Category: Uncategorized

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Jeremiah 31: 1-7

At that time, says the LORD,
I will be the God of all the tribes of Israel,
and they shall be my people.
Thus says the LORD:
The people that escaped the sword
have found favor in the desert.
As Israel comes forward to be given his rest,
the LORD appears to him from afar:
With age-old love I have loved you;
so I have kept my mercy toward you.
Again I will restore you, and you shall be rebuilt,
O virgin Israel;
Carrying your festive tambourines,
you shall go forth dancing with the merrymakers.
Again you shall plant vineyards
on the mountains of Samaria;
those who plant them shall enjoy the fruits.
Yes, a day will come when the watchmen
will call out on Mount Ephraim:
“Rise up, let us go to Zion,
to the LORD, our God.”

For thus says the LORD:
Shout with joy for Jacob,
exult at the head of the nations;
proclaim your praise and say:
The LORD has delivered his people,
the remnant of Israel.

The Word of the Lord.

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It’s amazing how many different views people have about God. Their answers can be as far as the East is from the West.

Some believe that God is distant, even absent. Others believe that he’s a stickler for rules; he’s a judge who weighs our sins and is somehow out to get us. 

Others treat him like a vending machine; you go to God when you need something.

But Jesus tells us to call God, “Abba,” which means, “Daddy.” Or, “Papa.” Every human being has the opportunity to experience intimacy with God – an intimacy that transcends even the deepest human relationship – because God loves us.

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In our first reading, the prophet Jeremiah describes God’s love for us as, “age-old.” In Hebrew, this word means, “unchanging; without end.” There is neither a beginning nor an end to God’s love for us.

As the Lord says previously through Jeremiah, “I knew you – I loved you – before I formed you in your mother’s womb” (Jeremiah 1:5).

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So, what does this mean?

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That there is nothing we can do to earn God’s love. Nor is there anything we can do to end it. 

When we’re stuck in the valley of our own darkness – when we’re mired in sin – God loves us.

When we doubt his existence; when we live life on our own terms; when we forget to pray… God loves us.

When we cry out in our need; when we serve Him in our neighbor; or when we praise Him for his goodness… God loves us – but no more or less than when we don’t.

His love is “age-old,” unchanging, unearned, without beginning or end.

Perhaps that’s something to bring to prayer today: Wherever you are on your journey, God is with you … and he loves  you.

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Image credits: (1) iStock (2) 123RF (3) Julie Lefebure

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Gospel: Mt. 14.22-36

Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side of the sea,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them, walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.”
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.”

After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret.
When the men of that place recognized him,
they sent word to all the surrounding country.
People brought to him all those who were sick
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak,
and as many as touched it were healed.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Some of the most common fears people have are a fear of public speaking, heights, failure, snakes, and confined spaces. Maybe we have a combination of these.

Why are we so afraid?

Some psychologists say, we’re afraid of losing control. 

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Consider Saint Peter in today’s Gospel.

Although he’s stuck in a storm in the middle of the night, he’s relatively safe, holed up on a boat. Suddenly, he sees Jesus walking on the water towards him, so he cries out: 

“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”

And so, Jesus says, “Come.”

Understandably, Peter is terrified. He’s spent his whole life walking on land. I’m sure he never dreamt of doing anything more. The land is comfortable; sturdy; familiar. 

But the water can swallow him whole.

Still, the Lord invites him to take a risk – to move beyond his comfort zone – to walk on water.

Peter didn’t start sinking because he was incapable of doing what Jesus said. The Gospel tells us, “When he saw how strong the wind was, he became frightened.”

Peter was afraid. That’s why he began to sink.

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I wonder how much further we might advance in life – and in our spiritual lives – if we were less afraid of failing; sinking; losing control. 

While some forces may be stronger than us – much like the wind and water being stronger than Peter – Jesus assures us that we will not drown because he’s standing there with us. As the disciples say elsewhere, “Even the wind and the seas obey him.”

What would it look like for me to step outside of my comfort zone? To take a leap of faith?

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May we follow Christ out onto the water today.

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Image credits: (1) St.Catherineop.com (2) laymansbible.wordpress.com (3) Clear Bible, WordPress

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Gospel: Matthew 14: 13-21

When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist,
he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.
The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.
When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already late;
dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages
and buy food for themselves.”
He said to them, “There is no need for them to go away;
give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”
Then he said, “Bring them here to me,”
and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples,
who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied,
and they picked up the fragments left over–
twelve wicker baskets full.
Those who ate were about five thousand men,
not counting women and children.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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How did Jesus do it? How did he feed thousands of people with only five loaves and two fish?

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The honest answer is, we don’t know. All the Gospel tells us is that everyone ate and was “satisfied.”

While we have to accept the possibility that Jesus could’ve simply multiplied the loaves and fish himself, some scholars argue that he did it another way.

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Instead of just multiplying food, Jesus transformed human hearts, inspiring people in that crowd to see themselves as part of the solution.

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“Give them some food yourselves,” he says.

In other words, I’ll give away what’s here, but you must reach into your own pockets and share what you have, as well.

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Imagine everyone with bread quietly tucked inside their pockets, reaching out and sharing what they have with others.

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This, then, might’ve been an even greater miracle – teaching thousands of people an important life lesson.

When problems arise, we must see ourselves as part of the solution.

This is true in terms of resolving poverty, famine, war – and even those little conflicts that happen inside our homes.

Whenever we find problems that need to be solved, we must see ourselves like the disciples – as part of the solution.

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Image credits: (1) it-oLogy (2) Maggie Oldham, Modern Etiquette Coach (3) Simpsons, Twitter