30 June 2016 - sweeter than honey

[ Today's Readings ]

The statutes of the LORD are true,
all of them just;
More desirable than gold,
than a hoard of purest gold,
Sweeter also than honey
or drippings from the comb.

But we don't always find his statutes to be sweet. Ignatius of Loyola points out that when we aren't really pursuing him we tend to imagine that sin is sweet and hear the statutes of the LORD as stinging and biting condemnations of conscience. But it is possible to experience that God's statutes are sweeter than honey or drippings from the comb. This is the essential truth of his statutes. Our experience of them is not accurate when it is other than that. If we are really trying to follow Jesus, if we are purifying our souls and moving from good to better in the service of God, we do experience the consolations of his word. They impart strength, tears, and inspirations so that we may move forward in doing good.

Is there are part of our lives where we aren't interested in hearing what the LORD has to say?

“Off with you, visionary, flee to the land of Judah!
There earn your bread by prophesying,
but never again prophesy in Bethel;
for it is the king’s sanctuary and a royal temple.”

If there is such a part of our lives we need to hear it there most of all. We are living in the illusion that we know best. We imagine bitter things to be sweet and so never have a meal, as it were, that we enjoy, that truly satisfies. It's important to know that we can experience the LORD's word about this part of our lives differently. It stings and bites now. But if we surrender it to him we realize that it is perfect, enlightening, pure, true and just. We taste the sweetness of his word and our hearts and our souls rejoice.

Jesus has the power to forgive us and to heal us. Historically, he gives the power to heal more freely to his prophets and reserves the power of forgiveness to himself. But now, in the age of the Church, the more important thing, the thing which was formerly reserved to God alone, he has now made superabundantly available. 

“Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”

He is more present now in the age of the Church than at any prior time in history. He is ready to forgive us. The place where we want to hear these words the least stands to be the place where they can make the most transformative difference. Our earthly pilgrimage is transformed from burden to privilege. 

When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe
and glorified God who had given such authority to men.

Your name is like honey...

29 June 2016 - start to finish

[ Today's Readings ]

What can we learn from great saints like Peter and Paul? Are they so far out of our league that lessons don't transfer?

They may seem out of our league now, but they didn't start that way.

Neither Peter...

But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man” (see Matthew 16:23)

..and..

“Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” 
But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” 
And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed (see Luke 22:59-60).

...nor Paul...

Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting (see Acts 9:3-5)

..and..

For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God (first Corinthians 15:9).

Neither Peter nor Paul start off as the saints whom we celebrate today. They both have help in becoming those saints.

So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” (see Acts 9:17).

It isn't just help at the beginning. It isn't just being led to Jesus for the initial conversion for which we need help. We need help at every stage and in all that God calls us to do.

“Now I know for certain 
that the Lord sent his angel 
and rescued me from the hand of Herod
and from all that the Jewish people had been expecting.”

From Peter and Paul we learn that God can even work with apparent failure. He can even transform sinfulness and rebelliousness and use us to build his kingdom. We learn to look for all the different ways in which his help comes to us. We do not receive only directly from God himself. He sends his angels to us to free us from the prisons of sin that keep us from mission in our lives.

None of us succeeds in this by flesh and blood. Ultimately, success can only come from the Father.

Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. 

This is how Peter is transformed into the rock on which God builds his Church. It is also how we build our own lives on the rock of the words of Christ. We receive the revelation of Jesus from the Father.  This revelation is itself success because "this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" (see John 17:3).

It makes us strong so that even if we are being poured out like a libation we can finish the compete well, finish the race, and keep the faith.

The Lord stood by me and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.

Let us turn to the Father so that he can move us beyond our failures by the revelation of himself and his Son. Let us welcome all the help he sends.

The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.

28 June 2016 - in this storm

[ Today's Readings ]

He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”

We're terrified because there is a violent storm. We're terrified because as far as we can tell "We are perishing!"

But this is only possible if we don't listen to him in the first place.

Indeed, the Lord GOD does nothing
without revealing his plan
to his servants, the prophets.

After all, he tells us to expect this sort of thing:

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world (see John 16:33).

There will be trials, but they are no longer to be feared. They cannot make us perish. In fact, they perfect us.

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed (see First Peter 4:14).

We don't even need to be scared of punishment.

You alone have I favored, 
more than all the families of the earth;
Therefore I will punish you
for all your crimes.

We don't need to fear it as long as we realize that he disciplines us because he loves us too much to leave us on our own.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love (First John 4:18).

Even if we didn't listen to him before and we are afraid today, even if we are tossed about by the wind and the waves, let us listen to him now.

Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,
and there was great calm.
The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this,
whom even the winds and the sea obey?”

Jesus rebukes the winds and the sea today. If we listen to his voice we can know the peace which only he can give.

But I, because of your abundant mercy,
will enter your house;
I will worship at your holy temple
in fear of you, O LORD.

27 June 2016 - remember me

[ Today's Readings ]

I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.

He doesn't do this because he is mean.

My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives (see Hebrews 12:5-6).

He does it because he loves us.

But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world (see First Corinthians 9:27).

He is a God who refuses to be distant from us even when he sees us ruining our own lives. When he sees us acting in ways which are self-destructive he loves us too much to stand aside and watch. This is not the distant watchmaker-type God, running the universe while disinterested in his creatures. He gets in our business because he loves us and because we do such a poor job without his help.

Sometimes it is tough love. Sometimes he has to pull out the supports that serve only to enable our bad behavior.

Flight shall perish from the swift,
and the strong man shall not retain his strength;
The warrior shall not save his life,
nor the bowman stand his ground;
The swift of foot shall not escape,
nor the horseman save his life.
And the most stouthearted of warriors
shall flee naked on that day, says the LORD.

He is calling us to put him first. And if we have swiftness, strength, and skill, we might well feel self-sufficient. But this is the illusion of which we must need to be cured. Our dependance on him is what we desperately need to recognize.

But Jesus answered him, “Follow me,
and let the dead bury their dead.”

He has to come before even home and family. Home and family are great. They are his design. But if they serve as a buffer against our dependance on him they become idols. When everything is picture perfect we should thank the LORD. But oftentimes we forget him instead. If we remember his blessings in thanksgiving he won't have to remind us as frequently that he himself is the source of all blessing. 

Remember, he disciplines he whom he loves! Today let us recognize the corrections he is calling for in our lives. Let us remember he, especially in the way he specifically asks.

26 June 2016 - follow me

[ Today's Readings ]

We need to follow Jesus and put nothing before him. Even though Elijah is the biggest name in Old Testament prophesy he still permits Elisha to put his family first. He sends him off to go back and provide for his people. Elijah is great. But his call on Elisha to follow him is reasonable. It has reasonable limits.

“Please, let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,
and I will follow you.”
Elijah answered, “Go back!
Have I done anything to you?”

We have no such guarantee when Jesus calls us. Families are good. Jesus does honor his Father and his mother. After all, that commandment was his idea. But our earthly relationships can no longer take precedence. Jesus himself must come first.

But he replied, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father." 
But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead. 
But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." 

In another place he brings the point home.

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me (see Matthew 10:37).

Why does Jesus ask this of us and not Elijah? Only Jesus is worthy of a place in our lives even above that of our families. Only the task to which we are called by Jesus has the pressing urgency of spreading the kingdom.

And another said, "I will follow you, Lord,
but first let me say farewell to my family at home." 
To him Jesus said, "No one who sets a hand to the plow
and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God."

If we must put Jesus before family how much more so must we place him before our own desire for comfort. We can't even cling to the idea of a place to call home. The more one moves the more tedious the process seems. But Jesus gives no guarantees in this regard.

Jesus answered him,
"Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.

His power may not always be used to smooth out the annoyances and difficulties we encounter on the journey.  The freedom we receive in him cannot be an opportunity merely to satisfy the flesh. If a Samaritan village does not receive us we may just have to grit our teeth and bear it. We are not permitted to either avoid the journey or to destroy the offending cit with fire. Following Jesus is too important. His mercy and his mission come before our fragile emotional states.

We are called to follow Jesus and to live by the Spirit. When we do we will not gratify the desires of the flesh. We won't try to burn down any Samaritan villages with an air strike from Heaven. We will even hold loosely the goods of earth which we are permitted to have. Even family and home and comfort take a second place to Jesus. It is amazing when we discover much he is worth any sacrifice which is required of us.

Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, "My Lord are you.
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot."

25 June 2016 - say the word

[ Today's Readings ]

Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;
only say the word and my servant will be healed.

We need faith like that of the centurion. We're OK, sometimes at the part about how we are not worthy of the LORD entering under our roof. But we're less alright with the part about his authority and desire to heal us anyway. Indeed the humility of the centurion, while beautiful isn't what Jesus praises about him.

For I too am a man subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes;
and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes;
and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him,
“Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.

The centurion knows he is not worthy to have Jesus in his home. But he also knows that Jesus has to power  and authority to do the healing he requests. He believes that he will do it. It isn't a humility which says, 'I don't deserve it, so go on your way and heal the people who do deserve it.' (Who deserves it?) Rather it is a humility which, precisely because it doesn't fixate on its own lack of worth, is able to ask for just for what it wants in faith. 

And Jesus said to the centurion,
“You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you.”
And at that very hour his servant was healed.

Our houses are unworthy to receive Jesus as well. But he wants to heal us. Let's have the humility to worry about ourselves less and to trust in the authority and love of Jesus more.

Like the author of Lamentations we do bear guilt that stains our souls. But even so, like him, we must make our needs known to the LORD.

Pour out your heart like water
in the presence of the Lord;

Even when the situation is dire and we seem cast off forever the LORD does not forget his covenant. He does not forget the love he has for us. He does not forget the souls of his poor ones.

Remember your flock which you built up of old,
the tribe you redeemed as your inheritance,
Mount Zion, where you took up your abode.

24 June 2016 - the nativity of john the baptist

[ Today's Readings ]

John the Baptist may seem like a figure out of reach. He might seem to be a super hero of, well, biblical proportions. We may think it OK to excuse ourselves if he is a voice in the wilderness and we are just a faint whisper.

The reason John is able to be what he is is because he trusts in the love God has for him. God has the same love for us.

Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.

Because he trusts in the love of God for him John also trusts in the purpose that God gives him.

The LORD called me from birth,
from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.
He made of me a sharp-edged sword
and concealed me in the shadow of his arm.
He made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me.
You are my servant, he said to me,
Israel, through whom I show my glory.

It is not because he thinks so highly of himself that John is able to take the message of the LORD to the wilderness and to the world.

What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.
Behold, one is coming after me;
I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet

It is precisely because he thinks of himself very little and instead trusts in the LORD. The LORD has the same love for us as he for John the Baptist. He has similarly exalted purposes and vocations for each one of us. We need to have the faith, trust, and humility of John so that we too can be "a light to the nations" that the salvation of the LORD may reach to the ends of the earth.

When we trust in the LORD's plans for us we find that our mouths are opened and our tongues our freed.

Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,
and he spoke blessing God.

We reveal the hand of the LORD at work in the world just as we are meant to. Let's not think too little of our destiny. But let us be humble about our part in it. Let us trust in the LORD to do all he desires in us.

For now the LORD has spoken
who formed me as his servant from the womb,
that Jacob may be brought back to him
and Israel gathered to him;
and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,
and my God is now my strength!

23 June 2016 - in Spirit and in truth

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

[ Today's Readings ]

And yet there is a sense in "no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit" (see First Corinthians 12:3).

We must do more than simply say 'Lord, Lord.' We must speak it in the Spirit. When the Spirit reigns in our lives his fruits are present. There is no discrepancy between who we say we are and what we do. We become "the one who does the will of my Father in heaven."

Prophecy, mighty deeds, and driving out demons are not enough. No good works are sufficient. In order to enter the kingdom we need to know Jesus well enough to speak his name in the Holy Spirit. Only from a relationship where we truly know him do we learn what is the will of his Father in heaven. Only from him do we receive the grace to carry it out.

Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.

It is more than just doing the same things that the words of Jesus tell us to do. It is about listening to his words and acting from the power which those words impart.

And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers (see First Thessalonians 2:13).

This is one aspect of what it means to say that the words of Jesus have an authority that no other words have. They convict us and they also empower us. It all begins from our relationship with him.

It is not enough to say that we have a Christian nation if we continue to do evil in the sight of the LORD.

He did evil in the sight of the LORD,
just as his forebears had done.

For our own sakes he will let his discipline and justice come upon us if we do not avail ourselves of his mercy. Let us plead for our nation today that the LORD would visit us with his mercy. Let us pray that we not merely be a nation trying to do good things but rather a nation who is first and foremost interested in the will of the heavenly Father. Since we know that we have not lived up to this standard let us together plead for his mercy to restore us.

Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name’s sake. 

Based on the psalm..

22 June 2016 - not unbearable

[ Today's Readings ]

By their fruits you will know them.
Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Just so, every good tree bears good fruit,
and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.

In the first place this means that we ourselves ought to bear good fruit. Only then will people be able to see our master in us.

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (see John 13:55).

Apart from Jesus we can do nothing, but in him, in the power of his Spirit we do bear much fruit (see John 15:5). What is the fruit we bear if not the fruit of the Holy Spirit?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law (see Galatians 5:22-23).

These fruits help us to discern where God is at work. They help us to discern this in ourselves as we invest time and effort in spiritual growth. Are we becoming more loving, joyful, peaceful, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled, or are we actually becoming more selfish, easily annoyed, and anxious? They help us to discern the same thing in others. The threat of teachers who are wolves in sheep's clothing is real. Even if the message seems to line up with what we know we may have a sense that something is off. At such times we do well to ask about the fruit.

And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (see Second Corinthians 11:14).

But Satan cannot bear good fruit because he can't bear them. He can't produce them because he can't stand them. So if we find good fruit somewhere we know that God is working in some way, even if it is mysterious and subtle. Even if all involved aren't given over completely to him the fruit evidences a trend in the right direction.

When we discover the amazing goodness and variety of fruit which the LORD wants to give us we may regret that we have not been as open to it as we should have been.

When the king heard the contents of the book of the law,
he tore his garments 

This must of necessity be the case. For we do not love as we ought. We are not the witnesses to the love of God that we ought to be. We are not so united with one another that people know that Jesus was sent by the Father. We don't love well enough to be recognized as his disciples. Let's make a little covenant today to do better. Let's remain united to Jesus and open to the fruit he wants to bear in us.

Standing by the column, the king made a covenant before the LORD
that they would follow him
and observe his ordinances, statutes and decrees
with their whole hearts and souls,
thus reviving the terms of the covenant
which were written in this book.

We do this not out of obligation but because his ordinances, statutes and decrees simply describe the growing conditions for the fruit we wish to bear. We do this because they are good. They give life.

Lead me in the path of your commands,
for in it I delight.

21 June 2016 - swine fluidity

[ Today's Readings ]

Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine,
lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.

We might call this the Facebook verse. We possess the pearl of great price, the kingdom of God. And we want to share this with others. But in the wrong context or at the wrong time it may not be helpful. A comment on a post might just contribute to a flame war. Then again, there are times even on Facebook when a well placed comment can do much good. We are not called to withhold the pearl from specific people forever assuming they cannot change. At times, we ourselves trample the pearl as though we are the swine. We wouldn't want it withheld from us forever.

Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.
This is the Law and the Prophets.

We want to share the pearl. We must look for open hearts. We must find people like the Canaanite Woman, willing to be called a dog as long as she can eat the scraps that fall from the table. It means we can't just go firing truth into the crowd. We must let God lead us to engage individuals. He himself scatters the seed generously. But he never attacks anyone with it.

Enter through the narrow gate;
for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction,
and those who enter through it are many.

It is easy to hear this and respond like a swine. Often we must experience a certain amount of dissatisfaction with the broad and wide road before we are open to alternatives. But people who can point out how the problem is inherent to that chosen path and who are willing to show an alternative are vital. Otherwise people may despair of finding anything of true value. Without such people to help the swine may never become people willing to sell all they have to possess the pearl.

How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life.
And those who find it are few.

The enemy doesn't want anyone to find this pearl. He lays siege to the kingdom. He wants a desperation which makes those who possess the pearl keep it to themselves and those who do not possess it only trample it underfoot. The only successful strategy against such tactics is to trust in the LORD.

O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned upon the cherubim!
You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth.
You have made the heavens and the earth.
Incline your ear, O LORD, and listen!
Open your eyes, O LORD, and see!

He alone has the power to keep our hearts from falling prey to the siege of the enemy. He alone can plant the love within us that can truly do for others what we would have them do for us. This love is our strongest weapon against the enemy. Only God can supply it.

If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat,
and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,
for you will heap burning coals on his head,
and the LORD will reward you (see Proverbs 25:21-22).

God himself protects the city of his people. From there he spreads his mercy to the ends of the earth.

O God, we ponder your mercy
within your temple.
As your name, O God, so also your praise
reaches to the ends of the earth.
Of justice your right hand is full.

20 June 2016 - eye doctor

I'm glad someone painted this.

[ Today's Readings ]

Stop judging, that you may not be judged.
For as you judge, so will you be judged,
and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.

Judgment of others is dangerous. We often use it as a tactic to exonerate ourselves. We point to someone who is worse than us in the hope that then God won't notice what we have done. The goal of judgment is never to be helpful to the one we judge. In pointing out the beam in our brother's eye we are merely criticizing. Even if we talk about removing it, this stems from a feeling of superiority. We can't actually see well enough to be helpful.

Yet "every prophet and seer" of Israel speak words which sound like judgment.

Give up your evil ways and keep my commandments and statutes,
in accordance with the entire law which I enjoined on your fathers
and which I sent you by my servants the prophets

But these words are not like our words about the beam in the eye of our brothers. These words aren't spoken for the sake of the prophet or his ego. Indeed, these words often cause the prophet more trouble than they seem worth. But the prophet speaks them anyway. He speaks them out of concern for the nation.

Our nation venerates other Gods and follows the rites of pagan nations just as Israel did. Our nation needs the saving message of the prophets as much as them. We reject his statutes and the covenant he made with our fathers. We desperately need to be called back to the right path.

Have not you, O God, rejected us,
so that you go not forth, O God, with our armies?
Give us aid against the foe,
for worthless is the help of men.

We may well be called to speak the message of the prophets. But it is not judgment for the sake of judgment. It is a message of mercy. We must first examine our own consciences so that we can remove our own planks. We need to see very clearly indeed to be useful to a culture in so much darkness. We ourselves only remove the plank from our own eye by the mercy and grace of Jesus we find in the sacraments. Knowing this prevents us from being proud when we tell others that they do not see clearly. There is only one hope to any of us seeing clearly, the light of the world, Jesus Christ. It does no service to anyone to let the world sit in darkness when we have seen this light. But it is worse to flaunt the light we've found as if we ourselves earned or discovered it. We receive the light of Christ as mercy. And as mercy, not judgment, we share it.

19 June 2016 - him whom we have pierced

[ Today's Readings ]

and they shall look on him whom they have pierced

We must look upon him whom we have pierced and recognize the Christ of God.

Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.”

At first Peter correctly identifies Jesus in the gospel reading.

He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

Once Peter hears this Jesus is hard for him to recognize. He responds, "Far be it from you, Lord!" and Jesus has to rebuke him. He is being prepared to look on the one whom they he has pierced as to mourn as one mourns for an only son, and to grieve as one grieves over a firstborn.

He must look on the suffering Christ and realize that he is the Christ of God no less in his passion than in his glory. And so must we. We need the cross of Christ. We need his suffering and death as well as his resurrection. In his suffering we receive "a spirit of grace and petition" because his suffering reveals and opens us up to the depths of his love for us. His suffering teaches us to mourn the selfishness which afflicts us and makes the cross necessary. But by doing so his suffering also points beyond itself to the glory of the resurrection. The crucified Christ himself is the fountain to purify Jerusalem and the world from sin and uncleanness. The water and blood which flow from his side are that fountain.

So we look on him whom we have pierced. And while looking we say, 'You are the Christ of God.' We are moved to love an intercession. We become capable of denying ourselves and taking up our own crosses where before this was impossible. We become able to lose our lives for his sake whereas before we could only live for ourselves. We become a new creation.

Through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus.
For all of you who were baptized into Christ
have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither slave nor free person,
there is not male and female;
for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

If we behold him in his pain we also hope to see him in his reign.

Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary
to see your power and your glory,
For your kindness is a greater good than life;
my lips shall glorify you.

18 June 2016 - don't worry about a thing

[ Today's Readings ]

But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given you besides.

The question of what we seek first starts in the abstract. But it hits home quickly.

Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.

Who of us does not worry about tomorrow? Of course some take a lackadaisical, hakuna matata sort of approach to life. This doesn't work either. It winds up merely putting off the worry until it comes to a head.

Is it really about not preparing what we will eat, drink, and wear for the future? Should we really not ensure that our barns contain enough? The trick is to take these preparations even while entrusting our concerns to God.

Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

When we do this we can encounter circumstances which would otherwise be hugely frustrating without being frustrated. We can face challenges even to our day to day survival without really having to worry about surviving.

The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (see Philippians 4:5-7).

This allows us to receive even the discipline of the LORD...

Though the Aramean force came with few men,
the LORD surrendered a very large force into their power,
because Judah had abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers.

... as mercy designed to draw us back to him.

“I will punish their crime with a rod
and their guilt with stripes.
Yet my mercy I will not take from him,
nor will I belie my faithfulness.”

We are quick to turn to sacred poles and idols. We find ways to ignore the messengers the LORD sends to warn us. But we see that even in this his mercy is greater than our sinfulness. In this knowledge we can have peace.

17 June 2016 - invest in heaven

[ Today's Readings ]

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.

What are we storing up for ourselves on earth? For all of us there are things we pursue which do not last. We all have some investments of time and commitments of energy which are fleeting. It isn't always obvious what they are. Much we do which only seems temporary is actually making the world more like the kingdom. Much of ourwork, hobbies, and other pursuits, actually does bring more beauty into the world, more joy, and more fraternity. So, rather, than getting rid of our hobbies and spending all of our time in a Church, how do we determine the treasures which are earthly treasures only? How do we divest of these?

Earthly treasures can be taken. Heavenly treasures cannot. If we, by music or dance, art or photography, or any other craft add beauty to the world that act cannot be diminished. Even if the thing itself is destroyed the very act of enriching the world is itself a good act. It makes us into better people than we were.   On the other hand, to the degree that pride is involved, these things can be taken from us. They aren't about the goodness of the thing or of the act but rather about taking pride in how people see us. This is the most fickle of treasures and it is easily lost.

But store up treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

So let us invest in the kingdom. Let our currency by charity and our transactions prayer and works of mercy. These cannot be taken from us. They bear fruit unto eternal life.

If your sons keep my covenant
and the decrees which I shall teach them,
Their sons, too, forever
shall sit upon your throne.

Let us do as the king and people of Israel do in today's first reading. Let us tear down the idols enshrined in our hearts that demand these earthly investments as sacrifices and give us nothing in return.

Thereupon all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal
and demolished it.
They shattered its altars and images completely,
and slew Mattan, the priest of Baal, before the altars.

Let us pray that all the people of the land will tear down the idols of modernity and discover the only thing that truly matters.

For the LORD has chosen Zion;
he prefers her for his dwelling.
“Zion is my resting place forever;
in her will I dwell, for I prefer her.”
“In her will I make a horn to sprout forth for David;
I will place a lamp for my anointed.
His enemies I will clothe with shame,
but upon him my crown shall shine.”

16 June 2016 - words like a flaming furnace

[ Today's Readings ]

Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

And yet he asks us to ask. We recognize our need. Then we lift our eyes to the one who can help.

Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name

We lift our eyes to the one who not only has the power to help but the love and desire to help. He is our Father! Do we really hallow that name in our hearts? If we do it is easier to prefer his will to our own. We can trust that he loves us even when we don't understand the ways he shows it.

thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.

Even if this becomes like the prayer of Jesus in the garden, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done" (see Luke 22:42), we can still make the prayer if the name of the Father is properly hallowed within our hearts and minds.

Only after we hallow his name do we come to him with our needs. These are our needs as best we understand them. He helps us to see what they are.

Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

He already knows all of these needs. But our priorities might be different. We might be more interested in other things more than the things for which he tells us to pray. This prayer helps to show us what our true needs are. It reveals our dependence on the only one who can give us the daily bread we need, the only one who can give us the grace to be merciful, the only one who can forgive us and keep us from temptation and evil.

He is not only able to give us what we truly need. He is also willing. He is willing as long as we ourselves are willing to let his grace and mercy flow through us to others.

If you forgive others their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive others,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.

This is how Elijah's "words were as a flaming furnace" and how Elisha "wrought many marvels by his mere word." They first hallow the name of the Father in their hearts. The Douay-Rheims gets the words of Elijah just right, "With zeal have I been zealous for the Lord God of hosts". No idols come before God. No personal plans come before his will. This is how the prayer of these famous prophets has power. It is power which our prayer can also have. It is power which simply allows the LORD to be present and to do what he desires.

Fire goes before him
and consumes his foes round about.
His lightnings illumine the world;
the earth sees and trembles.

15 June 2016 - getting out of hand

[ Today's Readings ]

When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.

Are we really OK with loving even with no affirmation? We saw yesterday that the Father makes the rain fall on the just and the unjust. He loves us even while we are sinners. We tend to have a mercenary sort of love that is mostly interested in what we can get out of it and a little bit interested in actually doing some good.

What are we to do?

But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.

In one sense, it is a matter of focus. We need not feel guilty for feeling good about doing good acts. But we don't focus on that feeling. We focus instead on the good we do, one hand at a time. We don't look for the opportunities to be acknowledged before others. Yet we do not shun the acknowledgement when it comes. Then again, we do not dwell on it. This is how we keep our right and left hand from getting so carried away about the good they did that they forget entirely about the good that remains to be done.

We need to learn to seek no additional incentives to the rewards built into the acts themselves. When we pray relationship with God ought to be our reward, rather than being seen by others to be good Christians, rather than smug self-image.

When we fast we unleash blessings on the world and allow God to transform us. That is, is long as we aren't doing it just so we can feel good about it. That sort of misses the point of fasting. We enter into solidarity with the sorrow of the world. This is not something we want to feel smug about. Rather, we embrace the world for it's own sake. Jesus takes up the cross and most people regard it as utter failure. He clearly does this for our sake. There is no pride in it for him. We must be prepared for the good we do to be so regarded.

Clearly we can't do this on our own. Our egos are way too attached to the rewards involved. If we try to cut ourselves off from them on our own we will quickly abandon all efforts at loving and doing good. We need what Elisha needs.

Elisha answered, “May I receive a double portion of your spirit.”

As we behold the power of God who cares for his people we become confident enough to love without counting the cost.

When Elisha saw it happen he cried out,
“My father! my father! Israel’s chariots and drivers!”
But when he could no longer see him,
Elisha gripped his own garment and tore it in two.

We find that God himself gives us the power to divide the waters of ego and cross through to eternal life.

Elisha struck the water in his turn and said,
“Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?”
When Elisha struck the water it divided and he crossed over.

This is the comfort we can take if we hope in the LORD. He sets impossible tasks before us. But he does so only so that we will trust in him and let him love us as much as he desires.

How great is the goodness, O LORD,
which you have in store for those who fear you,
And which, toward those who take refuge in you,
you show in the sight of the children of men.

14 June 2016 - a mercy which transforms

[ Today's Readings ]

But I say to you, love your enemies

and pray for those who persecute you,

that you may be children of your heavenly Father,

for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,

and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.

God loves us even when we don't act in a way which is deserving of that love. He loves us while we are yet sinners and enemies. And we don't really understand how amazing this is until we try to love others in the same way. We imagine ourselves to be selfless.  But then at the slightest slight we no longer act so loving. We either separate ourselves and withhold interaction or we let the criticism fly. We really do have this need for a certain balance in our relationship with others, a transactional equivalence whereby we earn the next gesture of love from the other. And once we realize this we also realize it is terrible. But now the great love with which God loves us reveals itself for how great it is. Now the commandment "So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect" reveals itself in all of its wonderful and terrible depth.

And so, like Ahab, we often fall, and fall hard. We murder and we take possession, at least emotionally and spiritually. We not only don't love others for their own sake but instead use them however we please for our happiness. The blessing which the LORD offers us today is one of repentance.

When Ahab heard these words, he tore his garments

and put on sackcloth over his bare flesh.

He fasted, slept in the sackcloth, and went about subdued.

We ask...

Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

... because he shows us how desperate is our need for mercy. But at the same time, he shows us how ready he is to offer that mercy ...

Since he has humbled himself before me,

I will not bring the evil in his time.

It is not a mercy which merely ignores the wrong. It is a mercy which transforms our hearts so that we can actually somehow be perfect even as the Father is perfect.

Thoroughly wash me from my guilt

and of my sin cleanse me.

13 June 2016 - let it go

[ Today's Readings ]

If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.

We are called to give of our goods and even of our selves selves freely. Our lives are not our own anymore, now that we have been bought with the Precious Blood of Jesus (see First Corinthians 6:20). This means we must glorify him with all that we have and all that we do. We are his to give away.

But what of stability? How can we really build a life when at any moment we might be called to give it all away or to pick up for a journey? We are not called to be irresponsible in giving, necessarily. Subsidiarity applies. We are not called to give to a stranger if it means that our son or daughter will starve. We start close to home and spread our love out in ever widening concentric circles. And the home itself, starting with each of us, must be stable for this to work.

If we have a vineyard which is our ancestral heritage and the king asks, well, he doesn't need it and we do. That's fine. The thing to remember is that even if we don't give it to the king we still must treat it as God's vineyard and not our own. We must be sufficiently detached from it that if giving it away is ever asked of us we are able. We must be in the world but not of it. We must have the things of the world as though not possessing them. In short, we must be poor in spirit. We begin to realize how the idyllic descriptions of early Christian life could actually be true.

And all who believed were together and had all things in common.

So of what is God calling us to let go today? What is he calling us to hold more loosely? Let us here him and cling instead to he himself. Compared to him, all the rest is garbage.

Hearken to my words, O LORD,
attend to my sighing.
Heed my call for help,
my king and my God!

12 June 2016 - loving much

So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven
because she has shown great love.
But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.

We should not be afraid to examine our consciences. We probably don't enjoy doing it when it brings to light the filth and darkness in our hearts. But if we come to see these things as occasions to receive the mercy of God we no longer need to be reluctant to find them. It's true that the things in themselves are ugly. But we begin to realize how much greater is the love God has for us. With Therese we begin to say, "How happy I am to see myself imperfect and be in need of God's mercy."

David must first realize that he has sinned before the LORD on his part can forgive David. Only when sin is recognized can the slow death it entails be averted.

And we have all sinned. Whatever our debt, we are unable to repay it. We all receive the unmerited mercy of God. But for that mercy to truly have the intended effect in our hearts we must recognize how much we need it. When we realize how dependent we are on the God who loves us first our hearts do become more capable of love and more able to fulfill the purpose for which they are made.

I have been crucified with Christ;
yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me;
insofar as I now live in the flesh,
I live by faith in the Son of God
who has loved me and given himself up for me.

To let Christ live in us we must give up on our need to live and pay our debts by works of the law. We must recognize our complete dependence on him and let him manifest his love and mercy in us and then through us.

First we recognize our need.

Blessed is the one whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.

Then we rejoice in the salvation God gives.

You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;
with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.

Today Jesus offers to help us to look more deeply within, not for the sake of beeting ourselves up, but so that we can realize his love more and more.

11 June 2016 - yes, LORD

[ Today's Readings ]

Do not swear by your head,
for you cannot make a single hair white or black.

Oaths can be ways by which we talk ourselves into having more control over something than we really do. We make promises that are beyond the scope of our ability to ensure. And sometimes we vaguely reference these things to God as a guarantor. This isn't OK. It stems from our need to be in control rather than our trust in God.

Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’
Anything more is from the Evil One.”

The LORD does help us to keep promises for which we ask his help. If he is the one who begins the good work in us he is able to bring it to completion (see Philippians 1:6). This sort of confidence is entirely different from the oaths mentioned above. It does not begin from our need to be in control. Rather it begins from our surrender to his plan for us.

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,
“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul
for the work to which I have called them.”

This work with Barnabas and Saul begins with the LORD. They can be not only confident but absolutely certain that, whatever his purpose, the LORD will accomplish it in them.

They know the LORD will help everyone to remain faithful to the LORD in firmness of heart. They know that the LORD will help to add people to his number. This is confidence which begins in the LORD. And we can have it as well.

The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.

There is no middle ground. Our oaths (and our reasons for confidence) can't begin at haven or earth. They must begin with God himself otherwise they come from the Evil One. God himself makes the promises. And Jesus is the yes to those promises.

For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory (see Second Corinthians 1:20).

10 June 2016 - a tiny whispering sound

[ Today's Readings ]

This morning Jesus offers us the grace to put him first in our hearts.

Even the goodness of our own eye, hand, and body must come second to serving the LORD. If we put them first we find ourselves dominated and enslaved by lust and other passions. We find ourselves hurtling headlong toward Gehenna. Promised freedom becomes slavery leading toward death when we try to enjoy the goodness God gives apart from the God who gives it.

Instead, we must be like Elijah.

He replied, “I have been most zealous for the LORD,
the God of hosts.

Even if others forsake the covenant and tear down God's altars we cannot. When we do look for what we need from the LORD we cannot seek him even in the more impressive sensual manifestations of wind, earthquake, and fire. Instead, we must be faithful enough to wait until we hear the still small voice. The world, we see, is ready to offer us whatever distractions will best distract us. We must be zealous for the LORD.

This makes possible new depth in even our human relationships. They need no longer be subject to the weather of circumstance.

But I say to you,
whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful)
causes her to commit adultery,
and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Priorities are what we need. We need not only to have a vague feeling that we should seek the face of the LORD, but rather to actually seek it. We cannot be indifferent. We must long for him. If we do find ourselves to be somewhat indifferent this morning he offers us grace this morning to put him first and to desire his face. Let us confess:

I long to see your face, O Lord.
Your presence, O LORD, I seek.
Hide not your face from me;

And having spoken these words in faith we can wait with confidence as the LORD changes our hearts until we do in fact see him.

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.

9 June 2016 - grace like rain

[ Today's Readings ]

“Climb up and look out to sea,” he directed his servant,
who went up and looked, but reported, “There is nothing.”
Seven times he said, “Go, look again!”

Sometimes we don't see immediate results. We get up once and look and don't see rain. We go to confession but commit the same sin again. We ask God for more peace or patience but find ourselves more unsettled and anxious. The message here is that we need to keep looking. The grace of Jesus is more than enough to perfect us. Our free will is involved. But it isn't about our ability or effort. Jesus tells us that it will rain. We just have to keep watching for it.

We do need to do our part to remove hindrances from this grace having its full effect on us.

Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar,
and there recall that your brother
has anything against you,
leave your gift there at the altar,
go first and be reconciled with your brother,
and then come and offer your gift.

Such obstacles as unforgiveness need not keep us from the grace of God for which we so desperately thirst. But they can if we cling to them. God tells us to get up and look for the rain. But if we are content to sit and fume about our feuds we will not see nor taste it.

Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge,
and the judge will hand you over to the guard,
and you will be thrown into prison.
Amen, I say to you,
you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.

God can extract these obstacles from us the hard way or the easy way. The easy way is for us to let the grace he offers run its course. We can embrace his love and mercy and let it change our hearts to make us patient, peaceful, and forgiving. Only then do we truly learn what it means to enter into the Kingdom of heaven. It is God himself who gives the growth (first Corinthians 3:6), though, so let us keep watching for that rain of grace today.

You have visited the land and watered it;
greatly have you enriched it.
God’s watercourses are filled;
you have prepared the grain.

8 June 2016 - to fulfill

[ Today's Readings ]

Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.

Jesus doesn't come to abolish the law. The law exists to keep us faithful to the LORD, the one true God. It helps us not to lose our senses in the first place and come back to them if we do.

We often lose our senses. We chase after Baal in the hope of freedom, but we find him to be powerless. Our false idols can't satisfy our deepest desires. They leave the world broken and hurting. Nothing but God can truly satisfy us. The law exists to help us turn from idols to serve the living and true God (see First Thessalonians 1:9).

The law tells us not to seek what the only the Spirit can give in the fulfillment of fleshly desires. It is not arbitrary. It is meant to keep us from futility.

Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.

The commandments help conform our hearts to heaven. They train us to be a people who can truly find joy in the presence of God. They teach us not to fall for the tricks of the world. They teach us to find fulfillment in the LORD alone.

O LORD, my allotted portion and cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.

They point but they do not empower. We need the fire of the Spirit for the commandments to do what they are meant to do in our lives and in our hearts. Without the Spirit our attempts at keeping the commandments, even if not idolatry, are at best a watered down and wet sacrifice rotting on the altar, not doing the good it is meant to do. But when the Spirit falls on hearts that have the commandments in them, that know the need to put God first, the commandments are fulfilled:

The LORD’s fire came down
and consumed the burnt offering, wood, stones, and dust,
and it lapped up the water in the trench.

7 June 2016 - salt and light

[ Today's Readings ]

You are the salt of the earth.

You are the light of the world.

This is true. But Jesus does not tell us this so that we can feel smug. We are used to hearing these in terms of Sunday school self-affirmations. And there is some truth to those feelings. But the real reason Jesus tells us these things is because the world is in so desperate need of salt and light. 

We need not fear in the dark valley because of the shepherd with whom we walk. But the world has no such assurance. The one who walks in darkness does not know where he is going (see John 12:35). Without the light we one cannot help but stumble for he walks in the night (see John 11:10).

Jesus tells us that we are the light of the world not merely so that we can feel loved although, yes we are loved. He tells us this not merely so that we can feel confident of the path on which we walk and the destination toward which which travel, though yes, we can feel confident. He tells us that we are light because there is such darkness all around us and we have the only antidote. When we think of light only in terms of what we are and not what others need we become garish and blinding.

Jesus tells us that we are salt. We preserve and add flavor. And so we think of how special we are and how unique our individual contributions can be. And yes, this is true. But we need to think more of just how utterly bland and terrible is the food which the world gives. It spoils before it can even be eaten. The world needs salt. It isn't just a nicety. The world suffers without it. It is significantly underseasoned to say the very least. Again, we must not focus overmuch on ourselves. If we do we simply contribute to high blood pressure rather than adding flavor and freshness.

This does not mean we disregard ourselves entirely. In fact, we must take care of ourselves to be any good to anyone.

But first make me a little cake and bring it to me.
Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son.

But it means that we recognize the bigger purpose for which we sustain ourselves. We are selves ordered toward other. We are meant to live for love.

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.’

To do this, we must remember that we are not our own source. Our light comes from the one who is the light of the world.

O LORD, let the light of your countenance shine upon us!