Author: admin

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To me, singing is like whistling; you can only do it when you’re happy.

Why, then, are Paul and Silas singing in our first reading?

Hours ago, they were publically humiliated, stripped and beaten with rods. Now it’s midnight, they’re in the belly of a prison and their feet are chained to a stake.

By most standards, that’s a pretty dire situation, and yet there they are, “singing songs to God as the prisoners listened.”

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They will not waste a moment. 

Knowledge of Christ’s resurrection has been firmly planted in their hearts. And they know that when their own journeys are complete they, too, will rise from the dead. 

In the meantime, Christ gives them the strength they need to do his will – and to do it joyfully.

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Though we likely won’t find ourselves in chains this day, we may encounter people who feel imprisoned by insecurity, loneliness, grief or addiction.

Like Paul and Silas, perhaps we can put a smile on their face and give them a reason to hope.

But like singing and whistling, spreading the Gospel can only be done with joy.

When was the last time you had a family argument, whether it was with your spouse, your children, your brother or sister?

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Perhaps some of us even had an argument on the way to church today! 

“Mom, he’s wearing my shirt again!” … “Stop hitting your brother!” … “Gimme that! Those are my bows!” … “It’s my turn to sit in the front seat!” … “Mom, I don’t want to go to church today!” … “Stop whining! Everybody in the car!”

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Siblings and spouses are amazing, aren’t they? They can make us laugh, cry, angry, and joyful…all in a day.

Let’s face it: No family is perfect.

Every family has its share of arguments – of harsh words exchanged at the dinner table, sibling tussles, days of the silent treatment… and even the occasional plate flying across the kitchen!

To some extent that’s natural. We’re all imperfect. We make mistakes. And that makes it hard to live underneath the same roof – and in some cases, the same room.

But when these arguments happen – as they inevitably will – we must be careful not to let them tear us apart. 

Otherwise the anger turns into silence… the silence turns into grudges… grudges turn into distance… and distance fades into absence.

As Jesus says in the Gospels, “A house divided amongst itself will fall.”

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Is my house divided?

If so, what can our readings teach us about problem solving?

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Just as families have their share of arguments, so does the Church. 

In our first reading we hear about the very first argument the Church ever had. Like a great sibling rivalry, there were two opposing sides: the Gentiles versus the Jews.

Unlike us, they weren’t arguing over bills to be paid, whose hair bow belongs to whom, or who sits in the front seat of the car on the way to church.

They were arguing over how a person is saved.

I can’t imagine anything more important than that.

The Jews believed that everyone had to follow the laws given to us in the Old Testament, as well as the teachings of Jesus.

The Gentiles, on the other hand, believed that following the teachings of Jesus was enough.

Unsure of who was right, they came together, shared their beliefs, and prayed for guidance.

While their differences seem strange to us today, they teach us a very important lesson about family life: Whenever we argue, we cannot stop talking to each other. 

The silent treatment never works.

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Rather, we must hold hands and pray. 

As Jesus says, “Wherever two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in the midst of them.” The same Jesus who came to the aid of the Apostles comes to our aid when we seek him. 

It may be a slow process, but inviting the Lord into our struggles brings us wisdom, empathy, and healing.

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Perhaps a final bit of advice. Pope Francis says the three most important phrases we can say to each other are:

“Thank you.” … “I love you.”… and, “I’m sorry.”

Let’s repeat those together.

If a conflict arises in our homes this week, perhaps we can be the first to say one of these phrases – then get on our knees and pray, “Come, Lord Jesus.”

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I’m not much of a gardener, but I do know this: There are two types of branches – those that bear fruit and those that do not. You might say those branches that give us life versus those that take it.

We’ve all seen withering branches. They’re dark, limp, and slow to die. Yet even as they wither they demand energy from the vine.

I find that a fascinating truth – withering branches take energy to die. 

That’s why a gardener’s eye is trained to look for them, because they sap energy from the vine without giving anything back. 

The healthiest plants, then, are the ones that have been pruned.

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In the Gospel, Jesus says, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit.”

God wants to remove all those withering branches from our lives – those areas that drain us, that enervate our lives.

Think of a grudge, for example. Such anger saps our energy – and yet how hard it is to let it go! 

This is why the Lord must do the pruning. He has the power to remove the negative energy we cling to, even nurse.

It may be painful – and certainly humbling – but if we open our hearts to Jesus, he’ll only make us happier and healthier in the end.