The Gift of Sight

  "Can a blind person guide a blind person?" Lk 6:39

It can be very sad to acknowledge how blind we have been in life. Not only do we fail to see the sick and needy around us, we often are blind to the needs of our closest friends. When we are too concerned with our own image, power or needs, we lose focus, forget our ideals, and everyone and everything around us suffers.

Unfortunately, none of this is new or particular to people of the present age. Jesus tried to help his disciples see the errors of the Pharisees, but his task was difficult. The men he chose as apostles, though insightful, did not come to Jesus from a place of power and influence. As fishermen, they had to be decent business men but would have been wary of crossing the Jewish authorities for fear they would be condemned  and even shunned by their contemporaries. 

Finding a place within and a community of disciples with whom to walk the way of the Gospel is important. Being strengthened by others who seek to know and live the Good News is an essential element of the faith about which Jesus preached. Because Jesus knew the path of righteousness which he proclaimed would be a struggle for all, he was forever reminding his followers to go "two by two" and to work together to be faithful to God. The same is true for our generation.

Today, open your eyes and look around. Judge nothing. Simply look and reflect about what you see.

What spiritual practices help you see the world the way God sees it?

Being Like Children

  “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” Mk 10: 14-15

Today's Gospel offers us a great challenge. Like children we need to be open spirited, engaged, and contemplative. Faith is Jesus in not a set of rules we need to obey, but a new way of living that demands we be open spirited and engaged with life as it is, not as we want it to be.

Believing in a God who is always with us, something that is very natural for a child, allows us to believe that faith well lived can change the world. When people encounter Christians who have a zest for life and a commitment to all people, especially those without a voice, they listen. Some even want to know more.

Today, let your imagination, like a child playing a game, roam with delight.

What about children most speaks to you of the Gospel?

The Gift of Friendship

 "A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter." Sir 6:9

The wisdom of the Book of Sirach is simple, direct and compelling. We read it too infrequently. If you have been blessed with a life long friend then you know the truth of today's text. Walking with someone through life is a great gift.

Though I can't can't travel easily any longer, the prospect of seeing friends who live acroos the country fills me with delight and anticipation. I know that picking up a conversation, even it was interrupted several years ago, will be simple, natural and sweet.

God wants to be that kind of friend. Turn to God today, even if you have ignored God for weeks, moths or year and you will encounter someone who has been waiting for you without complaint and is ready to embrace you again if only you will slow down.

Today, turn to God and see what happens.

Who of your friends most reminds you of God's fidelity?

Offering others Water

 "Jesus said to his disciples: 'Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward." Mt 9: 41-42

To live the Gospel and gain its benefits is simple. Give a thirsty person something to drink in the name of the Christ. But it is also simple to break the law.  Anyone who teaches an innocent person to sin, to reject the Gospel, to disparage others, to steal another's reputation, to control others for their own gain rather than announce the Good News, will reap the wrath of God.

Feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty and caring for the sick and needy is a privilege. It is how the Gospel teaches us to witness to what we have learned. Knowing that faith and all it contains is a gift helps us to remember never to think of our faith as a private possession for our own salvation but as an offering from God that we need to share with the same gracious love God shows us.

Today, offer someone a drink of water.

How would you teach the young not to take faith for granted but to share it?

Unnecessary Competition

 "There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.” Mk 9:40

Competition, especially between and among men, is natural and can be fun. Who can find and wear the loudest shirt or jacket, which football team plays the best and the smartest (even if they lose most of the time) or who knows where the least expensive restaurant is are only a few of the ways we compete, but the Gospel challenges us not to be competitive about power.

Newly called as an apostle, John is troubled when others claim they are acting in Jesus' name but do not follow the Lord and asks Jesus how he should respond. Only concerned with helping others, Jesus cautions John not to worry about having control of every situation, but to broaden his perspective. As long as others are not preaching or acting against him, Jesus is content to encourage them to do good, especially on behalf of those who are struggling in life.

The simple wisdom of the Gospel reminds us not to over complicate the teaching of Jesus, nor to make it something that must exclude other religions. When we can find areas in our faith traditions that allow and encourage us to work together for the good of all, we should eagerly embrace them. Nothing that helps the lost and gives voice to those to whom no one listens should be ignored in the name of Christianity or to prove that we are right. Only when we focus of those in desperate need can we be sure we are following Jesus.

Today, pray for those who work for interfaith cooperation.

How do you avoid unnecessary competition?

Taking Up Our Crosses

   “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Lk 9:23

Crosses come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, none of them easy but all of them real and important. Some carry a paralyzing fear, others an impenetrable darkness. Still others suffer addictions that terrorize them and their families, but most of us have simpler, if not less heavy, crosses. We talk or eat too much, we don't listen to our friends or God and we wonder whether our lives have impacted anyone or anything. These are heavy crosses indeed.

Following Jesus means accepting who we are, what we've done and what we have failed to do, while at the same time praying to be free of our self absorption and fear. Knowing the Lord will guide and lead us to places, situations and people that will allow him to be known and loved makes this possible and desirable.

Today, carry the first cross you encounter without grumbling.

What are your most difficult crosses?

Faith Makes All Things Possible

 "Everything is possible to one who has faith." Mk 9:23

Faith is a simple but profound gift that gives us the assurance not only that God exists but is active in our lives. Faith promises us that we are never alone and that God wants us both to be happy and full of hope, and it is the gift of faith that demands we do justice. Having received so much through faith, we are compelled to help create a world in which others know the gracious goodness and love of God in Christ directly as well as through the good works and compassion of believers.

The gift of faith is one that we too often take for granted, especially when we go about in the world without giving God any time at all except when we are struggling to understand or accept a difficult part of our journey. Faith is something about which we need to be grateful each day, a gift that is always there for us to take, live and delight in. God, like a mother loving her children unconditionally, keeps offering us growth, hope and a path to eternal life, and all of this freely and totally.

Taking some time each day to reflect upon this gift not only prepares us for the trying moments that come to us all, it roots us more deeply in the great mystery of God's love. 

Today, sit quietly for five minutes and pray in gratitude for a time in your life when faith saved you.

Who most impresses you with how they live their faith?