Category: Uncategorized

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Gospel: Matthew 5: 20-26

Jesus said to his disciples: 
“I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that
of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.

“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.
But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother
will be liable to judgment,
and whoever says to his brother, Raqa,
will be answerable to the Sanhedrin,
and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.
Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar,
and there recall that your brother
has anything against you,
leave your gift there at the altar,
go first and be reconciled with your brother,
and then come and offer your gift.
Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him.
Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge,
and the judge will hand you over to the guard,
and you will be thrown into prison.
Amen, I say to you,
you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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The Church is widely known for making distinctions.

For example, there’s a difference between an angel and an archangel, moral versus immoral, good versus evil, or a venial sin versus a mortal sin.

A venial sin might involve harboring a slight grudge in our heart towards someone who has wronged you; a mortal sin would involve intentionally acting on that anger – let’s say to the point of murder.

While we are most likely not guilty of any mortal sin, we can commit venial sins all the time. 

The temptation is to brush them off, as if they are really not that big of a deal. “I’m still angry at someone…. so what?”

But the Lord tells us that grudge IS a big deal, because no sin is permissible in heaven. 

“Whoever is angry with his brother or sister,” Jesus says, “will be liable to judgment. Therefore, leave your gift at the altar, go first and be reconciled.”

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How often do we approach the altar without having done the hard work of reconciliation?

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May the Lord grant us whatever grace we need today to live in peace with one another, certainly if that involves either giving or accepting an apology.

For no sin will be permissible in heaven.

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Image credits: (1)A-ZQuotes (2) Beads of Joy, RosaryManJim (3) Hope Harbor Church

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Gospel: Matthew 5: 17-19

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Dorothy Day was a social activist who became a Catholic after giving birth to her first child. 

Holding her newborn tenderly against her chest, she realized there had to be Someone to thank for the gift of life.

But Day not only came to believe in God’s existence; she also conformed her life to that belief, deciding to live above a soup kitchen in New York City for the next several decades, serving the poorest of the poor.

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Most people wouldn’t jump at the chance to call a soup kitchen “home.”

But Day made it her mission to serve, because she understood that the same God who created her child was the author of every life, making all humans equally deserving of love.

As she once wrote, “Christians are commanded to live in a way that doesn’t make sense unless God exists.”

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Do I live in a way that doesn’t make sense… unless God exists?

Think about this in terms of the core Christian tenets: salvation; charity; generosity; forgiveness; hope.

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This is how we fulfill the Law as Christ proclaims in the Gospel, by living in a way that doesn’t make sense…

… Unless God exists.

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Image credits: (1) AZQuotes (2) ArtPal (3) Aleteia

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Acts: 11: 21-26, 13: 1-3

In those days a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
The news about them reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem,
and they sent Barnabas to go to Antioch.
When he arrived and saw the grace of God,
he rejoiced and encouraged them all
to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart,
for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith.
And a large number of people was added to the Lord.
Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul,
and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch.
For a whole year they met with the Church
and taught a large number of people,
and it was in Antioch that the disciples
were first called Christians.Now there were in the Church at Antioch prophets and teachers:
Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger,
Lucius of Cyrene,
Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,
“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul
for the work to which I have called them.”
Then, completing their fasting and prayer,
they laid hands on them and sent them off.

The Word of the Lord.

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Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint Barnabas, who was like, “the salt of the earth, the light of the world.”

Interestingly, Barnabas wasn’t his real name. It was Joseph. Joseph received his “new” name from the Apostles after proving himself to be a man of deep faith and sturdy character. His name, Barnabas, means, son of encouragement.

We first encounter Barnabas in chapter 4 of the Acts of the Apostles after he sells a large field, laying the proceeds at the feet of the Apostles. 

But his greatest contribution to the Church was playing the role of bridge builder – vouching for one man, in particular, Saint Paul.

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Saint Paul was once a vicious man who “breathed murderous threats” against the Church, imprisoning and harming Christians before the Lord appeared to him, changing his heart. 

After Paul’s conversion, the Holy Spirit sent Barnabas to speak to Paul, who brought him up to Jerusalem, introducing him to the Church authorities. Paul was only received into the Church after Barnabas vouched for him.

Paul and Barnabas then became partners in ministry, travelling 1,400 miles across Greece and Turkey, risking their lives to preach the Gospel together.

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Paul would go on to travel nearly 10,000 miles on foot before his missionary days were complete. Even today, he’s recognized as the greatest missionary of his time, if not in history. But it also begs the question, “What if Paul never met Barnabas?”

While Paul receives a lion’s share of credit for spreading the Gospel throughout the Mediterranean, Barnabas was the open door, first allowing him to enter into the Church.

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Perhaps there’s a word in that for us.

While there are some towering figures in the Church – popes, Saints, missionaries, and martyrs – often the Lord uses ordinary people like us to play smaller roles.

Like Barnabas, we may contribute financially to the Church; offer a word of encouragement; serve as an open door; or a mediator of grace.

Smaller gestures, which when added together, move the mission of the Church forward, sometimes in significant ways.

Saint Barnabas, pray for us.

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Image credits: (1) Speak With People (2) Christian Publishing House Blog (3) zencontrol