30 June 2018 - say the word

Today's Readings (Audio)

The Lord has consumed without pity
all the dwellings of Jacob;

Things can seem pretty bleak in the world. Certainly the headlines are filled with much to discourage us. This can inspire a deep and sympathetic sadness for the world. If we aren't careful it can lead to despair. That isn't what the LORD wants. Nor does he ask us to pretend things are other than they are. Instead we can channel our sympathy into prayer.

Cry out to the Lord;
moan, O daughter Zion!
Let your tears flow like a torrent
day and night;
Let there be no respite for you,
no repose for your eyes.

We do not pray because we assume it doesn't make much difference. It is a gentle nudge compared to the hard punches of the world, or so it seems. But it is not prayer that is deficient. It is our faith. Prayer really is the most powerful force available to us. It is just we that fail to realize it. Maybe this is because we selfishly insist that we haven't seen many miracles ourselves. We have a sense, based on past expectations, of what we think prayer can accomplish. We ought to be more like the centurion who doesn't need to immediately experience the results of the power of Jesus first hand in order to believe in them.

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

The centurion doesn't need to insist on bringing Jesus into his home because of his faith in the power of Jesus. The LORD wants to use the prayers of the humble, prayers that more readily give glory to God, to bring healing to the world. The centurion's prayer is so impressive to Jesus precisely because of how the centurion himself is distanced from the results. He has the humility to accept this. In our pride we are often more recalcitrant.

After this Jesus does enter a house to perform a healing. We ought never assume that Jesus won't heal someone because of the situation. Indeed, he wants to bring his healing to the world. Now that he has ascended into heaven people can only have that healing contact with him through his body, the Church. Let us not deprive the world of his touch.

Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

29 June 2018 - revealed to you

Today's Readings (Audio)

For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.

Peter and Paul received special revelation from God about the identity of Jesus Christ. In response to that revelation they spent their lives preaching the Kingdom.

The revelation of Jesus Christ was not something Peter and Paul only received once. They needed it again and again as they faced the trials of their lives.

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.

When Peter doubted the LORD gave him the opportunity to turn back and speak his love three times to the LORD. When he was in prison the LORD delivered him. Paul, too, relied on the LORD all throughout the hardships of his journeys.

Peter and Paul are among the great pillars of the Church through whom we receive the truth. We see in them that we Jesus is worthy of trust.  We too receive the invitation to experience the revelation of the identity of Jesus Christ. It is as if Peter and Paul are saying, 'Jesus was faithful to us. He is the Son of God. He is worthy of your trust as well.' Knowing this can sustain us in trials. It can break us free from stagnation and make the gate of iron to open by itself. It is the way back when we doubt and when we fail.

Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.

Let's stake everything on the rock of Peter's faith. We at one and the same time receive direct revelation that Jesus is the Son of God and that the Church is his body. We place our trust in the whole Jesus. This is the precious truth that the enemy and the world want to steal from us. If we cling to it, cling to Jesus himself, nothing can harm us.

The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat
and will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom.
To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

28 June 2018 - acting lessons

Today's Readings (Audio)

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

The difference between the wise man who builds on rock and the fool who builds on sand is emphatically not whether or not they have heard the word of the LORD. They both listen to the words of Jesus. The difference is that the wise man acts on them. Just listening gives the sense of familiarity. We may even think we know Jesus and say, 'Lord, Lord,' only to hear him tell us 'I never knew you.'

In order for the words of Jesus to have effect we must act on them. The primary acts of response to the words of Jesus are faith, hope, and love. If these seem like feelings that is only because of how they have been misappropriated by the culture. They are in fact superpowers which Christians are given and made able to use.

We need to make the connection in our minds between acts of faith and building on rock. We are called to spread the Kingdom of God. This requires more than clever acts and tacit acceptance of doctrine. It requires acts of faith. Only such acts are immune to the wind and the waves. Only such acts survive engagement with Babylon and its armies.

Then Jehoiachin, king of Judah, together with his mother,
his ministers, officers, and functionaries,
surrendered to the king of Babylon, who,
in the eighth year of his reign, took him captive.

We have the power to resist all the snares of the enemy.

In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one (see Ephesians 6:16).

Faith gives us this power by making us immune to the lies the world tells us. The world lies about things like what power is and what should matter to us. Faith shields us from these lies and plants us firmly on the rock by keeping in our minds the one thing necessary. But here again it should be emphasized this is an act. We choose it, or we get blown over and conquered. The assaults of the world can actually be made to serve us. They are each opportunities to place our faith in God.

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

27 June 2018 - in due season

Today's Readings (Audio)

Just so, every good tree bears good fruit,
and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.

Do we endorse people or plans mainly because they sound good? Instead, we should endorse them based on their history of good fruit. When we are trying to see what we ourselves should do next we can also look to see what has borne fruit for us up until now.

A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,
nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit.

What do we do about all the bad fruit we find in the world and especially in ourselves?

In the world we find that many of the trees are in fact dead already. They don't bear fruit because they don't have life. But, like the dry bones in the valley, they can live again. The world is, in many ways, like Judah in the days when the book of the LORD was lost. The world doesn't know about the contents of our message, nor the life which is available to them. They try to bear fruit, fail, and become frustrated, not realizing that an ingredient vital for life is missing.

We should have deep sympathy for the world, because more often than not we try to bear fruit without God's help. We invest in branches of our own trees that are already dead. The LORD wants to prune those branches so they don't hinder us. He wants to water us with his Holy Spirit so that the fruit we bear is the fruit of the Spirit. The Spirit enables us to have "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, [and] self-control". He makes these fruits possible in spite of circumstances. We are like new life in the desert.

For waters break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water (see Isaiah 35:6-7).

These are the waters for which we must thirst. We must look to the LORD for them and rejoice in them as he drenches us with his grace.

You visit the earth and water it;
you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
you provide their grain,
for so you have prepared it.
You water its furrows abundantly,
settling its ridges,
softening it with showers,
and blessing its growth (see Psalm 65:9-10)

May the LORD teach us to receive more of his Spirit today. What fruit is he asking us to bear for him?

Behold, I long for your precepts;
in your justice give me life.

26 June 2018 - narrow gate

Today's Readings (Audio)

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.

Jesus himself is the gate for the sheep (see John 10:9). Pasture is found through him. It is narrow and constricted because it is only found in him and in no one else. There is no other name given under heaven by which we can be saved (see Acts 4:12). To intentionally and with full knowledge choose a different way is to take the broad road to destruction. That is why "whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God" (see John 3:18).

There were many options for Israel which would have resulted in destruction at the hands of the Assyrian can Sennacherib. However King Hezekiah chose the narrow path to salvation.

Therefore, O LORD, our God, save us from the power of this man,
that all the kingdoms of the earth may know
that you alone, O LORD, are God.

Just as the Assyrian army breaks camp and abandons their assault on Israel so too does the LORD protect us from the forces of darkness. Even from death the LORD delivers us. 

I will shield and save this city for my own sake,
and for the sake of my servant David.

We need to value the pearls of the Kingdom. All the graces we are given must be well received. We can't go to mass casually. We can't ignore the Scriptures or the Sacraments.

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.

This does not mean we don't share the graces we are given. It means we share them when people are interested and want to receive them. We don't just throw them on the ground and hope for this best. The world only makes a mockery of graces it isn't ready to understand. This is why it can use the name of Jesus is a curse word. It explains the Da Vinci Code and so much of what passes for religious history on television. In this sense, the people who do such things aren't even to blame. We ourselves are guilty of the abuse the name of Jesus takes because we ourselves do not love that name nearly enough. The same for all the graces and truths of our faith. If we learn to value these pearls ourselves we will find, not swine, but other people interested to know just what we have, what treasure we found in the field of the LORD.

Great is the LORD and wholly to be praised
in the city of our God.
His holy mountain, fairest of heights,
is the joy of all the earth.

25 June 2018 - board plan

Today's Readings (Audio)

Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye,
but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?

We want to help. And we do see problems in other people that cause them to stumble. The point is not that we shouldn't help them. The point is that we can't help them, can't even see clearly what is wrong, until we get our own vision corrected. This means that we will never be in a position to judge others. Judging means that we haven't encountered the same problem in ourselves yet. We still don't have sympathy. Instead of judgment, when we first remove the wooden beam from our own eye, we have only sympathy left for others. We are ready to show mercy and not judgment.

You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first;
then you will see clearly
to remove the splinter from your brother's eye.

We can't be a light to the nations while we still walk in darkness. The other nations serve false idols explicitly. Yet we end up chasing after the same idols. We find ourselves valuing what the nations value and chasing what they chase. We reject the egregious examples of it in society but we find the same sin in our own hearts. 

They followed the rites of the nations
whom the LORD had cleared out of the way of the children of Israel
and the kings of Israel whom they set up.

These beams are seriously obscuring our vision. Rip and removal is not recommended. We aren't in a good position to even get a handle on our own issues. We need the mercy of God to heal us. Then, as people who have been shown mercy, we must show mercy to others. Judgment is excluded. No one is without sin to cast the first stone.

The mercy of God has the power to heal us and our nation. Is has the power to heal the broken and make the wounded whole again. It is, in fact, our only hope.

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. 

24 June 2016 - LORD open my lips

Today's Readings (Audio)

Zechariah finally chooses to believe the angel. Previously his doubt rendered him silent. But he finally assents to the plan of God and is able to speak.

He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name,"
and all were amazed.
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,
and he spoke blessing God.

No clever ideas, advice columns, or philosophical analyses can truly speak in this sense unless the acknowledge the plan of God. It begins with faith in the word of God. In the word of God we discover God's will. What we discover might not be what we expected or hoped for. It might involve accepting new plans different from our own. It definitely involves a humility before God that values his will above our own. It might seem that such humility would make us less effective or powerful but the opposite is true. It is this humility which opens the mouth of Zechariah in praise at last. It is this humility which John so perfectly embodies.

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.

John is constantly pointing to Jesus and away from himself. He is trying to decrease so that Jesus can increase. Yet in spite of John doing his level best to shift the focus away from himself it is by these very actions that he succeeds enough to be called the greatest of those born of women (see Luke 7:28, Matthew 11:11). It is because of his profound humility and acceptance of the plan of God in faith that we celebrate him today and strive to emulate his example.

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!

Perhaps we are experiencing doubts today. Zechariah experienced them. In prison even John needed more confirmation about the identity of Jesus and the plan of God. Through their testimony we can learn that God is faithful to his plan. John shows us how the greatest calling requires the greatest humility. It is only possible by walking in faith in God's plan even when we can't see the end clearly.

Let us confess our faith so that our lips may be opened. In our attempts to follow that plan, even if it seems like we toil in vain and nothing we do is effective we need to trust in God's will for us. John may have felt this way, but he ultimately chose to trust. Like John, we must learn to look to God, and not to success as this world defines it, to be our reward and recompense. We too are chosen. We can trust in his plans 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.

23 June 2018 - fearless

Reputed to be the tomb of Zechariah son of Jehoiada

Today's Readings (Audio)

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink,
or about your body, what you will wear.

We worry in spite of the words of Jesus. We are pretty sure that if we just worry hard enough we can add a single moment to our life-span. But this is not so. Certainly prudent action might prolong our life. But worry, if it has any effect, will shorten it. At this point we are probably worrying about our worrying and trying to cease to worry with more worry. From there it is a short step to say that this is merely beyond our control and to give up.

God shows us how to not be consumed by worry. He wants us to know that he is our heavenly Father who knows all of our needs. He wants us to reflect on his providential care for the world and to know that he cares for us more than the rest of creation. We may feel worry. This can become a simple reminder to stop trusting in ourselves and to look to God instead. It can be a reminder to stop insisting on our plans and to start trusting in his plan.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (see John 14:27).

Jesus has already given us his Spirit. The fruit of peace latent within us, waiting to be put into use. When we feel worry we can say, "LORD I feel worry, but I choose to have the peace of your Spirit in my heart right now." The first time we might not feel it. That isn't as important as recognizing the truth of the promise. If we recognize it as true and claim it in faith the feelings will catch up eventually.

If we don't learn to trust in God for our peace we will wind up like Israel, always chasing sacred poles and the idols. We will choose what seems expedient and necessary for self-preservation. Yet trusting in ourselves always proves futile in the end.

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.

The simple prayer of the Divine Mercy image, "Jesus I trust in you" is such a potent antidote to fear in worry. To really place ourselves into the Scriptures where Jesus tells us, "Do not be afraid" actually causes the fear to be cast out from us. Letting the Spirit fill us as it did Saint John Paul the Great empowers us to make those words our own and to speak them into a world of fear that is desperate to find peace in which it can believe.

Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.
I will make his posterity endure forever
and his throne as the days of heaven.

22 June 2018 - lit

Today's Readings (Audio)

If the wrong things matter too much to us they are going to cause problems.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.

This is why the eye of our body needs to be sound. It needs to see good things as good and bad things as bad. The more we can discern the value of what we see the less we can be disceived by darkness.

We look at riches see some possible good. There are positive things that can be done with riches. But they cannot solve the deepest and most serious problems. The only riches that can solve those sorts of problems are the treasures we store in heaven.

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.

The eye of Athaliah is not sound. She wants to rule the land of Israel more than she cares about the will of God for his kingdom. She goes to great lengths of violence to ensure this happens. We too tend to want to rule in our spheres of life. When the LORD invites us to surrender more to him we tend to kill those thoughts as quickly as we can. 

We need to learn to embrace to will of the King for his Kingdom. We need to embrace the words he speaks to us and the invitations he offers. 

They proclaimed him king and anointed him,
clapping their hands and shouting, "Long live the king!"

Let us not be traitors, not even in small things. Let us commit all that we are to the service of the King. If our eyes are sound this will make sense. We won't easily fall for the lies of usurpers. What if our eyes are imperfect? "Lord, let me recover my sight" (see Luke 18:41), we pray. And with Paul we ask that the eyes of our hearts be enlightened (see Ephesians 1:18). Jesus is the light of the world. He wants to open our eyes to the truth.

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.

21 June 2018 - power in prayer

Today's Readings (Audio)

Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Prayer should begin by intentionally remembering that God is our Father, that he loves us, wills our good. He is all powerful. This is much more important than getting any of the details right. It is this posture of faith and trust that makes our prayer powerful.

By the Lord's word he shut up the heavens
and three times brought down fire.
How awesome are you, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds!

Elijah and Elisha are among the greatest prophets because of this trust in the LORD. They trust in him enough that he can do mighty deeds through them. But the LORD promises that his followers will do even greater things than he himself did (see John 14:12), let alone Elijah and Elisha. The only way we can manifest this promise is through trust.

Nothing was beyond his power;
beneath him flesh was brought back into life.
In life he performed wonders,
and after death, marvelous deeds.

Our Father knows what we need. He wants our good. Let us open ourselves to trusting in his will for the world, "thy Kingdom come and thy will be done". Let us trust in him for our daily bread and for our relationships with one another. Only he can keep us safe from temptation and free from evil. Only if we are free in that way can we do the work of God.

Sometimes circumstances twist us to an inward focus that insists on our own rights. But this is always an implicit refusal to trust in God. It is always usurping his prerogative of judgment for ourselves. Forgiveness is a prerequisite to powerful prayer. We can't hold grudges and expect miracles.

"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."

The world needs us to add our prophetic voices to those of Elijah and Elisha. It needs to see demonstrations of the Spirit and power (see First Corinthians 2:4). We are meant to be lights to the world. It does no service to anyone to be consumed with uncertainty and fear. We need to trust in God's ability not only in general but in ourselves.

20 June 2018 - darkness to light

Today's Readings (Audio)

Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.

How much do we care about recognition as a reward for doing what we should? Probably at least a little, if we are honest. We feel good about helping others. But we also feel good about people seeing that we are a person who helps others. We feel good when we pray. But we also feel good when people know that we pray or that we have mature habits of prayer. In a way, this recognition itself feels like an obligation. We are meeting the expectations of others for how we should behave.

It isn't bad to receive the recognition the world offers. But when we begin to seek it we often shift our actions toward those which yield more recognition. We fail to do what God calls us to do and to try to please other people. This is a trap. Even though the things we do might still be good to one degree or another they are not the specific goods God is asking of us. Even though we might be praying in impressive ways and for long periods we may perhaps be missing a part of prayer that is more simple and humble which the LORD is actually asking of us.

Given all of this, what do we make of Elisha showing off his newfound double portion of Elijah's spirit?

Wielding the mantle that had fallen from Elijah,
Elisha struck the water in his turn and said,
“Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?”

The fifty guild prophets are presumably still watching. Isn't Elisha showing off? No. Here we see the importance of discernment. Elisha isn't doing something publicly for the sake of reward. He is doing it for the sake of the LORD's truth. He needs Israel to understand that the LORD now works through him just as he did through Elijah.

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

If we had miraculous abilities it would be easy for any of us to do what Elisha does just to feel impressive and proud. But Elisha is genuinely concerned about Israel and about the LORD. We need to learn from him. The LORD does not always allow what we do to remain completely hidden.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven (see Matthew 5:16)

The LORD is actually preparing a people who can shine with his light without doing it for their own sakes. He trains us in private and in secret so that we can shine his light in public without succumbing to pride.

Love the LORD, all you his faithful ones!
The LORD keeps those who are constant,
but more than requites those who act proudly.

19 June 2018 - beyond frienemies

Today's Readings (Audio)

But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you

It almost seems impossible. Loving our enemies would almost seem to insist that they first not be enemies and then that we love them. But this is not so. We were still enemies of God when he sent Jesus to die for our sins. While we were yet sinners Christ died for us (see Romans 5:8).

If we love our enemies we create the conditions where they may no longer be our enemies. Even if we haven't been the ones in the wrong we are probably very comfortable to keep our enemies at a distance where we don't have to deal with them. But when Jesus died for us he created the conditions where his enemies could become friends. Slaves can become sons and have become an integral part of the household of God. To truly love our enemies we need to be ready for the possibility that they cease to be our enemies. We may even need to welcome them as friends.

We need to move beyond mercenary love and friendship that only loves if and to the degree that we are loved.

For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?

We need to love others whether we get anything out of it from them or not. When we fail to love we create problems with systemic side effects like Ahab does. We take as our own what is by right our enemies because of a failure on our part to love them. Whether that is charitable support, or just a smile, God is calling us to love others without counting the cost. We keep for ourselves what God wants others to have. We always do this, at least to a small degree. The important thing is to seek mercy as soon as we can.

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.
Then the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite,
"Have you seen that Ahab has humbled himself before me?
Since he has humbled himself before me,
I will not bring the evil in his time.
I will bring the evil upon his house during the reign of his son.

The sooner we seek mercy the more of the systemic consequences of our failure can be avoided. The sooner we seek mercy the more of the inequity we cause can be set right. Failure to love always has consequences, even if it is a failure to love our enemies. Mercy is our hope at such times.

Turn away your face from my sins,
and blot out all my guilt.
Free me from blood guilt, O God, my saving God;
then my tongue shall revel in your justice.

18 June 2018 - offer no resistance

Today's Readings (Audio)

On the one hand you have Ahab and Jezebel. They are only concerned for what they want and they aren't concerned about who gets hurt in order for them to get it. On the other hand we have the advice of Jesus.

If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.

Self-interest is the seed is violence. It begins with withholding what we have from those who need it more than we do. It can eventually become the full-fledged taking of what we want from others at their expense. The initial fearful self protective impulse is always the same. And it is this that Jesus wants us to change.

But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well.

In Christ, no one can truly hurt us. 

"I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do" (see Luke 12:4).

No one can take anything from us that which matters most. Our treasure is in heaven.

"lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal" (see Matthew 6:20).

The point isn't that we should be doormats or pushovers or give away all of our possessions or even spend all of our time in volunteer work. The point is to cut to the core of this need to protect ourselves that prevents us from doing these things more often. It is a call to trust more in God than in ourselves.

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

17 June 2018 - eyes on the prize

Today's Readings (Audio)

for we walk by faith, not by sight.

Faith is a gift from God that enables us to thrive even when "we are away from the Lord" because we are still "at home in the body". It enables us to have a foretaste of the results even while the process is still ongoing.

Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
for the harvest has come.

Even while the mustard seed is small we can have confidence by faith in what it is becoming.

It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.

It is important to have this perspective that only faith can provide. Without it our efforts will seem futile. From a purely human point of view we will appear to be wasting our time. Growth in ourselves and progress in the world will be invisible. It will be hard not to give up. But if we look with the eyes of faith we can appreciate how the little things really matter to the Kingdom of God. If we are pursuing the Kingdom in faith we can see that our efforts are essential and have a firm hope that we will bear fruit.

And all the trees of the field shall know
that I, the LORD,
bring low the high tree,
lift high the lowly tree,
wither up the green tree,
and make the withered tree bloom.
As I, the LORD, have spoken, so will I do.

Faith means trusting in the supernatural aid that makes all our efforts bear fruit in spite of our weaknesses and failures.

We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures, we are the sum of the Father's love for us and our real capacity to become the image of His Son Jesus (Saint John Paul the Great).

It doesn't matter how small we are. Nor does it matter how hard to see our progress is. With eyes of faith we see the goal and the prize even now.

The just one shall flourish like the palm tree,
like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow.
They that are planted in the house of the LORD
shall flourish in the courts of our God.

16 June 2018 - circumstantial irrelevance

Today's Readings (Audio)

Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.'
Anything more is from the Evil One."

Our language ought to reflect the fact that we don't control circumstances. We "cannot make a single hair white or black." We often feel the need to add assurance to our language that we cannot actually assure. How much easier it could be if we all accept that there are many things in this world beyond our control. If we are better with our own language we will be better about the oaths we take in the name of God, whether for marriage, or for public office, or whatever other reason there might be. We know then that we ask what we ourselves cannot guarantee of our own. We realize that in oaths like that we rely on the strength of God. By not muddying the waters with vague promises we speak but cannot guarantee we keep clear the room for legitimate oaths well taken.

If we learn to rely on the LORD we can be more like Elisha, who is ultimately able to let go of controlling circumstances around him in order to follow Elijah.

Elisha left him and, taking the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them;
he used the plowing equipment for fuel to boil their flesh,
and gave it to his people to eat.

He does what he can do. But he doesn't insist on remaining with the people to ensure that nothing ever goes wrong or that they always have enough. Such assurance is beyond him. The right thing for him to do is to follow the call of God and to trust in his providence. And this he does.

Then he left and followed Elijah as his attendant.

If we can let go of our own need to control we can even follow Jesus when he tells us that "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God" (see Luke 9:62). When God calls, we can trust the circumstances to him. We don't have to be in control because God is in control.

I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. 

15 July 2018 - the sound of freedom

Today's Readings (Audio)

If your right eye causes you to sin, 
tear it out and throw it away.

This is the extreme version of custody over the eyes. The point is that we don't have to let flesh reign in us anymore.

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit (see Romans 8:5).

Without Jesus we are captive to the impulses that the flesh sends us to one degree or another. We occasionally restrain but mostly indulge impulses from our lower selves even though we know better. Without Jesus we are not really free. Now, in Jesus we can can choose to live by the Spirit instead of the flesh.

For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live (see Romans 8:13).

This applies to more than just lust. It applies to being able to control what we say to others. It applies even to facial expressions betraying impatience or anger. Thinking about controlling these things ourselves makes us realize that they are impossible. And indeed trying to suppress them is a doomed approach. We need the Spirit to fill us with new and better options. He helps us to value and love others rather than only want them when they are a benefit to us.

The Spirit may be calling us to give a small smile to one who has frustrated us. But the voice of the Spirit is quiet compared to the voice of the flesh. We need to learn to listen.

After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.
When he heard this,
Elijah hid his face in his cloak
and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.

So let us follow the advice of Paul, "put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires" (see Romans 13:14). Our flesh is no longer our boss. We have freedom to the degree that we learn to receive it from the Spirit. We need to listen for him and look for him in all situations, especially in the fire and earthquakes of our lives.

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. 

14 June 2018 - rain checking

Today's Readings (Audio)

Jesus says "Blessed are the peacemakers." We really appreciate this saying when it is about world peace doesn't have much to do with us directly. But Jesus is imminently practical. Peace begins in our relationships.

But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother
will be liable to judgment

The responsibility is certainly on us to avoid giving others a reason to be upset with us. But the responsibility is still on us to seek a resolution when a brother has something against us, whether we were truly to blame. We still need to seek reconciliation in relationships even if it is only the other person holding something against us. We still need to be peacemakers. Perhaps it isn't always possible. But the priority of such attempts is clear.

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.

When others have something against us, whether we caused it or not, how we handle it usually has more to do with the possibility of long-term peace than what the offense itself actually was. If we double down on our rights and let passion and pride dictate our actions we will find peace elusive. But if we are willing to put reconciliation as our first priority we are often able to experience peace. This peace between individuals is the only basis for peace on earth.

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? (see James 4:1)

Jesus is our example in this. He sought peace with us even though he was faultless and even though we didn't really want it.

We may have to wait for the rain from heaven that can give us the new growth we need in relationships which have become barren. But if this is so we must keep watching the skies.

"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!"
And the seventh time the youth reported,
"There is a cloud as small as a man's hand rising from the sea."

Listen to this psalm as a description of hearts renewed by grace:

Thus have you prepared the land: 
drenching its furrows, breaking up its clods,
Softening it with showers, 
blessing its yield.

We can't be peacemakers apart from God who is the source of peace. Let us watch for the clouds on the horizon and celebrate the rain of grace.

13 June 2017 - fulfilled in us

Today's Readings (Audio)

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

The problem isn't with the law or with the prophets. After all, what are they at the core?

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets (se Matthew 22:37-40).

Prophets like Elijah call people back to the love of God when they forget him and serve idols.

Elijah appealed to all the people and said,
"How long will you straddle the issue?
If the LORD is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him."
The people, however, did not answer him.

We need to hear the words of the prophet Elijah so we can turn from our own idols to serve the living God. We serve a God who speaks, who acts, who calls down fire upon the sacrifice. Yet all too often we give our allegiance to modern Baals who can't satisfy us or answer us. For "no one was listening."

The problem is not with the law or the prophets. The problem is with us.

Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed (see Galatians 3:23).

We are not able to escape from sin on our own. Only by faith in Christ do we receive the grace that we need to fulfill the law. We are baptized and put on Christ. Clothed in Christ we have a new relationship to the law and the prophets.

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit (see Romans 8:3-4, emphasis added).

Let us hear the Spirit convict us about the one true God. Let us respond, walking by the Spirit, living by the truth that impels us to love of God and neighbor.

You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.

12 June 2018 - flour power

Today's Readings (Audio)

Jesus wants his disciples to be salt and light. As salt we prevent the world from becoming rotten and going bad. We give flavor to things which might otherwise seem quite ordinary. As light we bring truth and therefore hope. We prevent people from stumbling in the darkness. In the light they can be safe from evil. Our light also reveals a direction toward which the world is heading. It is the rising sun of eternity which shows that the night of pain that people experience here is not going to last forever.

Just so, your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your heavenly Father.

We might wonder if we really have much to offer. Do we really have enough salt and light to make a difference? In our vanity we want to be more like Elijah when he defeats other prophets or when he calls a drought down on the land. We assume that only greatness like that can really embody the LORD's call in a way that matters. But more often we are called to be like Elijah for whom things are not going so well. We are called to be like Elijah who is on the run, who can't have a massive impact, and who can indeed only help one mother and her son.

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.'"

Elijah becomes salt and light for this mother and her son. Interestingly, he does so by restoring their capacity to help others, and therefore to become salt and light themselves.

"Please bring me a small cupful of water to drink."
She left to get it, and he called out after her,
"Please bring along a bit of bread."

The supernatural is able to break through in this situation precisely because of many instances of small scale fidelity to the LORD's call. This is a model for us.

O LORD, let the light of your countenance shine upon us!
You put gladness into my heart,
more than when grain and wine abound.

11 June 2018 - barnabas party

Today's Readings (Audio)

When he arrived and saw the grace of God,
he rejoiced and encouraged them all
to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart,
for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith.

Barnabas lives up to the meaning of his name: son of encouragement (see Acts 4:36). Maybe we take for granted the ministry of encouragement. But Barnabas shows us that this is a vital part of Christian life. It is more than just a pat on the back. It is a consolidation of momentum to keep moving forward. It is no coincidence that in a community which is encouraged in areas where it is doing well that a large number of people are added to the LORD. The parts of the community which are thriving are highlighted until they are, as it were, visible from space. Observers can't help but notice.

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.

Barnabas and Paul are both able to bear insults and persecutions and every kind of evil because of Jesus. They really do rejoice when it happens because they know they are partaking in the promise of Jesus. They are Christians and their identity is in Christ. The things of this world cannot ensnare them. They long for his Kingdom and his reward. They know that even their sufferings are made to work for their good. This makes them invincible missionaries. They can bring the most possible good into any situation they encounter.

We can be powerful like Barnabas and Paul as well. Indeed, in many ways that we don't appreciate we already are! Let us encourage one another today. Let us walk with ever increasing strength.

All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.

10 June 2018 - severe mercy

Today's Readings (Audio)

But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will never have forgiveness,
but is guilty of an everlasting sin.

If we refuse to accept mercy God won't force us to receive it. When we make mistakes he stands ready to forgive us. But we can't be so set in our ways that we refuse to recognize that he is right and we are wrong. We can't say that he has an unclean spirit just to justify our status quo. We need to accept the things he tells us about right and wrong.

When we choose the wrong instead of the right God always gives us an opportunity to come back to him and acknowledge our mistakes in the light of his truth.

After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree,
the LORD God called to the man and asked him, "Where are you?"

Are we somewhat distant from God? Is he calling out to us because we are hiding parts of ourselves from him? We must not hide. His is the Holy Spirit, and there is nothing unclean therein. We don't need to shield ourselves from his gaze. He wants to show us mercy and to bring us back to the truth from which we have strayed.

This process takes time. We have to iterate over it again and again, going ever deeper, exposing more of ourselves to the one who loved us into being. When we regularly let God shine his light within us "our inner self is being denewed day by day." Jesus binds the enemie's power over us and plunders us from the enemie's grasp. There is no force that can keep us bound if we trust in Jesus.

Jesus is transforming us into his mother, his brother, and his sisters, into people who do God's will. He uses our afflictions, our failures, and even our sins to produce a greater good for those who love him.

For this momentary light affliction
is producing for us an eternal weight of glory
beyond all comparison,
as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen;
for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal.

We can trust in his mercy. Let us not run from him but rather into his arms of love.

I trust in the LORD;
my soul trusts in his word.
More than sentinels wait for the dawn,
let Israel wait for the LORD.

9 June 2018 - reflective action

Today's Readings (Audio)

and his mother kept all these things in her heart. 

It is to our benefit to reflect on everything that Jesus does in our lives. It is even helpful to consider the things which he permits without directly causing. Even if we don't understand them or if they cause us anxiety we should still follow this example of Mary. We learn to trust that Jesus is in his Father's house, about his Father's business. Even times when we perceive the absence of Jesus are worth bringing to prayer. Rather than ignoring them or pretending they don't happen we need to learn to see them from God's perspective. He permits them for our growth.

After three days they found him in the temple

Jesus shows us this by allowing Mary and Joseph to wonder where he is. His point is not to cause them pain. His point is to be in the temple about his Father's business. But it does cause them anxiety. He allows them to endure it so they can learn to recognize the greater purpose in his actions. This three days prepares Mary to keep hope alive during the cross and burial of her son.

The Immaculate Heart teaches us to turn experienced pain into prayer and love and trust. This is what we need to "be self-possessed in all circumstances". We can "put up with hardship" better when we know it is part of a bigger plan. We can preach in season and out of season when we see that there is a reason God allows there to be an off season at all.

For I am already being poured out like a libation,
and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have competed well;
I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.

To give our all as Paul gives it seems too much for us. But we do not start there. We start by imitating the heart of Mary. As we do, we are more and more able to persist even unto the crown of righteousness.

O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.

8 June 2018 - streams in the desert

Today's Readings (Audio)

that you, rooted and grounded in love,
may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones
what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,
so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

What do we need to do to be filled with the divine nature, with all the fullness of God. First, we need to realize how great a blessing this is. We are creatures. We have no right or reason to expect that the creator would fill us at all. Once we hear that he wants to fill us we tend to treat it as a reward for good behavior. We think of the beatitude of the Saints and the struggles they endured to receive it. But what do we read?

to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge
so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

It isn't ultimately about what we do. It isn't ultimately about what we know in the normal sense of knowledge. It is about an experiential knowledge of the love of Christ. It is this, and no effort on our part, that fills us with the fullness of God. There are of course things we do which help us to be ready for this experience. But they do not cause it. This is the experience the Church describes as contemplative prayer. "Contemplative prayer is the simplest expression of the mystery of prayer. It is a gift, a grace; it can be accepted only in humility and poverty" (CCC 2713).

In a way, we all express in miniature the life of ancient Israel. Prophetic voices help us to prepare for the Messiah. We commit ourselves to follow the ways of the LORD. But we wait for the savior to be given to man. All of our prayer is like a miniature Advent that awaits the coming of the LORD with joyful hope. It is like the wise maidens with their lamps alight, waiting for the bridegroom.

We see our own failures and are tempted to lose heart. But we need not become discouraged. God's heart is for us. He continues to wait for us even when we turn from him.

For I am God and not a man,
the Holy One present among you;
I will not let the flames consume you.

Jesus wants us to believe that the love of the Trinity for us is a river of life-giving water which sin cannot contain.

but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, 
and immediately blood and water flowed out.

He pours out his love for us precisely at the moment when all the sinfulness of man tries to silence him and hear nothing of it. That sin was not able to change his heart for us. The stream continues to flow. All we need to do is drink.

You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

7 June 2018 - handling the truth

Today's Readings (Audio)

You are right in saying,
He is One and there is no other than he.
And to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.

The scribe knows Jesus is right. Yet it makes him afraid to hear him say it.

And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God."
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

The scribe answers with understanding. But he really wishes Jesus had something else to offer in place of what he already knew about love of God and neighbor. No one asks any more questions after this. They are afraid because they know it is the truth. They know the truth calls for more from them than they are currently giving. They aren't even sure they could if they wanted to. Jesus would tell them, 'For man this is impossible, but not for God.' Unfortunately, though they are afraid to ask. The standard is indeed impossibly high. But grace makes the impossible possible.

What is being asked of us is ultimately a death to self. But there is no way that this death can be meaningful unless it is joined to new life. Only Jesus can offer this grace.

If we have died with him
we shall also live with him;
if we persevere
we shall also reign with him.

We can ask Jesus the questions even for which the answers seem difficult. Those answers, like suffering and imprisonment, ask more of us than is possible without grace. It is as if Paul were asked to spread a message while being chained in prison apart from grace. That couldn't happen. His own words would be chained. But not so in the order of grace. Not so with the word of God.

such is my Gospel, for which I am suffering,
even to the point of chains, like a criminal.
But the word of God is not chained.

The temptation is to hear the hard stuff and turn away. The temptation is to not dare to speak about the Kingdom once we hear what it entails. But grace shows us that we can keep asking and proclaiming. Indeed, we must.

Therefore, I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen,
so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus,
together with eternal glory.

Let's be all in for Jesus and his Kingdom. Let us ask him to teach us his ways and be truly open to the response he gives. If the answers sound difficult perhaps what we need is a new way of hearing.

All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancy
toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him,
and his covenant, for their instruction.