30 June 2024 - arise

Today's Readings

(Audio)

"My daughter is at the point of death.

Please, come lay your hands on her

that she may get well and live."

The healing touch of Jesus had the power to restore life. In doing so, he was affirming the intention of God at creation, since "God did not make death". Even now, in the fallen word, into which death entered by the envy of the devil, God "does not rejoice in the destruction of the living". Jesus could not be indifferent to the plea of Jairus or the desire of the afflicted woman. He had "fashioned all things that they might have being" and was grieved to see that being breaking down and collapsing toward destruction and nonbeing. The intention of God was that women and men who were all created in his image be imperishable. In his visible mission in our world Jesus showed that this desire could still be realized in all who had faith. Only those who remained unrepentant members of the company of the devil, those who refused to receive the healing touch of Jesus, need suffer death.

He went off with him,

and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon him.

Many touched Jesus in the crowd. No doubt some of these were curious about him and many may perhaps have considered him to be a prophet with healing power. But it is only recorded of one person that she touched him in such a way that healing power was unleashed and went forth from him. This was the afflicted woman who said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured". This was the self talk of a mind already beginning to be renewed by faith in Jesus. And it was this faith that differentiated her touch of Jesus from that of the rest of the crowd. Such faith never remains a one sided desire but always tends toward relationship with Jesus himself.

He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you.

Go in peace and be cured of your affliction."

This daughter was saved by her faith. But one wonders how Jairus took this apparent interruption of his desire that Jesus come quickly to save his own daughter before it was too late. His initial request was stated with urgency, saying, "My daughter is at the point of death". Then, because of the event with the woman, they seemed to have failed to arrive in time. People from his household arrived to assure him that his daughter was beyond hope. It is not said how he responded. But most likely, he was tenuously suspended between faith and doubt. Faith, because of the healing he had just witnessed. Doubt, because of the apparent lesser concern Jesus seemed to show for his intention, and because of the words of the worldly minded assuring him that there was now no hope. This was the reason that Jesus himself encouraged Jairus to choose hope over despair, saying, "Do not be afraid; just have faith".

He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside

except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.

Jesus set an example as one who was not desirous of praise or adulation, limiting those who would witness the miracle, and, as best he could, those who would hear about it after the fact. He did not need followers who sought him only for the superficially spectacular. He desired contact with genuine faith, like that of the woman and of Jairus. In order to create an atmosphere of faith suitable to the work he was about to perform he put out all of the professionals weeping and wailing and raising a commotion. He kept only a few who were capable of hearing that the child was only "asleep" without responding with ridicule. For most people it would have been ridiculous to conflate death and sleep. But for Jesus death was no more permanent than sleep. 

The crowd also is cast out before the damsel is raised; for if a crowd of worldly thoughts be not first cast out from the hidden parts of the heart, the soul, which lies dead within, cannot rise.

- Saint Bede the Venerable

We are at least among the crowds who press against Jesus. But are we among those who touch him with faith, whose need takes shape in belief that cries out to him for response? Are we limited by our own self talk, or do we rather speak in a way that affirms that all things are possible for God? Do we allow our thoughts to be cluttered with words pointing toward despair or do we listen to Jesus speaking words of hope and life? However much it may seem to be too late for Jesus to solve the problems of our lives, these problems are little more to Jesus than sleep from which it is easy for him to wake us up.

The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around.

At that they were utterly astounded

Ike Ndolo - Awake O Sleeper

29 June 2024 - beyond popular opinion

Today's Readings - Mass during the Day

(Audio)

“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

The people were convinced that Jesus was a prophet like other prophets. They thought that he was perhaps a prophet of the restoration of all things expected in the last days. It was thought that Elijah would come again at that time, which was confirmed by Jesus himself when he explained that John the Baptist in some way fulfilled that expectation (see Matthew 17:11). The crowds who gave the answer of John or Elijah must have recognized that Jesus saw himself as in continuity with the message of John. But what they failed to realize is that although Elijah did in some sense come in the person of John the Baptist, he came as a messenger, as a voice crying out, as one who pointed to Jesus who, as John himself insisted, was greater than he. There was some continuity with John who was the greatest outside born of a women outside of the Kingdom of heaven, but there was a still greater and more substantial difference. 

Those people who suggested Jeremiah also noticed something valid. There were many ways in which the life and suffering of Jeremiah had and would continue to parallel that of Jesus. Jeremiah had compared himself to a gentle lamb led to the slaughter by his enemies (see Jeremiah 11:19), but Jesus was himself the true sacrificial lamb offered for the sins of the world.

The opinion of the populace, then, captured some truths about the identity of Jesus. There was cleverness and indeed genuine wisdom in what they were able to reason about who he was. But everything they said was based on comparison with the past. Thus they could not ascertain that in Jesus which was entirely new. The truth of who Jesus was transcended human reason and was something that could only be learned by divine revelation.

Simon Peter said in reply,

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.

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

The Father did not force feed this revelation into the soul of Peter. Rather, Peter's time together with Jesus had opened his heart so that he could receive it. Jesus had revealed himself in various ways: the great catch of fish, walking on water, and by the various cures and exorcisms he performed, and by speaking with authority as no one had ever spoken before. These mysteries cried out for an explanation, one that could not be inferred from the bare facts themselves. But the Father himself provided the answer, and the Spirit provided the words that enabled Peter to confess the one who was himself the Word of the Father.

When we evangelize others, do we tend to rely more on flesh and blood, or more on God's desire to reveal himself? When we ourselves have doubts, do we mainly try to counter them with facts that we have learned, or do we turn to God to receive a deeper revelation from him? It isn't meant to be either/or. Flesh and blood, facts, apologetic wisdom, and philosophy, are all important foundations. But they leave the ultimate question still up in the air. They shape the question and bring us to the door where we may ask. But the answer can only come from heaven. Faith does not contradict reason, but it does transcend it. The answer to this ultimate question is never going to be a source of pride for us, for it always comes as a gift that no one, neither Peter, nor Paul, nor us, can ever earn.

And so I say to you, you are Peter,

and upon this rock I will build my Church,

and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.

The founding of the Church on Peter and his confession of faith was the way Jesus ensured that the truth contained in that confession would never be lost and would be available to all subsequent generations even down to our own. He did not substitute the need for faith with a Church. Rather, he gave a Church where the continuation of the faith throughout time would be guaranteed. The netherworld would never be able to entirely prevent a remnant from confessing and holding fast to the truth first confessed by Peter. More to it, the netherworld would not be able to stop those believers from breaking down the gates of the netherworld with the good news of Jesus Christ, setting captives free, since Jesus himself had said, "you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (see John 8:32).

The way in which Jesus desired and did in fact use Peter in his plans for his Kingdom ought to give us all great confidence. For as great as were the triumphs of Peter his mistakes were also among the greatest recorded in the New Testament. Throughout his life it often seemed that Peter had finally arrived and would never fail again. But then he did fail again. But no matter how many times he fell, Jesus forgave him and raised him up again. When he did so, he did not demote him, but raised him to heights still greater than those from which he fell. Therefore our own imperfections are not dealbreakers. They don't mean that Jesus can't use us to build the Kingdom. They are among the "all things" that work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose (see Romans 8:28).

The angel of the LORD encamps

around those who fear him, and delivers them.

Taste and see how good the LORD is;

blessed the man who takes refuge in him.

Tasha Cobbs Leonard - Break Every Chain

28 June 2024 - home stretch

Today's Readings

(Audio)

And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said,

“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”

He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,

“I will do it.  Be made clean.”

It took all the boldness the leper possessed to approach Jesus and ask if he would heal him. He had to ignore social stigma, religious purity requirements, and even, no doubt, some degree of self-loathing to even approach Jesus. In any other case and with any other healer this would probably have been foolish. But because the leper intuited correctly some sense of who Jesus was what the leper did was in this case an act of courage. The leper realized that Jesus was unique and his ability to heal was unique. Others would pray to God and God would perhaps respond. With the famous prophets his response was as regular as clockwork. But Jesus was something else again. The healing power originated directly from what he himself willed because he was himself the same God to whom prophets prayed.

He said not, If Thou wilt ask of God, or, If Thou wilt make adoration to God; but, If thou wilt. Nor did he say, Lord, cleanse me; but left all to Him, thereby making Him Lord, and attributing to Him the power over all.

- Saint John Chrysostom

Jesus not only willed to heal him, but chose to do so by touching him. He did this in spite of the fact that we know that he was able to heal at a distance, and could thus have avoided any potential scandal. But he wanted to make a point about his relation to laws about purity, showing that in his case that which he touched was made clean rather than the contrary. We can imagine that this touch was an important part of some deeper and invisible healing in the heart of the leper who had for so long been without human touch. It was probably for him as though even then in that moment his full sense of his own humanity was restored.

He was able, to cleanse by a word, or even by mere will, but He put out His hand, He stretched forth his hand and touched him, to shew that He was not subject to the Law, and that to the pure nothing is impure. Elisha truly kept the Law in all strictness, and did not go out and touch Naaman, but sends him to wash in Jordan. But the Lord shews that He does not heal as a servant, but as Lord heals and touches; His hand was not made unclean by the leprosy, but the leprous body was made pure by the holy hand. For He came not only to heal bodies, but to lead the soul to the true wisdom. As then He did not forbid to eat with unwashen hands, so here He teaches us that it is the leprosy of the soul we ought only to dread, which is sin, but that the leprosy of the body is no impediment to virtue.

- Saint John Chrysostom

Jesus did not come to overthrow the law but to fulfill it. Thus he sent the cleansed leper to the priests to offer the designated gift. The cure would be validated and the leper would be restored to the life of the worshipping community. And perhaps for some of the priests the healing really would be proof for them, not just that a leper no longer had leprosy, but that Jesus was in fact who he claimed to be.

We are sometimes like lepers ourselves because sin makes us ugly and separates us from the life of the community. At such times we still remember that Jesus is able to heal us but lose our confidence of his love that assures us that he desires to do so. But our sin is by no means a risk to Jesus. He has established the sacrament of Confession so that through the instrumentality of priests he can reach out and touch all who seek to be cleansed. Then, through penance and amendment of our lives, we become proof for others of the healing power of Jesus.

Perhaps we should also ask if there are any around us whom we might be able to help but whom we are afraid to reach out and touch. We are meant to follow in the footsteps of the master and not let our personal preferences or affinities deter us from bringing to bear the healing power of Our Lord when he would have us do so. There may be situations which he calls us to enter directly, and not just from a distance. We must listen closely to his direction for he may call us to rely on his own protection to touch those whom we would otherwise fear to touch.

When we heed the guidance of Jesus we will see that still takes away our infirmities and bears our diseases even now, especially those deepest diseases of the soul. Only by doing so will we be made fit to dwell in the eternal heavenly Jerusalem, the true Zion. Only then will we sing the songs of Zion in fullness of joy forever.

Matisyahu - Jerusalem

27 June 2024 - built to last?

Today's Readings

(Audio)

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’

will enter the Kingdom of heaven,

but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

It isn't enough to merely say we believe. We must be transformed by our belief. Paul wrote to the Romans that, "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (see Romans 10:9). But belief from the heart is different from empty words. One who has not truly reckoned with Jesus' offer of redeeming grace could still say 'Lord, Lord,' not because he really wanted, desired, or welcomed that grace, but because he knew it was expected of him. Frighteningly, this could describe many in the pews of our Churches, perhaps even ourselves. To the degree that we cling to our old worldly ways of thinking and acting when Christ calls us to be transformed it does describe us. 

Many will say to me on that day,

‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?

Did we not drive out demons in your name?

Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’

We are called to more than a bulleted list of impressive feats of discipleship. These miraculous works of divine grace are no proof that we are worthy or that our lives are on a track headed toward heaven. Someone could, as Paul explained, do great and impressive things and still be lacking in the most important thing: love.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing (see First Corinthians 13:1-3).

The will of the Father, with which Jesus calls us to align our minds and hearts, is not primarily about words or mighty deeds. Jesus, in his earthly ministry emphasized that the first and greatest commandment was about love, love of God as inseparable from love of neighbor. The fact that it is all about love means we are called, not to a performance, but to a transformation. We are meant to be transplanted from lives rooted in the self-directed ego and built instead on the foundation of Jesus himself. Only built on him, transformed by his words, will we be able to withstand the storms that are an inevitable part of life. All else is as unstable and ultimately as doomed as houses built on sand. No matter how good the beach access seems from such a house, that will be little comfort when it collapses and we no longer have a place to return.

“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 rain fell, the floods came,

and the winds blew and buffeted the house.

But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.

How solidly are our own lives set upon this rock? Do we find ourselves constantly needing to reinforce and rebuild because of a flawed foundation resulting in a tendency toward collapse? Or do we experience instead the peace of knowing that no storm can destroy that which is built on the rock of Christ? Ancient Israel had the tendency to build their house on idols, to do evil in the sight of the Lord, as their forebearers had done. This made their Kingdom unstable and vulnerable to the hostility of Babylon. This is a spiritual lesson for us, another reminder of the singular importance of building on the one foundation that can truly last.

For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (see First Corinthians 3:11).

Nathan Drake - The Solid Rock (My Hope Is Built)

Samuel S. Wesley and Samuel J. Stone - The Church's One Foundation

26 June 2024 - by their fruit

Today's Readings

(Audio)

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing,

but underneath are ravenous wolves.

It is easy to recognize danger from outsiders. But what about when someone appears to be part of the flock? Someone might well appear to be a sheep, go through the motions as a sheep would do, and yet be a genuine danger beneath a pristine outer veneer. Perhaps all of us, to one degree or another, present a calculated appearance in the Church so as to not embarrass ourselves or cause scandal to others. But generally we aren't masking genuinely hostile intentions. Generally. Sometimes even we get so caught up in arguments, tribalism, and partisanship, that we do act in ways that are like attempts to devour one another. Paul warned the Galatians about this risk.

But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another (see Galatians 5:15).

Even we may spew our own opinions as though they were validated divine prophecy. That there are others in the sheepfold who have more fully invested in an identity with which we ourselves have occasionally dabbled should not be surprising. The less scrupulous one is the more they might be tempted to seek personal gain from the sheep who surround them. 

Jesus did not desire his followers to be naive or to open themselves unnecessary to potential harm. The danger about which he warned in today's Gospel was particularly that of false prophets. And the particular danger false prophets represent is a danger to our grasp of the truth. If we hear, accept, and put into practice false prophecy, we risk our connection to Jesus who is himself the truth. And so we must not be too ready to believe any claim, no matter how sheep-like the one making the claim appears. We must use the discernment strategy Jesus taught.

By their fruits you will know them.

Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

Just so, every good tree bears good fruit,

and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.

Thorns and thistles would seem to be obvious warning signs. But remember that the wolves come in disguise, masking their fangs. False prophets may have some apparent fruit, and it may appear from a distance to be decent, but one bite may well reveal it to be rotten. Familiarity with fruit at a distance is less valuable for discernment than a closer analysis. Does an apparent fruit just sound theoretically appealing or is it genuinely contributing to the growth of the Church, drawing people closer to Jesus himself? Does it accord with what we know of the truth from the teaching authority entrusted to the Church? Or does it seem to come from left field as an unprecedented innovation?

For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. (see Matthew 12:34-35).

To avoid the danger of wolves in the sheepfold we should be attentive and on our guard, but we need not be anxious. We should instead follow the instructions Jesus gave, and value true sheep and good fruit all the more when we find them. Ultimately we can rest easily because we have promise after promise that Jesus himself will shepherd and protect his sheep.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand (see John 10:27-28).

The King Of Love My Shepherd Is

25 June 2024 - the narrow way

Today's Readings

(Audio)

“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.

Jesus was not saying that some are unworthy to receive the Gospel. We know that even some who may appear for the moment to be dogs may hope to receive scraps from the table of the master. Rather, he called his followers to avoid exposing the Gospel to ridicule. We ought not enable the secular world to easily caricature that which we believe.  In some measure this requires good judgment about whether or not those with whom we converse about the Good News are sincere. If there was a comedy news program with a long history of ridiculing religious positions this might not be the best place to get our message across. Of course there is always nuance. But the nuance is usually about whether there is someone out there likely to hear and benefit. Without such a disposition hearing about the Gospel could actually bring about a hardening of heart and insulation against learning more or going deeper.

But perhaps even more so than the disposition of others we ought to be cautious about how we ourselves present the Gospel. Throwing it to dogs or pigs is more a warning about Christians treating the Gospel cheaply than it is about classifying potential recipients. This means that when we do present the Gospel we are called, not necessarily to be experts, but to be careful, attentive to the Spirit's guidance. Others will perceive whether or not the Gospel seems to mean something to us and, if so, will resonate with genuine interest and respond. If, however, they perceive only a duty, or a lack of genuine devotion or interest, if they sense that we ourselves are bored with the Gospel, well, we cannot expect them to be any more interested than ourselves. 

We should avoid an overly simplistic fundamentalist presentation of the Gospel that doesn't sufficiently care about the questions and objections others may have. For example, in our world we can't just treat the bible as, from beginning to end, a scientific chronology of world history (since whether or not a part of the Bible is history depends on the genre of that part) without subjecting ourselves to the ridicule of the scientific community. The message of Christianity is worthy of respect even by modern scientists. But if we are careless about what we say they may dismiss it out of hand. Which is, again, not to say we need to be experts. Rather, we should be cautious enough that we do not overstate things we don't understand, deferring to orthodox experts when we run up against apparent conflicts.

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.

How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life.

And those who find it are few.

There are many ways to get lost and go astray, and one path only that leads to the destination we desire. There are infinite potential idols to which we can dedicate ourselves, wealth, pride, and pleasure being just a few.  But none can ultimately satisfy us. We should not be surprised that the one way that leads to life is a path that has been made by the one who is himself the source and origin of life, who alone has life in fullness, and who desires to share that life with us. He is himself path, gate, and the reward of life in fullness that awaits us.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (see John 14:6).

I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly (see John 10:9-10).

There is only one name given under heaven by which we may be saved, the name of Jesus Christ our Lord (see Acts 4:12). This means that, while there is much creative freedom granted to us in how we live, we can't insist that religion correspond to our subjective whims. Jesus means here that we must adapt to the path he has offered rather than insist that he sanctify the paths we have already chosen in advance.

Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.

This is the Law and the Prophets.

What Jesus wants to see from us along the path to life is not complicated. But to actually do it requires the grace that is only available in abundance on the path he has given to us, his Sacramental presence in the Church, where, even daily, we begin to receive already the life we hope to have one day in fullness.

Leeland - Way Maker

24 June 2024 - words of faith

Today's Readings

(Audio)

Her neighbors and relatives heard

that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,

and they rejoiced with her.

Elizabeth, like Sarah and Hannah before her, was given a child although she was considered to be barren. The Lord had plans for all of these children and wanted his involvement to be clear. He was the God of things considered to be humanly impossible, as Gabriel explained to Mary. The child of Elizabeth was a supernatural gift, the fulfillment of a promise. It was in fact a continuation of the fulfillment of the promise first made to Abraham. The whole story of this promise, the story of salvation history, was replete with names being changed to reflect that identity was more truly rooted in God's story than history understood apart from him. But in the case of the son of Elizabeth and Zechariah they preempted the need for God to change the name later by giving him the name given by the angel immediately after his birth, on the eighth day.

“No. He will be called John.”

But they answered her,

“There is no one among your relatives who has this name.”

This obedience to the message of the angel teaches us to ask whether we ourselves are typically willing to call things what God would have us call them, even if that is unprecedented, or whether we insist on sticking to what we know and to the familiar.

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.

When we speak in accord with the word of God we will find our mouths opened, our tongues freedom, and our hearts moved to praise him. But speaking in this way is only possible from a posture of faith. Doubt casts us back on our own understanding, first making us bland and repetitive, and then, eventually, silent, with nothing new to say. But, like Zechariah, we can move from doubt to faith. Even the punishment for doubt is pedagogical, helping to empty us so that we can be filled by God.

All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,

“What, then, will this child be?”

For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.

We, of course, are not John the Baptist. And yet those who hear about Christians should be moved to take what they hear to heart. They too should have the sense that the hand of the Lord is with us. But this will only be true if we learn to speak from a posture of faith. A little time of silence in the desert, free from distractions, allowing the Spirit to fill us and make us strong can help to bring this about.

Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, "I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak" (see Second Corinthians 4:13).

It was to us that this word of salvation, the proclamation of which John the Baptist inaugurated, has been sent. But it was not sent to us to remain sealed within us. That John was unworthy to unfashion the sandals of the Messiah did not prevent him from being utilized by God in a major way. And that we are not won't prevent him either. All it will take for God to use us is for us to offer him our response of faith. It may not yield immediate and obvious success. We may appear to toil in vain and uselessly spend our strength. But let us continue to trust. We will yet find our reward and our recompense in God. 

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!

Lincoln Brewster - God Of The Impossible

23 June 2024 - do you not care?

Today's Readings

(Audio)

A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat,

so that it was already filling up.

Storms, unfortunately, are a part of life. We are meant to pray, not for no trials or tribulation, but that we would face none so great that it would be impossible to bear. This, Paul assures us, will always be the case.

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it (see First Corinthians 10:13).

This assurance that we have about the temptations and trials we will be allowed to endure in this life does not guarantee we won't reach the point where our boat is already filling up and seems on the verge of sinking. The fact of the matter is the one thing that guarantees the safety of our boat is that Jesus is together with us. We are meant to notice that he is unperturbed by the storm, bearing a peace within him that is obviously supernatural. Yet when we do see Jesus like this we often fault him for not being more upset himself, mistaking his peaceful repose for indifference. Thus we arrive at one of the great and difficult questions of the Christian life.

Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?

Trials and temptations that don't perturb the teacher seem to imply a callous indifference on his part. Or rather, they seem that way to us, who insist on being brought to terror by the storms we face, who insist that lack of terror in any witness or participant implies a lack of sympathy or understanding. What are we to do then? Do we let the teacher sleep? This is not recommended as by now we have already demonstrated that our own sea faring skill is not enough to keep our boat afloat. The disciples weren't rebuked for waking Jesus, but for a lack of trust. But that lack of trust came about because there were any trials at all rather than smooth sailing across the sea of Galilee. 

He woke up,

rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet!  Be still!”

The wind ceased and there was great calm.

The fact that the wind and the seas obey Jesus, but that there are still sometimes storms, leads us to the uncomfortable realization that Jesus must permit the storms we encounter in life. There must be some genuine good and real growth that can come from learning to face them together with Jesus. Perhaps, like the disciples, we might grow in faith. Like Job, we may realize more fully the majestic and awesome identity of God.

they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was.

The key to successful travel across the seas of life is to take, not Jesus as we would like or imagine him to be, but just as he is, in our boat with us. This ought to mean we accept the things that come with accepting Jesus. It ought to mean we learn to notice storms and turn to him immediately rather than first struggling on our own and only after that turning to Jesus. We need not become distressed when he waits for us wake him up. Surely this is a part of the lesson he wants to teach.

They cried to the LORD in their distress;

from their straits he rescued them,

He hushed the storm to a gentle breeze,

and the billows of the sea were stilled.

Casting Crowns - Praise You In This Storm

22 June 2024 - first thing first

St. Thomas More says farewell to his daughter

Today's Readings

(Audio)

Jesus said to his disciples:

"No one can serve two masters.

He will either hate one and love the other,

or be devoted to one and despise the other.

You cannot serve God and mammon.

It seems that the opposite of serving God is not actually, as many imagine, freedom to run wild according to one's desires. It is not the case that one who will not serve God reigns sovereignly over his own life and uses his wealth to meet all of his desires. Instead it is he who ultimately ends up serving money, rather than money him. Because, as Bob Dylan said, "You gotta serve somebody", whether the devil or the Lord. 

We can see the way in which the things we possess begin to possess us from the worry that they demand of us, the percentage of our mental real estate that they occupy. Our worries tend to begin with ensuring basic necessities, food, drink, clothing, and shelter. But when we chase these things without a deeper underlying trust in the providence of God it quickly becomes apparent that enough is never enough. Our mortal lives are like boats constantly springing new leaks. As soon as we patch one there is another that needs attention. Unless we learn to trust that the Father knows what we need we will never escape an all-consuming anxiety to take care of it all ourselves. Basically, without trust in God we are forced into the role of God ourselves. But our power to play this role is so weak that we turn the very things we desire into idols. We know we can't play the role of God so we sell out to anything that looks remotely solidly to fill the gaps and give peace, however temporary, to our hearts.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life

It may at first seem hugely impractical to not worry about our lives, to let tomorrow take care of itself. But this is in fact our privilege as sons and daughters of our Father in heaven. We should say, however, that it isn't as though we are not to provide for ourselves, to plan, or to act prudently. The point is rather to do all of this in a spirit of trust and not cross the threshold into anxiety and fear. Because in actuality, anxiety and fear don't assist us in making optimal decisions. Desperate decisions are seldom good, let alone optimal. When we constantly act as though we are fighting for our lives the mistakes we make tend to grow in number and severity.

We might think that to not worry in the way Jesus commanded is actually control of our emotions that is impossible. But Jesus does not ask the impossible of his followers. He is not asking us to control emotions that can't be controlled, but to manage our perspective. But even this won't succeed unless we are sufficiently steeped in Scriptures. If we can keep the truth of how much we are loved constantly in mind the enemy will find no room to insert his claws. 

Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness,

and all these things will be given you besides.

The point is not that we need only spiritual things and must ignore our material needs. The point is rather that there is a hierarchy of goods. When the Kingdom is first in that hierarchy everything will go for us as it is meant to go. When we have other competing priorities, chasing those priorities apart from the Kingdom tends to court disaster.

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

Sufficient for a day is its own evil.

We are not ultimately in charge of the world or providence. We can't control every possible contingency as worry about tomorrow would insist we must do. We are free, and let us here take a deep breath, to leave the governance of the world in God's hands. And we need not fear to do so because he himself makes all things work together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose (see Romans 8:28).

Newsboys - Million Pieces (Kissin' Your Cares Goodbye)

Bob Dylan - Gotta Serve Somebody

21 June 2024 - can I get a light?

Today's Readings

(Audio)

Jesus had been speaking about reward. There were those who insisted on rewarding themselves, such as those who received pride in exchange for ostentatious public display of virtue. But there were also those who were content to allow their Father who saw their deeds in secret to repay them. The reward of the prideful was cheap, short-lived, and ultimately unsatisfactory. But the reward given by the Father was something lasting and ultimately the only thing that truly satisfied.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,

where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.

Jesus went on to teach that treasure on earth was also not the reward that one ought to seek. All of these attempts to reward oneself and to heap up treasure on earth ultimately derived from a lack of trust in God to reward and provide. People would fill silo after silo with supplies to provide against the eventualities of an apparently hostile and dangerous world. They would attempt to build up their ego by any means they could in order to attempt to fill the emptiness they felt. But these desperate motives did not actually suffice to fulfill their desires. They were building on shifting sands and constructing edifices that could not last. If one's ego depending on appearing perfect on public then any small insult would be received as an egregious injury. Though the egotistic approach would have some high points it could not also be without corresponding low points and would therefore never yield true contentment. If the only safeguard one had against the possible difficulties the future might bring was one's wealth that too was only a short term solution. Disaster might strike at any time and the coming of death was both unpredictable and inevitable.

But store up treasures in heaven,

where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.

There was only one way to find treasure that one need not fear to lose, and which could actually provide the joy it promised. Such treasure was found in heaven and could come from God alone. The secret to receiving it was not to desire some kind of abstract wealth but to have one's heart set on God himself. God alone would abide forever, and desired to be, himself, the reward of those who sought him.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away (see Matthew 24:35).

The prayer of Saint Teresa of Avila captures this perfectly:

Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.

Jesus told his followers to set their hearts on treasure in heaven. But how, practically speaking, does one do this? He said to be solicitous  about our eye, that is, to be conscientious about the things on which we focus our attention. If we allow ourselves to have an evil eye given over to envy, constantly fixated on what greed makes us desire, we will never know the peace that heavenly treasure can bring. If we take custody of our eye and keep it from fixating on things that cannot satisfy us, that is the first step. From there we can look to places where we can genuinely contribute to the world and make a real difference. Then our eye is not only not darkness but begins to be a lamp enlightening others. Our eye can also lead to contemplation of the divine, such as in reading of scripture, or especially in adoring Jesus truly present in the Blessed Sacrament. Then, even on earth, we can begin to experience the rewards of heaven, as our "whole body will be filled with light".

Let's tear down the idols in our hearts and demolish the temple of Baal in our lives. Let us shatter altars and images that can never bring us joy so that we can find our delight in Zion where the Lord himself has chosen to dwell.

Switchfoot - Meant To Live

20 June 2024 - how Christians pray

Today's Readings

(Audio)

In praying, do not babble like the pagans,

who think that they will be heard because of their many words.

The pagans treated prayer like a magical formula by which gods could be manipulated. Simply heaping up a sufficient amount of words was thought to oblige the gods to answer one's request. But this practice stemmed from a relationship to the gods that was suspicious, one that assumed that they didn't know or care what anyone else needed, and had to basically be forced into providing help. In our call to "not be like them" we must be cautious. It is not the case the if one rosary is good then thousands will have a surefire result. Just how do we think of the God to whom we pray when we decide in what way to approach him? Do we think him cold, aloof, or indifferent? Do we believe that he loves us or think that we have to earn his care by choosing the right frequency of the right words? Jesus tells us that the reason we need not babble like the pagans is because our Father is not like their gods.

Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

He knows what we need because he cares about us, watches over us, and has good plans for us (see Jeremiah 29:11). He desires us to ask anyway not because he needs to be either informed or motivated but because it will result in something good in our minds and hearts to do so. At the very least it can prevent us from taking the blessings he desires to give for granted. But even more, it can help to shape our hearts and desires to be more in line with his own. He even wants to give us some of his own divine agency, sharing his providential governance of the world with those who will pray according to his purposes. The reason he makes us ask has nothing to do with any motivation to hold anything back. It is precisely to involve us more completely so that he is able to give us more that he calls us to pray for what we need.

Our Father who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name,

The Lord God has an identity that can be expressed in many ways. We might think he would expect us to approach him first as king or with some other exulted title. But instead, the starting point of our relationship with him is meant to be the understanding that he is our Father. That said, we do hallow this name and rightly set it apart and above any earthly competition. In speech the name of God is designated only for sacred use, for the pursuit of intimate relationship with him. Having the God's name and identity properly situated in our hierarchy of goods is the way to ensure that we have correct priorities and pursue life the way he designed it to be lived. If we treat God's name casually and don't learn to value his identity, if we treat him as one good among many competing goods in the world, it is too easy to slip into treating other goods as competing gods, worshipping them as idols.

thy Kingdom come

His Kingdom, as is clear from the parables of Jesus, does not function according to the logic of earthly kingdoms. The Kingdom values mercy, love, and justice, whereas earthly kingdoms tend to be caught up in pride and violent exercises of strength. Jesus taught that his Kingdom was not of this world and that was why legions of angels were not dispatched to save him from the cross. But though it was not of this world it is meant to more and more be realized in this world. During the age of the Church this is meant to come about as Christians pray the petition "thy Kingdom come" and then surrender themselves to the resultant grace, going on to cooperate with it. The Kingdom may not be of this world but neither is it entirely ethereal, abstract, or subjective. Because of it originates in the heart of the Father it has the power to fill the world and transform it. During the final age the Kingdom will come in fullness. The best thing we can do now is to allow ourselves to be utilized to prepare for that day.

thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

The life of Jesus was defined by obedience to the will of his heavenly Father. This was revealed from the time he was found teaching in the temple, when he was tempted in the desert, and especially when he embraced the cross for the salvation of the world. We are meant to learn to care about and desire the will of the Father in the same way Jesus did. Watching how he embraced it, even when it was difficult, can help us allow trust in the Father's plan to triumph over worldly minded suspicion. Because earth is earth and not heaven the will of the Father is not always going to be a natural fit, without any friction. But we see in Jesus that the will of the Father is always worth it. It always leads to a good that is better than anything that can be had in any other way. 

looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (see Hebrews 12:2).

In order to be agents of the Kingdom pursuing the will of the Father we need much more than our own strength. Fortunately God himself provides the daily bread we will need to empower us for the task at hand, just as the bread he provided Elijah gave him strength.

And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God (see First Kings 19:7-8)

There is little that hinders the coming of the Kingdom into our world so much as when we harbor grudges and cling to unforgiveness. And so Jesus makes it clear that we are in no position to expect mercy ourselves if we refuse to bestow it on others. He isn't saying this to be stingy. It is rather we who won't even be truly serious or intend what we say when we ask for mercy if there is not truly room for mercy in our hearts.

and lead us not into temptation

but deliver us from evil.

We acknowledge our need, not to avoid all tests, but to avoid being tested beyond our strength. This prevents us from pridefully assuming that when we manage not to sin it is primarily because of us. It is rather because God has calibrated our lives for what he knows we can endure to bring us growth. That we do not fall down in service of the evil one results primarily from his protection and care and only in a distant secondary sense from our cooperation with that care. And of this dependence on him we need to be reminded daily.

There really is no limit to the power of prayer. It makes saints like the Old Testament heroes like Elijah and Elisha. And it can make of us saints as well. But for it to do so we must stop treating the Our Father as rout and repetitive like pagans and approach it slowly and sincerely as children of a Father who loves us.

Matt Maher - As It Is In Heaven

19 June 2024 - not a performance

Today's Readings

(Audio)

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus seemed to warn against the possibility of being one way on the outside and another within one's heart. He didn't want his disciples to merely avoid violence while cherishing it in their hearts or to avoid the act of adultery while indulging in a lustful gaze. He desired his disciples to be whole and well integrated and not given to hypocrisy. He wanted hearts so full of light that there would be fear in exposing them to others. The opposite of this ideal of Jesus was what was the case with some of the Pharisees. Their commitment to the law and to goodness in general were only designed to enhance their status. Their concern with the commandments was more motivated by their desire to be subject matter experts than by any love for the law of God.

Take care not to perform righteous deeds

in order that people may see them;

It first it might seem that Jesus was moving in a different and contradictory direction here, suggesting that his disciples be one way in private and another way in public. But the problem he was trying to prevent was actually the same problem. He didn't want his disciples motivated by the external appearance of righteousness without concern for the transformation needed in the heart. He did not desire for people to give alms, fast, or pray, merely to appear righteous in the eyes of others. He knew that it was human difficulty to find such actions not sufficiently rewarding to perform without additional incentives like spiritual pride. It was this prideful hypocrisy that he didn't want his disciples to risk. 

When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites,

who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners

so that others may see them.

Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.

It was not the case that Jesus was content for his followers to hide their faith in him. Indeed, he said that "everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven" (see Matthew 10:32). He even acknowledged that the good deeds of his disciples would not only be visible before men, but sufficiently visible to give glory to the heavenly Father (see Matthew 5:16). What Jesus was warning about was a matter of motive, rather than a concrete statement that something like almsgiving must never under any circumstances come to light. The point, again, was not doing it for the sake of the exposure for oneself.

But when you give alms,

do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,

so that your almsgiving may be secret.

We tend to look for consolation prizes when we perform spiritual works, to avoid the occasional sense of dryness or lack of feeling that sometimes attends them. But this dryness need not detur us if we pay less attention to looking for immediate rewards in the actions themselves. Rather than trying to reward ourselves we ought to have the consolation of faith, knowing that we can trust in the Father to repay us. The simple approach is to begin to think about ourselves less so that there is more room for God and for our neighbor in our hearts. In thinking of ourselves we have a hard time avoiding creating a mask and entertaining a false self-image. But when we surrender this responsibility to the God his light is free to shine forth.

Sonicflood - In The Secret

18 June 2024 - love your enemies

Today's Readings

(Audio)

You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.

We tend to find it easy to love those who are supportive of us but more difficult to muster compassion for our oppressors. Even though many of us are not being actively oppressed ourselves we readily join the hostility of others against their oppressors. Indeed we seem to seek define ourselves in terms of our enemies, and feel left out if we can't identify in this way. It seems that only the oppressed are actually allowed to feel entitled to anything. Therefore if we have anything and are not among any of those groups it can't rightfully be ours and must be surrendered. We desire the sense of identity and entitlement that comes from having an enemy. But this is not how we are meant to define ourselves. Think about how easy it would have been for first century Jews to define themselves in terms of their opposition to the Roman occupation. They were rightfully desirous of freedom, of Israel fulfilling its destiny to be a light to the nations. But this destiny could not be fulfilled in fact if they harbored a hatred for those nations in their hearts. 

But I say to you, love your enemies

and pray for those who persecute you

Christians are called to love our enemies. What we are not called to love are the ways in which we or any group find ourselves to be oppressed. But we are at least called to recognize that hatred won't end oppression. It can't. It can only result in a vicious cycle, a downward cycle leading to ever greater hostility. We are not called to stop heretics by burning them or by launching some new inquisition, but rather by loving them enough to pray for them. We are called to offer the sun of truth and the rain of spiritual life to all regardless of their qualifications or their criminal record. 

For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?

Do not the tax collectors do the same?

And if you greet your brothers only,

what is unusual about that?

Do not the pagans do the same?

Christians might have a hard time paying attention to this Gospel, thinking that we are not the ones guilty of hating our enemies. We accuse others of defining themselves in terms of their oppression but imagine ourselves to be different. And yet, though we claim to have this abstract love for all men, it doesn't seem to make any practical impact. The greatest signal that this is the case is the fact that we, as much as anyone, seem to be defined by our in group, by our tribe. There is of course our societal mask that makes us appear to be courteous and kind. Or at least hopefully we act this way and haven't yet succumbed to the worldly tendency toward verbal vitriol. But it is clear that our behavior with our tribe is one thing and our attitude toward the proponents of opposing political candidates is another. What would it look like if our love was truly indifferent? What if we were less worried about how our group might be harmed or what we hope to get for ourselves or our tribe and more invested in what we can do to bring others, regardless of their current proximity, nearer to the heavenly Father?

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.

One thing that all of scripture assures us is that it is never too late to repent. If we have given ourselves to a tribal mentality, or if we, in our quest for justice have also accepted hatred as an acceptable means, it is not too late to change out trajectory and humble ourselves before the Lord.

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;

in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.

Thoroughly wash me from my guilt

and of my sin cleanse me.

Songs In His Presence - Psalm 123: Our Eyes Are Fixed

17 June 2024 - is violence the only way?

Today's Readings

(Audio)

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.

Jesus forbade the use of the law meant to set the outer limits of legal justice to justify private schemes of vengeance. Society would continue to need to implement controls in order to protect its members. But individuals were not to use this sense of the necessity of justice for evil doers as an excuse to cherish vengeance in violence in their own hearts.

When someone strikes you on your right cheek,

turn the other one to him as well.

On the one hand, this prescription of the new law helped prevent a disciple from retaliating and escalating conflict, with trying to solve violence with more violence. It might appear that it would make such a one out to be a doormat to be trampled underfoot by the proud and the strong. But it actually demonstrated a greater agency and control in a difficult situation than that revealed in displays of violence. The one who stands his ground and continues to look upon the other with love has more potential to win the heart of that person than does one who merely takes the invitation to fight back.  

Jesus himself perfectly demonstrated how offering no resistance and turning the other cheek actually defanged evil and revealed the love of God for humanity. 

When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly (see First Peter 2:23).

They took from him both cloak and tunic and forced him to the service of carrying his own cross. Yet although Jesus did all of this willingly it was clear that he never surrendered his dignity or the notion that he was after all innocent and righteous. In fact, as they heaped ever greater abuse upon him it became all the more clear that it was he who was handing himself over for their sakes, not that they had won and were claiming victory.

The nonviolence commanded by Jesus seemed at first to be utterly impractical, as though it would lead to the weak dominating the strong. It would seem to such a worldly mind that the only way to check violence was with more violence. But history has revealed that it is generally only those few saints who have been able to put this teaching of Jesus into practice who have been able to truly change the hearts of others. We should add that this is no cause for people subject to abuse to return to their accusers. There is a fine line between displaying our agency in a nonviolent manner and surrendering that agency entirely. This must be discerned on a situation by situation basis.

We tend to think about what is the maximum that we can demand for ourselves, or what is the upper limit of justice that we may claim against others. But Jesus does not want us to begin by thinking about ourselves or self-protection. Of course we don't want to confirm others in their sin by making it easy and consequence free. We genuinely want to reveal to them a posture of love, not of hatred or violence. Most generally, this can be accomplished by not insisting on our own rights and as much as possible going the extra mile to show them compassion. It is not an easy task. There aren't exactly a lot of role models in our society pointing the way. How many years has it been since the Amish responded to a shooting with forgiveness and not violence? How long since John Paul II forgave his would be assailant? Still, there have been shining examples such as these up and down the corridors of history to whom we can look for guidance and inspiration. And above all we can look to Jesus himself who only taught what he himself would go on to put into fullness of practice.

Jim Cowan - At The Name Of Jesus

16 June 2024 - starting small

Today's Readings

(Audio)

This is how it is with the kingdom of God;

it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land

and would sleep and rise night and day

and through it all the seed would sprout and grow,

he knows not how.

In spreading and scattering the seed of the word of God the results are not usually immediate or obvious. Indeed it is often the case that if the plant that springs up at once it turns out to have no root and quickly withers. This means that our desire to clinically and scientifically measure progress is often overly intrusive and misguided. Efforts to prod progress can actually hinder growth. The man that scatters the seed does have much that is within his power to do. He can, for example, water and fertilize the ground. But no exertion of effort can make a seed grow even a little. So while this parable is no excuse for laxity, it is nevertheless a call to let go of our need to do what only God can do, a call to surrender to grace. Paul understood this very well.

I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase (see First Corinthians 3:6-7).

Even within our own hearts it seems to be more the land's "own accord" that causes it to finally yield the fruit. The mysterious work of the Holy Spirit can remain all but invisible until it surprisingly bursts through the surface and bears fruit in the world. It may seem either that we had done nothing to prepare the way for him or that we had been preparing the way for long enough that we would have expected fruit long ago. But his schedule is never our schedule. And what needs to happen beneath the surface of our soil is not usually evident to us. The Spirit often makes growth spring up in a way that makes it clear that he is the primary agent of growth in our lives. And yet our cooperation and faithfulness is required.

It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,

is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.

The Kingdom of heaven starts so small that an assessment of what we have at the beginning would perhaps lead us to question if it could possibly ever amount to anything. This has manifold meanings. But one thing about which it can give us confidence is the role that we ourselves can play. We might seem like we are not enough, like our knowledge or sanctity is too small to play a part in building the Kingdom. Our thoughts, works, and prayers, might seem too insubstantial to make much difference in the world. But if even the seed itself is tiny, then the parts that comprise it are smaller still. And yet this size at the beginning is no predictor of future results. Indeed Jesus confirms that the seed which grows into a Kingdom big enough to draw in all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, begins at a level that is barely visible at all.

This lack of initial visibility and our inability to monitor progress as growth occurs might tempt us to be afraid. But not so for Paul who was "always courageous" because he walked by faith and not by sight, and therefore had an awareness that, even if he couldn't see it, grace was at work behind the scenes. The tree of God would one day be so full grown as to fulfill the prophecy of Ezekiel.

It shall put forth branches and bear fruit,

and become a majestic cedar.

Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it,

every winged thing in the shade of its boughs.

Paul Wilbur - It Is Good