Tag: kingdom of God

“Do you want to be well?” | Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

From the responsorial psalm: “God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress. Therefore we fear not, though the earth be shaken and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea. The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (Jn 5:1-16, today’s readings)

When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be well?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your mat, and walk.” Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked.

In Jerusalem, there is a pool called Bethesda where many people come who have a number of illnesses. One man lies near there who has been ill for 38 years. When Jesus first encounters him, he hears how others get to the pool before he is able to. Healing him on the Sabbath, Jesus then slips away into the crowd. When Jewish authorities confront the healed man for carrying his mat on the sabbath, explaining that Jesus healed him, they look for Jesus to persecute him for performing this act on the sabbath. Jesus finds the man later in the temple area and warns him to sin no more. Just as the waters described in Ezekiel’s vision bring abundant physical life, through his passion, death, and resurrection, Jesus brings new life to those who believe in him.

God, let me consider the words of Jesus throughout the day: “Do you want to be well?” Not a prompt for an automatic yes or for greater rational examination, the question is your constant invitation to go further and deeper, as Ezekiel went deeper into the river flowing from the temple. The angel draws Ezekiel from ankle-deep water to depths that eventually engulfed him in a river teeming with life. Give me the grace to recognize the areas in my life where choosing to be well means allowing you to overwhelm me. Do I want to be well? The voice of Christ says, “Take up your mat and walk.” Help me hear and obey him. The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.

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 son will live.” | Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent

From the responsorial psalm: “Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me; O LORD, be my helper.” You changed my mourning into dancing; O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (Jn 4:43-54, today’s readings)

They told him, “The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.” The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live,” and he and his whole household came to believe. Now this was the second sign Jesus did when he came to Galilee from Judea.

The first sign John refers to is the transformation of water into wine at the wedding at Cana. During this time, the disciples come to believe in him as he reveals his glory to them. The second sign occurs when Jesus heals the dying son of a royal official in Capernaum. He heals him from a distance when he says these words: “You may go; your son will live.” Jesus heals those who are close to him, who come to him for divine assistance and healing, but he also heals those who remain at a distance. This is the same Lord who creates a new heaven and a new earth, as we hear in Isaiah, and who is present before us in the Eucharist. “Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name.”

God, all thanks and praise to you! In sending Jesus Christ, your Son, you created a new heaven and a new earth. You said through Isaiah, “There shall always be rejoicing and happiness in what I create.” Regardless of whether doubt overtakes me or how I question how your will works throughout the day, you are with me always and are the giver of every good gift. The verse before the Gospel says, “Seek good and not evil so that you may live, and the LORD will be with you.” Be with me, Lord, so that I see your lovingkindness and good will as it unfolds in my lifetime, given to me now so that I might have it as a foretaste in this life, one day rejoicing forever in your presence in the life of the world to come.

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.

“He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.” | Fourth Sunday of Lent

From the responsorial psalm: “Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame. When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 15:1-3, 11-32, today’s readings)

“’Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.’” So he got up and went back to his father.”

The verse before the Gospel draws on the words of the prodigal son: I will get up and go to my Father and shall say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. He has squandered all he has and finds himself exhausted in his attempt to take to himself all that he believes belongs to him. He said to his father, “Give me the share of your estate that should come to me.” Yet, having spent the whole share of his inheritance in self-indulgence, he hungers with a hunger that goes beyond physical starvation. With a contrite heart, he returns to his father, who runs off to meet him while he was still a long way off. Sharing this parable with the Pharisees who complain, Jesus invites everyone who hears it to return with contrite hearts to the Father’s merciful embrace.

God, strengthen my assurance in your boundless love for me. Although I turn my back to you, you never do the same to me. Your mercy goes out to meet me where I am, from a long way off. Give me the humility to recognize that all good gifts come from you, and that I can do nothing without them. The son who returns to the father “comes to his senses.” Lord, let me be reconciled to you and glorify you through your Son; in Christ, make me of me a new creation.

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.” | Saturday of the Third Week of Lent

From the responsorial psalm: “Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 18:9-14, today’s readings)

“But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Jesus addresses a parable to people who believe themselves to be righteous and who despise others. They are the kind of people, Jesus says, who look at others as they pray, thinking: “O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity—greedy, dishonest, adulterous—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.” Jesus speaks concretely about those who are in actuality greedy, dishonest, and adulterous, but he also speaks to every one of us as sinners, who at one time or another say as we look on others, “Thank God I am not like them.” The tax collector in the parable is certain to have said and done the same. His contrite plea for mercy sets him apart from the Pharisee. Humbling himself before God, he receives mercy as Hosea describes: “He will come to us like the rain, like spring rain that waters the earth.”

God, help me be thankful today for the gifts you give me and for the good gifts you give to every person you made in your image. Jesus speaks to the people “convinced of their own righteousness” and to ones who have “despised everyone else.” For the times when I have been that person, the psalmist offers this prayer: “My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.” Give me the grace, Lord, to recognize a surge of righteousness and turn instead to you. From the Gospel acclamation: “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”

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.

“No other commandment greater than these.” | Friday of the Third Week of Lent

From the responsorial psalm: “If only my people would hear me, and Israel walk in my ways, I would feed them with the best of wheat, and with honey from the rock I would fill them. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mk 12:28-34, today’s readings)

Jesus replied, “The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.”

There was nothing new in Jesus’ response to the scribe’s question, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” In reciting part of the Shema, still a part of daily Jewish prayer, Jesus focuses on worship of the Lord alone and the command to love him. Alongside this, Jesus brings the love of the first commandment into the second: love of neighbor as oneself. The two go together, extending God’s love of his people and making it central as the foundation of all human relationships. Jesus makes clear that willing the good of the other comes through knowledge of the Father’s love for us—he loved us first—which allows us to love our neighbors as ourselves.

God, let me take in and live out the very same words Jesus spoke to the scribe. To love you with all my heart and soul and mind and strength seems an unattainable commandment, even more so to love others as I love myself. Yet, let me see the wisdom in the scribe’s response. You alone are the Lord, and to follow these two commandments “is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices”; that is, worth more—infinitely more—than any other thing or person or ideal that I might make into an idol. Lord, you say through Hosea, to say no more to the work of my hands, “Our god.” Give me the grace to receive your gift of love and give it away for the sake of your glory. “I have humbled him,” you say, “but I will prosper him.” Feed me, Lord, in my shortcomings; feed me with the best of your gifts, and fill 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.

Parable of the Lost Sheep | Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent

From the responsorial psalm: “Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea and what fills it resound; let the plains be joyful and all that is in them! Then let all the trees of the forest rejoice. The Lord our God comes with power.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 18:12-14)

Jesus said to his disciples: “What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.”

In the familiar Parable of the Lost Sheep, Jesus sets an example for the disciples to seek out the sheep that go astray and bring back what was lost with great joy. By asking the opinion of the disciples, and all who hear him, the hypothetical question engages the missionary muscle of the disciples and puts them in the place of their master and teacher. In doing as the Good Shepherd does, the disciples follow God’s will and act through his grace so that not one of these little ones will be lost.

God, help me understand the compassion of Jesus in seeking out the lost sheep. It is both a glimpse into your infinite mercy and example of how to care for others who stray from you, “the little ones.” Isaiah describes the same shepherd who comes to rule us with tenderness and strength: “Here is your God! . . . Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, Carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care.” Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the promises 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.

Maximilian Kolbe Shrine—Blessed Sacrament

“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.” | Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

From the responsorial psalm: “All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God. Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; break into song; sing praise. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 1:26-38)

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”

“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” With these words, the angel Gabriel addresses Mary, telling her not to be afraid and announcing that she will bear a son and name him Jesus, the Son of the Most High. Mary asks how this is possible since she has no relations with a man, and Gabriel explains to her that the “Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” Saying “Nothing will be impossible for God,” Gabriel then hears Mary’s great fiat as she says, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church says this about Mary’s Immaculate Conception: “Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, ‘full of grace’ through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception.”

God, strengthen my faith. In the Annunciation, your overshadowing love through the Holy Spirit makes possible the redemption of all who call on the name of Jesus Christ, Son of God and son of Mary. Freely choosing to do your will, Mary becomes the vessel of your incarnation that brings to fulfillment all of your promises. If I remember only two lessons from the Annunciation, help me always be unafraid to say yes to your will; and in doing your will, help me live courageously in the realization that through your overshadowing love, nothing is impossible. Blessed Virgin Mary, 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.

Maximilian Kolbe Shrine—Blessed Sacrament

“The winding roads shall be made straight.” | Second Sunday of Advent

From the responsorial psalm: “Although they go forth weeping, carrying the seed to be sown, They shall come back rejoicing, carrying their sheaves. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 3:1-6)

John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:
    A voice of one crying out in the desert:
    “Prepare the way of the Lord,
        make straight his paths.
    Every valley shall be filled
        and every mountain and hill shall be made low.
    The winding roads shall be made straight,
        and the rough ways made smooth,
    and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

Luke couches the appearance of John the Baptist within a historical context. Before Jesus entered human history, John’s ministry was that of repentance and forgiveness of sins to prepare the way of the Lord. Within that context, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah. In that coming, God breaks into human history through the voice of the greatest of prophets who sets the stage so that “all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

God, help me understand today’s readings for the second Sunday of Advent. Help me hear the prayer of Saint Paul as he writes in his letter what he desires for all who hear the voice of Christ: “that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value.” Right here and right now, Lord, in the context of a specific time and place, your word comes to me. The winding road of the present day lies before me. With your grace, work through me to make straight a path and prepare for 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.

Maximilian Kolbe Shrine—Blessed Sacrament

Memorial of Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

From the responsorial psalm: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He tells the number of the stars; he calls each by name. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 9:27-31)

Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, “Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

Jesus sends out the Twelve to do what he has been doing around all the towns and villages: teaching, proclaiming the Gospel, and curing all manner of disease and illness. Moved to pity at the sight of the crowds, Jesus sees the need to give authority to the Twelve “to cure every disease and illness” and to drive out unclean spirits. This is the same Lord, responsive to every one of our needs, that Isaiah tells us about in the first reading: “The Lord will give you the bread you need and the water for which you thirst.”

God, help me today see in others what Jesus saw in the crowds. His reason for compassion was because “they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.” Help me be obedient to Jesus’ command to go to the lost sheep without counting the cost. Jesus models Christian discipleship not only for the apostles but for all who hear his call to remain faithful to the Church in proclaiming the kingdom. With your authority, Lord, through baptism and the sacraments, give me the grace to proclaim in my words and actions that your kingdom is now at hand. Saint Ambrose, 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.

Maximilian Kolbe Shrine—Blessed Sacrament

“Let it be done for you according to your faith.” | Friday of the First Week of Advent

From the responsorial psalm: “I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD. The Lord is my light and my salvation.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 9:27-31)

As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out, “Son of David, have pity on us!” When he entered the house, the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they said to him. Then he touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” And their eyes were opened.

After Jesus gives sight to the blind men, he sternly warns them not to tell anyone about the miracle. But they tell their story anyway, and word of Jesus spreads throughout the region. By asking the blind men if they believe he can heal them, Jesus invites them into a relationship with him just as the angel Gabriel invited Mary into a relationship with God. She said, “May it be done to me according to your word.” As Jesus touches the eyes of the blind men, he says, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” God, the giver of all good gifts, invites us to receive his mercy; in turn, we give him our trust and faith in him and are made whole.

God, it is difficult for me to say “Let it be done.” I would rather go by my own vision diminished by life experience and by sin than to have complete faith and trust in you. Yet, in complete trust, the blind men said yes to you and were given sight to see but greater still the supernatural vision of your love and mercy for them. I wonder if I have to be a bit reckless in the way a child might be reckless—unaware of self-preservation and not taking myself so seriously. Is it like this: within reason, one way is as good as another as long as I don’t turn away from you? Or “Love God and do what you will,” as Saint Augustine said. Open my eyes, Lord, my light and my salvation. Saint Nicholas, 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.

Maximilian Kolbe Shrine—Blessed Sacrament