Category: Uncategorized

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Gospel: Luke 17:11-19

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,
he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten persons with leprosy met him.
They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying,
“Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”
And when he saw them, he said,
“Go show yourselves to the priests.”
As they were going they were cleansed. 
And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. 
He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply,
“Ten were cleansed, were they not?
Where are the other nine? 
Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” 
Then he said to him, “Stand up and go;
your faith has saved you.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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When the first pilgrims landed on the shores of America in November, 1620, they cried out in gratitude. As one pilgrim noted, “We fell upon our knees and blessed the God of heaven.”

They had just endured a harrowing two-month journey across the Atlantic. Some died on the open seas. Half of the remaining population died of tuberculosis and pneumonia that first winter. Then spring arrived and their condition started to improve.

This was the backdrop for the first Thanksgiving.

Trial and error. Success and failure. Famine, and that first Thanksgiving, feast.

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Today, Americans celebrate Thanksgiving by filling their tables with plenty, gathering with family and friends, and serving those who, like the first pilgrims in the winter of 1620, still go without.

Gratitude is the reason for the season.

But as Christians, we are invited to be grateful, not only in times of prosperity, but also in times of trial. As Saint Paul says, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God.”

We give thanks for our faith. We give thanks for our nation, our family, our friends, and this parish. But what about in times of trial? During dryness in prayer? When suffering?

This is a deeper dimension of gratitude – being thankful for God’s presence in all things, at all times.

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It’s natural for human beings to try to make sense of their environment, even to control it. But faith adds a mysterious fourth dimension. Often enough, we don’t understand why things happen to us. 

Think about how those pilgrims felt that first winter. Why was it so cold? Why was the land so barren? 

Or think about how people in our own lives might feel today. Imagine sitting in a doctor’s office questioning, “Why me?”  

Having faith doesn’t mean life always makes sense in the present moment. It’s believing that God is present, working in all things.

What are a few things I can easily be grateful for? Conversely, is there an aspect of my life where I struggle to be grateful, where I struggle to find God?

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“We fell to our knees and blessed the God of heaven,” one of the first pilgrims to arrive in America recounted. Little did they know how harsh that first winter would be.

But when the spring rains came, everyone gave thanks.

So it is in the Christian life – no trial is forever. God alone remains. For Him we give thanks.

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Image credits: (1) The Science Academy STEM Magnet (2) Faith and History, WordPress (3) Kingdom Bloggers

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Gospel: Luke 19: 11-28

While people were listening to Jesus speak,
he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem
and they thought that the Kingdom of God
would appear there immediately.

So he said,
“A nobleman went off to a distant country
to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return.
He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins
and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’
His fellow citizens, however, despised him
and sent a delegation after him to announce,
‘We do not want this man to be our king.’
But when he returned after obtaining the kingship,
he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money,
to learn what they had gained by trading.
The first came forward and said,
‘Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.’
He replied, ‘Well done, good servant!
You have been faithful in this very small matter;
take charge of ten cities.’
Then the second came and reported,
‘Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.’
And to this servant too he said,
‘You, take charge of five cities.’
Then the other servant came and said,
‘Sir, here is your gold coin;
I kept it stored away in a handkerchief,
for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man;
you take up what you did not lay down
and you harvest what you did not plant.’
He said to him,
‘With your own words I shall condemn you,
you wicked servant.
You knew I was a demanding man,
taking up what I did not lay down
and harvesting what I did not plant;
why did you not put my money in a bank?
Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.’
And to those standing by he said,
‘Take the gold coin from him
and give it to the servant who has ten.’
But they said to him,
‘Sir, he has ten gold coins.’
He replied, ‘I tell you,
to everyone who has, more will be given,
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.
Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king,
bring them here and slay them before me.’”

After he had said this,
he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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There’s an old saying, “If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.”

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This is certainly true with language.

I spent ten years diligently studying Spanish until I became fluent. At one point, I was even reading Spanish newspapers, dreaming in Spanish, and singing along with Mexican rock bands like Mana.

But I haven’t spoken Spanish in well over a decade. Now I’d struggle to form a simple sentence. 

Instead of saying, “Hola!”, I’m sure I’d sound more like, “Whole-a!”

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“If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.”

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The same is true with faith. 

We must study it, test it, and practice it like a foreign language. The more we try, the holier – and happier – we become.

But if we don’t use it, we’ll lose it.

There’s no such thing as standing idly in the Christian faith. It either grows or shrinks as we journey through life.

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So, what is my spiritual life like? Does faith keep me grounded, humble, and strong? Or do I need to make it a bigger priority?

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“To everyone who has,” Jesus says in today’s Gospel, “more will be given. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

Meaning, put your faith into practice. Pray. Study. Be charitable to those in need. “If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.”

So, how might I put my faith into practice today?

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Image credits: (1) Waverly Pastoral Charge (2) Chris Yaw (3) Issues from the Heart

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Gospel: Mark 3: 31-35

Jesus’ mother and his brothers arrived. Standing outside they sent word to him and called him. A crowd seated around him told him, “Your mother and your brothers and your sisters are outside asking for you.”

But he said to them in reply, “Who are my mother and [my] brothers?”

And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Today’s Feast of the Presentation teaches us three lessons in the spiritual life:

Gratitude. Pilgrimage. Return.

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The actual event of Mary’s presentation is shrouded in mystery; we don’t know exactly when she was brought to the Temple. Scholars believe that her parents, Anne and Joachim, brought Mary to Jerusalem at the age of three, where they consecrated her to the Lord.

This was an act of thanksgiving because Anne was barren prior to Mary’s birth.

In the Old Testament, whenever a woman was unable to conceive a child, it was seen as a curse by God. The fact that Anne conceives a child – and the future Virgin Mother of God nonetheless – is part of what we celebrate today.

We also celebrate Anne and Joachim’s faith. Mary was their only child. And without reservation, one of the first things they do as parents is take Mary on pilgrimage to Jerusalem, where they offer her back to God.

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Again, here we find three important lessons:

First, give thanks. We’re more aware of our need for gratitude during this week of Thanksgiving, but today’s feast reminds us to always thank God for an answered prayer.

Second, go on pilgrimage. There are certain times in our lives when we need to go out of our way to celebrate and understand our faith. Perhaps now is the time to plan a pilgrimage to Rome, Fatima, or some other important Christian site.

Third, and most importantly, give to God what belongs to God. Anne and Joachim take what is most precious – their only child – and offer her back to God in gratitude, promising that Mary will spend her life in service. We know in hindsight just how true that would be.

We’re called to do the same – to place in God’s hands whatever we hold most precious in life – our children, our marriage, our very own heart. Everything given back in service to God.

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Gratitude. Pilgrimage. Return.

Three different elements found in today’s feast.

Which of the these am I being called to practice today?

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Image credits: (1) Vatican News (2) Vatican News (3) PerfectinChrist Daily Devotional