Litany of the Sacred Heart

Hebrews 10:32-39; Psalm 37 The salvation of the just comes from the Lord; Mark 4:26-34

St. Paul in the letter to the Hebrews tells us that "We are not among those who draw back and perish, but among those who have faith and will posses life."

The psalm tells us, "By the Lord are the steps of man made firm, and he approves his way.  Though he fall, he does not lie prostrate, for the hand of the Lord sustains him."

Jesus tells us in the gospel that "the kingdom of God is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, and he knows not how." 

The mighty hand of God knows even though we do not; in all our planned efforts and strained attempts to bring the good news to the world, like the farmer we wait for the seed to germinate, and we wonder often not knowing how.  But in the end it is under the hand of God and this is what brings us hope.  It is not by our hands alone does the kingdom come.

The Litany of the sacred Heart ends thus:

Jesus, gentle and humble of heart, touch our hearts and make them like your own.  

Let us pray.

 Father, we rejoice in the gifts of love we have received from the heart of Jesus, your son.  

Open our hearts to share his life and continue to bless us with his love.  

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen

Rouse and visible

Hebrews 10:19-25; Psalm 24 Lord, this the people that longs to see your face; Mark 4:21-25

There are two words that stand out in today's readings. 

In the first reading, the Letter to the Hebrews, the writer exhorts us to confidence in faith due to the blood of Jesus poured out for us.  Then, we are exhorted to "rouse one another to love and good works."

Let us "rouse" one another.  The writer is telling us that letting people slumber in their life is not an option.  We must "rouse" them.  There are many ways to rouse people.  We can startle them awake or we can gently nudge them to be awaken to the beauty of the day.

Each method doesn't work for everyone or every time. 

No one likes to be startled awake, yet there might be moments when it is needed.  

If the house is on fire, then a gentle nudge is inadequate.

We must discern the method for each person at each time.

Secondly in the gospel Jesus speaks of the lamp and the lamp stand.  He tells us there is "nothing hidden except to be made visible."

In deed we are meant to be visible that is we are meant to be seen.  In fact all that we do is visible and seen.  The question is, "is what is visible a true light for the world of the higher things?"

We must rouse and be visible lest what we have be taken away.  The best way to rouse someone is by simply turning on the light.  The light itself as a way of rousing and keeping awake.  We must simply be visible and the light will do the rest.

brothers of Jesus?

Yesterday we encountered Jesus surrounded by many.  His mother and his brothers arrived to speak to him.  

Side note: The Church teaches that Mary is ever virgin.  She did not have any other children but Jesus.  Scripture seems to speculate otherwise.  

As we read yesterday: "The mother of JEsus and his brothers arrived at the house...A crowd seated around him told him, "Your mother and your brothers and your sisters are outside asking for you."

The greek word 'adelphos' (brother) is used for many relational realities.  It can be used to describe those who are blood brothers from the same mother, but it is also used more frequently in scripture to describe relationship of kin whether from the same family, such as cousins, or same area of land, such as countrymen. 

When scripture reads "your brothers and sisters are outside" (Mark 3:31-25), it is not as clear as we think.  The words speak of some relational reality in general but not in particular. 

Also, If Mary had other children, especially sons,  then why would Jesus give her to the beloved disciple while on the cross.  In the gospel of John, Jesus speaks to Mary and the beloved disciple in these words, "Woman behold your son, behold your mother. And from then on he took her into his home."

Mary would not need someone to take care of her if there were other sons to take care of her, yet Jesus asks the beloved disciple to take her in.  

Many protestants will use the above scripture verse Mark 3:31-35 to attack the Catholic faith and its teachings.  Shame on them for not learning to properly read scripture; shame on them for allowing their presumptions to cloud truth; shame on them for not truly respecting the virginal integrity of Jesus' mother, Mary.  

We are left with the question, "Does Jesus have any brothers or sisters?"

As Jesus points out in yesterday's gospel, "And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers.  For whomever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."  

Should we not let Jesus, the Word made flesh, the son of God, teach us how to interpret scripture.  Jesus uses the word brother in a very general way outside of blood relation.  He is the one that interprets scripture properly; let us allow him to show us the way and the truth. 

Yes, Jesus does have brothers and sisters.  Those who seek the will of God and live it daily are true family members.  Jesus establishes his universal, catholic, church family rooted in the will of God. 

  

willpower

Hebrews 10:1-10; Psalm 40 Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will; Mark 3:31-35

Willpower!

Often when we here 'willpower,' we think of the power and ability not to do something: not to smoke, not to drink, not to have that second chocolate brownie with ice cream.

Willpower is more than not doing something.  Willpower is about doing and becoming and living the fullness of our humanity in accord with God's plan. 

Willpower is about understanding the good and moving toward that good with persistence even in adversity. 

Jesus tells us that those who are his brothers and sisters and family are the ones who do the will of God, the ones who go the distance.  

Willpower is about taking our passion and allowing them to be transformed by true glory.  Letting the good of God's will become the object of our will, our choice.  

God is pro-choice, he gives us the power to choose his will, only then are we truly empowered to have the fullness of life and joy complete.

Collaborators

2 Timothy 1:1-8 or Titus 1:1-5; psalm 96 Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations; 

Luke 10:1-9

Today in the Church we celebrate the memorial of Sts Timothy and Titus. 

Timothy and Titus reveal much to us. 

First they show to us the humility and zeal that St. Paul had for the gospel and the Church.  He did not do everything on his own but rather he was willing and ready to take on collaborators so that the gospel and the Church could be served. 

Secondly they show us what true generosity of heart looks like.   They were willing and ready to take on various offices and to travel great distances to serve the gospel with great generosity. 

They traveled to Ephesus, Corinth, Philippi, Thessolonica, Dalmatia, Crete, Athens, Jerusalem and many other places.  They were letter bearers, peace bringers, money collectors, shared correspondence between Paul and the church communities, they were eventually bishops, and Timothy even was circumcised at an old age for the sake of the mission.   Their feet were always on the go.

They  reveal to us that service to the gospel also entailed service to the church.  One cannot fully serve the gospel unless they also invigorate the church; they go together. 

The task laid before St. Paul and Timothy and Titus had little to do with their own personal egos but everything to do with the gospel of Christ and the Church of Christ.  Jesus was the figure head that bound them all together and filled them with humility and zeal.

Repent and believe

Readings for this Sunday

In today's gospel Jesus begins his ministerial message.  Usually when someone begins a new office or position they issue words that are meant to set the tone for their tenure; this includes both their vision statement and mission statement.

Jesus began with these words:

"This is the time of fulfillment.  The kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel."

Simple, straight forward, to  the point is our savior's words.  There are two realities involved in this mission and invitation of Jesus to us all.  

We must repent.  We must recognize our straying ways, recognize that we have settled for less, recognize the good that is laid before our feet.  We must desire to make a change.  Most people understand this part.  Most people want to repent, long for change, are tired of settling for less.

We must believe.  We no longer just desire change but we reach for it.  We allow the change of this kingdom to take root in us from within.  We begin to live differently, not on our own will power, but we live by the will power of Christ who enthrones his strength in our hearts and minds.  We reach for the higher standard of life.  We are invigorated by a what is above. 

Most people struggle with believing.

We all want to repent, we all want forgiveness but we are not all ready for the new life of the believer.  Both are necessary if we are to truly tap into the power of God in Jesus who not only invites us to  anew way of life but seeks to make that way within us.

This the time of fulfillment.  The time is now.  We cannot wait for it to happen in the long run.  We do not live in the long run, we live today, we live right now.   The kingdom of God is at hand, will you take it?

Will you let go and trust the one who knows?

Repent and believe and the good news will bring the fullness of joy and life into you. 

 

mile stones

Today marks the 300th post on this blog. It hardly seems that that amount of time have come and gone between the first post and this post.

I guess every one celebrates miles stones, so why not 300. I suppose post 301 will be just as telling as this post today. If there is a 301, it means I have been given the opportunity to live and pray and love and tell. It will be a token of God's mercy. Yet, I suppose a token of God's mercy will be whether 301 comes along or not. It is his mercy that keeps us going, in him we move and breathe and have our being and he holds all things in himself.

There have been two prayers in the office that have stayed with me this week. The first is the prayer from Wed. evening prayer and the other is the prayer from this morning.

Wednesday Evening prayer:
Lord, watch over us by day and by night.
In the midst of life's countless changes strengthen us with your never-changing love.

Saturday Morning prayer:
Lord, free us from the dark night of death.
Let the light of resurrection dawn within our hearts to bring us to the radiance of eternal life.

It is the never-changing love that dawns within our hearts, scattering the darkness of our worries and concerns, and fills us with radiance that empowers us to action and brings us to the radiance that awaits. God's never-changing love introduces into our life and world stability. In the midst of the scourge of violence that is happening around the world, it is this stable force of never-changing love that will bring about a dawn of peace whose radiance finds it source in the face of Jesus.

May we continually seek His face. He descended into the misery of the human condition. His face is a "bleeding Head, so wounded;" precisely in this way it manifests the mystery of God's never-changing love whose power transforms violence into hope, thus a dawn of ressurection is always on the horizon. In peering in His face we are awaken to courage to carry on in the struggle of turning wounds into glory.

Psalm 34 "look toward him and be radiant...the Lord turns his eyes to the just and his ears to their appeal."