Comfort and Assurance

Note:  there may be two slices of bread today.

 Isaiah 40: 1-11

God’s People Are Comforted

40 Comfort, O comfort my people,
    says your God.
² Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
    and cry to her
that she has served her term,
    that her penalty is paid,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
    double for all her sins.

³ A voice cries out:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
    make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
⁴ Every valley shall be lifted up,
    and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
    and the rough places a plain.
⁵ Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
    and all people shall see it together,
    for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

⁶ A voice says, “Cry out!”
    And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All people are grass,
    their constancy is like the flower of the field.
⁷ The grass withers, the flower fades,
    when the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
    surely the people are grass.
⁸ The grass withers, the flower fades;
    but the word of our God will stand forever.
⁹ Get you up to a high mountain,
    O Zion, herald of good tidings;^[a]
lift up your voice with strength,
    O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings,
    lift it up, do not fear;
say to the cities of Judah,
    “Here is your God!”
¹⁰ See, the Lord God comes with might,
    and his arm rules for him;
his reward is with him,
    and his recompense before him.
¹¹ He will feed his flock like a shepherd;
    he will gather the lambs in his arms,
and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.

 

¹² “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? ¹³ And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. ¹⁴ In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

We are in the hands of a loving God, a caring shepherd, whose love knows no bounds and who never ceases reaching out to us, reaching out to rescue us or preserve us from harm.  He promises comfort, nourishment, and protection.  May we find the time to savor these beautiful readings today and may our hearts be filled with confidence and assurance that God is with us no matter what.

Bro. Rene 

Major Gifts

Joy of the Redeemed

35 The desert and the parched land will be glad;
    the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, ² it will burst into bloom;
    it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
    the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord,
    the splendor of our God.

³ Strengthen the feeble hands,
    steady the knees that give way;
⁴ say to those with fearful hearts,
    “Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
    he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
    he will come to save you.”

⁵ Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
    and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
⁶ Then will the lame leap like a deer,
    and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
    and streams in the desert.
⁷ The burning sand will become a pool,
    the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay,
    grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.

⁸ And a highway will be there;
    it will be called the Way of Holiness;
    it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean will not journey on it;
    wicked fools will not go about on it.
⁹ No lion will be there,
    nor any ravenous beast;
    they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there,
¹⁰     and those the Lord has rescued will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
    everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
    and sorrow and sighing will flee away

 Luke 5: 17-26   

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man

¹⁷ One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. ¹⁸ Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. ¹⁹ When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

²⁰ When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

²¹ The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

²² Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? ²³ Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ²⁴ But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” ²⁵ Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. ²⁶ Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

In addition to being Monday of the  of Advent, today is also the Memorial of St. Nicholas, "the jolly old St. Nick", better known as Santa Claus.  Naturally, conjure up the red suit and cheeks, and a sleight full of gifts.  Amazing how legends grow, from the holy bishop Nicholas who in the 4th century rescued three young women by providing bags of gold coins so they would not be sold into slavery. Many are the gifts that will be exchanged this Christmas without much connection to the real St. Nicholas, but we can compensate for that by drinking in and savoring the rich description of what can be if we accept and trust in God. And, the Gospel reading not only shows the kindness and power of Jesus, but challenges us to help others rise from their paralysis to become active disciples of Jesus.  We too can help others walk again!

Bro. Rene

 

How Can I Prepare the Way of the Lord?

  

Luke 3: 1-6

 John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— ² during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. ³ He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁴ As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.
⁵ Every valley shall be filled in,
    every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
    the rough ways smooth.
⁶ And all people will see God’s salvation.’”

In this passage, we read strange names, familiars to us, only because of our annual reading of this Gospel, but to the readers of that time, very important specifics which made sense to them  The mission of John the Baptist is also clearly spelled out: repentance, change of hearts to prepare for the presence of Jesus and his message of love and forgiveness.  John's message is as relevant to us in 2021 as it was his his lifetime 2000 years ago. The weeks of Advent, which fly by so fast, are set aside as a time to specifically prepare for the coming of Jesus on Christmas.  In reality, he as come, lived, taught, died for our sins and returned to the Father, but we need to repent and prepare over and over again, for as humans, our pledges to change and retool our lives are short-lived. One week of Advent has already past.  How have we scored in keeping to our Advent plan and goals? Probably not too well. "too busy, too much on our plate."  Always the same excuse. Let's gear us this second week and do a few, specific and consistent acts of preparation, by prayer, reflective reading or outreach to the poor. This is a Sunday, a day of  rest and prayer.  Let's not let this precious opportunity slip through our fingers.

Bro. Rene

Proclaim the Good News

 

 

Matthew 9: 35-10: 1, 5a, 6-8

The Harvest is Plenty, the Laborers are Few

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’ Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: ‘Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.

We all share in the mission to proclaim the Good News, especially these days when priests and pastors are growing fewer and fewer. It is also an age when organized religion is being snubbed and churches are closing. What has happened in the last 50-60 years?  We see the results of sheep without a shepherd, and where information and "preaching" are found on the internet. The "gospel" of pleasure, materialism, and selfishness is more instantly gratifying than the Gospel of Jesus.  Yet, which will endure?  You've got it.

Advent is a time to reflect on and renew our commitment to the Gospel of Jesus.  He's telling us to live it,and proclaim it by word and deed. Let's JUST DO IT!

Bro. Rene

 

 

Help Me To See

Note:  there should be three slices of bread today...Don't know why they did not appear on previous days.

Isaiah 29: 17-24

In a very short time, will not Lebanon be turned into a fertile field
    and the fertile field seem like a forest?
¹⁸ In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll,
    and out of gloom and darkness
    the eyes of the blind will see.
¹⁹ Once more the humble will rejoice in the Lord;
    the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
²⁰ The ruthless will vanish,
    the mockers will disappear,
    and all who have an eye for evil will be cut down—
²¹ those who with a word make someone out to be guilty,
    who ensnare the defender in court
    and with false testimony deprive the innocent of justice.

²² Therefore this is what the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, says to the descendants of Jacob:

“No longer will Jacob be ashamed;
    no longer will their faces grow pale.
²³ When they see among them their children,
    the work of my hands,
they will keep my name holy;
    they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob,
    and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
²⁴ Those who are wayward in spirit will gain understanding;
    those who complain will accept instruction.”

 Matthew: 9: 27-31

Jesus Heals the Blind and the Mute

²⁷ As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”

²⁸ When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

“Yes, Lord,” they replied.

²⁹ Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; ³⁰ and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” ³¹ But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.

If we treasure and relish our ability to see, how much more should we esteem the ability to see beyond the material to the spiritual?  To the person of Jesus, to a greater understanding of his teachings and his call to us to come and follow him, to the best way I can use my intelligence, talents, personality and time to spread his message and to live it myself more fully? Advent is a preparation time, a time to mediate on God's plan for our salvation, so beautifully described by our Advent Preacher, the Prophet Isaiah, or in this clear cut healing of these men's blindness. It is a time for us to pray with them for mercy and the ability to see, really see.  Let us make an effort to set aside time from our busy day to pray for sight and insight.

Bro. Rene

Rock vs Sand

 Note: There should be two slices of daily bread today since yesterday's evidently came out of the oven too late to make the table.

 Mt 7: 21, 24-27

True and False Disciples

²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

The Wise and Foolish Builders

²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

The simple visual of a house built on rock rather than on sand brings home the lesson that words or good intentions are not enough of a solid foundation upon which to base our relationship with Jesus or develop, build, if you will, an solid spirituality.  It cannot be based on whim or feeling, but on a solid relationship with Jesus.  Relationships take time to develop, an investment of self, a discarding of selfishness, and the discipline to press on when feelings fall short. A solid building is not constructed in a day, neither is a solid friendship. Advent provides the time (almost four full weeks this year) for reflection, serious reading of Scripture, sacrifice and some degree of service to those in need.  Our lives as Marists are devoted to "the least favored."  Now's the time to do something special for them. Let us build and keep on building this Advent, and the rest of our lives!

Bro. Rene  

Feeding the Hungry

 

Matthew 15: 29=37

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

²⁹ Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. ³⁰ Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. ³¹ The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.

³² Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”

³³ His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”

³⁴ “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.

“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”

³⁵ He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. ³⁶ Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. ³⁷ They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

As we relish the Bread of Life, we also become more and more aware of the bread that feeds the body, which we often take for granted. Jesus was moved by the hungry crowd and performed a miracle to feed them. His action reminds us of an avenue open to us, which we often overlook, that is, of feeding the hungry in our communities.  Thanksgiving was accompanied by generous food drives, but what about the "in-between-times"?  We might make it a practice to make small donations to food pantries on a regular basis to help make sure that the hungry always have access to food.  Advent is a good time to start.

Bro. Rene