Category: Uncategorized

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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

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Gospel: Luke 9: 57-62

As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding
on their journey, someone said to him,
“I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus answered him,
“Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
And to another he said, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead.
But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.”
And another said, “I will follow you, Lord,
but first let me say farewell to my family at home.”
Jesus answered him, “No one who sets a hand to the plow
and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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At the age of 24, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, whose feast day we celebrate, lay on her deathbed holding a crucifix.

Five of her final words were: My God, I love you!

That simple gesture of confessing her love for Christ while suffering, clinging to a crucifix, is key to understanding her spirituality.

Thérèse believed that no action was extraordinary in itself; on the surface, there’s nothing profound about speech, even from one’s deathbed. 

What is profound is the devotion behind her words: My God, I love you! Thérèse reminds us that it’s not what we do or say that matters, as much as why we do it.

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A 20^th century Saint later adopted Thérèse’s name and spirituality. We know her as Mother Teresa. 

Like Thérèse, Mother Teresa spent her life doing ordinary things with extraordinary love: clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, washing the wounds of lepers, clutching people in her arms as they died of disease or starvation.

Each person, she said, was, “Christ in distressing disguise.”

Both of these saintly women proved with their lives, “My God, I love you!”

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We, too, can be Saints like them, simply by living ordinary lives with extraordinary love.

Show by your actions today, My God, I love you!

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Image credits: (1) Redbubble (2) Congregation of the Holy Cross, Therese of Lisieux (3) A Christian Pilgrimage, WordPress

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Gospel: Luke 9:51-56

When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled,
he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,
and he sent messengers ahead of him.
On the way they entered a Samaritan village
to prepare for his reception there,
but they would not welcome him
because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,
“Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?”
Jesus turned and rebuked them,
and they journeyed to another village.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Saint Jerome, whose feast day we celebrate today, is one of the great heroes of the early Church. Born in the 4^th century, he was raised in a Christian household, but did not take his faith seriously until he had a vision of himself standing before the judgment seat of Christ.

In the vision, Jesus accused him of being more committed to Western literature, in particular the works of Cicero, than to the Gospels. The vision struck Jerome to the heart.

Shortly thereafter, he withdrew to the desert in Palestine where he lived as a hermit for several years, learning Hebrew, the language of the Old Testament. 

Finally, he was ordained a priest and quickly became the secretary to the pope. During that time, Jerome began the most important work of his life – translating the bible from Hebrew and Greek into Latin.

A labor of love that took him 40 years to complete.

His translation of the scriptures into Latin remains the official text used by the Church today, as well as the foundation from which the Bible has been translated into countless other languages.

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In the year 410, Rome fell to the Visigoths, causing many Christians to flee the Holy Land. 

Urged by charity, Jerome ended his solitary existence, put down his quill, and opened his heart and home to those in need. He’s remembered as saying, “Today we must translate the words of the Scriptures into deeds.” 

He died ten years later in the cave he called his home. Christians have often depicted him in art seated, quill in hand, with a skull on his desk. That skull reminded him of the quick passage of time.

His life leaves us a few questions to ponder:

Like Jerome, do we study the Word of God? Are we responsive to the needs of others? Are we humble of heart, willing to change our ways in light of divine judgment?

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Saint Jerome, pray for us.

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Image credits: (1) Catholic News Agency (2) Saint Jerome, Caravaggio (3) Young Catholics