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God changes everything.

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Gospel: Luke 6: 12-19

Jesus departed to the mountain to pray,
and he spent the night in prayer to God.
When day came, he called his disciples to himself,
and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,
James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon who was called a Zealot,
and Judas the son of James,
and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground.
A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people 
from all Judea and Jerusalem
and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon
came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;
and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured.
Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him
because power came forth from him and healed them all.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Growing up, I remember playing backyard sports with my older brother and his friends. I was often chosen last because I was the youngest; the tag-along; the runt of the group.

If you wanted to win, then choosing me wasn’t the smartest idea.

But humanly speaking, it was understandable. Everyone else was stronger and faster than me.

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But what happens when God enters the picture? 

All of a sudden, the same human being – once limited by nature – is transformed by grace.

Consider what happens in today’s Gospel.

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Jesus chooses the most unlikely men to be on his team.

None of them were scholars; nor were they wealthy; famous; educated; or influential. They were common folk with their own share of flaws, giving Jesus every reason to choose them last… if at all.

Yet each of them was given the grace to change – not only themselves, but also the world. A Church that started with twelve followers in today’s Gospel has since grown by one-million percent!

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Can’t you see a similar story unfolding in our parish?

We’re a small community. Compared to other, much larger parishes within the Archdiocese, we’d be the “runt” of the group.

Yet God has chosen us and given us the grace to grow into an active, joyful, life-giving community that’s increasing by the day, both in number and in Spirit.

That’s what happens when God enters the picture – one life is changed, followed by another and another.

Suddenly, everything – and everyone – is different.

We’ve all been called to be on his team. I wonder, how will we inspire further growth today?

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Image credits: (1) Christian Quotes (2) Great Commissioning, Domenico Gherlandaio (3) Nan Jones

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When the doorbell rings, answer it. A meditation on charity.

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Gospel: Luke 6: 6-11

On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught,
and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.
The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely
to see if he would cure on the sabbath
so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.
But he realized their intentions
and said to the man with the withered hand,
“Come up and stand before us.”
And he rose and stood there.
Then Jesus said to them,
“I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath
rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?”
Looking around at them all, he then said to him,
“Stretch out your hand.”
He did so and his hand was restored.
But they became enraged
and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Saint Vincent DePaul once said, “When you are praying, if you hear the doorbell ring, then get up and answer it.”

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Nobody likes being disturbed, certainly not in prayer; prayer is an act of intimacy. We’re vulnerable because our eyes are often closed, our heart is open, our breathing is steady, while we have a silent conversation with the Lord. 

But sometimes the doorbell rings; charity comes knocking on our door. Meaning, you have to stand up and put the needs of others before your own.

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In today’s Gospel, people have gathered on the Sabbath to pray in the synagogue.

Jesus is there and, suddenly, he notices a man with a withered hand. Instead of ignoring him and continuing with his prayers, Jesus calls the man out.

“Come up here and stand before us,” he says.

Tradition tells us that this man was a stone mason; he needed both of his hands to work. So, if the Lord didn’t heal him, then the man would be reduced to a life of begging.

Could Jesus observe the Sabbath and wait to heal the man on Monday morning? Of course. But Jesus will always put the needs of others before his own.

When the doorbell rings, as it were, he answers.

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So, what might this passage mean for us?

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There are moments when we all need to put the needs of others first.

Maybe that means returning a phone call; visiting a homebound parishioner; inserting a few service hours into our schedule; or even doing someone else’s chores at home.

So, the next time the doorbell rings – when an opportunity for charity arises – will you seize it?

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Image credits: (1) A-Z Quotes (2) Ignatian Spirituality (3) No Longer Lukewarm

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Having Hard Conversations: Learning from Jesus.

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Gospel: Matthew 18: 15-20

Jesus said to his disciples:
“If your brother sins against you,
go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. 
If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.
If he does not listen,
take one or two others along with you,
so that ‘every fact may be established
on the testimony of two or three witnesses.’
If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. 
If he refuses to listen even to the church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
Amen, I say to you,
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again, amen, I say to you,
if two of you agree on earth
about anything for which they are to pray,
it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. 
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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What are four words that can make a person cringe?

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“We need to talk.”

Imagine coming home from a stressful day at school or work. Suddenly, you’re surrounded by close family members and friends.

“What’s up?” you wonder.

Feeling everyone’s eyes gazing upon you, you hear those four loaded words: “We need to talk.”

Oh boy.

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I don’t like personal conflict. I try avoiding it when possible. 

But when someone says, “We need to talk,” it means something’s wrong. Something happened. And someone has to change.  

Some of us would rather hold things in; suck it up and keep the peace, rather than speak the truth. But Jesus reminds us in today’s Gospel that isn’t always possible. 

It’s not a matter of if – but when – these conversations happen.

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For example, parents cannot be silent if they see their child becoming depressed, running with the wrong crowds, or slipping into an addiction. It affects the entire family.

So, they intervene for the sake of their child’s health, future, and the wellbeing of the family.

Perhaps a “we need to talk” moment happened in your marriage, at work with a colleague, or even within our own parish community.

Pointing out the harm another person is causing is not meant to shame them. It’s an opportunity for a person to change; to be healed; to start anew. Because negative behavior not only affects the person causing it, but also everyone around them.

We even see these types of crucial conversations happening between Jesus and his disciples.

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Remember last week’s Gospel.

After telling Peter and the other disciples that he’s going up to Jerusalem where he’ll be crucified, Peter tries changing Jesus’ mind. 

“God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you!” Peter said. Something tells me Peter not only feared losing his Lord, but also his own life.

Immediately, Jesus rebukes him, saying, “Get behind me, Satan! … You are thinking not as God does but as human beings do.” 

Peter was out of line and Jesus held him accountable. But Christ’s command to, “get behind” him was not an invitation for Peter to leave; Jesus rebuked Peter because he loved him – and wanted their relationship to continue on healthy terms.

So, Peter humbly accepts the rebuke and the two are reconciled as they continue their journey to Jerusalem. 

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Shortly thereafter, Jesus will have another crucial conversation with Peter.

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During his final night on earth, while praying in the Garden of Gethsemane with his disciples, Jesus is arrested and led off to be crucified, just as he warned them he would be.

Peter follows at a distance, and when asked by the crowds if he knows Jesus, he denies him three times saying, “I do not know him!”

Imagine how afraid Peter must’ve felt. His Master was in chains!

As Jesus is being led off into the darkness, he glances back at Peter with that look, “We need to talk.” 

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After his death and resurrection, Jesus appears to Peter as an act of mercy.

If Peter is to become the “rock” of the Church, then he must repent and be reconciled with Jesus. Only then can Peter lead the Church in Christ’s name.

So, Jesus asks him one question. It’s all he needs to know: “Peter, do you love me?”

“Lord, you know everything,” he says. “You know that I love you.”

Enough said. Conflict resolved. Relationship restored.

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So, what might this mean for us?

Like Peter, sometimes we make mistakes. We say things we don’t mean. We do things that cause harm, not only to ourselves, but also to people we love. 

Instead of letting these things fester in our hearts, the Lord urges us to address them for the sake of reconciliation, assuring us that these conversations can be fruitful when spoken out of love.

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Like Jesus, do I need to have a crucial conversation with someone? Or, like Peter, do I need to listen and repent?

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Sometimes, “we need to talk.”

And when we do, remember what the Lord says today. “Wherever two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in the midst of them.” 

We call upon Jesus, who seeks to reconcile all things, guiding our feet into the way of peace.

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Image credits: (1) Adobe Stock (2) Bible.com (3) Encourageyourspouse.com