The Word of God

Daily Reflections

• Reflection – Lectionary: 297

  “When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.” Each time we live through the great transforming Seasons of Lent and Easter, there must be some part of us that has changed. Understanding and embracing final justice and the Last Judgement has the remarkable effect of grounding us closer and closer to Jesus, knowing that as long as we stand with Him in the power of the Holy Spirit, life can never be the same again.

  So, my dear friends, what are we to do as we bathe in the grace of these powerful proclamations from Scripture? First, practice the faith. Of course, the spiritual life is a struggle, but within that grind, we find ourselves and our road to holiness. Second, be generous in the things of God and pray for the spirit of detachment. The early Christians lived this remarkable spirit, and even though, in monetary terms, their lifestyle didn’t amount to much, their intention and their hearts certainly did, as they were poised for entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven.  Finally, reject discouragement: “I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world, you will have trouble, but take courage; I have conquered the world.” 

  “Suffering, failure, loneliness, sorrow, discouragement, and death will be part of your journey, but the Kingdom of God will conquer all these horrors. No evil can resist grace forever.” Brennan Manning

• Reflection – Lectionary: 368

  Today we are served with the timeless and excellent anthem for our spiritual journey in the words of the Lord’s Prayer, known to most of the world as the “Our Father” prayer. The Catechism of the Catholic Church puts it brilliantly as it teaches that The Lord’s Prayer is truly the summary of the whole gospel. Since the Lord… after handing over the practice of prayer, said elsewhere, ‘Ask, and you will receive,’ and since everyone has petitions which are peculiar to his circumstances, the regular and appropriate prayer  [the Lord’s  Prayer]  is said first, as the foundation of further desires. (2761)

  “Our Father who art in heaven.” We acknowledge we are His children.
  “Hallowed be thy name.” We acknowledge the power in His name.
  “Thy Kingdom come.” We acknowledge and desire His Kingdom.
  “Thy will be done.” We desire to follow God.
  “On earth as it is in heaven.” We realize there is this life and the next.
  “Give us this day our daily bread,” We ask for all of our needs.
  “Forgive us our trespasses,” We beg forgiveness.
  “As we forgive those who trespass against us.” We pledge forgiveness.
  “And lead us not into temptation,” We ask for courage and strength.
  “But deliver us from evil.” We ask for protection from the devil.

  Sometime today, even late this evening, when all is said and done, reflect slowly on the words of this incredible gift of this prayer, the only one Jesus taught us, and allow Him to hold you safe within his most Sacred Heart.

  “You need to be bold in another way to speak the second half. Give us. Forgive us. Don’t test us. Deliver us. If it takes guts to face the omnipotence that is God’s, it takes perhaps no less to face the impotence that is ours. We can do nothing without God. We can have nothing without God. Without God, we are nothing. It is only the words “Our Father” that make the prayer bearable. If God is indeed something like a father, then as something like children, maybe we can risk approaching him anyway.” Frederick Bruekner

• Reflection – Lectionary: 367

  “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them.”Today, we are being treated with famous morsels of Scripture quotes, which most people have heard even if they have never read anything else in the Bible. Perhaps much of its popularity is due in part to the widespread experience that everyone has with this issue. We could ask ourselves what is truly the problem with hypocrisy? When someone condemns the sinful behavior of others then engages in the very same behavior, we seem to lose it, or at least, some of the time. Obviously, it is objectionable to realize that someone is not practicing what they are preaching, but it goes much deeper than that: a hypocrite is trying to convince us that they are more holy, righteous, and moral than the rest of the people. This is what makes it so hateful. 

  “You are being enriched in every way for all generosity, which through us produces thanksgiving to God.”For those of us who sincerely try to follow Jesus and live by the Gospel, we must be convinced that our behavior shapes our personality and, therefore, all of our moral and otherwise important decisions in life. The scriptures clearly show the track record of those who have abandoned their own set of values and goals toward Heaven and those who never gave up, even though it was tough at times to stay focused and faithful. It is all about balance and humility. Jesus wants us all in Heaven, and every day, we are either moving closer or further away from this awesome destiny of ours. Today, let us carry Jesus deep within our souls so that we do or say nothing that would displease him. This is the challenge and fruit of being loving people who love God and our neighbor. It is truly an exciting adventure.

  “Truth without love is brutality and love without truth is hypocrisy.” Warren W. Wiersbe

• Reflection – Lectionary: 366

  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” Right. That’s the way it used to be. That may be the way I was raised or learned how to act after so many disappointments and stabs in the back. It sure does take a lot of energy, though, and living by “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” just makes for a blind and toothless generation.

  “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” 

  Seriously? How is this done, especially in a world where cut-throat is the game of the week? What Jesus is asking us to do is not something impossible or unnatural. It is the only thing that makes sense and will bring peace to me and, hopefully, in time, to the person who is hostile to me. It is altogether possible to literally disarm a hating person by acting towards them in a positive and loving way, refusing to be controlled by their negative attitudes, and imitating Christ Jesus in every way possible and in any given situation.  

  Our call today is simple: remember that anyone who really harms us also harms themselves, even if they get twisted pleasure in the short term. If I have a true Christian spirit I will reach out in compassion to that person. I will want that person to be healed, healed of their hatred, healed of their anger, and to learn how to love. “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

  This will not be easy, but it is not impossible either. The rewards are amazing. It is a phenomenal way to live precisely because it is a call and a challenge to do everything in our power to imitate God in extending our love, respect, and forgiveness impartially and unconditionally to everyone, especially to the ones who render injustice and sorrow upon us. 

  My friends, this is a new commandment because it makes us new and refreshed in the Lord Jesus. This is why many of the saints have referred to it as “perfection.”

• Reflection – Lectionary: 365

  “In an acceptable time, I heard you, and on the day of salvation, I helped you.”

  Not too long ago, I was struggling with my own thoughts and feelings about another individual who was continuing to hurt me and others around him, all the while knowing that the right and just course to take was not going to be his because of the Gibraltar-sized block of pride. 

  All that changed when, in deep prayer, it occurred to me that I was NOT living in ‘an acceptable time.’ That is, I was focused too much on the past and on the future and not enough on Jesus, right here, right now with me. Then a good friend said to me, “try to imagine you and him having a great steak and glass of wine when all of this is over!’ In other words, live in God’s time and God’s loving grace. From that day on, I haven’t wasted a single minute wondering about retribution or worrying about resolution. That doesn’t mean we stop fighting for what is right, but rather, it means we look forward to a good night’s sleep after a full day of battle!

  “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. ‘But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.” Jesus gave us this teaching today to help minimize the effects of evil.  Evil escalates when we respond back to it with equal and, most times, excessive fervor.  A small situation can get blown so far out of proportion that it can cause horrible harm. Even in everyday life, when someone wrongs us, the situation can blow up and get out of control, destroying marriages, families, friendships, and even faith, without which we simply cannot survive. Frustrating and ongoing issues of injustice will simply require more patience, more trust, and more Jesus.

  What time is it? Time to run to Jesus!

• Reflection – Lectionary: 91

  “You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.” At some point in our lives, we come to a point where we truly realize what the Lord Jesus has done for us in dying for our sins and opening the gates of Heaven. There has to be an uncontrollable joy that fills our hearts and minds and radiates to all we meet. “But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.”

  “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” Here is the central issue and main concern of the meaning of the Scriptures today. Be like Christ! Whenever possible, find someone to save and save them. Pass on to them what you have received and ask for nothing in return but the knowledge and satisfaction that you are doing the work of the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. What a profound idea to consider when we realize how much we have been blessed by the Good Shepherd. With all those in the world who truly need guidance and vision, now is the time to shepherd those whom God has given us to love.

  “Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which He looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which He blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are His body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.” St. Teresa d’Avila

• Reflection – Lectionary: 364

  “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.'” Our speech is a powerful gift that God has given to all humanity. It describes how we live, love, and develop relationships with the world and all those who will populate our years and create masterpieces with their friendship and care for us. Our words can also betray us and there is in the present world much temptation to lie and damage the truth and cause pain even to those who want to love us and care for us. We could say that, in some ways, our speech is a two-edged sword in that it can create or destroy depending on the integrity of the one who utters the host of words in a given lifetime. 

  “Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,’ Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow.'”  In the Gospel of today, Jesus also addresses the deep and dynamic power of our words. He goes beyond the legal aspects of vows and promises and makes sure that even our daily conversations, especially our casual conversations, are imbued with truth and light and the desire to serve the truth. Otherwise, evil will thrive and not because of the bad people we encounter but because and most due to the good people in our lives who do and say nothing. Silence may be golden, but sometimes it is yellow (cowardice). 

  “Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and, truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world would do this, it would change the earth.” William Faulkner 

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