Tag: the cross

“Young man, I tell you, arise!” | Tuesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; serve the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful song. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 7:11-17)

When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!” The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.

As Jesus and the disciples and the large crowd that followed him approach the gates of the city called Nain, they see a man being carried out in a funeral. He was the only son of a widow. Moved with pity for the mother, Jesus touches the coffin and commands that the man rise, which bringing him back to life immediately. Jesus then gives the son to his mother. the people who witnessed this are terrified, and they glorify God, exclaiming, “A great prophet has arisen in our midst.” The voice who says, Young man, arise” is the same who said: Let there be light. And there was light. “Who shut within doors the sea, when it burst forth from the womb?”

God, help me see in the compassion of Jesus and the truth of the Gospel that you are Lord of the living and not of the dead. Luke takes great care to describe the reaction of the crowd that witnessed Jesus bringing the dead man back to life. This is not a cleverly devised myth, but a witness of Jesus to the crowd that what he does for the young man, you do for him in his resurrection. Lord, give me the same fear and amazement the people experienced, as they exclaimed: “God has visited his people.” Saint Hildegard 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, do not trouble yourself.” | Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs

From the responsorial psalm: “Sacrifice or oblation you wished not, but ears open to obedience you gave me. Burnt offerings or sin offerings you sought not; then said I, “Behold I come.” Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 7:1-10)

A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die, and he was valuable to him. When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and save the life of his slave. They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying, “He deserves to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us.” And Jesus went with them, but when he was only a short distance from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed.”

As Jesus approaches the centurion’s house, the centurion’s friends go and tell Jesus not to trouble himself to come in. Expressing his understanding of authority, the centurion gives as an example his commands to the soldiers, who obey him. He believes that Jesus can heal his servant by only speaking a word. Amazed at his words, Jesus says, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” When the friends return to the centurion’s home, they find the servant has been healed, confirming Jesus’ authority and the necessity of faith. We say the same words as the centurion at every Mass, expressing faith and the desire for unity, just before we receive Communion: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

God, help me reflect throughout the day on the faith of the centurion. Help me realize that I can choose to keep you away from my door or invite you in. In beholding the Lamb of God—the unity of the Church through the presence of the Body of Christ—I ask for the grace to choose always to let you in. Saint Cyprian said: “Can anyone believe that he himself sticks fast to the faith without sticking fast to this unity of the Church? Can someone be confident that he himself is in the Church if he offers resistance to the Church and opposes her.” Saints Cornelius and Cyprian, 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.

“But who do you say that I am?” | Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “I love the LORD because he has heard my voice in supplication, because he has inclined his ear to me the day I called. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mk 8:27-35)

Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages of Caesarea Philippi. Along the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said to him in reply, “You are the Christ.” Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him. He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days. He spoke this openly. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

Jesus places the question of his identity before the disciples as they head into Caesarea Philippi, a hub of pagan worship. With this in the backdrop, Jesus hears the response of people who fail to recognize him for who he is. Peter identifies him as the Christ, and Jesus warns them not to tell anyone about him. Hearing from Jesus many of the details of his coming passion, death, and resurrection, Peter rebukes Jesus but then himself is rebuked by the Son of God: “Get behind me, Satan.” Our ways are not God’s ways, and what is upside down is right side up. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,” Jesus tells the crowd, “but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.” The means to this is by way of the cross, denying ourselves, and uniting our suffering to the life-giving passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

God, help me understand the mystery of suffering and place my hope in your mercy. The world might seem right side up but is upside down. Help me by turning my vision right side up, to see the world as you see it. Pope Benedict XVI said: “It is not by sidestepping or fleeing from suffering that we are healed, but rather by our capacity for accepting it, maturing through it and finding meaning through union with Christ, who suffered with infinite love. . . .” Lord of truth, love, and goodness, guide 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.

Monday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 10:34—11:1)

Jesus said to his Apostles: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Jesus talks to his disciples about the conditions of discipleship and its rewards. Unless we accept what Jesus says as the Son of God, the Word incarnate, his words sound like those of an insane person. “Whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me,” Jesus says. What greater love can a person experience than that of love for a child or love for a mother or father? Jesus goes on to name the conditions of being worthy of him. What Jesus says as the Son of the Father is something only the creator of the universe can say. It is reality spoken into existence. “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” In losing life, God grants life; in taking up his cross, we love all the more as mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters. God transforms all loss into all gain.

God, help me trust in the words of your Son. In the mystery and invitation of the Word incarnate, you give me your unconditional love and mercy. You grasp me by the hand. In the psalmists words, I see your majesty and the depth of your mercy through your Son: “We were rescued like a bird  from the fowlers’ snare; Broken was the snare, and we were freed. Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” Lord, give me the grace to recognize my cross and the strength to follow after you.

Jesus, you said to your Apostles: “And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple–amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.” Bring to me today the means to give to one of your little ones a cup of cold water to drink—the one true living presence they thirst for.

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.

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