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“But he was speaking about the temple of his Body.” | Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (Jn 2:13-22)

Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his Body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks to the Jews in the temple area in Jerusalem. With a whip, he drives out the people selling oxen, sheep, and doves intended for sacrifice. And he overturns the tables of the money-changers. To those selling doves, he says, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.” In the Gospel according to Luke, at the presentation of Jesus, Mary and Joseph take him to Jerusalem and offer a small sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves. Surely, Jesus would have recalled the stories his parents told him about his consecration to the Lord in this sacrifice. To the Jews who ask him what sign he can show for this scourge, Jesus refers to the temple, which will be replaced by the person of Jesus in the resurrection. The sacrifice according to Mosaic law destroyed the animals, and their life ceased at the point of sacrifice. Jesus turns this upside down. By his sacrifice on the cross, he destroys death and restores us for eternal life in the consecrated house of his Father.

Father in heaven, Saint Paul says, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” Consecrate me in the truth of your Son—in his death and resurrection—to make holy in me a place for you to dwell. God Most High, be my refuge and strength today in the life-giving waters that flow from your holy dwelling.

From the responsorial psalm: “I have chosen and consecrated this house, says the Lord, that my name may be there forever.” God, be in my midst today; let nothing disturb me!

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 of you . . . does not first sit down and calculate the cost?” | Wednesday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 14:25-33)

Jesus turned and addressed the crowds: “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion?”

Jesus sets down the conditions for discipleship in sharply defined terms, laying on the line the complete dedication necessary in carrying one’s own cross. Using two earthly images, he compares discipleship to one who calculates the cost of building a tower and to a king assessing whether he has enough troops to win a battle. In both cases, the cost must be calculated and a decision made one way or another: to engage or to withdraw. The terms for discipleship, Jesus says, are this: “In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.” In the first reading, Saint Paul describes this commitment in terms of sacrificial love, writing, “Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.”

Father in heaven, help me understand what is at stake and what resources I have when I sit down to calculate the cost of discipleship. When Jesus says I must “hate” my brothers and sisters for the sake of following him, that’s not meant to be taken literally but to emphasize complete devotion to him and abandonment of all possessions. Still, this seems impossible; I need your grace for this, Lord—to love one another and to renounce the spirit of this world. In sizing up what seems to be impossible on our own, Saint Ignatius suggests that the only true way to calculate the cost is not to count at all but instead completely trust in you. He puts it this way: “Teach us, good Lord, to serve you as you deserve; to give, and not to count the cost.” Teach me to do your will, Lord, and let me trust that you will supply everything I need.

From the responsorial psalm: “Lavishly he gives to the poor; his generosity shall endure forever; his horn shall be exalted in glory. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.” Help me be gracious, Lord, as you are gracious!

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.

“Make people come in that my home may be filled.” | Tuesday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 14:15-24)

Jesus said: “Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out and still there is room.’ The master then ordered the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled.'”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells a parable while dining at the house of a Pharisee. He responds to a guest’s comment about the blessedness of those who will eat in the kingdom of God. In the parable, Jesus tells how people respond differently to a man’s invitation to others to dine at his banquet. Each one is preoccupied with worldly distractions and excuse themselves from the invitation. So the man sends out his servant to invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame. The man in the parable represents God, and the great banquet symbolizes the kingdom of God. But the ones first invited excuse themselves from attending. What reason in the world is there to reject the blessings God gives to those he invites to his kingdom?

Father in heaven, help me understand the meaning of today’s Gospel, especially the last words of the man in the parable: “For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.” How clear is your Son in this, the Eucharistic invitation to “eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood.” Give me the grace, Lord, to say yes to your invitation to the true food and true drink of the Eucharist. Whenever I have the ability to attend Mass during the week, let me hear and respond to your invitation to dine in the Kingdom of God.

From the Gospel acclamation: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest, says the Lord.” Lord, let me trust in your mercy.

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 indeed will you be.” | Monday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 14:12-14)

Jesus said: “Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Jesus speaks in today’s Gospel to a leading Pharisee who invited him to dine at his home. He tells him not to invite those close to him in case they might invite him back and as a result have repayment. In telling the Pharisee to invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind, Jesus instructs him in the means of resurrection to eternal life with the Father. Three times Jesus mentions the notion of repayment in reference to its flow. Who does the Pharisee host, and what is expected in return? In what many forms does fear of repayment bind, and what does Jesus teach about hospitality and the flow of currency that leads to the banquet of eternal life?

Father in heaven, I don’t often see and am not accustomed to seeing the broken and destitute people Jesus names in the Gospel. Yet it is exactly those who are to be invited to the banquet. Jesus holds true to his word in that he invites the same to his banquet at every celebration of the Mass. In receiving the Eucharist, as I approach the body and blood of Christ before the altar, I become the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. In that sacrament I recognize my dependence on you for every good gift and invite the Holy Spirit to do what is necessary so that I become the body and blood of Christ that I consume. Give me the grace, Lord, to be Christlike to the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame in whatever guise I encounter them. And help me begin to see that they are right before me every day. “For the LORD hears the poor,” the psalmist writes, “and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.”

From the responsorial psalm: “But I am afflicted and in pain; let your saving help, O God, protect me. I will praise the name of God in song, and I will glorify him with thanksgiving. Lord, in your great love, answer me.”

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

“For they preach but they do not practice.” | Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 23:1-12)

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them.”

Jesus speaks to both the crowds and the disciples about following God’s word and keeping a covenant with him. In the first reading, the Lord says, “Have we not all the one father? Has not the one God created us?” Yet, the Pharisees take the word of God and make it into a kind of prison of false piety performed to be seen and calling for honor. In the second reading, Saint Paul sets an example of what humility looks like as it is practiced in faith: “We were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children. . . . You recall, brothers and sisters, our toil and drudgery. Working night and day in order not to burden any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.” To quiet and still the soul to find peace in the Lord—what does that take?

Father in heaven, quiet my soul in the midst of this day to be able to see you present as the day unfolds. Open my eyes to see you in a way that comes not from busying myself with conspicuous achievements but in quietly serving others and working to unburden them. Place before me the work that brings to light the Gospel and gives glory to your name. Give me the grace, Lord, to bear your word and make you known in sharing my very self with others.

From the responsorial psalm: “O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor are my eyes haughty; I busy not myself with great things, nor with things too sublime for me. In you, Lord, I have found my peace.”

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 one who humbles himself will be exalted.” | Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 14:1, 7-11)

At the home of one of the leading Pharisees, Jesus told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table. “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place. Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches lessons on humility and the importance of avoiding seeking honor and recognition. As he tells the parable, he shows those who listen to choose the lower place rather than the places of honor at a table. Jesus says: “Go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, ‘My friend, move up to a higher position. . . .’ For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” With the supreme model of humility given to us by Christ in his complete self-emptying on the cross in obedience to the Father, we have every means available to humble ourselves before others and before God.

Father in heaven, meet me where I am today in my desire to purge myself of seeking honor at whichever table honor has a place. I often take the long way to humility when I would do better to take the short way; that is, help me abandon the habits of defensiveness, arrogance, and judgment that inhibit me from humbling myself. Give me the grace to hold my tongue when I have the impulse to uphold what is better to let go of; come to my aid, God, in following the example of your Son.

From the Gospel acclamation: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, For I am meek and humble of heart.” Saint Charles Borromeo, 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.

“Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?” | Friday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 14:1-6)

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully. In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy. Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking, “Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?” But they kept silent; so he took the man and, after he had healed him, dismissed him.

After Jesus dismisses the man, he says: “‘Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern, would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?’ But they were unable to answer his question.” Luke tells us that Jesus dismisses the man after healing him and only then addresses the Pharisees. On his way and free of his illness, the man who suffered no longer suffers, but the Pharisees and scholars of the law are unable to answer, silenced in the hypocrisy they are bound by. The answer to the question Jesus asks them is in the affirmative. But they are unable to affirm what they know is true. Jesus heals the suffering man and invites the Pharisees to be healed in the truth of his mercy.

Father in heaven, help me understand today’s Gospel. In the darkness that sin casts over me, I am not far off from the scholars of the law and the Pharisees when I place strict observance over mercy or remain silent when I hear your voice. Help me live in your truth, in truth itself in the person of Jesus your Son. “I speak the truth in Christ,” Saint Paul writes. “I do not lie.” Let me do the same. Give me the grace of Christ’s healing presence in the Eucharist, and dismiss me today with a heart to love you and hands to serve you in knowing your truth and doing your will.

From the responsorial psalm: “My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.”

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 will of the one who sent me. . . ” The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (Jn 6:37-40)

Jesus said to the crowds: “Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks to the crowd about the will of the Father and what the will of the Father is. Jesus goes on to say it is “that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.” Just as Jesus does the will of the Father, in coming to Jesus we go to the gift the Father has given us in his Son to make his will our own.

Father in heaven, help me learn your will and do my part in accomplishing it. Your Son’s perfect obedience in his life, death, and resurrection brings salvation to all who believe in him. At your right hand, may your Son intercede for all the faithful departed, who lived lives of holiness through obedience to your word. Grant me the grace to recognize all of the good gifts you give me every day, and let me come to you day by day better prepared for your gift of eternal life.

From the Gospel acclamation: “Come, you who are blessed by my Father;
inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

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.

Solemnity of All Saints

From the Gospel acclamation: “Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.” Lord, thank you for your kingdom; in it, let me grow more and more in love of its mysteries.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 5:1-12a)

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus looks out over the crowd and in his Sermon on the Mount teaches the disciples and the crowd—in fact, every one of us—the Beatitudes. Every one of the eight beatitudes presents different facts of the Kingdom of God and guide us toward living a blessed life according to God’s will. The poor in spirit recognize in humility their reliance on God; those who mourn receive God’s comfort; the meek in their gentleness will inherit the earth. Jesus includes in the Beatitudes the blessings and the blessedness of the merciful, the pure, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted. Through Christ, all of us are called to be holy men and women of the Beatitudes, bringing forth the Kingdom of God here and now and preparing ourselves as children of God to one day see him face to face.

Father in heaven, in today’s celebration of the Communion of the Saints, I glimpse those in your kingdom whose “hands are sinless, whose heart is clean.” Teach me, Lord, to desire not what is vain but what leads to you in this life and to the kingdom that has not yet been revealed. Give me the grace to take in any one of the Beatitudes and all of them to see how each is integral to the others. Open my heart to see in everyday situations the opportunity to put into practice any one of the Beatitudes—good in itself—and the fullness of all of the Beatitudes in the imitation of Christ. Strengthen me, Lord, to know and do your will.

From the responsorial psalm: “Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD? or who may stand in his holy place? One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.”

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.

“What is the Kingdom of God like?” | Tuesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 13:18-21)

Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like? To what can I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden. When it was fully grown, it became a large bush and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus makes comparisons to the Kingdom of God in two parables. The tiny mustard seed, no larger than the largest grain of sand, grows large enough for birds to make nests in its branches. Jesus goes on to compare the Kingdom of God to yeast mixed into wheat flour, which leavens a large batch of dough. To whatever degree the Kingdom of God is present now, much more is to come in its fulfillment. As Saint Paul says in the first reading: “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God.”

Father in heaven, help me see your kingdom in the present but also wait for what is to come with eager expectation. The best days experienced on this earth still contain suffering. Yet, the smallest seeds of hope in your kingdom—already here and still to come—sustain me as I wait for what Saint Paul calls “the glory to be revealed for us.” Strengthen me today, Lord, with childlike hope. In the words of the psalmist: “Although they go forth weeping, carrying the seed to be sown, They shall come back rejoicing, carrying their sheaves. The Lord has done marvels for us.” Give me the grace to wait with endurance for what I cannot yet see.

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.