Reflection on the Gospel for 5/30/16

       Perry Square Memorial, Erie, Pa. 

Happy Memorial Day!  

What do you say when someone doesn't believe your words or actions? 

Nothing.  Our words and actions are not ours for understanding and interpretation after we have acted and/or spoken.  It's none of our business.

Just as Jesus and the prophets brought truth and acted lovingly toward the people of their time, and were rejected, so, too, will we be rejected for our faith, words, and actions no matter how honest and sincere they may be. 

We are reminded of that in today's gospel.  Jesus addresses the issue of how the long line of prophets were treated because of Love.  Now the Son is in front of them and the Phaisees can't see it, but know the malice of their hearts.

May the words attributed to St. Francis always be the answer to life's difficulties. 

"O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life."

Bless Be The Poor

If God wills it, it will be done.  Today we hear how sad a man was that found out that he had to sell all he had to enter the kingdom of heaven.  

What do you think of when Jesus said that you must sell all that you have and follow Him to enter the kingdom?

What if you already have nothing?

Jesus goes to the heart when He asks this question.  

We need to realize that our disposition or our intention and the manner in which we gain riches is the mark to judge by. 

Now go one step more.  "Blessed are the poor in Spirit" how about selling off anger, pride, deception, lust and the host of other possessions we have.  

Leave them all on the altar. 

Jesus, may I always be little and poor. 

Reflection on the Gospel May 16, 2016

Reflection May 16, 2016

Mark is recalling an event that made an impression on him that he wants us to hear about and learn from.

When we hear the gospel today, we may think that the boy suffers from what we now call epilepsy because of the symptoms described, and that may be what it was, however, don't be fooled into explaining these stories as ancient folk tales with modern day solutions.

We, in the first world countries, tend to discount the devil as non existent and explain occurrences such as the one in the gospel we hear about today as a medical condition.  Somewhere along the line we got too smart for our own good and stopped being watchful for the devil and the lies he tells.

Here is the connection;  The birth of the church springs from the Word of God and stays with us in the person of the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit of the living God dwells with us so it is important to be fed with the sacraments that keep us in God's Grace.  We need a solid prayer life that is filled with fasting to see what the Spirit is showing us.

The apostles are baffled because they tried to drive the demon from the boy and could not do it, so Jesus comes and questions the situation to get to the unseen.  Jesus, John, Peter, and James have just come from praying on the mountain top and that is what Jesus is pointing out as the key to success when the apostles ask why they couldn't expel the demon.

What we encounter on a daily basis is not just what we see, it's what we don't see that the Spirit reveals.

There was very strong instruction that I received before going with the exorcist to his calls; Confession, prayer and fasting days prior to going and don't be afraid.

Fear of a good confession, a lazy prayer life, not fasting, and not attending Mass are sure signs your getting too smart.

We Are Never Alone

Today in the Gospel, John, recalls a moment when the disciples "got it" or so they thought.

One of the most effective ways to communicate is to keep the message simple and understandable.  One of the hardest tasks in doing that is to know your audience's ability to understand and interpret the message as it is intended.

Jesus has just finished a three year mission with his followers and today we hear they understand, finally, yet Jesus cautions them in their ability to grasp the depth of the message. 

The message of Jesus was extremely simple, Love God the Father above all things, and Love EVERYONE, as you love yourself, but the hard part was the laying aside of expectations that the followers had regarding Jesus and the mission He was sent to accomplish.

We can get caught up in the rhetoric (word game) that different human opinions and different human experiences can lead us to, unless we remember the big picture.  This "game" is the focal point of our modern life.  Just pay attention to the news, commercials, and other ads as they all, in some way or another, let us know we NEED their product or we NEED "this person" to be better.

There is the problem at the root that we encounter.

Jesus has an answer for us today and He tells us clearly and simply; 

"But I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
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.”

Whatever deficiencies we think we have are made perfect in the body of Christ, think about that.

As we gaze upon Jesus on the cross, in the Eucharist, in Sacred Scriptures, and in the people that we meet, remember these words;

"We remember how you loved us to Your death, 
And still we celebrate for You are with us here. 
And we believe that we will see You when you come in Your glory, Lord. 
We remember, we celebrate, we believe." 

The Advocate Will Come

Reflection May 2, 2016 

 

As we approach Pentecost we are reminded of the theme that the Son will soon leave and the Advocate will come to the world. 

In the gospel we can feel the loving concern that Jesus has for those that leave all things behind to follow Him. 

Knowing that the apostles are concerned about "what will be" when Jesus goes to the Father, He tells them He will send them the Advocate, one who walks with another, to encourage and strengthen them when they face the moments that will come to them. 

Jesus tells them that they are going to be killed and He also tells them that the Advocate will be with them so they "don't fall away."  Then Jesus goes a step further to tell them the reason they will be killed is because "they don't know the Father."  

Remember when Jesus was explaining that anyone that looks on another with lust commits adultery, well, Jesus is certainly talking about a physical murder as well as the spiritual one. 

We kill each other on a daily basis, not necessarily physically, primarily, but, when we gossip, when we act in malice disguised as kindness, or lead others away from Love, we kill the soul and harm the body. When Jesus says the Advocate is coming so they "don't fall away" the falling away that the apostles and we face comes when others may persecute us because of our faith or we persecute others because of theirs.  It's all connected.  We are all connected. 

The reason they committed those sins or acts against humanity is because they didn't know the Father or the Son.  We who commit such sins don't know the Father or the Son. 

To be able to see the Divine presence in everyone, and acting like everything that we do for and to each other is done to the Divine will lead us to change the way we view the people and circumstances around us.   

We have One that walks with us at every moment. 

The Spirit of the Living God is waiting for our gaze to stir the flame of our hearts.