"Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you"

Reflection for July 18, 2018

“Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”

After the religious leaders of the time push Jesus to give a sign as to whom He is, the response He gives seems to be obvious to us because we know the end of His earthly life and His resurrection, yet, if we reflect on our own petitions and pleading it may not be as clear.

Let's take a current event and a rather common question to look at this a bit closer.

Recently there was a man in France that drove a truck through a crowd and killed many people, among those killed were children.  The incident comes after the Universal church prays daily, at every moment, for peace and end to conflict and war, yet this horrific event took place.

There are doctors that perform abortions on children and we pray at every moment for an end to the slaughtering of lives.

There are children who live in homes that are verbally, psychologically, and sexually abusive and we pray at every moment for an end to this situation.

There are people that die on their way to work or in some other unexpected way and we pray and beg for answers.

When we lose someone or hear of a senseless deaths we can become bitter and maybe even fall away from God.

Hear the words of our Lord in response to, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”

If we think in terms of God as father and each and every soul belongs to Him and nothing will happen to us where God isn't present then we can begin to glimpse that promise and the pain will ease.

No matter what the situation is, Jesus came that we may have eternal life with him and that may not be easy to see and feel now, in this moment of pain, but, His resurrection is the promise we will return to Him.

In this year of mercy, may we show our-self a little mercy and believe that no matter how horrible of a death a person has on earth, be it terrorist, abortion, drug addiction, abuses of every kind, don't lose heart because Jesus is with us until the end of time, and His time never ends so we will be with Him in eternity forever.

"Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights,
so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth
three days and three nights. . .  there is something greater than Solomon here.”

May the Peace of Christ be with you!

Calvary Was Not Fun

THIS IS JESUS

Reflection for July 11, 2016 

After the gospel reading yesterday in regard to the life of the Good Samaritan, we can glimpse into the eye of Jesus' mind when he talks about what will happen when we take up a lifestyle that reflects the Good Samaritan. 

You see, there will be those that will not support your belief, there will be those that will suspect less than noble motives, and those that will think that it is a weak and obsolete lifestyle.  Those that oppose this lifestyle will be some of the closest people in our lives.  Mother, father, sister, brother, wife, husband, friends and loved ones will walk away or deal at us at a distance. 

St. Benedict is an example of such a person.  St. Benedict had his closest friends attempt to murder him when he held them accountable for their actions.  

The Holy Martyrs were tortured and killed because of their faith.  Jesus was killed because of His message of Love and inclusion, Dr. Martin Luther King was killed because he held America to a higher standard, a standard that recognizes the value of every human person.   

When we take up that cross of Christ daily we need to be prepared for the worst, but, prepared for the best at the same time.   

I live my life with the resurrection in my sights and no person will keep me from living that life.  Our fear comes from not being liked or labeled as a radical. 

We are fortunate that we are not hunted like wild animals as in the days of the early church and as it is in some parts of the world today, but, if it happens to be that way;  will we still profess our belief that every person is created in the image of God and therefore good, and will we profess our love for Christ?   

Today's message, though initially course, brings a light of hope;   

"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.”     

May God bless you, protect you, and let His face to shine upon you! 

Reflection for July 4, 2016

The official in today's gospel displays a tremendous amount of bold faith.
Bold faith is a necessary component to our relationship with Jesus.  There was urgency in the official's request and Jesus gets right up to accompany the official to go to see his daughter.

Jesus was focused, and undoubtedly preparing to meet the girl, when another woman that has been sick for twelve years stops him only to be healed completely.

The number twelve is a significant number in sacred scripture.  Twelve is the number of the church, the Old Testament was set on the twelve tribes of Israel and the New Testament is founded on the Twelve apostles.

Notice this woman has been bleeding for twelve years, not just bleeding, but suffering.  The church suffers, but, Christ heals us.

There is a new structure allusion here and the official and woman are an example of this New life we are given.

Jesus came to heal the sick and suffering and then gave His life that there may be no more death.

The official was bold in his request and his faith, the woman just touched His cloak and believed that she would be healed.

We need that same faith.  Be bold and believe!

May we always have the faith like the official and woman that we, too, may have new life.