Category: Uncategorized

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Gospel: Luke 12: 1-7

At that time:
So many people were crowding together 
that they were trampling one another underfoot.
Jesus began to speak, first to his disciples,
“Beware of the leaven–that is, the hypocrisy–of the Pharisees.

“There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness
will be heard in the light,
and what you have whispered behind closed doors
will be proclaimed on the housetops.
I tell you, my friends,
do not be afraid of those who kill the body
but after that can do no more.
I shall show you whom to fear.
Be afraid of the one who after killing
has the power to cast into Gehenna;
yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one.
Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins?
Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God.
Even the hairs of your head have all been counted.
Do not be afraid.
You are worth more than many sparrows.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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I started learning how to golf at age 30.

Before I learned how to swing a club, watching golf on television was about as fun as watching paint dry. I couldn’t understand how anyone could be so interested in watching a little white ball fly through the air… or, eventually, roll into a little cup.

I needed to experience the game before I could appreciate it. 

I needed the thrill of a perfect drive; of sinking a long putt; of hitting a skilled shot out of the sand. As well as the frustration of missing a short putt; watching my ball dribble into the water; or losing to a friend by a stroke.

Golf is an amazing, life-long game that I find captivating. But I never would’ve believed it if I were only on the outside looking in – watching from behind a screen.

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In today’s Gospel, Jesus continues his harsh condemnation of the scribes and Pharisees. Although they were the religious leaders of his day, they were like “whitewashed tombs,” ritually clean on the outside, but defiled within. 

Although they praised God in public and attempted to follow hundreds of man-made rules, Jesus tells them they’ve never had a real experience of God. He’s more a figment of their imagination; a man-made creation; a bundle of rules. They’re still on the outside, looking in.

Their eyes have not been opened to the power of scripture; they have not known the fire of the Holy Spirit; their hearts are not possessed by love, but chilled by legalism.

“Beware of the leaven – that is, they hypocrisy – of the Pharisees,” he says. They appear religious, but are defiled within.

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What has my own experience of faith been like? Do I feel that I’m on the outside looking in, or has my heart been set aflame by the Holy Spirit?

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Often, those who struggle to believe in God are the ones unwilling to engage or take a risk, much like the scribes and Pharisees. They keep God at a comfortable distance.

Much like golf, faith only becomes real – and enjoyable – after you dive in. What does that mean for me today?

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Image credits: (1) Pinterest (2) USA Today’s FTW (3) Foresight Sports

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Gospel: Luke 11: 47-54

The Lord said:
“Woe to you who build the memorials of the prophets 
whom your fathers killed.
Consequently, you bear witness and give consent
to the deeds of your ancestors,
for they killed them and you do the building.
Therefore, the wisdom of God said,
‘I will send to them prophets and Apostles;
some of them they will kill and persecute’
in order that this generation might be charged
with the blood of all the prophets
shed since the foundation of the world,
from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah
who died between the altar and the temple building.
Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood!
Woe to you, scholars of the law!
You have taken away the key of knowledge.
You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.”
When Jesus left, the scribes and Pharisees
began to act with hostility toward him
and to interrogate him about many things,
for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“Woe to you hypocrites,” Jesus says.

The word hypocrite originally referred to an “actor,” someone wearing a mask on a stage.

Although the scribes and Pharisees appear to be religious, their hearts are far from the Lord.

They make several mistakes, some of which Christians can still make today.

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We’ve all heard that old saying, “Practice what you preach.” 

That was not only a challenge for the people of Jesus’ day, but for all of us – certainly for me, who is tasked with preaching to God’s people day after day.

It’s one thing to preach fidelity, kindness, and forgiveness. It’s another thing to live it out minute by minute.

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The religious authorities were also cunning.

They imposed heavy burdens on God’s people, but were experts in making loopholes for themselves. In a word, they lacked accountability.

For example, it’s one thing for me to encourage you to fast, tithe, and pray. It’s another thing for me to do it myself when no one is looking.

Remember, God is always watching us – not with a judgmental eye, but with an interest in fairness and accountability. As Jesus says elsewhere, “Do to no one what you yourself dislike.”

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So, what might this Gospel mean to us?

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We can boil it down into two sayings:

Actions speak louder than words.

And practice what you preach.  

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Image credits: (1) Spunky Stitches (2) Seekers Guidance (3) LinkedIn

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2 Timothy 4: 10-17

Beloved:
Demas, enamored of the present world,
deserted me and went to Thessalonica,
Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.
Luke is the only one with me.
Get Mark and bring him with you,
for he is helpful to me in the ministry.
I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus.
When you come, bring the cloak I left with Carpus in Troas,
the papyrus rolls, and especially the parchments.

Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm;
the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.
You too be on guard against him,
for he has strongly resisted our preaching.

At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf,
but everyone deserted me.
May it not be held against them!
But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.

The Word of the Lord.

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Our first reading from Saint Paul’s Letter to Timothy captures the story of three Christians with very different experiences of faith. Each provides a lesson for us today.

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The first was Demas.

Demas was once a believer; Paul wrote about him in his earlier letters. But sadly, Demas became, “enamored with the world,” and lost his faith.

He provides a cautionary tale for us all. Faith is a life-long journey, riddled with temptations along the way. Beware of your attachment to material things and fleeting pleasures, in particular; they can choke your faith.

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Then there’s Saint Mark.

Mark and Paul once ministered together, but Mark abandoned Paul on one of their early missionary journeys, perhaps out of fear of persecution.

Paul calls upon Mark from his prison cell in Rome, where the two are eventually reconciled and later martyred for the Gospel.

Mark and Paul’s story reminds us of the importance of reconciliation. We should seek it with one another while it can still be found.

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Finally, there’s Saint Luke, whose feast day we celebrate today.

Paul says that in his travels, Luke was, “the only one with me.” Luke was faithful, never giving up – neither on his companion, nor on his faith.

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Three Christians with three different stories, each providing a lesson for us today.

Do not cling to the material things of this world; they distract us from what really matters. Seek reconciliation while it can still be found. And, above all, remain faithful to the Gospel you have received.

Saint Luke, pray for us.

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Image credits: (1) Church Investment Fund (2) Saint Luke, Franciscan Media (3) Christian Mom at Work