Author: admin

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Gospel: Luke 13:22-30

Jesus passed through towns and villages,
teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.
Someone asked him,
“Lord, will only a few people be saved?”
He answered them, 
“Strive to enter through the narrow gate,
for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter
but will not be strong enough.
After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door,
then will you stand outside knocking and saying,
‘Lord, open the door for us.’
He will say to you in reply,
‘I do not know where you are from.’
And you will say,
‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’
Then he will say to you,
‘I do not know where you are from.
Depart from me, all you evildoers!’
And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth
when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God
and you yourselves cast out.
And people will come from the east and the west
and from the north and the south
and will recline at table in the Kingdom of God.
For behold, some are last who will be first,
and some are first who will be last.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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If you’ve ever traveled through an airport, then you know the drill of going through security.

When it’s your turn, you must empty your pockets, remove your jacket, belt, and shoes, and place your luggage on a conveyor belt before walking through the metal detector.

That “narrow gate” has no room for your luggage; we ourselves can barely fit!

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Isn’t that an appropriate image for life? 

We cannot take anything with us when we pass through the “narrow gate.” All we can bring with us are the intangibles: the good works we’ve done and the faith we’ve nurtured.

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In what ways might I grow in charity and faith?

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“Strive to enter through the narrow gate,” Jesus says, “for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.”

But, amazingly, those whose faith rests in the Son of God will squeeze through.

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Image credits: (1) Christianity.com (2) Smiths Detection (3) loveliveson.com

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Gospel: Luke 13: 18-21

Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like?
To what can I compare it?
It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden.
When it was fully grown, it became a large bush
and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.”

Again he said, “To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God?
It is like yeast that a woman took
and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch of dough was leavened.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Leonardo da Vinci said, “Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.”

For example, if a spider were to spin a web three feet long by three feet wide, and I cut a hole the size of a penny into one of its corners, then the entire web would lose a certain amount of strength. 

Every inch of that web is connected. 

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Think about your spiritual life in a similar way.

Although we might not see a direct connection between every particular action and our overall sense of wellbeing, everything is connected.

If you increase your personal prayer time, then you’ll also notice a decrease in your stress level.

If you’re generous, then you’ll find a greater sense of detachment from worldly things.

If you’re involved in parish ministry, then you may find a stronger sense of peace.

If you give more time to the Lord, then you may find more time for yourself.

As Jesus says in today’s Gospel, a single pinch of yeast permeates an entire loaf. Everything works together; everything is connected.

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What’s something positive that I can do to nourish my spiritual life today?

Perhaps it’s a few minutes spent in prayer. A phone call to a friend. A quiet walk through nature.

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That single action can increase your overall sense of wellbeing. Like repairing a hole cut into a web, somehow, it’s all connected.

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Image credits: (1) PriceHealth.ca (2) Academy for Systems Change (3) Damron Chiropractic and Wellness

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Gospel:

Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath.
And a woman was there who for eighteen years
had been crippled by a spirit;
she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect.
When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said,
“Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.”
He laid his hands on her,
and she at once stood up straight and glorified God.
But the leader of the synagogue,
indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath,
said to the crowd in reply,
“There are six days when work should be done.
Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day.”
The Lord said to him in reply, “Hypocrites!
Does not each one of you on the sabbath
untie his ox or his ass from the manger
and lead it out for watering?
This daughter of Abraham,
whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now,
ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day
from this bondage?”
When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated;
and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Once again, the Lord teaches us how to love one another.

In the Temple, Jesus spots a woman who’s been hunched over for 18 years. His heart is moved with compassion for her … and immediately he acts.

“He laid his hands on her,” the Gospel tells us, “and she at once stood up straight and glorified God.”

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This is the mark of a true disciple of Jesus: we see someone suffering – and, immediately, we act.

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Too often our hearts are moved with compassion for the sick, the poor, and the lonely, but we fail to do something concrete about it. This isn’t because we don’t want to, but for one reason or another we put it off.

Consider the difference between these few examples:

“I should call and check up on my neighbor.” Versus, “I will call them now. If they don’t answer, then I will knock on their door…If still no response, then I will try again tomorrow.”

“I should forgive those hurt feelings deep within.” Versus, “I will not stop praying until the Lord takes this burden of anger from me.”

“I should be more generous to the less fortunate.” Versus, “I will increase my giving to charitable causes this holiday season and spend time serving the poor, learning their names, and listening to their stories.”

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Jesus saw a woman hunched over for 18 years and, immediately, he acted.

May we have that same type of responsive compassion for others today.

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Image credits: (1) Theconsecratedwoman.wordpress.com (2) RedeemerBibleChurch.org (3) altavi.com