Author: admin

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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

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Matthew 19: 27-29

Peter said to Jesus,
“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.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Who do you know more about, Saint Francis of Assisi or Saint Clare?

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Most of us would probably say, “Saint Francis of Assisi.”

He was a lover of animals; he started the Franciscans; he was an itinerant preacher; he lived in Italy; and he wrote that fabulous prayer, “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.”

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But what about Saint Clare? Who was she?

Both Francis and Clare were born into wealthy Italian families. Both jettisoned their fortunes to follow the Lord. Both are considered Saints. They were also best friends.

Clare was drawn to Francis’ deep spirit and jovial nature. In fact, they became so close that Clare founded a second order of the Franciscans, the Poor Clares.

To this day, both religious orders remain active around the world, some 800 years after their founding.

But what draws me to Saint Clare is the fact that, unlike Francis, she’s largely forgotten. 

Although they were very close friends; although they both helped rebuild and reform the Church; although they both made incredible sacrifices to follow the Lord, Francis receives most of the recognition.

And for Claire, that was okay. She didn’t need the spotlight; so long as God was glorified.

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Claire reminds us that every Christian should seek to build the Kingdom of God in two ways, through humility and friendship. 

Find people who bring out the best in us, who challenge us to become better, more humble servants, who sanctify our spirit much like Francis did for Clare. 

Do I have such a friend? And, more importantly, can I be such a friend?

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Image credits: (1) Goodnet.org (2) Franciscan Media (3) woman’s day

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Gospel: Matthew 18: 1-5, 10-14

The disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever becomes humble like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.
What is your opinion?
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. 
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost.”

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.

This shepherd 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 another. 

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

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Notice what happens when the shepherd finds his sheep: a common practice would’ve been to break its legs in order to prevent it from wandering off again.

But this shepherd just picks his sheep up, puts it on his shoulders, and gives it a free ride home. 

The sheep isn’t punished for wandering off; it’s embraced when found. 

Its dignity remains intact.

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Similarly, there isn’t anything God won’t do in order to seek us out. 

And when he finds us, the Lord doesn’t punish us for wandering off; he doesn’t break our legs. He puts us on his shoulders, offering us a free ride home, back to the Church, where we belong. 

Our dignity remains intact.

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Whenever we feel lost or need to be found, simply call on the Lord until you feel his embrace.

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Image credits: (1) embracedbyGod.org (2) Pinterest (3) Million Minutes