Category: Uncategorized

***

Gospel: Matthew 9: 16-22

A young man approached Jesus and said,
“Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?”
He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good?
There is only One who is good.
If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
He asked him, “Which ones?”
And Jesus replied, “You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
honor your father and your mother;
and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
The young man said to him,
“All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?”
Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go,
sell what you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven.
Then come, follow me.”
When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad,
for he had many possessions.

The Gospel of the Lord.

***

***

Jesus looks upon the rich young man…and “loves” him.

The Lord must’ve delighted in his zeal for religion, and in his effort to be, “perfect as his heavenly Father is perfect.”

But what happens when Jesus “loves” him? 

He peers into the young man’s heart, inviting him into even deeper holiness. “You are lacking in one thing,” Jesus says. “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor…then come and follow me.”

The man walks away sad, “for he had many possessions.” Though he was a pious man, the Lord occupied second – not first – place in his heart, a constant challenge for any believer.

***

When Jesus gazes upon us, he “loves” us just the same. He sees our zeal for God and all of the good works we do to serve him in our neighbor.

But Jesus also sees those things that impede our spiritual growth. That’s what love does by its nature; it seeks to remove things that block further intimacy between two souls. 

What might impede my own spiritual growth? What keeps me from growing in intimacy with God?

***

Perhaps my prayer life has become rote or dry. Maybe I try compartmentalizing my life, allowing my faith to influence some – but not all – of my decisions. Maybe there’s a particular person, memory, or habit that keeps drawing me away from the Lord. 

Maybe I don’t give God enough of my talent, trust, or time.

***

Ultimately, the rich young man walked away from Jesus out of fear; he feared that following Jesus would not be enough; he feared leaving the security of his possessions behind, as if they could satisfy him more than Jesus.

We know that isn’t true. The Lord is more than enough. May we do whatever we must to keep the Lord where he belongs – in first place, at the very center of our lives.

***

***

Image credits: (1) Grammye’s Front Porch (2) The Rich Young Man, Heinrich Hofmann (3) QuoteFancy

***

Gospel: Luke 12: 49-53

Jesus said to his disciples:
“I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already blazing!
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,
and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son
and a son against his father,
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her mother,
a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

***

***

Some of you may still remember a story that made the headlines, capturing global attention for more than two months.

Back in August of 2010, the entrance to a mine in northern Chile collapsed, leaving 33 men trapped nearly half a mile beneath the surface of the earth.

One minute, life was normal. The next, these men were trapped in total darkness, a horrific saga lasting for 69 days.

News of their situation went viral as these miners became known as, “the 33.”  A team of international doctors, scientists, and engineers was swiftly assembled in an effort to do the impossible: rescue these men from the hot, humid darkness.

Miraculously, all of them were saved.

As “the 33” were being extracted out of the earth in a custom designed steel rescue capsule, one of the primary threats to their life was, ironically, light. 

Although light is necessary for our survival, if we are deprived of it long enough, then instant exposure to it can feel like fire, singeing our eyes and skin.

***

In today’s Gospel, Jesus uses strong language to describe his mission. “I have come to set the earth on fire,” he says, “and how I wish it were already blazing!” 

What exactly is this “fire” that he is referring to? 

Clearly, he isn’t speaking of the physical brush fires enveloping arid parts America and Europe. 

Rather, Jesus desires a spiritual fire – a divine inferno – that clears away any part of our lives that does not bring us closer to God or to one another. This is never a destructive blaze; it’s a divine passion that purifies, and yes, at times can burn. 

***

If we are in a good place spiritually, then God’s love feels like a “fire” in the best sense of the word – it warms and illumines our path.

As the Psalmist says, “Your word is a lamp for my path and a light for my steps.” 

God’s love also fills us with enthusiasm. As the prophet Jeremiah cries out from a muddy cistern in our first reading, “Your WORD is like a fire in my bones; woe to me if I do not preach it!” 

***

But, if we’re not in a good place spiritually, then that same “fire” of divine love can feel painful as it purifies our hearts, ridding it of sin.

For example, the first day of sobriety can feel like fire to an addict. But through the sobriety, God is burning away an addiction that might otherwise destroy a person’s life.

Telling the truth can feel like fire to someone caught in a lie. But through the honesty, God is burning away the dishonest tendencies that can rupture a relationship.

Forgiving a deep-seated wound can feel like fire to someone who’s been nursing a grudge. But through the forgiveness, God is burning away the anger that steals our peace.

Discipline, honesty, and forgiveness… these are all good things! They’re necessary for spiritual growth and healthy relationships.

But, in order for these virtues to grow, the Lord must purify our flesh . That’s hard. It burns.

***

Think about those Chilean miners stuck inside a cave for 69 days. They were deprived of light for so long that immediate exposure to it could’ve seared their eyes and skin. They needed gradual exposure before returning to full communion with the light.

Similarly, the more distant we are from God, the more his love for us can burn like fire as it slowly purifies our lives. But this leads to holiness; peace; and salvation. 

As the Book of Wisdom reminds us, “The souls of the just are in the hand of God…because God tried them and found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them.” 

***

Every soul must journey through that furnace of divine love to be purified. 

So, how does the warmth of God’s love console me?

And where does it feel like a purifying fire?

***

“Let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us,” the author of the Letter to the Hebrews writes, “and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of our faith.”

Today the Lord comes to set the world on fire with his divine love. How he wishes it were already blazing!

May it begin with us.

***

***
Image credits: (1) Divine Mercy University (2) NPR (3) Planet Photoshop

***

Gospel: Luke 1:39 – 56

Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”

And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.”

Mary remained with her about three months
and then returned to her home.

The Gospel of the Lord.

***

***

While studying for the priesthood, I used to visit a children’s hospital located right next to our seminary. I’ll never forget meeting a 5-year-old girl there named Martina.

You may remember the story. Martina suffered from a very rare condition, causing her to spend almost every day of her life in the hospital.

She had no joints. The bones in her arms and her legs didn’t connect, so she could neither stand nor walk. All she could do was lay in her little hospital bed.

It sounds impossible, but making her life even harder, she was blind, deaf, and mute. 

Martina had never seen her mother nor heard her voice. She only felt her mother’s touch, a gift she experienced every single day.  

***

Martina’s mother never left her side, because that’s who mothers are – they bring us into this world, they nurture us, and shower us with love and affection.

Witnessing their bond reminded me of a definition I once heard of love: “Love is a single soul dwelling in two bodies.”

It was as if Martina and her mother were one.

***

That’s the type of bond we celebrate today – the inseparable bond between a mother and her child – in particular, the bond between Mary and Jesus.

***

Mary was the only person who both welcomed Jesus into this world and was with him when he left it; from the day Jesus opened his eyes in Bethlehem to the moment he closed them on Calvary, Mary was there.

But she not only became the mother of Jesus, but also his disciple.

Some would say, his first disciple. 

Over the course of thirty-three years, Mary’s heart became so united to Christ, they were like, “a single soul dwelling in two bodies.” His will became her will; whatever was pleasing to Jesus was pleasing to Mary.

As she reminds Christians in every age, “Do whatever he tells you.”

***

On this Feast of the Assumption, it makes sense that wherever Jesus goes, Mary would follow – not only in this life, but also in the next.

After he rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, we believe that Jesus called his mother home – body and soul. It’s what we celebrate today – our belief that human beings have a place in heaven, our identities and stories intact, starting with Mary.

As Jesus says in John’s Gospel, “Do not let your hearts be troubled, you have faith in God. Have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.”

A place for Mary. A place for Martina. A place for you. A place for me.

***

This is essentially the message I shared with Martina’s mother the day her daughter died. That bond of love between the two of them was so strong it was as if they were, “a single soul dwelling in two bodies.”

Wherever Martina went, her mother would eventually follow.

But in heaven, Martina’s body will be freed from the cross that bound her here on earth. She’ll be given a glorified body much like Mary, where she’ll be able to walk and run; one day, she’ll see her mother face to face; and she’ll thank her for never leaving her side.

It’s just who mothers are. 

Wherever the child is, surely their mother will follow.

***

***

Image credits: (1) Deposit Photos (2) Mother and Child, Saint Louis Art Museum (3) Mother Child Painting, Kristina Siegel