How Jesus Longs For Us

 

 

 Lk 13:31-35

Jesus’ Sorrow for Jerusalem

³¹ At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.”

³² He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ ³³ In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!

³⁴ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. ³⁵ Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

Using the familiar image of a hen gathering and protecting her young, Jesus tries to illustrate the love God has for us. He knows his mission carried out with the greatest love possible,includes his own death, yet he does not shy away from it.  He weeps for the pain of knowing that for many, his sacrifice will be in vain, and surely to this day, it was, but that does not stop him. "I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day." Let this be our prayer, our attitude from now on. 

 

Bro. Rene

 

Dear Jesus, I cannot predict what this day will will bring or ask of me, but let me follow you with a generous and open heart, not turning my back on what you ask of me, knowing how much you long for me. Amen.

 

No Easy Way

 

 

Lk 13:22-30

 

 The Narrow Door

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Something in our human nature leads us to seek the easy way, the path of least resistance, but Jesus firmly reminds us that this will get us nowhere.  Our back aches, our disappointments, our mistaken steps, even our failures are part if the winning mix, not the path of least resistance. May we not delude ourselves in choosing the easy way. I does not work. There's an old principle in the manuals of spiritual growth, called Agere Contra, To work against. We must work against the tendency to slough off whatever demands effort and seeks only the "good life." Well, the "good life" here, will not get us the "good life" there in the world to come. Or in contemporary terms, "No Pain No Gain."

 

Bro. Rene

 

Dear Jesus, help me to choose the narrow gate especially when my lazy spirit seeks the path of least resistance. Amen. 

 

Small Beginnings

 

  Lk 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.”

Donovan's lyrics, "small beginnings, greater ends" from a song he wrote for the film, "Brother Sun, Sister Moon," come to mind as I contemplate these two simple but powerful parables. Most of us have not planted mustard seeds, but we take the evidence from farmers that indeed this small seed yields a large tree.  Some of us have worked with bread and know the power of yeast to double the size of the dough as it rises over several hours. Punch it down, and it comes back even larger.  If so with these everyday things, how much more with the word of God? As Jesus was trying to simplify the mystery behind the power of his word, may we pray for a deeper faith that allows the kingdom of God to grow from small beginnings to greater ends.

Bro. Rene

Dear God, thank you for reminding us of the power of the mustard seed and a bit of yeast. Increase my faith to believe that even my weak and tiny seed of faith can yield abundant fruit. Amen. 

 

Answering the Call

 

  

 Lk 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.

The Church honors Saints Simon and Jude today but for us Marists it is a very significant moment: Fr. Champagnat was called to the bedside of the dying teenager, Jean-Baptiste Montagne, whose ignorance of the Faith so appalled him that he then decided it was time to put his idea of gathering together a group of men to teach catechism into action, eventually evolving into the Marist Brothers who now serve in 83 countries and have thousands of lay Marists living, and walking with them in the footsteps of Jesus and Mary to make Jesus known and loved. It is a day for expressing our gratitude as well as for rededicating ourselves to our Marist Mission.

Bro. Rene

Dear God, grant us the zeal and strength to continue to vision and work of St. Marcellin to make Jesus known and loved. Amen.

 

Faith Rewarded

 

 Mk 10:46-52

Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight

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

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

⁴⁹ Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

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

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

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

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

While we may not be physically blind, our lives are filled with many things we don't understand. It is as if we are actually blind and can ask for the ability to see along with with Bartimaeus. But, do we ask with the same faith and conviction he had to move Jesus to cure him? We might think we do, but our unanswered requests show us that we don't. May we grow in our faith so that we might experience the healing we want and need. May Bartimeus be our guide and model in prayer.

Bro. Rene

Dear Jesus, I pray for an increase in faith that you may grant my wishes as you granted the simple request of Bartimeus. Amen. 

Patience Has Its Limits

 

Lk 13:1-9

Repent or Perish

13 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. ² Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? ³ I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. ⁴ Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? ⁵ I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

⁶ Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. ⁷ So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

⁸ “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. ⁹ If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

On this vigil of the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, we take a look at our accountability. Like the fig tree, we should be bearing fruit at some point, and if not, then it should  be cut down so it will no longer use up the soil in which it was planted. We might be given "an extension" but if we don't produce, then down we go.  As we watch the leaves fall daily from our trees, we can't help being reminded that we too have a certain time to produce fruit that will last, and if we don't, we have no business using up good soil. Let us take some time today to look honestly at our life and see if we are producing good fruit, or if we need to add a good dose of fertilizer (prayer and good works) to make our life more fruitful.

Bro. Rene

Dear God, help me to bear the fruit I'm capable of, and not hide behind feeble excuses if I'm not living up to my potential. Amen

Read the Signs

 

 Luke 12: 54-59

Discerning 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?

Agree with Your Adversary

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."

We've learned to read the signs of the weather well enough to know when it will rain, be cold or snowy, but we still lack the ability, or courage to recognize the signs indicating that we are drifting away from the teachings of Jesus. We allow ourselves to get swallowed up with the latest fads or philosophies without checking them out against his teachings.  A dangerous path to follow.  We might begin each day asking where we are going and checking to see if we are walking the way with Jesus or drifting away with the Evil One who can so subtly and cleverly dupe us.

Bro. Rene

Dear God, help me to keep my eyes and ears open and focused on you lest I be led astray by the Evil One. Amen.

 

A Mission of Division

 

 

 Lk 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.”

 

There's an old expression, "to separate the men from the boys." The mission of Jesus is just that: not peace but division. We are either for him or against him. Scary! We must make a choice. The Evil One is working hard as we look at our world caving daily it seems into more and more chaos as people drift further and further away from the teachings of Jesus. May the fire that Jesus brought ignite us anew to live his teachings and share them with others. 

Bro. Rene

Dear God, help me and all of us to be set ablaze with the fire of your teachings and negate the teachings of the Evil One before they negate us. Amen.

Much Will Be Demanded

 

 

 Lk 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.

Jesus warns us to be on the alert, to be ready for his arrival at a time known only to him.  We get so taken up with our "important daily tasks" that we forget that our time is not really our own,but is on loan to us from God. He guides our day, our way; we are not "in charge" as we would like to believe. Our day should begin with a prayer along these lines: "Dear God, thank you for this new day and a chance to live your will and carry out the tasks YOU have planned for me. Direct this day according to your will and help me to carry it out with generosity and trust. Amen,"

Bro. Rene

Dear God, thank you for another day to serve you according to your will, not mine. Amen.

 

Keep Your Lamps Burning

 

 

  Lk 12:35-38

Be Ready for the Lord’s Coming

³⁵ “Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, ³⁶ as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. ³⁷ The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat! ³⁸ He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready.

The Lord is coming for each one of us, that's for sure, but the WHEN is the question. Jesus advises us to be ready all the time, for he may come for us anytime, a time we do not expect. Recently, one of our Brothers was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer after only a week of symptoms that something was amiss.  He is fading fast, mercifully, but his imminent death is still a shock to those who knew him or lived with him.  We know not the day nor the hour, but as Shakespeare put it, "The readiness is all."  Without being morbid or overly preoccupied, may we live the best we can each day as if it were our last.

Bro. Rene

Dear Jesus, help me to live this day to the fullest as if if were my last. Amen.   

 

Man Proposes; God Disposes

 

 

Lk 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.”

 

The further we pursue the accumulation of material goods, the closer we come to disaster for we have no control over our future. We are shaken up occasionally by an unexpected illness or unexpected death of a friend or acquaintance, but eventually brush these off and continue our merry way storing up material things in our barns, oblivious to the possibility of losing all in an instant. Jesus reminds us of the lack of control we have even over the events that await us today. May we set the course of the day by placing it in God's hands and our efforts and disposition in accordance with his plan, not ours.

 

Bro. Rene

 

Dear Jesus, I place this day in your hands; help me to do my best to accomplish your will, not mine. Amen, 

Fierce Oppposition

 

 

Luke 11: 47-54 

No Easy Mission

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.

Looking at today's ever growing secularization, loss of religious values and crumbling Christian foundation stones, we might think that Jesus is describing our time as well as his own.  Things haven't changed that much, so the challenge to accept and incorporate the teachings of Jesus remains on-going, if not even more relevant than ever. Our daily prayer, reflection on his teachings and efforts to incorporate them into our interactions with others can quell the opposition we face and help, step by step, little by little, bring to reality the values Jesus presented. There will be opposition as Jesus experienced, but he never let that stop him. May we follow fearlessly in his footsteps.

Bro. Rene

Dear Jesus, through prayer and meditation, may I become your ally in this world of crumbling values and morality. Amen.  

 

Practice What You Preach

Note: It's a blessing to be back at my laptop after a long hiatus at Holy Family Hospital.  I am slowly regaining my strength and routine.  Thank you for patiently bearing with my absence.

 

 Luke 11: 42-46 

Essentials First

⁴² “How terrible it will be for you Pharisees! You give God a tenth of your garden plants, such as mint and rue. But you have forgotten to be fair and to love God. You should have practiced the last things without failing to do the first.

⁴³ “How terrible for you Pharisees! You love the most important seats in the synagogues. You love having people greet you with respect in the market.

⁴⁴ “How terrible for you! You are like graves that are not marked. People walk over them without knowing it.”

⁴⁵ An authority on the law spoke to Jesus. He said, “Teacher, when you say things like that, you say bad things about us too.”

⁴⁶ Jesus replied, “How terrible for you authorities on the law! You put such heavy loads on people that they can hardly carry them. But you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.

Jesus pulls no punches: preachers have no credibility unless they practice what they preach. Actions do speak louder than words as he graphically illustrates. We need a daily mirror to view ourselves before we even dare to tell others how to behave.  There is one called the "Examen" a brief look at our day before we sleep to look closely at our interactions with  one another and our fidelity to the teachings of Jesus. We give thanks for our successes and ask pardon for our failures along with a firm resolve to do better the next day.  It keeps us honest and helps us to become more like the Christ we hope to imitate and make known to others. It's worth a try.

Dear Jesus, help me to practice what I preach. Amen. 

 

 

Marriage Is Sacred

 

 Mk 10:2-12

 What  God Has Joined Together....

² Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

³ “What did Moses command you?” he replied.

⁴ They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”

⁵ “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. ⁶ “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ⁷ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, ⁸ and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹ Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

¹⁰ When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. ¹¹ He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. ¹² And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

Even with a declining divorce rate in the USA these days, or so many couples (48%) simply living living together, this teaching on marriage seems totally irrelevant. But on the other hand it is more relevant than ever. The financial and social pressures couples face present huge challenges to the longevity of their commitment, and it seems to me that only with God's grace, a vibrant spiritual life and the support of a faith community can marriage not only survive, but thrive in today's world. The teaching of Jesus needs to be blasted from the rooftops and preached in our churches if marriage is to succeed.

Bro. Rene

Dear God bless and enhance married couples and their families with a deeper love of you and a more consistent practice of their faith. Amen.

Nothing Like Success

 

 

 

 

 Lk 10:17-24

 Rejoicing

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.”

There is nothing like the joy of succeeding on a mission or assignment. Exhilaration replaces apprehension, accomplishment surpasses anticipation. Our brief passage this morning is filled with the joy of success. We certainly need this kind of encouragement today with wars raging and election turmoil dominating the headlines. We have not formally been sent out two by two to preach and heal, but the mission is still ours and we can accomplish it in small ways in our families, workplaces and church communities by offering a helping hand or word of encouragement, or just a friendly smile or "hello."  Just acknowledging the presence of another can make the day for him or her. As Jesus sent out the seventy-two on their first mission, so he sends us as well. Let us be confident that the  Spirit who accompanied them, accompanies us and will be the cause of our rejoicing.

Bro. Rene

Dear Jesus, send me to others with your Spirit and WE shall renew the face of the earth. Amen.   

 

 

 

 

 

Rejecting Jesus

 

 Lk 10:13-16

 Blindness

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.”

As we celebrate the Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi we reflect on a man who was at one time blinded by the attractions of  the world, but  who gradually saw the futility of it all, turned from his worldly ways and 800 years later still has a profound influence on the way we treat creation.  He opens our eyes to see its beauty and its reflection of the loving care of God for us.  Above all, he opens our eyes to the Wonder of Wonders, Jesus Christ! Having been in Assisi again this past June, there's no mistaking his on-going presence and influence on people, Blessed Carlo Acutis, being one of them. Carlo, a 15 year old boy died quickly of an fast moving version of leukemia, but in his short life, practiced what St. Francis preached. If a teenager can  do it, so can we.

Bro. Rene

St. Francis and Blessed Carlo, pray for us that we may do all we can to follow Jesus and lead others to him. Amen

 

Lambs Among Wolves

 

  Luke 10: 1-12

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.’ ¹⁰ But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ¹¹ ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: 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.

While we are not among the original 72, the commission to go out into the field like lambs among wolves is still in effect, and as challenging now as when Jesus originally gave it. Just look at the decline in the number of  people practicing their faith, the number of churches closing due to lack of members and priests, the decline in moral values such as honesty and truth. We are ripe for a new evangelization, and who is going to answer the call except you and me? We can begin with  the people with whom we have contact or rub shoulders, especially in our own families.  Tough when our own children have drifted and do not practice the faith we nurtured in them. Our prayers, our on-going love and good example, our words of encouragement, a direct nudge...whatever we can do to help them see the light and return to observing values and active practice instilled in them when they were young, these can work. Believe, Believe, Believe!

Bro. Rene

Dear God,help me to put into practice the commission you gave to the 72 with the assurance that you will guide my with your grace and inspiration. Amen.          

 

Become Like Little Children

 

 

 

 

 

 Mt 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.

 

Jesus extols the lowliness, innocence, and simplicity of a little child when asked who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  One would think a brave, intelligent, articulate adult would have been the answer, but no, it's a child who gets the place of honor! Jesus's answer is a wake-up call to us to 'KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID!" as folks in AA love to remind us. We might benefit from observing and imitating children more often, asking ourselves, "What can I learn from this child that will make me a better adult?"

 Bro. Rene

 

Dear Jesus, help me to become a trusting, spontaneous child again. Amen. 

Resolutely On His Mission

 

 Lk 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 what was coming: more opposition, rejection, and death, but that did not hold him back. No, even more resolutely, he headed for Jerusalem to fulfill his mission, as painful as it was going to be. 

Today we celebrate the memorial of St Therese of Lisieux, whose short life ended with her confinement to the convent infirmary and her painful suffering from tuberculosis. There was no penicillin in her day. She offered her suffering for missionaries and promised to do good from heaven after her death in 1897, so much so that she was canonized in 1925, only 28 years later. Her miracles and popularity continue to this day as she lives up to her promise. From her convent infirmary,she followed in the resolute footsteps of the suffering Jesus and stands as a model for us as we deal with disappointment and pain. How blessed are we to have her as our patroness!

Bro. Rene

St. Therese, pray for us that we might offer our sufferings and disappointments as prayers for others. Amen.