Author: admin

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Gospel: Luke 10: 13-16

Jesus said to them,
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst
had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would long ago have repented,
sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon
at the judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum, ‘Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the netherworld.’
Whoever listens to you listens to me.
Whoever rejects you rejects me.
And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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The disciples are sent out on two missionary journeys prior to the death and resurrection of Jesus. 

First, the Lord sends out the Twelve Apostles in chapter 9 of Luke’s Gospel. They are given the mandate to heal the sick, to cast out demons, and to spread God’s peace. Later, they return rejoicing that, “even the demons are subject to us.”

In chapter 10 of Luke’s Gospel, the Lord doubles-down and sends out seventy more of his disciples to do the very same thing. Thus, the kingdom of God begins spreading.

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In between these two missionary journeys, Saint Luke wedges in the “woes” of Jesus. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!”

We do not know much about these towns, aside from the fact that the Lord must’ve preached to and healed people there, yet they did not come to faith or amend their lives.

Thus, Luke reminds us that sharing the Gospel is not always fruitful; sometimes our efforts fall upon deaf ears and closed hearts. 

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What might this difficult, even sad, Gospel passage say to us today?

We all have loved ones – parents, a spouse, children, or peers – who have seen God at work in our lives and have heard the Gospel message, yet they remain indifferent or outright against the Church.

This is an undeniable source of pain for many. We can invite, preach, teach, and pray until our hair falls out and yet, it seems, sometimes our efforts fall upon deaf ears. While some of this is predicted by the Lord, what the Church needs today are new tools of evangelization.

As the Body of Christ, we must discern: “How do we bring people back to faith? How do we share the Gospel with people who’ve never heard it? How do we soften hardened hearts?”

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Part of the answer involves being willing to share our faith. While words will not solve every problem, Saint Peter reminds us: “Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope.”

If someone were to ask you, “Why do you go to Mass, as opposed to just praying from home?Why do you believe in Jesus?” Or, selfishly, “What’s in it for me?” … What might you say?

Like the disciples sent forth in the Gospel, your answer may give them a reason to hope.

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Image credits: (1) The Conversation (2) Forward in Christ (3) Pioneer Bible Translators

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Gospel: Matthew 18: 1-5, 10

The disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Humans are fascinated by angels. What does the bible tell us about them? What is their purpose today?

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In heaven, God is surrounded by angels dressed in white, radiating light as they worship him eternally. Some also bring his message down to earth or serve as his military force, rescuing the righteous from death and exercising judgment over those who do evil.

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Scripture tells us that the angels are celibate; that they do not feast on earthly food; and that they do not sleep; rather, they keep watch perpetually over the affairs of heaven and earth.

Some people have made an entire religious practice out of living like the angels by praying for extended periods of time, fasting, and claiming life-long virginity, in the hopes of someday sharing in their heavenly company.

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The only time angels seem to be absent in the scriptures is during Christ’s public ministry, certainly when compared to the infancy and resurrection narratives. 

When Christ is first born, the angels sing glory to God. And when Mary Magdalene rushes to the empty tomb, angels ask her, “Why are you weeping?” Christ had been raised from the dead!

But during Jesus’ public ministry, the angels are notably silent. There wasn’t a need for these divine messengers while someone greater than they are was present.

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Since his return in glory to the Father, our guardian angels now re-occupy the interplay between heaven and earth, keeping watch over us all, interceding on our behalf.

May they guide our feet into the way of peace. 

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Image credits: (1) Two Angels, Raphael (2) Saint Benedict Center (3) The Dream of Jacob, Nicholas Dipre

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Gospel: Luke 9: 57-62

As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding
on their journey, someone said to him,
“I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus answered him,
“Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
And to another he said, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead.
But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.”
And another said, “I will follow you, Lord,
but first let me say farewell to my family at home.”
Jesus answered him, “No one who sets a hand to the plow
and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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At the age of 24, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, whose feast day we celebrate, lay on her deathbed holding a crucifix.

Five of her final words were: My God, I love you!

That simple gesture of confessing her love for Christ while suffering, clinging to a crucifix, is key to understanding her spirituality.

Thérèse believed that no action was extraordinary in itself; on the surface, there’s nothing profound about speech, even from one’s deathbed. 

What is profound is the devotion behind her words: My God, I love you! Thérèse reminds us that it’s not what we do or say that matters, as much as why we do it.

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A 20^th century Saint later adopted Thérèse’s name and spirituality. We know her as Mother Teresa. 

Like Thérèse, Mother Teresa spent her life doing ordinary things with extraordinary love: clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, washing the wounds of lepers, clutching people in her arms as they died of disease or starvation.

Each person, she said, was, “Christ in distressing disguise.”

Both of these saintly women proved with their lives, “My God, I love you!”

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We, too, can be Saints like them, simply by living ordinary lives with extraordinary love.

Show by your actions today, My God, I love you!

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Image credits: (1) Redbubble (2) Congregation of the Holy Cross, Therese of Lisieux (3) A Christian Pilgrimage, WordPress