Category: Uncategorized

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Gospel: Matthew 20: 17-28

As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem,
he took the Twelve disciples aside by themselves,
and said to them on the way,
“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem,
and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests
and the scribes,
and they will condemn him to death,
and hand him over to the Gentiles
to be mocked and scourged and crucified,
and he will be raised on the third day.”

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons
and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.
He said to her, “What do you wish?”
She answered him,
“Command that these two sons of mine sit,
one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.”
Jesus said in reply,
“You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”
They said to him, “We can.”
He replied,
“My chalice you will indeed drink,
but to sit at my right and at my left,
this is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
When the ten heard this,
they became indignant at the two brothers.
But Jesus summoned them and said,
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and the great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Some years ago, archeologists discovered a trove of coins dating back to the Roman Empire. These coins offered a unique insight into the life and culture of that society.

One coin had an ox on it. The ox was facing two different things: an altar and a plough.

Beneath the ox was an inscription, “Ready for either.”

The ox – and by extension a faithful Roman citizen – lived ready for either the moment of supreme sacrifice or for life-long labor. Whatever was needed for the preservation of Rome.

The altar or the plough. 

Ready for either.

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Christians are called to live in a similar way: ready to offer our lives in testimony to the Lord, or more commonly, to labor for the Gospel year after year.

This is the “cup” that Jesus tells his Apostles they must be ready to drink in today’s Gospel – the altar or the plough.

Be ready for either.

The Apostle James will be the first Apostle to drink the cup of martyrdom, only a few short years after the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Meanwhile, his brother John will plough the fields of ministry until he’s nearly 100 years old.

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Two brothers with two different “cups” to drink. 

One the altar, the other the plough.

May we live ready for either.

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Image credits: (1) Bible Hub (2) Coin Talk (3) AnaStpaul

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Gospel: Matthew 23: 1-12

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
“The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people’s shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’
As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called ‘Master’;
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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The only group Jesus criticizes in the Gospels are the religious authorities of his day, because they turned religion into a matter of rules, which could be followed without ever invoking the heart. For some, religion had become strictly an external affair. 

“All their works are performed to be seen,” Jesus laments.

“They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets and seats of honor in synagogues.”

This temptation to appear religious – or to simply follow the “rules” – is timeless. Catholics can certainly be guilty of falling into it during Lent.

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The Church instructs us to pray, fast, and give alms. We can do all of these things without ever changing our heart.

We can avoid meat on Fridays while still harboring a grudge.

We can write a check without ever seeking contact with the poor.

We can pray for strangers while remaining estranged from loved ones. (This does not mean that we need to force reconciliation; rather, our hearts should be open and void of all negativity).

Missing a meal or checking a box will not turn us into Saints. We must walk the path of humility and love in order to please the Lord.

As the Lord cries out through the prophet Isaiah in our first reading, “Wash yourselves clean! [That is a matter of the heart.] Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good.”

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If we allow God to change our heart, then we will be holy and pleasing in his sight.

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Image credits: (1) uCatholic (2) TableTalk Magazine (3) Compelled Church Women’s Ministry, WordPress

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Gospel: Luke 6: 36-38

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

“Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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If you have ever played a video game, then you know that there is always a series of levels.

The first level is the easiest, and the final level is the hardest. Sometimes it takes multiple tries before you succeed in beating that final level.

But if you do, then you’ve mastered the game.

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If Christianity were likened to a video game, then today’s Gospel would be part of that final level: stop judging; stop condemning; forgive without limit; love relentlessly.

If you can do these things, then you’ve mastered Christianity.

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Perhaps one of the most difficult steps is forgiveness. 

What makes it so hard is the fact that, when we forgive, we forfeit the right to be angry with a person, waiving all opportunities to play passive aggressive; to weaponize our silence; to “win” an argument; or to seek revenge.

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But if we can do this – if we can love without limit and freely forgive – then we’ve mastered Christianity.

In the least, it’s worth a try. “For the measure with which you measure,” Jesus says, “will be measured out to you.”

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Image credits: (1) World Challenge (2) Mario Bros., Pinterest (3) Blog del Asistente de Bilingüismo