Don't Tempt Me!- Temptation- Why and How to Fight It

Temptation is more powerful than a locomotive. Sometimes we fall victim to temptation. This week's readings speak of the purpose of temptation and the means to fight it. The readings are after the commentary.

The Desert of Temptation

This week's readings speak of the desert. Mark's account of Jesus' time in the desert is not highly detailed. Mark speaks of wild beasts and of angels ministering to Jesus. Isn't it interesting that it was not the devil who brought Jesus out to the desert, but rather the Spirit? In other words, it was God's will that Jesus be sent to the desert to be tempted. I once heard someone say that each time we are tempted, it is an opportunity to tell God that we love him. When temptation comes, we say to the temptation, I love God more than I love you (the temptation). Although we should do our best to avoid temptation, it will come. When it does, God will use it to strengthen us in our relationshiop with him- if we remain obedient and faithful.

Jesus was tempted by the Father of lies, the master of deceit- Satan. Satan was cunning enough to deceive 2 people who didn't even suffer from original sin- Adam and Eve. Matthew Chapter 4 says that the devil waited until after 40 days to tempt Jesus- when Jesus was most hungry. We have something to learn from this, that when we are in great need, the devil seizes the opportunity to tempt us. When we feel the need for love, companionship, belonging, he comes in when our needs are greatest. In our times of great need, we must be aware of temptation and pray to God for help.

The Battleground of Life

In a sense, the story of the 40-days in the desert is the story of our lives. It is similar to the story of the Israelites' 40 years in the desert. Our lives are a spiritual BATTLEFIELD. On one hand, we have the God of the universe on our side. On the other hand, we have the dark tempter who knows exactly how to best tempt us. Yet, we can see here in this week's Gospel that Jesus has angels ministering to him. Do we have angels ministering to us? We do indeed. Matthew 18:10 says "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, 9 for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. Paragraph 336 of the Catechism says that we are "in the blessed company of angels". No matter how powerful the temptations we face, God gives us free will, but there are angels at our side fighting against evil.

Our lives are a constant fight between good and evil. But God offers us protection. In Isaih 43:4 God says he offers us protection, "Because you are precious in my eyes and glorious, and because I love you." Let's recall that the bible is the speech of God. His love and his desire to protect us is a real as it gets and we can hear out of his mouth.

Protecting Yourself

The Responsorial Psalm and Psalm readings this week show us how to protect ourselves from temptation. "Your ways, O LORD, make known to me; teach me your paths, Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior." David the Psalmist loves God. Here, David asks God to show David his ways. David wants to know God and he wants God to teach him. In this day and age, we are people with many years of education. People around the world are more literate now than they have ever been. Yet it seems as though we are more confused now than ever. In this week's Psalm, David shows us an example of who we should seek advice from.

In the practical sense, we are called to read the Bible. We are called to read the Catechism. Not only has God given us his angels to minister to us, his very speech is written down and he has given us a way to get to know him. Many of us spend more time reading the Mcdonald's menu than we do the Bible. Many of us read the newspaper far more than we read God's word. We are in the desert. We are in a war. Not only are our lives at stake, but our eternal souls are on the line. Will newspapers and magazines prepare us better, or the bible?

Temptation will come. Either the devil will use it to send us to misery, addiction, and hell, or we will use temptation as an opportunity to say yes to God, and say "I love God more" over and over.

Real Life

Not long ago, I was trying to figure out if God wanted me to a be a priest. Each night, I would ask God "do you want me to be a priest?" Night after night, week after week, I did not get an answer. I was frustrated with God because he wouldn't give me an answer. I was tempted to grow angry with God. I asked him "why won't you tell me? What is the point of me not knowing your will? How do you benefit from this lack of clarity?" In the end, God gave me the answer to all of my questions. He let me know whether or not he wanted me to be a priest. He even let me know why he didn't tell me at first. The reason why he didn't tell me at first was because he used this period of uncertainty to draw me to himself in prayer. Because I didn't have an answer to my question, I kept coming to God each night begging him for an answer. Despite temptation to grow angry with God, I was drawn nearer to him. He did indeed have a purpose in NOT answering my question. In all things, even uncertainty, God loves us.

Reading 1
Gn 9:8-15

God said to Noah and to his sons with him:
"See, I am now establishing my covenant with you
and your descendants after you
and with every living creature that was with you:
all the birds, and the various tame and wild animals
that were with you and came out of the ark.
I will establish my covenant with you,
that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed
by the waters of a flood;
there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth."
God added:
"This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come,
of the covenant between me and you
and every living creature with you:
I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign
of the covenant between me and the earth.
When I bring clouds over the earth,
and the bow appears in the clouds,
I will recall the covenant I have made
between me and you and all living beings,
so that the waters shall never again become a flood
to destroy all mortal beings."


Responsorial Psalm
Ps 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. (cf. 10) Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R.Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your love are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
Good and upright is the LORD,
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
and he teaches the humble his way.
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.


Reading II
1 Pt 3:18-22

Beloved:
Christ suffered for sins once,
the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous,
that he might lead you to God.
Put to death in the flesh,
he was brought to life in the Spirit.
In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison,
who had once been disobedient
while God patiently waited in the days of Noah
during the building of the ark,
in which a few persons, eight in all,
were saved through water.
This prefigured baptism, which saves you now.
It is not a removal of dirt from the body
but an appeal to God for a clear conscience,
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
who has gone into heaven
and is at the right hand of God,
with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.


Gospel
Mk 1:12-15

The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert,
and he remained in the desert for forty days,
tempted by Satan.
He was among wild beasts,
and the angels ministered to him.

After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:
"This is the time of fulfillment.
The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel."

You Have Been Commanded to Preach!- How to Evangelize- For Mass on Feb. 8th

Have you ever been in a position to evangelize someone? Do you feel comfortable preaching the Gospel? This week, we will discuss how to evangelize and our mission as Catholic Christians. There is commentary following the 2nd Reading.

Reading II
1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23

Brothers and sisters:
If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast,
for an obligation has been imposed on me,
and woe to me if I do not preach it!
If I do so willingly, I have a recompense,
but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship.
What then is my recompense?
That, when I preach,
I offer the gospel free of charge
so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

Although I am free in regard to all,
I have made myself a slave to all
so as to win over as many as possible.
To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak.
I have become all things to all, to save at least some.
All this I do for the sake of the gospel,
so that I too may have a share in it.

Obligated to Preach

This week's readings (particularly the 2nd Reading and Gospel) remind us of our mission to preach the Gospel. This week's commentary shall focus on evangelizing or "preaching the gospel". Paul speaks of his "obligation" to preach the gospel in this week's second reading.
Now why does Paul feel "obligated" to preach the Gospel? Is it because he was knocked off of a horse and saw a vision of Jesus? Paul knew the mission of the Church as Jesus expressed it to his disciples in Matthew 28:19-20; "go therefore and make disciples of all nations". So Paul knows Jesus words and his command that every Christian (including you and me) is OBLIGATED to make disciples of all nations. 1st Timothy 2:4 says that God "wills everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." The truth is required in order to be saved. Truth is something that we must bring to others.


Now why does God want us to make disciples of all nations? Is it because we Catholics belong to a really cool social club and getting more members will make us feel less lonely? Of course not! THe Catechism paragraph 850 tells us that "The ultimate purpose of mission is none other than to make men share in the communion between the Father and the Son in their Spirit of love." In other words, the reason why we should be preaching the gospel is to SHARE!


Any person who has come close to God experiences an incomparable love that is second to nothing/no one! Are we to enjoy that love and keep it to ourselves while others suffer miserably and perhaps even fall into the pit of hell? Of course not! This is the reason why we must preach the gospel. We are meant to share the love with which God has loved us.


Why We Don't Preach the Gospel


A very common reason why we are not preaching the gospel today is that we are afraid. We are afraid that we might upset someone. In fear, I might think "maybe that person won't like me anymore if I make them feel bad or guilty." Well, which is more important, that a soul enter heaven, or for someone to like me? How terribly proud I am that I think being likable is more important than someone's salvation and God's command to share his love with others! Nothing is more important than doing the will of God, not even winning more friends.


In addition to pride and fear, we don't preach the Gospel enough because we sin too much. For instance, how can I possibly share the chastity and purity of Christ with someone when I am in a sexual relationship with my girfriend? How can I speak of God's trustworthiness when I tell lies everday (we incorrectly call them "white" lies)? It is IMPOSSIBLE to preach the gospel effectively while living in mortal sin. It's like trying to give a serious speech while in your underwear. It doesn't work! Let's remember that sin distorts our view of reality, of each other, and of God. Therefore, we cannot preach the Gospel without following God's commandments.


How to Preach the Gospel


Many people fear "preaching the Gospel" because they are not eloquent speakers or they lack scriptural and Catechetical knowledge. It's true that we need to learn more about our faith by reading scripture and Catechism. But we needn't speak at all in order to preach the Gospel. Is it possible to end a relationship with someone without speaking? Of course it is. I could end my relationship with my best friend without a word by stealing from him! I could end my marriage without a word by cheating on my wife. Just the same, I can love and bring people closer to God without a single word. This chart show the effects of loving actions versus sinful actions.



As you can see in this chart, we must obey the commandment of God, which is to love God and each other. Loving God and one another involves ACTION. If we obey God and live as he wishes, we will experience his love, and come to know him. Only then can we share him with others through our actions which will inevitably lead to the salvation of souls. We can also see here that it is impossible to preach the gospel while intentionally committing serious sin.


Practical Tips on Preaching With Words


* stop talking- listening carefully and completely is a way to love people. The desire to speak often stems from pride (I want to prove/explain MYSELF). Saintly people are ALWAYS good listeners because they don't have the desire to be heard, they only have the desire to love
* read the Bible daily and read the Catechism as much as possible
* remember who you are talking to- some people are starving and ready for God. They ask lots of questions. You should answer as many as possible. Other people are very opposed to God, so listening and loving might be the best form of preaching at these times
* pray for at least 30 minutes a day- prayer brings peace and detachment from the world. Often times, we sin because we are attached to things or pleasures. In prayer, we experience the love of God and we experience detachment from the world. We are better preachers when we better pray-ers.
*slow down or stop if you get angry- remember that "the ultimate purpose of mission is none other than to make men share in the communion between the Father and the Son in their Spirit of LOVE." It's hard to LOVE when you are angry- so it might be best to take a timeout if you are angry.


In conclusion, we must remember that it is our duty and our command from God to evangelize.


* We musn't let fear of rejection stop us from sharing the Gospel of truth.
* The less we sin, the better evangelizers we will become. We cannot preach effectively while committing serious sins
* We must become better listeners
* We should pray for at least 30 minutes and read the bible every day. We should read the Catechism regularly


God loves us!




Reading 1
Jb 7:1-4, 6-7

Job spoke, saying:
Is not man's life on earth a drudgery?
Are not his days those of hirelings?
He is a slave who longs for the shade,
a hireling who waits for his wages.
So I have been assigned months of misery,
and troubled nights have been allotted to me.
If in bed I say, "When shall I arise?"
then the night drags on;
I am filled with restlessness until the dawn.
My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle;
they come to an end without hope.
Remember that my life is like the wind;
I shall not see happiness again.


Responsorial Psalm
Ps 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. (cf. 3a) Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
or:
Alleluia.
Praise the LORD, for he is good;
sing praise to our God, for he is gracious;
it is fitting to praise him.
The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem;
the dispersed of Israel he gathers.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
or:
Alleluia.
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
He tells the number of the stars;
he calls each by name.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
or:
Alleluia.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
to his wisdom there is no limit.
The LORD sustains the lowly;
the wicked he casts to the ground.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
or:
Alleluia.


Gospel
Mk 1:29-39

On leaving the synagogue
Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.
Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever.
They immediately told him about her.
He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up.
Then the fever left her and she waited on them.

When it was evening, after sunset,
they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.
The whole town was gathered at the door.
He cured many who were sick with various diseases,
and he drove out many demons,
not permitting them to speak because they knew him.

Rising very early before dawn, he left
and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.
Simon and those who were with him pursued him
and on finding him said, "Everyone is looking for you."
He told them, "Let us go on to the nearby villages
that I may preach there also.
For this purpose have I come."
So he went into their synagogues,
preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.

I Am Sorry For What I Have Done- Conscience, Guilt, and Conversion. For Mass on 1-25-09

What is the worst thing you've ever done? Are you sorry? Why do we feel sorry anyways? Should we listen to our consciences? This week's readings offer the answers. The 2nd Reading, Psalms, and Gospel are after the commentary.

Reading 1
Acts 22:3-16

Paul addressed the people in these words:
"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia,
but brought up in this city.
At the feet of Gamaliel I was educated strictly in our ancestral law
and was zealous for God, just as all of you are today.
I persecuted this Way to death,
binding both men and women and delivering them to prison.
Even the high priest and the whole council of elders
can testify on my behalf.
For from them I even received letters to the brothers
and set out for Damascus to bring back to Jerusalem
in chains for punishment those there as well.

"On that journey as I drew near to Damascus,
about noon a great light from the sky suddenly shone around me.
I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me,
'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'
I replied, 'Who are you, sir?'
And he said to me,
'I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting.'
My companions saw the light
but did not hear the voice of the one who spoke to me.
I asked, 'What shall I do, sir?'
The Lord answered me, 'Get up and go into Damascus,
and there you will be told about everything
appointed for you to do.'
Since I could see nothing because of the brightness of that light,
I was led by hand by my companions and entered Damascus.

"A certain Ananias, a devout observer of the law,
and highly spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,
came to me and stood there and said,
'Saul, my brother, regain your sight.'
And at that very moment I regained my sight and saw him.
Then he said,
'The God of our ancestors designated you to now his will,
to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of his voice;
for you will be his witness before all
to what you have seen and heard.
Now, why delay?
Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away,
calling upon his name.'"

Conversion


Paul's conversion is a clear picture of conversion for all people. Although most of us have not been knocked off our feet by a bright light, many of us have experienced conversion. Part of conversion is being convinced that we have sinned. It can be painful. Yet in conversion, God convinces us that our consciences were right all along. In conversion, God shows us the ugly reality of our own sinfulness, and this an act of God to show us the truth. This "sting of conscience" is an act of love by God with the intention of drawing us back to him.

I suspect these thoughts ran through Paul's head after he saw the light and heard Jesus speak:

* This Jesus is Lord, he can appear as light and he has the power to blind me. He is all-powerful
* Jesus made an effort to speak to me, he must care about me to speak to me in such a personal way
* I persecuted this Jesus. I killed his people. Why did he not destroy me? Is it because he loves me?

An encounter with God always seems to be accompanied with a GIGANTIC feeling of love. Knowing this, I imagine how Paul felt.

How did Paul feel when he heard the loving voice of Jesus and stood in the holy presence of God? It must have been very hard to be in Jesus' loving presence and hear him ask the conscience-stinging question "why are you persecuting me?" Notice that Jesus says, "me" here. If Paul felt the love and greatness of God in this moment, and I believe he did, it must have hurt deeply when Paul realized that he was hurting God with his actions. Paul thought that he was HELPING God by killing Christians. By asking "why are you persecuting ME?", Jesus was telling Paul that when Paul persecuted Jesus' Church and his people, Paul was persecuting Jesus himself.
After Paul saw this light, he was blind for 3 days. I think that God made Paul blind to remind Paul that Paul had to rely on God for EVERYTHING- including eyesight. This blindness was a strong message to Paul that God was almighty and Paul needed to rely on God alone. Paul was lead by hand to Damascus. He had days to think about God and his experience. Paul neither ate nor drank during this period, which indicates that he was probably engrossed in his supernatural experience of Jesus such that he thought of nothing else.

Persecuting Jesus

We can see here that Jesus wanted Paul to know that a persecution of Jesus' people was a persecution of Jesus himself. As Catholics, we believe that "sin is an offense against God." "Sin sets itself against God's love for us and turns our hearts away from God's love. Sin is thus love of oneself even to contempt of God."1 The Catechism says that "when we deny him (Jesus) by our deeds, we in some way seem to lay violent hands on him.2 Paul heard this truth from the mouth of Jesus himself. Jesus speaks these words to us as well. As we sin, we hurt Jesus. When we lie to one another, Jesus wants to know "why are you persecuting me?" When we commit sexual sin, Jesus asks, "why are you persecuting me?" When we hoard our money and resources in greed, Jesus asks "why are you persecuting me?"

The Catechism says that "conversion is first of all a work of the grace of God who makes our hearts return to him."3 Conversion is a gift from God! Conversion is God nudging us towards him! To feel guilt for our sins is a present from God! It is a gift similar to the pain we feel when we touch a hot frying pan. If it didn't hurt, we might leave our hands on the frying pan forever until our hands melted! God doesn't want our sin to "melt" us, and that's why it is a grace when our consciences feel sorry for sin.

So why did Paul stop killing Christians? He realized it was wrong! He felt the same sting of conscience that we all feel when we do wrong (sin). Paul had been persecuting Christians for a while and he stopped cold turkey because he realized that he was persecuting God. So Paul experienced deep sorrow (repentance). "Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil, with repugnance toward the evil actions we have committed. At the same time it entails the desire and resolution to change one's life, with hope in God's mercy and trust in the help of his grace."4 This definition of deep interior sorrow from the Catechism describes Paul's conversion very accurately. Paul certainly had the "desire and resolution to change his life". Even better, Paul didn't wait long to change.

No Time For Delay

Acts 9:20 says that Paul "began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues." Perhaps this was in response to Ananias' words from the 1st reading: "Now why delay?" In the 2nd Reading this week, Paul says, "I tell you brothers and sisters, time is running out."

The Devil wants us to delay our conversion. In C.S. Lewis' book the Screwtape Letters, a senior demon teaches his nephew that it's hard to disrupt Christianity by discrediting Jesus, or trying to convince Christians that the devil is more powerful than Jesus. The 2 demons decided that the most effective way to disrupt Christianity was to make Christians think that "Jesus is okay, but there's time aplenty to follow him later on. There is absolutely no rush." The devil's deceitful message when we are on the verge of conversion is that we can don't have to change today, but rather tomorrow.

Paul did not fall for this trap, he made a decision immediately to "change his life, with with hope in God's mercy and trust in the help of his grace." Let's remember this the next time we commit a sin and feel God-given sorrow about it. Instead of waiting for tomorrow to quit our sin, we must stop our sin now.

In summary, let's remember that conscience and sorrow for sin is a gift from God and a call to him. Each time we feel sorrow for sin, we must realize that this an invitation to come to God and to change our lives immediately, relying on help from God always.

Real Life

I've told this story before, but it is so closely tied to this week's readings, so here it is for those of you have not heard it before.

In November of 2006, I went on a mission trip (my first ever) to minister to the poor people of Juarez, Mexico. I was living your average American life and thought to myself, "why not do some mission work?" because I had time off of work. Here is the most powerful incident that happened to me during my visit- I wrote about it the same day it all happened:

"So, we pulled up to the first house and it was a rotten, wood shack. The street outside was dirty and falling apart. The house was about 10 square feet at most and the neighborhood was the worst-looking one I have ever seen. Anyhow, I was not scared, but I was a little bit intimidated as I and Jim (another volunteer, age 60) walked up to the creeky, wooden gate which was falling apart. You had to slither your way through the gate because it would not open the whole way up and it was covered with rusty nails and was completely dangerous.
Jim and I squeezed in and were greeted by a very HAPPY, pleasant old lady. Her face was beaming with enthusiasm and joy as she saw us approaching. I had a huge bag over my shoulder full of vegetables and food.

She greeted us both in Spanish and I quietly smiled. "Passe" she said as she smiled again. I guess that means "come in" because I heard a lot of people say it to me today. She is one of the smallest ladies I have ever seen. She is very skinny, has white hair, dirty clothes, and a distorted face. One of her eyes looks like it has glaucoma. I was afraid of hugging her too hard because she looked about as frail as a dried up cracker.

The house was actually too small FOR HER! I had to duck to get in and once I got in this dark house, I had to duck in order to enter the "bedroom". THe house consisted of the "kitchen" as soon as you walk in and a bedroom. I can't remember what teh floor looked like, but it wasn't pretty. Once we ducked in, we were also greeted by another younger woman probably in her 30's. She looked much healthier than the older woman. She greeted us with a smile.
I could see in the tiny bedroom that there was a girl lying in bed. SHe was probably about 11 years old and she was taking a nap. She woke up and joined us, but she was not smiling. She looked sad.

Before I knew it, we all ducked into the tiny, dark, dirty bedroom and joined hands. Jim started to say a prayer in Spanish. All the while, the 2 women were praying along with him and I stood right across from the little girl.

The situation looked absolutely desperate to me. I dont know why the young girl was at the house, but it had occurred to me that she couldn't afford to go to middle school. Millions of thoughts and feelings began to run through my mind and my body:

* God will save these peoplr
* this house is in terrible shape
* how do these people continue to live?
* who will save these people?
* how long will the old woman live?
* praise God, we are trying
* I am partly responsible for these people's poverty, because I have given VERY LITTLE to the poor since I turned 18.


As our hands were joined, we were united for a moment. We all were asking for the same things. We all wanted good health, enough food, happiness, and mercy for us all and I knew that God heard every word that we uttered and every thought running through our minds. I looked down at my shoes and I could see my own tear drops on them. At this point, the tears were streaming down my face. I felt so bad for teh little girl and the old woman. I was the only one crying I guess because it was my first time in one of their homes. I was afraid taht I would make the little girl even sadder if she saw me crying, but there was no stopping it at this point."

Okay, fast-forward to present day April 2008. I look back at this memory and can see quite clearly what happened to me on that day. God spoke to me while I was in Rumalda's house. He said, "Hey, I love you. I love these poor people. I am love. Can you see that? Do you see the light that I am?" Yes, I saw the light that was God. 2 things were revealed to me:

* God is love. That is who he is.
* In the light, I glanced at myself and could see my own sinfulness. I could see the pettiness of my life. My life suddenly looked ridiculous. My desire for a flat-panel television looked ridiculous! But God did not show himself to me in a mean way. Truly, it was loving because he wants me to know the truth about him, my life, and the reality of this world.


God loves us!


1- Catechism of the Catholic Church 1850
2- CCC 598
3- CCC 1432
4- CCC 1431

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 117:1bc, 2

R. (Mark 16:15) Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
or:
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Praise the Lord, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!
R. Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.
or:
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
For steadfast is his kindness toward us,
and the fidelity of the Lord endures forever.
R. Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.
or:
R. Alleluia, alleluia.


Reading II
1 Cor 7:29-31

I tell you, brothers and sisters, the time is running out.
From now on, let those having wives act as not having them,
those weeping as not weeping,
those rejoicing as not rejoicing,
those buying as not owning,
those using the world as not using it fully.
For the world in its present form is passing away.


Gospel
Mk 16:15-18

Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them:
"Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;
whoever does not believe will be condemned.
These signs will accompany those who believe:
in my name they will drive out demons,
they will speak new languages.
They will pick up serpents with their hands,
and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.
They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

"Are You In Darkness?"- For 1-11-09 God's Salvation and Generosity

Do you ever feel lonely? Do you ever feel like you are in a dark place and you are trapped? This week's readings talk about this subject and the only person who can rescue us.


Reading 1
Is 42:1-4, 6-7

Thus says the LORD:
Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one with whom I am pleased,
upon whom I have put my spirit;
he shall bring forth justice to the nations,
not crying out, not shouting,
not making his voice heard in the street.
a bruised reed he shall not break,
and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,
until he establishes justice on the earth;
the coastlands will wait for his teaching.

I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice,
I have grasped you by the hand;
I formed you, and set you
as a covenant of the people,
a light for the nations,
to open the eyes of the blind,
to bring out prisoners from confinement,
and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.


What is this blindness about? What exactly is meant by "confinement", "the dungeon" and "Darkness"? In my last blog entry, I mentioned that in a dream, God told Joseph that Marys' son would "save his people from their sins".1 And, so this is one of the main reasons why Jesus came to Earth. This state of sin that we are in without repentance is the "darkness" that God is talking about in this reading. Below is the an interpretation:


Blindness and darkness- Sin makes it either difficult or impossible to see God. The story of the blind man and the Pharisees in John Chapter 9 mentions how the Pharisees are unable to recognize Jesus because of their sin. In contrast, the blind man, who acknowledged his blindness was able to see Jesus. Pride and other sins cause blindness to the truth. Truth is a person- Jesus Christ. Blindness to this truth is the worst kind of blindness.

Darkness

Prisoners, confinement, and the dungeon- Sin is a rejection of God's love. For instance, God always tells us the truth. This truth brings love to us and to our lives. And, so when we reject God by sinning, we outcast ourselves from God. Life (and death as well) are absolutely and completely lonely without God. We feel "confined" without him who loves us. The Catechism reminds us that sin "reproduce(s) itself and reinforce(s) itself. Sin cloud(s) conscience and corrupt(s) the concrete judgment of good and evil." One sin leads to another and they create even more sin.5 For example, one lie leads to another and another and before we know it, we are trapped. We become "prisoners" to sin and we find ourselves in a "dungeon" created by sin. The good news is that Jesus offers to rescue us from this poor condition.


Reading II
Acts 10:34-38

Peter proceeded to speak to those gathered
in the house of Cornelius, saying:
"In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.
Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly
is acceptable to him.
You know the word that he sent to the Israelites
as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all,
what has happened all over Judea,
beginning in Galilee after the baptism
that John preached,
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and power.
He went about doing good
and healing all those oppressed by the devil,
for God was with him."

Key points to take from here are that:

* God shows no partiality- We have all sinned and God does not pick favorites, he offers forgiveness and salvation to EVERYONE- even me and you.
* Acting "uprightly"- forgiveness and salvation require that we acknowledge our sins to God and that we ask for his help.
* "healing all those oppressed by the devil"- again the theme from the first reading continues, that God knows that we are oppressed (unjustly ruled over) by the devil and he comes to rescue us.


Gospel
Mk 1:7-11

This is what John the Baptist proclaimed:
"One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee
and was baptized in the Jordan by John.
On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open
and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.
And a voice came from the heavens,
"You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."


Why The Father Was Pleased With Jesus

When I first read that God said to Jesus "you are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased", I thought "Oh big deal, of course the Father is pleased. Jesus is God and so the Father is pleased with him." But wait a second. Jesus was a real human. He had a human will.2 That means that Jesus could say "yes" or "no" to anything the Father asked of him. Jesus' baptism was the beginning of his ministry. The purpose and completion of his ministry was to die for us. Jesus knew that his purpose was to die. "The baptism of Jesus is on his part the acceptance and inauguration of his mission as God's suffering Servant."3 In other words, by accepting baptism, Jesus was accepting a horrible death. Instead of "doing his own thing", Jesus submitted to the desire of the Father, and began his difficult mission. Jesus said "yes" to this even though he didn't have to. And so God the Father's reaction was "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."

Our Opportunity to Please God

In sin, we raise ourselves higher than God (in our hearts) at the expense of God and of ourselves. The opposite of this is Jesus. He does not exalt himself higher than the Father. He humbly submits. By his loving and perfect obedience, we are saved.4 It is an incredible grace that we have Jesus not only as our savior but as our role model. We can imitate him today and tomorrow with every decision that we make. When faced with temptation, we can either sin (raise ourselves higher than God)or we can submit to our Lord by doing the right thing. Then we can hear him say "with you I am well pleased".


In summary, let us remember that sin can put us in a dark, lonely place. Because God loves us, he comes to our rescue and is available each and every moment of every day. God picks no favorites (even though we feel like his favorite when we experience his love). He is our role model and we can and should imitate him all the days of our lives.God loves us!


Real Life


A couple of years ago, I started to think seriously about becoming a priest. So I applied to a religious order. I was very excited about becoming a priest. The application process was extremely thorough. I had to undergo a psychological evaluation, thorough background check, and IQ test, and had to write a long paper about my life, amongst other things. I was excited at the prospect of helping others and God as a priest. Then came the day that the committee, which consisted of several priests, was to decide on my application. The night before the decision, I prayed that God's will would be done by the committee. The next day, I received the very surprising news that my application was to be deferred, which means, rejected until next year. The vocations director was very surprised at the decision.


Since I had already sold my house and packed my bags to enter the seminary, I decided that it might be good for me to do mission work while I discerned God's will further. I spent the next year as a missionary. During this time, I got to see God's beautiful face many, many times. (click on one of the videos to the left here to see) He injected me with an intense love and desire for him. Even today, I am happier than I have ever been even though God has led me to a city where I have no family or history.


I will never forget that I tried to "do my own thing". God, it seems, had a different plan for me. I was put on a path I did not foresee and he gives me a joy I never imagined possible.


1-Matthew 1:21

2- Catechism of the Catholic Church 475

3- CCC 536

4- Phillipians 2:6-9 and CCC 1850

5- CCC 1865

The Holiest Family- for Mass December 28, 2008

If you ask the average person what is most important in their life, many would answer "family". So what sort of family member does God want us to be? What does the Bible teach us about living happily with our families? This week's Gospel reminds us that Jesus lived with normal parents who were just as human as us. God wants to teach us what a real family is. There is commentary following the first reading and the Gospel. There is a real life story at the end.

Reading 1
Sir 3:2-6, 12-14

God sets a father in honor over his children;
a mother’s authority he confirms over her sons.
Whoever honors his father atones for sins,
and preserves himself from them.
When he prays, he is heard;
he stores up riches who reveres his mother.
Whoever honors his father is gladdened by children,
and, when he prays, is heard.
Whoever reveres his father will live a long life;
he who obeys his father brings comfort to his mother.

My son, take care of your father when he is old;
grieve him not as long as he lives.
Even if his mind fail, be considerate of him;
revile him not all the days of his life;
kindness to a father will not be forgotten,
firmly planted against the debt of your sins
—a house raised in justice to you.

The message here is quite simple- that we should honor our parents. But why should we honor them? First of all we are commanded by God to do so. If we honor our parents, the act itself is a way to imitate God. After all, Jesus loves the Father. We can see in the garden of Gethsemane where Jesus' humanity feared death yet his love for God the Father took precedence.3 Jesus was scared of Death, but the Father's will was/is more important than any concern Jesus had. We can also see that God the Father loves Jesus at Jesus' baptism when GOd's voice could be heard saying "this is my BELOVED son". In other words, God the Father said, "I love Jesus." Our love of our parents is a reflection of the Father's love for Jesus and Jesus' love for the Father. We imitate God and his love when we honor our parents. This brings us joy.

This love of our divine father is the basis of God's command to love our parents. Why should we love them anyway? No matter how many bad things our parents may have done to us, we owe our lives to them. Didn't mom and dad sacrifice financially to support us? Didn't they suffer through long nights of crying and changing our diapers? What can we possibly do to repay our parents for giving us life in all of its beauty and challenges? We can start by loving them. In doing so, we please God and get a little glimpse of God's enormous love.

Reading II
Col 3:12-21 or 3:12-17

Brothers and sisters:
Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Wives, be subordinate to your husbands,
as is proper in the Lord.
Husbands, love your wives,
and avoid any bitterness toward them.
Children, obey your parents in everything,
for this is pleasing to the Lord.
Fathers, do not provoke your children,
so they may not become discouraged.

No commentary.

Gospel
Lk 2:22-40 or 2:22, 39-40

When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
They took him up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,
in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he should not see death
before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.
He came in the Spirit into the temple;
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus
to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,
He took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:
“Now, Master, you may let your servant go
in peace, according to your word,
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you prepared in sight of all the peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and glory for your people Israel.”
The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
—and you yourself a sword will pierce—
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
There was also a prophetess, Anna,
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.
She was advanced in years,
having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage,
and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.
She never left the temple,
but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.
And coming forward at that very time,
she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child
to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions
of the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee,
to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favor of God was upon him.

Joseph and Mary- Real People, Real Parents

Let's remember what happened before this visit to the temple. Mary had seen an angel and conceived the child who the angel called "great", "Son of the Most High" and that the child would "rule". Joseph had a similar message sent from God to him. In the dream, the angel said that Jesus would "save his people from their sins". As a Jew, Joseph knew that only God could forgive sins. He must have wondered "who is this child in Mary's womb who will save people from sins?" He may have understood better when the Magi arrived from Luke Chapter 2. Joseph and Mary put Jesus in a manger. When the Magi arrived, they prostrated themselves before the baby Jesus. Let's imagine for a moment what it must have been like for Mary and Joseph. There already saw great signs occurring before the birth of Jesus. Then Joseph and Mary watched as grown men laid face down in a display of tremendous respect for an infant boy in a feeding box. Oh holy night indeed!

The gospel reading reminds us that Mary and Joseph were required by the law to dedicate their child to God. They already knew Jesus was special and they had been told that Jesus was God.2 Now, Mary and Joseph could have thought to themselves "this is God's only Son. We don't need to go to the temple". They could have considered themselves "above the law". Instead, they acted in obedience and took Jesus to the temple because as it was written in this week's Gospel, it was "the law of the Lord".

This Gospel reading and the story of Jesus' conception and birth tells us much about the Holy Family. The Holy Family could not be called Holy without their obedience to God. Joseph wanted to divorce Mary until the angel told him not to. Joseph obeyed. Mary was "troubled" when she heard message of the angel Gabriel, yet she gave her complete consent in perfect obedience. If it was "possible", Jesus wanted the cup of his passion to pass from him yet he was obedient to the will of the Father.3 At the center of the Holy Family was obedience to God. We are meant to imitate the Holy Family and we are meant to be obedient to God and have him and his holy will at the center of our lives. The reason why God entered the world in the midst of a family is that he once again wanted to help teach us to live by his own perfect example. He did this out of love and generosity to us.

Real Life

The 2nd Reading speaks of love within the family and of gentleness, patience, and forgiveness. The Catechism tells us specifically that "everyone should be generous and tireless in forgiving one another for offenses, quarrels, injustices, and neglect." Our faith demands obedience to this command from God.

For all of my life. I did not get along with one of my brothers. In fact, I didn't like him. When he walked into the room, all I could see was the person who "offended and quarelled" with me. Instead of forgiving him, I would always fight back. Sometimes, I hated my brother. I later went on a 2-week long mission to Mexico. There I witnessed the beautiful love of God. When I returned, I was completely full of the love that I saw and experienced in Mexico.

I did not normally meet up with my brother alone. In fact, I normally preferred not to meet him at all. But after the mission trip, things were different. I was eating lunch at my brother's house one day, and suddenly it dawned on me. "I am here eating lunch with my brother and I am enjoying myself. I am happy to be here."

Once I became obedient to God's will to love my brother and forgive him, my brother became a whole other person to me. I could finally see the nice brother I had all along as God opened my eyes and heart through his loving commandments. Not long afterwards, my brother was literally sending me cookies in the mail and buying me plane tickets to meet him and my family. With God closer to the center of our lives, we (my family) have started on the road to being a holy family.

God loves us!

1-Matthew 1:21
2- Jesus was called "Son of the Most High" to Mary. Luke chapter 2 tells us that the "shepherds" told Joseph and Mary that Jesus was "Messiah and Lord".
3- CCC 612 say that Jesus' human nature was horrified at death

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5

R. (cf. 1) Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,
who walks in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
your children like olive plants
around your table.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

How to Prepare for Death and Life

Today, my friend told me that his dad just found out that he has cancer-the bad kind. I asked my friend how his dad felt about dying and he replied that "he seems alright about it". What does it take to feel peaceful about death? How can we prepare for a meeting with God? The Gospel readings this week give us a clue to the answer. There is commentary after the Gospel.

Reading 1Is 61:1-2a, 10-11

The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor,
to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,
to announce a year of favor from the LORD
and a day of vindication by our God.

I rejoice heartily in the LORD,
in my God is the joy of my soul;
for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation
and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,
like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,
like a bride bedecked with her jewels.
As the earth brings forth its plants,
and a garden makes its growth spring up,
so will the Lord GOD make justice and praise
spring up before all the nations.

Responsorial Psalm
Lk 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54.

R. (Is 61:10b) My soul rejoices in my God.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
R. My soul rejoices in my God.
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
R. My soul rejoices in my God.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
R. My soul rejoices in my God.

Reading II
1 Thes 5:16-24

Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.
In all circumstances give thanks,
for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
Do not quench the Spirit.
Do not despise prophetic utterances.
Test everything; retain what is good.
Refrain from every kind of evil.

May the God of peace make you perfectly holy
and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body,
be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The one who calls you is faithful,
and he will also accomplish it.

Gospel
Jn 1:6-8, 19-28

A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.

And this is the testimony of John.
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests
and Levites to him
to ask him, “Who are you?”
He admitted and did not deny it,
but admitted, “I am not the Christ.”
So they asked him,
“What are you then? Are you Elijah?”
And he said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
So they said to him,
“Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you have to say for yourself?”
He said:
“I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
‘make straight the way of the Lord,’”
as Isaiah the prophet said.”
Some Pharisees were also sent.
They asked him,
“Why then do you baptize
if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?”
John answered them,
“I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.

Preparing For Jesus' Coming

The Gospel reading speaks of John the Baptist and his ministry. John was born to "make straight the way of the Lord". That is, his mission was to "prepare the way of the Lord".1 The birth of John the Baptist finally signaled the end of the prophets and the coming of the Savior. In order to prepare the people for the coming of the Lord, John the Baptist offered the people baptism. The baptism described in last week's Gospel of Luke chapter 1, involved "acknowledging their sins," and turning away from their sins as the means to prepare for the coming of the Lord. This repentance goes hand in hand with the 2nd reading this week where Paul wishes that we be "holy and blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." It is necessary that we prepare for our Lord's coming by confessing our sins and turning away from them. Whether we are preparing for Jesus' birth or for our own deaths, the way to prepare for a meeting with the Lord is to turn away from our sins. If we turn away from our sins truly, we can face God, just as the good thief who was crucified next to Jesus did. He admitted his own fault and saw not only the face of Jesus that day, but he is with Jesus in his glory right NOW.

Jesus actually quotes the first reading (Isaih 61) in Luke 4:18-21 and says that this reading applies to him. In other words, Jesus says that he is the one Isaih was talking about who would "bring glad tidings to the poor." Who is "the poor"? The Catechism paragraph 716 defines the poor in this particular reading as those "who humble, and meek, rely solely on their God's mysterious plans." Here again, we are reminded of how we can prepare properly for the Lord. We must humbly rely on his mysterious plans.

The Right and Wrong Way to Prepare for Jesus' Coming

The gospel of Luke gives us an example of a person who was not completely prepared for the coming of the Lord. We are also given an example of a person who prepared and reacted PERFECTLY to "God's mysterious plans." John the Baptist's father, Zechariah heard the "mysterious" announcement of John's improbable birth from an angel. But Zechariah did not believe what he heard and so the Lord made him mute until the birth of John the Baptist because of Zechariah's unbelief. On the flip side was Mary. When she heard the angel Gabriel's announcement to her (which was strikingly similar to the announcement of John's birth) Mary replied differently than Zechariah despite the fact that the announcement to her was much harder to believe (pregnancy without sex). And so, we are given a glimpse of how "poor" Mary was. She was very humble, and "relied solely on God's mysterious plan." And so, she is the grandest example of a person who was prepared for the coming of the Lord. Instead of becoming mute, she rejoiced as we see in this week's responsorial psalm which quotes Mary's response. Because of her humility, she was able to hear the "glad tidings" that God had promised(1st reading).

Mary's Reaction to Holy Communion vs Our Reaction

Colossians 2:9 says of Jesus "in him dwells the whole fullness of the deity". This means that in Jesus is not just the characteristics of God, but God in his entirety. After Mary said, "May it be done to me according to your word", the Holy Spirit "came upon her and the power of the Most High overshadowed her." She then conceived Jesus, God in his entirety in her body. This was her "first communion"- as Blessed Theresa of Calcutta once said. This was Mary's first encounter with Jesus as he became present in her body. Let's imagine for a moment what it meant for God to be inside of Mary, the humble girl from Nazareth.

Personally, when I encounter God by the grace of the Holy Spirit, the feeling I always have is love, peace, and IMMENSE joy. Should it surprise me that Mary reacted the way she did? She said, "my soul rejoices in God my savior." It would be incredible to have Jesus dwelling inside of me in his entirety.

But wait a second, in our Catholic faith, we believe that "by the power of the Holy Spirit", God in his ENTIRETY comes to dwell in another created thing- bread. With humble hearts we respond, "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word, and I shall be healed". How incredible it is that God wants to dwell in us just as he dwelt in the Virgin Mary!

In this week's readings, we are given instructions on how to prepare for the coming of the Lord. We are to confess our sins to God and we are supposed to be humble. That means we have to "rely solely on God's mysterious plan" for our lives. The words we hear at the end of mass tell us what "God's mysterious plan" is for us.

Our Call To Action After Communion

Now we can clearly see that God loves us just as much as he loves the Virgin Mary. He wants to dwell in is. He wants to save us. After receiving Jesus in her womb, Mary rejoiced and she loved Jesus perfectly as a mother. Now what about us? What do we do after Jesus comes to dwell in US? Right after we receive Jesus at communion, the priest tells us to "go in peace to love and serve the Lord."

Now it is hard to love our enemies. It is difficult to forgive. It's challenging to love our families and friends. We wonder, "how can we love enemies?". Forgiveness, mercy, giving our hard earned money to poor strangers, and being chaste in a world of lust seems so difficult that knowing how to do it may seem like a mystery. But THIS is God's mysterious plan for us. God's plan that we love him and one another may be hard to believe or accept, but it IS God's plan for us. What will my decision be today?

Shall I be mute like Zechariah, or shall I rejoice at God's mysterious command as Mary did? God will help us make the right decision.

God loves us.

Real Life

When I was a missionary, I used to visit this man named "Eddie". "Eddie" was very ill and could not leave his home. He was skinny. He was bed-ridden. He never seemed to get better and he looked like he was on the verge of death everytime I saw him. The worst part of his situation was that he held a tremendous anger towards someone. I can't remember who he was angry with but I was told that he was having difficulty forgiving someone. He seemed like he was in a self-chosen prison of anguish to me. My heart was very troubled at the sight of him. One day, the missionaries came to visit him, and he was already dead. I hope that "Eddie" found a way to forgive before the end.

I also used to live on a ranch with a lady named Marion. Marion was over 90 years old. She was a holy lady who feared the Lord. The last time I went to visit her, she had a special gleam in her eyes. When I looked into her eyes, I felt like I could see that she was in close proximity to God. I sensed that she was nearing death, yet it did not trouble me. In fact, it put a smile on my face because when I looked into her eyes I felt like I was seeing Jesus. Ironically, I was visting a friend of mine recently and I held her friend's newborn son. When I looked into his eyes, I saw the same "gleam" I saw Marion's eyes. It seems like we are close to God when we enter the world. If we prepare properly, with God's help, we can leave this world in the same fashion.


Marion and me on the day of our last visit June 2008

1-Mark 1:3

Nice Guys Go to Heaven?

What is going to happen to me when I die? Am I going to heaven or hell? If I do no harm to other people, will I go to heaven? The answer is in this week's readings.*

Reading 1
Ez 34:11-12, 15-17

Thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will look after and tend my sheep.
As a shepherd tends his flock
when he finds himself among his scattered sheep,
so will I tend my sheep.
I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered
when it was cloudy and dark.
I myself will pasture my sheep;
I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD.
The lost I will seek out,
the strayed I will bring back,
the injured I will bind up,
the sick I will heal,
but the sleek and the strong I will destroy,
shepherding them rightly.

As for you, my sheep, says the Lord GOD,
I will judge between one sheep and another,
between rams and goats.

Help For the Lost and Scattered

The first reading tells us about God and about us. Have you ever felt like you were in a "cloudy, dark place? We've all been there. God says in this reading that he is well aware of our suffering. He knows that we are lost. He knows that we have strayed. All we have to do is look at our lives and we will be reminded that WE HAVE STRAYED. We are injured. We are sick! So, in this reading, we are reminded of our condition particularly in the spiritual sense.

And what to do we learn about God in this reading? I think the most powerful words here are "I MYSELF". "I MYSELF will look after...... I MYSELF will pasture... I MYSELF will give......" .

As Christians, we are so blessed to know what was meant by God in this reading by the prophet Ezekiel. God literally came "himself" and his name is Jesus, the only begotten Son. He is begotten, not made, one in being with the Father. This is what God meant in this reading by, "I myself". So we are reminded of our need for God in the first reading, and of how much God loves us. He came down to Earth to shepherd us.


Reading II
1 Cor 15:20-26, 28

Brothers and sisters:
Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since death came through man,
the resurrection of the dead came also through man.
For just as in Adam all die,
so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,
but each one in proper order:
Christ the firstfruits;
then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ;
then comes the end,
when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father,
when he has destroyed every sovereignty
and every authority and power.
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
When everything is subjected to him,
then the Son himself will also be subjected
to the one who subjected everything to him,
so that God may be all in all.

More commentary after the Gospel.

Gospel
Mt 25:31-46

Jesus said to his disciples:
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
'Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
And the king will say to them in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Then he will say to those on his left,
'Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’
Then they will answer and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?’
He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.’
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life."

A Shepherd Who is Also King And Judge

Both the 2nd reading and Gospel speak of Jesus as King, In the 2nd reading, Paul says that he reigns. We don't usually picture a shepherd who "sits upon his glorious throne" and "reigns". His title of shepherd tells us of his kindness and compassion towards us. His title of "King of the Jews" speaks of his power over all things. John 5:22 says the Father "has given all judgment to the Son". John 5:27 continues, "he [the Father] gave him the power to exercise judgment."

So Jesus is the compassionate shepherd and he is also the judge. Even in his judgment he is loving. Any loving parent warns his child not to touch the stove or to put their hands in electrical outlets. Just the same, Jesus wants us to go to heaven which is why he says, I myself will "seek you out" (1st reading).He seeks us out, and protects us.

Like a loving parent, Jesus warns us about judgment. Many of us think that if we don't hurt anybody, we will go to heaven. But in this Gospel, Jesus calls the act of ignoring our "least brothers" EVIL. He calls the ones who ignore the less fortunate, evildoers.

It's time for me to ask myself a couple of questions. When is the last time I gave money to the poor? When is the last time I visited someone who was suffering and alone?

These wretched conditions in the gospel (alone, hurt, in need) sound familiar don't they? Weren't we just reminded in the first reading of how WE suffer from these things and how God has come to help us? That's right, God asks us to do what he himself does to us.

Once again, God tells us the truth about heaven and hell not for the sake of being mean to us. He tells us because he is INVITING us to imitate him. He wants us to love like he does in the 1st reading. It is our job to seek out people in need. If we don't try to love as God has loved us, we willingly refuse the LOVE (the invitation) of God. In failing to love one another, we willingly refuse God himself and accept hell instead (CCC 679). God loves us too much to let us put our fingers in the electric outlet. He wants us to go to heaven. He tells us we cannot get into heaven without loving the least of our brothers.

God loves us.

*salvation comes from faith in Jesus Christ and baptism. (CCC 1987) After baptism we can lose the grace we receive by committing serious sin. This week's readings focus on life after baptism. After baptism, it is absolutely necessary to help those in need if we want to enter heaven.

Real Life


This video features a homeless man I met. He lives in Charlotte, NC. The video shows some people I filmed serving the Lord.



Responsorial Psalm
Ps 23:1-2, 2-3, 5-6

R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.