Tag: mercy

“Strive to enter through the narrow gate.” | Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “The LORD is faithful in all his words and holy in all his works. The LORD lifts up all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. The Lord is faithful in all his words.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 13:22-30)

Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” He answered them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.”

Jesus invites all who hear him to enter into the kingdom of God. Some will reject the invitation, and some will not be strong enough. For those who first hear the Gospel and reject it, the choice is theirs to remain outside the kingdom. But the invitation to come into the kingdom is not indefinite, and there will be a time when people knock but are not admitted. Remaining strong in faith and trusting in the call of Christ to follow him, we are called, as the Gospel acclamation says, “to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” now and in the life of the world to come.

God, you are faithful in all your words and holy in all your works. How can I not strive to enter in and remain with you, the God who “lifts up all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down”? Give me the grace today to recognize that the unique gifts you have given me are the same means by which I give glory to you. Help me be a doer of your word and not a hearer only. Strengthen my faith, and help me recognize your divine power to work all things for the good. As Saint Paul says, “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”

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.

Perpetual adoration live stream Kolbe Shrine.

Tuesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “Blessed are you who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways! For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; blessed shall you be, and favored. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.”

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.”

Jesus uses this parable to compare a heavenly mystery to a phenomenon familiar to anyone who has ever observed the growth of a planted seed. A child who marvels at the sprouting and growth of a tiny seed takes in this mystery just as the childlike in faith take in the mysteries of the kingdom of God. Jesus asks a rhetorical question, suggesting the inadequacy of comparisons and the completeness that lies in the mystery. “Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; You have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.” “To what can I compare it?” At the coming of his passion, Jesus would later reveal to the disciples what would become of a planted seed: “Amen, amen, I say to you, “. . . unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.”

Father in heaven, help me take in the mystery of your kingdom that Jesus reveals to all who would hear him. “Blessed are those who fear the Lord,” the psalmist prays. “You shall eat the fruit of your handiwork.” Although hidden in mystery, you are fully present and at work in the world. Guide me today, Lord, as I look confidently to you in faith. Give me the grace to trust in you, especially when your work in my life is not readily apparent to me but is hidden in mystery. Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.

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.

Perpetual adoration live stream Kolbe Shrine.

“He called his disciples to himself.” | Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles

From the responsorial psalm: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day pours out the word to day, and night to night imparts knowledge. Their message goes out through all the earth.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 6:12-16)

Jesus went up to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Luke tells us that Jesus spent a night in prayer on the mountain before coming down. As day came, he called the disciples to himself and from among them chose the Twelve. Through prayer, Jesus discerned the Father’s will. We hear in the responsorial psalm: “Day pours out the word to day, and night to night imparts knowledge.” The result of appointing the Twelve is that the word of God pours out from them—“a dwelling place of God in the spirit”—over all the earth. Jesus comes down to us as he did to the Apostles. He condescends to offer us the same blessedness as we share the Gospel and participate as the apostles did in the mystery of his passion, death, and resurrection.

Father in heaven, you observe all know my every need even when I am unable to ask you for it. As Jesus appointed the Twelve, did they willingly accept this in anticipation of honor, or did they dread the responsibility or the consequences of following Jesus? Help me choose to be unafraid when you provide me with opportunities to give glory to you. Give me the grace to discern the unassuming ways you make yourself present so that even “the heavens declare the glory of God.” Saints Simon and Jude, 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.

Perpetual adoration live stream Kolbe Shrine.

“Go your way; your faith has saved you.”| Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “Then they said among the nations, ‘The LORD has done great things for them.’ The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad indeed. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mk 10:46-52)

But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.” He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.” Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.

As Bartimaeus persists in calling out to Jesus, something inside him changes. He hears that Jesus of Nazareth approaches and recognizes the divinity of Jesus. “Son of David, have pity on me.” Although blind, Bartimaeus knows who Jesus is and that he can heal him, make whole what is partial. Although others tried to silence him, he kept calling out all the more. “Son of David, have pity on me.” Throwing off his cloak, Bartimaeus springs up to go to Jesus. With a word, Jesus restores his sight, and Bartimaeus follows him on the way. The faith of Bartimaeus restores him, makes him whole, and sets him on the way to salvation.

God, help me see, even if I don’t want to see or am afraid of what I might see. Bartimaeus said, “Master, I want to see.” I’m not sure I have what Bartimaeus had in that desire. Yet, like him, I cry out to you for your mercy. What would you have me see about myself, about my relationship with you, about my ability to hear your voice and do what is pleasing in your sight? Help me trust that when I call out to you, you hear me and provide what I need. Throughout the day, help me recall the prayer of the psalmist, who asks you to restore in overflowing grace what is sorely lacking: “Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like the torrents in the southern desert. Those that sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.”

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.

Perpetual adoration live stream Kolbe Shrine.

“It may bear fruit in the future.” | Saturday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “I rejoiced because they said to me, “We will go up to the house of the LORD.” And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 13:1-9)

And he told them this parable: “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’ He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’”

Before sharing this parable with his listeners, Jesus responds to their interpretation about Pilate’s brutal act toward Jewish people, concluding that this is a demonstration of God’s treatment of the worst sinners. Jesus calls all who would hear him to turn away from sin and toward God: “I tell you,” he says, “if you do not repent, you will all perish.” In the parable, the fig tree symbolizes Israel. In judgment of Israel, God possesses both the truth of justice and the truth of mercy. Instead of cutting it down, the gardener asks to care for it another year, nurturing it so that it ultimately bears fruit. In God’s perfect judgment, he does the same for us, showing mercy to the contrite time and again in spite of our sins.

God, help me today remain faithful to you. Faithful to your plan for me and trusting in your mercy, give me the grace to remain in you. I don’t want to be the one who exhausts the soil but instead who produces fruit from the gifts of your grace and mercy. Jesus, I trust in you! 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.

Perpetual adoration live stream Kolbe Shrine.

“My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.”| Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

From the responsorial psalm: “The LORD is faithful in all his words and holy in all his works. The LORD lifts up all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. The Lord is gracious and merciful.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (Jn 5:17-30)

Jesus answered the Jews: “My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.” For this reason they tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.

Today’s Gospel continues where yesterday’s left off. Because Jesus told the man he cured to pick up his mat and walk, some of the Jews who learned of this began to persecute Jesus for encouraging the man to work on the sabbath by carrying his mat. When Jesus is questioned, his persecutors accuse him not only of breaking the sabbath but making himself an equal to the Father. But as the Father does, the Son also does. Jesus does the will of his Father, and like the Father, he “raises the dead and gives life,” and as the Son of Man he will call all who are in tombs to come out, either to the resurrection of life or to the resurrection of condemnation. The Son does the work of the Father; as a just judge, he works to accomplish his Father’s will.

God, help me imitate Jesus, who says, “My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.” I have many questions about how I am to work today, how the day and how the week will play out. From the untold number of decisions I will make today and act on, give me the grace to remember that my work is to do your will, and the grace to understand and accomplish it. What possible hesitation or fear do I have of working throughout the day if I am committed to knowing your will and doing it? Father, you gave me life and sent me for a purpose no one else can fulfill. For the sake of your glory, Lord, help me do your work today.

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.

“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)

After this Jesus found him in the temple area and said to him, “Look, you are well; do not sin any more, so that nothing worse may happen to you.” The man went and told the Jews that Jesus was the one who had made him well. Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus because he did this on a sabbath.

In Jerusalem at the Sheep Gate, Jesus sees a man who is blind, lame, and crippled, and has been ill for thirty-eight years. Nobody assists him to reach the healing pool of Bethesda, which means “house of mercy” or “house of grace.” When Jesus first encounters him, he asks if he wishes to be well and then tells him to pick up his mat and walk. “Immediately,” John says, “the man became well, took up his mat, and walked.” Jesus then slips away through the crowd as Jews witness the man carrying his mat on the sabbath. When they are able to identify Jesus as the one who told the man to pick up his mat, they begin to persecute Jesus for profaning the sabbath. There are things worse, Jesus suggests to the man he cured, than being ill for decades. Worse than that is sin and its burdens; worse than that, those who reject and persecute Jesus, the very one who has the power over sin, illness, and death.

God, just as Ezekiel witnesses the life-giving water flowing from the sanctuary and its healing effects, the man by the pool experiences divine restoration and healing through the command of your Son: “Rise, take up your mat, and walk.” More than divine marching orders, Jesus’ command is a response to the question he poses: “Do you want to be well?” In your initiative, Lord, you quietly invite me with the same question to receive your healing. Give me the grace today to answer honestly, Do I want to be well? I would do well to accept all you offer from your house of 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.

“You may go; your son will live.”| Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent

From the responsorial psalm: “Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger lasts but a moment; a lifetime, his good will. At nightfall, weeping enters in, but with the dawn, rejoicing. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (Jn 4:43-54)

Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, who was near death. Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” The royal official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “You may go; your son will live.” The man believed what Jesus said to him and left.

The Galileans welcome Jesus as he enters Galilee because they had seen the miracles he performed while at the feast in Jerusalem. From among the people whose faith in him was strong, Jesus encounters a royal official whose child was sick to the point of death. In seven words, “You may go; your son will live,” Jesus cures the child of the illness, and the official learns of this from a messenger while he is on his way back home. As a result, John tells us “he and his whole household came to believe.” In this miracle, Jesus gives us a glimpse of the love of the LORD that Isaiah speaks of in the first reading: “Lo, I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; The things of the past shall not be remembered or come to mind. Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness in what I create.”

God, just as the father reveals great faith in the power Jesus has with mere words, give me the grace of complete trust in you in this world and in the life of the world to come. Trust is essential. As the psalmist says, there is nightfall in this life; there is the pit, the netherworld; there is weeping. And while facing this, just as the father faced his son’s death, what is the song the psalmist hears in his mind and heart? “O LORD, you brought me up from the nether world; you preserved me from among those going down into the pit. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.” Be with me, 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.

“Whoever lives the truth comes to the light.” | Fourth Sunday of Lent

From the responsorial psalm: “May my tongue cleave to my palate if I remember you not, If I place not Jerusalem ahead of my joy. Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (Jn 3:14-21)

“And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.”

Jesus answers this question Nicodemus poses to him: “How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?” Jesus tells Nicodemus that to be born again one must be born of water and Spirit. And then he tells him, “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” Being born of water and Spirit in the Son of Man who was lifted up on a cross is the way to eternal life. As John goes on to tell us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”

God, help me always choose to come to the light. By being lifted up on the cross, Jesus gives all of us the means to be saved from the consequences of sin and to receive eternal life. In the areas of unbelief, help me believe that your Son Jesus is the Savior and the means of salvation. Give me the grace, Lord, to come into the light and remain in your truth.

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.

“O God, be merciful to me a sinner.” | 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)

“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 compares the piety of the tax collector with the piety of the Pharisee. Luke tells us that Jesus addressed this parable “to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else.” In prayer, the Pharisee thanks God by his own standard—that he, like the rest of humanity, is not “greedy, dishonest, adulterous.” Going further, Jesus describes external practices that set him apart from the tax collector. He fasts twice a week and pays generous tithes. But Jesus sees this as superficial piety, leaving great leeway to compartmentalize piety and forget the two great commandments: love of God and love of neighbor. As the LORD speaks through Hosea in the first reading: “Your piety is like a morning cloud, like the dew that early passes away. . . . For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice.”

“O God, be merciful to me a sinner.” Lord, let the words of the tax collector be on my lips and in my heart today. I have the words of Saint Paul to consider as well: “Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man.” And if I think for a minute that this is a guilt complex, some kind of self-inflicted scrupulosity, give me the grace to call to mind every good gift you give me. I fail time after time, missing the mark, and needing the sacrament of reconciliation to restore me to you. Teach me, Lord, to humble myself in your presence.

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.