A Covenant is irrevocable and is entered into with the agreement that it is permanently binding and cannot be dissolved. A contract, on the other hand, has provisions written into it to provide a means of dissolving the agreement if either party so desires. Scripture scholars have outlined five Covenants in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament.

Monday of the Second Week of Lent
Daniel 9:4b-10
Psalm 79:8, 9, 11, and 13
Luke 6:36-38

The author of the book of Daniel is unknown; it is named after Daniel, the book's hero. Daniel is a young Jew taken to Babylon during the Jewish Captivity, where he lived at least until 538 BC. The book isn’t one of the prophetic books but is considered an Apocalyptic writing. For both prophets and apocalyptic writers, Yahweh was the Lord, and He would ultimately vindicate His people. This passage starts, “Lord, great and awesome God, You who keep Your merciful covenant toward those who love You and keep Your commandments!”

Bible Covenants with God are Suzerain Covenants. Which means, God is the Lord, the Sovereign authority, who provides grace and protection for His people. We maintain His Covenant by keeping His Commandments. Scott Hahn, in his book Swear to God, says, “Covenant is, quite arguably, the most important concept in the Bible….we could accurately say that our Bibles are divided into the ‘Old Covenant’ and the ‘New Covenant.’”(vs. Old Testament and New Testament).

A Covenant is irrevocable and is entered into with the agreement that it is permanently binding and cannot be dissolved. In Nm 30:2-3 we read, “Moses said to the heads of the Israelite tribes, ‘This is what the Lord has commanded: When a man makes a vow to the Lord or binds himself under oath to a pledge, he shall not violate his word, but must fulfill exactly the promise he has uttered.’” And, in 2 Sm 23:5, we read, “Is not my house firm before God? He has made an eternal Covenant with me, set forth in detail and secured.” (Two more scripture quotes to check are Is 24:5 and Is 55:3)

A contract, on the other hand, has provisions written into it to provide a means of dissolving the agreement if either party so desires; more on this later. Scripture scholars have outlined five Covenants in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament. We must remember that the Old Testament spans thousands of years and that God is gradually revealing Himself to His people. In paragraph 73 of the CCC, we read, “God has revealed Himself fully by sending His own Son, in whom He has established His covenant forever. The Son is His Father’s definitive Word; so there will be no further Revelation after Him.”

God’s Covenants are traditionally understood under five mantles in the OT and a sixth in the NT:

1. Adam and Eve - Marriage Covenant (Gn 2:24) - “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body!” And “to become one body” stresses the fact that conjugal union is willed by God to consummate the Marriage Covenant. The difference between this Covenant and the other Covenants is that this Covenant is between the Man and the Woman, together with God.

2. Noah - Household Covenant after the Great Flood (Gn 9:13) - God promises Noah, “I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the Covenant between me and the earth.” And, Gn 9:16-17 “When the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting Covenant between God and every living creature—every mortal being that is on earth.”

3. Abraham - Tribal Covenant (12 tribes) (Gn, 17:10-11) - “This is my Covenant with you and your descendants after you, the Covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the Covenant between me and you.”

4. Moses - National Covenant (Ex 12:7-8) - At the Passover, God instructed, “ …take some of the blood of the lamb and apply it to the two doorposts and lintel of every house in which they partake of the lamb. They shall eat its roasted flesh with unleavened bread.” In Exodus 24:8, Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the Covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

5. David - National/Kingdom Covenant (2 Sm 7:1-29) - These verses, referred to as the Dynastic Oracle, state that building the Temple establishes the Davidic kingdom/Covenant as standing in relationship to the Lord as a son to a father (and with his descendants and the people he rules over). In verse 14, we hear, “I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. If he does wrong, I will reprove him with a human rod and with human punishments.”

6. Jesus - The New Covenant for all (Mt 26:26-29, Heb 8:7-13) - Jesus established The New Covenant for all people. Our Lord said, “I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (Jer 31:33; Heb 8:10).

We consummate the New Covenant every time we receive Holy Eucharist. In Mt 26:28, “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.’” And, in Jn 6:53, “Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the (New) Covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’”

Compare the elements of Contracts and Covenants

1. Contracts exchange property. Covenants exchange persons — I am yours & you are mine.

2. Contracts establish a partnership. Covenants are a sacred kinship.

3. Contracts are breakable. Covenants are unbreakable. They cannot be broken. Rather, the people break themselves, their livelihood, and their relationship with God.

4. Contracts are based on a promise (signature). Covenants are based upon swearing an oath. You invoke God’s Holy Name and place yourself under divine judgment — in return for receiving God’s assistance

In the rest of our first reading, Daniel is confessing not as an individual, nor only of his own sins, but on behalf of the Jewish people. Recognizing why they have been exiled to Babylon, he states, “O LORD, we are shamefaced, for we have sinned against you. But yours, O Lord, our God are compassion and forgiveness!”

We should also note that Psalm 79 in Monday’s readings is a communal lament, an appeal for forgiveness and protection. The author, Asaph, highlights the deep need for divine intervention during the Babylonian Captivity. Our shortened version of the Psalm in Monday’s readings ends with a declaration of gratitude for future restoration and justice, leading to praise of God.

After reading about the Jews’ Captivity in Babylon when they violated their Covenant with God, we have a better understanding of the importance of the Covenants and, more importantly, the New Covenant established by Jesus for all people. Our Lord said, “I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

Jesus established the New Covenant with two Commandments, which we all know. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.” And second, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If we all followed these, there wouldn’t be a need for teachings as we find in today’s Gospel.

I close with another quote from Scott Hahn, “Covenant, then, is the defining feature of God’s relations with humankind. It is the law undergirding all divine law. It is the principle that guides the course of all human events. If we understand the covenant, we can see not only how events unfold in biblical history, but we can also see why they unfold the way they do. The history of Israel is the history of God fathering His family, the chosen people—whose every member has been sacramentally incorporated into God’s assembly.”

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The great event of all history is that moment when Jesus allowed his own death on the cross. His death and subsequent resurrection constitute the event that institutes the Eucharist and ushers in the final stage of salvation history, the Church.

Tuesday after Epiphany
I John 4:7-10
Mark 6:34-44

In researching the first reading from St. John, I came across some interesting concepts and teachings about the “God is love” or “love is of God” statements. For example, Robert Candlish tells us, “Love is of God.” This does not mean that God is the Author or Creator of love. All created things are of God, but love is not a created thing; it is a Divine property, a Divine affection (R. S. Candlish, Lectures on First John - 1869).

In the Catechism, paragraph 221, “God’s very being is love. By sending his only Son and the Spirit of Love in the fullness of time, God has revealed His innermost secret. God himself is an eternal exchange of love, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and he has destined us to share in that exchange.”

St Augustine explains, “even if nothing more were to be said in all the pages of Sacred Scripture, and all we heard from the mouth of the Holy Spirit were that “God is Love” there would be nothing else we would need to look for.”

St Jerome hands down a tradition concerning the last years of St John’s life: when he was already a very old man, he used to always say the same thing to the faithful: “My children, love one another!” On one occasion, he was asked why he insisted on this, to which he replied with these words worthy of St John: “Because it is the Lord’s commandment, and if you keep just this commandment, it will suffice.”

What a great compliment to our Gospel, “When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.” I wish we had a copy of His sermon! We don’t, but here it speaks of Jesus’ love and compassion for the people who gathered to hear Him, and in the following verses, His actions speak volumes.

Jesus knows the people are hungry, that they need food. But He also knows they are hungry for spiritual nourishment. This miracle performed by Jesus is just one of many prefigurements of our Holy Eucharist Sacrament. This multiplication of the loaves and fishes starts with the offering available: five loaves and two fish. Jesus, “looking up to heaven, said the blessing, broke the loaves, and fed everyone there till they were satisfied.”

Just experiencing this action, the people were fed spiritually; this was holy food, but only a foreshadowing of what was to come. I want to share with you a reflection from Raniero Cantalamessa’s book The Eucharist, Our Sanctification, he starts out “the entire Old Testament was a preparation for the Lord’s Supper” (p. 6).

The first of the prefigurements was Melchizedek in Gn 14:18-20. St. Paul declares that Jesus is “a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” (Heb. 6:20) who, in offering bread and wine, is clearly a prefigurement of Christ (Heb. 7:1 ff; Ps. 110:4; Gen. 14:18).

John’s Gospel (6:31) makes the connection between the Eucharist and the manna Yahweh sent to feed the Israelites in the desert (Ex. 16:4 ff), but it is Jesus who shows that the manna is a mere foreshadowing of the “true bread from heaven” (Jn. 6:32–33).

The greatest Old Testament prefigurement of the Eucharist is the Passover (Ex. 12:23). That night, when God smote all the first-born of the Egyptians, he spared the first-born of Israel. Why? “The blood shall be a sign for you upon the houses where you are; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague shall fall upon you to destroy you” (Ex. 12:13). But was it the blood of the Passover lamb alone, into which a hyssop was dipped to sprinkle blood on their doorposts, that saved the Israelites? No. It foreshadowed the blood of the Lamb of God—the Eucharist.

When Jesus, like other observant Jews, celebrated the Passover, it took place in two phases and in two different places. The first was the slaying of the lamb, which took place in the temple. The second was the eating of the lamb during the Passover supper, which took place in the home or in some other suitable place outside of the temple. This meal was a memorial not only of the Passover and the exodus from Egypt but also of all God’s merciful interventions in the history of Israel. Cantalamessa tells us the Passover celebrated four great events: the creation of the world, the offering of Isaac, the exodus out of Egypt, and the coming of the Messiah (p. 7).

The memorial of the Passover looked forward, as a prefigurement, to mankind’s exodus from the slavery of sin. We are left with a sense of wonder and awe as we contemplate the Mediator of the New Covenant holding the unleavened bread in His sacred hands and saying: “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (Lk. 22:19). The tragic irony was that, after centuries of longing for the Messiah’s coming, the Jewish authorities crucified him during the Passover feast. Their closed minds and hard hearts made them unwilling to recognize that on Calvary they sacrificed the true Lamb of God (Jn. 1:29, 36; Rev. 5:6).

Jesus’ use of the words “remembrance” and “New Covenant” (Lk 22:19–20) would remain forever fixed in the minds of the apostles, reminding them that in instituting a new Passover, Jesus was perfectly fulfilling the old Passover. The world had arrived at the “fullness of time” (Eph. 1:10) in which the sacrificing of unblemished lambs was replaced once and for all by “Christ our Pascal Lamb has been sacrificed” (I Cor. 5:7).

The four evangelists describe in complementary ways the event that brought the new Passover, the Eucharist, into existence. The beloved disciple John interweaves throughout his gospel the Passover theme (1:29, 36; 2:13, 23; 6:4; 11:55; 12:1; 13:1; 18:28, 39; 19:14). In unfolding Jesus’ first miracle John develops the Eucharistic motif he introduced from the lips of John the Baptist: “Behold, the Lamb of God!” (1:29, 36). The same Jesus who, by a miracle, changes water into wine will, by a deeper miracle, change wine into His own blood.

The miracle of the multiplication of the loaves, which we read from Mark’s Gospel this morning, St John recounts in his Gospel starting at chapter 6, verse 4. John also employs the Passover motif prior to introducing Jesus’ bread of life discourse (Jn 6:26–71).

It is John who confirms that Jesus died on the cross at the precise hour that his Old Testament type, the Passover lambs, were being slain in the temple (19:14). In the Passover liturgy God instructs the Jews not to break a bone of the sacrificial lamb (Ex. 12:46); it is John who makes the connection with that rite and Jesus’ death on the cross: “For these things took place that the scripture might be fulfilled, ‘Not a bone of him shall be broken’” (19:36).

Here John is quoting Exodus 12:46, Numbers 9:12, and Psalm 34:20. And it is John’s alone of the four gospels that touches on the Passover significance of the hyssop: “Jesus, knowing that now was time to complete the [Last Supper] Passover meal, He said, ‘I thirst.’ A bowl full of sour wine stood there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on hyssop and held it to his mouth, (which is the 4th cup, from the Passover meal, the cup of Consummation). When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, ‘It is finished,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (19:28–30).

Matthew, Mark, and Luke focus on the other part of the Passover ritual, the Last Supper. They elaborate that the Eucharist is the transformation of the old Passover to the new. They understand that the Eucharistic consecration already contains the event of Christ’s death on the cross, just as future Eucharistic celebrations are inseparably linked to that same event. Jesus’ words and actions are literally creative—that is, they produce what they signify.

Thus in the consecration at the Last Supper and in the breaking of the bread, which became synonymous with the consecration of the Eucharist (Lk. 24:35), we have the supreme and prophetic action that restores mankind in a New Covenant (Lk 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25; 2 Cor 3:6; Heb 8:8, 13; 12:24). The words of consecration constitute the moment of the mystical sacrifice of Christ which “is in remembrance of” Jesus’ real sacrifice on the cross.

The great event of all history is that moment when Jesus allowed his own death on the cross. His death and subsequent resurrection constitute the event that institutes the Eucharist and ushers in the final stage of salvation history, the Church.

And so we come to the time in which we live. The Eucharist is present to us sacramentally. As a sacrament it is in the bread and wine, changed to His Body and Blood the action instituted by Christ at the Passover supper with the words: “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. . . This cup which is poured out for you is the New Covenant in my blood” (Lk. 22:19–20; 1 Cor. 11:24–25).

We consummate the New Covenant when we consume the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of the Lamb of God, as Jesus instructed in John’s Gospel, “Amen, Amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day” (Jn 6:53-54)

The difference between Christ’s death on the cross (the event) and the Eucharist (the sacrament) is the difference between history and liturgy. The historical event happened once and will never be repeated (Heb. 9:25–26). The liturgical sacrament, however, not only keeps the past from being forgotten; through it, the Eucharist of history—Jesus’ passion and death—is realized at every Mass.

Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is concluded as an event, but through the Holy Spirit it continues sacramentally in time and mystically in eternity. This insight provides the key to understanding John’s heavenly vision of the resurrected Jesus, who appeared as “a Lamb standing as if it had been slaughtered” (Rev. 5:6). While his act of physical death will never be repeated, Jesus’ act of total self-giving to the Father for us (Rom. 8:32) continues eternally in Love—that is, the Holy Spirit.

To me, this is the “Greatest Miracle” God has blessed mankind with through His Son and the Holy Spirit! We weren’t present when Jesus turned water into wine or when He turned bread and wine into His own Body and Blood at the Last Supper, but we have been present many times since when he turns bread and wine into His own Body and Blood at every Mass, in the hands of the Priest acting in “Persona Christi”.

I want to share a prayer I recite at the Consecration:

When the priest raises the Body: Jesus, You are the Lamb of God, You are the Bread of Life, Thank You, my Lord and my God, for this Holy Food.

And when he raises the Cup: Jesus, You shed Your Precious Blood to wash away my sins and to provide this Holy Drink, Thank You, my Lord and My God, for this Holy Meal.

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We are challenged to adopt a servant’s heart, emphasizing that fulfilling our duties as servants of God is not a relationship where gratitude is expected. Instead, it is a reflection of our duty and obedience to His divine will.

Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop
Wisdom 2:23-3:9
Luke 17:7-10

This passage from the Book of Wisdom in our first reading begins by acknowledging God’s original intention in creating humanity: to be imperishable and in His image, for all eternity. However, Original sin, driven by the devil’s envy and temptation, introduced death into the world, affecting those who are in his possession.

The following verses, from today’s reading, provide a brief outline of God’s promise revealed throughout Scripture, contrasting our fate if we remain among the righteous with our secure position in God's hands, as viewed by the foolish. Despite being “Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed.” The apparent demise of the righteous, viewed by the foolish as affliction and destruction, does reveal the righteous are at peace, “Because grace and mercy are with His holy ones, and His care is with His elect.” Wow! What a promise!

The Gospel reading is an interesting one. It begins with Jesus saying to his Apostles: “Who among you would say to your servant who just came in from plowing or tending the sheep: ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table? Would he rather not say to him, Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink.” The master completely ignores the fact that the servant had worked for many hours that day and was also hungry. This doesn’t sound very Christ-like, or does it?

In Matthew (20:26b-28) Jesus states, “whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life live as a ransom for many.”

This emphasizes the importance of humility and servanthood, reflecting Jesus’ mission to serve others rather than seeking personal glory, and to encourage the Apostles and us to adopt a life of serving others.

We are challenged to adopt a servant’s heart, emphasizing that fulfilling our duties as servants of God is not a relationship where gratitude is expected. Instead, it is a reflection of our duty and obedience to His divine will.

Jesus wants us to understand that we, as His followers, are like the servants in the parable. We are called to serve God and others faithfully, not focusing on the recognition we might receive, but rather fulfilling our responsibilities. This is a humble reminder that our service is an expectation. God desires genuine service, where the act itself is an offering of love and devotion, rather than an action seeking something in return. This teaching is a call to humility. Jesus reminds us that true service often goes unnoticed. We serve not to be recognized, but because it is what we are called to do. Jesus emphasizes that our attitude should be one of humility, acknowledging that we are merely fulfilling our duties as followers of Christ.

I was a Volunteer Firefighter for 20 years. I remember how hard it was to answer the phone in the middle of the night to be called out to fight a fire or help with a serious accident. I suppose those servants in today’s Gospel felt somewhat the same way, “I am tired, I don’t want to cook and wait on my Master!” I made that commitment when I volunteered; the servants were committed to their Master. In my situation, the Adrenaline would kick in as I hurried to the scene. For the servant, they mustered up the energy to get the job done, hopefully with love, respect, and a good attitude, humbly fulfilling their responsibilities.

In researching humility, I came across paragraph 2559 in the Catholic Catechism, which addresses the connection between humility and prayer.

“Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God.”1 But when we pray, do we speak from the height of our pride and will, or “out of the depths” of a humble and contrite heart?2 He who humbles himself will be exalted;3 humility is the foundation of prayer, Only when we humbly acknowledge that “we do not know how to pray as we ought,”4  are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer. 5

That brings us to the Responsorial Psalm, in which David demonstrates humility, has a good attitude, and praises God for his mercy and love:

“I will bless the Lord at all times.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
And from all their distress he rescues them.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
And those who are crushed in spirit he saves.”

And the Alleluia today, from the Gospel of John, offers a promise of God’s love:

Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him.

Gyaviira Luwaga wrote a Servant’s Prayer that is a fitting close for today’s reflection:

“Everlasting Father, you fashioned us in your image to reflect your mercy and fulfill the role of devoted servants. As I approach you today, enlighten my vision to recognize that serving you is not a matter of merit but a responsibility born out of your boundless love and kindness. Amidst my vulnerabilities and simplicity, reshape my understanding to live exclusively for you — to desire you, emulate you, and serve you in all aspects.

Ignite afresh this relationship steeped in love and faithfulness so that, in my life, vocation, community, existence, and family, I may stand as a testament to living in divine truth with complete surrender and love. I offer this prayer through Christ, my Lord. Amen”

I have one question: “"Are you proud of your humility?”

1.St. John Damascene, Defide orth. 3,24:PG 94,1089C.

2.Ps 130:1.

3.Cf. Lk 18:9-14.

4.Rom 8:26.

5.St. Augustine, Sermo 56,6,9:PL 38,381.

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“So then, those who saw Christ's miracles and didn’t understand what they meant, wondered only at the miracles themselves. In contrast, others both wondered at the miracles and attained the meaning of them, thus making them spiritually healed and alive again. Such ought we to be in the school of Christ.”

Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs
I Timothy 3:1-13
Luke 7:11-17

In Tuesday’s Gospel account, Luke 7:11-17, we read of the raising from the dead, the only son of the widow of Nain. When Jesus saw the funeral procession and encountered the tears of a mother, He was moved with pity. I soon discovered other translations use the word compassion, so why the difference, and what’s the reason? Did St Luke write Pity or Compassion?

Pity and compassion are both emotional responses to the suffering of others, but they differ greatly in depth and perspective.

Pity

• Involves feeling sorrow or regret for someone else's condition.

• Often perceived as a more superficial or distant emotion.

Compassion

• Involves a deeper emotional connection and a desire to help alleviate another's suffering.

• Encourages empathy and understanding, fostering a sense of shared humanity.

• Often leads to action, as compassionate individuals seek to support or assist those in need.

Pity is feeling sorry for someone, whereas compassion is offering love and comfort to someone who is suffering. We know that God is love and Jesus is love, so why did Luke use Pity here rather than Compassion?

St Augustine gives the best answer I could find in his Sermon 98. Some I have paraphrased:

This mother’s joy at being given back her son reminds us of the joy of our Mother the Church when her sinful children return to the life of grace. “The widowed mother rejoiced at the raising of that young man,” says St Augustine.

Our Mother the Church rejoices every day when people are raised again in spirit. The young man had been dead physically, the latter dead spiritually. The young man’s death was mourned visibly; the death of the latter was invisible and un-mourned.

St Augustine goes on to say, “He seeks them out. He alone knew them to be dead, it was He who was able to make them alive” (spiritually). Skipping down, he continues: “Now we find that three dead persons were raised by the Lord, "visibly," (as told in the Scriptures), thousands "invisibly." No one knows how many dead He raised visibly? For all the things that He did are not written. St. John tells us, "Many other things Jesus did, the which of, if they should be written, I suppose that the whole world could not contain the books." So, then, there were undoubtedly many others raised, but it is not without meaning that the three are expressly recorded. “For what our Lord Jesus Christ did with the body should also be spiritually understood. For He did not merely do miracles for the miracles' sake, but so that the things which He did should inspire wonder in those who saw them and convey truth to those who understood.”

“So then, those who saw Christ's miracles and didn’t understand what they meant, wondered only at the miracles themselves. In contrast, others both wondered at the miracles and attained the meaning of them, thus making them spiritually healed and alive again. Such ought we to be in the school of Christ.”

“This have I said to persuade you, that our Lord Jesus Christ performed miracles with this view, that by those miracles He might signify something further, that besides that they were wonderful and great, and divine in themselves, we might learn also something from them.” (taken from Sermon 98).

This explanation makes the most sense, justifying Luke’s use of “Pity” in this instance. It wasn’t as though Jesus wasn’t showing compassion. It was to show us the need for the invisible, Spiritual healing. In St John’s Gospel, when Jesus heals someone or performs miracles, often his instructions are to “Go and sin no more.” Another example is that our Spirit needs healing as much or more than our physical ailments.

Some notes I took on Spiritual Healing tell us that the Bible’s teachings emphasize that spiritual healing encompasses physical restoration, emotional comfort, and spiritual renewal, reflecting God’s presence during times of distress.

Faith is crucial in spiritual healing; trust in God can lead to comfort, hope, and personal transformation, especially during difficult times.

Components of Healing include acknowledging the need for healing, engaging in prayer, reading scripture, and seeking community support, all essential steps in the healing journey.

It is hard to connect the first reading to today’s Gospel. Still, let's go back to 1st Timothy chapter 1, verses 8-11. St Paul tells Timothy “Now we know that the law is good, if any one uses it lawfully, understanding this: that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinner, for the unholy and profane…and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the glorious Gospel of the blessed God which I have been entrusted,” then we understand why today’s first reading was written and how our verses from Psalm 101 tie the two together.

“Of mercy and judgement I will sing: to you , O LORD, I will sing praise. I will persevere in the way of integrity: I will walk with blameless heart. He goes on to say he will not endure or he will destroy those who slander their neighbor or the man of haughty eyes and puffed up heart, in other words those who do not walk with blameless heart.”

The guidelines for Bishops, Deacons, and Women could be summed up, “You should persevere in the way of integrity and walk with a blameless heart.” Spirituality can’t be bought. We can’t earn it. It happens when we surrender our lives to God and humbly “Walk with a blameless heart.” Which do we pray most for, and which is more important — physical healing or spiritual healing?

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“What did he desire but that we should become like him? ‘That those who live might live no longer for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.’ How powerful a consequence is this in the matter of love! Jesus Christ died for us; by his death he has given us life; we only live because he died; he died for us, by us, and in us; our life then is no longer ours” (St Francis de Sales).

Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene
Song of Songs 3:1-4b
John 20:1-2, 11-18

In today’s 1st Reading from 2 Corinthians, we find that word “Conviction” that I spoke about a few weeks ago. Now we get a lesson by example from St Paul, who is passionately sharing the message of reconciliation and redemption through Christ. His words are filled with conviction and love as he explains how the old self is gone, and a new creation has come through faith in Jesus Christ. We find him preaching similar messages of dying to self a mystical death in Rom 6:1-11; 14:7-9; Gal 2:19-20; and 2 Tim 2:11. Verse17 of today’s reading sums it up, “So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.”

St Francis de Sales has this to say, reflecting on this reading, “I seem to hear the voice of the Apostle like a peal of thunder startling our heart: It is easy to see, Christians what Christ desired by dying for us. What did he desire but that we should become like him? ‘That those who live might live no longer for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.’ How powerful a consequence is this in the matter of love! Jesus Christ died for us; by his death he has given us life; we only live because he died; he died for us, by us, and in us; our life then is no longer ours, but belongs to him who has purchased it for us by his death: we are therefore no more to live to ourselves but to him; not in ourselves but in him; nor for ourselves but for him” (Treatise on the Love of God, book 7, chap. 8).

Living a life in Christ and for Christ requires being transformed by His love and allowing that love to be the driving force behind all we do. Christ’s love compels us to no longer live for ourselves, but for Him who died and rose again for us. This means we no longer see ourselves or others from a worldly point of view, but through the lens of love and grace. As St Paul says, “once we have come to the conviction”, we embrace this new perspective and are drawn to live a life that is aligned with Christ’s teachings and example.

When we allow Christ’s love to transform us, we become new creations. The old has passed away, and the new has come. This transformation extends to every aspect of our lives, influencing our thoughts, actions, and interactions with others. We, as new creations in Christ, are called to live out this truth by displaying His love, forgiveness, and compassion to those around us. Our lives become a testimony to the power of God’s love to change hearts and bring about transformation.

Living a life in Christ also involves letting go of our old ways of living and embracing the values and virtues that are pleasing to God. This includes seeking reconciliation, practicing forgiveness, demonstrating humility, and surrendering to God’s will. Our lives become a reflection of His character, drawing others to Him through our words and actions as we continuously seek to grow in our relationship with Christ and allow His love to shape us.

Tuesday was the Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene a person like St Paul who experienced a radical conversion that lead to an enviable love and conviction for Jesus. The story unfolds much as we would , expect, Mary was grieving after all that had happened with the arrest, scourging, crucifixion and death of Jesus, whom by the way she had remained faithful to, even being present at the foot of the cross with Jesus’ mother Mary.

Everything in the story is as expected until she doesn’t recognize Jesus in his resurrected, Glorified Body, that is something none of us have experienced but will. She did recognize his voice. From Jesus’ dialogue with Mary Magdalene, we can see the frame of mind all his disciples must have been in: they were not expecting the Resurrection.

The Magnificat quotes Sister Miriam of the Holy Spirit, OCD:

One can surmise she (Mary Magdalene) went to Calvary
distraught and weeping, and with loud lament
clung to the cross and beat upon its wood
till Christ’s torn veins spread a soft covering
over her hair and face, and a colored gown.
She took her First Communion in his Blood.

That is the definition of love and conviction! The Apostles, except for John did not display the conviction that Mary Magdalene did for fear of being killed with Jesus. Later, after being filled with the Holy Spirit, and for the rest of their life, we know they did display a love and conviction that eventually led each to their martyrdom.

The verse where Jesus says to Mary, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father,” seems a little harsh. Scholars indicate that our Lord is telling Mary to release her hold on him, to let him go, since she will have another chance to see him before his Ascension into heaven, thus preparing her and the disciples for his Ascension.

Psalm 63 is attributed to King David, who is believed to have written it during a time of great distress and danger. Some scholars suggest that the psalm was written during David's exile from Jerusalem, when he was fleeing from his son Absalom. Others believe that it was written during David's time in the wilderness, when he was hiding from King Saul. Regardless of the specific historical context, it is clear that Psalm 63 was written during a time of intense personal struggle and longing for God's help.

Whatever the circumstances were, it does display David’s love and conviction for God. David begins by expressing his thirst for God, possibly comparing his surroundings in the desert to describe his physical and spiritual need for God's presence. He then goes on to express his confidence in God's protection and praises God, placing his trust in him. All three, St Paul, St Mary Magdalene, and King David display living in Christ through Love and Conviction.

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It is the work of the Holy Spirit that makes us aware of our sin and our need for repentance. The Holy Spirit does convince men of righteousness. Even greater, it is he who gives us the inner and unshakable "conviction" that we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God.

Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Acts 16:22-34
John 16:5-11

Looking at today's Gospel reading, the word "convict" is used in verse 18; some translations use "convince.” So, what is the difference? Both come from the Latin root word "convincere," but they have distinct meanings. "Convinced" describes someone who is persuaded or has a firm belief, while "convicted" implies a formal legal judgement of guilt.

In a Religious context convicted refers to a profound and internal transformation, a sense of moral responsibility, or a strong belief. It can also refer to being persuaded by the Holy Spirit, as we see in this Gospel passage—a making aware of our sin and need for repentance.

When the Jews crucified Jesus, they did not believe that they were sinning; they thought they were serving God. However, when Jesus rose from the dead, his teachings took on new meaning for his followers. It was realized that he was the unblemished Lamb of God, the sin offering for all sins, once and for all. But it was at Pentecost that they were filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit convicted them!

Look at verses 8-11. "And when he comes (the Holy Spirit) he will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation: sin, because they do not believe in me; righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned."

I like the Navarre bible commentary: "The word ‘world’ here means all those who have not believed in Christ and have rejected him. These the Holy Spirit will accuse of sin because of their unbelief. He will accuse them of unrighteousness because he will show that Jesus was the Just One who was never guilty of sin and therefore is in glory beside his Father. And finally, he will indict them by demonstrating that the devil, the prince of this world, has been overthrown through the death and resurrection of Christ, which saves man from the power of the Evil One and gives him grace to avoid the snares he lays."

Here, we see "convict" means "a formal legal judgement of guilt."

Why does the sight of Jesus crucified two thousand years ago still tear the hearts of people open today? It is the work of the Holy Spirit that makes us aware of our sin and our need for repentance. The Holy Spirit does convince men of righteousness. Even greater, it is he who gives us the inner and unshakable "conviction" that we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God.

Next, looking at the 1st reading, we need to go back a few verses in Acts chapter 16 to understand why Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into prison. It is written, "As we (Paul and Silas) were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl with a spirit of divination, who used to bring a large profit to her owners through her fortune-telling. She began to follow Paul and us, shouting, ‘These people are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.’ She did this for many days. Paul became annoyed, turned, and said to the spirit, ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ Then it came out at that moment. When her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them to the public square before the local authorities. They brought them before the magistrates and said, ‘These men are Jews and are disturbing our city and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us Romans to adopt or practice.’”

Even though what the slave girl was saying could be interpreted favorably, Paul became irritated by her possession and exorcised the evil spirit from her. She immediately lost her psychic powers and, as a result, could no longer earn money for her masters. The owners were understandably not very happy about this and hauled Paul and Silas off to court. They accused them of being Jews who were disturbing the peace and breaking Roman laws. Basically, they were accused of proselytizing, which was indeed against Roman law.

This is where today's reading starts. Paul and his companion, Silas, are beaten with rods, thrown into prison, and fastened securely with chains, so they could be watched closely and could not escape or be rescued by their friends.

What happens next displays their "conviction.” Instead of praying to be rescued and making plans of their own, they prayed and sang praises to God. Although not specifically stated here, "they rejoiced to suffer for the name of Christ,” told in four other scripture accounts—Acts 5:41, Rom 5:3-4, 1Pt 4:13, and Col 1:24. All the while, the other prisoners listened. That influenced them, as we later read. The prayers and singing had a huge impact on the Jailer in charge of guarding them. After an earthquake and all the turmoil, Paul reassured the Jailer that no one escaped. The Jailer "fell down trembling before Paul and Silas."

He realized that the people he was treating as dangerous criminals were, in fact, messengers of God. In deep gratitude, the jailer asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

He very likely had heard that these men were preachers of salvation through Jesus. With the earthquake and his own near-death experience, he wanted to know about their message. Paul and Silas shared with him how salvation was possible: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you and your household will be saved."

The jailer and all his household were instructed in the word of the Lord. The jailer, “… took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized at once. He brought them up into his house and provided a meal, and with his entire household rejoiced at having come to faith in God."

Whatever food he offered Paul and Silas, it was truly a Eucharistic meal, a meal of thanksgiving for all—just as every Mass is a Todah, the Hebrew word for "a thank offering praising God.”

Was the Jailer "convinced" or "convicted?" I would say "convicted." He had to be an experienced jailer to be trusted in guarding Paul and Silas. He knew you couldn't trust inmates, yet he recognized them as different. He brought them into his house, bathed their wounds, and shared a meal with them. This took conviction.

I recall a homily where the priest concluded by asking us a question. "If you were arrested and brought before a judge for being a ‘faithful Catholic,’ would the judge find enough evidence to convict you?”

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If you want to get down to basics, the Bible is about the division of Good vs. Evil. Taking refuge in our Lord won't always end division, but it will give us more peace dealing with it and will make it easier to pray for our own conversion and for those we don't agree with.

Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Jeremiah 11:18-20
John 7:14-33

Living in the United States, we certainly experience "division" in politics, religion, philosophy, and sports. You could go on and on. Lou spoke about division in his Reflection a couple of weeks ago and stated, "Remember the origin of the word demon comes from the word division." So, looking back through the Old Testament, division started with the fallen angels (Demons), followed by Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit, and then Cain killing Abel. If you want to get down to basics, the Bible is about the division of Good vs. Evil.

The first reading, from Jeremiah the prophet, can be interpreted as a prophecy of the plots to be hatched against Jesus, fulfilled in what we read in today's Gospel.

The Gospel reading is about "division" that occurred when Jesus began his public ministry. Chapter seven begins with Jesus not wanting to go to Judea because "the Jews sought to kill him." His disciples encourage him to go, to teach, and perform good works, and he does.

That brings us to today's verses in the middle of a dialogue Jesus was having with the Pharisees. A large crowd of people was listening to their discussion. Some people believed Jesus was "the Prophet," as promised in Deuteronomy chapter 18. Others believed that He was the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior whom God promised to send. However, other people disputed this claim. After all, they believed Jesus was from Galilee and the Scriptures had prophesied that the Christ would come from Bethlehem. They were deeply divided in their beliefs about Jesus.

Some of the people asked the guards to arrest Jesus, but no one would do so. The guards went back to the Pharisees in a quandary. They anticipated that the Pharisees and the chief priests would wonder why they had not brought Jesus to them. When the Pharisees asked them why they had not arrested Jesus, the guards responded, "Never before has anyone spoken like this man." Clearly, the guards were awed and amazed at Jesus and his teaching. The Pharisees scolded them, "Have you also been deceived?

It is not surprising that the Pharisees were angry with the guards. After all, guards were not supposed to think for themselves. They were to do as they had been instructed. The guards knew that the Pharisees would not be pleased that they did not follow their orders, but they were caught in the middle; they didn't arrest Jesus as instructed, and they were willing to defend their decision. They had experienced the authority of Jesus for themselves. In addition, Jesus had not broken any laws. He was a threat to the Pharisees. In conscience, the guards could not and would not arrest Jesus.

In the midst of all this, Nicodemus, who was also a Pharisee, speaks up. He asks his fellow Pharisees if Jewish law allows someone to be condemned before listening to the individual's defense. At the very least, the Pharisees should question any person before arresting them. As you might imagine, the Pharisees were angry and outraged at Nicodemus' criticism and interference. They ridiculed Nicodemus, asking him, "You are not from Galilee also, are you? Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee." To the Pharisees, Jesus was an outsider: he was from Galilee.

I don't see any attempt in scripture to try and resolve the Division between the Pharisees and Jesus, or those who support Jesus. I decided to check the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC):

In paragraph 595, we read: Among the religious authorities of Jerusalem, not only were the Pharisee Nicodemus and the prominent Joseph of Arimathea both secret disciples of Jesus, but there was also long-standing dissension about him, so much so that St. John says of these authorities on the very eve of Christ's Passion, "many... believed in him," though very imperfectly. (Jn 12:42; cf. 7:50; 9:16-17; 10:19-21; 19:38-39)

This is not surprising if one recalls that on the day after Pentecost, "a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith" and "some believers... belonged to the party of the Pharisees," to the point that St. James could tell St. Paul, "How many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed; and they are all zealous for the Law." (Acts 6:7; 15:5; 21:20)

How should we deal with Divisions?

We can find one answer in the CCC paragraph 791 referring to "One Body" in the Creed: "The body's unity does not do away with the diversity of its members: "In the building up of Christ's Body there is engaged a diversity of members and functions. There is only one Spirit who, according to his own richness and the needs of the ministries, gives his different gifts for the welfare of the Church."The unity of the Mystical Body produces and stimulates charity among the faithful: "From this, it follows that if one member suffers anything, all the members suffer with him, and if one member is honored, all the members together rejoice." 1Cor 12:26"

Finally, the unity of the Mystical Body triumphs over all human divisions: "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Gal 3:27-28)

In discussion about the Our Father, this is said: "Finally, if we pray the Our Father sincerely, we leave individualism behind, because the love that we receive frees us from it. The "our" at the beginning of the Lord's Prayer, like the "us" of the last four petitions, excludes no one. If we are to say it truthfully, our divisions and opposition have to be overcome. (Cf. Mt 5:23-24; 6:14-15) (CCC, paragraph 2792).

All of this leads me to today's Responsorial Psalm, "O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge."

This sounds a little bit like a "Last Resort" move when in reality, it should be our "Go To" prayer or action every day. It parallels or is encompassed in the theme we have reflected on many times — "Surrender."

Taking refuge in our Lord won't always end division, but it will give us more peace dealing with it and will make it easier to pray for our own conversion and for those we don't agree with.

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Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle
Romans 10:9-18
Matthew 4:18-22

Hard work? Yes, but Oh the Blessings!

Since January 13th, the epistle or first reading at daily Mass has mainly been from the book of Hebrews. Today's verses are from the final chapter in Hebrews and the Epilogue containing an exhortation and a blessing. The exhortation addresses a threat of apostasy from the new Christian faith, which is a fulfillment of the Jewish Faith as prophesied throughout the Old Testament.

The author of Hebrews is unknown, but if it wasn't St. Paul, it was someone who was close to St. Paul and may have been one of his assistants. It is very likely that the "Hebrews" to whom this epistle was addressed were the first Christians of Jewish background. They were very familiar with the Hebrew culture and Mosaic worship, and with time, like their ancestors, were reverting to their old ways.

To better understand today's verses let's back up to verse 9 in Chapter 13, "Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings" which is followed by verse 11 and 12, "For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood." The Israelites of old were redeemed by the blood of lambs, but we have been redeemed by The Lamb of God. Jesus has replaced animal sacrifices and sin offerings, once and for all. That brings us up to today's verse 15, "Through Jesus, let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise" and 16b, "God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind."

This instruction to the "Brothers and sisters, through Jesus let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, fruit of the lips," sounds much like St Paul's letter to the Thessalonians "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing" And instead of the Old Testament animal sacrifices, we are to sacrifice our time and treasure by doing good and sharing with others. Next, the writer instructs us to "Obey your leaders and defer to them.” I would add that we should pray for them, as we will see in today's Gospel reading, being a disciple is not always easy and often involves hard work.

The writer offers his blessing in verses 21-22: "May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant, furnish you with all that is good, that you may do his will. May he carry out in you what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." Every time we pray, every time we receive Communion, we are filled with grace, as the writer stated, "furnished with all that is good," so that we have the strength, wisdom and desire to "do his will" and to "carry out what is pleasing to him".

A reflection in the Navarre Bible adds this, "In these verses ‘the God of peace' is invoked; he is the only one who can give true peace, decreeing that men should be reconciled to him through the action of Christ; and Jesus is described as the ‘great shepherd': once more there is this paralleling of the Exodus/Old Covenant with entry into heaven. Just as Moses brought the people of Israel into the promised land the way a shepherd leads his sheep, so Jesus Christ, the shepherd par excellence, leads his sheep into the glory of heaven."

Moving on, we have all heard and prayed the 23rd Psalm a thousand times, maybe 10,000 times. It fits perfectly with the blessing in this first reading. "The Lord is my Shepherd", "Beside restful waters he leads me", "He guides me in right paths", "You are at my side", "You give me courage", "And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come", Heaven! These verses show David's love for God, his devotion, praise and his Faith in the Lord the Good Shepherd.

The Gospel reading addresses the pity of the Good Shepherd, 34b "(Jesus) had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.” Again, we must find out what is happening before this Gospel reading to gain a better understanding. Chapter 6 starts out with the story: "No prophet is honored in his own country." Jesus and his disciples are in Nazareth, his hometown, teaching where people knew him. They ask, "Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary? ... And they took offense at him."

The people who knew him rejected him, and he knew the disciples would face some of the same rejection he faced, so he warned them as he instructed them. In the next story, "Jesus sending out the Apostles two by two to teach,” "He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick---no food, no sack, no money in their belts." but with the caveat, "Whatever place does not welcome you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them." The final story right before our Gospel reading is the "Beheading of John the Baptist." In verse 29, we read, "When the disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb."

The disciples had been through a lot. No doubt there were many highs and lows, the teaching of hungry souls, the healing of many that suffered from various ailments, and the casting out of demons had to be rewarding, even exhilarating! But the rejection from others and then the death of John the Baptist had to be a depressing low, draining them to the point of exhaustion. That gives meaning to why Jesus gathered the Apostles together, to share their experiences and invited them to a deserted place to, "rest a while"! So now they get in a boat and head to this "deserted place,” and what do they find when they get there — a crowd of Jesus' followers already arrived at the place before them! "Jesus sees the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity on them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them."

This shows the people and his disciples that he is the faithful shepherd. He teaches them many things. Going along with our first reading, the writer of Hebrews is instructing the readers, “Let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise: God is pleased with sacrifices of that kind."

Before I finish this reflection, I don't want to leave the hungry disciples starving. The next story in this chapter is the "First miracle of the loaves". That action by Jesus not only satisfied their hunger, but it had to be energizing to experience such an event.

I want to finish today's reflection by repeating the blessing found in our first reading with one change — the word you to or we:

"May the God of peace who brought up from the dead, the great shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant, furnish us with all that is good, that we may do his will. May he carry out in us what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."

Hard work? Yes, but Oh, the Blessings!

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Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle
Romans 10:9-18
Matthew 4:18-22

In our first reading from St Paul's letter to the Romans, he is writing to Jews in Rome and Roman Christians. Two things we know from studying the New Testament:

1) Both the Jews and Christians claim to be the way to salvation, and

2) The Christians claim to be the fulfillment of the Mosaic Covenant and believe that all people must adhere to the New Covenant in Jesus Christ.

St Paul emphasizes the importance of confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in His resurrection for salvation. As Catholic Christians we believe that salvation is not guaranteed by a single act of faith rather, salvation involves continuing cooperation with God's plan of salvation through obeying His commandments and receiving His sacraments.

Image by Luisella Planeta

The Church also teaches, Faith is a divine gift, and no human being can earn his salvation. Faith requires our free-will response shown through good works. The Church rejects the notion of predestination without free will, while affirming that God desires all to be saved. Thus, salvation is a journey of faith, repentance, love and surrender.

The first half of this reading is an Into or better yet a Promo for the second half where St Paul is in a sense recruiting, "And how can they hear without someone to preach? And how can people preach unless they are sent?" It all boils down to St Paul unfolding God's plan for our salvation. "Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ." St Paul quotes Is 52:7, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!" In essence this is a charge to all believers to "Share the Good News" of Jesus Christ.

For those of us that were able to attend the Inferno Men's Conference a couple of weeks ago, we heard the charge to evangelize and share our Faith with others over and over. Just the titles of many of the talks address this:

• Overcoming FEAR & Sharing FAITH

• Heroic Missionary Discipleship

• Culture is the Key to Evangelization

• New Evangelization

• Apostolate of Friendship

Our opening song this morning, "Your Words Are Spirit and Life" by Bernadette Farrell is a perfect reflection on our Responsorial Psalm.

Your words are spirit and life, O Lord
Richer than gold, stronger than death
Your words are spirit and life, O Lord
Life everlasting

God's law is perfect, refreshing the soul
Reviving the weary spirit
God's rule can be trusted: bringing us wisdom
Bringing God's wisdom to birth

Psalm 19 invites us to recognize God's Words in both the natural world and His divine law, encouraging us to live in accordance with His will, while giving us many opportunities to, "Share the Good News."

Today's Gospel reading from Matthew brings many questions, such as, "Why did Jesus choose fishermen, common men, instead of religious leaders, like Pharisees, Sadducees or Temple Priests?" One answer we have is from St. Paul in 1Cor 1:27, 29: "God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong; so that no human being may boast before God."

The fact that he didn't choose them is also an answer. That's not who he wanted. I have my own reason. I think his catch phrase had something to do with it, "You catch ‘em, I'll clean ‘em" That should work. After all, who likes to clean fish? Granted not all of the men he called were fishermen by trade but he promised to make all of them "Fishers of men."

My next question is, "What was there about Jesus, what power did Jesus exhibit, to encourage these men to leave everything, and follow him. James and John even left their father Zebedee immediately and followed Jesus. He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men." He speaks, and it is done!

This calling from Jesus is a huge decision in their lives as they are being asked to leave behind their current way of life and follow him. This calling represents a transformation from being ordinary fishermen to becoming devoted followers of Jesus, disciples who would "Share the Good News."

It is hard for me to imagine how Jesus approaches Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John as they are busy with their work. They are given a choice — to continue their familiar routine or to follow on a new journey with Jesus. The act of following Jesus would take a lot of trust and commitment, and they probably had very little idea of what they were actually getting into.

Reflecting on this verse, encourages us to consider our response to Jesus' call in our lives. Are we willing to leave behind our comfort zones and follow him? Like these disciples, we are invited to step out in faith, and trust that following Jesus will lead us to a life filled with purpose and meaning. We must face the fact that answering the call to follow Jesus requires courage, faith, and a willingness to let go of the familiar to embrace the life of a disciple sharing our Faith.

In reading stories of the lives of the Saints I occasionally discover similar powerful calls to follow Jesus, radical transformations. My wife, Becky, was Coordinator of Vocations for the Diocese of Dodge City for 12 years. She organized many gatherings for young men that had an interest in a vocation to the Priesthood or someone recommended them to discern a possible vocation to the Priesthood.

Often existing Priests or even Bishops were invited to share their stories of being called to the Priesthood. Although varied, many of them have answered in some way similar calls as the Disciples did. In the Dodge City Diocese, our Bishop was a Math and Physics teacher when he received the call. We have a priest that was a Commercial Airline pilot, and one was a Cattle truck driver. Another was a Butcher at a grocery store. All answered their call to follow Jesus.

I want to commend everyone in the Old Men's Group. You all join in and share during our discussions. In that respect you have answered your call to be Disciples Sharing the Good News.

One last thought, don't we all share the goal, the desire to have the prefix of "Saint" in front of our names someday?

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Saturday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17
Luke 10:17-24

We have today the last chapter of the book of Job, including the Epilogue. I am sure you are familiar with the story of Job and know that it is basically a story of why bad things happen to good people. Job is a God-fearing, righteous man, blessed with wealth, seven sons, and three daughters.

Image by Stadnik

Just a quick review: God gives Satan permission to test Job, to strip him of his wealth and kill his children and servants, but Job nonetheless praises God: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21)

God further allows Satan to afflict Job's body with painful boils. As Job sits in the ashes of his former estate, his wife tells him to "curse God, and die,” but Job answers: "Shall we receive good from God and shall we not receive evil?"(Job 2:10)

Skipping to the 38th through 41st chapters just before today's reading, God makes two speeches with Job:

From chapter 38, God speaks from a storm. His speeches don’t explain Job's suffering, nor address divine justice. Instead, God speaks of his wisdom and power, which are altogether beyond the capacity of Job to understand. We don't know how long Job was tested or how long he suffered because that doesn't seem to be the purpose of this story. What appears to be the purpose is “how Job suffered.” Job suffered well!

Although not spelled out specifically, Job faithfully surrendered to God, remaining faithful even through the test Satan was permitted to perform on him. In the end God blessed Job's latter days more than his earlier days with double the number of livestock and he had seven sons and three daughters.

In the first six verses of today's reading, Job makes his final response, confessing God's power and his own lack of knowledge. “I have dealt with great things that I do not understand,” Previously he has only heard by word of mouth, “but now my eye has seen God, Therefore, I disown what I have said and repent in dust and ashes.”

Job is restored to health, riches and family, and after all that he had been through Job lives 140 years to see his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, but most importantly Job was restored to experience God's presence, even beyond imagination, Job is blessed with seeing God.

Now let's take a look at how Job's story compares to the seventy-two disciples returning and rejoicing that they could cast out demons because they invoked the name of Jesus. A bit proud of the power they received from Jesus, who at first rejoices with them but quickly puts them in their place, “do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

Our Lord corrects his disciples, making them see that the right reason for rejoicing is in the hope of reaching heaven, not in the power to do miracles. This is their greatest reward—eternal life. Another reminder for the disciples and us is found in Mt 7:22-23. Jesus said, “. . . on that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.'" In the eyes of God, doing his holy will at all times is more important than working miracles.

As we continue with today's Gospel reading, Jesus followed by rejoicing in the Holy Spirit, giving credit where credit was due. I am going to paraphrase this next part, Jesus said, I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wiseasses and learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Jesus rejoices to see humble people understanding and accepting the word of God.

I want to share a paragraph from the Navarre Bible: “Our Lord also reveals one of the effects of humility in spiritual childhood. For example, in another passage he says: "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" Mt 18:3. But spiritual childhood does not involve weakness, softness, or ignorance.

The following quote is from Jose Escriva: "I have often meditated on this life of spiritual childhood, which is not incompatible with fortitude because it demands a strong will, proven maturity, an open and firm character. To become children we must renounce our pride and self-sufficiency, recognizing that we can do nothing by ourselves. We must realize that we need grace, and the help of God our Father to find our way and keep to it. To be little, you have to abandon yourself as children do, believe as children believe, beg as children beg."

Does this sound familiar? Abandonment, Surrender a recurring theme not just here but throughout Scriptures and from Norm's Reflection last week.

The statement in verse 22, "All things have been delivered to me by my Father” is explained in the writings of St Ambrose. He wrote, "This statement is a wonderful help to our faith, because when you read "all" you realize that Christ is all-powerful, that he is not inferior to the Father, or less perfect than he; when you read ëhave been delivered to me', you confess that Christ is the Son, to whom everything belongs by right of being one in substance [with the Father] and not by grace of gift."

This goes along perfectly with the wording in the Nicene Creed. We see Christ as almighty Lord and God, consubstantial with the Father, and the only one capable of revealing who the Father is.

Lastly in this Gospel reading Jesus privately tells the disciples, "Blessed are the eyes which see what you see!" Seeing Jesus with one's own eyes was obviously a wonderful thing for people who believed in him.

However, our Lord told Thomas, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." (Jn 20:29)

In 1Pt 1:8-9 we read, "Without having seen him you love him; though you do not see him you believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. As the outcome of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls."

A second recurring theme found in both of these readings: the blessing of seeing God, whether it be the Father or Jesus.

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