Author: admin

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Gospel:

The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 
So Jesus addressed this parable to them.
“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them
would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert
and go after the lost one until he finds it?
And when he does find it,
he sets it on his shoulders with great joy
and, upon his arrival home,
he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 
I tell you, in just the same way
there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous people
who have no need of repentance.

“Or what woman having ten coins and losing one
would not light a lamp and sweep the house,
searching carefully until she finds it?
And when she does find it,
she calls together her friends and neighbors
and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’ 
In just the same way, I tell you,
there will be rejoicing among the angels of God
over one sinner who repents.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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It’s not the shepherd’s fault that this sheep wandered off. But he’s the one who pays the price. He travels over mountains, through valleys, thickets and woods, looking for his lost sheep.

Wandering alone into the woods was risky, certainly as night fell. There could’ve been thieves, robbers, or other creatures lurking in the darkness, waiting to pounce on him.

Still, this shepherd risks his life in order to save his sheep.

That’s the goodness of God, who freely offers himself for us, we who’ve wandered off into the darkness – separating ourselves from God – for one reason or another.

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When have I wandered away from the Lord?

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Notice what happens when the shepherd finds his sheep.

The common practice would’ve been to break the sheep’s legs in order to prevent it from wandering off again, but this shepherd just picks it up, puts it on his shoulders, and gives it a free ride home. 

He doesn’t punish it for wandering off; he embraces the sheep joyfully.

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Jesus tells us that this is how God sees us. When we wander off, the Lord doesn’t stop looking for us until we’re found.

And when the Lord finds us – often in confession – he doesn’t punish us for wandering off; rather, he gives us a free ride home, back to the Church – back to this community of faith, where we belong.

Today let’s pray for all those who feel lost, unwelcome, or who have yet to experience the love of God, that they, too, may be found.

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Image credits: (1) Routinely Nomadic, Robert Frost (2) Pursue Wandering Sheep, 9marks.com (3) Jesus as Shepherd with Sheep Over Shoulders, Melani Pyke, Fine Art America

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Gospel: Matthew 5: 1-12

“When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. 
He began to teach them, saying:

    “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
        for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
    Blessed are they who mourn,
        for they will be comforted.
    Blessed are the meek,
        for they will inherit the land.
    Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
        for they will be satisfied.
    Blessed are the merciful,
        for they will be shown mercy.
    Blessed are the clean of heart,
        for they will see God.
    Blessed are the peacemakers,
        for they will be called children of God.
    Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
        for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
    Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
        and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
    Rejoice and be glad,
        for your reward will be great in heaven.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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The Saints are the merciful, the clean of heart, and the peacemakers, whom Jesus blesses in today’s Gospel.

Some examples include: 

Peter, the first Pope, who offered his life for Jesus.

Paul, the greatest missionary in history.

Francis of Assisi, an instrument of God’s peace.

And Teresa of Calcutta, a modern-day Saint, who showed the world how to love the poor.

These men and women changed the world. And, rightly, they’re revered as Saints.

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But most of the Saints were ordinary men and women like us.

Saint Conrad was a doorman. For 40 years, he stood and welcomed pilgrims to a Marian shrine in Germany.

Saint Zita was a cook.

Other Saints were barbers, farmers, maids, soldiers, and soccer players.

There’s nothing extraordinary about what they did; we can all welcome people coming to church, cook a meal in our soup kitchen, till the land in our backyard, or kick a soccer ball.

What’s the difference? What made them Saints? 

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They did ordinary tasks with extraordinary love, living out that great prayer of Saint Francis: 

“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.”

Bring the love of God wherever you go, and you, too, will be a Saint.

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Image credits: (1) Almost Saints, Denver Catholic (2) Pref-Tech (3) Dreamstime.com

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Philippians 2: 1-4

Brothers and sisters:
If there is any encouragement in Christ,
any solace in love,
any participation in the Spirit,
any compassion and mercy,
complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love,
united in heart, thinking one thing.
Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory;
rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves,
each looking out not for his own interests, 
but also everyone for those of others.

The Word of the Lord.

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“Humbly regard others as more important than yourselves,” Saint Paul says in our first reading.

Humility.

What is it? How do you define it?

The word “humility” comes from the Latin, “humus,” meaning, “earth.” 

A humble person is well-grounded. Their feet are firmly planted, allowing them to stand – not above or below – but shoulder to shoulder with their neighbor, including the poor, the crippled, and the blind as we hear in the Gospel.

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We know a humble person when we see them.

It’s the spouse who foregoes the last word, or the need to be right in an argument, in order to preserve peace in the household.

It’s the athlete who gets second place in a competition but sincerely congratulates the winner.

It’s the dad who forgoes a golf game in order to attend his child’s recital … or a meeting at church.

It’s the person you met at Mass on Sunday who promised to pray for you … and does so all week long … or longer.

It’s the person who quietly drops off fresh baked goodies for our café, or cleans the linens for Mass.

Often such acts go unnoticed, but the humble person doesn’t mind. They do it all out of love.

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In what ways might we practice that type of humility today?

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Image credits: (1) Jeff Brumley, Baptist Global News, Baylor University (2) Finding Humility, Movement Forward (3) Differencebetween.com