Author: admin

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Gospel: Matthew 19:23-30

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich
to enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Again I say to you,
it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.”
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said,
“Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said,
“For men this is impossible,
but for God all things are possible.”
Then Peter said to him in reply,
“We have given up everything and followed you.
What will there be for us?”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you
that you who have followed me, in the new age,
when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory,
will yourselves sit on twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters
or father or mother or children or lands
for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more,
and will inherit eternal life.
But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Samuel Johnson, an 18^th century author, once visited a friend’s estate in the English countryside. After seeing all of the ornate rooms, Persian rugs, and priceless paintings on the wall, he said:

“These are the things which make it difficult to die.”

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Jesus never says it’s impossible for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Riches are not a sin.

But Johnson reminds us that riches are a danger, because we can easily become attached to them, valuing earthly things more than heavenly things.

For example, think about how we might feel if we woke up tomorrow morning and our house was downsized; our closet cut in half; our bookshelves emptied; and our car ten years old older.

It’d be shocking! Some of us might be saddened by it. I know I would be. I like my little home and creaturely comforts.

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Meanwhile, there are families who cannot make ends meet; refugees seeking shelter; children who haven’t eaten since yesterday. 

Or even the day before.

This doesn’t mean that we have to turn our lives upside down and sell everything we have. But we should do what we can.

As Saint Paul says, “God loves a cheerful giver.”

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In what ways do I share my blessings with others?

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Riches are not a sin. But they are a danger.

Like Samuel Johnson, if we find ourselves feeling a little too attached, then perhaps it’s time to part with some of our riches, sharing them with those in most need. 

After all, God loves a cheerful giver.

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Image credits: (1) LinkedIn (2) Architectural Digest (3) SoulFully You, WordPress

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Gospel: Luke 12: 49-53

Jesus said to his disciples:
“I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already blazing! 
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,
and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished! 
Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? 
No, I tell you, but rather division. 
From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son
and a son against his father,
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her mother,
a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Almost 12 years ago to the day, the entrance to a mine in northern Chile collapsed, leaving 33 men trapped 2,300 feet beneath the surface of the earth. Suddenly, they were enveloped in darkness… a darkness that would prevail for 69 days.

News of their situation went viral as they became known as, “Los 33”… “The 33.”  

An international team of doctors, scientists, and engineers worked around the clock to save them. And, miraculously, they did.

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When “the 33” were being extracted out of the earth, one of the primary threats to their health was light. 

Although light is necessary for survival, if we are deprived of it long enough – as those miners in Chile were – then instant exposure to it can feel like fire. 

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In today’s Gospel, Jesus uses strong – and strange – language. “I have come to set the world on fire,” he says, “and how I wish it were already blazing!”

What exactly is this “fire” that he’s referring to? Does Jesus want to set the world ablaze? Or burn us like miners coming out of a cave? 

Of course not.

But there is something which he came to burn away: the darkness – the sin – that separates us from God. 

This is why he describes God’s love as a “fire.” When God is with us, his love for us burns like a fire, purifying our lives.

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If you are in a good place spiritually, then that love feels like a “fire” in the best sense of the word – it warms you and illumines your path.

As the Psalmist says, “Your word is a lamp for my path and a light for my steps.” 

God’s love can also fill your heart with fiery passion. As the prophet Jeremiah reminds us, “Your WORD is like a fire in my bones; woe to me if I do not preach it!” 

We see this divine fire at work in the lives of all the Saints, who put God first in their lives.

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But, if you’re not in a good place spiritually, then that same divine “fire” can feel painful as it purifies.

For example, the first day of sobriety can feel like fire to an addict. God is burning away an addiction.

Telling the truth can feel like fire to someone caught in a lie. God is burning away dishonesty.

Forgiving a deep-seeded wound can feel like fire to someone who’s been nursing a grudge. God is burning anger away.

An act of humility can feel like fire to our ego.

Honesty, self-control, forgiveness, and humility … these are all good things! They’re necessary for spiritual growth and healthy relationships. They’re the fruit of God’s Spirit working in our lives!

But, in order for these virtues to grow, God must melt away our pride. That’s hard. It burns.

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Think about those Chilean miners stuck inside a cave for 69 days. They were deprived of light for so long that immediate exposure to it would’ve singed their eyes and skin. They needed gradual exposure before returning to the light.

Similarly, the more distant we are from God, the more his love can burn like a purifying fire when we are exposed to it. But the suffering it causes is meant to lead us to salvation.

As the Book of Wisdom reminds us, “The souls of the just are in the hand of God…because God tried them and found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them.” 

As we emerge from various trials in life, we may find that our faith in God was tested – and strengthened – as gold in the fire.

So, what has my spiritual journey been like? 

Am I ever tempted to shy away from the light, to retreat back into the cave, as it were? Are there parts of me that the Lord still wants to purify out of love?

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“Let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us,” the Letter to the Hebrews says, “and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,” who came to set the world on fire with God’s salvific love.  

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Image credits: (1) RobertCliftonRobinson.com (2) Aleteia (3) Ask for the FIRE of God, WordPress

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Gospel: Matthew 19: 3-12

Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying,
“Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?”
He said in reply, “Have you not read that from the beginning
the Creator made them male and female and said,
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?
So they are no longer two, but one flesh.
Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate.” 
They said to him, “Then why did Moses command
that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss her?”
He said to them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts
Moses allowed you to divorce your wives,
but from the beginning it was not so.
I say to you, whoever divorces his wife
(unless the marriage is unlawful)
and marries another commits adultery.”
His disciples said to him,
“If that is the case of a man with his wife,
it is better not to marry.”
He answered, “Not all can accept this word,
but only those to whom that is granted.
Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so;
some, because they were made so by others;
some, because they have renounced marriage
for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever can accept this ought to accept it.”  

The Gospel of the Lord.

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If your marriage is strong – if you’re living the ideal that our Lord sets before us – then give thanks to God… and to your spouse!

You’re an inspiration to many.

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If your marriage is on the rocks, then know Jesus is with you. He wants your marriage to succeed just as much as you do.

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If you’ve endured the heartbreaking experience of divorce, then know that Jesus is still walking with you, he still loves you, and he still calls you to be his disciple.

We cannot avoid this unfortunate truth: sometimes relationships fail. It’s part of living in a fallen world.

But God never fails us. 

He is forever faithful, the Good Shepherd, who stands ready to place us on his shoulders when we fall and carry us forward. He’s a God who’s always looking for the next door to open.

The last thing the Lord would ever do is pick at our faults or rejoice in our failings. It’s simply not who he is. 

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As Christians, what the Lord asks of us is to extend the same mercy to others that he so often shows to us.

“For you shall be judged as you have judged,” Jesus says.

Instead of excluding those who’ve been deeply hurt already, perhaps today we can pray for the needs of many: couples who are firmly in love; couples who are struggling in their marriage; relationships that have ended; and those who hope to marry someday.

May the Lord guide us all along the path of healing and peace.

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Image credits: (1) Pauline.org (2) American Psychological Association (3) Connected Marriage