Author: DeaconRodney

Husband, Father of 4, Catholic Deacon.

Jesus is the Victor

“Beloved: Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever possesses the Son has life….” (NAB, 1JN 5:5, 12) Oftentimes it seems like the world is “winning,” life is unfair, suffering doesn’t make sense, and good didn’t seem to triumph this time. While it’s true that sin abounds and evil is present all around us, we are unable to see the whole picture. We are unable to see the depth of another’s heart, and God’s ways are impossible for us to wrap our heads around. The Prophet Isaiah reminds us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” (IS 55:8-9)

We are called to trust our loving Father, to live in faith and hope as we lovingly live the life he has given us. When we accept the eternal life that has been offered, when we accept the gift of renewal, and when we accept the gift of God’s grace, our lives are transformed as we enter a deeply personal relationship with Jesus in communion with his whole Church. In Jesus, we are victorious over this world, which frequently offers us death in sin; we have life because we have the Son of God, the one who conquered sin and death through his infinite love, mercy, and forgiveness.

Jesus, help me to remember your gift, the gift of life, eternal life, a life You possible through your Passion and love for me, when you defeated Satan and all his evil works. Now, draw me close to you, so that I may see the power of your salvation. Increase my faith. Give me your grace. Purify me, so that I may be one with you in victory over the temptations, trials, and tribulations of this life. May you be glorified forever. Amen.

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Freedom in Law

For many of us, we have grown to find rules restrictive and constraining. We don’t like to be told what to do, and we can feel overwhelmed, suffocated, or even enslaved by the rules imposed upon us. And there are many who believe this to be the case when it comes to religion as well. The thoughts go like this: “Why must I do certain things and not do certain other things? Why should I submit to some authority I don’t even see, just because a lot of other people do? Moreover, religious people don’t even follow their own rules and it all seems like hypocrisy.”

The Truth is that Jesus came to bring freedom, to release us from the slavery of sin, a slavery of which we are far too often unaware. If we are careful to consider rules in our world, we can quickly see the benefits. Traffic rules and civil laws keep society orderly. Other rules and laws protect the vulnerable in our world. These are just rules and laws. God gives us rules to follow from his infinite justice, flowing from his infinite love for us. The Incarnation perfects the law of the covenant between God and his people because he is the fulfillment of the promises of that same covenant.

Luke’s Gospel sheds light on this very issue. Jesus was teaching in the synagogue and was reading from the Prophet Isaiah: “’The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.’” (NAB, (LK 4:18-19) After returning the scroll to the attendant, Jesus said, “’Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.’” (4:21)

Jesus, the New Covenant of Love, is fulfilled and revealed in freedom. This freedom is not one free of rules or laws, but it is made possible by obeying his commandments. “For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, but whoever is begotten of God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.” (1JN 5:3-4) We are made free by obedience to the love of Christ.

Your Law calls me to freedom, Lord, a freedom from the chains and slavery of sin. Increase my desire for this life of love, and increase my faith, so that I may live more obediently according to your Law of Love. And let me share these same “glad tidings” with others, so that they also may come to know you and experience the joys of your freedom. Amen.

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Love Conquers Fear

Water was not only a symbolic element for the Israelites, but it was also an integral part of society at the time of Jesus. After all, many of Jesus’ followers were either fishermen or dependent on the fishing industry for their livelihood. The local economy was heavily influenced by this industry as well. So, it is natural that many scenes reported in the Scripture take place in or near bodies of water.

One such scene takes place after the miracle of Jesus feeding of the 5,000, and we hear about it in Mark’s Gospel: “Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida…. When it was evening, the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore. Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing, for the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out. But at once he spoke with them, ‘Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!’” (NAB MK 45-50) The disciples were afraid, perhaps afraid of the unknown, perhaps afraid of what they saw, the threat of the sea, or whatever else, but Jesus tells them not to be afraid.

There will always be unknowns and there will always be various threats to our safety, to our emotional or financial stability, to the integrity of our relationships, etc. What overcomes this fear is our trust in God, a trust fully founded in love. God loves us with an incomprehensible and infinite love, and if we are able to live in that love, we will live without fear. In John’s First Letter, we hear, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.” (1JN 4:18) That is true of judgment and in all other aspects of our lives. Love conquers even our fears.

Jesus, I trust in you. Increase my trust and increase my love. Take away all my fears and doubts, as my faith grows ever stronger in your love and care for me. Allow me to abandon myself entirely to you, laying all my fears at your feet, and leaving them there as your trusting child. Jesus, I trust in you. Amen.

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God is Love

Our call to love is reiterated again for us today in the First Letter of John: “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.” (NAB, 1JN 4:7-8) If we wish to unite ourselves with God, then we must unite ourselves to love, and love is action.

We oftentimes think of romanticized love that conjures up all kinds of feelings and emotions, but love is action, putting another before ourselves. Love requires humility, where we recognize the inherent dignity of each other; we are, after all, each created in the image and likeness of Almighty God. Love implies commitment, dedication, and consistency. Even when one considers that moment of “falling in love,” it turns out not to be a moment at all. There isn’t one single thing that a person does for us that evokes such feelings and emotions. Rather, it is the consistent pattern of behavior over time that yields love; it is the continual presence and commitment of the other who is concerned for us and our wellbeing.

Jesus’ love for us isn’t a mere historical event or a single act revealed in a Roman execution. His love for us is continuous, without beginning or end. He is with us at every moment of each day. He continuously lays down his life for us, sustains us, showers us with his grace, gives us the gifts of the Spirit, comforts us, has mercy upon us, forgives us, and graciously blesses us in so many, many ways.

Lord, you call all people to yourself in love. It was this love which manifest itself so perfectly in your Holy and Sacred Passion, where you laid down your very life for me. Give me courage and strength through humility, that I may act according to your Holy Will, to love those whom you have put in my life, so that I may be more perfectly united to you. Amen.

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The Spirit Dwelling Within

We may have heard the phrase that “Christians live in the world, but are not of the world.” While it is true that we are temples of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of God dwells in each of us, the world is occupied and oftentimes driven by the Evil One, the spirit of darkness and death. We are nevertheless assured of God’s presence in us, however, as John tells us in his letter: “Those who keep [God’s] commandments remain in him, and he in them, and the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit whom he gave us. You belong to God, children, and you have conquered [the Evil One], for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us, while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us. This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.” (NAB, 1JN 3:24, 4:4, 6)

We have nothing to fear in this world as we are members of the Body of Christ, the same Christ who conquered death and sin. There is nothing in this world that is more powerful than the love and grace of God, and we, as children of the Father, have the freedom to live according to the Law of Love, for we have received by faith, through grace, the indwelling eternal Spirit of God. In the words of the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy Kingdom come … on earth as it is in Heaven.” We bring about the Kingdom of God in this world as we live virtuously, by loving God and our neighbor through the faith we have received and in the hope of eternal life in the perfection of that same Kingdom in Heaven.

When I am frightened or challenged by the spirits of this world, give me confidence and strength to turn to you, Lord, realizing and remembering that you have already defeated the Evil One, his offer of sin, and the consequence of death. I am a child of the Kingdom; I am a child of God, and the Spirit that dwells in me is greater than any spirit in this world. Allow me to be a light in this world of darkness and despair, where sin seems to abound, to make known your love in all that I do. “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done.”  Amen.

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Long Live the King!

The joyous Twelve Days of Christmas have been celebrated, and as we bring the Christmas Season to a close, we commemorate a special manifestation of our Lord, the Solemnity of Epiphany. Our Gospel today, tells us of magi coming from the east, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews?” We sometimes refer to these magi as “wise men” because of accounts of them being pagans from the East, astrologers, and interpreters of dreams, but our Gospel doesn’t tell us how many magi sought Jesus. We can only assume there were several of them, each accompanied by other family members and many servants, along with loads of supplies and provisions. Their journeys to Judea most likely took between 4 to 12 months, and were constantly met with the difficulties, trials, and threats of the wilderness. They knew the stars, however, and they followed a new star, one that was believed to reveal a new ruler of the people, a newborn king that would unite the human and divine by his death.

When Herod heard of their quest, he was deeply troubled. Nearly forty years earlier, Herod was chosen by the Roman Senate and given the title, “King of the Jews.” The Roman Senate sent Herod to Judea to maintain and monitor the emperor’s interests in the region, ruling over the Jews. Herod, a convert to Judaism, had financed and completed incredible construction projects, including the magnificent expansion of the Jewish Temple. Four walls, including the Wailing Wall, still remain in place from his construction efforts. Hearing of a “new” king would most certainly have meant that he was to be replaced, and this infuriated and enraged Herod.

As we know, Herod plotted to use the magi. After assembling his priests and advisors and getting information about where this king would be born, Herod sent the magi on their way with instructions to return to him with the identity and location of this newborn king so he himself could do homage. The magi, who were very attentive to their dreams, were warned not to return to Herod, and when he realized the magi had foiled his plan, Herod ordered the execution of all the infant first-born sons in the region.

We oftentimes believe and act like we are kings of our own lives. We live day-to-day as if we are autonomous and independent rulers, and would never give up our power and control. And sometimes, we destroy whatever we may see as a threat to our independence, authority, position, title, or wealth. The reality is that none of this belongs to us – all that we “have,” even our talents, gifts, motivations, and good desires, all come from God. We can be like the magi, make a life-changing journey, and present our most precious gifts to our true King, lay all of our treasures, even our very lives, at the feet of Jesus; or we can seek to destroy anything and everything for which we feel threatened, even that which is perfect, beautiful, good, and true.

Some questions to consider: Who sits on the throne of my heart? Is it Jesus? Is Jesus the ruler of my life? Is it he who drives me and motivates me in my relationships with others, in my efforts at work or school, and in my dealings with those less fortunate, the marginalized, or the poor? Am I allowing the fear of “losing” something, perhaps my position, power, or prestige, to keep from acknowledging and submitting to the true King?

Heavenly Father, allow me to imitate the “wise” magi. Give me the courage and humility I need to release myself from the pursuits common in this world and to put Jesus on the throne of my heart, to be ruler of my life. Take away my fears so that I live according to your will and for your glory. Amen.

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Sacrifice & Forgiveness

The Twelfth Day of Christmas!

We are reminded today that Jesus not only came to fulfill the prophecies of the Old Testament, but also to undo the Fall of humanity. The loss of Eternal Paradise by our First Parents came through sin, and death became its result. “This is the message you have heard from the beginning: we should love one another, unlike Caine who belonged to the Evil One and slaughtered his brother.” (NAB, 1JN 3:11-12) Murder is clearly a sin and violation of the Law, but Jesus brought us a new Law of Love, where even the sin of anger, the basis and motivation behind murder, leads to the same judgment: “But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.” (MT 5:22) “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.” (1JN 3:15)

The Gospel of Jesus Christ IS the Gospel of Love, for Jesus is himself love eternal. We are all sinners and rightly deserve death, but we, as children of God, have received the Good News of Jesus with certainty, and “we know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers. The way we came to know love was that he laid down his life for us; so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. Let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.” (3:14, 16, 18)

We have been culturally deceived by childhood movies and fairy tales, along with our cultural norms, into believing love should not entail sacrifice, that it’s supposed to be “happily ever after,” but the Truth of love can be found in the Passion of our Lord, in reflecting upon his great love, after having been physically and mentally tortured, beaten, humiliated, abused, abandoned, and crucified, while dying on the cross, he utters, “Father, forgive them.” (LK 5:34)

Lord, make me a person of forgiveness and mercy. I have been forgiven much, yet I hold back mercy, love, and forgiveness from others. Take away my anger and fill me with your love, your True love, love that knows sacrifice, love that knows You. To lay down myself means, at a minimum, to give up my selfishness, my desires, and my ego for love of you. Give me the grace and gifts I need, and when I am tempted, let me remember your Great Passion and see the Crucifix from which you spoke forgiveness. Amen.

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Grace & Righteousness

The Eleventh Day of Christmas!

“Children, let no one deceive you. The person who acts in righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. Whoever sins belongs to the Devil…. In this way, the children of God and the children of the Devil are made plain; no one who fails to act in righteousness belongs to God, nor anyone who does not love his brother.” (NAB, 1JN 3:7-8, 10) Our righteousness is interior, flowing from the heart as a result of God’s abundant grace. Our actions and good works result from the desires and gifts which God has already given us through his salvific grace. Thus, our cooperation, our “yes” to God, and the assent of our will are not particularly exclusive to us as individuals, but are rather ultimately and fundamentally from the Creator himself. All that is good is from God, and the righteousness of his people is the glorification of his grace acting in love.

We are children of the Covenant of Love. Our redemption and salvation are a result of that same love, a deep and incomprehensible love according to which God sent his Only Son into the world, to complete His Passion so that we might receive mercy and forgiveness, atonement for our sins. It is the Love of God, a love like none other, that redeems us and continuously calls us to conversion and unity with him. We are to love our neighbor as Christ, to see Jesus in each other. True righteousness is revealed as we are conformed through his Law of Love and his Covenant of Communion to be Christ in our world, to be his act of love.

Lord, you love me with an unfailing love. All that I do, all of my gifts, and all of my good desires come from you through your grace. Thank you for choosing me, who is unworthy, but is made worthy by you. Allow me to see you in those around me, in my family and friends, in my coworkers and neighbors, and in the suffering, marginalized, and rejected of this world. I want to live your Law of Love; give me your grace. Amen.

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Child of God

The Tenth Day of Christmas!

Not only was Jesus born into an earthly family to Mary and Joseph, he established, through his eternal saving act of redemption in the sacrificial paschal mystery, the very family of the Almighty, the Body of Christ, whose head he is. We are members of that same Family: “If you consider that God is righteous, you also know that everyone who acts in righteousness is begotten by him. See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are.” (NAB, 1JN 2:29-3:1)

We are truly brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, through him and in him, and thus we are begotten of God and are rightly called his children. This family of God is also the Body of Christ, his Church, which remains united with Jesus as one. Thus, the Church and Christ are one in unity, a unity in which we participate imperfectly as we grow in sanctity toward our final perfection, our heavenly reward. Unfortunately, we are plagued by the sins of humans, the Body of Christ suffers, just as any family is afflicted by the unloving behavior of its members. Yet, we still remain as children of Almighty God and are compelled to treat each other as brothers and sisters in the most intimate sense, united in one Lord and Savior, willing to sacrifice ourselves for each other in accordance with Covenant of Love.

Heavenly Father, I am your child and you love me beyond my comprehension. Whatever happens to me on my daily journey are providential opportunities for me to grow closer to you, to grow in holiness and perfection, and to be more like your Son, Jesus. Give me guidance and strength to help my brother and sister who is in need. When they fail or when they hurt, the whole Body suffers. Make me resolute in reaching out in faithful love to those whom you put in my path, that your will may be done and your Son glorified. Amen.

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One Truth

The New Year has begun. As we continue to celebrate the Christmas Season on this Ninth Day, we are drawn to reflect on the truth that the earthly Jesus, the child and son born of Mary, is truly the Son of God, the Messiah, the Christ. It is common in today’s society to accept all views as equally valid or true, because many do not see truth as absolute. This is a most insidious creation of Satan, the Father of Lies, for he knows that God himself IS Truth! Thus, if anyone’s perspective or opinion is to be understood as truth, well, there cannot be an unchanging, infinite, eternal God; plain and simple.

In John’s First Letter, we hear, “I write to you not because you do not know the truth but because you do, and because every lie is alien to the truth. Who is the liar? Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist. No one who denies the Son has the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.” (NAB, 1JN 2:21-23) We live in a time of lies. We are drowning in lies, and worse, we have accepted that lies disguised as “personal truths” are ok. Love compels us to the Truth, and if we are to accept lies as truth, we have denied love as well, for to truly love our brother or sister means to desire the very best for them, and that is the Truth that is Jesus Christ and his teachings handed down from generation to generation from the Apostles.

Father, give me strength and courage to love my neighbor and myself with the love which comes from you. You are Love and you are Truth. May my life always be one of compassion, forgiveness, and mercy, as I live out and proclaim the Truth of Jesus Christ in the world. Let me not be distracted by the lies that are rampant today, but let your light shine into these places of darkness so that Truth and Love may prevail. Amen.

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Mary, Our Mother

On this Eighth Day of Christmas, we mark the beginning of a New Year. It was on this day, scripture reminds us that the infant born to Mary was named: “When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.” (NAB, LK 2:21) Although the name “Jesus” was quite common just over 2000 years ago, Joseph and Mary gave him this name in accordance with the instructions from the Angel Gabriel. His name means “God saves” in his native language, as it is a combination of Ya, which is short for Yahweh, and hoshea, which means “salvation.” The Letter to the Galatians reminds us, “Brothers and sisters: When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. As proof that you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’ So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then also an heir, through God.” (GAL 4:4-7)

Salvation came to us through the birth of a child, and his mother Mary, through her “Yes” to the invitation of God, became the Tabernacle of God, the very Mother of God, as the Holy Spirit overshadowed her and Jesus, the eternal Son of God, was conceived in her womb. It is the woman Mary who brought this life into the world, and she is rightly to be given special recognition, adulation, and love, for she is the purest of disciples. Just as the waters of the Red Sea were split open, freeing God’s People from slavery and establishing a covenant through the Law, the waters of Mary’s womb broke open, giving birth to the Son of God who would bring freedom to all through a New Covenant established in love. We are the sons and daughters of inheritance, chosen by God, and having accepted his invitation, also call Mary our mother, just as Jesus himself did.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

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Beginnings

As the calendar year comes to an end, we prepare to celebrate the New Year, a new beginning. Beginnings are great opportunities for us to examine our lives and then realign them for good, to make us physically healthier, to improve our finances, to make spiritual progress, to build on our relationships, and to generally make our world a better place. Today, as we prepare for these new beginnings, the Gospel of John reminds us of what should be the foundation for starting anew:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life…. The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son, full of grace and truth. … From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace.” (NAB, JN 1:1-4, 14, 16)

Jesus makes all things new! He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. As we prepare to make changes in our lives, let’s make sure He is at the very foundation of what we do. Let’s make sure that Jesus is the reason, the basis, the purpose, and the ultimate end of all of our good resolutions for a New Year.

Lord, Jesus, you who are the Beginning, give me wisdom as I celebrate a new beginning, a new year given to me as a gift from you. You make all things new. Make me a good steward of what you have given me. In this upcoming year, give me the courage and insight to make choices that glorify you, and lead me according to your will, that I may fulfill the purpose of my calling in this life. Amen.

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Seek the Lord

The Sixth Day of Christmas!

So much of Jesus’ childhood and young adult life are unknown to us, but the Gospel of Luke (2:41-52) gives us a glimpse into the life of the Holy Family, as he describes the events surrounding the family’s pilgrimage journey to Jerusalem. They went there to celebrate the Feast of Passover when Jesus was twelve years old. As is customary, when Joseph and Mary left Jerusalem to return back to their home, they traveled in separate parts of the caravan; men traveled together and the women traveled together in a separate part of the group. Because of Jesus’ age (12), he could have been with either the men or women, so it is reasonable that Joseph and Mary would think that Jesus was with the other. However, after a day of traveling and then realizing that he was not with either of them or any of their relatives, they experienced what parents dread, the great anxiety and fear of not knowing where their child is.

Joseph and Mary return to Jerusalem, and after three days of searching, they finally found Jesus in the Temple asking questions of and dialoging with the priests and teachers, and “all who heard him were astounded!” (NAB, LK 2:47) In response to being asked for an explanation from his parents, Jesus responds, “’Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’” (2:49)

There are many things to learn from the Holy Family. One lesson is precisely this, that when we experience that sudden, great fear and anxiety in our lives, when we’re not sure where Jesus is, or who we are, or when we feel empty inside and alone, it’s time to return to Jerusalem, whose name means, “City of Peace.” When we lack peace, we can be assured that we need to reconcile ourselves with God. This is especially true when we are undergoing various trials and difficulties; we are called to return to the Holy Land, return to our Father’s House. There we will find our Lord, listening and teaching. He hears our cry, and he speaks to us in the temple of our hearts, and he speaks to us through his Bride, the Church.

Father, give me courage to return to you, to learn from and imitate the Holy Family as I seek to find your Son Jesus, especially in times when I lack peace, feel anxiety, or experience fear. I know I can find him in Your House; He’s always there. Give me faith so that my life my glorify you. Amen.

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Examine Your Walk

As the calendar year comes to an end, many will examine their finances, their health, or other aspects of their life and make resolutions for the New Year. It’s good to have new beginnings, opportunities to realign ourselves to live a healthier lifestyle, make more financially responsible choices, or reset ourselves in some other positive way. It’s also an excellent time to examine our spiritual lives.

Today, we are reminded in the First Letter of John of what that looks like. “Beloved: The way we may be sure that we know Jesus is to keep his commandments. Whoever says, ‘I know him,’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him. This is the way we may know that we are in union with him: whoever claims to abide in him ought to walk just as he walked.” (NAB, 1JN 2:3-6)

We often use the word “walk” when referring to our spiritual journey, and rightly so. We are called to be followers of Jesus, to walk with him, in this life, to complete our spiritual journey alongside of him, being his hands, his feet, and speaking his words in our world. Let’s set aside some real time today to truly, deeply, and honestly examine our lives to see if our “walk” matches his, if our lives reflect the life of our Savior. Then, confess whatever is keeping us from authentically living our Christian faith, express true sorrow for our failings, beg God for his grace to help use change our lives to live righteously, and commit, with God’s help, to pursue sanctity and holiness each and every day, in all of our relationships, in every step we take.

Lord, Jesus, you know where my “walk” doesn’t match my “talk,” but more importantly, where my walk isn’t unified with yours. Give me the wisdom I need to see where changes are necessary, where I fail to live according to your Law of Love, and where, with your grace, I can change to live according to your Holy Will. I cannot do it on my own, but only because of your love, grace, and faithfulness. I love you, Lord, and I thank you for loving me. Give me courage to live the life to which you call me, for your glory and according to your will. Amen.

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