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.