Reconciliation

First Reading: Acts 11:21b-26; 13:1-3
Psalm: Ps 98:1-6 -- The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power
Gospel: Mt 5:20-26
Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle

Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison.
Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny. - Matthew 5:25-26

Friends,

In the gospel reading today, we hear the first of Jesus' clarifications on the Ten Commandments. It is incredibly rich with wisdom, and I recommend a thorough reading of Matthew chapter 5 on your own for further reflection.

An interesting note of the two examples that Jesus presents in today's reading: both put us in the position of the debtor. In the first, Jesus mentions that we should leave our gift at the altar if we remember that our brother has something against us (Mt. 5:23). We are not forgiving our brother, rather, we are seeking forgiveness. In the second example (shown above), we are the ones at risk of being thrown into prison, not our opponent. In both examples, we are called to seek their forgiveness immediately, and not to put any activity before it, lest our opportunity be lost.

This is a parallel of our relationship with God. When we go to offer gifts to the Lord, we should first seek His forgiveness, as well as that of any brothers we have wronged. Our offering will mean nothing if we stubbornly hold onto our pride, and refuse to admit our shortcomings. Likewise, we should make sure to settle with God often, through His gift of the sacrament of reconciliation, before we arrive at our own judgment. It is all the more important that we do this as soon as possible, because we do not know how soon we should arrive at His court.

Finally, take all of this in the context of the opening statements of this gospel reading. Jesus tells us that we are subject to judgment if we are angry with, our insult, our brothers (and sisters) (Mt. 5:22). When we get angry with our family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, or any other people we meet throughout the day, we must seek their forgiveness. What is more, we should watch our actions, and our thoughts, to make sure we communicate in love; discussing civilly, admonishing gently, and forgiving readily.

forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us - Matthew 6:12

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of this day. Thank you for your gift of the sacrament of reconciliation; draw us to it often. Guide us in our interactions with others, especially those who do not believe, that we might treat them with love and respect. We ask all of this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Mirrors

First Reading: 2 Cor 1:18-22
Psalm: Ps 119:129-133, 135 -- Lord, let your face shine on me
Gospel: Mt 5:13-16

Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father. - Matthew 5:16

Friends,

What does Jesus mean when he tells us that we are the light of the world? I thought that he was (is) the light of the world (John 8:12, 9:5). How is it that we are to be a light to the world, if Jesus is that light?

Think of a dark room, with lots of furniture and walls. Now, imagine that a candle is lit in that room. Its brightness is wonderful and now many things are visible. You notice that some of the objects in the room are mirrors. In the dark, they didn't do much good. They did not give light to anything on their own. But, once turned toward the candle, they reflect its light to other shadowy areas. Note that they are still not making their own light, but spreading the original light. If they are turned away from the candle, they will be of no use.

In this analogy, Christ is the candle and we are the mirrors. The light itself is God's love for us. Christ came to share His infinite love with the world, and it falls on everyone, regardless of whether they are facing him or not. However, once we are directed toward that source of love we not only receive the light for ourselves, we begin to reflect it out to others. The love of God is spread more and more as it is reflected in us to the rest of creation.

We are also called to remember that, without the source of that love (light), we have nothing to reflect. If the mirror is turned away from the candle and toward another object, the mirror cannot give off its own light and both will be left in darkness. We cannot claim for ourselves the love of God, nor can we claim that we are the source of love. In order to have and share love, we must recognize and give the glory to its source.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of this day. We are grateful for your endless love for us and the infinite number of ways that you show us that love. Grant that we might be good mirrors of Christ. Help us to orient toward him, and polish us well, that we may be like lights to those in darkness. We ask all of this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Encouragement

First Reading: 2 Cor 1:1-7
Psalm: Ps 34:2-9 -- Taste and see the goodness of the Lord
Gospel: Mt 5:1-12

If we are afflicted, it is for your encouragement and salvation; if we are encouraged, it is for your encouragement, which enables you to endure the same sufferings that we suffer. - 2 Corinthians 1:6

Friends,

Encouragement seems to be the word of the day for Paul in today's reading. He uses it ten times in five verses. The constant repetition caused me to get confused as I read it through, so I had to go back and re-read it several times before it made sense. Once it did, I realized that there was not really any other way it could have been stated.

What Paul is telling us is definitely not obvious at a first glance. Common sense (and self-preservation) tell us that if someone is suffering for something, then we should avoid that behavior. However, on a second look, and in context, it makes perfect sense that the suffering Paul speaks of is a very encouraging thing.

To demonstrate, let us set up a simple scenario: a group of children are playing on the playground. One of the larger boys pushes a younger girl down and laughs at her. Her brother notices this; he stands up for his sister and prepares to fight, even though he knows he cannot win a fight against the larger boy. The immediate reward that he receives will likely be a bloody nose, or mockery, or any of a number of playground cruelties. On the other hand, the other kids on the playground will see that someone is willing to stand up to the bullies. Perhaps other brothers will take a stand for their siblings the next time they are bullied.

This is the example of the saints and martyrs. Tertullian's famous statement that "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church," is a fact that we can see played out across history. When a follower of Jesus was publicly put to death, some of the people in the square wanted to know who this Christ was that people would rather die than denounce him. What was so powerful about their testimony is that they were (and are) willing to suffer in order to encourage others to be strong in their faith.

Our hope for you is firm, for we know that as you share in the sufferings, you also share in the encouragement. - 2 Corinthians 1:7

Heavenly Father, all glory and praise to you for your greatness. We thank you for the gift of this day. We thank you for our many brothers and sisters throughout history that have given their testimony and encourage us even now. We pray for those in the world who are suffering because of their faith in Christ, that they remain firm. Help us to encourage them in their time of need, as they encourage us in our life of faith. Embolden us, that we might stand fast and encourage others to stand up for their belief in your Son. We ask all of this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen

Charity Begins at Home

First Reading: Tb 2:9-14
Psalm: Ps 112:1-2, 7-9 - The heart of the just one is firm, trusting in the Lord.
Gospel: Mk 12:13-17

But she said to me, "It was given to me as a bonus over and above my wages." Yet I would not believe her, and told her to give it back to its owners. I became very angry with her over this. So she retorted: "Where are your charitable deeds now? Where are your virtuous acts? See! Your true character is finally showing itself!" - Tobit 2:14

Friends,

The first time that I read through today's reading, it did not make sense to me. Why, immediately after doing charitable works (burying the dead is also a work of mercy), was Tobit blinded? Moreover, why was he suddenly distrustful of, and shouting at, his wife?

Later, when I read this passage to my own wife, I felt it necessary to confess that I did not know what this reading was to teach us. She, on the other hand, observed it at once. It is obvious that this man seeks to do what is just and right; even his argument with Anna stems from not wanting to profit unjustly. However, his charitable spirit fails him within his own family, when he refuses to believe his wife.

In our own walk, we are always hearing about the charitable works that one person or another does for the community. The heroic news items about a man who donated a thousand toys to the women's shelter, or the woman who has given a gallon of blood over the last few years. We hold these individuals up as examples of model behavior, as well we should, to encourage others. However, we must not forget that we are called to be patient and loving in our private lives as well.

We might excuse Tobit on account of his situation, blinded, friendless and beggared because of his good deeds. Perhaps this is because we want to make excuses for our own behavior, when we get angry with our family after a long day. Yet we cannot make excuses on the behavior; we can only forgive and ask forgivness for it. The next time you or I feel like lashing out at a wife, husband, brother, sister, parent or child, let us first remember our love for them, then proceed with patience and trust. Charity (agapē love), as they say, begins at home.

Heavenly Father, we thank you and praise you for the gift of this day. We thank you for those who are close to us, family and friends. Help us, Lord, to see them as you see them, especially in times of weariness or troubles. Grant that we might be charitable to all of our brothers and sisters here on earth and give us the patience and peace necessary to share your love. We ask all of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

False Prophets

First Reading: Acts 20:28-38
Psalm: Ps 68:29-30, 33-36
Gospel: Jn 17:11b-19

I know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you, and they will not spare the flock. And from your own group, men will come forward perverting the truth to draw the disciples away after them. - Acts 20:29-30

Friends,

When is a lie most dangerous? When it has been mixed with truth. What lies are the most damaging? The ones that distort the Truth.

It seems that every other day we hear of a new scandal, or find that an old heresy is being revived. However, if we walk back through history, we find that it has always been so. In Paul's time, there were Jewish Christians who demanded that the Mosaic Law must be followed for salvation. Soon after, it was the Gnostics denied the Incarnation, working from the standpoint that matter is evil (all bad things come from the material world, right?). Arius used Christian terms, Christian scriptures and convincing arguments to make the case that Jesus was only a servant of God. As a priest and respected theologian, his arguments convinced many people to deny the Trinity, even prominent members of the Church.

Again and again, we see this pattern; someone who speaks well and has done a lot of studying (never mind what they were studying) emerges and draws away those who do not have a solid understanding of their faith. Neale Donald Walsch with his "Conversations with God" series is a modern-day example. Even today, I heard of a new one, Adidam.

Friends, we must remember two things as we continue our walk. First, it is of the utmost importance that we learn our faith. Not everyone is called to be a theologian, but all should spend some time to understand the basics; that is what Sunday is for. Second, we must be on our guard, to be on the lookout for false teachings. If some topic becomes an area of debate, do not rely upon who speaks best, or who has the most convincing arguments. Listen to what the leaders of the Church have to say, or read the Catcechism for yourself. Pay no heed to those who tell you that there is an easier way. An above all, pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of this day. We thank you for the many great teachers that you have sent to us, and the powerful leaders you have given us in our day. Lord, grant us wisdom, that we might be able to distinguish Truth from heresy. Give us knowledge, that we might confront those who seek to draw our brothers and sisters with smooth speech. We ask all of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Sorrow to Joy

First Reading: Acts 18:1-8
Psalm: Ps 98:1-4
Gospel: Jn 16:16-20

Friends,

Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. - John 16:20

We see a lot of weeping and mourning from those who long for justice and to see the fulfillment of the gospels. There are many who grow frustrated with the state of our world, and each new day seems to bring more bad news.

Our culture (or at least the media in our culture) rejoices over "gay marriage," while Christians grieve for the loss of the real meaning of marriage. Politicians try to portray contraception, abortion and euthanasia as rights due to a civilized society. Christians mourn for those who do not understand that they have turned their back on love. We watch in horror as good men and women are slandered, while criminals are allowed to walk free and are celebrated. So it is and has been in every century and we have no promise that it will get better in this age. Our journey through this world will always be littered with reasons to weep.

However, as Christians, we have hope. We know that the troubles of this world are passing and that we will rise again with joy when Jesus calls us. Our faith is not one of lamenting the difficulties of this life, nor our battles against the evil one, but rejoicing in the saving power of our Lord. In this, we can stand against all storms, if we can but recall that the storm is only fleeting and the dawn is fast approaching. And when the world around you is celebrating the destruction of all that you hold dear, recall that it was the same for the apostles on Good Friday. Our sorrow, like theirs, will be short-lived, and our joy will last forever.

Heavenly Father, we thank you and praise you for the gift of this day. We thank you for the glorious gift of hope that you have given to us. We pray that you will remind us to make full use of this virtue in the times when the darkness seems powerful. Grant that we might share this hope with our brothers and sisters who have fallen into despair. We ask all of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.