27 October 2024 - that i might see

Today's Readings

(Audio)

Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,

sat by the roadside begging.

Without Jesus, the light of the world, we are all blind in some measure. Without him we cannot respond to his command, "Walk while you have the light, lest the darkness overtake you" (see John 12:35). Like the Pharisees this might be hard to process and we may protest, "Are we also blind?", to which Jesus would reply, "If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains" (see John 9:40-41). We won't be condemned for our blindness. But if we insist that we can see in spite of all indications to the contrary we do become guilty. But this was not a problem for Bartimaeus. His life did not allow him the luxury of imagining his condition as other than it was. He had no recourse but to remain by the roadside begging in order to meet his needs. People such as him who truly knew their condition and harbored no illusions about themselves were often ready to receive Jesus, and to turn to him for help.

On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,

he began to cry out and say,

"Jesus, son of David, have pity on me."

Though he was blind Bartimaeus saw more in Jesus than most of those around him. Perhaps it was partly because he was less distracted by what was around him. Perhaps too it was because he wasn't so busy crafting his own facade. He heard what others heard about Jesus of Nazareth but somehow heard it more deeply and realized more of what it meant. He, and not they, was the one to acknowledge Jesus as the messianic "son of David". And he knew, somehow, that the messiah had the both the capability to do something about his condition and the heart of compassion that would make him do it.

And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. 

But he kept calling out all the more,

The needy are often uncomfortable and inconvenient to the followers of Jesus. Shamefully, we often behave like the crowd and try to silence those who would be disruptive to our lives or to the smooth and streamlined operation of the day to day functioning of the Church. We often prefer to send people away even though Jesus is always about the work of gathering. Whether it was to feed crowds, to bless children, or to heal a blind man, Jesus always chose to gather and never to scatter. We should not imitate the blithe indifference of the crowd. Instead we should seek Jesus with the persistence of Bartimaeus. He asked and kept asking, sensing that this would not be held against him. Though his coming might have been like a friend at midnight trying to borrow bread he refused to be silent or depart without it (see Luke 11:5-10).

Jesus stopped and said, "Call him."

So they called the blind man, saying to him,

"Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you."

Jesus probably enlisted the crowd to do the calling so that they could learn to act in a way befitting disciples. The way they phrased the call did seem redolent of compassion, saying "Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you".  He threw aside his cloak, representing his old life up to that point, sprang up, and raced toward Jesus. He seemed to be halfway to Jesus before they even finished their speech. His blindness he probably made him too cautious to move that fast before. But there was a way in which the presence of Jesus was already illuminating him, stabilizing him, and drawing him safely to himself. 

Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?" 

The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see." 

Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you." 

Because Bartimaeus knew himself to be blind he was well positioned to recognize the light of the world in his midst. What Jesus did by healing his physical blindness was a confirmation of the deeper healing that happened within him because of the presence of Jesus. He was brought from the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of light (see Colossians 1:13), just as we all are in baptism, although he realized it more than most. The eyes of his heart were enlightened to realize the hope to which he was called (see Ephesians 1:18). And the fact that his literal eyes were opened was a indisputable physical confirmation of that fact.

Immediately he received his sight

and followed him on the way.

Bartimaeus knew there was no better use for his sight than to follow Jesus, no better good upon which to gaze than Jesus himself. Because his eye was sound his whole body was filled with light (see Matthew 6:22).

We need the light of Jesus to see clearly and navigate safely through this light. We need this not once, but throughout our days. It's is all too possible to experience the light of Jesus but the resign ourselves to the dim half-light of trying to get by on our own. Let us too take courage and arise from this pitiable state. Jesus is calling us.

SonicFlood - Open The Eyes Of My Heart

Songs In His Presence - Our Hearts Will Rise

26 October 2024 - greater sinners?

Today's Readings

(Audio)

Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way 

they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?

It was probably comfortable to assume that others suffered because of their sin. Were that the case it would allow for the sort of casual and disinterested discussion of horrific headlines as only pertaining to others and never possibly to oneself. It was safe to become outraged about the suffering of others as long as it didn't imply anything about one's own state and circumstances. It allowed politics to become a game in which one didn't need to be deeply invested to play. It allowed a whole class of commentators to arise who would not need to contribute anything beyond their opinions.

By no means!

But I tell you, if you do not repent,

you will all perish as they did!

Jesus clarified that those who suffered in tragic events in question were actually not guilty of any special grievous sins, or even any more guilty than their surrounding countrymen. But in so saying he revealed that no one was exempt from the possibility of sudden catastrophe. Like the rich fool in the parable their lives could be demanded of them that very night (see Luke 12:20), regardless of whether they had done anything particularly heinous. The fact that tragedy didn't only befall the especially guilty meant that headlines such as those about the Galileans and about the tower at Siloam were no longer merely safe abstract topics of discussion. It meant there was the real danger that they could happen to anyone at any time. And this meant that there was a real urgency to repent, not as though doing so could avoid tragedy, but so that one would be ready for whatever might come. Tragedies might not target only the especially guilty. But there were not really any people so innocent that a sudden end without repentance was not a fearful prospect.

For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree 

but have found none.

Repentance was supposed to mean bearing fruit in keeping with repentance (see Luke 3:8). The fact that tragedy was not currently befalling the tree was not necessarily a sign it was doing well. In fact in the parable it was opposite.  The gardener was pleading for patience on behalf of the tree, desperately doing all he could to coax from it the fruit it is meant to bear. We should not, therefore, see the lack of problems in our lives as an inherent sign of blessing, if we interpret that to mean that we are not in need of change. A lack of problems might be a blessing insofar as it gives us additional time to refocus all our energies and resources into bearing fruit, utilizing all of the care that the gardener never ceases to bestow.

Vineyard Worship Featuring Kate Cooke - Refiner's Fire

25 October 2024 - the hope of our call

Today's Readings

(Audio)

If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate,

make an effort to settle the matter on the way;

Growth in holiness is not optional since without it "no one will see the Lord" (see Hebrews 12:14). Sooner is always better than later in this regard. If we close ourselves to the work the Lord wants to do in us now and imagine that we are putting it off until a more convenient time, perhaps until Purgatory, we are in fact hardening our hearts, and therefore giving the Lord more to do. The longer we wait to avail ourselves of his grace the more calcified layers there will be from which to excavate our hardened hearts. 

If we are in a state of grace the transformation we do not complete in this life will take place inexorably in Purgatory. And in many ways Purgatory is nothing to fear, it is the fire of God's love that will help us to pay back "the last penny" of debt keeping us from the fullness of his presence. But if we see ourselves heading in this direction, and if we recognize that our destiny is to appear before the judgment seat of God (see Second Corinthians 5:10), then how can we hesitate in such a way as to make this debt grow larger and increasingly more intractable?

When you see a cloud rising in the west

you say immediately that it is going to rain–and so it does;

and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south

you say that it is going to be hot–and so it is.

You hypocrites!

We tend to be prudent about our earthly priorities, highly strategic and practical in planning based on any signs we can interpret. But there is no more urgent sign than the coming of Jesus into our midst. Response to other signs might help us to travel safely our reap a better harvest. But our eternal destiny is contingent on our response to the Son of Man. If dark storm clouds were heading toward us we wouldn't leave the laundry out on a clothesline. How much less should we be willing to leave ourselves exposed and unhealed when the coming of Jesus draws closer day by day?

After all, holiness is not really a negative. Our egos fear it as though it will vacuum all of the fun out of life. But it is really our only hope. Humility, gentleness, patience, love, and unity that the Spirit make possible are far better than the violence and discord in which we find ourselves when left to our own resources. We were made for God and we should not and need not wait to draw near to him.

as you were also called to the one hope of your call;

one Lord, one faith, one baptism;

one God and Father of all,

who is over all and through all and in all.

CFC Music - We Belong To God

24 October 2024 - to set the earth on fire

Today's Readings

(Audio)

I have come to set the earth on fire,

and how I wish it were already blazing!

John the Baptist had prophesied that Jesus would baptize "with the holy Spirit and fire" (see Luke 3:16). This looked forward to the events of Pentecost in which, as Jesus told his disciples, they would "be baptized with the Holy Spirit" (see Acts 1:5) when the Spirit would appear as tongues of fire (see Acts 2:3).

But the same Spirit that would so transform and empower the disciples would become a fire of judgment for those who rejected him, since, "the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire" (see Luke 3:16). The distinguishing factor that would make people experience blessing or judgment would be the response they made to Jesus himself. He did not delight in judgment, did not wish to divide families one from another.  But he did celebrate those who would choose him as their absolute and highest good, even over and against the pressure of their family and their society. He wanted the fire in the hearts of his people to burn above all with love for him and for his Father and to reduce to ash all the attachments that tried to hold them back from a full commitment to that love. 

Those who would not accept Jesus, and those who were hostile and rejected him, would only experience the Spirit's flames as a negative from their point of view as captives of the world, the flesh, and the devil. The Spirit would feel to them as though he were encroaching on their autonomy. What was meant to be purification would only feel like pain to those who struggled against it. If they chose to persist in rejecting transformation by the Spirit there was the very real possibility of choosing the fire of eternal judgment instead. The author of the letter to the Hebrews wrote that "our God is a consuming fire" (see Hebrews 12:29). That was meant to be something worthy of celebration. But whether it would be so for an individual was finally down to his own choice.

There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,

and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!

The baptism of the Spirit which Jesus won for his followers was contingent upon the baptism of his own crucifixion. It was at the cross that blood and the living water of the Holy Spirit flowed from his side. The cross not only canceled the condemnation of sin but also finally unsealed all of the blessings Jesus intended for his people. Hence we can see that the fire in the heart of Jesus himself made him eager to the point of anguish to endure it for our sakes. This unstoppable passion of his for us was meant to be contagious. It was meant to be part of what the Spirit would ignite, and did in fact ignite, in the hearts of the disciples at Pentecost.

Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?

No, I tell you, but rather division.

How is our own attitude regarding the passion of Jesus and what it implies about us and our mission? Have we caught fire in pursuit of Jesus? Or do we prefer lesser goods, choosing temporary and transient peace that cannot last instead of the true peace that can only come from as a fruit of the Spirit? If our flame is not burning brightly, or if it has been reduced to mere embers, we are invited to fan it into flames once again.

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands (see Second Timothy 1:6).

Jesus Culture - Set A Fire

TobyMac - Catchafire (Whoopsi-Daisy)

23 October 2024 - faithful servants

Today's Readings

(Audio)

You also must be prepared,

for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.

The Son of Man comes at an unexpected hour to see how his servants perform while he is apparently absent. He is often represented in parables as a figure who is distant or absent in order to reveal what is truly within the hearts of his subjects. Does their faith make them willing to remain obedient even when he seems distant? Or do they quickly forget about him and do their own thing? 

If we lose our sense of urgency, forget about his Kingdom, and become lost in our own pursuits we tend to begin to act selfishly and put ourselves at risk. We begin to live, not from the motivation of what we can do to contribute to Jesus and his Kingdom, but from the motivation of what we can get from this life and from those around us.

But if that servant says to himself,

‘My master is delayed in coming,’

and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants,

to eat and drink and get drunk,

then that servant’s master will come

The delay itself often seems to be the challenge to our faith that we either admirably overcome by obedience or which causes us to relegate Jesus and the Kingdom to something that isn't important 'right now'. Perhaps later. But if he isn't around anyway, then isn't this the time for us, for our pleasure and enjoyment? But this isn't the way to true happiness. If we persist in it Jesus's eventually coming will feel to us as an unwelcome surprise, visceral challenge to our attachments in which our egos "shall be beaten severely".

But Jesus does not come only at the end of time. He comes periodically to upset the stranglehold of our egos over worldly things. He comes in many ways and at various times when our attention is directed elsewhere. He appears as the thief who takes from us what was never truly ours, what we could not keep, in order that we can look to possess that which we can keep for eternity. 

Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,

and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.

We might be tempted to wish to remain in blissful ignorance of the master's will if knowledge of it makes us more accountable. But the thing is, it is possible not only to know his will, but to carry it out. Thus the person in the best position is not that of the servant ignorant of his master's will who was beaten lightly but rather the one who knew it and did it and was therefore beaten not at all. The master is fair but he does insist that we learn to be faithful. And for this sooner is always better than later.

My strength and my courage is the LORD,

and he has been my savior.

With joy you will draw water

at the fountain of salvation.

Bob Baker - Bring Your Kingdom

22 October 2024 - awaiting the master's return

Today's Readings

(Audio)

Gird your loins and light your lamps

There were to be like the Israelites in Egypt eating the Passover before their flight, since that people was commanded, "This is how you are to eat it: with your loins girt" (see Exodus 12:11). The disciples having their lamps lit would also be fitting for the imagery since the Passover took place at night.¹

and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,

ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.

There was an expectation that the the messiah would come during the celebration of a Passover meal (ibid). The disciples were not waiting to flee from Egypt, but rather for the messiah to come and lead them on the definitive exodus (see Luke 9:31) he was to accomplish, delivering his people from death and leading them to eternal life. 

Blessed are those servants

whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.

The master was to come and then the feast would truly begin and the deliverance would be accomplished. But it would be those awaiting his coming who would be prepared to participate in the feast. The messiah would indeed return, but some would be so caught up in worldly affairs and so compromised by collusion with evil that they would not only be unready but even unwilling to join the celebration. But those who were attentive to the presence of the master, looking to discover it in Scripture, the Sacraments, the believing community, and the poor and disadvantaged, would be ready to welcome the bridegroom when he arrived. By their faithfulness in the absence of the master they demonstrated their commitment to his Kingdom and their desire to dwell with him therein.

Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,

have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.

We probably would have thought that those waiting would need to serve the master on his arrival. At a different time Jesus told his disciples that a typical master would in fact not say to his servant, "Come at once and recline at table" (see Luke 17:7). But that was a caution against the disciples developing an attitude of entitlement on the basis of their service. Nevertheless, when describing the coming on the messiah we see that Jesus said that he did in fact plan to do precisely this. He would not wait for the servants to serve him, but would in fact to wait on them. This is what we experience when we participate in the celebration of the Eucharist with eyes of faith. And it is the culmination of this banquet in heaven to which we look forward at the end of time.

Let us be prepared. Jesus desires to come and dwell within those who watch for him and wait for his coming. May we be among them.

Through him the whole structure is held together

and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;

in him you also are being built together

into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

--

1) Gadenz, Pablo T.. The Gospel of Luke (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): (A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Catholic Biblical Scholars - CCSS) (p. 244). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. 

Maranatha! Music - He Is Our Peace

21 October 2024 - what matters to God?

Today's Readings

(Audio)

“Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.”

He replied to him,

“Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?”

It might seem like such a request from the man in the crowd actually honored the authority of Jesus, using him as a reference to whom his brother would have no choice but to listen. But this man had already come up with his own judgment and arbitration and only wanted Jesus' stamp of approval. His brother wouldn't listen to him so he would try to put his decision into the mouth of those to whom he would listen. Jesus seemed to respond by saying that he was not the judge and arbitrator of this case because the man had asked for it. Rather, as Moses was appointed by God to be judge of Israel, so too was Jesus given an authority by God, one which was still greater, to be the judge of the living in the dead. Since he did not serve at the behest of this or any man he would give a just judgment and not defer to the preferences of those involved. By comparing himself to Moses Jesus also implicitly warned against the temptation to murmur against him or reject him. 

Then he said to the crowd,

“Take care to guard against all greed,

for though one may be rich,

one’s life does not consist of possessions.”

When we bring our problems to Jesus we may find that he reveals things within us that need to change. Perhaps, like this man, we have something that we feel is a matter of fairness or justice or something which at least represents a lack of generosity on the part of another. In some way there seems to be something about someone else about which we wish Jesus would take action. But often he turns the tables on us, shifting the focus inward instead. We frequently believe we have reasonably noble motivations for what we ask but Jesus often reveals that our request truly issues from things like greed and inordinate desire and that we are merely masking them under a pretense of desire for justice. 

Then he told them a parable.

The man in the parable was described as rich already even before his land produced a bountiful harvest. It was clear that the fruit of his fields was actually more than he could store, and therefore more than he could use, at least any time soon. Rather than receiving such abundance as a sign of favor from God and making use of it to help others he could only think of himself. He built larger barns because by doing so it would be less essential for him to work hard in the future. If anything went wrong he would then have a contingency plan in place. But it turned out that he was so worried about the exigencies of this life that he wasn't rich in what mattered to God. He was anxious about what he would eat or drink without realizing that such disordered concern could not add a single day to his life (see Matthew 6:25-27). What he tried to accomplish was not merely prudent planning, but was actually the desire for excessive and unrealistic control that riches sometimes represent.

But God said to him,

‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you;

and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’

Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself

but is not rich in what matters to God.”

What matters to God? "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (see Micah 6:8). Riches are a lower good than family, which is a lower good than God. When we ask Jesus to arbitrate our case we should be prepared for him to reorder our hierarchy of goods so that they correspond, no longer to our fallen human nature, but to reality. He will do so precisely because of the great love he has for us.

But God, who is rich in mercy,

because of the great love he had for us,

even when we were dead in our transgressions,

brought us to life with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

raised us up with him,

and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus,

that in the ages to come

he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace

in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Matt Maher - Come To The Water