Author: admin

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2 Corinthians 4: 7-15

Brothers and sisters:
We hold this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.
We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained;
perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned;
struck down, but not destroyed;
always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.
For we who live are constantly being given up to death
for the sake of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.So death is at work in us, but life in you.
Since, then, we have the same spirit of faith,
according to what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke,
we too believe and therefore speak, 
knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus
will raise us also with Jesus
and place us with you in his presence.
Everything indeed is for you,
so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people
may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.

The Word of the Lord.

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The Hoover Dam is situated in the desert, between Arizona and Nevada. When constructed in the 1930’s, the goal of the dam was to provide water – and by extension, life – to vast areas of the Western United States.

To this day it remains an essential source of water and hydroelectric power.

Inevitably during the construction of the dam, over 100 people lost their lives due to dehydration and disease.

When the dam was completed, a tablet was set in the wall with the names of the men who died and the inscription: “These died that the desert might rejoice and blossom as the rose.”

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While all of these men worked to earn their daily bread, perhaps some of them also knew the value of their labor; perhaps some were willing to suffer, even to offer their lives, for the sake of generations to come.

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This is the Christian attitude that Paul writes about extensively in his pastoral letters, including in our first reading today.

Christians were commonly killed in the first three centuries after the death and resurrection of Christ – Saint Paul and Saint James, whose feast day we celebrate today, included.

But Paul urges Christians to remember that, even should their faith and ministry cost them their lives, future generations will find Christ because of them.

You might say, “No cross…no crown.”

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On this Feast of Saint James, may we all unite our suffering to the Cross of Jesus – whether that’s from fending off temptation, staying loyal to the Lord, or persevering in the desert of prayer.

Much like those men who constructed the Hoover Dam, our labor for the Gospel will give life for generations to come.

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Image credits: (1) Pinterest (2) Wikipedia (3) Inspirational Christian Blogs

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Gospel: Luke 11: 1-13

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished,
one of his disciples said to him,
“Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” 
He said to them, “When you pray, say:
Father, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins
for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test.”

And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend
to whom he goes at midnight and says,
‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey
and I have nothing to offer him,’
and he says in reply from within,
‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked
and my children and I are already in bed. 
I cannot get up to give you anything.’
I tell you,
if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves
because of their friendship,
he will get up to give him whatever he needs
because of his persistence.

“And I tell you, ask and you will receive;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you. 
For everyone who asks, receives;
and the one who seeks, finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 
What father among you would hand his son a snake
when he asks for a fish? 
Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? 
If you then, who are wicked,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will the Father in heaven
give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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One of the most exciting times of the year is summer CCD. It’s amazing to see our church filled with kids who are ready learn about Jesus.

As they begin diving into the faith, inevitably questions arise.

For example, one of the teachers came up to me and said, “Father, how do you define prayer? The kids are asking me some hard questions about it.”

“Like what?” I said.

“Well, they’re wondering if prayer is like a competition.”

“What?”

“Well, one of the kids said, ‘What if I asked God to let me win first place in a race and my friend asked God for the same thing. If he gets first place and I don’t, then does God love him more than me?’”

No, prayer isn’t a competition. 

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Nor is it a guarantee.

If I prayed for a BMW today and received it tomorrow, then everyone would pray! But we don’t always get what we pray for.

By a show of hands, how many of us prayed for something and not received it?

If Jesus were seated in these pews, this his hand would be raised, too.

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Even Jesus was told, “no.” 

Remember what happened in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knelt down and prayed, “Father, let this cup pass from me… yet not my will, but yours be done.” 

Hours later, he’s led off to Calvary. 

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So, if prayer doesn’t guarantee us first place, freedom from suffering, or a BMW in our driveway, then what does prayer do? 

Why should we pray?

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Because Jesus prayed, leaving us an example to follow. The disciples saw the difference it made in his ministry firsthand, which is why they ask him in today’s Gospel, “Lord, teach us how to pray.”

Consider moments when Jesus prayed and the effect it had on his ministry: he prayed before choosing his twelve Apostles. 

He prayed before performing miracles like the raising of Lazarus, the multiplication of the loaves, and walking on water. 

He prayed before calling Peter the “rock” of the Church, handing him the keys to the kingdom of heaven…then he prayed for Peter again that his faith would not fail after being scandalized by Jesus’ crucifixion.

How many of us find ourselves in a similar situation?

We need to make an important life decision; we need a miracle; we want courage to carry our cross; we want peace; we want to intercede on someone else’s behalf as Jesus did for Peter. 

At these intersections, we’re called to pray!

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Often enough, God does give us what we ask for. “Ask and you shall receive,” Jesus says, “seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Hasn’t our journey together over the last two years been an answer to prayer? 

I’m humbled when I think about a particular parishioner, who said to me when we first met, “Father, I prayed to Jesus, asking for a young priest who’s on fire. Then you arrived.”

And I said, “Well, I certainly hope I fit the bill!”

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So, why does God answer some – but not all – of our prayers?

Parents, think about when your children approach you asking for something.

Whatever it may be, they are convinced that it’s best for them. Sometimes they’re right. But not always.

God sees us the same way. When we ask for something, we are convinced it’s exactly what we need. Sometimes we’re right. But not always.

God is our Heavenly Father who knows what is best for us. But like children who must communicate their needs to their parents, so we must also share our desires with God.

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So, what’s one thing I’m praying for? 

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“I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you,” Jesus says.

If you don’t get what you desire right away, then persevere in prayer. God will always give us what we need, so long as we ask.

Even when the answer is “no,” we’re called to trust – as Jesus did in Gethsemane – that our Father knows best.

The resurrection is proof of that.

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Image credits: (1) Velvet Ashes (2) An Encounter with Yeshua, Yongsung Kim (3) A Perfect Peace, Yongsung Kim

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Gospel: John 20: 11-18

Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping.
And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb
and saw two angels in white sitting there,
one at the head and one at the feet
where the Body of Jesus had been.
And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “They have taken my Lord,
and I don’t know where they laid him.”
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there,
but did not know it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom are you looking for?”
She thought it was the gardener and said to him,
“Sir, if you carried him away,
tell me where you laid him,
and I will take him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,”
which means Teacher.
Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me,
for I have not yet ascended to the Father.
But go to my brothers and tell them,
‘I am going to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.’”
Mary went and announced to the disciples,
“I have seen the Lord,”
and then reported what he had told her.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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I admire Mary Magdalene so much in this Gospel passage. She represents a soul possessed entirely with love for God.

When she reaches the empty tomb, she’s overwhelmed with anxiety: “They have taken away my Lord! Where did they lay him? Where could he be? Give him to me!” she says frantically. 

She tells everyone she sees that Jesus is gone. She tells Peter and John; she tells the angels in the tomb; she even tells Jesus himself, whom she mistakes for a gardener.

“Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.”

Mary is so preoccupied with finding Jesus that she doesn’t even mention his name. She presumes that everyone is in the same state of mind that she is; that everyone is looking for “him”; that everyone cares about “him” as much as she does.

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Mary shows us that when love of God takes possession of a soul, there is no longer room in one’s heart for contrary desires. Everything is about doing God’s will, for God’s glory.

Nothing else – and no one else – will do. 

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Like Mary Magdalene, are we consumed with love for God? 

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May Mary, who was the first person to see the Risen Lord, intercede on our behalf, that one day everyone will be like a soul on fire; consumed with love for Christ… starting with us.

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Image credits: (1) Christ Risen from the Tomb, Bergonone(2) Christ the Gardener, Eduoart Manet (3) Pinterest