tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50524760175389074632024-03-19T04:07:05.951-04:00Br Jack's Preaching MinistryPreaching the Good News by word and example is a fundamental task for all Christians. This blog intends to help all reflect on and enhance this important ministry.Br. Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211488981588379232noreply@blogger.comBlogger4588125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5052476017538907463.post-12615125697691456172024-03-18T08:29:00.004-04:002024-03-18T08:29:00.139-04:00St Joseph, Husband of Mary<p> "When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home." Mt 1:24a</p>There are many ways to wake up. Sometimes, it is simple. Our bodies tell us to pay attention. We have a headache that will not go away or we discover a skin growth that looks strange. Our bodies are telling us to pay attention and take action. At other times, especially when we take time to relax and reflect, an idea that has been percolating in our minds and hearts, takes shape. We read about AIDS in Africa or the plight of refugee children in Syria, and we start searching the Internet for places and organizations that are addressing these vital concerns. Waking up to the challenge of acting on the Gospel is important for our own salvation and the good of others.<br /><br />Joseph, the husband of Mary, troubled by his young wife's pregnancy, wakes up. Not wanting her to be stoned, he decides to divorce her quietly. In this way, Mary will have other chances to marry and build a family. But then Joseph has a dream and when he wakes up, he knows that God wants him to marry Mary despite his misgivings. That he listens and acts upon the message he receives is critical for Joseph's salvation and ours.<br /><br />Waking up to the immensity of God's love for us, while sometimes very challenging, is a gift that keeps on giving. Not only does it empower us personally to live more freely and gratefully, it urges us to tell others the Good News of God's desire to love them more deeply an totally.<br /><br />Today when you wake up, pause and let God speak a liberating word to you.<br /><br /><b>Have there been moments in your life that changed the course of your faith?</b>Br. Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211488981588379232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5052476017538907463.post-58806725173816356672024-03-17T08:18:00.010-04:002024-03-17T08:18:00.126-04:00Adultery<p> "The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle." Jn 8:2</p>When we talk about adultery in the abstract, few would defend or promote it, but adultery does not happen in the abstract, and this is the issue Jesus confronts. When the leaders of the Jews drag a woman caught in adultery before Jesus, they show little concern for her person. Determined to trip Jesus up, the Scribes and Pharisees use a woman as an object for testing Jesus commitment to the Law, and in the process become adulterers themselves.<br /><br />Too often we find ourselves hungry to see and condemn the sins of others, especially if we judge their sins to be more awful than ours. This is not the way of Jesus. Only when we acknowledge our own weakness will be able to see the sin of others with the compassion. We will not judge but pray that all will return to God's path with honesty and hope.<br /><br />Today, ask God to see as Jesus sees.<br /><br /><b>What helps you avoid the error of treating people like objects?</b>Br. Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211488981588379232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5052476017538907463.post-74182893987559065102024-03-16T08:16:00.009-04:002024-03-16T08:16:00.132-04:00God's Covenant Last Forever<p> "But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD. I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people." Jer 31:33</p>God cannot simply give up on us. Though the Israelites broke the Covenant he made with them, God promises Jeremiah that he will make a new covenant with his people, one not written on stone tablets, but on the hearts of those he loves. This new covenant will assure everyone that God's covenant is not simply a set of rules or regulations to which we must respond, but an act of love, a gift that though we will never fully appreciate it, will keep us close to God in every circumstance.<br /><br />Though it may not be as full or fulsome as God's covenant, most of us have experienced the blessing of a covenant with others. The married, of course, but also those of us who have been promised the free love of another for the asking. Surely, those of us who went as pilgrims to Africa recently, knew this gift. Often, I felt surrounded by all those who were praying and thinking of us.<br /><br />The free gift of those who accompanied us in Spirit reminded me of my father's question to me as a boy whenever he was able to come to one of my baseball games. He never asked if we won the game, but only if I had fun. While I did not realize it at the time, my father was helping me understand more deeply that life was not all about winning and losing, but enjoying and celebrating each moment of life. In many ways, God asks nothing more of us, only that we celebrate life at every juncture and realize that He is never far.<br /><br />Today, be grateful for the Covenant God makes with us in Jesus.<br /><br /><b>Who has assured you that despite your faults, they will never abandon you?</b><br /><br />Br. Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211488981588379232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5052476017538907463.post-18556392316885940772024-03-15T08:13:00.006-04:002024-03-15T08:13:00.183-04:00Hearing God's Voice<p> "So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, 'Why did you not bring him?The guards answered, 'Never before has anyone spoken like this man.'" Jn 7 45-46</p>There should be little doubt that the Jewish authorities were not worried about Jesus at the beginning of his ministry. False prophets and healers were a dime a dozen and it was rarely difficult to undermine the authority and power of popular healers by challenging them regarding their knowledge of and commitment to the Torah.<br /><br />Jesus was different. Not only did he know the Law, he lived its spirit in challenging ways, and a reading of the New Testament demonstrates this convincingly. Jesus was not trying to undermine the authority of the Jewish leaders, but wanted them to reform their lives, put aside their fear of the Roman authorities, and see in him God's presence and power. Only when the Jewish leaders refused to acknowledge their own sins and dismiss the voice of everyday people did Jesus condemn them and call them "whitened sepulchers." (Mt 23:27)<br /><br />Today, let yourself be amazed at the healing power of the Lord.<br /><br /><div></div><br /><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin: 0px;"><b>Does the Gospel continue you challenge you to transformation?</b></div>Br. Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211488981588379232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5052476017538907463.post-73469442376794441052024-03-14T07:03:00.003-04:002024-03-14T07:03:00.142-04:00Suffering for the Truth<p> "His hour had not yet come." Jn 7:30</p>For most of us, thank God, life makes sense most of the time. We are blessed with homes, friends, food and family. We have resources upon which we can call when we are in trouble or sick. We know, even if we do not always appreciate it, that we are not alone.<br /><br />Learning to accept and even be grateful for life as it comes to us, no matter the suffering it brings, is one of the hardest lessons we learn. We push back, avoid, deny and wrestle with the dark turns that life brings us. Archbishop Oscar Romero knew that if he continued to speak on behalf of the poor he would likely be murdered, but he could not and chose not to avoid this awful burden. That he gave his life for the gospel continues to uplift all, but especially those who work among and with the poor. Suffering is not good in itself, but suffering for the sake of the truth and the voiceless is sanctity.<br /><br />Today, accept whatever comes to you with gratitude.<br /><br /><b>Have you known anyone who gave their life for the sake of others?</b>Br. Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211488981588379232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5052476017538907463.post-37804785103284125412024-03-13T07:56:00.003-04:002024-03-13T07:56:00.125-04:00Moses and God<p> "Moses implored the LORD, his God, saying, “Why, O LORD, should your wrath blaze up against your own people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with such great power and with so strong a hand?" Ex 32:11</p><div>Moses' intimacy with God amazes us. Never afraid to negotiate with God, even and especially when the Jews turn away from God after being freed from the oppression of the Egyptians, Moses keeps reminding God of his promises to never abandon his people. Sure of God's mercy, Moses challenges God to act with compassion even when the Jews build a molten calf and worship it. Remarkably, despite the idolatry of the Jewish people, God listens.<br /><br />The listening God we encounter in the scripture is anxious for us to repent and renew ourselves, and as Moses demonstrates, seems only too ready to respond when we ask for help. Like the Forgiving Father in the Gospel (Lk 15: 11-32), God rushes out to meet us at the first sign of our guilt and sorrow. More, God cannot do enough for us when we repent. God puts cloaks around our cold shoulders, rings on our broken fingers, and sandals of our battered feet to demonstrate how gratified he is to embrace us and welcome us home.<br /><br />Intimacy with God will get us everywhere. When, no matter how dark life feels or how disturbed we are by the direction our life has taken, we pray, listen and take time for God, God will hear and respond to us in ways we could never imagine. Lent reminds to pray, fast and give alms. Any of these penances demonstrates our desire for God and will surely get a response.<br /><br />Today, imagine God rushing out to meet you in the dark.<br /><br /><b>What have been your experiences of God's enfolding love?</b></div>Br. Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211488981588379232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5052476017538907463.post-53265158776046315412024-03-12T07:53:00.003-04:002024-03-12T07:53:00.150-04:00Role Reversal<p> "Why, O LORD, should your wrath blaze up against your own people?" Ex 32:11</p>Moses had a fascinating relationship with God. Today it almost seems like role reversal. Because Moses has passed through his anger at his own people, he becomes the peacemaker. God is enraged and ready to strike a death blow against the Jewish people because of their depravity, but Moses does what any of us do with good friends when they are about to act in a rash way and hurt themselves and others. He lets God express his anger, but then reminds God not to forget how good he is and how many promises he has made.<br /><br />Moses says: "Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, and how you swore to them by your own self, saying, 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky; and all this land that I promised, I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.'" Helping God to remember his goodness and promises softens God's disappointment and we read, "So the Lord changed his mind about the punishment he had threatened to inflict on his people." (Ex 32:14)<br /><br />Moses' relationship with God is the key to his success. Because he has come to know God, and respects God's rage, he is able to intercede for his people. The same is true for all of us. Trying to negotiate and make sense with others, especially if they have power, will only end in failure if we do not work at knowing and respecting them. Authentic relationships have the power to heal.<br /><br />Today, listen with respect to those with whom you disagree.<br /><br /><b>Has anyone ever listened to you with acceptance and compassion when you were hurt and angry?</b>Br. Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211488981588379232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5052476017538907463.post-38513001258255820932024-03-11T08:30:00.004-04:002024-03-11T08:30:00.164-04:00Gratitude to God for his Cleansing Love<p> “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me.” Jn 5:7</p>Flowing waters evoke growth, life and hope in and around us. They remind us that God wants to feed us, desires that we live along the fresh waters of a river so that we can benefit from the fruit and vegetables that will flourish there. Flowing waters also remind us of baptism and God's desire to cleanse us for service to others.<br /><br />The difficulty faced by the fellow who has been ill for 38 years is clear. His disability doesn't allow him to enter the flowing waters, and he has no one to help him. That he would still desire to know the cleansing and healing waters after suffering for 38 years is remarkable in itself, and Jesus, the one who will be known as flowing waters, rewards his patience and dream by telling him to take up his mat and walk.<br /><br />Healed, the newly cleansed fellow faces his greatest challenge. Will he realize that his healing is a call to serve others, especially those who have been suffering for a long time? Unless he does, his new life will fail to bear the fruit promised by God to those living near flowing waters. The lesson should not be lost on us.<br /><br />Today, be grateful for the cleansing waters of Baptism.<br /><br /><b>What kind of service has most enriched your life?</b>Br. Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211488981588379232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5052476017538907463.post-58526421608251991922024-03-10T08:30:00.007-04:002024-03-10T08:30:00.149-04:00Long Life in God<p> "No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard there, or the sound of crying; No longer shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not round out his full lifetime." Is 65:20</p><div>Isaiah's promise that God wants us to live a long life of peace, especially when we read and reflect upon it during Lent, is designed to assure us that no matter what difficulties we might be experiencing individually or as a church, God is and will be faithful. God has a plan full of promise, beauty and joy, a desire for all to know the fullness of life forever.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the same time, it can be difficult to wait upon God. We want what we want when we want it, and when we become too anxious, we fail to be discerning and patient. Clarity can and will come to us if only we quiet ourselves, listen carefully to the scriptures, read the signs of the times, and allow God to work through us.<br /><br />Today, rest in God's promise of life forever.<br /><br /><b>What practices most help you live a peaceful life of quiet discernment?</b><br /><br /><br /></div>Br. Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211488981588379232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5052476017538907463.post-6620375194633640332024-03-09T08:30:00.003-05:002024-03-09T08:30:00.144-05:00The Wisdom of our Elders<p> "Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, who was near death." Jn 4:46</p>For the last few years I have been talking with and listening to older people, most of whom are open, honest and enjoyable conversation partners. When leading parish missions, I have encountered mostly retirees who have the time to make a parish mission and are anxious to review their lives by making serious attempts at growing in prayer and faith. Rarely defensive nor overly anxious, they are funny and fun to be with, and that is the point. We have many committed seniors in our church but I wonder whether we are taking adequate advantage of their learning, wisdom and passion.<br /><br />Calling seniors passionate might surprise some readers, but it is exactly this that I experience. Anxious to pass on their faith, the older people I meet wonder just how they might do this most effectively. They pray, they listen, they serve as Eucharistic ministers in nursing homes and hospitals, they drive friends and neighbors to doctors appointments, they visit the sick and the imprisoned, and they do all of this because it is the right thing to do. Occasionally guilty because they failed to find time earlier in life to live their faith more dynamically, they know now they are disciples of Jesus Christ and are anxious to do more. Why do we fail to hear them or see them? Are older believers invisible in the church in North America much like immigrants and uneducated? How can we change this?<br /><br />Today, ask someone who is older what their faith means to them.<br /><div></div><br /><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin: 0px;"><b>Have you ever gained new insights and hope from listening to older people?</b></div>Br. Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211488981588379232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5052476017538907463.post-9177945064454494732024-03-08T08:30:00.013-05:002024-03-08T08:30:00.124-05:00God's Challenge that We be Merciful<p> "God so loved the world that he gave his only son so that everyone who believes in him...might have eternal life." Jn 3:15</p>A few years ago, while leading a parish mission, I was trying to convince a group of older people that because God called me to be a friar I was very rich. While I own no property, my life has been full of blessings and I am very grateful. In fact, the communion of saints is very real to me. I have not just met a few saints, I have been surrounded by them, lifted up by their love and been assured that I will always be loved.<br /><br />My words, however, did not seem to impress my listeners who were not anxious to hear that having little or nothing was a great blessing. Neither, it seemed, did they want to hear that Christians are called to serve others around the world with compassion and joy. Its not that those attending the mission didn't believe in God's mercy. Rather, their anxiety and fear were getting in the way of their deepest values<br /><br />Life is about letting go of our transgressions and sins and allowing God to heal us and those we have sinned against, actions which are beyond our control but which God is anxious to complete in us. Because of God's unconditional love for us, God keeps offering us mercy and new life.<br /><br />Today, show God's mercy to someone who has hurt you.<br /><br /><b>How have you experienced God's mercy and forgiveness?</b>Br. Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211488981588379232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5052476017538907463.post-58787150132356579322024-03-07T08:30:00.004-05:002024-03-07T08:30:00.148-05:00The First Commandment<p> "You are not far from the reign of God." Mk 12:34</p>The scribe in today's gospel, unlike many other leaders in the Jewish community into which Jesus was born, seems very open to listening to the Lord. In fact, after Jesus answers his question about the first and most important commandment of the law, he repeats Jesus' response almost word for word. Then Jesus says to him and all his listeners: "You are not far from the reign of God."<br /><br />Knowing what is the first and most important commandment of the law is not enough to become a disciple. If we really accept that loving God and loving our neighbors as ourselves is fundamental to the Good News, then we must live these commandments. In fact, to be a disciple means to be transformed by the truth of Jesus' word, and to change our lives to reflect our new conviction.<br /><br />All of us know that exercising is important for good health, but unless we actually walk vigorously, or swim or workout, knowing that good health depends of exercise does us no good. The same is true for the gospel. If we believe that to be poor in spirit, meek, and hungry for justice is foundational to Jesus' message, then we must act on these beliefs. We must live humbly and do justice. It is that simple.<br /><br />Today, pick one of the beatitudes (Mt 5) and live it.<br /><br /><b>What are your biggest obstacles to loving God and neighbor?</b>Br. Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211488981588379232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5052476017538907463.post-26403429974662610322024-03-06T08:30:00.004-05:002024-03-06T08:30:00.201-05:00God belongs to all the Earth<p> "The nations shall revere your name, O Lord, and all the kings of the earth your glory." Ps 102:16</p>Although it is clear from the earliest days of his ministry that Jesus has come, not only for the Jews, but for the entire world, his message is slow to enter the consciousness of his listeners. It is no different for us. Somehow we think Jesus belongs to us exclusively as Christians, and this is simply not true. In fact, it is our duty to announce his saving work to all people knowing he wants to be with all forever.<br /><br />Belonging to someone or something is important. Often it gives us a sense of identity. We call ourselves Americans, for instance, with a certain pride in all that the United States has made possible for so many, especially immigrants, but when being American or Christian leads to arrogance or dismissiveness of others, it does not serve us or God well.<br /><br />Discerning how best to root ourselves in Jesus and the Gospel without forgetting that discipleship demands we open ourselves to radical difference and diversity for the sake of God's Kingdom is essential to the Christian journey.<br /><br />Today, speak with someone you might otherwise ignore.<br /><br /><b>How do you negotiate being committed to Jesus without being exclusive?</b><br />Br. Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211488981588379232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5052476017538907463.post-28364123075157169672024-03-05T08:30:00.004-05:002024-03-05T08:30:00.244-05:00Passing on the Faith<p> "However, take care and be earnestly on your guard not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live, but teach them to your children and to your children's children." Dt 4: 9</p>The word tradition is from the Latin verb <i>tradere,</i> which means to hand over. It is an important word for Catholics because we insist that there are two fonts of revelation, scripture and tradition. Scripture alone, without an official commentary, can easily be misunderstood. At the same time, the less than careful use of tradition can become oppressive. Scripture and tradition are the two fountains out of which our faith flows.<br /><br />Furthermore, when we read the scripture in concert with our Tradition, we should always remember that God's revelation is intended to set us free, not bind us up. Our Jewish brothers and sisters often say that the Talmud, or the commentary on the Bible, is like a fence. The intent of the commentary is to protect the integrity of the word in much the same way that our Constitution protects the vision of the founding fathers. Tradition lets us know we are on the right path, but it is more like a compass than a map that we hand onto our children to guide and console them. In the light of our Tradition, they are challenged to become the living word of God by embodying the best of who we are as Catholics, and discover ever new ways to proclaim God's Good News in the changing world within which we all find ourselves.<br /><br />Today, be the tradition. Be transparent in your love for Jesus Christ.<br /><br /><b>Who was your most important teacher about matters of faith?</b>Br. Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211488981588379232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5052476017538907463.post-14879320904094068132024-03-04T08:30:00.003-05:002024-03-04T08:30:00.254-05:00God's Patience<p> "Be patient with me and I will pay you back in full." Mt 18:26</p>God's patience is ours for the asking. Almost unbelievable to those of us with little patience, God is waiting for us to ask for help, and today's scripture is a powerful example of this. A debtor, and aren't we all debtors, asks his master to be patient with him. Moved with pity, perhaps because of his awareness that he too is a debtor, the master forgives his servant completely, asking for no payment whatsoever, but the servant does not understand the depth of his master's compassion. Rather than follow the example of his master, when the servant who has been forgiven is asked to forgive another servant in debt to him, he refuses and puts him in prison. When the master of both servants hears of this he is outraged and punishes the unforgiving servant severely.<br /><br />This entire story, we must remember, emerges from Peter's question about how deep and often he must forgive a brother who sins against him. When Peter suggests that seven times might be adequate, which after all was much more generous than the teaching of the Rabbis, the Lord pushes him beyond his own limited sense of God's mercy and tells him that forgiveness should never be withheld, even from our enemies.<br /><br />This is a hard saying, especially when we have been badly hurt by a friend, a parent, a spouse or a lover. To think that we must act towards those who hurt us like God acts towards us seems impossible, but it is clearly the message of Jesus.<br /><br />Today, forgive someone even if they fail to ask forgiveness.<br /><div></div><br /><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "times new roman"; margin: 0px;"><b>What holds you back from forgiving others?</b></div>Br. Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211488981588379232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5052476017538907463.post-68465155836909591762024-03-03T08:30:00.000-05:002024-03-03T08:30:00.142-05:00The Fertility of God's Word<p> "So Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times at the word of the man of God. His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean." 2 Kgs:14</p>God's word is fertile. When mixed with the soil of our lives, it produces something extraordinary. God's word has the power to transform us, as it did when Naaman listened to God and plunged into the Jordan, and our task is similar. We are not in control of this process. God is, and we must let it happen, and unless we take time for this everyday, nothing of substance will happen.<br /><br />Quiet and reflection, especially about how God's word impacts our lives, is a practice no adult Christian can afford to ignore. Only when we become very disciplined about life in the Spirit can we expect God's word to do its work, and this process is analogous to many other aspects of life. Only the naive think that walking once a week will get them into shape for longer walks, and only the arrogant believe they can learn without regular reading and study. Conversion, at every level of human existence, is hard work.<br /><br />Today, remember how God has made your life fertile and offer a prayer of gratitude.<br /><br /><b>How have you experienced God's fertile actions in your life?</b>Br. Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211488981588379232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5052476017538907463.post-21170826809217631612024-03-02T08:30:00.003-05:002024-03-02T08:30:00.128-05:00The Foolishness of God<p> "For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength." 1 Cor 1:25</p><p>St. Paul knows what it means to write to the churches he helped found in a manner that focuses on them and not on him. He thanks God for them, for their faith, their faithfulness and the good works they do on behalf of the gospel.</p>What a powerful lesson there is for us. When we learn to begin each day with gratitude and hold our thanks before us like a light, we provide hope for those living in darkness and are reminded that a life of faith is simple. We need always to walk in the light of Christ who will show us the path to hope and thanksgiving because, as Paul further reminds us, "The foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength."<br /><br />Paul learned that his weakness, which often haunted him, was a gift which God could use to teach and form new disciples. When we accept this basic truth, our own faith lives become both easier and more intelligible. God will and does use our weaknesses to help others trust and let go into his hands.<br /><br />Today, thank God for the gift of faith.<br /><br /><b>Have you experienced your weakness as a gift?</b>Br. Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211488981588379232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5052476017538907463.post-8730861539553677022024-03-01T08:30:00.000-05:002024-03-01T08:30:00.141-05:00The Forgiving Father<p> “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.” Lk 15:17-18</p>The story of the prodigal son or the forgiving father is one of the most remarkable in all of scripture. In order to demonstrate God's desire to forgive us, Luke's Jesus suggests that even if someone returns to God for less than pure motives, God will welcome her. More, God embraces and empowers anyone who seeks reconciliation.<br /><br />When faced with this same kind of situation, most of us would try to discern the motives of the person seeking reconciliation, but God, the Forgiving Father, does not. Satisfied that his son or daughter is home, God reaches out and celebrates, apparently believing the power of his graciousness will convince his son or daughter that he must change his or her life.<br /><br />We often spend too much time trying to figure life out when we would be better off entering its mystery and discerning more carefully what few issues deserve our response. Otherwise, we will waste our lives in fruitless obsession when we ought to be doing good. The Forgiving Father teaches us always to be looking for the good in the world, not bemoaning our losses.<br /><br />Today, forgive someone unconditionally.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Is there anything that troubles you about the Forgiving Father?</span>Br. Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211488981588379232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5052476017538907463.post-80497282442948857142024-02-29T08:30:00.004-05:002024-02-29T08:30:00.141-05:00Jealousy<p> "When Joseph's brothers saw that their father loved him best of all his sons, they hated him so much that they would not even greet him." Gen 37:4</p><div>The story of Joseph and his brothers offers us a picture of jealousy that is vile and ugly. Hated by his brothers because their father loves him so deeply, Joseph becomes an easy target when his father sends him to his brothers at Shechem where they are grazing their sheep. Seeing him coming, Joseph's brothers first determine to kill him, but then, when an opportunity to sell him as a slave presents itself, they strike a deal with some Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver and think they are rid of him forever. Little did they know that they would meet him again many years later when famine came to their land, and they had to go to Egypt to buy food. Joseph's willingness to welcome and reconcile with his brothers rather than punish them for their past jealousy, heartens us even today. Jealousy can be overcome if only we ask God for the strength to forgive and begin again.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today, make an examination of conscience about your jealousies.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Have you known heroic people like Joseph who put aside their hurt for the good of family and community?</b></div><div><br /><br /></div>Br. Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211488981588379232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5052476017538907463.post-24125197454824287142024-02-28T08:30:00.000-05:002024-02-28T08:30:00.167-05:00Facing Difficult questions<p> "And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores." (Lk 16:20-21)</p><br />It is so difficult to read the passage about Lazarus and the rich man. How is it possible to have someone lying at your feet and not see him? Couldn't the rich man at least have swept the crumbs off his table so that Lazarus could have something to eat? How could he let his dogs lick Lazarus' wounds? These seem natural but unanswerable questions, but they demand reflection from us.<br /><br />Who is it that we don't see? Are there people so unimportant that we ignore them? Too often the answer is yes. Sometimes it is people of color or those who are culturally different than us. At other times, it is people who are generational recipients of welfare. More often we turn away, almost unconsciously, from the homeless and mentally ill because they frighten us, but we can and ought to try to change this.<br /><br />The act of seeing whatever and whoever is directly in front of us is a discipline and practice we can learn, but it takes prayer and silence. Those who take time each day to sit quietly, to breathe deeply and pay attention to all creation, after a while, find it impossible not to see those in need, and while we might not be able to do anything immediately, at least we have honored those who need to be seen and recognized as people just like us.<br /><br />Today, spend five minutes in quiet and reflection in preparation for seeing that which is directly in front of you.<br /><br /><b>What situations and people are most difficult for you to face?</b><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Br. Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211488981588379232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5052476017538907463.post-2002126205607191202024-02-27T08:30:00.003-05:002024-02-27T08:30:00.134-05:00Serving God with Dignity<p> “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus said in reply, “You do not know what you are asking."</p><div>When the mother of James and John asked Jesus to put her two sons as authority figures on his right and left, she is only doing what seemed natural. Wanting her sons to succeed, to move up in the world and to be a part of Jesus' entourage, she reminds us of the father of St. Francis who so wanted his son to succeed that he outfitted him in the finest clothes in order to give him every opportunity to impress others and grow wealthy and powerful.</div><p><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">That the mother of James and John and the father of St. Francis get it all wrong should not surprise us since we have all misunderstood the Gospel from time to time. Their only concern and ours ought to be to listen more deeply to the Lord and change our ways.</span><br /></p><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><div style="margin: 0px;">Service of others is the hallmark of the Gospel, not wealth nor power over others, and authentic Gospel service means trying to make ourselves prayerfully and unconditionally available to God in order to build God's reign not our comfort or influence.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;">Today, ask God to know how to serve others with dignity and charity.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>What are your biggest blocks to serving others freely?</b></div></div>Br. Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211488981588379232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5052476017538907463.post-74469795891591106692024-02-26T08:30:00.005-05:002024-02-26T08:30:00.248-05:00Getting Our Hands Dirty<p> “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. All their works are performed to be seen." Mt 23: 1-3</p>Every time Jesus becomes direct with his antagonists, especially the Pharisees and scribes, he makes me uncomfortable. A priest now for almost 54 years, it is my obligation to preach God's word without gloss, to announce the Good News simply and plainly, but this is never easy.<br /><br />When any of us, committed to Jesus' message to feed the hungry, visit the sick and imprisoned, and clothe the naked, fails to do anything in this regard, we run the risk of being labelled Pharisees. Furthermore, it is not enough to give an occasional or even a large donation to a charity that feeds the hungry, clothes the naked or visits the sick. We must get our hands dirty.<br /><br />Years ago I heard the story of a mother who told her troubled son that they only way he would get out of his own way and heal would be to do something for others. She encouraged him to work in a soup kitchen, or a community closet in order to get close to those in terrible need, and her advice worked. Initially angry and resentful of his mother, her son began to work in a soup kitchen every week and it changed his life. Experiencing the gratitude of those who no longer could help themselves, the young man began to realize how "rich" he was. Soon after beginning his volunteer work, he returned to school, graduated with honors, and now has a career teaching others while continuing to feed the hungry.<br /><br />Today, don't just encourage others to be compassionate, do something concrete for someone in need.<br /><br /><b>What has been your experience of direct service to and with the poor?</b>Br. Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211488981588379232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5052476017538907463.post-86736871396525403692024-02-25T08:30:00.003-05:002024-02-25T08:30:00.251-05:00Stop Judging<p> "Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned." Lk 6:37</p>Judging the motives of others is natural, but dangerous. Someone acts in a way that makes no sense to us and we immediately interpret it. Jesus was always being judged. Those threatened by his message tried to convince others that he only wanted to wrest power from the Pharisees and Sadducees, and exalt himself as a prophet and healer. It was very difficult for his enemies, and for us, to encounter a totally other centered person. Jesus came to announce the Good News of his Father. He wanted to remind us that we are saved and have only to turn to God in faith to receive this great gift. The gratuitousness of his goodness was too much to accept, even though it was only a fulfillment of what God had promised the Jews long before.<br /><br />Judging without facts in order to undermine the goodness or motives of others for our gain is a sin, one which we should pray to be freed from this Lent. When indeed we encounter someone who apparently is manipulating others for his or her own gain our obligation is to confront them, not to destroy their person or reputation.<br /><br />Today, judge others with God's compassion.<br /><br /><b>How have you confronted your own tendency to doubt others integrity?</b>Br. Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211488981588379232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5052476017538907463.post-9722982265309765712024-02-24T08:30:00.003-05:002024-02-24T08:30:00.255-05:00Abraham's Challenge<p> God said: “Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. There you shall offer him up as a burnt offering on a height that I will point out to you.” Gen 22:2</p>What kind of God is this who asks a faithful servant like Abraham to sacrifice his own son? At first reading, it sounds like God is an abusive father who tests his friends with impossible tasks. Some might even say that God is cruel in playing with Abraham's spirit in this way. That we know the end of the story mollifies us only a little. Yes, Isaac will be spared but at what price? Will he be scarred forever and afraid of a God who wanted his father to sacrifice him? Will he ever trust God himself?<br /><br />No matter how painful, we must try to enter the story of Abraham and Isaac as it is presented to us, not only for our own spiritual growth but as servants and disciples of a God who challenges us to announce Good News to the poor and set captives free. Because the poor and captives are more likely to face the kinds of impossible challenges presented to Abraham, we need to walk with them and learn from them as they discover a God who will show them a path to freedom and light.<br /><br />These painful questions are also necessary for every believer because it is our concept of God that most affects our everyday life. If we think of God as someone who is always watching us like a prison guard, we might behave but we certainly won't believe. Rather, we will try to skirt the edges of faith in order to avoid condemnation, but never know the joy of being in love with God who promises never to stop loving us.<br /><br />Today, revisit a dark time in your life and invite God to be with you as your probe its meaning.<br /><br /><b>How do you interpret the the test of Abraham? Can you make sense of it?</b><br /><br />Br. Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211488981588379232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5052476017538907463.post-50855721025705209562024-02-23T08:30:00.004-05:002024-02-23T08:30:00.262-05:00Our Uniqueness<p> "You are to be a people peculiarly his own." Dt 26:18</p>When Moses tells the people they are special in God's eyes, he is not speaking to or about them in an exclusive way, but as God's messenger trying to remind them that God's love, while gratuitous, makes demands. Because God has protected them in the desert and led them through it, they must do the same for others. God's love is not a gift to be hoarded but to be given away.<br /><br />Jesus echoes this same teaching. He has called the Apostles and disciples to listen to him and proclaim the fullness of the Good News that God wants to embrace all of us. God wants us to swim in the glory of our call and "baptize" all people in his name. To be a disciple and follower of Jesus is not just to enjoy the comfort of his love, but to proclaim it from the housetops. Only when others hear the power of this message will they be willing, even anxious, to reform their lives. There is no need for ceaseless competition and comparison. Rather, we are called to rejoice in God's fervent and rabid love for us.<br /><br />Today, let someone know you are a believer by loving them just as they are.<br /><br /><b>Who has helped you see, understand and accept your unique value in God's sight?</b><br /><br />Br. Jackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04211488981588379232noreply@blogger.com0