Author: admin

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2 John 4-9

[Chosen Lady:]
I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth
just as we were commanded by the Father.
But now, Lady, I ask you,
not as though I were writing a new commandment
but the one we have had from the beginning:
let us love one another.
For this is love, that we walk according to his commandments;
this is the commandment, as you heard from the beginning,
in which you should walk.

Many deceivers have gone out into the world,
those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh;
such is the deceitful one and the antichrist.
Look to yourselves that you do not lose what we worked for
but may receive a full recompense.
Anyone who is so “progressive”
as not to remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God;
whoever remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son.

The Word of the Lord.

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In January, 2019, Anthony Maggert, a retired Army veteran, was driving to Walter Reed Hospital for a routine doctor’s appointment, when suddenly he noticed a car pulled over on the side of the road with a flat tire.

Without hesitation, Maggert pulled over to help.

To his surprise, it was the late General, Colin Powell, an American hero and fellow Army veteran. The two quickly became friends.

Although it seemed like such a simple gesture – pulling over to help change a tire – Powell recognized in Maggert that instinctive selflessness, written into the hearts of all our veterans who freely offer themselves for others.

Today we remember their sacrifices. As the saying goes, “All gave some. Some gave all.”

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In Maggert’s case, he not only changed a tire. He also risked his life serving three tours in Iraq and two in Afghanistan, losing one of his legs along the way.

It’s hard to imagine equaling Maggert’s sacrifice, but perhaps the best way to thank him – and all those who’ve served our country – is to follow their example of service, putting the needs of others before our own.

As Jesus said, “There is no greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

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How, then, might we honor our veterans and be of some service to others today?

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Image credits: (1) LISA Academy Public Charter Schools (2) W9USA.com (3) Wink News

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Gospel: Luke 17: 20-25

Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come,
Jesus said in reply,
“The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’
For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.”

Then he said to his disciples,
“The days will come when you will long to see
one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.
There will be those who will say to you,
‘Look, there he is,’ or ‘Look, here he is.’
Do not go off, do not run in pursuit.
For just as lightning flashes
and lights up the sky from one side to the other,
so will the Son of Man be in his day.
But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“The kingdom of God is among you,” Jesus says in today’s Gospel.

What does it mean to have God’s kingdom “among” us?

Some scholars translate Christ’s words not as, God’s kingdom is among us; rather, God’s kingdom is within us.

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Think about it.

“The kingdom of God is within you.”

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It is first born inside our soul in baptism, then it slowly builds and flows out into the world through our words and actions. 

All it takes is a kind deed, a simple prayer, an apology, or a hug to someone who needs it.

These little things build God’s kingdom of peace gesture by gesture. 

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“The kingdom of God is within you,” the Lord says. 

Now make it flow out into the world today.

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Image credits: (1) Reverb Nation, Chosen (2) Cornerstone Church Long Beach, Sermon Series (3) Quote Fancy

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Gospel: John 2: 13-22

Since the Passover of the Jews was near,
Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves,
as well as the money-changers seated there.
He made a whip out of cords
and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen,
and spilled the coins of the money-changers
and overturned their tables,
and to those who sold doves he said,
“Take these out of here,
and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”
His disciples recalled the words of Scripture,
    Zeal for your house will consume me.
At this the Jews answered and said to him,
“What sign can you show us for doing this?”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
The Jews said,
“This temple has been under construction for forty-six years,
and you will raise it up in three days?”
But he was speaking about the temple of his Body.
Therefore, when he was raised from the dead,
his disciples remembered that he had said this,
and they came to believe the Scripture
and the word Jesus had spoken.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Today’s sermon is on the Feast of the Dedication of Saint John Lateran, a church in Rome.

For the first three hundred years after the death and resurrection of Christ, Christians were forbidden to worship in public. 

In fact, when they were found at Mass, which was celebrated either in homes or underground, many were killed on the spot.

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Finally, in the year 313 AD, the Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, making it the official religion of the Empire. 

He then built the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, allowing Christians to publicly profess their faith.

To this day, we can visit, pray, and worship in that church, which is the oldest church in the world, located in the very heart of Rome.

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The Basilica of Saint John Lateran symbolizes three important freedoms: 

The freedom to possess a house of worship, the freedom to worship God in public, and the freedom to hand on our faith without the threat of violence.

We should pray for Christians in different parts of the world who, like the first Christians, do not have these freedoms; pray for them who risk their safety in order to worship God.

Equally, we should be grateful that these liberties remain intact here in America. As we heard in our responsorial Psalm today, “the Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.”

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Image credits: (1) Catacombs at Saint Peter’s Altar, Salzburg (2) Saint John Lateran, Wikipedia (3) Saint John Lateran, Wikipedia