Tag: disciples

“You are set free of your infirmity.” | Monday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 13:10-17)

Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath. And a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect. When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said, “Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.” He laid his hands on her, and she at once stood up straight and glorified God.

Today’s Gospel could end as the woman stands up straight and glorifies God. It’s a joyful moment that captures the imagination and could stand on its own apart from the rest of the passage. Yet, Luke goes on to convey even more to take to heart, showing us Jesus’ act of mercy in the right place at the right time. Despite witnessing a miracle, the leader of the synagogue criticizes Jesus for healing the woman on the sabbath when there are six other days to cure her. Calling out his hypocrisy, Jesus says to him: “This daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now, ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day from this bondage?” In his Father’s house and on the sabbath, in his mercy Jesus desires to free her from her illness, from bondage to the flesh. As Saint Paul says in the first reading, “Brothers and sisters, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.”

Father in heaven, help me live with a spirit of adoption as your child, a joint heir with Christ your Son. On my own, a sinner, I fall into the bondage of sin. That’s no way to live. Let me be led to you again and again, calling you to mind. Give me the grace to recognize how your will moves throughout the day so that I can live according to it, free from fear to worship you and give you glory. Just as Jesus acted freely in the right place at the right time, help me today see where your mercy is needed and be a means of freeing others.

From the Gospel acclamation: “Your word, O Lord, is truth; consecrate us in the truth.” Abba, Father, let me live in your truth!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“Which commandment in the law is the greatest?” | Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 22:34-40)

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a scholar of the law tested him by asking, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus responds to a Pharisee, who comes to test him. Having heard that Jesus silenced the Sadducees, he comes to Jesus to contend with him, to measure Jesus’ knowledge of the law against his own overinflated view of himself. In what way did Jesus silence the Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection? One can only imagine that Jesus’ reply to the Pharisee silences him as well when he says: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” In what particular way does Jesus, the same Lord who hears the cry of the poor, invite us to imitate his love and compassion?

Father in heaven, as I consider the words “with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind,” I am overwhelmed with this high calling to love you. Without that kind of love, it is impossible to turn to others and love them as myself. Give me the grace to be compassionate to others as a way to dwell in the freeing love you command me to follow. In turn, help me love you completely so that I know in word and deed what it is to love my neighbor as myself. Here is where trust is vital. As in the responsorial psalm, I ask you to be my strength: “I love you, O LORD, my strength, O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.”

From the Gospel acclamation: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord, and my Father will love him and we will come to him.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Memorial of Saints John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions, Martyrs

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 11:47-54)

The Lord said: “Therefore, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and Apostles; some of them they will kill and persecute’ in order that this generation might be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who died between the altar and the temple building. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood!”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus condemns those who memorialize the prophets their ancestors killed. It is a sweeping, difficult message that takes into account generations of human history, in which, as Saint Paul writes “all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God.” While a criticism of religious leaders of the time, Jesus also condemns the hypocrisies of the present age, wherever putting on appearances and false displays of piety supersede genuine acts of mercy and love. The building up of what is false can only lead to separation from God since God is truth itself. As Jesus says: “Woe to you, scholars of the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.” From every person, Jesus calls for transformation of heart and a genuine commitment to hearing and keeping God’s word.

Father in heaven, help me recognize that Jesus your Son condemns only to set people again on a path to integrity and truth. “I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me.” Give me the grace today to trust that you are attentive to my prayers and that in your mercy you alone satisfy every need. Help me know the strength of your guidance throughout the day, keep me from the harm of accepting what is false as true, and bring me into the knowledge of your will and the light of your glory.

From the responsorial psalm: “I trust in the LORD; my soul trusts in his word. My soul waits for the LORD more than sentinels wait for the dawn. With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.” | Feast of Saint Luke, evangelist | 10.18.23

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 10:1-9)

Jesus said to the disciples: Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus commissions seventy-two disciples, sending them out ahead of him to do urgently what he himself will do: proclaim the Kingdom of God. His words are not meant only for those disciples at that time in history but also for every Christian who hears and responds to the Lord. In a world full of brokenness and division, Jesus commands those who follow him to be a means of peace and healing while proclaiming God’s kingdom. To take on such a task, the disciples are to depend on God for a roof over their head and a meal placed before them. Like lambs among wolves, the disciples are to rely on God’s guidance and provision, and the power to bring God’s work to fruition. Then, as today, the Kingdom of God is at hand!

Father in heaven, give me the grace I need to be steadfast every day in proclaiming your kingdom. Saint Paul describes the resistance he met in preaching and his isolation and exposure to mortal danger. Whatever I do in your name today, Lord, help me remember his complete reliance on you. As he writes in his letter to Timothy, “But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it.” Stand by me today, Lord, as you give me every opportunity to love and serve others according to your will.

From the Gospel acclamation: “I chose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.” Saint Luke, pray for us!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“Everything will be clean for you.” | Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 11:37-41)

The Lord said to the Pharisee, “Oh you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil. You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside? But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you.”

The words of Jesus from today’s Gospel are directed to a Pharisee who invited him to dine at his home. As a guest, Jesus pours insult on the head of his host, and it is understandable that the Pharisee would have been offended. As the Son of God, Jesus directs the Pharisee to true freedom in worship of the creator. By noting that Jesus did not observe the prescribed washing before a meal, the Pharisee follows the Jewish tradition of ritual purification. Yet, here is Jesus, the invisible God made visible in his presence, who is inviolably holy, the source of holiness. Jesus redirects the gaze of the Pharisee toward what is pure and free of every form of evil. What Saint Paul says in the first reading encapsulates not only Jesus’ encounter with the Pharisee but also all of us who forget the glory of our immortal God: “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever.”

Father in heaven, Lord of all, call me to you so that I can live in the freedom of the creator. I get caught up daily in the tangible things of this world, good in themselves, but often forgetting the source from which they are made manifest. “But as to what is within,” Jesus says, “give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you.” Help me find you today in every good gift you give me that I can sense but also through the unseen work of the Holy Spirit, who makes manifest your presence in my inmost being every minute of the day. Give me the grace to distinguish between the creature and the creator, to recognize that you alone are freedom at its source.

From the Gospel acclamation: “The word of God is living and effective, able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.” Lord, teach me your ways!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“Something greater than Solomon here.” | Monday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 11:29-32)

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.”

As today’s Gospel picks up where the Gospel reading for Saturday left off, the crowd continues to surround Jesus. As he speaks to the people, he refers to two great prophets and his fulfillment of them as the Messiah. The crowd would have known about Solomon and Jonah and shared stories about them for generations. Jesus says of Solomon’s wisdom: “there is something greater than Solomon here.” Similarly, he refers to Jonah among the Ninevites in his call for repentance: “and there is something greater than Jonah here.” Just as Jonah’s experience was a sign to the people of Nineveh, Jesus’ death and resurrection would become a sign to the people of his generation, both a sign and the signified. He is present today in his living word and present body and blood, soul and divinity, in the Eucharist.

Father in heaven, help me fully appreciate the significance of Jesus your Son. While the prophets pointed to you, they lived and died as signs of your mercy and your coming kingdom. Jesus pointed to you and continues to point to you; even more, he is the living sign, the Word incarnate, present to me in this moment through his death and resurrection. Give me the grace to distinguish between human wisdom and divine guidance. As far as human wisdom can ascend, in the life of the Trinity there is something greater than Solomon. As Saint Paul says, help me remember my call and my end in the person of Christ: “Through him we have received the grace of apostleship, to bring about the obedience of faith, for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles, among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.”

From the responsorial psalm: “The LORD has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. The Lord has made known his salvation.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAaVQ82g2C4

“The feast is ready.” | Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 22:1-14)

Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and elders of the people in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. A second time he sent other servants. . . . Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’ The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. . . . Many are invited, but few are chosen.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks to the chief priest and elders, the Jewish spiritual leaders. The wedding feast he describes is the kingdom of heaven. In the parable, the king goes to extremes to fill his hall with guests. The ones invited are not worthy to come. Why is that? One went away to attend to his farm, another to his business. Others beat and killed the servants who invited them. In comparing the unworthy who were invited to the banquet to the chief priests and elders, Jesus then goes on to say in the parable that the invitations would go out to those on the street, to the good and the bad alike. As in the wedding banquet, the invitation to the kingdom of heaven goes out to the good and bad alike. Some accept that invitation, and some don’t. God goes to extremes in his invitation to feast at the banquet of his mercy. What in the world is there that would keep us from accepting it?

Father in heaven, you invite me to hear and accept your invitation to come into your kingdom. Throughout the course of the day, let me stop to ponder what that means. You, the creator of heaven and earth, say to me as you say to many, “Come to the banquet.” How am I to respond to that in thanksgiving, in my words and actions, and in how I treat others? Give me the grace, Lord, always to say yes to your invitation.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“Blessed are those . . .”| Saturday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 11:27-28)

While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

In today’s Gospel, a woman calls out from the crowd, rejoicing in the holiness of Jesus and blessing the mother who bore and nursed him. Jesus responds in a way that might seem terse and unsympathetic. Yet, the words “the womb that carried you” bring to mind Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant. What Jesus brings to all who hear him—what he fulfills through his life, death, and resurrection—is the old law and commandments brought to perfection in the new covenant. So rather than contradicting what the woman says to him, Jesus, the incarnate Word, takes her words to show us that blessedness is born by hearing his word, bearing it within, and observing it.

God, help me understand the promptings of the woman who called out to Jesus even as he was speaking. Rejoicing in the holiness of your Son, the woman couldn’t help but shout for joy. As the psalmist says, “Be glad in the LORD, you just, and give thanks to his holy name.” How often today will I see before my eyes an opportunity to rejoice in your name? I often struggle throughout the day to be aware of your presence at all, let alone rejoice in you. Let your word dwell in me today, aware and grateful for your presence in prayer, in the Scriptures, and in the sacraments. Give me the grace, Lord, to hear and observe your word and to know genuine delight in that.

From the responsorial psalm: “The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice; let the many isles be glad. Clouds and darkness are round about him, justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“Whoever is not with me is against me.” | Friday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 11:15-26)

“When an unclean spirit goes out of someone, it roams through arid regions searching for rest but, finding none, it says, ‘I shall return to my home from which I came.’ But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there, and the last condition of that man is worse than the first.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus responds to some among a crowd who believe he drives out demons by the power of Beelzebul. Although aware that he had just driven out a demon, others in the crowd ask him for a sign from heaven to test him. Jesus knows their thoughts and makes clear in challenging their logic that he is the source not of division but of unity. He says to them, “And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? . . . If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out?” By asking that question, Jesus presents us with a fundamental choice and an invitation into his kingdom. He is, as he says, the one stronger than Satan who, by the finger of God, attacks and overcomes the kingdom of darkness and restores us to unity with his Father’s kingdom: “Whoever is not with me is against me,” Jesus says, “and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

Father almighty, thank you for sending your Son to free me from the powers of darkness. Give me the grace today to arm myself in the struggle against evil. Everywhere, the day presents fundamental choices. As the psalmist says, “Make known to me your ways, LORD; teach me your paths. Guide me by your fidelity and teach me, for you are God my savior, for you I wait all the day long.” Dwell in me, Lord; keep me safe from the darkness and division of the evil one. “I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart.”

From the Gospel acclamation: “The prince of this world will now be cast out, and when I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all to myself, says the Lord.” Lord, in your mercy, draw me to yourself!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“For everyone who asks, receives.” | Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 11:5-13)

Jesus said to his disciples: “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?”

Jesus continues to teach his disciples about prayer and reliance on the Father. He describes persistence in prayer through a parable about a man who goes to a friend at midnight for three loaves of bread. At first, the friend is reluctant to help: “Do not bother me,” the friend says, “the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.” Yet, Jesus tells the disciples, the friend will relent and give the man the bread he asks for, if not out of friendship then because of his persistence. If such a friend eventually provides, “how much more,” Jesus says, “will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” The Holy Sprit is the answer to our prayers and food that sustains.

Father in heaven, help me remember to come to you today to ask for whatever I need. If I don’t call you to mind, how can I remember to ask you for what I need? Give me the grace, then, to pause throughout the day to look to your generosity for what I need in that moment. When I feel pressed by the constraints of time, help me give full attention to what I am doing as a way of being aware of your presence. In the parable, the man goes to his friend because he has nothing to give his friend who arrives from a journey. Take me as I am, Lord, in my neediness and through your Spirit provide me abundantly with what I most sorely lack.

From the responsorial psalm: “He is like a tree planted near running water, That yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade. Whatever he does, prospers. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.