19 June 2025 - on earth as in heaven

 

Today's Readings
(Audio)

In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.

Prayer is not an incantation or a secret code that causes things to happen. Pagans tended to approach prayer as if a sufficient recitation of divine names and other formulae would automatically achieve their desired results. They had no thought of being in relationship with these deities to whom they prayed. Their actions stemmed from their belief that their gods didn't really care about them, that they needed to be made aware of their petitions, and more or less forced into acting on them. It wasn't their perseverance in prayer that Jesus criticized so much as the motives for it, and the image of divinity that caused them to feel it was necessary. It was redolent of human desperation combined with a lack of hope.

Do not be like them.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

In order to avoid praying like the Pagans, Christians would need to appreciate the difference of the Father from all of those false gods. He did not need to be made aware of the needs of his people. He knew them. He did not need to be forced into action. He himself desired their good more than they did themselves.

Our Father who art in heaven

When praying, Christians were to first remember the relationship that made their prayer possible. God had chosen to adopt a people as his own children, allowing them to share in that which was naturally proper only to Jesus Christ. And that image of fatherhood was meant to inspire absolute confidence in his goodness and providential care. It was true that many Christians would have even in those early years have experienced brokenness in earthly family life, now so common, that made the concept of God as Father harder to appreciate. But God was a Father with none of the limitations of human fathers. Their failings could serve to highlight the fullness that could be found in God alone. People were meant to be able to have such absolute confidence in their fathers, and only the fall made that not be the case. But in God, hearts wounded by the lack of a perfect earthly father could be healed. They could find in him what even very good earthly fathers could not always provide.

hallowed be thy name

The name of God was, is, and will be holy in itself. But we ask that it be known to be such in the world. Only on the basis of the world's recognition of the holiness of God can the world be ordered to him. And only when it is properly ordered to its cause and destiny can it reach its potential. Only then will people truly flourish. But we especially need the name of God to be hallowed in our hearts and in our lives. Unless this happens our prayers will be deficient. We'll approach him as though we're merely asking for the help of some powerful being within reality, with his own needs and limitations. Instead, we're meant to pray on the basis of his absolute transcendence. It is precisely this that means he is so fully present and able to help us. If we do not recognize God's holiness we'll try to use him for our own ends rather than asking him to use us for his purpose in accordance with his will. We'll necessarily feel limited in what we can ask if we imagine he himself has a limited capacity to respond. We'll only 'bother' him with prayers that seem especially 'important'. Even then our confidence will be lacking that he can balance these out against the needs of so many others.

thy Kingdom come

The Kingdom is present in the Church, the Body of Christ, where the rule of the king holds sway. But it is still imperfectly present. We still often fail to live as the king would have us live. We do not love consistently or well in the way he commanded. So we pray that the Church can fully embody its identity as the place where the king himself reigns. We pray too that she spreads more and more so that all people can be set free from the kingdom of darkness and experience the goodness of the Kingdom of God. But this means that, above all, we need the Kingdom to come more fully within each of us. Only when we as individuals open ourselves to this petition will the Church become what she is truly meant to be. When this does happen the Church will become more attractive to the world and effective in her mission. But it must begin at the level of individual hearts.

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

Heaven is so good because in it the will of God is perfectly fulfilled. And this can be so on earth as well, as least to a much greater degree than it is now. But it will only come to pass when we recognize that his will is that of a loving and holy Father. We tend to doubt the goodness of his will and to wonder if he really has our best interests at heart. But we learn the goodness of his will from reflecting on the fact that, in heaven, where it is carried out in fullness, all desires are fulfilled, and heart finds rest.

Give us this day our daily bread;

After asking for a correct heart and mind toward God we finally have a sufficient basis to ask him for our needs, not out of fear our desperation, but rather based on our hope and trust in him. He is the one who knows what we need better than we ourselves know it. We can now ask him for our daily natural and spiritual needs, for help to live free from sin and unforgiveness, protected from temptations to great for us, and live safe from the power of the evil one. We realize how much greater his will is than our own by the way he consistently over-delivers on our requests. Just one example will suffice. We ask for enough bread to eat each day, but he responds by offering us the Body and Blood of his Son to freely receive. 

The works of his hands are faithful and just;
sure are all his precepts,
Reliable forever and ever,
wrought in truth and equity.

 

Matt Maher - As It Is In Heaven 

18 June 2025 - that people may see?

Today's Readings
(Audio)

Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;

In the first place we see here the expectation that we will perform righteous deeds, that we will participate in giving alms, prayer, and fasting. Jesus is not so much concerned with whether these actions of ours will be so hidden as to be absolute secrets. In fact he anticipates that others will see the deeds of his disciples and that those deeds will redound to the glory of the Father. His concern is that his disciples not be motivated by the desire to be seen. In other words he seeks a more robust motivation for our works of Christian service than a desire for the praise of others.

One problem with immature motivation, with the desire for the praise of others, is that it can become a limitation. We then only practice almsgiving in situations where other people will notice, or where we at least can directly witness our beneficiaries receiving what we give. We become unable to do tasks that are likely to be unnoticed. We become unwilling to contribute if we won't be able to see whether or not our efforts bear fruit. 

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

Jesus knows that it is easier at first to do things for the wrong motivation rather than the right one. He knows that is seems like a more attainable benefit and a low hanging fruit. He knows, therefore, that we must guard against such motivations if we want to grow in maturity as his disciples. If our right hand notices what the left is doing it means we have lost our focus on loving others for the sake of God and have begun thinking about ourselves and what we can get. But what one hand of ours can get on a human level when we give is not very much, and does not last. It is actually a much better result to be repaid by the Father than by fleeting approval in the sight of others. 

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.

There are many of us within the Church of Christ whose motivations for our piety are mixed. On the one hand we love Jesus and want to respond to him on the basis of that love. But as we do so we tend to experience others thinking highly of us, as though our devotion were somehow that result of our own doing, or a sign of our superiority. And while we know this to be false we nevertheless enjoy the attention. This leads us to be motivated to seek more of this attention going forward. It can be even more subtle. Our prayer in the liturgy, our singing, our gestures and genuflections, can all be virtue signaling. If we are the type to insist on perfection we can enjoy when others notice, even if they aren't impressed. We can then think how much better we are because we do everything with such regard for the rubrics. If we are the type to take a more loose and laid back approach we may still find occasion to judge others who do things differently, perhaps as legalists that don't really know what Christianity is all about. There is actually a minefield of misplaced motivations. There is only one that is actually correct. We are meant to be motivated by our desire to be seen, not by others, but by the Father. The reward we want to seek is the one that only he himself can give.

When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.

When we do hard work for the sake of charity we tend to want others to be sympathetic. This is in some ways a natural human impulse. The support of those with whom we are in fellowship can actually build us back up to go out again and get after it. But when this motivation predominates it becomes another kind of limitation. People may be initially impressed and sympathetic with us. But as we do the same things again in the future they may be less so. We might feel the need to increasingly punish ourselves to achieve the same level of human sympathy. If people cease to be impressed no matter what we do, what then happens to our work? Do we then minimize it, or even stop it entirely? 

And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.

What humans can offer us as repayment for our works of service is sometimes very readily attainable but is ultimately a recipe for disappointment. We should instead learn and train ourselves to seek the repayment that only God can provide. This repayment is not natural but spiritual. When our motivation is love of God our reward is growing in that love. It's a reward that is baked in to the logic of love that is at the very heart of the universe. Love, in this sense at least, really is its own reward.

Sonicflood - In The Secret

17 June 2025 - be my neighbor

Today's Readings
(Audio)

You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.

It seems that we have arrived at a world where neighbor is narrowly defined, and enemy broadly. Neighbor, as those with whom one has almost complete ideological agreement. It is no longer necessarily to family or tribe or nation that we feel compelled to show generosity. It is only those useful who are useful to us in our cause and who validate what we believe to be true. In proof of which we can see how clearly such modern ideologies can cut through and divide families. Enemies then become anyone who might potentially prove us wrong, or who might object to the way we feel that the world ought to be run. 

We claim for ourselves and our political beliefs the prerogative of allegiance that really ought only belong to Christ. It is proper for belief in Christ to divide people, even families from one another, at least initially. But this is the result of a belief that is vastly different from political beliefs because it is ordered not to the destruction of enemies, but to loving them, and to their ultimate conversion. It divides only for the sake of the greatest possible eventual unity.

making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth (see Ephesians 1:9-1).

Because we fail to see our common humanity and God directed destiny we fail to regard every creature made in the image of God as our neighbor, although that is what they are. And so Jesus tells us, "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you". He says this to eliminate the potential objections against loving people who either seem to be doing nothing for us or actively working to undermine us. He is trying to help us remove the selfish utilitarianism from our motives.  

Even if we had a properly broad definition of neighbor we would still end up with some number who seemed to be our enemies, fighting against us, or even potentially against God. We would then tend to lump these together to excuse ourselves from the demands of charity toward them. But if God himself loves his enemies should we not do so as well? And if those who hate or live in a way that is opposed to God deserve love how much more those whose opposition is only against us as individuals?

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life (see Romans 5:10).

Ultimately we are not called to help our enemies win elections. We are however called to love them unto God and to eternal life with him. But we can not do this well or consistently if we have blind spots that make us fail even in basic civility toward them. So we ask ourselves, where are our blind spots? Or, are the people whom, if they received a blessing, we would find it repugnant, just because of who they are? God himself is the one who makes the sun to rise on them and the rain to fall on them. How then can we think ourselves important enough to wish to see them excluded from any good things, natural or supernatural?

So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

God is lacking nothing, and works constantly in his creation to draw all things back to himself. We share in this perfection of his when we help become a part of that gravity. Our perfection is lacking when our kindness and compassion is limited or constrained. Our perfection is complete when we love all others whom God loves because he himself loves them. This is no idle sentiment, but is synonymous with being merciful, just as the Father as merciful (see Luke 6:36).

"The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people." 

- GK Chesterton

Newsboys - Love One Another 

16 June 2025 - rights or wrong?

Today's Readings
(Audio) 

You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

The legal doctrine of an eye for an eye was meant to put a check on unrestrained retribution. It meant that the punishment ought to correspond in some way to the crime. What to us now sounds somewhat primitive had, at the time, a civilizing influence on society. Yet what was meant for the protection of the civil order was being used to justify private retribution. Jesus insisted that this was inappropriate in the context of private individuals. But he took it further, toward the opposite extreme. People would sometimes use their legal rights to justify a lack of charity. But Jesus said that for the sake of charity people should be prepared to lay down their rights.

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.

It is so easy for an insult like a slap, which typically does no lasting damage, can mark the end of dialog. Things get heated to that point and then both parties are ready to cut off all relations. But what if there is a reason to pursue relationship that matters more than our pride? How can we expect to share the Gospel if we are so easily triggered and turned aside? This is no justification for domestic violence. It does not mean that one should simply enable another's sinful aggression. But it does mean that there is sometimes a greater good at stake that makes it necessary to endure that aggression with calm dignity.

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

When people start insisting on taking from us what is our own we quickly put up our walls of defense and give only as little as we must. But what if people genuinely need what we have to give? Will we turn them away because they seem first presumptuous and then ungrateful? What if they really do need something that we can provide? Ought we hold back because of how they asked, demanding rather than groveling at our feet? What if they have been subject to privation throughout their lives? Would this not explain why they might now feel entitled and appear demanding?

Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.

When we are forced into service instead of volunteering most of us probably tend to do the least possible. But would doing more sometimes accomplish more? Perhaps it would do no harm to society to aid even the Roman occupation while helping to convince individual Romans of the unique charity and concern proper to Christians. Going the extra mile might be a way for our lives to preach, or at least make them wonder what is different about us. This is not to say that it would be a good idea to be complicit in actual evil, as though we should collaborate with a Nazi regime. But even members of evil regimes are still loved by God and deserve our love as well. Not a love that enables self-destruction, but a love that shows a still more excellent way (see First Corinthians 12:31).

Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.

All of these teachings of Jesus seem difficult and impractical. But we must remember that it was Jesus himself who put them all into practice and demonstrated them for us. He was the one of whom Isaiah wrote, "I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting" (see Isaiah 50:6). He did not withhold his clothing from the guards who divided his garments by casting lots (see Matthew 27:25). He was pressed into the service of carrying his own cross all the way to Calvary and did not object. It all seemed like a recipe for failure. But it was in fact how he would go on to the victory of the cross from which he would draw all peoples to himself. At other times Jesus reminded his disciples that they too would need to take up their crosses and come after him. Today his teaching shows what forms such discipleship must sometimes take. We may not be able to always give everything to everyone. But we must be prepared to give what we can when we can if we want to follow the example of our Lord. This seems to be what how Paul described his own mission in our first reading today:

We cause no one to stumble in anything,
in order that no fault may be found with our ministry;
on the contrary, in everything we commend ourselves
as ministers of God, through much endurance,
in afflictions, hardships, constraints,
beatings, imprisonments, riots,
labors, vigils, fasts;
by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness,
in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love, in truthful speech,
in the power of God

Hillsong - To Be Like You

15 June 2025 - the three in one

Today's Readings
(Audio)

I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.

Jesus did not immediately launch into a lecture on the finer points of Trinitarian theology. Rather, he presented that theology as a lived reality by the way he lived in relationship to his Father and to the Spirit whom they shared. He showed that he was one who was truly a divine person, capable of every divine prerogative including forgiveness of sins. Yet no one ever lived in such complete dependence on and obedience to God the Father as Jesus did. He was God, yes. But he was also God from God. The Spirit too, was like this. He had fullness of divinity within himself, but was clearly the Spirit of both the Father and of the Son. Hence it was given to him to take from what Jesus and the Father had in common and declare it to the disciples. Everything that the Father had belonged to Jesus. So too did everything that belonged to them both also belonged to the Spirit. 

The human nature of Jesus shows how created beings can participate in the life of the Trinity. Observing his life helps us to realize that the Trinity isn't trivial, something to be understood for the sake of academic knowledge. It is rather a living reality, one which can alone give completion to our lives. Nothing defined Jesus more than his relationship to his Father in the Spirit. We are meant to share in the Sonship of Jesus, crying out "Abba! Father!" through the Holy Spirit just as he did. The Spirit makes us by adoption what the Son is by nature. 

But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,
he will guide you to all truth.

The Spirit can help us to study. But this is not the primary way he guides us into all truth. Rather he does so by being our point of access to the life of God, breathed into us, making us new creations. It is by living life under his power and by his direction that we come to a deeper understanding of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one that is based on participation more than rational comprehension.  The more we live from this reality the greater are the depths to which we can go. We may say of it that in this case loves precedes understanding. But as to understanding, we sometimes find the necessity to speak and try to organize the words we use to talk about this mystery, putting guardrails in place so we don't confuse ourselves too much when we try to speak of what we first experience. Speaking of it wrongly tends to lead to heresy, which has consequences that affect not only our rationality but also the way we live out our spiritual lives. There is nothing so fundamental to Christianity as the Trinity. And so any mistakes about it will impact its ability to be the source from which God's love is poured out into the world. 

The Holy Spirit wants to draw us deeper and deeper into the mystery of God. He wants to guide us into all truth by making the truth something that is a lived experiential reality for us. He has the power to enliven the pages of Scripture and the teachings of Tradition so that they become revelation in the hearts of believers, to the point where believers' lives, and not just the words, speak of the glory of God.

Graham Kendrick - We Believe

14 June 2025 - let your yes be yes

 

Today's Readings
(Audio)

You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
Do not take a false oath,
but make good to the Lord all that you vow.

People in the time of Jesus were apparently treating the truth value of common speech as cheap. Imagine that. Good thing our own day is so different, right? Or perhaps not. But how did they handle it back then when they really did want someone to believe them, when people were accustomed to hear what was expedient for the speaker rather than what was true? They abused the use of oaths, as though to say, 'This time what I am saying is definitely true'. However, since people were known to be dishonest they now sought some guarantor above themselves in order to vouch for them. Yet they knew that oaths that swore by God were risky because of how seriously God took it when his name was invoked. They knew they wouldn't get off the hook if what they said proved false. But they wanted to imply God's confirmation, so they swore by everything that they could think of adjacent to God, heaven, earth, Jerusalem, and their own heads. These still nevertheless all implicitly involved God himself in the oaths they swore, and were not without fault when the oaths were not upheld.

When everything became an oath the special value of an oath became zero. They became so common that they couldn't be regarded with the special solemnity that was necessary for the true swearing of an oath. And this was implicitly recognized in the fact that they would not swear by God directly. Public oaths were sometimes necessary for the good of society, due to human weakness, when the common good demanded it of them. But they were not meant to be used as mere persuasion or propaganda about the truth of one's speech. Nor were they meant to be used when one merely really wished that something he said would turn out to be true, as though they were in incantation that would make God make it turn out as they promised.

But I say to you, do not swear at all

It is true that the problem in our own day is somewhat different than it was in the time of Christ. People say they swear one thing or another but they don't actually have a sense that they are invoking God or even making themselves particularly persuasive by doing so. Yet though it seems more frivolous, this is still problematic and disrespectful to God. If that part of the problem is different, one thing that is similar is that we haven't gotten any better about our regard for the truth value of common speech. If anything, the gradual decline in concern for truth has lately gone off a cliff. Truth has ceased to be a primary concern even in public discourse. In our society we tend to speak based on the utility value of words rather than on the truth of them. All pretense at truth is regarded with suspicion as veiled attempts to gain power. People don't consider the truth of what we are saying so much as what might be our hidden motives for saying it. Even oaths can't help us when we lose our conception that there is such thing as core or bedrock truth to be discovered.

We must do our part to help rebuild a respect for truth in our world. We do this not by swearing or insisting that others believe us. If we always tell the truth we won't need to swear on special occasions when we actually expect people to believe us. We can expect them to believe our normal speech. By speaking the truth we can demonstrate how much better the world can function when truth is our primary concern. Then people will be able to join in genuine relationships with others instead of mere transient alliances for the sake of gaining power. Then oaths will find their proper place in society, where they are reserved for the public good and not for our private purposes. 

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

We ought not add anything over the top to our speech to convince others, and much less should we do so to convince ourselves, when we are saying something we only really want to believe. Anything above and beyond is a pretense at a control over reality that is not meant to be ours. This calls for humility on our part, admitting that we are not in absolutely control, and entrusting ourselves to God's providence. But any degree to which we can help to once again ground ourselves and our world in truth will help to make it more fertile ground for the truth of the Gospel, the most important truth of all.

The love of Christ impels us,
once we have come to the conviction that one died for all;
therefore, all have died.
He indeed died for all,
so that those who live might no longer live for themselves
but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

 John Reuben - No Be Nah

13 June 2025 - no adultery content

 

Today's Readings
(Audio)

You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery.
But I say to you,
everyone who looks at a woman with lust
has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

It is probably at least the case the most people avoid committing adultery in actual fact. But there are perhaps fewer who have any measure of control over the more subtle aspects of their relationships with the opposite sex. Do our actions correspond fully with the dignity that should be accorded to others made in the image of God? Or are they rather ways of signaling what we would do if we could get away with it? Do we act in accord with the larger moral norms and yet gaze with desire at someone in a way that is a violation of her dignity, regarding her merely as a means rather than an end in herself? Or do we act as though we wouldn't dream of cheating on our husband while still acting toward others in ways that are flirtatious, using them as a way to feel validated ourselves? Do we dress in ways that bespeak our dignity, or do we make ourselves the source of temptation to others? There are so many ways to dance around the line of what is permissible and what is sinful. But it is often the case that such dancing is itself sinful at least because it fails to avoid the occasion of further temptation.

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

If we have triggers that lead us, if not to adultery, at least in that direction, then we need to re-architect our lives in order to remove them. It might be easier to lose an eye than for us to give up watching a certain show. It might seem easier to lose a limb than to find some way to add content filtering or accountability to our use of the internet. But if these things are leading us closer to sin, even a little, then they are, by definition, also leading us further from God. As we have said, it is not enough to have merely been liberated from Egypt if our hearts are still in Egypt dominated by her idols. 

It might seem as though we are obviously obligated to continue to interact with an individual whom we can't help but look at with lust in our heart. And in some cases maybe we are. But how much of that is of our own creation? There will always be occasional individuals in our path that we find attractive. But we are not meant to seek them out repeatedly merely on that basis. When we do cross paths we are meant to maintain what tradition calls the custody of our eyes. 

And if your right hand causes you to sin,
cut it off and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.

Jesus emphasized that it is appropriate to take drastic action for the sake of our souls. Small sins tend to snowball into bigger ones. Even venial sins, freely chosen, are a step in the direction of hell. We are meant to prioritize our long-term and indeed eternal happiness over the fleeting pleasures that sin affords. The trouble is not so much that we don't fight sin in our lives as that we don't take it as seriously as we should. We think of spiritual growth more in terms of self-improvement than salvation. Then we surprise ourselves when our efforts fail and we fall into sin. But should we be surprised when our only efforts to fight against it are feeble and halfhearted?

It is important to remember our own weakness so that we can also remember to rely on God for grace and strength. We might be stuck in our own status quo, unable to prune certain things from our lives, even if they have repeatedly proven to lead to temptation and the near occasion of sin. Our identity is often so invested in these habits of ours that to give them up would feel like breaking ourselves to pieces. But God is a gardener who can prune from us what does not bear fruit (see John 15:1-3). He delights to do this because he sees the treasure that we all possess underneath the earthly exterior. We tend to prioritize and value the earthen vessels over the treasure. But God himself values the treasure more, and will help us to do so as well. This often involves "carrying about in the Body the dying of Jesus" but only "so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body". Clearly even for Paul this was a difficult process. But it never overwhelmed him, drove him to despair or destroyed him because God never abandoned him. May we too cling to God so that the life of Christ can be in us and shine through us the sake of our neighbors and the glory of God.

 

Darrell Evans - Trading My Sorrows 

12 June 2025 - Raqa out

Today's Readings
(Audio)

I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that
of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.

We are called to a righteousness that is not merely external and performative, doing one thing while cherishing a desire for something else. It is not enough to merely leave Egypt while still carrying Egypt in our hearts. 

The scribes and the Pharisees were examples of people who took extraordinary care to appear to be doing what God demanded while their primary motivations remained selfish and sinful. They obeyed so many laws that it was difficult to find fault with them. But they themselves decided on which laws had priority and when. This allowed them to avoid facing up to the true purpose and intentions of the individual laws and the law as a whole. Jesus demanded that his disciples be attentive to the big picture of mercy and justice and to the inner meaning of each law as ordered toward that end.

You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.
But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother
will be liable to judgment,
and whoever says to his brother,
Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin,
and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna.

It isn't that hard to not kill anyone. It isn't impressive, and the fact that we haven't done so does not really imply anything about our moral caliber, as though we were 'not so bad', as distinct from others whom we imagine to be truly evil. Because, the thing is, while we don't kill others, we still often have in common with killers anger and aggression and other motives. It is true that in us there are other forces that prevent these motivations from getting out of control, such as parental teaching and societal norms. But the fact is that external education and pressure is never enough on its own to remove all traces of hatred from our hearts. All of us experience anger at others at times. All of us are tempted to say Raqa or "You fool". Depending on the day we might be tempted quite a bit. And hopefully we don't. Because we shouldn't. And yet, do we want to reserve to ourselves the right to feel that way? We know that we can't change transient and superficial feelings. But we ought not to cherish them and protect them, thinking of how justified we would be if we said such and such to so and so. Nor are there any exemptions from this prohibition against violence of the heart. Politicians, lawyers, and even tyrants aren't excluded. Their actions may anger us to the point where it is hard to hold our tongue. We may even believe that speaking in anger will actually accomplish something and cause us to be heard and our viewpoint recognized. But this is in the category of the anger of man that does not produce the righteousness of God (see James 1:20). Even, and perhaps especially, the realm of politics needs gracious speech seasoned with the salt of the Gospel (see Colossians 4:6) if it is ever to rise above bickering and recrimination.

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

One sign that we have internalized God's priorities in matters of our relationship with others is that we are motivated to seek reconciliation even when it is primarily our brother who has something against us rather than we against him. This is not to suggest that all problems a brother may have are necessarily legitimate. But it implies that we care about the reality of the relationship more than the superficial feelings we have about it. We are willing to do the work even when ignoring the issue would seem convenient, when we were quite content to continue existing with nothing particular against them on our part. But whether the brother's issue is real or a mere misunderstanding how can the world ever experience true peace if we let such things fester below the surface? If they reject our attempts at reconciliation that's one thing. But if we want to offer a pleasing gift at the altar of God we are at least obliged to try.

Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him.

The transformation to which we are called is not optional. We're going to pay every penny of it eventually before we are finally released. Better to start now, the sooner the better. The more we insist on cherishing the idols of Egypt in our hearts the harder it becomes to break our ties with them. This is equivalent to not only not paying our debt, but to causing it to grow, so that our time repaying it grows proportionately. Let us rather break all ties with Egypt and stop living as debtors to our fallen impulses. It is to this we have been called since, "where the Spirit of the Lord is,
there is freedom".

 

 Darrell Evans - Freedom

11 June 2025 - to fulfill

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.

Jesus came as a fulfillment of all previous revelation to the Jewish people. He did not represent a rupture in continuity as though God was scrapping one failed plan for what was hopefully a better one. Much less were the law and the prophets the work of an angry and vengeful God, now replaced by the merciful Jesus. Moses, and the prophets, and indeed all Scripture, concerned Jesus (see Luke 24:27). Moses wrote about Jesus such that true belief in Moses implied one would believe in Jesus as well (see John 5:46). 

Jesus was, however, different from all who had come before him. Previous revelation came in varied ways and never gave more than a part of the picture (see Hebrews 1:1). But God spoke definitively through Jesus. He thus provided the framework in which all previous revelation realized its full depth of meaning and purpose. Seen through the lens of the revelation of Jesus all that had been old became new. People were able to ascend from the level of the letter of the law to the level of the Spirit. The law was changed, not by being invalidated, but by having its deepest inner purpose revealed. No longer could it be used as a blunt instrument by hypocrites for the sake of their ego projects. The priorities of love and of mercy were made evident, and all of the demands that those priorities entailed.

Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.

It would perhaps seem convenient to set aside the whole Old Testament and begin with the Gospels and with Jesus himself, content with only a vague sense that some sort of messianic expectation and promise had preceded him. But it is not the case that Jesus merely illuminated the teachings of the Old Testament as an interesting but optional prequel. Rather the writings about him hidden within the Old Testament, once revealed, genuinely help us to know him. One of the most obvious images that comes to mind is that of the lamb of God and the Passover sacrifice. Without the entire sacrificial economy of the Old Testament we would have no context for what John the Baptist meant when he called Jesus the lamb who takes away the sins of the world (see John 1:29). We would have encountered the stories of the institution of the Eucharist and perhaps found only a fellowship meal.

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

Once we move the discussion to the realm of the moral law we tend to become uncomfortable and begin to squirm. We often feel like the fulfillment Jesus brought in this area was simply to become more strict and somehow even more demanding. And in a way, yes. But this was only because Jesus, more than anyone else, understood what was essential for humanity to thrive. He was not content to see us fighting to control our external actions against the desire for sins we secretly cherished within our hearts. He pointed us toward a transformation that could cleanse the inside as well as the surface (see Luke 11:39-41).

But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.

Some small measure of inconsistency in our behavior may not necessarily exclude us from the Kingdom of heaven. But a line was clearly drawn at breaking the greater ones or in teaching others to do so. People who break the least of the commandments may still maintain some capacity for God, and God will fill that capacity to the full. But those who cannot be bothered even with the greater commandments close themselves to God's presence and purpose by definition. They signify that they want nothing to do with him and so he does not force himself upon them. The greatest in the Kingdom are great, not because they have proved their heroic virtue, but rather because they have the greatest desire to be filled by God. During their lives care about his law enough to desire to fulfill it. When they succeed it is a testimony to God's presence already at work within them. In heaven it is his own work that he crowns. They are the greatest because of the great degree to which they allow his own greatness to be present in them. This is what Barnabas saw and celebrated in the disciples at Antioch and what we see and celebrate in him today.

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.

Newsboys - Thrive

10 June 2025 - good salt

Today's Readings
(Audio)

You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

Salt had the ability to draw out and accentuate the flavor of food. It drew out of food that which was distinctive and desirable. If other food was bland or lost its flavor salt could be added in order to rescue it. But for salt itself there was nothing beyond that could be added to salvage a dish. So too with those bringing the Gospel to the world. They had much to offer to those to whom they brought that message. But they needed to be on guard because they were already the last resort. If they lost the purpose that was uniquely and distinctively their own there was nothing else out there to fill the role. The signs that salt was active and functioning was that disciples would be at peace with one another (see Mark 9:50) and that their speech would be gracious (see Colossians 4:6). This may have alluded to the fact that the offerings of Old Covenant were meant to be seasoned with salt (see Leviticus 2:13). As for them, so now for us.

You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.

Like salt, light was something which had its existence for the sake of others. Salt by itself was not good eats. Light that didn't illuminate anything did not accomplish any purpose. Both images described what we might call 'being toward the other'. The disciples were called to be the salt of the earth, not just a big storehouse of salt sitting unused. They were called to be the light of the world because their purpose as light was to illuminate the world's darkness and act as a signal to draw the nations to Jesus (see Isaiah 11:10). Thus, the light with which Christians were illuminated in their baptism (hence the candle) was not to be hidden behind the walls of their homes nor even their Church. This was an important reminder in the face of a world that actively persecuted them. But it is still a valuable point of reflection in a world that would prefer not to hear the Gospel message. We may want to preserve our public image and spare our own feelings by hiding the light and thereby avoiding rejection. But if this light is within us our attempts to conceal it will hopefully not succeed, even in spite of our efforts. We'll find it shining through the cracks in our armor as God helps us to be his witnesses even in spite of ourselves. Its very purpose is to "give light to all in the house". We must not fight against it by concealing it, for risk is extinguishing it within us.

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

Our light is evident, not so much in what we say, which is easy to fake, as in what we do. We are the tree that is known by its fruits, fruits which are a testimony to the gardener who gives us the nutrients and care that we need to grow. Words often conceal hypocrisy and double-mindedness. But works are evidence of what the Father is working within us, just as the works of Jesus were for him. Thus we need not just any words, but words seasoned with salt. Nor will any deeds do. We need good deeds illuminated with the light of the Father. But one comforting aspect of these images is that we don't need to discover or invent salt or light for ourselves. We just need to live in accord with what grace has made us to be. Our very nature as Christians is to be salt and light. We need to stop fighting against it and embrace living it more completely.

But the one who gives us security with you in Christ
and who anointed us is God;
he has also put his seal upon us
and given the Spirit in our hearts as a first installment.

TobyMac Featuring Hollyn - Lights Shine Bright

9 June 2025 - behold our mother

Today's Readings
(Audio)

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved,
he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”
Then he said to the disciple,
“Behold, your mother.”
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

Jesus did not say these words only for Mary and John. His purpose was more than to ensure that his mother would have someone to take care of her when he would not be present to do so. It was that. But the reason he spoke in archetypal language, calling her "Woman" was to emphasize that it was also more. As Eve had been the first woman, intended to be the mother of the living, so now Mary became the New Eve, mother of all of the beloved disciples of Jesus.

Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus (see Revelation 12:17).

Not long after the first Eve failed, it was promised that there would be a new woman, who would not yield to the serpent, but who would remain at enmity with it. It was written that her seed would strike at the head of the serpent, even though seed was an unusual expression in the case of women. It seemed inexplicable until the virgin birth of Jesus demonstrated that there would be no man involved to make that contribution. It was still awkward, perhaps, but at least explained by that event.

The serpent wasn't going to have his way with Mary the Mother of God. This is what was meant by enmity. Now we are meant to come to her and learn the safety and protection that can be found in her presence. When we are close to Mary as our mother she keeps us safe by constantly reminding us that we must do whatever her son tells us, just as she said to the servants at Cana (see John 2:5). But not only that, she calls our attention to places where the wine is running short, were the world is in need of the joy that only Jesus can give. She helps to form and shape us to share our light with the world just as she did Jesus himself.

All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer,
together with some women,
and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

The birth of Jesus came about when the Holy Spirit came upon Mary and the power of the Most High overshadowed her (see Luke 1:35). Being so intimately familiar with the Holy Spirit that tradition calls her the spouse of the Spirit allowed her to draw others to share in that experience and to encounter him as she had. She was the point of unity around whom the disciples gathered at Pentecost. They probably didn't have much of an idea what to expect or how to seek the power from on high promised by Jesus. But Mary knew exactly what he was talking about and so served to ground and guide them as they did so. She was like a lightning rod to whom the Spirit was inexorably drawn, or like a midwife who knew well how to bring the Spirit to birth in individual hearts. Pentecost was said to be the birthday of the Church. Therefore it seems fitting the the mother of the Church had such a preeminent role in that process.

We may have relatives with whom we seldom speak, or who are only acknowledged by a picture on the wall or in the family album. But hopefully we are blessed to have kin with whom we are regularly in contact. We don't gain much by looking at a picture. Our relationships don't grow much if we only write the occasional perfunctory letter or email. The fact that the Church calls us to take Mary as our mother means that we are meant to be in close personal relationship with her. Let's not leave her looking for us among our relatives. It is true that she is with Jesus in heaven reigning over us and therefore not alone. But something is missing for her spiritual presence on earth if we neglect her and keep her at a distance. Unless we draw near to her our own enmity with the serpent remains at risk of collapse. Our own appropriation of that Spirit remains difficult and stilted without her guidance. Our lives do not have the fullness God intends for us without her. She is part of the program by which we are not left as orphans. It may be possible to be saved without any real Marian devotion. But it is certainly not preferable.

And of Zion they shall say:
“One and all were born in her;
And he who has established her
is the Most High LORD.”

 

 

 

Damascus Worship Featuring Seph Schlueter - Hail O Queen 

8 June 2025 - living memory

Today's Readings (Mass during the day)
(Audio)

Jesus said to his disciples:
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
And I will ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always.

We love Jesus because he first loved us (see First John 4:19). His love gives us confidence that his plans for us are good, and that his commandments for us are actually in our own best interest, given for our sake, and are not burdensome (see First John 5:3). 

We note that Jesus didn't say, 'If you love me, you do keep my commandments, already perfectly and completely'. Rather he said "you will". The disciples, no doubt, wanted to respond, and to show Jesus that they did love him. But they were only able to do this well and consistently after they had received the Advocate to empower them from within.

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

When we love Jesus we do so by keeping his word, by clinging to it, and by making it the foundation of our lives. Our desire to keep it is itself a grace, and creates the space in our hearts in which the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, will come to make their dwelling with us. The more we desire to keep the commandments and cling to the word of Jesus the more God will give us the grace to make it possible. On the other hand, indifference to the word of Jesus is a sign that we don't love him. God won't take up residence in hearts in which he is not welcome. If we don't really want his commandments it means that we don't really want to live in his Kingdom. If this is true then we will find the proximity of the King himself as intrusive rather than liberating. We may be willing to dwell in the same world as him, as long as he is kept at a distance. But we may still want to keep our hearts to ourselves as our own rather than inviting him to reign in us as well as around us. Our hearts are meant to burn within us as a sign of our response to the word of Jesus. But this can only happen when the Holy Spirit himself is present helping us to internalize those words.

The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you.

The Holy Spirit makes the word of Jesus burn within our hearts, transforming us more and more into temples of his presence, and our lives into holy and acceptable offerings to God (see Romans 12:1). We need more than human teaching about the word of Jesus in order to keep it. We need the teaching of the Holy Spirit. It might seem that any preacher could adequately remind us of the things Jesus said. But they can only do so in a way that is living and effective if the Spirit is present helps him and those who hear him. The Spirit was the breath with which the word of Jesus was first spoken. His presence is still necessary for them to become living and effective in our lives. 

We might think from what we have said so far that it would be adequate for individual believers to go off on their own, taught by the Spirit, needing nothing from others. But the gift of the Spirit and the home of the word of Jesus have always been found in the heart of his Church. It is precisely in his Church that we are meant to be most fully equipped and empowered to experience the love of Jesus and respond. It is the Church that makes the word of Jesus present and available for each subsequent generation of believers. It is the ongoing presence of Jesus fulfilling his promise to the Church through the Sacraments that allows us to be filled with the Spirit. Hence the Spirit doesn't leave believers as many separate parts but draws us into one Body. It is not a Body of many diverse opinions about Jesus but one which is united in truth by the Spirit of Truth. It is this objective reality that is offensive and intrusive for those who do not wish to keep the word of Jesus. But it is here where the promises of Jesus begin to be fulfilled, and which leads us toward their fullness of their fulfillment at the end of history. In the Church we experience the first pledge of our inheritance, that makes us "joint heirs with Christ", and makes our desire grow for the Day when we will share it completely, together with him, forever.

Paul Wilbur - Let Your Fire Fall

7 June 2025 - what about him?

Today's Readings
(Audio)

When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about him?"

This question of Peter's is something we can regard as progress. Previously when the disciples heard about the impending death of Jesus they argued about who among them was the greatest. Now, in response to the his own eventual martyrdom for Jesus Peter still compared himself to others, but now desired equality or fairness rather than preeminence. Peter heard about his own destiny and thought it would be easier to bear if it was not unique to him. If he was beginning to see martyrdom as the only way or the best way that the one could give witness to Jesus then wanting to ensure John also gave such a witness was not entirely selfish or mean spirited. And yet, there was probably some fear and self-pity mixed into the response, as though he thought 'If I have to do it, others should as well'. But even there, since what he had to do was because of his love for Jesus it wasn't entirely immature to wish it for others. This is common enough in those who had their character built by the endurance of great difficulty. They may well see those who grow up in less challenging times as soft and unproven, as though they would benefit from going through the same trials they did.

What if I want him to remain until I come?
What concern is it of yours?  

Jesus told Peter that comparing himself to John or to anyone else was not going to be helpful, not for him, and not for John. Jesus had a unique path planned for each and every disciple, all with unique challenges, but also all replete with the grace necessary to face those challenges. All disciples were called to bear witness to Jesus. All were called, in some way, to partake of his cross. But not all were called to die the death of martyrs. The one Body of Christ had many members, and functioned well only when those members played their unique roles.

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ (see First Corinthians 12:12).

So, perhaps surprisingly, our Gospel for today does help us prepare for Pentecost. We see from it that, "there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone" (see First Corinthians 12:5-6). We need the grace of the Spirit to help us heed the call that Jesus first made to Peter, and now makes to us as well, to follow him in the unique way he has predestined for each of us. He has planned for each of us unique good works in which we are meant to walk (see Ephesians 2:10). But it is the Spirit who makes this possible. He guides and gifts us to live the path that is uniquely our own. And when his grace fills us we will not be tempted to compare our lot unfavorably with others around us, since, even if it is not an easy path, we do not need to attempt it alone and unaided.

But Jesus had not told him that he would not die,
just "What if I want him to remain until I come?
What concern is it of yours?"

John also had a unique role to play in the building of the Church, and an irreplaceable testimony to Jesus to make known. Peter gave the testimony of his life, a fact that endures in to our own day, since his bones are present in Saint Peter's Basilica. But John gave us the witness of his Gospel, which does very much remain to our day, and continues to testify to the things he knew to be true¹. It is a living witness to what Jesus said and did so that all who read it may have life in his name (see John 20:31). 

Unless we are led by the Spirit to find the unique ways Jesus has called us to follow him we are always going to end up thinking that the grass is greener somewhere else, with self-pity about the lot that is ours. But when we walk by the Spirit we are empowered to face any challenge and to bear fruit that will remain (see John 15:16), just as both Peter and John first did.

1) Martin, Francis; Wright, William M. IV. The Gospel of John (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): (A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Catholic Biblical Scholars - CCSS) (p. 355). (Function). Kindle Edition. 

 

HOPE - Where You Lead

(caution: rap) NF - Destiny

6 June 2026 - do you love me?

Today's Readings
(Audio)

“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Early in our life as disciples many people probably have the experience of being moved to tell Jesus that we love him and that we desire friendship with him, even before we realize the cost of discipleship, and what the love must necessarily entail. This may come about when we are riding high on the initial fervor that results when Jesus enters our lives and begins to transform them. Such fervor inspires us to make resolutions about what we are willing to do for Jesus, just as Peter did.

Peter answered him, "Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away" (see Matthew 26:33).

In retrospect we hear what Peter said and think, 'Typical Peter', with all of the usual bluster and bravado we expect from him. And even while we think this about Peter, we typically assume that there is nothing that could happen to us that would make us fall away, or at least that it would have to be something altogether horrific and extraordinary. We don't typically expect that our normal Christian lives, our call to follow Jesus, to all appearances mundane and ordinary, provide amply examples of challenges that tempt us to do what Peter tried to do, and pretend to be ordinary bystanders and avoid detection as his disciples. Sometimes we choose to blend in with the world instead of doing what we know we are called to do as followers of Jesus. It could be anything from speaking up for his name to loving someone neglected by society. It might be too risky or just too inconvenient. But we often try to convince ourselves it isn't strictly necessary, that there must be someone else able and better equipped to do it. It seems that an important foundation for becoming a saint is simply not to self-select out.

He then said to Simon Peter a second time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

Jesus continues to ask if we love him throughout our lives. When our initial love proves immature and naive he does not reject us. Even if we momentarily reject him he calls us back. We might think that after a rupture of relationship like that it would be us asking, 'Jesus, do you still love me?'. But we see instead it is rather Jesus who asks and hopes that we are willing to keep loving him. There was no break in his love for us. We always find him waiting and willing to accept our renewed love for him.

He said to him the third time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time,
“Do you love me?” and he said to him,
“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”

The question of our love for Jesus is not one we can definitively answer during our mortal lives. It is one which he must continue to ask and one to which the quality of our answer must continue to mature and grow. We may hear the question in each new challenge on the path of discipleship and find that we need to grow in new and different ways in order to continue to respond. But we can take heart that Jesus never stops asking, because he wants us to grow, since what he desires from us is above all our love.

Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

One thing we must learn and remember is that Jesus interprets our care for the lowest and the least as done for his sake. This means that those in positions of authority can show their love for Jesus by the way they show genuine care for those in their charge. It is easy to forget about the weak, those on the peripheries, and the outcasts. But Jesus is there waiting for our love. He will continue to ask if we love him so we can continue to discover all the places in the world where he waits to receive our love.

Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger,
you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; 
but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands,
and someone else will dress you
and lead you where you do not want to go.

When we are younger we tend to be the ones who decide how we will respond to Jesus, doing so first of all in ways that are easy and convenient. But as we grow in our ability to respond to him we become more able to let him set the terms of our relationship, no longer as constrained by our preferences, or as confined by our need for comfort. We may hope that we will not be forced to give our lives as Peter did. But we must all bear our crosses so as to glorify God. Fortunately Jesus doesn't expect everything all at once and immediately from new disciples. He keeps asking. He keeps expanding our hearts. He keeps removing barriers until there is no limit to our response when he says to us, as he said to Peter, "Follow me".

Chris Tomlin - I Will Follow

 

Carey Landry - Only A Shadow

5 June 2025 - till all are one

Today's Readings
(Audio) 

I pray not only for these,
but also for those who will believe in me through their word

Jesus prayed, not only for his disciples and their successors in the hierarchical Church, but for those who would believe through their word as well, that is, for us. We might well wonder, in this prayer of his that directly touched on the Church of subsequent generations, what did he request?

so that they may all be one,
as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
that they also may be in us
that the world may believe that you sent me.

Jesus prayed that we would be one, that, though many, we would be one Body in him. Successful armies are often marked by a unity of purpose and action. But the unity to which Jesus called us was something deeper. It was something supernatural, that could only come about by sharing and participating in his own unity with the Father in the Holy Spirit. A united army might speak to good leadership, but it did not prove anything supernatural about them. But the union to which Jesus called his Church was so beyond worldly parallels that it would actually be evidence of the divine reality that was its basis.  

We may then rightly wonder what happened to this unity. After all, the general populace doesn't typically think of the Church as a pinnacle of unity. And yet, in spite of all of the all too earthly politics that mar her witness, there is a real oneness, transcending time and space, in which believers participate. Apparently, it doesn't manifest in everyone voting in the same way. It doesn't mean all the members will take identical paths, or put their time into the same charitable causes. It doesn't even mean that there won't be disagreements at times. But Catholics share in the same baptismal grace, receive the same Jesus in the Eucharist, and are filled with the same Spirit. They are anchored in a truth that doesn't change with time or place, though it may be expressed differently. It is this supernatural unity that helps the world to believe in Jesus, for when they sense it they feel its pull on their hearts. Though having said all of that, we have a long way to go in allowing ourselves to be fully transformed by this unity that is nevertheless at the core of our lives. The more we do the more the unseen reality will become visibly manifest in our world, which can't help but make it all the more attractive.

And I have given them the glory you gave me,
so that they may be one, as we are one,
I in them and you in me,

The human nature of Jesus was given the glory of the Father, which he revealed at the transfiguration. This was more than a mere special effect, but a visible manifestation of his participation in the divine life of the Trinity. So too is glory not merely an aesthetic benefit for us. It is the grace given to us through the Holy Spirit that causes our adoption as daughters and sons of the Father and makes us able to live in a manner worthy of that call. This process begins on earth when we first receive this glory. But we are progressively transformed from glory to glory (see Second Corinthians 3:18) until, for all eternity, we are finally able to be with Jesus where he is and behold the glory given to him before the foundation of the world by the Father. Glory, since it refers to God's gift of his own divine life for us, is, in some way, every step of the journey as well as the ultimate destination.

Righteous Father, the world also does not know you,
but I know you, and they know that you sent me.
I made known to them your name and I will make it known,
that the love with which you loved me
may be in them and I in them.

Jesus wants the world to know the Father so that it can share with him the love that he first received from him. The world tends to look everywhere but to God for the love it so deeply desires. But Jesus, who definitively made the Father's name known by the mysteries of his life, continues to make it known through the work of his Spirit in the Church. This means that we are called both to a deeper appreciation of the Father's love ourselves and to make that love known to a world that longs for that love.

O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.

Vertical Worship - Open Up The Heavens 

4 June 2025 - truth and consequences

Today's Readings
(Audio)

Holy Father, keep them in your name
that you have given me,
so that they may be one just as we are one.

While on earth, Jesus himself was the focal point of unity for his disciples. Jesus shared with them the word he himself received from the Father, which led to the world hating his disciples as it first hated him. His word transformed them so that they no longer belonged to the world but rather to Jesus and his Kingdom. It was for this reason that they were particular targets of the Evil One. They were the ones with the most potential to do good and oppose his malicious intentions. But even though they were the biggest targets for the devil, save for Jesus himself, they were also the safest from his schemes because of Jesus. When the devil tried to tempt them to disunity, to incite them to jostle for the title of the greatest, the words of Jesus humbled them and allowed them to remain together with him and with one another. The words which made the disciples the greatest targets of the enemy were also their greatest source of strength and protection.

When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me,
and I guarded them, and none of them was lost
except the son of destruction,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
But now I am coming to you. 

Now Jesus said he would cease to be present to the world in a visible way. This meant that the way he could be a source of unity, strength, and protection, would necessarily have to change. He left them his word and example to imitate. But he knew that more was necessary. And so he made his prayer, and continues to make his prayer, that the Father would keep the disciples in his name, saying "Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one". The response to this prayer was a something even better than the physical proximity of Jesus: the Holy Spirit. 

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (see Ephesians 4:1-3).

It was the Spirit who was the source of unity in the Church. He accomplished this by reminding disciples of the words of Jesus and guiding them into all truth. There could perhaps be strategic alliances without truth, but not real unity. The only alternate options to the truth of God were the lies of the devil. Those lies always led to disunity, schism, and division. The world's hatred of the truth of Jesus would always lead to situations like that which Paul feared for the flock at Ephesus:

I know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you,
and they will not spare the flock.
And from your own group, men will come forward perverting the truth
to draw the disciples away after them.

Jesus needed a Church that was not just curious about the truth, nor even just committed to it, but rather consecrated in it. That is, they were meant to be set apart by and for the truth. The point was not that they become adversaries of the world, but rather that they become able to go to the world and help it with the teaching and the love of Christ. God so loved the world that he sent his only Son, Jesus, into the world in order to save it. To fulfill this mission Jesus constantly lived under the protected anointing he received from His Father, constantly faithful to his word and will. He set himself apart from anything that was not consistent with that will, consecrating himself for the sake of those whom he came to save. Doing so opened the way that his followers in turn could walk in unity and truth, safe from the snares of the devil, seeking to love and to save the world just as they first saw and learned from Jesus. Now that Jesus was in heaven, what they had previously learned through his example would now be present in them through the consecration of the Holy Spirit, the response of the Father to the eternal prayer of Jesus for his Church. And so, together we pray: Come Holy Spirit!

 

Hillsong Worship - The Potter's Hand