Tag: hope

“Well done, my good and faithful servant.” | Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 25:14-30)

Jesus told his disciples this parable: “A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one-to each according to his ability. Then he went away. “After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.'”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the disciples a parable about fidelity to God’s gifts. The parable is familiar: one servant receives five talents; another, two talents; and a third, one talent. The first two double their master’s money, but the third buries the talent in the ground and is cast out. The one who is entrusted with God’s gifts, or talents, multiplies them by using them. When emptied of the anxiety of material possession but in the blessedness of fear of the Lord, the hands are unhindered to use God’s gifts for the needs of others. Consider the worthy wife in the first reading: “She brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life. . . . She reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy.” Jesus concludes the parable by telling his disciples, “For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” Every good gift comes from God. How do we use them to the fullest, wisely and faithfully?

God, help me to be a good steward of the gifts you have given me. Let me not ask, which of the gifts you have given me can bring the greatest material or financial gain but which of them shines the brightest for the sake of your glory. Greed leads to greater greed; stewardship leads to just distribution. Make clear to me where your gifts accomplish your will. The master in the parable goes away but returns. Teach me to be vigilant for Christ’s return but not fearful of it like the servant. Supply the grace and courage necessary to be a good steward in the responsible use of my talents—the gifts you have given me so that I can one day share in your joy.

From the responsorial psalm: “Behold, thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD. The LORD bless you from Zion: may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.” Lord, remain in me; keep me alert to your coming.

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.

“Will he be slow to answer them?” | Saturday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 18:1-8)

The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the disciples about the necessity of persistent prayer. He illustrates this by telling them a parable about a widow who asked for a just decision against her adversary. The judge, Jesus says, “neither feared God nor respected any human being.” Deciding to address the widow so that she stops bothering him, the judge renders a decision for her. If the dishonest judge brings justice to the widow, how much more, Jesus tells the disciples, will God be quick to answer justly and mercifully those who call out to him day and night.

God, help me understand that in the words of Jesus you invite me to pray without ceasing for what I need. I often fail to recognize that what I believe I need is far from your will, and my hope in what I pray for begins to wane. Instead, let me trust that you know what I need even before I ask and that you are the only just judge, the one God alone who renders a just decision. Let me be unafraid of persisting in prayer and bothering you with the things I believe I need the most. Give me the grace to recognize that you provide for my needs over and above what I see as the best possible outcome. This is a matter of trust in your mercy; teach me to trust in your will for me.

From the responsorial psalm: “Sing to him, sing his praise, proclaim all his wondrous deeds. Glory in his holy name; rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD! Remember the marvels the Lord has done!” Lord, teach me to pray without becoming weary!

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 Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 17:26-37)

“Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it. I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. And there will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken, the other left.” They said to him in reply, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the body is, there also the vultures will gather.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks to the disciples about the Second Coming and Final Judgment. He relates examples from the Old Testament as a way to help them understand the coming of the Son of Man. Going about their ordinary activities, the people in Noah’s time were caught off guard at the coming destruction as were the people of Sodom at the time of Lot when his wife looked back back to see “fire and brimstone” and turned to a pillar of salt. Saints and theologians have explained Jesus’ disturbing reference to vultures gathering around the body in different ways. Is it enough to recognize that the body will be raised up at the Second Coming for eternal condemnation or eternal life with the Body of Christ?

Father in heaven, help me be aware always of the suddenness of the coming of your Son. Whether to prepare for the ultimate judgment or the end of my life, help me be ready for Christ’s return. Give me the grace to see in the created world beyond the limitations of created things the author who created all. From the Book of Wisdom, help me recall you when I get lost in the ordinariness of a day: “All men were by nature foolish who were in ignorance of God, and who from the good things seen did not succeed in knowing him who is, and from studying the works did not discern the artisan.” Give me the courage to die to the things of this world and, for the sake of the life of the world to come, not look back.

From the Gospel acclamation: “Stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.” Saint Elizabeth, 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.

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

“The Kingdom of God is among you.” | Thursday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 17:20-25)

Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, Jesus said in reply, “The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus says that no one will be able to announce when the Kingdom of God comes and at the same time that “the Kingdom of God is among you.” He says to the disciples: “For just as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation.” The coming of the kingdom is already here and is still to come; it is both. Because Jesus perfectly fulfilled the will of the Father in his passion, death, and resurrection, he is one with him in being beyond space and time.

Father in heaven, you are present now, always have been, and always will be—present eternally. You reign over heaven and earth now and in the Second Coming in the return of Christ. By allowing your kingdom to come in my words and actions, help me today prepare for eternal life. Jesus said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.” Give me the grace, Lord, to long for your Son in my desires and in choices I make. Help me see him today and, having prepared for his return, when he comes again.

From the Gospel acclamation: “I am the vine, you are the branches, says the Lord: whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit.” Your word is forever, 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.

“Your faith has saved you.”| Wednesday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 17:11-19)

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed.

In today’s Gospel, Luke relates the account of Jesus’ healing of the ten lepers. Although healed immediately, only one of the ten returns to Jesus to thank him and give glory to God. Luke tells us that he glorifies God in a loud voice and falls at the feet of Jesus in thanksgiving. As foreigners, and considered by Jews to be impure because of their religious practices and beliefs, Samaritans were looked on as inferior. In recognizing the miracle Jesus performed, the Samaritan gives witness to the importance of recognizing that God’s healing and unifying presence manifested in Jesus’ act of love and mercy.

Father in heaven, help me see with the eyes of faith beyond the physical limitations of sight. The leper Jesus healed came back to him glorifying you in a loud voice, an expression of his complete faith in you. Jesus said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.” Give me the grace first to recognize your healing presence and also to be a witness to others in giving you thanks in your saving power.

From the responsorial psalm: “In all circumstances, give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” Christ, have mercy on 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.

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

“We have done what we were obliged to do.” | Tuesday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 17:7-10)

Jesus said to the Apostles: “So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus continues to respond to the request of the Apostles: “Increase our faith.” Taking the request of the apostles into account along with today’s message, Jesus emphasizes the means of increasing faith: forgiveness and obedience. Forgiveness frees us to serve others in humility and obedience. The demands of discipleship call for dutiful service not for the sake of reward but in obedience to the Lord’s commands. Forgiveness is a form of detachment from obstacles that prevent us from recognizing and doing God’s will.

Father in heaven, hear my prayer. In forgiving others I know that I am doing as Jesus commands. Yet, I fail to do that so often on so many levels. Help me dwell on my inability and weakness as a way to recognize my dependence on you for genuine forgiveness. The gift you give me is one that I immediately give away in letting go of even the little injuries that tend to fester and do harm. Help me recall the words of the Our Father today in obedience to your kingdom and in forgiving the trespasses of others.

From the responsorial psalm: “When the just cry out, the LORD hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves. I will bless the Lord at all times.” Let my soul glory, Lord, in you alone.

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.

“Increase our faith.” | Memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 17:1-6)

And the Apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”

What did Jesus say that touched the hearts of the disciples so that they exclaim, “Increase our faith”? In today’s Gospel, he tells them to be on guard for causing others to sin. He says to them, “It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.” Jesus acknowledges that sin inevitably occurs and at the same time gives us the means for peace and justice. “If your brother sins,” Jesus says, “rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times saying, ‘I am sorry,’ you should forgive him.” Recognizing the difficulty of rebuking and forgiving one another, the Apostles hear and respond to the Lord. Lord, increase our faith.

Father in heaven, thank you for your hand that guides me and your presence that hems me in. Where can I go that your hand is not on me or that I go even a minute unnoticed by you? “Where can I go from your spirit?” the psalmist asks. “From your presence where can I flee?” But how do I see that and believe it in the course of the day when I encounter ordinary stress and anxiety and am weak in being just and offering forgiveness? Just as the Apostles asked, I also ask you: “Increase my faith!” Give me integrity of heart, Lord, to seek you and trust that you guide me in your truth.

From the responsorial psalm: “Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know the whole of it. Behind me and before, you hem me in and rest your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; too lofty for me to attain. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.” Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, 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.

“Stay awake!” | Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 25:1-13)

Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise.”

Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to ten virgins who took their lamps to meet the bridegroom at his arrival at midnight. Five of them were wise and had extra oil for their lamps, while the other five were foolish and did not bring any extra oil. As the foolish virgins went off to buy oil, the others went in with the bridegroom to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. At the end of the parable, the five virgins who returned to the wedding feast cried out to the bridegroom, “‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.'” And then Jesus says to conclude the parable: “Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” In the first reading, wisdom is found by those who seek her. In the responsorial psalm, the flesh pines and the soul thirsts in those who seek God. In the Gospel, Jesus exhorts us to stay awake and be prepared for his return. The message is unmistakable.

Father in heaven, help me in my desire to wait for you, to watch for you, as one waits for wisdom and is vigilant for her arrival. Help me keep from falling asleep in waiting, in lapsing into apathy or being held captive by the foolishness of this world. What does it mean to pine for you, Lord? To pine is to yearn to the point of suffering, to experience pain in longing for you. The irony is that I often fail to recognize that—that anything in this world will never be enough, that you alone through your condescending love make me whole, wanting nothing else. Give me the grace, Lord, to always be ready to recognize you at your coming.

From the responsorial psalm: “O God, you are my God whom I seek; for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.” Lord, you are my help.

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.

“But God knows your hearts.” | Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 16:9-15)

Jesus said to his disciples: “No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

Jesus continues in today’s Gospel where yesterday’s left off. Addressing the disciples as the Pharisees overhear, he talks about the value of dishonest wealth compared with the true wealth of dependence on God. According to the New American Bible Revised Edition, mammon is “the Greek transliteration of a Hebrew or Aramaic word that is usually explained as meaning ‘that in which one trusts.'” To the Pharisees, as Luke tells us, that meant love of money. Jesus presents this to those who hear him in a paradoxical way in what appears to be a logical either-or fallacy: “You cannot serve God and mammon.” A closer look reveals no fallacy here but truth: “but God knows your hearts,” Jesus says, “for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God.” What is left, then, but to serve God?

Father in heaven, help me embrace your will. Often far from embracing it and accomplishing it, your will for me in any given day seems to escape me altogether. That is why Jesus says, “If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth?” You show mercy where mercy is most needed, to the one who can’t be trusted with true wealth. Give me the wisdom to discern what is true and the grace to know your will and to serve you.

From the Gospel acclamation: “Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.” Saint Martin of Tours, 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.

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

Memorial of Saint Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 16:1-8)

Jesus said to the disciples: “And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently. For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than the children of light.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the dishonest steward. The steward of a rich man was accused of squandering his property, so the rich man then removed him from his position. Realizing that he would be jobless and unable to do manual labor, the steward dreamt up a plan to take care of himself. As he talked with each of his master’s debtors, he reduced the amount they owed to the master. From this, the steward hoped to win over the debtors so that they would provide for him when he was jobless. Oddly, the rich man commended the steward for his shrewdness. In reference to faith and eternal life, it is not that Jesus promotes dishonesty but instead teaches the importance of using our resources wisely and being prudent in doing the will of the Father.

Father in heaven, what does it mean to be a prudent steward of your gifts? Among the greatest gifts you give me are ones that are invisible, and I am easily led to overlook them. As Saint Leo the Great says, “Ascending on high, the Lord took captivity captive and gave gifts to human beings: namely, faith, hope, and love. These gifts are great, are mighty, are precious, all because a marvelous inclination of the mind believes in, hopes for, and loves what eyes of the flesh do not make contact with.” Lord, help me today see and be grateful for the gifts you surround me with.

From the first reading: “For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to lead the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God.” Saint Leo the Great, 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.