Tag: cross

“For whoever is not against us is for us.” | Wednesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

From the Gospel acclamation: “I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (9:38-40, today’s readings)

John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.”

By trying to prevent someone from driving out demons in the name of Jesus, John attempts to be protective of the mission of Jesus. It is from a viewpoint that keeps the power of Christ contained and undivided. John, who refers to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” seems to have the best interest of Jesus in his heart when he expresses this. Yet, the love of God manifested in the flesh and blood of Jesus cannot be divided without multiplying it. That is why Jesus expresses the truth of his person as the embodiment of indivisible truth that no one who performs a miracle in his name can degrade or diminish him. The first reading from Sirach expresses this in relation to service to the wisdom of God: “Those who serve her serve the Holy One; those who love her the LORD loves.”

Father in heaven, deepen my understanding of the exchange of love between you and the Son through the unity of the Holy Spirit. “No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus is the way and the truth and the life, the living access to the Father. Give me the grace to call on you, Lord, as I witness to your undivided power in bringing mercy wherever there are stumbling blocks, to whatever prevents access to the way and the truth and the life in the person of Christ. Jesus, I trust in you!

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 receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.” | Tuesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “Trust in the LORD and do good, that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security. Take delight in the LORD, and he will grant you your heart’s requests. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (9:30-37, today’s readings)

Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” Taking a child, he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it, he said to them, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.”

As Jesus travels with the disciples through Galilee, he tells them about his coming passion, death, and resurrection. Unable to understand him, they ask no questions but on the way to Capernaum discuss who among the disciples is the greatest. Once inside the house where they would stay, Jesus shares with them what true greatness means as his disciples: the first shall be last, and the last shall be first. The child from within the house that Jesus places before them is somehow closely related to the disciples, possibly a son or daughter or nephew or niece of one of the disciples. In receiving the child, Jesus teaches us what the love of a father for his children looks like as he speaks of his own Father and ours as the “One who sent me.”

Father in heaven, teach me to put myself last of all today. In doing what is necessary today, help me look first to the needs of others even as I accomplish my tasks. Nothing extraordinary is likely to happen today as I try to act on being “the last of all and the servant of all.” Yet, let me receive the gifts you give me today and not take my own agendas so seriously that I forget you, the giver of all that is good. The psalmist’s prayer is to “trust in the LORD and do good.” Give me the grace to take to heart this seemingly simple task today for the sake of your glory.

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 is possible to one who has faith.” | Monday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “The LORD is king, in splendor robed;
robed is the LORD and girt about with strength. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (9:14-29, today’s readings)

Jesus said to him, “‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.” Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!”

Taking place immediately after the Transfiguration as Jesus comes down from the mountain with Peter, James, John and meets the other disciples, today’s Gospel describes Jesus’ encounter with a man whose son is possessed. In an argument with some scribes after attempting to drive out the demon, the disciples face the lack of faith of the father and the scribes. That is why Jesus says to them, “O faithless generation, how long will I be with you?” Jesus then asks them to bring the boy to him, whose spirit throws him to the ground in convulsions. The father asks for Jesus compassion and help, saying “if you can do anything.” Jesus redirects the father’s attention to everything that is possible through faith in God. In response, his profession of faith is a prayer for all who have faith in the Lord: “I do believe, help my unbelief.”

God, help me trust that you can do the impossible, especially in circumstances that appear to have no solution. Just as the father asks for help on behalf of the son, let me come to you with firm conviction in faith that you alone can restore us to your image. Daily life seems to produce abundant barriers to the realization of hope sought through continual prayer. Yet, through Jesus Christ your Son, you transfigure human dignity in a way that accomplishes your plan for salvation while respecting free will. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,” you say through Isaiah, “neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD.” Lord, strengthen my faith!

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.

Expect nothing back. | Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he put our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him. The Lord is kind and merciful.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (6:27-38, today’s readings)

“But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

In these words, Jesus might seem to impose a standard that is too high for anyone who has received mistreatment from others. In cases of abuse, turning the other cheek is not about passively accepting it but instead refusing to engage in cycles of mistreatment and a commitment to breaking the patterns of aggression, degradation, and manipulation that inherently assault one’s human dignity. Even so, the forgiveness that Jesus calls us to is not of earthly origin; it comes from the Father, and we receive it as his children. As Saint Paul writes, we have borne the image of the earthly man, Adam, we will also bear the image of the heavenly one, “As a father has compassion on his children,” the psalmist says, “so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.” With the love of the Father—the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ—who first loved us, we are to love our enemies and expect nothing in return.

Father in heaven, teach me to forgive; show me how to be merciful as you are merciful. Help me always to forgive no matter what and to reconcile with others whenever possible. Give me all the grace needed to continue to forgive when mistreated and to know that it is not meant for me to hold as your child but is for the sake of your Son’s passion and death and for him to bear. When reconciliation is for the moment out of reach, teach me in that moment to forgive as best as I am able as I receive and give away your mercy for the sake of your glory. The Lord is kind and merciful. Jesus, I trust in you.

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 who do you say that I am?” | Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle

From the responsorial psalm: “Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side With your rod and your staff that give me courage. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (16:13-19, today’s readings)

“And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

By asking the disciples two questions, Jesus brings into focus an understanding of him that goes beyond human observation. “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” In asking this, Jesus opens up to them the reality of his divine Sonship. Jesus further brings them to another realization by asking, “But who do you say that I am?” Hearing Peter’s answer, Jesus acknowledges what the Father reveals to him. He confers upon Peter the governance of his Church and the authority to make binding decisions regarding moral and doctrinal matters. In matters of faith and morals as he is guided by the Holy Spirit, the pope is the servant of servants of God, which continues in apostolic succession throughout the centuries. We acknowledge papal authority because Jesus himself conferred it upon Peter, whose profession of faith—”You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”—is the rock on which the Church is built.

God, deepen my understanding of the gift of the Church and the papacy. Jesus asks the disciples questions that he also asks his followers every day. Help me see in the Church and the sacraments the teachings and guidance of Jesus, given out of love, as pure gifts to his people. Lord, in exile while on earth, I have the Church to guide and light my way for all the days of my life; in the life of the world to come, I have her for endless length of days—the light of your face in your heavenly kingdom. Saint Peter, 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.

“What profit is there for one to gain the whole world?” | Friday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “The LORD brings to nought the plans of nations; he foils the designs of peoples. But the plan of the LORD stands forever; the design of his heart, through all generations. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (8:34—9:1, today’s readings)

“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the Gospel will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? What could one give in exchange for his life?”

Speaking both to the crowds and to his disciples, Jesus teaches them the necessity of denying oneself and taking up one’s cross. In this dense teaching, he says the word life four times. To gain one’s life is to lose it for the sake of Christ; to detach from all that the world offers is to work toward coming into his kingdom in his Father’s glory, the Second Coming. If to profit in this life means to forfeit the life of the world to come, all the profit in the world is loss. The paradoxes Jesus shares—all centering around life and the cross—are not clever inversions but truth spoken by the person of truth, the Incarnate Word. What is our truthful response to the Word made flesh and the nature of his relationship with us? The Gospel acclamation makes this clear: “I call you my friends, says the Lord, for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.”

God, let me remember the words of Saint Peter Damian as he speaks about the necessity of carrying the cross. He said, “For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection.” The people in the first reading were united by a common language but saw their unity crumble in the tower they built out of self-adulation. In the midst of the day, help me lose life for your sake so that I gain it. Give me the grace to detach from what is transient and work for the profits that bring me to you in the unity of the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ your Son. Saint Peter Damian, 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.

“What profit is there for one to gain the whole world.” | Thursday after Ash Wednesday

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 9:22-25)

Then [Jesus] said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?”

In today’s Gospel according to Luke, the transfiguration of Jesus occurs immediately after this passage. So in speaking of the daily task of Christians, Jesus refers also to his own passion, death, and resurrection. Jesus first announces to the disciples his suffering, death, and resurrection and then turns to speak to all of denying oneself and picking up one’s cross. In the paradox of dying to self to live in Christ, Jesus is the template; he goes first for the sake of all of us. To follow Jesus is to choose life, to heed God’s voice, to be obedient to the Father’s will. As Moses said to the Israelites: “Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him.”

God, help me today to choose your will out of love for you. In that love, give me strength in choosing to deny myself to live in Christ. Keep me alert to the needs of others, aware of my imperfections that prevent me from seeing you present in that moment. Give me the grace, Lord, to recognize your will, to be fully aware of it, and to choose to accomplish it. Be my constant help!

From the responsorial psalm: “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord. 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.”

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.

Saturday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 17:14-20)

A man came up to Jesus, knelt down before him, and said, “Lord, have pity on my son, who is a lunatic and suffers severely; often he falls into fire, and often into water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.” Jesus said in reply, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring the boy here to me.” Jesus rebuked him and the demon came out of him, and from that hour the boy was cured.

Jesus demonstrates to the father and son his power to heal where the disciples failed. Jesus, who has complete faith in the strength of his Father, cures the boy immediately. His disciples ask him why they could not drive out the demon, and he tells them: “Because of your little faith. Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” What might seem a swift dismissal of the disciples is instead Jesus’ invitation into that same relationship of faith with Our Father in heaven.

God, help me understand the significance of the Gospel as it relates to this day. Give me strength to accomplish your will, and help me turn to you for my needs. Along with hope and love, faith is one of the three theological virtues infused by you, and I ask to exercise that today with you beside me. As Jesus did with his faith in you, as your adopted son show me how to turn to you always to strengthen my relationship with you and receive your grace.

From the responsorial psalm: “I love you, O LORD, my strength, O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.”

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 Clare, Virgin

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 16:24-28)

Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?”

With the words from today’s Gospel, Jesus proposes with all who would hear him the purpose and goal of discipleship: pick up your cross and follow him for the sake of eternal life. The paradox he presents to the disciples refers to the cross of this earthly existence and the Second Coming when “the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory.” In losing this life for his sake, losing oneself in the cross, new life comes to be; in a lifetime of losing one’s life for his sake, enteral life comes to be. What degree of loss am I willing to assume for the Lord’s sake?

Lord, you desire to bring me into your glory as an adopted son through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus your Son. What is the difficulty, what obstacle is there in seeing that in losing my life for your sake there is no loss but only gain? Help me remove any doubt that prevents me from losing my life, even little bits of my life, for your sake. Help me trust you. As Moses says in the first reading: “This is why you must now know, and fix in your heart, that the LORD is God in the heavens above and on earth below, and that there is no other.” Lord, teach me to fix my heart on you.

From the responsorial psalm: “I remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I remember your wonders of old. And I meditate on your works; your exploits I ponder.” Saint Clare, 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.