise will will sink deeper and deeper into confusion and self-destruction.

Bro. Rene

Dear Jesus, open our eyes and hearts to see, accept and live your teachings lest we perish by our own ignorance and misguided self-sufficiency. Amen.

Persistence In Prayer

 

 Luke 11:5-13

Ask And You Shall Receive

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.’ ⁸ 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!”

Our Gospel today underscores the need to be persistent in our prayer, to trust that our loving God will eventually answer us. grant our request or give us something even better than what we seek. We need not fear being repetitious, indeed, we are encouraged to do so to show our trust and confidence in our loving God who knows our needs already and who is there to give us what is best for us.  And sometimes that is simply a deeper faith and not the particular "loaf" we are asking for. May we be encouraged by verse 9 and make it our mantra for today. 

Bro. Rene

Dear God, may I never lose heart or become discouraged when I pray, trusting that your answer will come in a way that is even better than what I am asking for. Amen.

 

The Lord's Prayer

  

Luke 11: 1-4 

 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 come.
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.’”

Most of us are familiar with The Our Father, one of the first prayers we learned, but this brief version might startle us, or it may help us get to the essence of what we have been praying since our youth. it's all here in three short, succinct and refreshing verses. Even without "your will be done on earth as it is in heaven", and "deliver us from evil", we still have the prayer we love so much and use so often. Let's use this version today several times so that it sinks deep into our hearts.

Bro. Rene

Dear Jesus, thank you for this short but powerful form of the prayer you taught us and want us to pray. Help us to incorporate it into our prayers today. Amen.

The Better Part

 

  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. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

We often take this incident as a lesson that spending time with Jesus is superior to getting tied up with work, contemplation vs. action, but there may be room for another interpretation. Yes,we need to eat, so someone needs to do the cooking, but we also need to feed our souls by spending time listening to Jesus. We must admit that our days are given more to action than to contemplation, but is a combo of the two possible?  We hear of "active contemplatives" and our own Founder, St. Marcellin Champagnat, introduced the practice of "the prayer of the hour", when a bell would ring, work would stop, and a prayer be said. At least once an hour the brothers would "touch base" with God in prayer. Taking a cue from this, might we not make a conscious effort to offer a  little prayer frequently,  such as, "Lord, God, Jesus, I'm doing this for you;  Help me to do it well."? Simple and easy.  Let's try it today.

Bro. Rene

Dear God help me to work consciously side by side with you as I go about my daily tasks. Amen. 

 

Go And Do Likewise

 

 Luke 10:25-37

 The Good Samaritan

²⁵ On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

²⁶ “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

²⁷ He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

²⁸ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

²⁹ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰ In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

We are more than familiar with this beloved parable, yet each reading continues to challenge us. Are we willing to go out of our way to help a perfect stranger to the extent this Samaritan did? Having such mercy is demanding; it interferes with our "journey" and strains our pocketbook. Jesus doesn't hesitate: "Go and do likewise."  We have no excuses, "the boss has spoken." Let us pray for such a generous and willing heart that goes out of its way to help another, even a perfect stranger.

Bro. Rene

Dear God open my eyes and soften my heart to respond generously to the needs of my neighbor or even a stranger. Help me to be a "Good Samaritan." Amen.

Accept, Produce Fruit

 

  Matthew 21:33-43

 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.

This rather brutal  parable is a stark warning to us that we must bear good fruit or otherwise be flushed out of  God's kingdom. We need to hear these words and face this reality today when their is outright hostility toward the values of the Kingdom, or at best, a blatant indifference to them. The song, "I'll Do It My Way", is a fitting theme song for our time. Jesus reminds us that HE is the cornerstone, the foundation on which we are to build our spiritual home.HE, NOT ME. We are to put him and his teachings first in our daily lives and dealings with one another. Let us not be influenced by the "wicked tenants" of today, but pray for the fidelity, strength and courage to accept our role, our mission to produce good and lasting fruit.

Bro. Rene

Dear God, help me to remain a faithful worker in your vineyard and not stray from my mission to help establish your kingdom. Amen. 

Keeping Priorities Straight

 

 Luke 10:17-24

Blessed Are the Eyes That See What  You See

¹⁷ The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”

¹⁸ He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. ²⁰ However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

²¹ At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, 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. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

²² “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

²³ Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. ²⁴ For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

The 72 were exuberant when they returned from their "first assignment" for not only did people receive their preaching and benefit from the miracles they performed but even the demons fled from their captives. Jesus is filled with joy at the news, but advises them to remain humble and simple as children, advice that still holds true in our time. We are seeing differences and divisions springing up all over, hoards of people ignoring the Gospel and abandoning our Churches...all denominations are experiencing this...money, "the root of all evil", has again become the god with the most disciples.  Such a scenario is doomed to failure. 

Today we celebrate the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary, which honors the intervention of Mary through the Rosary at the battle of Lepanto in 1571 when the totally outnumbered Christians defeated the Ottoman  fleet. May we again use the Rosary as our weapon in today's battle against secularism and corruption and join with the 72 in celebrating the marvelous workings of God's power over evil.

Dear God, as we honor the Rosary today and this whole month, may we trust as little children in its power to keep our priorities straight and overcome the forces of evil and indifference so prevalent in our world. Amen. 

 

Whoever Listens

 

 Luke 10:13-16

Don't Miss the Boat

¹³ “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. ¹⁴ But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. ¹⁵ And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.

¹⁶ “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

Hearing or seeing things over and over can often dull their impact, leaving us missing the boat and condemned to Hades or Hell. Listening, accepting and acting are key to a vibrant and fruitful spiritual life. Jesus calls us to sharpen our commitment and say focused on HIM and his message.  Let us take time during our prayer to review the marvels God has worked in our lives and be assured of his loving care. As we who wear glasses need to "unsmudge" them often during the day, so we need to "unsmudge" our view of God's presence and interaction with us.

Bro. Rene

Dear God, help me to see clearly how close you are to me and help me to sharpen my capacity to listen to your words of support and challenge. Amen. 

 

The Laborers Are Few

 

 Luke 10:1-12

Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two

10 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. ² And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. ³ Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. ⁴ Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. ⁵ Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ ⁶ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. ⁷ And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. ⁸ Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. ⁹ Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ ¹⁰ But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ¹¹ ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ ¹² I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.

Even at the beginning, there were not enough laborers to preach, heal and carry out the work initiated by Jesus. We are keenly feeling the effects of a deceasing number of priests and clergy as parishes merge or close. As Jesus said, we need to "pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send our laborers into his harvest." (Luke 10: 2). What else can we do to increase the number of laborers? 'The CALL comes from God, but we can help by suggesting to potential pastors, priests, brothers and sisters that they consider answering that call. Just knowing that someone regards them so highly might trigger further steps in the direction of such service to the community. If we don't act, we have no one to blame but ourselves for the lack of candidates for ministry.

Bro. Rene

Dear God help me to see what I can do to foster vocations to the priesthood, religious orders and other ministries in  our churches. Amen.

 

Follow Without Reserve

 

 Luke 9: 57-62 

The Cost of Discipleship

⁵⁷ Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”

⁵⁸ And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

⁵⁹ Then He said to another, “Follow Me.”

But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”

⁶⁰ Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.”

⁶¹ And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.”

⁶² But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

As we celebrate the Memorial of the beloved Francis of Assisi this Gospel passage clarifies his total abandonment to the providence and care of our loving God.  As youth, Francis was spoiled and devoted to worldly pleasures, but captivity and recovery from a severe fever reversed the direction of his life and he became the beloved "Poverello" and an inspiration to countless followers even to this day. We may not be as gifted and able to live as he did, but to some degree we can detach ourselves from the values and baubles of this world and with unencumbered hearts use our time and talents to serve God and our neighbor. 

Bro. Rene

Dear God, thank you for St. Francis and the example and challenge he presents to us. May we hear your call and follow you without reserve, as he did. Amen.

On A Mission

 

 Luke 9:51-56

Samaritan Opposition

⁵¹ As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. ⁵² And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; ⁵³ but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” ⁵⁵ But Jesus turned and rebuked them. ⁵⁶ Then he and his disciples went to another village.

Jesus knew he was here for a purpose: to suffer and die for our sins, to "purchase" with his sown life, eternal life for us. Hence, he set his face resolutely for Jerusalem where this "exchange" would take place. He was on a mission and nothing could deter him. We too are on a mission, to carry on the preaching, teaching and healing of Jesus to the people with whom we live and work. Like Jesus, we need to keep focused on our mission amidst the many distractions, and especially today, the discouraging lack of interest in "the things that really matter" that we find so prevalent in our families, churches and society in general. Yes, today, as in the time of Jesus, people do not welcome us nor our message, but we need not let that discourage us, but like, Jesus, set our face resolutely toward Jerusalem, that is, the establishment of the Kingdom of God. Not easy, but other generations have faced worse and have prevailed. So can we.

Bro. Rene

Dear God, help us to be faithful to our mission and not let discouragement hold us back. Amen.

Precious Children

 

 Matthew 18: 1-5,10 

 The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven

18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

² He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. ³ And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

¹⁰ “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

As we celebrate the Memorial of the Guardian Angels, we reflect on the high regard Jesus had for children because of their humility, innocence, openness, trust, spontaneity and  loving hearts. No wonder Angels are assigned to them to protect them their entire lives. And so these angels are with us adults as well. Several times while driving, once through a stop sign I didn't see, my Angel saved me from what should have been a total broadside as the car on my right jammed on his brakes and stopped just short of my passenger side door. This happened just before I left for Rwanda; had he hit me, that whole chapter and beyond would not have happened. We all have stories like that.  Let us then take time today to express our gratitude to these faithful guardians.

Bro. Rene 

Dear God, thank you for Leo, my faithful Guardian Angel, who has saved me more than once. Thank you for all the Guardian Angels who watch over and protect us all from harm. Amen.