Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time 2020

Jesus instructs us to love our neighbor AND our enemy in today's Gospel (Mt. 5:43-48). It isn't enough to love our neighbor, though we know that to be the second greatest commandment. Jesus tells us now we are to love our enemy, and pray for those who persecute us. Stop for a moment to think of someone you absolutely hate; someone who, just the mention of their name, sets you off; someone who is humanly impossible for you to love. In this over politicized and hyper sensitive environment we are in, finding someone to hate is not difficult. Now, pray to God for the grace to love that person, because that reliance on God to help you love is really what Jesus is talking about. To be perfect like our heavenly Father is perfect is beyond our own ability. We must turn to God for the grace to do so. With God, all things are possible, even loving our enemies.

Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time 2020

In our Gospel today (Mt 5:38-42) Jesus takes laws from Leviticus (cf. Lv 24:20) that introduced the concept of just and equal punishment for an offense and tempers them even further. He tells his disciples that if they are struck, do not strike back, but turn the other cheek. If their tunic is taken, Jesus says to give your cloak as well. If asked to go a mile, go two miles. While these are physical examples, being slapped by the hand, or taking of property, we would do well to apply this principle of de-escalation today with what is said or written. How often in social media such as on Facebook or Twitter we see heated arguments posted, with one or the other trying to get in the last word. How much more pleasant those forums might be if more of us just turned the other cheek, let the other have the last word as if it were your cloak.

Friday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time 2020

In our Gospel today (Mt 5:27-32) Jesus gives an indication how wonderful heaven is in most dramatic teachings, as someone speaking with authority and knowledge. This glory of heaven that awaits us is revealed in the hyperbole Jesus uses - tearing out, cutting off - to stress the lengths we should take to protect ourselves from the sins that would keep us from heaven. To give some perspective, consider the grueling training an Olympic athlete endures for the opportunity to win a medal and stand atop a dais for a few minutes. If a moment of sports glory is worth thousands of hours of training, conditioning, and painful injuries, the drastic steps Jesus suggests we take to avoid sin should give us a sense of the splendor of heaven.

Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle 2020

On this, the memorial of St. Barnabas, the Apostle, in our Gospel (Mt 10:7-13) we hear Jesus sending out the twelve original apostles. In doing so, Jesus instructs them what to say, what to take and not take with them, as well as the power to cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, and drive out demons. These men went out among their fellow Jews preaching the Good News, preaching the kingdom of heaven was at hand. They would later send Barnabas out with St. Paul to spread the Good News to the Gentiles. In much the same way, our successor to the apostles, Archbishop Vigneron, has commissioned us to spread the Good News as joyful missionary disciples. Through "Unleash the Gospel" we are charged with introducing or reintroducing Jesus to those around us. Let us ask St. Barnabas to intercede for us, to ask for the graces necessary to truly be joyful missionary disciples!

Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time 2020

In our Gospel today (Mt. 5:13-16) Jesus tells his disciples he wants them to be a shining light for all to see, not for their own sake, but that others may glorify God our Father. This is in contrast to what Jesus says about the scribes and the Pharisees, the hypocrites that go about praying in public to be seen as righteous in the eyes of those around them. The difference is what is in our heart. Does God occupy first place in our hearts such that all we do, all that is seen by others, gives glory to him? Or do we ourselves occupy first place in our hearts such that all we do is done to draw attention to ourselves?

I Must Decrease

Why do we sometimes build grand churches and cathedrals?  There are many opinions and thoughts, but when I saw this picture, it reminds me how much bigger God is than me, his humble servant.  What came to mind was what John the Baptist said,  ""He must increase; I must decrease."" (Jn 3:30)  

Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Detroit, MI
Trinity Sunday

In the peace of Christ,

Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time 2020

In our Gospel today (Mk 12:28-34) a scribe asks Jesus which is the first of the commandments. Now when we think of commandments we typically think of the Ten Commandments. But scribes were experts in Mosaic Law, made up of 613 commandments. Jesus summarizes all the laws into these two commandments, to love our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. In Luke (cf Lk 10:25-37) we hear something very similar, but the question is raise, who is my neighbor. Jesus replies with the story of the Good Samaritan, in which we learn EVERYONE is our neighbor. Who do you say are your neighbors? Are they the people who look like you, act like you, think like you? Or are they the people Jesus defines as your neighbors, the people who look different from you, act differently, think differently?