Tag: discipleship

“As you enter a house, wish it peace.” | Memorial of Saint Benedict, abbot

From the responsorial psalm: “Once again, O LORD of hosts, look down from heaven, and see: Take care of this vine, and protect what your right hand has planted, the son of man whom you yourself made strong. Let us see your face, Lord, and we shall be saved.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 10:7-15)

Jesus said to his Apostles: “Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you. Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words—go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet. Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.”

Jesus sends out the apostles with explicit instructions as they proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Relying on God’s providence for all of their needs, including food and shelter, he tells them: “Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.” While his instructions to the apostles on healing seem beyond ordinary human ability, they also apply to our everyday lives. Wish the peace of Christ upon those you encounter, and let your peace return to you if it is not received. Shake off rejection and leave the judgment of others to God.

God, as I make my journey through this day, enough of a distance that I can’t see very far ahead, help me listen to the words of your Son. “Without cost you have received,” Jesus says, “without cost you are to give.” In obedience to him, let me trust in giving the gifts you have first given me—time, talent, and treasure—without worrying about the expense of them. The source of mercy, you will provide; the peace of Christ I wish to others is not lost but returns to me to be given again. As I enter the lives of others today through my words and actions, give me the gifts of wisdom and help me call to mind that you are with me, as you speak through Hosea in the first reading: “For I am God and not man, the Holy One present among you; I will not let the flames consume you.” Saint Benedict, 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.

“The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” | Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “Look to the LORD in his strength; seek to serve him constantly. Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought, his portents, and the judgments he has uttered. Seek always the face of the Lord.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 10:1-7)

Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

As he summons the Twelve disciples to carry out his mission, Jesus gives them “authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.” Entrusting to the disciples the preaching of the Gospel, Jesus instructs them in his mission to bring the kingdom of God to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and to all people. As Saint John Paul II said in his encyclical Redemptoris Missio, “The kingdom of God is not a concept, a doctrine, or a program subject to free interpretation, but it is before all else a person with the face and name of Jesus of Nazareth, the image of the invisible God.” As Jesus accomplished the mission of his Father on earth, so he sends out the disciples to call people to seek repentance, faith, and the will of God.

God, help me understand your kingdom as its mystery unfolds in the past, present, and future of salvation history. The kingdom that is here and now today is fulfilled in the risen Christ and the hope of those who believe in his second coming and the resurrection to eternal life. Give me the grace today to see this profound mystery—the mystery of Christ’s presence—as it breaks through to present reality, through the events of the day, and through the opportunity for me to bring your kingdom to all people as a welcoming and faithful disciple of Christ.

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.

“His heart was moved with pity for them.” | Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

From the Gospel acclamation: “I am the good shepherd, says the Lord; I know my sheep, and mine know me.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 9:32-38)

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Jesus meets opposition from the Pharisees as he journeys through towns and villages, teaching, proclaiming the Gospel, and curing diseases and illnesses. As the crowds are amazed as Jesus drives out demons and performs miracles, the Pharisees say, “He drives out demons by the prince of demons.” Their fear is that Jesus blasphemes God and that he will overthrow the religious leadership of Israel. Yet, as he proclaims the Gospel, Jesus meets the individual needs of every person he encounters and prays for more workers to help extend his ministry of healing and restoration. As the Son of God, Jesus does the Father’s will by bringing the kingdom of God into the presence of the people. As the psalmist prays, “Our God is in heaven; whatever he wills, he does.”

God, give me the grace to understand the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel. “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.” Let Christ’s compassion for the crowd prompt me to take action in caring for the needs of others. “So ask the master of the harvest.” You alone are the Lord; receive our prayer. “To send out laborers for his harvest.” Christ calls us to participate by going out to where the harvest is abundant, to the place of greatest need. Whatever this means for me today, help me know and act on your will in a loving, compassionate way.

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 girl is not dead but sleeping.” | Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “Every day will I bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD and highly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable. The Lord is gracious and merciful.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 9:18-26)

When Jesus arrived at the official’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion, he said, “Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they ridiculed him. When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand, and the little girl arose. And news of this spread throughout all that land.

In today’s Gospel, Matthew relates the account of a double miracle Jesus performs. As Jesus is on the way to the synagogue official Jairus’s house, a woman who has been suffering from a bleeding disorder approaches him. Merely touching Jesus’ cloak, she is healed immediately, and Jesus tells her, “Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.” At Jairus’s house, with the father and mother before their daughter, Jesus takes the girl by the hand and with a word raises her from the dead.

God, help me reflect carefully on today’s Gospel so that it will be a means throughout the day of praising you and giving you glory. Let me ponder in reverence and awe what the Gospel acclamation says about the mission of your Son: “Our Savior Jesus Christ destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel.” Give me the grace to trust in your mercy completely and know that you are with me throughout this day and always.

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 he not the carpenter, the son of Mary?” | Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

From the Gospel acclamation: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mk 6:1-6)

Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples. When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

The Gospel readings for the past week reveal the necessity of faith in encountering Christ. The paralyzed man brought to Jesus is healed immediately. After Thomas sees Jesus with his own eyes, Jesus says to him, “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” And in last Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus raises Jairus’s daughter from the dead, saying to Jairus: “Don’t be afraid; just have faith.” In today’s reading, as Jesus encounters his own people—friends, neighbors, and family—Mark tells us that because of their lack of faith, “he was not able to perform any mighty deed there.” The people of Nazareth and its surroundings have discounted Jesus as the Messiah, the same child of Joseph and Mary they watched grow into adulthood. Jesus is amazed at their lack of faith.

God, help me remember and take in the last words from the Gospel: “He was amazed at their lack of faith.” I don’t want to be numbered among those whom Jesus sees in this way. Yet, I often am among them. What does it take, Lord, to recognize that left to my own initiative, I lack faith sufficient for you to work mighty deeds, let alone necessary ones? Despite the revelations and knowledge Saint Paul held, he understood complete dependence on you. “My grace is sufficient for you,” you said to him, “for power is made perfect in weakness.” With the certainty of your grace, Lord, help me keep my eyes fixed on you. “For when I am weak,” as Paul says, “then I am strong.”

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.

“New wine into fresh wineskins.” | Saturday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “Kindness and truth shall meet; justice and peace shall kiss. Truth shall spring out of the earth, and justice shall look down from heaven. The Lord speaks of peace to his people.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 9:14-17)

The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth, for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse. People do not put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

In the first reading from the prophet Amos, the LORD promises to restore Israel. “I will wall up its breaches,” says the LORD, “raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old.” In sending his only-begotten Son, God holds true to his promise. The parable that Jesus shares with the disciples of John makes clear that Jesus is the bridegroom, the Messiah, the fulfillment of the LORD’s promise. When the bridegroom is taken away, Jesus tells them, then his disciples will fast. While present, Jesus is the new way, his presence among them a cause for feasting and celebrating. Just as new wine can’t be contained in old wineskins without bursting them, Jesus as the means of grace, love, and forgiveness requires a new way of thinking and living.

God, just as Jesus taught the disciples through parables, help me understand as I am best able to understand his message and your purpose in sending him. Your grace is superabundant, and nothing is lost in it, as you speak in Amos as the one who will wall up breaches and raise up ruins. To the disciples of John and the Pharisees, Jesus’ mission was radical and revolutionary. At its root is your mercy in the person of Jesus. Grant me the gifts of wisdom and understanding to be able to receive Jesus, to be transformed in receiving your mercy. And let your love be so abundant as to overflow through me into the lives of everyone I encounter today. Saint Maria Goretti, 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.

Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “Blessed are they who observe his decrees, who seek him with all their heart. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 9:1-8)

As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” He heard this and said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

Passing by Matthew while he is at work in his daily life, Jesus says to him, “Follow me.” Matthew immediately gets up and follows him, accepting his command. As Jesus meets us every day of our lives, the invitation extends to all of us, even as we miss the mark in words and actions through sin. While at Matthew’s house for dinner, other tax collectors and sinners come to join them. The Pharisees’ comment sets up Jesus for a reply that embraces even their hardness of heart: “I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” His invitation is for all, his mercy for every one of us. Our response to it makes all the difference. Where is the greatest need today for his healing in our lives?

God, you sent Jesus the divine physician for the sake of sinners. The call to holiness is not limited to a certain people or place or time but is universal. Help me, then, recognize fully that Christ invites me to follow him to receive his mercy; in receiving it, give me the grace and wisdom to see where I may be a means of mercy to others. Take my anxieties of the day, Lord, that prevent me from hearing and doing your will so that I remain in your presence at all times. As Saint Anthony Zaccaria, said: Before starting your activities, offer Jesus a few words of your choosing. Then, during your work often lift up your mind to God. You will benefit much and there will be no detriment to your job.” Saint Anthony Zaccaria, 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.

“My Lord and my God!” | Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle

From the responsorial psalm: “Praise the LORD, all you nations; glorify him, all you peoples! Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (Jn 20:24-29)

Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

When Jesus first appeared to the disciples, Thomas was not present. Because he didn’t witness Jesus personally, Thomas declares he won’t believe Jesus is risen unless he can see the wounds from the nails and touch Jesus’ side. Thomas holds this conviction for what must have seemed like an eternity. A week later, Jesus appears again to the disciples and offers Thomas the chance to examine his wounds. At this, Thomas makes his great profession of faith. Speaking to all of us who have not witnessed the risen Christ personally and inviting us to broaden and deepen our faith, Jesus then says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Although the doors were locked when Thomas was with the other disciples, Jesus appears to them. In appearing to Thomas and wishing him peace, Jesus meets him where he is in his doubt and fulfills his desire to see and feel the wounds of the risen Christ.

God, strengthen my faith. Jesus is present still through prayer, through the Holy Spirit, in the sacraments of the Church, and in our loving obedience and service to your will. This is the risen Christ, present today. Give me the grace, Lord, to witness this and be a witness of Christ to others. You alone can take the initiative to work with my doubts and grant me the gift of faith. For your name’s sake, Lord, strengthen my faith. Saint Thomas, 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.

“Lord, save us! We are perishing!” | Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “At dawn I bring my plea expectantly before you. For you, O God, delight not in wickedness; no evil man remains with you; the arrogant may not stand in your sight. Lead me in your justice, Lord.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 8:23-27)

As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him. Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was asleep. They came and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm. The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?”

In the first reading, through the prophet Amos, the Lord says, “So now I will deal with you in my own way, O Israel! And since I will deal thus with you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel.” In the Gospel, we see the God who has mastery over the forces of nature in the boat with the disciples as a violent storm suddenly comes up. Terrified they will die at sea, they awaken Jesus, who lies asleep in the back of the boat. The cause of the disciples’ fear and the answer to their fear are one in the same: the Lord of sea and sky is with them. He quiets the sea and stills their trembling. As he questions their faith, they question what sort of man this is who commands the winds and the sea. Jesus, true God and true man, is the same one who has the divine authority to quiet any storm that might overtake us. He asks us to have faith in this.

God, help me trust you today as I face its little uncertainties and anything that might overwhelm me with anxiety and fear. Isn’t it enough, Lord, to know that you are with me at all times? Yet, I sometimes fail to call that to mind when I have throughout the day the greatest opportunities to live out complete faith and trust in you. Give me the grace, then, to remember in confidence that you are with me in troubled times and in times of peace. I trust in you, Lord; my soul trusts in your word.

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.

“Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.” | Monday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “Consider this, you who forget God, lest I rend you and there be no one to rescue you. He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me; and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.” Remember this, you who never think of God.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 8:18-22)

When Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other shore. A scribe approached and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” But Jesus answered him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.”

In his reply to his disciples, Jesus establishes two key requirements of true devotion to him. He refers to himself as the Son of God, revealing his divine identity as the King of Kings. It is the true God from true God who puts aside material comforts to be in union with the Father and who invites us to do the same. By saying “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead,” the Incarnate Word rightly places even the most customary obligations beneath the importance of proclaiming the Gospel. For what loving purpose does Jesus ask this of us? As Saint Paul says, “Jesus Christ, though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” It is Jesus Christ who asks us to follow him, and following, to embrace him wholeheartedly with our words and actions.

God, help me hear the words of Jesus from today’s Gospel. What courage is necessary to go to those places with him where comforts are not a given and where customary ways of doing things are put aside in order to hear your voice and proclaim your kingdom? “I will pasture my sheep,” we read in the Communion antiphon, “I myself will give them rest, says the Lord.” Grant me the strength, Lord, to embrace with my whole heart wherever you invite me to follow. Saint Junipero Serra, 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.