Author: admin

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Gospel: Luke 6: 20-26

Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for the Kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are now hungry,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who are now weeping,
for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you,
and when they exclude and insult you,
and denounce your name as evil
on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!
Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.  
For their ancestors treated the prophets
in the same way.
But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
But woe to you who are filled now,
for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will grieve and weep.
Woe to you when all speak well of you,
for their ancestors treated the false 
prophets in this way.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“Blessed are the poor… the hungry… the weeping… and those who are hated because of my name… Your reward will be great in heaven.”

While that’s good news for those who are suffering around the world – particularly because of their faith – what about the rest of us?

What about those of us gathered here this morning?

How are we to be “blessed” in Jesus’ eyes?

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Perhaps we can turn to Matthew’s version of this Gospel passage, also known as the Beatitudes. Instead of calling the “poor” blessed, Matthew says, “blessed are the poor in spirit.”

To be “poor in spirit” means to, “know your need for God.”

Blessed are those who know their need for God.

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We gather here every morning because we know our need for God. 

We turn to him when life gets heavy. 

We turn to him after the loss of a loved one.

We offer him our needs, bundled up with our love and praise.

We ask God for guidance in prayer and try our best to please him. 

“Blessed are you,” Jesus says, for bringing God into the picture; for living a life of “we,” not just “me.”

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How can I show the Lord I need him, I’m “poor in spirit,” today?

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Image credits: (1) Bible Love Notes (2) Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls (3) Interrupting the Silence

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Gospel: luke 6: 12 – 19

Jesus departed to the mountain to pray,
and he spent the night in prayer to God.
When day came, he called his disciples to himself,
and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,
James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon who was called a Zealot,
and Judas the son of James,
and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground.
A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people 
from all Judea and Jerusalem
and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon
came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;
and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured.
Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him
because power came forth from him and healed them all.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Growing up, I remember playing backyard sports with my older brother and his friends. I was often chosen last because I was the youngest; the tag-along; the runt of the group.

If you wanted to win, then choosing me wasn’t the smartest idea.

It hurt being chosen last… every time… but humanly speaking, it was understandable. Everyone else was taller, stronger, and faster.

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But what happens when God enters a person’s life? 

All of a sudden, being young, slower, or inexperienced doesn’t matter. God can do anything through anyone. In fact, throughout the Bible, we see God choosing the least likely person to carry out his will.

Consider what happens in today’s Gospel.

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Jesus chooses the twelve most unlikely men to be on his “team.”

None of them were scholars of the Law; nor were they wealthy, famous, educated, or influential in society. They were ordinary men, mostly fishermen, with their own share of flaws.

But Jesus gives them the grace to change – first themselves and then the world. 

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After the resurrection, the Apostles go out and preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth, as far west as Spain and as far east as India! Many of them gave their lives doing so.

But their courage – and successful preaching – remind us that God can do extraordinary things through ordinary people like us.

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So, what has God given me do to in life?

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Whatever it is – whether that means being a parent, spouse, teacher, priest, servant, or missionary like the Apostles – we can do it all through Christ who strengthens us.

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Image credits: (1) Franciscan Media, Fritz von Uhde (2) Kids First Community (3) +Jesus

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Gospel: Luke 6: 6-11

On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught,
and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.
The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely
to see if he would cure on the sabbath
so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.
But he realized their intentions
and said to the man with the withered hand,
“Come up and stand before us.”
And he rose and stood there.
Then Jesus said to them,
“I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath
rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?”
Looking around at them all, he then said to him,
“Stretch out your hand.”
He did so and his hand was restored.
But they became enraged
and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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There’s a catch-phrase that’s seeped into our vocabulary as of late:

“See something, say something.”

Maybe you’ve seen the commercial. A man leaves a backpack next to a garbage can or a bench and then he suspiciously walks away.

“See something, say something.”

One of the underlying themes behind this message is that life is beautiful. It’s worth saving. If you notice someone may be in danger – if you see something – say something!

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This same idea is at work in today’s Gospel.

But instead of “see something, say something,” Jesus steps it up a notch.

“See something, do something.”

There’s a man with a withered hand. Tradition tells us that he was a stone mason; he needed his hands in order to earn a living. So, he approaches Jesus, and says, “Please, Lord, give me my hand back so that I may work and not beg.”

God always looks with approval upon the person who wants to do an honest day’s work. (We celebrate this truth today on Labor Day). And so, instantly, this man is healed.

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This Gospel passage not only reminds us of the dignity of human labor, it also reminds us that “impossible” is not a word that should exist in Christian vocabulary. Our God works miracles.

In my priestly ministry, I’ve witnessed the Lord heal three people physically just in the last six months. Two of them were on the brink of death! “Impossible” should not exist in our vocabulary. 

But here’s a word for all of us: there are moments when we all encounter a person in need – either physically, emotionally, or spiritually. There’s always something we can do to alleviate their pain.

When you “see something, say something.” Or, better, “do something.”

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Image credits: (1) (2) Pauca Verba (3) Animal Activism