30 November 2015 - reckless, not wrecked

[ Today's Readings ] 

Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Jesus invites all of us to follow him.

At once they left their nets and followed him.

We all have nets which we must leave behind. Nets aren't cheap. Fishermen would have a hard time even imagining life without them. Leaving behind the net is leaving behind more than an expensive tool. It is leaving behind an old life in favor of a new one.

How can we respond to the call "immediately" at leave "at once"? This life we leave behind isn't necessarily sinful. Sometimes it is full of good things. Peter and Andrew not only leave behind an entirely legitimate profession but their family as well. How do they do it? There is no parallel situation we can imagine for ourselves. We would feel extremely reckless to do anything like this.

Andrew and Peter begin to sense that Jesus is Lord. They intuit that no one who believes in him will be put to shame. They want to call on the name of the Lord so that they can be saved. In other words, they have a sense of how important this is. They see in Jesus something which changes everything. His invitation is earth-shattering. There is no going back to business as usual after having heard it. The new thing to which they are invited is absolutely essential, because we cannot believe in him of whom we have not heard. We need these apostles to preach so that we can hear.

But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone to preach?
And how can people preach unless they are sent?

Being fishermen is fine for a time. In fact, there is a sense in which they are still called to fish. The true meaning hidden in their old lives is revealed. But that meaning is only revealed because they heed the call. They are transformed from average men with ordinary feet to men with beautiful feet who bring the good news to us. Because they heed the invitation at once they are made pillars of the Church.

We don't really believe that we can hear the call of Jesus with the exact some degree of clarity that Andrew and Peter heard it. We tell ourselves that because they saw him they had an advantage. But no, he looked like an ordinary man. He spoke with the same words as those around him. And yet his words are completely different. Just as Andrew and Peter hear them so to can we if we just listen. They are more than words. They are Spirit and life. And as we listen, the words of Jesus give us ever greater clarity to listen and to hear.

The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.

We must give these words room to work in us. Then we too can respond immediately when Jesus calls. 

29 November 2015 - promise practice

But when these signs begin to happen, 
stand erect and raise your heads 
because your redemption is at hand.

When things in this world get crazy don't look down. Don't even look at the things themselves. Instead, look up! Redemption is at hand. What does it mean to look up? It means to fix our eyes on Jesus and our minds on the things above. We need to trust in God's promises.

The days are coming, says the LORD, 
when I will fulfill the promise 
I made to the house of Israel and Judah.

God's promises are not like human promises. Even if we are fairly sure someone will keep a promise it is of little help to us until they do so. God's promises can change and transform our lives even now. His promises are so certain that we can taste their reality even before they fully come.

In this sense, Advent is promise practice. God has begun the fulfillment of his promise to the world by sending his only Son Jesus to die for our sins and to rise again. His promise is fulfilled more and more at the coming of Jesus in the Eucharist. And it will finally be fulfilled at the end of time. From the past we learn that God is faithful. Yet it is more than that. We are invited even now to taste the reality of things to come, of the heavenly banquet.

When we live based on his promises we are not distracted by too little care, as in carousing and drunkenness, or too much care, such as anxiety. The day won't catch us like a trap because we live waiting for it. We even taste it at each Mass. And it is there that we receive the strength to stand before the Son of Man. It is there that our "hearts are strengthened to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones."

So when these signs begin to happen, when things seem to go from bad to worse, let us raise our heads and lift our souls, staking everything on God's promises to us.

To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
and teaches the humble his way. 

28 November 2015 - world drugged hearts

Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy

Are our hearts drowsy? Or, we might ask, are our hearts fully awake to God?

Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed (cf. Romans 13:11).

Even if we aren't involved in carousing and drunkenness the anxieties of daily life do tend to wear us out and distract us. They keep our attention earthbound and make us less ready for the day to come, less ready to stand before the Son of Man.

When we feel anxiety like this God's word often seems like just one more cause for anxiety, one more ball to keep in the air, one more item on our list. Even the understanding which Daniel has at first only causes him more fear. But he does what we need to do at times like these. He asks for clarity.

But I wished to make certain about the fourth beast,
so very terrible and different from the others,

And God does offer clarity. He does not tell him about these beasts to terrify him but so that he may know better than to trust in himself or any earthly kingdom for help. God explains these beasts so that Daniel will know to trust in him. Only God is a rock of stability in a world of anxiety. He is happy to explain this to Daniel and to us.

Then the kingship and dominion and majesty
of all the kingdoms under the heavens
shall be given to the holy people of the Most High,
Whose Kingdom shall be everlasting:
all dominions shall serve and obey him.

This knowledge of what lasts makes all the difference when we are confronted with the anxieties of daily life. When we know it we are not shaken by the trials we face. No matter how big our to-do list, it doesn't keep our attention from God. We are even "vigilant at all times" and "have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man."

If our hearts have become weary (and whose heart hasn't?) let us hear the word of the LORD:

Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you (cf. Ephesians 5:14).

If God's words are causing us anxiety we need to realize that this is not their purpose. Let us turn to him and ask for clarity. He is happy to do so. He wants to free our hearts to give him glory and eternal praise. That is the purpose for which we are made.

27 November 2015 - a timely word

We have trouble seeing things from an eternal perspective. The beasts of this world all loom so large. They follow orders to "devour much flesh" and speak arrogantly. If we see a lion with the wings of eagles or a bear with tusks for teeth rampaging through the world is it not natural to fixate on them?

But these beasts are only a small part of the story. If our heads are in the right place even things this massive can be signs that remind s that the Kingdom of God is near. The destructive forces of this world are by their very nature temporary. At such a massive scale they can serve to remind us still more of the permenant and eternal.

Jess himself tells his disciples that even the most terrifying signs in the sky can remind his disciples that the world is passing away (1 Cor. 7:31). but that they have found a kingdom which will not be shaken (cf. Heb. 12:28).

Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away, 
but my words will not pass away.

No generation need pass away without experiencing the permanence of the kingdom even amidst the passing chaos of our unique circumstances. Jesus's words are as present to us today as they were at that time. They are alive and powerful. The disciples were able to cling to his presence even as the Romans swept in to destroy the whole Jewish as they knew it. His words can be our stability in our own chaotic times.

How else are we going to give god glory and eternal praise? This world is crazy. There are protests, and terrorists, crime and evil, hunger and sickness and war all around us. Our own lives are difficult. We each face the beasts of our individual struggles. But even in this world, even in these lives, we can find the solace and joy of the presence of Jesus in his words. We can merely read these lines or we can allow him to be present to us in them. Let us quietly and attentively choose his presence. Hear him come:

One like a son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
When he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
He received dominion, glory, and kingship;
nations and peoples of every language serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.

26 November 2015 - thanks in all things

(readings for the day, not Thanksgiving)

“Did you not decree, O king,
that no one is to address a petition to god or man
for thirty days, except to you, O king;
otherwise he shall be cast into a den of lions?”

We live in a time when our own leaders are being manipulated to dispose of our religious freedom. Like Darius, they don't always have evil intent. But the results are still rules which throw Christian businesses and business owners into the lion's den. Sorry Little Sisters of the Poor, but the King's law is absolute.

We should give thanks today for the religious freedom we do still enjoy as it is far greater than that enjoyed in many other parts of the world. Abraham Lincoln did intend today to be "a day of thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God, the beneficent Creator and Ruler of the Universe." And we have much for which to be thankful. Yet even as we given thanks we are well advised to remain vigilant so that these great blessings of our country may not be further squandered by well-meaning political authorities.

The main thing to remember is that there is a heavenly authority which transcends any earthly kingdom. This is why we strive to make laws which allow us to follow that authority. But it is also how we have peace even when things get crazy and we have no such protection. Even when people die of fright in anticipation of what is coming into the world and the very powers of heaven themselves seem to be shaken we don't have to be afraid. The Son of Man enters even into situations like these. He manifests his power and great glory to bring redemption to his people even when all seems lost.

So we give thanks no matter what. We give thanks for the many blessings God gives us. We should even give thanks for the trials, knowing that God uses these to draw us closer to him. We give thanks that nothing in all creation can keep us from God's love (cf. Rom. 8:34-39). Even when we are overwhelmed by the world around us, we serve the one who has overcome the world (cf. Joh. 16:33).

Creation never ceases to praise him. Even winter does not dwell on its desolation but knows that spring ever follows. Let creation teach us to hope in God so that we can give thanks at all times.

Frost and chill, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.
Ice and snow, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.

On this Thanksgiving day let us not allow circumstances to diminish or thankfulness. No matter what those circumstances are they can be fuel for praise if we let them.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (cf. The. 5:16-18).

25 November 2015 - listening, not ending lists

I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking
that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.

It might seem easier to prepare a defense beforehand. Because, after all, it becomes harder to listen to God in difficult times. We'd prefer to have quiet prayer during times of peace which would then prepare us for whatever hardships we might later face. But God often doesn't give us the specific wisdom we need until we need it. And why? He doesn't want us to waste our time preparing our defense beforehand. He doesn't want us living too much in the future or too much in the past. He wants us to live in the present moment. The evil of today is sufficient for itself. In more modern terms, today's trouble is enough for today (cf. Mat. 6:34). This is how he reins us in from patterns of thought which would never let us have any peace.

This works if we trust that he does speak to us. It is feasible when we believe he can really do it. And this is one reason it is so important to pray at all times. During times of consolation and joy we learn to recognize his voice. We come to trust that he speaks. Then we are able to believe that he will keep speaking even when times get hard. We won't need to prepare our defense in advance, as if we faced those difficulties alone. We come to understand that he is with us always, even unto the end of the age (cf. Mat. 28:20).

We need regular prayer that is not just rote or formulaic. Otherwise, if we find ourselves in the position of Daniel, required to speak on behalf of God before a hostile world, we will be too fearful and overwhelmed to listen. Daniel is able to trust the LORD because he is already walking with him. He is able to hear the words which the LORD has for King Nebuchadnezzar because he is used to listening, he is already in relationship with the one who is above every earthly king.

Let's think about it. At the times when the LORD has used us to most effectively share his word was it due mainly to the preparation we had done or was it do to his active intervention in the moment where he showed us what to say and how to say it? It is not to say that learning and study have no value. Just that nothing we do is enough if we stop listening to God in the moment in favor of our own wisdom. If we do listen to God he is able to multiple any knowledge we ourselves have to bear fruit one hundred fold.

If we listen he teaches us how to join the chorus of all creation, offering him glory and eternal praise.

Sun and moon, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.

24 November 2015 - the word

See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’ 
Do not follow them! 

We need to be grounded in the words of Jesus.

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed (cf. Gal. 1:8).

If we are not grounded in his words, the words of God, we are "infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming" (cf. Eph. 4:14).

His words are different than these other words. Words of men confuse us and lead us in a million directions. They obscure the priorities we know we should have and lead us off toward mere abstraction and curiosity. Suddenly things become about our own intellectual fitness and prowess. This is why Paul warns us about "quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen" (cf 2 Tim. 2:14). On the other hand, the words of Jesus are a lamp to our path and a light to our feet (cf. Psa. 119:105). His words are living and effective (cf. Heb. 4:12). Other words don't do anything. They are just words. But the word of God does not return to him empty (cf. Isa. 55:11). It works in those who believe (1 The. 2:13). What work does it? It works all things for our good (cf. Rom. 8:28)! It trains us and equips us for every good work (cf. 2 Tim. 3:17).

The world faces constant upheavals. One kingdom gives way to another. We cannot have peace if we act like citizens of these kingdoms. Rather, our citizenship is in heaven (cf. Phi. 3:20). We are members even now of the kingdom which "shall never be destroyed or delivered up to another people". This is the Church against which the gates of Hell shall not prevail (cf. Mat. 16:18). This kingdom, his Church, will in fact "break in pieces all these kingdoms and put an end to them, and it shall stand forever."

So let us get grounded in the word. The word empowers us to know and to live this citizenship. The word enables us to experience the peace and the rest that can only come from God.

Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever.

23 November 2015 - our whole livelihood

I tell you truly,
this poor widow put in more than all the rest;
for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.

Are we willing to offer the LORD even up to our whole livelihood? Obviously there are many things for which we need it. We are not called to recklessly squander it. That said, are we able to trust the LORD with it? If he calls us, are we willing to step out in faith? We know that every good gift is ultimately from him anyway. We tacitly acknowledge that he can provide for his people. But how tight is our grip on what he does give us? If he asks us to offer back to him something he gives us are we really so certain that we are so good at managing it that we are unwilling to do so?

Only the poor in spirit inherit the kingdom. It is hard (but not impossible) for those who are rich to enter the kingdom. The secret is to be "those buying as not owning, those using the world as not using it fully. For the world in its present form is passing away" (cf. 1 Cor. 7:30-31). The secret is to remember that even our "whole livelihood" is like the talents given by the master. It is not ours to bury. It is not ours to horde. It is not our to squander recklessly. We must use it for the LORD.

Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah strike this difficult balance. If we found ourselves forced into the service of an enemy king we would probably take one of two approaches. Most likely, we would wallow in self-pity, feeling unable to do anything of use. How many people find themselves in jobs and responsibilities where they do feel this way? And when they do, do they scrape by with the bear minimum, content to simply survive even if it means burying the gifts? But maybe we would take full advantage of the position, to eat from the table of the king, and to defile ourselves with the food and wine from the royal table. Daniel and his companions do neither. They don't squander their gifts. They don't bury them. They allow the gifts that the LORD gives them to be a blessing to everyone even when they are forced into rolls that they would not choose. They put their whole livelihood in the hands of the LORD. And like those who invest the master's talents they see tremendous returns.

In any question of wisdom or prudence which the king put to them,
he found them ten times better
than all the magicians and enchanters in his kingdom.

This should be how all Christians seem to those around them. It is true that we dwell in a world occupied by enemy forces. Yet even though much badness comes with that we must continue to be good stewards of the gifts we are given. We must not hide our lights under bushel baskets. We must be willing to let them shine. The world needs to see it. It is waiting.

Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.

22 November 2015 - king of kings

Jesus is King of kings! Today we celebrate his kingship. Does he reign in us? We often have issues with authority. We relegate Jesus to a merely ceremonial throne like the current royal family in England. We recognize how human kings have gone wrong in their use of authority. We are ready to impugn the motives of anyone who limits are freedom. A ceremonial king is all we can accept. Like Pilate, we try to relegate the kingship of Jesus to some area which does not have full claim on our lives and hearts, as if we say, "I am not a Jew, am I?"

But Jesus is not merely a king for ceremonies. He is not merely king of some things and not of others, some people and not others. He is the "ruler of the kings of the earth." Every eye will see him when he finally comes in glory upon the clouds. It isn't just those who elect him. It will not be possible to enjoy the royal reception and then go back to our own individual kingdoms.

the one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship;
all peoples, nations, and languages serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.

This is good news! We have a hard time celebrating the idea of a king because we've seen such bad human examples. But God's ways our not our ways and his thoughts are not our thoughts. We should welcome him because unlike human kings he speaks with the voice of truth. Nothing is merely in his self-interest. Instead, his kingship is built into and reflects the structure of the universe itself.

Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.

For now, it is possible to belong to lies rather than the truth. But Jesus commands what he commands because that is how things are, not because it is any benefit to him. He makes himself available to us as King for our sakes. He empowers us to live in accord with reality. When we embrace the truth we are grateful for the authority of the one who is truth. He has the power to finally quell all rebellions against this truth, to quiet everyone who opposes it, and to put his enemies under his feet. But again, this is not selfish. He does it for the sake of everyone who is willing to choose the truth. There is no life in lies. They promise life, but it is not truth. The authority of the king of truth can deliver us from them.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,
who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father,
to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.

What king is there who so willingly shares his kingship? None but the LORD! Let us choose to belong to the truth today. Other options are illusions which can not be perpetuated forever. Only the kingdom of truth will not be destroyed.

And he has made the world firm,
not to be moved.
Your throne stands firm from of old;
from everlasting you are, O LORD.

21 November 2015 - the whole story

he is not God of the dead, but of the living,
for to him all are alive.

We are called to live with an eternal frame of reference. We should have minds fixed on heaven.

We can't make sense of things from the earthly frame of reference only. We can't see the logic in the death of seven sons nor make sense of what would be fair for the widow. The Sadducees don't have this frame of reference. The try to impose an earthly understanding on the idea of the resurrection in order to show that it doesn't make sense.

Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be?
For all seven had been married to her.

And indeed, from an earthly point of view it doesn't make sense. But from an earthly point of view there is no making sense of this broken and fallen world in which we live. There is nothing we can say from this point of view to make sense of the widow's story. From this point of view there are only the dead and the dying.

Yet we do often live and act as if this was the whole story. Without an frame of reference our priorities become confused. When we try to sort out fairness for the widow on a merely earthly level there is nothing that we can say. We can even become like King Antiochus, telling ourselves that we are doing good things for people while actually harming them and harming ourselves. We put things that seem good in the short term before things which are truly good in the long term.

Yet I was kindly and beloved in my rule.’
But I now recall the evils I did in Jerusalem,
when I carried away all the vessels of gold and silver
that were in it, and for no cause
gave orders that the inhabitants of Judah be destroyed.

But to God all are alive. When we are alive to him we have access to a perspective which transcends the limits of time and space. This perspective prevents us from becoming near-sighted and selfish. It is more than just a way of thinking. It is a connection to the one who holds the universe in his hands. He has a plan that makes sense of the pain. He can see the beauty that can come from places where we can only see sorrow. When we are in relationship with him this perspective can transform our outlook as well.

For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
nor shall the hope of the afflicted forever perish.

20 November 2015 - defilement defied

Is it time to rededicate the temple of our hearts to the LORD?

“Now that our enemies have been crushed,
let us go up to purify the sanctuary and rededicate it.”

Our hearts are defiled by the occupation of the Gentiles and the idols they worship. Our hearts are meant to be houses of prayer. But we are disappointed to find that they are not selfless. They become dens of thieves. The buying and selling of things takes the place in our hearts that is meant for God. The God who transcends the world is usurped from his throne and the world he has made takes his rightful place.

But even hearts like these can sense the freedom Jesus offers. We find ourselves "hanging on his words". Let us invite him into our temples to drive from us all of our idols. Our hearts are made to be dwelling places for the Most High.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith (cf. Eph. 3:16).

Why does this seem trivial? Why does this not make us more grateful? Why does it not motivate us more than it does? If we actually understood that quote from Ephesians how could we not shout for joy at such an unbelievable blessing? God. Wants. To. Live. In. Us.

Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him" (cf. Joh. 14:23).

The idols and the money changers are to blame. They are at fault. They draw our attention to things which, while, mundane, tedious, and burdensome, make the higher things of God seem distant and implausible. The higher things of God are not distant and implausible. But through the lens of idols we can't expect to see them clearly. Of course, we don't think of them as idols. In our minds they have categories such as necessities, the daily grind, pursuits of our passion, hobbies, entertainment, or any number of other legitimate goods. But when they come first and God comes second the view we are meant to have of him is distorted.

Again, we are made to be dwelling places for God. 

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me (cf. Rev. 3:20).

If our hearts are too messy for Jesus we can take comfort. He himself is willing to take on the cleaning projects necessary to make us suitable dwelling places for him. With the Centurions we pray, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed." We trust in the healing power of Jesus. 

Let us give him permission to do whatever he needs to do. It might not be that pleasant. He might have to chase idols from us with a cord of whips. But it is for our benefit.

God "disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it" (cf. Heb 12:11).

We are meant to live "for the praise of his glory" (cf. Eph. 1:12). When we live for the purpose for which we are made we experience the joy God intends for us.

There was great joy among the people
now that the disgrace of the Gentiles was removed.

When God reigns on the thrones of our hearts we have every reason to rejoice.

Blessed may you be, O LORD,
God of Israel our father,
from eternity to eternity.

19 November 2015 - zealous for peace

If this day you only knew what makes for peace–
but now it is hidden from your eyes.

Jesus does not want to see judgment visited on Israel. He is sad to know that its enemies will hem it in a smash it to the ground. But his sympathy for Israel does not deter his zeal for his Father's house. When necessary he chases money changers from it. He even lets it be smashed to the ground because of its infidelity when it comes to that.

In his zeal for his Father's house (cf. Joh. 2:17) he is similiar to Mattathias.

“Let everyone who is zealous for the law
and who stands by the covenant follow after me!”

They both have a profound zeal for the law of God from which no sympathy can make them deviate. They both understand that infidelity to the law can reach a point that makes it necessary to stand apart and to separate the sacred from the secular. Whether standing out themselves or driving out the profane, they do not shy away from judgment.

“Let everyone who is zealous for the law
and who stands by the covenant follow after me!”
Thereupon he fled to the mountains with his sons,
leaving behind in the city all their possessions.
Many who sought to live according to righteousness and religious custom
went out into the desert to settle there.

It is sometimes necessary to leave aside even the most legitimate possessions or pursuits in the name of righteousness. If things get too bad we must sometimes flee to the desert or to the mountains. We can't change our ways for the sake of society around us.

Although all the Gentiles in the king’s realm obey him,
so that each forsakes the religion of his fathers
and consents to the king’s orders,
yet I and my sons and my kin 
will keep to the covenant of our fathers.

But in the face of this need for zeal, this need, sometimes for hermetic separation from the secular world, we must not lose our sympathy for world. For although Jesus allows the judgment to destroy the physical temple he also and primarily allows it to happen to the temple of his body. The ultimate judgment against the profane, unholy, and unrighteousness is something which he does more than to just allow. He takes it upon himself.

But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
pand with his wounds we are healed.

How much more, then, ought we have this ability to sympathize with the world around us, since we ourselves are guilty of the same things as them? We feel the same weakness and stand in the same need of mercy and grace. But it isn't easy. Can we hold zeal this zealous..

When Mattathias saw him, he was filled with zeal;
his heart was moved and his just fury was aroused;
he sprang forward and killed him upon the altar.
At the same time, he also killed the messenger of the king
who was forcing them to sacrifice,
and he tore down the altar.

..simultaneously with sympathy and love for the offenders? Can we really love the sinner and hate the sin? Usually if we love the sinner we don't really and truly feel the offense of the sin. If the sin truly offends us we have trouble genuinely loving the sinner. But this is what Jesus does. This is what makes for peace. This is the life to which we are called.

God the LORD has spoken and summoned the earth. He wants to gather all of us before him. He himself offers the world the fidelity we need to make this possible.

Offer to God praise as your sacrifice
and fulfill your vows to the Most High;
Then call upon me in time of distress;
I will rescue you, and you shall glorify me.

18 November 2015 - return on investment

He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins
and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.

We don't have coins of our own. Jesus entrusts to us the only resources we have. Because of this it isn't up to us whether we use them or not. We are called to be stewards of the gifts we are given. But there is a hitch.

His fellow citizens, however, despised him
and sent a delegation after him to announce,
‘We do not want this man to be our king.

Our fellow citizens may not be big fans of the nobleman who gives us our coins. Yet even in this climate we still find return on investments which we are willing to make.

‘Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.’

The gold coins our master gives us can generate a virtually unlimited return on investment if we are just willing to put them to use. The only real risk is putting our light under a bushel basket. If we have gifts from the LORD we must use them!

If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully (cf. Rom 12:6-8).

It is possible to quench the Spirit (cf. 1 The. 5:19). It is possible to hide our lights.

‘Sir, here is your gold coin;
I kept it stored away in a handkerchief,
for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man;
you take up what you did not lay down
and you harvest what you did not plant.’

We need to understand that our master can take up what he does not lay down and harvest what he does not plant. But this needn't threaten us. He can even do this through us if we let him. This refers not to how demanding he is but rather that there are no limits upon him. It means his investments in us can have miraculous returns as long as we don't bury them.

Ultimately, this is how the mother of the seven sons is able to cope in our first reading today. She realizes that she has her sons from God and that only by entrusting them back to him can any of them truly fulfill their purpose and live as they are meant to live. She does is able to invest the gifts she has from God even in the most hostile of climates. Her own investment feeds forward, enabling all of her sons to lay down their lives manfully for the king. They see how certain she is in her own trust in God and are empowered to invest the coin of their own lives.

I do not know how you came into existence in my womb;
it was not I who gave you the breath of life,
nor was it I who set in order
the elements of which each of you is composed.
Therefore, since it is the Creator of the universe
who shapes each man’s beginning,
as he brings about the origin of everything,
he, in his mercy,
will give you back both breath and life,
because you now disregard yourselves for the sake of his law.

Our own faithful stewardship does more than simply preserve our own souls. Through it, God is able to save others as well.

She had scarcely finished speaking when the youth said:
“What are you waiting for?
I will not obey the king’s command.
I obey the command of the law given to our fathers through Moses.

This is all because we trust in the nobleman even while he is on a journey. Even while the climate is hostile to the king we remain faithful. We know that the resources he gives us are enough for the task at hand. And we know that he will return with the kingship and slay his enemies before him.

Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.

17 November 2015 - make a scene

So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus,
who was about to pass that way.

It is possible for the crowds to keep us from seeing Jesus. They are closer. They are easier to see and easier to hear. Often times, there isn't a way through to Jesus that doesn't involve standing out from the crowds. We might even need to appear a little ridiculous like Zacchaeus.

Eleazar wants to pursue God, too. But it is making him so conspicuous that he actually faces torture and death for God's sake. In order to blend in with the crowd he would have to break God's law and he is unwilling to do so. He is unwilling to even appear to do so for fear that he would lead others astray.

At our age it would be unbecoming to make such a pretense;
many young people would think the ninety-year-old Eleazar
had gone over to an alien religion.

We admire the actions of men like Zacchaeus and Eleazar. But we do not think ourselves capable of similar feats. What we need to realize, even in difficult circumstances like they face, is that God is seeking us even more than we're seeking him. We read that Jesus looks up at Zacchaeus even before we hear that Zacchaeus looks down at him. Jesus knows his name before he introduces himself. Staying at the house of Zacchaeus is already a part of Jesus's plan.

When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said, 
“Zacchaeus, come down quickly,
for today I must stay at your house.” 

When we realize that Jesus wants us even more than we want him, that he loves us even more than we love him, we are willing to stand out and make a scene for him. We trust in his plan for us more the incidental circumstances that occur along the way.

When we trust Jesus like this he upholds us no matter how many our adversaries, how many rise up against us, or how many telling us that God cannot help. When we trust Jesus like this he is our shield, glory which surpasses any embarrassment we face in the world.

When I lie down in sleep,
I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
I fear not the myriads of people
arrayed against me on every side.

Even when we lie down in death the LORD sustains us. We know will rise again. With this kind of trust each of our lives can be like that of Eleazar. Holiness is not for only a select few. There are only saints in heaven!

This is how he died,
leaving in his death a model of courage
and an unforgettable example of virtue
not only for the young but for the whole nation.

If we need to climb a tree to see Jesus let us climb it. If we must lay down our lives to remain faithful to the LORD let us lay them down. We can't do this on our own but the LORD upholds us.

16 November 2015 - don't crowdsource this

In those days there appeared in Israel
men who were breakers of the law,
and they seduced many people, saying:
“Let us go and make an alliance with the Gentiles all around us;
since we separated from them, many evils have come upon us.”

We can't let the crowds dictate our behavior. The Gentiles all around us might seem very successful. They might seem healthy, wealthy and even wise after a fashion. It can begin innocently enough. Often, we start off pursuing the same entertainment as them. A gymnasium seems harmless enough. Yet if we become too impressed with their way of life it becomes dangerous. We imitate it in more and more of its aspects. Our own faith begins to embarrass us. We are like the Jews who "covered over the mark of their circumcision" so that they could blend in. We abandon our "particular customs". We begin sacrificing to the idols of those who surround us. We profane the Sabbath. Before we know it there is a horrible abomination at the center of our hearts on the throne which is meant for God. In the early stages, this is all because of undue attention we give to the things of the Gentiles. We allow lesser things, not necessarily bad, to pull us away from those things which should be our priorities, those things which can give us life.

Maybe we have been blinded by the culture around us and are having trouble finding a good path again. We needn't fear because Jesus is passing by. He is full of love. Healing is in his hand. The one thing we need to ensure is that the crowd doesn't keep us from him.

he people walking in front rebuked him,
telling him to be silent,
but he kept calling out all the more,
“Son of David, have pity on me!”

Let us keep calling all the more to Jesus. None of us have priorities which are in perfect order. We all need Jesus to help us to see again. But the culture is all too willing to provide compelling alternatives. Indeed it seems almost designed to distract us and keep us away. But we are free to keep calling, no matter what the world says.

“What do you want me to do for you?”
He replied, “Lord, please let me see.”
Jesus told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.”

Suddenly we see clearly. We realize how we only find life here in Jesus. We realize that no one else has ever saved us. We glimpse briefly how vapid, empty, and profitless are those things which distract us, those things which charm us most. We follow in the footsteps of the blind man given his sight.

He immediately received his sight
and followed him, giving glory to God.

We are moved, not with indignation, but with compassion for the Gentiles around us. We see how easy it is to be ensnared. We proclaim with words and with lives that the LORD is the only alternative to this hopeless life.

When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.

15 November 2015 - at the gates

know that he is near, at the gates

Are we ready for him? He comes when a tribulation has just ended. Things seem to go from bad to worse rather than getting better. Everything seems to succumb to darkness. All sources of light fail, sun, moon, and stars. The very heavens themselves are shaken. We take these to be fixed and unmovable. This sort of darkness can push us in two very different directions. It can make us less attentive to the LORD's coming because of fear. Or it can make us long and look for it even more because, really, who else can we turn to in times like these?

Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.

We can't just wait for disaster to come and then embrace his words. We should be familiar with them already. When the heavens themselves are shaken it is not the easiest time to trust in his words even though it is the time when they can provide the most comfort. If we wait until tribulation we risk being unable to trust in his words. We risk becoming an everlasting horror rather than shining brightly with the wisdom that can only come from his words. Even in the midst of all of that darkness his word can be a lamp for our feet and a light for our path (Cf. Psa. 119:105). But it is good to know where the flashlight is before the storm. It is important to know that the batteries are charged and that it can provide the light we need. Then we do turn to it even in the worst of times.

Jesus is coming. Are we ready to meet him? He is near! Let us not be distracted by anything going on in the world. His enemies will be made his footstool in time eventually. But even now we are being consecrated and made perfect by his power and love. We don't know the day or the hour when the end will come. But we can cling to his words today, right now. If we do we need not fear his coming, worried that we will be everlasting horrors. Instead we rejoice to see him come:

And then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds'
with great power and glory,
and then he will send out the angels
and gather his elect from the four winds,
from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.

With him at our righthand we shall not be disturbed!

14 November 2015 - inexorable mercy

There was a judge in a certain town
who neither feared God nor respected any human being. 

Jesus does not compare God to this judge because he is similar to him but because he is not. There is a certain self-deprecating sense of humor by which he even makes the comparison. He knows that we tend to think of God that way. We think of ourselves as in the right and the one whom we ask as unjust for not answering us. We imagine that he is too self-absorbed, too disinterested, or too lazy to answer us. Of course we never think these things explicitly. But by allowing the comparison to be made he brings to light our implicit feelings.

But then we ask. And we wait. And wait. And once we wait all of these feelings start cropping up again. We would understand immediate refusal. We would be happy if our prayer was eventually accepted. But what is this waiting business? Why would we have to wait unless we were really dealing with an unjust judge? How can we really "pray always without becoming weary"?

We need to learn that God is for us and not against us (cf. Rom. 8:31). We need to understand that this brief momentary affliction is preparing us for the weight of glory (cf. 2 Cor. 4:17).

This is what the Office of Readings is talking about today:

If God gave virtue an immediate recompense, we should straightway find ourselves engaging in commerce, instead of perfecting ourselves in his service. Although to all outward appearance we might be irreproachable, we should not be seeking God, but our own advantage, and bringing down on our sinful souls the divine judgment that would soon make us feel the full weight of our chains.

One reason we wait on God is so we never learn to treat him like a coin operated gumball machine. We have a tendency to do that anyway without any encouragement.

Another reason is we wait is so that our desire for God is purified and strengthened. We learn to long for what can truly satisfy rather than the things of this world. Every hardship endured along the way need only point us more directly toward God.

He doesn't intervene on our schedule. But he does come. His mercy is inexorable.

When peaceful stillness compassed everything
and the night in its swift course was half spent,
Your all-powerful word, from heaven’s royal throne
bounded, a fierce warrior, into the doomed land

When we know for sure that God is not the unjust judge we grow in hope for what we do not yet see and we wait with confidence (cf. Rom. 8:25).

Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones
who call out to him day and night? 
Will he be slow to answer them? 
I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. 
But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

13 November 2015 - not preoccupied

For they search busily among his works,
but are distracted by what they see, because the things seen are fair.

Isn't this us? Doesn't our preoccupation with created things actually take our minds off God rather than serving to remind us of him? Created things ought to be able to help us to "discern the artisan" and to quickly find creation's LORD. They are meant to "declare the glory of God" and to proclaim his handiwork. We have glimpses of this. There are times when beauty overwhelms us and we can't help but be in awe at the God who made it. There are times when the sheer vastness and scale of the created world call the power of the God who made them.

Even though God's hand is always there for us to notice we ignore it more often than not. If we see his presence in all things he becomes a thread which ties our moments together and gives meaning to our days. 

So let's not be this guy:

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world (cf. Rom. 1:19-20)

Or this guy:

“As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be in the days of the Son of Man;
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage up to the day
that Noah entered the ark,
and the flood came and destroyed them all.

Let's not become so distracted that we miss what God is doing. Let us not make idols out of the very things which should call us to remember him. To the degree that they distract us from our correct orientation toward God they become dangerous. Without him as a point of reference the good things he gives us can become sinful when sought for their own sakes. But they are dangerous precisely because they are so good. It is precisely the God we perceive in them that makes us desire them. So instead of worshiping the things themselves let us turn our hearts toward God. Let us join with all created things and sing his praise.

Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.

If we do this we are not distracted by creation. We don't miss Jesus coming. When it comes time to make a choice between him and the world we are able to choose wisely.

Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it,
but whoever loses it will save it.

Life is good. It proclaims God's glory. But we proclaim God's glory even more when we lay down our lives in love. Creation ought to impel us toward God not weight us down toward earth. Creation itself speaks to us and tells us of something greater than itself, worthy of our pursuit. Creation tells us not to lose our lives for its sake because it cannot do justice to a sacrifice like that. A life spent in that way is just one more dissipation in a world of entropy, winding down toward an eventual end. Creation hints of the only one who deserves the sacrifice of our entire lives. It is whispering now. Let us listen.

12 November 2015 - wiser than earthly wisdom

Relic of St. Josaphat at St. Josaphat Catholic Church in Detroit, MI

The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’
For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.

But what about our circumstances? What about the Roman occupation? When will everything outside ourselves be fixed? But this isn't what the Kingdom is mostly about. 

Instead, the Kingdom is mostly about wisdom who passes "into holy souls from age to age" making us friends of God and prophets.

No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you (cf. Joh. 15:15).

This might seem like too little in the face of a broken world. But this wisdom that gives is friendship with God is enough to fill and transform the entire world.

Indeed, she reaches from end to end mightily
and governs all things well.

She governs, because this is the Kingdom. When we become friends of God we become priests, prophets, and, yes, kings. She makes present in the world the power of the one about whom it is said, "He has done all things well" (cf. 7:37).

This authority might not be political but it is nevertheless powerful:

And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction (cf. Mat. 10:1).

After all, earthly governments are sometimes intelligent, sometimes beneficent and kindly, but seldom do they possess all of the attributes of wisdom. Absolute trust in such bodies is misplaced. Only wisdom deserves such trust.

For she is the refulgence of eternal light,
the spotless mirror of the power of God,
the image of his goodness.

She does not dwell in governments, only individuals. She wants to dwell in us. Let us welcome her. We welcome her be opening ourselves to God's word. We place ourselves in a position of receptivity, we quiet ourselves, and we listen.

Your word, O LORD, endures forever;
it is firm as the heavens.
Through all generations your truth endures;
you have established the earth, and it stands firm.

But though Wisdom is here now and pervasive in her presence the fullness of the Kingdom is still to come.

For just as lightning flashes
and lights up the sky from one side to the other,
so will the Son of Man be in his day.

Wisdom teaches us not to get so eager for that day that we run off after false hopes. She keeps us on track, centered, and vigilant for the day. She herself is our consolation while we wait in expectant hope.

Let your countenance shine upon your servant,
and teach me your statutes.
Let my soul live to praise you,
and may your ordinances help me.

11 November 2015 - healing realized

And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. 

Why do the others not give thanks? We can imagine them to be so fixated on the specific words of Jesus that they treat them like a formula or a recipe. They can't deviate from it lest it not work. Maybe they are so fixated on the formula that they don't even really realize that they are healed. After all, it only says for sure that the one who returns realizes what happens. The Samaritan does realize what happens. He is somehow more able to notice this and to fully grasp the implications. His heart is moved to give thanks in a way that the other lepers do not experience. What about us, then? The formulas we have are not wrong. But they can be a problem when they become a hindrance to real relationship. They are meant to be a help. They can be. But we can't bury our heads in them. If our hearts tell us it is time to give thanks, well, the priests can perhaps wait a little longer before we present ourselves to them.

If we have this living relationship with the LORD will be able to exercise leadership in fidelity to his will. We don't need to fear the additional scrutiny that comes with power if we trust in him. We realize that there is no one formula for leadership and turn to the LORD for his will. He shows us how to keep the law no matter the situation in which we find ourselves.

Desire therefore my words;
long for them and you shall be instructed.

It is good that we have a strategy. We all have areas where authority is given to us. We can't refuse to let our lights shine because we fear it. We need only fear self-reliance apart from God.

I said: “You are gods,
all of you sons of the Most High;
yet like men you shall die,
and fall like any prince.”

As long as we walk with him he speaks the words that calm our hearts, "Do not be afraid." Ours is in many ways a fearful dignity. We are all priests, prophets, and kings. But the LORD provides all we need if we are open to what he does and remember to give thanks.

10 November 2015 - expect the unexpected

When you have done all you have been commanded, say,
‘We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.’

We are called to regard ourselves as not deserving anything.

who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid? (cf. Rom. 11:35)

We are called to regard ourselves like servants who return from plowing or tending ship and are not thereby entitled to our rest. We are still obligated to keep working and to continue in the service of the master.

“Who among you would say to your servant
who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field,
‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’?
Would he not rather say to him,
‘Prepare something for me to eat.
Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink.
You may eat and drink when I am finished’?

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast (cf. Eph 2:8-9).

It is true that we don't earn anything. We don't put God in our debt. He doesn't want us to become prideful as if we have. Yet an even greater part of his motivation for telling us to have this attitude seems to be that we can receive his blessings as gifts. He tells us not to expect the master to serve us but to instead expect to serve him. But then in another place he tells us that he will serve us!

Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them (cf. Luk 12:37).

He promises the very thing which he tells us not to expect! And indeed, what right do we have to expect it? None! But the Son of Man comes not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many (cf. Mat. 20:28).

In the eyes of the world our service to God seems like punishment, especially if it isn't earning anything for us.

For if before men, indeed, they be punished,
yet is their hope full of immortality;
Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
because God tried them
and found them worthy of himself.

Yet it is precisely this work that, while earning nothing, allows God to purify us just like gold in a furnace. He is even pleased to receive us as sacrificial offerings and to take us to himself. We certainly don't earn the right to judge nations and rule over peoples. But because we trust in him as our King we "understand truth" in a way the qualifies us. We are empowered to "abide with him in love" because we cling to him as he refines us.

When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.

9 November 2015 - avoid the despair of disrepair

Brothers and sisters:
You are God’s building.

If we are God's building then we should be defined by worship and not by vendors and money-changers. We must be responsible for this building and what goes on here. We can't allow ourselves to fall into disrepair on the pretense that we are our own to do with as we please.

Do you not know that you are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
If anyone destroys God’s temple,
God will destroy that person;
for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.

Jesus says, "Zeal for your house will consume me." He is zealous for his Father's house. And, somehow, miraculously, this describes us more than even the physical temple in Jerusalem. The presence of God is intimately real in Christians , especially through the sacraments. We are not merely our own anymore.

For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord (cf. Rom. 14:7-8).

We need to take to heart what Paul tells us, "You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body" (cf. 1 Cor. 6:19-20).

We are being built together as living stones into a temple holy to the LORD (cf. 1 Pet. 2:5). When we approach our lives this way, designed for someone other than ourselves to be at the center on the throne, we experience the joy that comes from God's presence.

God is our refuge and our strength,
an ever-present help in distress.

When God reigns on the thrones of our lives we become places where others can experience the presence of God. We become sources of the living water which flows first from the side of Christ and then from the hearts of those who believe (cf. Joh. 7:28).

Wherever the river flows,
every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live,
and there shall be abundant fish,
for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh.

If we are not zealous for God's house and allow it to fall into disrepair we risk that his presence will depart from us, drying the streams meant to gladden our city. So let us invite Jesus himself to chase the money changers from our hearts. Let us ask him to bring even the whip if necessary to drive from us the idols which usurp his rightful place on the throne. We can be zealous for him because of his zeal for us. We can trust him no matter how big of a repair project we need. We may seem destined for inevitable collapse but even death need not stop him. 

“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”

He is zealous for us, wants to dwell in us, and there is nothing that can stop him. Nothing except us. So let us welcome him, knowing that the whip of cords makes way for the living waters which he wants to flow from us.

There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God,
the holy dwelling of the Most High.
God is in its midst; it shall not be disturbed;
God will help it at the break of dawn.

8 November 2015 - the fatherless and the widow he sustains

We sometimes worry that we don't have enough to contribute. We let that feeling stop us from giving anything at all. Are we really more interested in giving enough that we can feel good about it? This is what the scribes are like. They are more interested in long robes, greetings in the marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues and places of honor at banquets than the spiritual things they do as a pretext.

Jesus wants us to be free to give and to love whether or not it seems significant in the eyes of the world, whether or not it brings us any honor. If we're really honest we aren't very impressed by the widow and her two coins. We think about this as a lovely sentimental gesture. But after all what good are two coins in a vast treasury? We're thinking as humans do and not as God does (cf. Mat. 16:230. God calls does not call us to what this world defines as success. He merely calls us to be faithful. After all, the cross looks like the biggest failure in history until the resurrection. And the thing is, when we are faithful, he is able to do much more with two coins than we expect. He is able to do much more with a measure of flour than the widow expects.

God is actually able to draw more from us than we believe that we have to give. He is able to do this when we come to depend on him rather than ourselves. The two coins or the flour seem like all we have. We grasp them so tightly and refuse to let go because we imagine that our whole existence relies on them. But it does not. It relies on God.

For the LORD, the God of Israel, says,
'The jar of flour shall not go empty,
nor the jug of oil run dry,
until the day when the LORD sends rain upon the earth.'" 

Jesus offers himself for us, once for many. By doing so he allows us to share in his own love and obedience. He enables us to give not just the superfluous things which are tangential and unimportant to us. He enables us to give our very selves just as he first gives himself for us.

The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia.

7 November 2015 - the new boss is not the same as the old boss

Money has a tendency to make us dishonest. Even so, we are called to be trustworthy with it. We are called to use it in the service of God rather than using God as an end toward our service of money. One of the best ways to use our money for God is to give it to the poor. This is why Jesus tells us to "make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth". It isn't truly ours anyway. It "belongs to another" and will ultimately "fail". We need to be faithful with it, though, even though it is a small matter compared to heaven. We can't let it become our master. When we recognize that it is not our own and use it to make friends we "will be welcomed into eternal dwellings" and receive something which is truly ours.

It is very hard to recognize that our money and possessions aren't truly our own. It is easy to begin to structure our lives toward preserving them. It is easy to accidentally begin to serve them. We need to recognize what the Church calls "the universal destination of goods". The goods of creation are destined for the human race. Private property for the Christian can be nothing besides stewardship.

If we find our hearts reluctant to let go we must turn to Jesus. He can put his own love into our hearts and free us to serve our brothers and sisters. He can make us like Paul, ready to give thanks and celebrate everyone he knows. The love of Jesus causes us to desire the good of everyone. We want them to have what they need. Even more than the dishonest wealth which will benefit them in the short term we long for them to be welcomed together with us into eternal dwellings. Only Jesus can free us from selfishness and servitude to mammon so that we can truly have hearts like this.

Now to him who can strengthen you, 
according to my Gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages
but now manifested through the prophetic writings and,
according to the command of the eternal God,
made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith,
to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ
be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Finally, together with all of the friends which the love of Jesus empowers us to make, we give thanks to God.

Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.

6 November 2015 - boast in the lord

For I will not dare to speak of anything
except what Christ has accomplished through me

There aren't many of us who can say this. We don't going around boasting loudly. But if we were to boast, what subject would we choose? In our hearts, are we more proud of our own accomplishments or "in what pertains to God." If we are honest, our hearts still boast of our own accomplishments. That sort of makes sense when we think about our desires and how we spend our time. Most of the time the his Kingdom is second and our kingdoms are first.

A rich man had a steward
who was reported to him for squandering his property.
He summoned him and said,
‘What is this I hear about you?
Prepare a full account of your stewardship,
because you can no longer be my steward.’

We squander the gifts of the master by doing our own thing and putting ourselves first. Eventually we realize that we don't actually have any strength on our own. There comes a point when we realize that we are entirely dependent on our master.

‘What shall I do,
now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me?
I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg.

It is at this point that we must lay down our claims to strength. We must lay aside any claims to accomplishment that aren't for the master and his Kingdom.

He called in his master’s debtors one by one.
To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’
He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note.
Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’
Then to another he said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’
He replied, ‘One hundred measures of wheat.’ 
He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note;
write one for eighty.’

We can't claim extra olive oil so that we can have some olive oil which is ours apart from what our master owns. We can't claim extra measures of wheat so that we can speak of them apart from what Christ has accomplished in us, apart from the daily bread he gives, the bread from heaven. The beauty of this is that when we no longer insist on speaking of our own accomplishments or our own merits we free others at the same time. We help them to realize that the only debt they truly owe is to the master, to Jesus himself.

When we insist on our own olive oil the world is not able to fully experience the anointing that God wants to give by his Holy Spirit. When we insist on our own wheat the world does not feel free to come to the LORD for his gift of finest wheat. But when we lay these claims aside the world is free to experience the signs and wonders and the power of the Spirit of God so that they can truly hear the message of Christ. This is what Paul is excited about.

I have finished preaching the Gospel of Christ.
Thus I aspire to proclaim the Gospel
not where Christ has already been named,
so that I do not build on another’s foundation,
but as it is written:

Those who have never been told of him shall see,
and those who have never heard of him shall understand.

And this in turn can motivate us. If we just lay our own claims down before the LORD.

All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.

5 November 2015 - finders keepers

The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 

Do we make comparisons like the Pharisees do? Do we make judgments about who is deserving of God's blessing? Do we find it off-putting when people who aren't holy receive favors from God? Do we see lost sheep that we would prefer to stay lost?

Why then do you judge your brother or sister?
Or you, why do you look down on your brother or sister?
For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God;

Such judgment is based on the pretense that we're somehow better than those lost sheep. There is no one in the world who Jesus doesn't want to welcome. But there are many people who have done such horrible things such that, if we saw them in the Confession line, we would have difficulty accepting them even after that. We judge them, imagining that we are better. Yet without grace we are no different. 

We doubt the power of the mercy of God to change hearts as lost as these. We think that Jesus associating with people like them will hurt his reputation rather than change their hearts. But all of of stand in need of the mercy of God. All of us approach the same seat of judgment. And the mercy of Jesus is strong enough to bring back any lost sheep. His persistance is sufficient to find even the most well hidden of lost coins.

Brothers and sisters:
None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself.
For if we live, we live for the Lord,
and if we die, we die for the Lord;
so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
For this is why Christ died and came to life,
that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

We sometimes feel like we're left in the desert when we see a particularly lost sheep receive special favors.

“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them
would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert
and go after the lost one until he finds it?

But we should trust the shepherd. The celebration when he returns with this sheep will be filled with greater joy than was possible before he left on the search. We may feel as though we were left in the desert, but really we are the elder son when the father sacrifices the fattened calf for the return of the prodigal:

And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours (cf. Luk. 15:31).

It is our selfishness that makes it seem like a desert when the focus of Jesus seems to be more on finding the lost sheep and less on us. Instead, sustained by grace, by all that the father has, we ought to join him on the search. We too should have no purpose greater than to seek and save the lost (cf. Luk. 19:10).

I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.