30 April 2018 - loving memory

Today's Readings (Audio)

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

Judas, not the Iscariot, wonders why it seems like Jesus is not doing more to reveal himself to everyone. This Judas suspects that the message of Jesus is so important as to matter to the whole world and he is correct. But perhaps the answer to his question is one of timing. In another place Jesus mentions that it is from the Cross that he will draw all men to himself. The invitation given on the Cross is open to anyone. Jesus reveals his love to the world to see who will respond in turn by loving him. 

Those who love Jesus and keep his word receive more than some distant afterlife in heaven. We receive the divine presence living in us here and now. We forget about all that God offers. We experience little bits and pieces of all that Jesus has for us. But we are quick to get used to them pieces, mistake them for all there is, and compartmentalize them to a spiritual part of our lives. Because we don't go deep enough we don't find enough grace to fill our whole lives. Our lives, then, quickly revert to the Sunday only mode. We find enough grace to live that way, but not much beyond. We need the Holy Spirit who lives within us to remind us of everything Jesus says, everything he has for us.

I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit 
whom the Father will send in my name --
he will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you.

We prefer a comfortable faith that never notices when someone might have the faith to be healed.

He listened to Paul speaking, who looked intently at him,
saw that he had the faith to be healed,
and called out in a loud voice, "Stand up straight on your feet."
He jumped up and began to walk about.

Instead of a comfortable faith Jesus promised us that we would do greater works than him. He shows us the magnitude of what it means for the Holy Trinity to live in our hearts. These healings come from the power of the cross. They are part of the inspiration that draws all people to Jesus. When the Spirit asks them of us they are not optional. What would have happened to the crippled man, and indeed the crowds of Lycaonian, if Paul had been content with Sunday only grace, if he had not been listening to the Spirit reminding him of what Jesus had said?

Let's not shrink from our task. Even without us God bestows his goodness. But by grace, the goodness he wants to bestow on the world through us is of a different order entirely.

In past generations he allowed all Gentiles to go their own ways;
yet, in bestowing his goodness,
he did not leave himself without witness,
for he gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons,
and filled you with nourishment and gladness for your hearts.

Let's ask the Spirit to remind us of the words of Jesus. This is a good question not just for Sunday but for all the circumstances in which we find ourselves.

Not to us, O LORD, not to us
but to your name give glory
because of your mercy, because of your truth.
Why should the pagans say,
"Where is their God?"

29 April 2018 - form longing to belonging

Today's Readings (Audio)

If we try to talk ourselves into being at peace it doesn't work. Our hearts condemn us because they are quickly overwhelmed by the circumstances of the world and the weakness of our hearts. Peace and reassurance can only come from God.

Now this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth
and reassure our hearts before him
in whatever our hearts condemn,
for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything.

We want to belong to the truth so that our hearts are reassured before God. Even if we don't realize it, this desire is deeply rooted within us. We begin to experience to feel this desire fulfilled when we come to the truth through belief in Jesus and through living with his own love manifesting in each of our lives. We remain in him because that is only answer we find to this desire we have.

Remain in me, as I remain in you.
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own
unless it remains on the vine,
so neither can you unless you remain in me.

We cannot have the peace of heart we want from generic belief. Nor is the pretense of love enough. It is with Jesus as object is our belief able to transform us. Only with his love bearing fruit within us are we able to love as he wants us to love.

Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.

The importance of being united to the vine is what marks Saul's conversion on the Damascus road. He realizes it is Jesus himself he is persecuting. And when he is baptized into the people of God he experiences the union of Jesus with his people for himself. Saul lives from that union both in what he believes and in how he loves as a consequence of that belief. He speaks and writes many things. But his love is not merely in word or speech. His whole life is a sacrificial offering of love for the truth of his belief.

He also spoke and debated with the Hellenists,
but they tried to kill him.

Because Saul is united to Jesus whether he lives or he dies his life is lived as an offering to God. His words are not empty, then, when he tells us to live that way.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship (see Romans 12:1).

Let us ask for the grace of union with Jesus. It is only from the union that any measure of holiness or virtue is possible.

And to him my soul shall live;
my descendants shall serve him.

28 April 2018 - family business

Today's Readings (Audio)

Jesus does show us the Father. If we realize this and believe it can indeed be enough for us.

Philip said to Jesus, 
"Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us." 
Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip? 
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. 

The Father dwelling in Jesus works mighty deeds on the earth in order to help people believe in him. Jesus and the Father want to dwell in us to continue these works through us.

Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father. 

Greater deeds than Jesus? It is possible only because it is Jesus himself, united with the Father and the Holy Spirit that accomplishes these works in us. What can these works be but the unleashing of the grace of the gospel in the world?

All who were destined for eternal life came to believe,
and the word of the Lord continued to spread
through the whole region. 

We need the faith in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that enables Paul and Barnabas to speak out boldly to proclaim the good news. Our great work is to be "a light to the Gentiles" and "an instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth."

We need to be able to recognize God's works even when others ignore or reject them. We need to celebrate what he is doing even when those around us violently contradict it. We can't let the dust of those condemnations even cling to our feet lest our eyes gradually grow closed to the deeds of the LORD and our hearts grow dull to his works.

If we believe that the Father wants to be at work in the world we too will do all we can to open ourselves to his will. We will recognize and celebrate it. We, like the disciples, will be filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

27 April 2018 - way, better than a map

Today's Readings (Audio)

Jesus is the first to inaugurate a new way of life and of being human.

But God raised him from the dead,
and for many days he appeared to those
who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. 

From the beginning God has had a plan to overcome the sting of sin and death on his creation. Through death itself he conquers sin and death. He has always planned to raise his people to new life. Jesus is the first receive this life.

You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.

The risen life of Jesus is not just for him, but it is also fulfillment for us, the children of the promise. Jesus is risen and we share his risen life even now in our mortal bodies (see Romans 8:11). The resurrection of all of the dead to life is coming at the end of time. But we live from that reality in the here and now. It is in our union with Jesus that we live this reality. And it is only united to him that we progress toward its fulfillment.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. 
No one comes to the Father except through me.”

As with Thomas we may believe that we don't really know the way. The grand plan seems obscure to us. We feel lost when we try to plot out the journey ahead. But Jesus is the way. Even though we don't have the map Jesus guides us when we come to each turn. Just where these turns will be is uncertain. But our destination is assured. We are on our way to the Father's house. We are on our way to mansions prepared specifically for us. Although we must be holy to enter heaven it is more than just conforming ourselves into heaven shaped objects that neatly fit in premade dwellings. No, heaven is adapted to us as well. It is prepared for us. We are each unique bearers of the image of God. In heaven our places will be specially made to allow that uniqueness to shine forth and give glory to God.

Ask of me and I will give you
the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession.

26 April 2018 - make us truth servants

Today's Readings (Audio)

Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master
nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.
If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.

Jesus calls us to go out to all the world. He gives us a message of truth with which we are to serve the world. We are not to lord it over them. We have received freely and we are to give freely. Jesus speaks truth but washes feet. We are called to do likewise. Neither can we force anyone to accept what we say. We speak the word with no control over where it will bear fruit.

Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send
receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.

In fact, just as many did not receive the word of Jesus so too will they not listen to us. This does not excuse us from offering the truth. We offer it in a spirit of humility and of service. The more or our ego we can extract from the process the less there is to hinder the word. One thing we cannot do is only speak the word where it seems likely to be accepted. God is ready to surprise us with who will and who won't come to him. We are called, rather, to trust God when he tells us to speak, whether it seems like success is likely or not.

"My brothers, if one of you has a word of exhortation
for the people, please speak."

The world is always asking questions like this question asked at Antioch in Pisidia. We need to be ready to respond with the hope that is within us (see First Peter 3:15). We don't necessarily need to narrate all of salvation history as does Paul. But we need to at least be able to say simply that Jesus is the one. He is the answer to the question of every human life (Saint John Paul II in Dignitatis Humanae).

We all need to come to deeper conviction that Jesus really is the great I AM. When we see what he speaks come true our faith is deepened. This goes for when the world hears us as well. We suggest, in humility, that a certain moral path is not likely to end well. And when it doesn't the next time they are perhaps more ready to listen. If we live reflective lives this happens for us as well. One blessing that we can find even in our mistakes is to see how trustworthy is the word that warned us in the first place.

Let us look to the one who is greater than John the Baptist and yet a servant of all. Let us hear and proclaim his words so that all may know that he the great I AM.

He shall say of me, 'You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my savior.'"

25 April 2018 - the peace puzzle

Today's Readings (Audio)

Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.

Jesus calls us to go out to all the world and proclaim the good news. He promises to be with us to confirm our words with signs and wonders.

These signs will accompany those who believe:
in my name they will drive out demons,
they will speak new languages.
They will pick up serpents with their hands,
and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.
They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.

Yet we are also told that we must remain humble and steadfast. Perhaps this should surprise us a little.

So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,
that he may exalt you in due time.

Just because the Church walks in the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit doesn't mean that she doesn't suffer. 

Your opponent the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour.
Resist him, steadfast in faith,
knowing that your brothers and sisters throughout the world
undergo the same sufferings.

But again, shouldn't we be surprised? On the one hand there are miraculous healings. On the other there is suffering that must simply be endured with patience and humility. Yet we see this same pattern in the life of Jesus. He himself does many mighty deeds. But the mightiest of his deeds is his death on the Cross and his resurrection. Signs and wonders reveal the risen life that awaits us. But suffering shows us that we aren't quite all the way there. Suffering is opportunity to trust, to obey, to be humble, to submit and to be made perfect. For our part, we don't need to have a preference that assumes that suffering must be permitted by God. Perhaps he wants to work a miracle through us. But neither do we assume that we will always receive just the miracle we desire. And in fact, neither of these options matters nearly so much as remaining faithful to Jesus in good times and in bad. If we do we are able to preach the word in season and out of season (see Second Timothy 4:2).

Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.

This posture of humility, ready for anything God might desire to do, is the call on our lives. Persevering in this call is how we experience the peace that the world cannot take from us. 

Blessed the people who know the joyful shout;
in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk.

24 April 2018 - around one voice

Today's Readings (Audio)

My sheep hear my voice;
I know them, and they follow me. 
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. 

Works may testify to Jesus. They are normal. After all, Jesus wouldn't bother with them if they didn't have a place. But the central thing that defines the people of Jesus is not that we are a people who see great works (though that is true). The main thing is that we are the people who listen to the voice of the shepherd. The voice comes to us through the Magisterium, through Scripture and Tradition, and through the Holy Spirit. It is in obedience to these that we gain security and peace in the hand of Jesus.

No one can take them out of my hand. 
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,
and no one can take them out of the Father's hand. 
The Father and I are one.

So let us be encouraged. We have in fact heard this word. We are in fact the sheep of Jesus. If we "remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart" no one will be able to take us from the hand of Jesus. In his hand we are secure. In his hand there is no reason for fear, nor for doubt, nor for anxiety about anything. His grip on us is firm. He has already overcome any evil we might face.

It is by knowing how we are at this core level that makes us persuasive to others.

And a large number of people was added to the Lord. 

It is by living from the truth of our identity as disciples that world is able to see what Jesus is offering.

and it was in Antioch that the disciples
were first called Christians.

It is more than simply talking about Christianity, though of course this will happen. It is about living as people following the voice of the Good Shepherd. It is the later, more than the former, that forces the world to stop and take notice. It is the peace only Jesus can give for which all peoples long. This peace is only found when we rest secure in his hands. So let us heed the voice that is calling. Let us join together with all who obey this voice in celebration.

They shall note, when the peoples are enrolled:
"This man was born there."
And all shall sing, in their festive dance:
"My home is within you."

23 April 2018 - gateway love

Today's Readings (Audio)

Jesus wants us to have abundant life.

A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy;
I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.

The only way to stay out of the hands of thieves and robbers is to follow only the voice of the shepherd. Only he is the way to the pastures for which we are meant. He is the only gate to the place we truly want to go. There are many other doors, but none of them lead to life.

Jesus wants to welcome all peoples to follow him. He is the way. There are no limits (or quotas) on who may pass through the gate that is Jesus himself.

As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them
as it had upon us at the beginning,
and I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said,
'John baptized with water
but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' 

The Good Shepherd leads us by quiet waters and refreshes our souls with this Holy Spirit. He does this for Jew and Greek, woman and man, slave and free. He does it for all, regardless of what we have done. He does it without considering what we truly deserve. The invitation is simply to come and enter through Jesus and drink from the springs of life giving water that flow from his side. Because we ourselves don't deserve the gift we are all the more eager to share it.

The Spirit told me to accompany them without discriminating. 

And so we go. The world needs to know. Jesus is calling us all. He says, 'Enter through me and find life.'

Send forth your light and your fidelity;
they shall lead me on
And bring me to your holy mountain,
to your dwelling-place.

22 April 2018 - some assembly required

Today's Readings (Audio)

These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice,
and there will be one flock, one shepherd.

We must learn to hear the voice of the one shepherd. He is uniting all who will come into one flock. He is joining together one people of God out of the multitudes of humanity.

See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.

He is the shepherd. But he is also the Lamb of God. We are united as brothers and sisters. Together with Jesus we call God our Father. This united family is the beginning of our salvation even here and now.

Beloved, we are God's children now;

There are forces that attack unity. Sin causes division and death separates. But in Jesus these forces are overcome. This transnational family was always the plan of God. We hear in the promise to Abraham God's desire to bless all the nations. Yet sin interrupted this plan.  It is realized only in Jesus because it is he who destroys death forever.

There is no salvation through anyone else,
nor is there any other name under heaven
given to the human race by which we are to be saved.

Unity sometimes seems like a nice optional extra to be pursued when doctrine is good and personal relationship with Jesus is good and basically every other possible thing is good. But the very meaning of salvation includes unity as a core element. We are not just united to Jesus. We become parts of his body. We are not intended to relate to Jesus independently of the rest of his body. We have much to give and to receive in this body.

We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.

What we see when we see God as he is not be a solitary being. Instead it is a communion of persons. This is why our communion with people is essential from start to finish. If being made like God and seeing him go hand in hand we can only become like him in relationship. Only then can we see the truth of what it means that he himself is relational.

To become like God, to see him as he is, and to come into greater unity with his body, are all gifts which only Jesus can give us. Only in his name can we receive them. Only following his voice can we find them. Only filled with his Spirit can we experience them.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his kindness endures forever.

21 April 2018 - words of everlasting life

Today's Readings (Audio)

The Church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria
was at peace. 
She was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord,
and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit she grew in numbers.

Let us ask the Holy Spirit to bring his peace to his people. Let us ask him to show us his consolation so that his Church may be built. What we believe is difficult to accept from a natural perspective.

Many of the disciples of Jesus who were listening said,
"This saying is hard; who can accept it?"

Only if the Holy Spirit is active and moving in the Church can this word spread as it is meant to spread.

It is the Spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail.
The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.

This is why signs and wonders and the spread of the Gospel are so closely associated. They both mean the Spirit is present and moving.

Peter said to him,
"Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed." 
He got up at once. 

We remember the words of Saint John Paul the Great, who says, "Whenever the Spirit intervenes, he leaves people astonished. He brings about events of amazing newness; he radically changes persons and history". This is certainly the case with Peter's own ministry in Acts.

Then he turned to her body and said, "Tabitha, rise up." 
She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. 

But the Spirit and life that mark the words of Jesus and the ministry of Peter are meant to mark the modern Church as well. Conversions don't necessarily require miracles, it is true. But they do require the Holy Spirit, and where he is present miracles invariably follow. His presence is always supernatural. It is always surprising. And it is always essential.

Do we have trouble accepting the hard teachings of Jesus? Does a lack of miracles in our own lives only compound that difficulty? If so, where do we look for the supernatural Spirit whom we desire. We should turn to the words of Jesus himself because these words words can make the life of the Spirit present to us.

Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe
and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."

We may be tempted to believe that this revelation of the identity of Jesus is less miraculous than later when Peter raises Tabitha from the dead. It is no less miraculous. It is every bit is dependent on the presence of the Holy Spirit as was that miracle.

With Saint John XXIII let us pray, "Renew your wonders in our time, as though for a new Pentecost." We can see that we need this renewal. We need to be open to anything the Holy Spirit wants to do in our midst. We can no longer place him in a box based of limitation based on our own flawed expectations. We need to let him out! When we give the Holy Spirit free reign in our lives and in our Church it is we ourselves who find freedom.

O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.

20 April 2018 - known unknowns

Today's Readings (Audio)

The ministry of the Spirit in the Church is essential to open eyes that do not perceive or fully perceive the truth.

So Ananias went and entered the house;
laying his hands on him, he said,
"Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me,
Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came,
that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 


We too have things like scales on our eyes. We are not blind to the degree, we hope, of Saul, who is "still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord." Yet there are there is still much that is seen "through a glass, darkly". When we truly see Christ as he is we will be completely transformed.

For my Flesh is true food,
and my Blood is true drink. 
Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood
remains in me and I in him.

The gift Jesus gives us in the Eucharist is something which we all definitely need to see more clearly. It is a gift so great as to be impossible to fully comprehend. It is God himself. Our minds and our spirits are too finite to fully grasp such a gift. But God gives us his own Spirit in order to understand this mystery. He makes us say, "We have the mind of Christ" (see First Corinthians 2:16). Even for the saints there is always more than a mortal mind can fathom. What is known by us about God is always less than what is unknown. This is good! It means he is God! He is worthy of our worship! But this fraction we have is more than enough to radically change our lives. It is enough to make us entirely new in mind and heart and spirit.

For steadfast is his kindness toward us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.

19 April 2018 - he proclaimed Jesus to him

Today's Readings (Audio)

Then Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this Scripture passage,
he proclaimed Jesus to him.

This is what we are called to do as well. More than explaining doctrine, theology or moral issues we are called to proclaim Jesus to others. More than telling people what they should and should not do we are called to invite them to follow Jesus. Everything else ends up being insufficient. No knowledge of the moral law, or theological proofs, or liturgical practice is enough without an encounter with the person of Jesus Christ. All these other things aim toward him as their goal. But if Jesus remains obscured so too does the meaning behind the rest. When Jesus is central to the proclamation all else falls into place. It almost seems to easy because now it does not depend on our efforts.

Then he ordered the chariot to stop,
and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water,
and he baptized him. 
When they came out of the water,
the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away,
and the eunuch saw him no more,
but continued on his way rejoicing. 

We often have trouble because we ourselves don't really understand how Jesus intersects with our practice in the liturgy and our performance in the moral life of virtue. But the answer to both of those questions is actually quite simple.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give
is my Flesh for the life of the world.

Jesus is the bread of life that we receive in the Eucharist. His life for the world is what makes any virtue possible. It is his life in us that brings forth anything that is good and praiseworthy. This is why the bread of life is essential. It all begins with the proclamation of Christ.

Bless our God, you peoples,
loudly sound his praise;
He has given life to our souls,
and has not let our feet slip.

17 April 2018 - bread connection

Today's Readings (Audio)

But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit,
looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God
and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
and Stephen said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened
and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."

Stephen is able to keep his cool even in the face of hatred and persecution because he is more concerned about the true bread from heaven than the bread of earth. This bread is not simply bread that one eats and that leaves one hungry soon after. It is bread that connects us to heavenly realities. It makes the life of heaven present within us. It has this power because it is Jesus himself.

Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst."

Because Stephen is concerned with the bread of God's abiding presence he is able to manifest that presence even in the most difficult circumstances imaginable.

As they were stoning Stephen, he called out,
"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice,
"Lord, do not hold this sin against them";
and when he said this, he fell asleep.

We hear the echoes of Jesus in the life of Stephen. If we want to see those echoes in our own lives we need to concern ourselves, above all else, with the bread of life that only Jesus can give.

16 April 2018 - facing the goal

Today's Readings (Audio)

Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me
not because you saw signs
but because you ate the loaves and were filled.
Do not work for food that perishes
but for the food that endures for eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you. 

When Jesus does meet our temporal needs he reminds us that there are more important things about which we should concern ourselves. Whatever miracles we receive in this life are meant to prepare us for the life to come. They reveal who God is and help us learn to trust in his power. They are foretastes of the joy that we will one day know. The really important thing is not that we find the secret of perfect health or riches.

“What can we do to accomplish the works of God?”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”

The martyrs may have seen many healings, miracles, and even resurrections. Yet they are  not thereby confused. They don't mistakenly believe that this life was their greatest good, to be protected at all costs. Rather their simple belief in the one God sent, Jesus, the one on whom the Father has set his seal, allows them to give everything for the joy set before them. This is how Stephen can look so calm in a situation of utmost danger.

All those who sat in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him
and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

We too can face our lives with peace like Stephen if we simply put our faith in Jesus.

Though princes meet and talk against me,
your servant meditates on your statutes.

15 April 2018 - behold sin defeated

Today's Readings (Audio)

The author of life you put to death,
but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses.

Peter does not tell the people this so that the dwell in self-pity or self-hatred. Instead, he wants them to be converted.  He wants the crowd to realize just what their previous ignorance let them do. It was not a harmless ignorance by any stretch. But this realization is so that they can fully appreciate and internalize the saving work that God brings to fulfillment in Christ.

This knowledge of the seriousness of sin is why John warns so strongly against it.

My children, I am writing this to you
so that you may not commit sin.

Even the just man falls seven times a day. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Knowing our human weakness and the seriousness of sin could lead us to despair. But it should not. It should lead us to a radical trust in the mercy and grace that God provides.

But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous one.
He is expiation for our sins,
and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world.

The Cross was God's plan all along. He knew we would sin and fall short of his glory. And so he provided the means whereby we might obtain mercy.

And he said to them,
"Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer
and rise from the dead on the third day
and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,
would be preached in his name
to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

The trouble is that we often forget our need for the Advocate before the Father. We often try to succeed on our own strength. Or else we give up entirely and no longer even try to maintain even a pretense of holiness. Both of these approaches are doomed. We need Jesus to reveal himself to us as the risen LORD. We need to behold the wounds on his hands and feet. These are wounds that our sins inflicted on him. But we see these wounds now on the risen body of Jesus. We see our sins defeated on his own flesh. This shows us that we must not give up. Holiness is simply too important. It matters too much. Without it no one will see God. We also see that we need not try to struggle on our own. The one who is victorious is our advocate before the Father. He wants to share his victory with his people.

Know that the LORD does wonders for his faithful one;
the LORD will hear me when I call upon him.

14 April 2018 - to the shore

Today's Readings (Audio)

Jesus reveals himself to us in the midst of the storms of our lives. He comes to us on sees that are stirred up because strong winds are blowing. At first, we are so distracted by the weather that we don't recognize. But he speaks to us and reveals himself.

When they had rowed about three or four miles,
they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat,
and they began to be afraid.
But he said to them, "It is I. Do not be afraid."

When Jesus visits our boat it is natural to want to bring him in and take him with us. We briefly forget about the journey we're on.  For a moment we shift the focus from our mission. We want to stay on the mountain with Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. We want Jesus to stay in our boat to forget about the distant shore to which we head. Yet Jesus is strengthening and blessing us for mission. It is not always time to stop. And it is time to stop for a while we must still remember the journey toward Jerusalem and start again. The presence of Jesus in our lives is not a distracting alternative from our mission. His presence, rather, is where we get the strength we need for that very mission.

We really need to get as much clarity as we can about God's particular call for each of us in our lives right now. It is so easy to get distracted by thousands of legitimately good alternatives.

It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table.
Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men,
filled with the Spirit and wisdom,
whom we shall appoint to this task,
whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer
and to the ministry of the word.

Some are being called to serve at table. Others are being called to the ministry of the word. Some are being called to stop and spend time basking in the presence of Jesus. Others need to go out with his blessing to the activity ministries to which they are called. The only way any of this will be possible or make sense is if we seek God's will first in our lives and not what seems best to us.

Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.

13 April 2018 - basket cases

Today's Readings (Audio)

For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin,
it will destroy itself.
But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them;
you may even find yourselves fighting against God.

We spend a lot of time supporting and fighting against things which are of merely human origin. We should be discerning like Gamaliel. We should invest our time and energy in things that God is actually doing, things which are bearing fruit, rather than spending our efforts on endeavors that will eventually come to nothing.

One problem we run into is that when we try to invest our resources in what God is doing is that this seems to be an exercise in futility. It seems like there isn't enough to tip the balance in a given situation.

"Two hundred days' wages worth of food would not be enough
for each of them to have a little."

If it is God who feeding the crowd the resource constraints that would normally be deal breakers do not constrain him.

Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks,
and distributed them to those who were reclining,
and also as much of the fish as they wanted.

It is especially true whenever we give the Word to everyone who hungers for it that there is always enough. It seems like we don't have enough of it to satisfy anyone, as if it depended on us and our knowledge. But if we just first come to Jesus and then get about distributing it there are always baskets left over.

Gather the fragments left over,
so that nothing will be wasted."

Jesus is the one who is to come into the world. Nothing can thwart his will. The only thing that can go wrong is to be on the wrong side of it, or even not on the right side of it. Then we will find ourselves in futile struggle. Let us come to Jesus to discern where he wants the bread of his Gospel distributed today. Let us trust in his abundance.

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.

12 April 2018 - dangerous to go alone

Today's Readings (Audio)

We are witnesses of these things,
as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.

We need to remember that testimony to Jesus isn't simply a human thing. We get intimidated thinking about bearing witness when we think of it naturally. We aren't such great public speakers. We aren't prepared. We aren't sufficiently educated. The other person will have questions we can't answer. All of this may be true. But we are not alone. Were we alone those could be show stoppers. But we have the Holy Spirit to help us.

For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God.
He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.

Just as the Father does not ration his gift of the Spirit to the Son so too does the Son pour out the Spirit without limits upon his people. The Spirit himself is the one who convinces and convicts. He brings us to the knowledge of the truth. This is not something we must do alone. Indeed, alone we are certain to fail.

"the Holy Spirit is the principal agent of evangelization" (Evangelii Nuntiandi 75)

We do not give testimony that we make up or cleverly devise. We give testimony as we are shown and hear from Jesus through his Spirit in our hearts. We do not speak words of human wisdom but words of Spirit and power (see first Corinthians 2:4).

Still, testimony will seem overwhelming until we step out of the boat and actually do it. Until we decide to trust God we do not experience him sustaining us through our faith. But once we do we learn that he does not let us down.

When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.

11 April 2018 - getting led out

Today's Readings (Audio)

Let us come into the light of God. We need to the world to see that God is at work in us. This isn't prideful. It is, in fact, the opposite. Our weakness is exposed at the very moments when God's strength is the most profoundly visible. In our weakness we can flee from God's strength or we can instead welcome it.

For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come toward the light,
so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

God wants to set us free from prisons that keep us from the light.

But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison,
led them out, and said,
"Go and take your place in the temple area,
and tell the people everything about this life."

The Father wants to give us the faith in his Son so that we can come out from the prisons that keep us from proclaiming his truth. We don't break out on our own. Rather, we follow his angels to freedom. As we are delivered from bondage our faith is strengthened and we are more free to confess the name of Jesus Christ.

God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.

We need to realize our imprisonment. We need to realize the poverty of our faith. When we see these things we can wait with confidence on the LORD. He will come to save and deliver us.

Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.

10 April 2018 - new life

Today's Readings (Audio)

Bonus: New Apostolic Exhortation from Pope Francis: GAUDETE ET EXSULTATE

Jesus said to Nicodemus:
"'You must be born from above.'

The Son of Man is lifted up like the serpent in the desert so that we might believe in him and have eternal life. This is the only way humanity can receive the new birth it needs. The natural means at our disposal leave us subject to sin and death. The source of the new birth we need can only be the new sort of life that is unleashed in the resurrection. The way that we tap into this new life is faith in Jesus.

And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

Baptism makes us new creations in Christ (see Second Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 6:15). But are we living it? Are we using our faith to tap into the life that is often merely latent within us? Objective measures can be helpful. Do our communities look like communities that are renewed in the power of the resurrection? They should. They should look like the early community of believers about which we read in the Acts of the Apostles.

The community of believers was of one heart and mind,
and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own,
but they had everything in common.
With great power the Apostles bore witness
to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and great favor was accorded them all.

How do we treat our brothers and sisters? Do we attend to their needs? Do we bear witness to the resurrection? Are we willing to lay down things we desire for the sake of others? If not, maybe it is time to circle back to the basics. We can always ask Jesus for more faith in the resurrection.

Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed:
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, for length of days.

9 April 2018 - the handmaid

Today's Readings (Audio)

Emmanuel. God with us. It does seem, as Ahaz suspects like more than we should ask from God. Perhaps we should just be content with the blood of bulls and goats even if that system is ultimately and frustratingly ineffective. Emmanuel could solve this. But isn't that too much to ask from God? It is too much to ask, except that he asks us to ask. He wants us to welcome him.

But Ahaz answered,
"I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!"
Then Isaiah said: 
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?

The incarnation is a gift which we could never deserve. Even Mary who was born and lived without sin did not thereby deserve the incarnation. Yet Mary is chosen to be the one who becomes the mother of Emmanuel. She is given the fullness of grace in order to welcome the word of God from the angel so that she might in turn give birth to the word of God in the flesh. Mary has difficulty with this word. We could imagine her saying that it is all too much for a humble handmaiden like her. But that would be false humility. She feels fear but does not close herself to the work of God because of it. She is greatly troubled at what is said but she trusts in the favor of God, manifested in the presence of the Holy Spirit and the power of the Most High, to make up for any like of knowledge or ability on her part.

Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her.

Because of Mary's yes Jesus receives the body he desires in order to draw near to humankind. He receives the very body that truly suffers, truly dies, and is now truly risen as a consequence of that yes. It is a yes that is empowered by the grace of God. Mary wants to show us how to say yes like she does in order that the presence of Jesus might fill the world through each of us.

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

8 April 2018 - faith victory, not fake victory

Today's Readings (Audio)

Jesus is willing to meet us where we are. He comes to us in our need to reveal himself.

Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe."

We should be as ready as we can to come to faith in Jesus. If we receive the grace of believing without seeing then praise God. But many of us need something more direct. We need more than to simply hear of the resurrection from others. We need to touch it for ourselves. It is clearly more important to Jesus that we believe than that we do so having not seen. Every time Jesus has to do something more direct and personal it is a testimony that can be passed on to others who have not seen. The point is that we should be content with whatever way God chooses to give us the grace of faith. We should receive it as much as possible. But he isn't asking us to lie about it or fake it. He wants us to truly believe. He wants us to be able to say from the depths of our spirits, "My Lord and my God!"

Belief is step one. It is the necessary precursor to all else Jesus wants to do for us, in us, and through us.

And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.
Who indeed is the victor over the world
but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Maybe we don't feel victorious just precisely because our faith in the resurrection needs to be strengthened. We need, perhaps, another encounter with the risen one. Maybe this is what the whole Church needs.

The community of believers was of one heart and mind,
and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own,
but they had everything in common.
With great power the apostles bore witness
to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and great favor was accorded them all.

Isn't it possible that the reason our Church isn't living in the victory of Christ is because the individual members don't really know the power of the resurrection? We tacitly accept it on hearsay. We pretend to have a level of faith which we haven't yet attained. This is pride and it does no service to anyone to maintain the illusion.

Look at Paul who does know the risen Jesus. Yet even Paul strives to know him more. He is still to striving to "know him and the power of his resurrection" (see Philippians 3:10). He knows that this is necessary for him to follow the path Jesus places before him. He knows that only by this faith can even he live victoriously.

The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just

Let us be thankful every time we believe without seeing. Let us ask the LORD for greater faith and more experience of his resurrection power. If the next stage of our faith requires a more direct encounter with Jesus we don't need to feel bad. Let us humbly come to him knowing for sure that he wants to meet us in order to give us that encounter. He doesn't not ration his gift of the Spirit, nor, indeed of the fruit of faith that the Spirit brings.

7 April 2018 - what we have seen and heard

Today's Readings (Audio)

Jesus Christ is risen. He is risen indeed! 

It often takes some time for us to really get this. Others try to help, but it isn't always enough to hear it from someone else. Sometimes we just need to experience the presence of the risen LORD for ourselves.

But later, as the Eleven were at table, he appeared to them
and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart
because they had not believed those
who saw him after he had been raised.

Our hearts are hard but the LORD keeps looking for cracks. He keeps trying until he finds a way in. He is out of the tomb. But in many ways we are still sealed in our own until Jesus comes to us and sets us free. We need to have this level of experiential conviction, rather than belief on hearsay, in order to be the witnesses Jesus desires us to be.

He said to them, “Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.”

Tell them what? Tell them that the thing we doubted and disbelieved is in fact the case. Tell them that the one who was dead is in truly risen, alive forevermore. Jesus gives us power to help us spread this message. He sends his Spirit with proof. But in order to play our part we need to be so transformed by the experience of his resurrection that we almost have no choice but to speak about it.

Whether it is right in the sight of God
for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges.
It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.

May we spend these Easter days experiencing the presence of the risen LORD and becoming his witnesses to the world.

My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just.

6 April 2018 - gone fishing

Today's Readings (Audio)

Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”

Do we allow ourselves to go back to business as usual after the resurrection? The resurrection is something so amazing with implications so profound that it is hard to figure out how it fits into our lives. In point of fact, the resurrection is such a momentous thing, our lives must ever after fit into it. This is not to say that our old activities have no place in our lives. Perhaps they do. But we must see their value as redefined. They can no longer be absolutely important. And now, we do them together with Jesus.

So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat
and you will find something.”
So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in
because of the number of fish.

The risen LORD is always trying to reveal himself. He wants us to know him more and more. He is always interrupting the flow of the habit patterns to which we were accustomed in order that the new reality of the resurrection might enter in. The trouble, though, is that we don't always realize it. Sometimes a friend can help.

So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.”
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord,
he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad,
and jumped into the sea.

We can see that when Peter realizes that the risen LORD is there he no longer cares much about the fish. The fish get to the shore eventually, but they aren't the priority. For this revelation, he needs the help of John to open his eyes to the action of the LORD in their midst. We too should be ready to receive wise counsel to others and also to give it if we ourselves recognize the LORD first.

We must never be ashamed of our testimony to Jesus. We always be ready to give a reason for our hope. To do so we must know, not only that he once lived again, but that he now lives and is present in his Church.

then all of you and all the people of Israel should know
that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean
whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead;
in his name this man stands before you healed.

May the LORD open our eyes to see him. May he free our lips to speak his praise. Let us become his witnesses first, and fishers, if it all, in a distant second.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God, and he has given us light.