Category: Uncategorized

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Gospel: Luke 17: 5-10

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
The Lord replied,
“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you would say to this mulberry tree,
‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

“Who among you would say to your servant
who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field,
‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’?
Would he not rather say to him,
‘Prepare something for me to eat.
Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink.
You may eat and drink when I am finished’?
Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
So should it be with you.
When you have done all you have been commanded,
say, ‘We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.'”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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To some, today’s Gospel might seem a bit misleading. 

“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,” Jesus says, “you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘be uprooted and cast into the sea,’ and it would obey you.”

I’ve never wrapped my arms around a mulberry tree, but I imagine I’d look like a fool if I knelt down, said a prayer, then tried pulling it out of the earth. After a tug or two, my arms would be bleeding and my muscles burning, causing me to lose heart and give up.

Yet, how many of us have tried summoning the strength to uproot something from our lives and have failed? 

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Exasperated, we turned to prayer.

We prayed to get into a particular high school or college, but we got rejected. We’ve prayed for a job, but remain unemployed. We’ve prayed for an addiction to end, yet it still tugs at our flesh. We’ve prayed for the cancer to go away, but it hasn’t. 

It’s easy for us to reason that God hasn’t answered us because we’ve either not prayed hard enough or don’t have enough faith – not even the size of a mustard seed! – which can make us want to give up. 

That’s why today’s Gospel passage can seem puzzling.

Jesus is not guaranteeing instant results; nor is he trying to discourage our faith. Whatever trust we place in him is precious! Often, the faith we have is enough, even if it’s the size of a tiny mustard seed, but there are two reasons why the “tree” may remain rooted in our lives.

It may be difficult to uproot, or God may allow it to remain.

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The longer a tree is alive, the deeper and more widespread its roots become. And so, it is with us. If we’re struggling with a particular habit, having nurtured it for years, then the time it takes God to uproot it limb by limb can be daunting… and painful.

If we’re praying for the grace to forgive, or to have some deep seeded anger uprooted, our heart needs to soften, allowing God to gently remove the root cause of our pain.

If we’re sick and praying to be healed, God may uproot our illness immediately through the Sacraments, or through the slow drip of medicine and science. In either case, trust is needed.

So, is there a “mulberry tree” in my life, a burden I want lifted?

Even if tiny, the seed of faith you have is enough. It’s simply a matter of watering it, nurturing it, and clinging to it patiently as God works day by day. 

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Here’s another, albeit more difficult, perspective to consider. What if God does not want to remove a particular “mulberry tree” from our lives? Mysteriously, it may serve a purpose.

Saint Paul believed that all things could draw us closer to God – not only good things, but also our woes, sorrows, and trials. As he says in his Second Letter to the Corinthians:

“A thorn in my flesh was given me, an angel of Satan to beat me, to keep me from being too elated… Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”

Instead of using the imagery of a mulberry tree, Paul calls it a thorn, a small speck of metaphorical wood driven into his flesh, causing him great pain.

So, what was this thorn?

We don’t know exactly, but it could’ve been a variety of things causing him to suffer.

It could’ve been the “thorn” of false preachers seeking to undo his work; the “thorn” of imprisonment; of persecution; of rejection; of physical beatings; of abandonment; or the frequent threat of death. 

Paul prayed that this thorn would be dislodged from his life, but it wasn’t. God allowed him to wrestle with it because it humbled Paul and caused him to rely not upon himself, but upon Christ. 

So much so that Paul claimed, “I have been crucified with Christ and the life I live is no longer my own. It is Christ living in me.” 

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Whether or not God uproots the “mulberry tree” from our lives, Jesus reminds us today: “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”

May he give us the same grace he gave to Paul – to surrender, humbly accepting whatever may come.

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Image credits: (1) King David, WordPress (2) Time Out (3) Desert Streams Ministries

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Gospel: Luke 10: 13-16

Jesus said to them,
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst
had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would long ago have repented,
sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon
at the judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum, ‘Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the netherworld.’
Whoever listens to you listens to me.
Whoever rejects you rejects me.
And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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The disciples are sent out on two missionary journeys prior to the death and resurrection of Jesus. 

First, the Lord sends out the Twelve Apostles in chapter 9 of Luke’s Gospel. They are given the mandate to heal the sick, to cast out demons, and to spread God’s peace. Later, they return rejoicing that, “even the demons are subject to us.”

In chapter 10 of Luke’s Gospel, the Lord doubles-down and sends out seventy more of his disciples to do the very same thing. Thus, the kingdom of God begins spreading.

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In between these two missionary journeys, Saint Luke wedges in the “woes” of Jesus. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!”

We do not know much about these towns, aside from the fact that the Lord must’ve preached to and healed people there, yet they did not come to faith or amend their lives.

Thus, Luke reminds us that sharing the Gospel is not always fruitful; sometimes our efforts fall upon deaf ears and closed hearts. 

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What might this difficult, even sad, Gospel passage say to us today?

We all have loved ones – parents, a spouse, children, or peers – who have seen God at work in our lives and have heard the Gospel message, yet they remain indifferent or outright against the Church.

This is an undeniable source of pain for many. We can invite, preach, teach, and pray until our hair falls out and yet, it seems, sometimes our efforts fall upon deaf ears. While some of this is predicted by the Lord, what the Church needs today are new tools of evangelization.

As the Body of Christ, we must discern: “How do we bring people back to faith? How do we share the Gospel with people who’ve never heard it? How do we soften hardened hearts?”

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Part of the answer involves being willing to share our faith. While words will not solve every problem, Saint Peter reminds us: “Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope.”

If someone were to ask you, “Why do you go to Mass, as opposed to just praying from home?Why do you believe in Jesus?” Or, selfishly, “What’s in it for me?” … What might you say?

Like the disciples sent forth in the Gospel, your answer may give them a reason to hope.

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Image credits: (1) The Conversation (2) Forward in Christ (3) Pioneer Bible Translators

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Gospel: Matthew 18: 1-5, 10

The disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Humans are fascinated by angels. What does the bible tell us about them? What is their purpose today?

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In heaven, God is surrounded by angels dressed in white, radiating light as they worship him eternally. Some also bring his message down to earth or serve as his military force, rescuing the righteous from death and exercising judgment over those who do evil.

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Scripture tells us that the angels are celibate; that they do not feast on earthly food; and that they do not sleep; rather, they keep watch perpetually over the affairs of heaven and earth.

Some people have made an entire religious practice out of living like the angels by praying for extended periods of time, fasting, and claiming life-long virginity, in the hopes of someday sharing in their heavenly company.

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The only time angels seem to be absent in the scriptures is during Christ’s public ministry, certainly when compared to the infancy and resurrection narratives. 

When Christ is first born, the angels sing glory to God. And when Mary Magdalene rushes to the empty tomb, angels ask her, “Why are you weeping?” Christ had been raised from the dead!

But during Jesus’ public ministry, the angels are notably silent. There wasn’t a need for these divine messengers while someone greater than they are was present.

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Since his return in glory to the Father, our guardian angels now re-occupy the interplay between heaven and earth, keeping watch over us all, interceding on our behalf.

May they guide our feet into the way of peace. 

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Image credits: (1) Two Angels, Raphael (2) Saint Benedict Center (3) The Dream of Jacob, Nicholas Dipre