Category: Daily Reflection

Am I Lukewarm?

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.” (NAB, RV 3:20) Jesus wants to be with us. He wants to share in our lives. He desires to be intimate, and he expresses that longing into this reading from the Book of Revelation.

These familiar verses have appeared in artwork as paintings and even more recently, as versus in contemporary Christian songs. Its’ important, however, to understand the context of these words attributed to Jesus. He is speaking to a “lukewarm” church, a church that is “rich and affluent,” having all it needs, but failing to recognize that it is actually “wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” (c.f., RV 3:17)

Jesus is knocking on the door of us Christians who have grown lukewarm in living out our faith, who are just trying to get by, who are no longer motivated to transform society with the love of Christ, or who have fallen prey to society’s attitudes and celebration of mediocrity and disinterest. Jesus is waiting to be invited in as he knocks on the doors of the hearts of apathetic and disinterested Christians. If we have the courage and wisdom to invite him in, he will enter and dine (i.e., commune) with us. Jesus wants encounter. He desires relationship. He seeks communion.

Heavenly Father, let me hear the voice of Jesus and open the door to my life, so that he may enter and enliven my spirit. May I encounter him and draw closer to him in communion and love. May my eyes be opened to the true riches of this world and seek only your glory. Amen.

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Believing is Seeing

Bartimaeus, the Blind Beggar, is sitting in his usual spot alongside the roadway when he hears that Jesus is walking by. Bartimaeus cries out, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” at which time some of the followers of Christ rebuke him, telling him to keep quiet so as not to bother Jesus. This doesn’t stop him: Bartimaeus again, loudly cries out, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” Jesus has Bartimaeus brought to him and asks what he wants. Bartimaeus responds, “Lord, please let me see.” In his mercy and compassion, Jesus gives him his sight, saying, “Your faith has saved you.” Bartimaeus received his sight and immediately began to follow Jesus, “giving glory to God.” (NAB, cf. LK 18:35-43) We can learn a few life principles from this interaction proclaimed in today’s Gospel.

(1) Bartimaeus knew what was keeping him from being united with the worshiping community. He was willing to recognize his needs and bring them to Jesus. We too, should reflect on our lives and admit our needs, “failures,” and shortcomings, and then bring them to Jesus.

(2) Bartimaeus didn’t let anyone or anything stand in his way. Oftentimes, we encounter obstacles to encountering Jesus. These obstacles come in many forms (e.g., certain personal relationships, insufficient desire or motivation to change, or lack of developed conscience to make good decisions). We must not be discouraged nor allow these to keep us from pursuing our Savior; rather, we must persist in calling out to him and trusting completely in his infinite love, mercy, and forgiveness.

(3) Bartimaeus didn’t base his faith on seeing. His faith was solidly rooted in hearing the words of Jesus and believing in the Gospel. Oftentimes, we are unable to see the workings of God in our lives, but by listening to God through reading the Holy Bible and hearing his Word proclaimed in his Church, by receiving the grace he offers in the Sacraments, and by believing his promises, teachings, and truths even in the midst of doubt, we establish and fortify our faith. We have all heard the saying, “Seeing is believing.” As Christians, perhaps we should rephrase it to, “Believing is seeing.” It is when we exercise our faith and believe, that we see the Hand of God at work. Our faith gives us sight.

Father, help me to acknowledge my needs and give me the courage I to overcome any obstacles that prevent me from bringing them to you. Strengthen my faith and belief so that I may see your hand at work in my life and follow you without reservation, for your glory. Amen.

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Persistent Prayer

People oftentimes miss a small detail about the Parable of the Persistent Widow from St. Luke’s Gospel. The story is of a widow who chases after a local judge, and keeps pestering him and bothering him, requesting that he “render a just decision for [her] against [her] adversary.” The judge, who scripture says had no fear of God and no respect for people, eventually relents and issues a just decision for her because of her persistence and tenacity.

The point of this parable isn’t strictly the comparison between the widow and us. It is true that we, as disciples, must be persistent in prayer, relying on the infinite love of God to provide all that we need. However, more to the point, is the idea that if an unjust judge would give a just decision because of the petitioner’s persistence, how much more readily will a loving judge, our Lord, answer our just requests.

The widow isn’t asking for something she merely desires or some other extraordinary benefit – she seeks justice. Frequently, believers are mistakenly drawn in to think that God will give them anything at all, whatever they ask, if they just keep asking for it over and over again. Realize that the widow in this parable was asking for what was right, true, and just, and that is the ideal content of our prayer as well. Our God, who is infinitely more caring and loving than the unjust judges of this world, will ensure that we have all we need and all that is just.

Father, you are all-loving and infinitely just. Help me to relinquish my desires and seek only your will. May I remain persistent in my prayer, trusting that you will always lead me on right paths to you for your glory. Amen.

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Are We Becoming Too Progressive?

Politics seems to be the lead story on every news website and channel. Society today seems to be teeming with opinions and ideas on the role of government, various funding priorities, issues related to personal dignity, and a variety of other “hot button” topics. Discussion on these issues is generally healthy for society as we work out the best solutions for the common good. St. John reminds us, however, to walk in Truth and to love one another: “For this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, as you have heard from the beginning, in which you should walk.” (NAB, 2JN 6)

Out of love for God, we have the responsibility to live in accordance with his commandments. Furthermore, out of love for our neighbors, we should seek what is best for them. Ultimately, if we believe that eternal life is the greatest good, then our efforts and actions should be directed toward that end. Unfortunately, many believers today do not truly seek what is best for the brothers and sisters, but instead, seek what many claim as progressive solutions for today’s “problems.” This is not the teaching of Christ.

St. John continues, “Anyone who is so ‘progressive’ as not to remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God; whoever remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son.” (2JN 9) Lord, give me a heart that truly seeks what is good for my neighbor and what will most effectively bring about the common good. May I always live according to your commandments and remain in the teaching of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

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The Kingdom Among You

When Jesus is asked when the Kingdom of God will come, he responds, “The Kingdom of God is among you.” He answers their question of “when” with a response of “where.” Why?

What the Pharisees failed to see is that Jesus is himself the King. The Kingdom of God is present whenever and wherever Jesus is. Understanding this idea is important to cooperate with the ongoing revelation of God’s Kingdom in our world today. Each time we pray the Our Father, we recite the words, “Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” We continuously pray that God’s Kingdom be revealed in our world through the presence of Christ in us and in our world. We will one day experience that Kingdom in its fullness, but until then we must continue to cooperate with God’s grace to bring about that reality as it is revealed according to his will.

Lord, Jesus Christ, help me to realize your presence in me, in others, and in my world, so that, with your grace, I may truly mean the words, “Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” May I begin to see your Heavenly reality revealed by you in my life, according to your will and for your glory, until that day when I am welcomed into your Eternal Banquet. Amen.

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The Faith of a Leper

In Luke’s Gospel (17:11-19), Jesus encounters 10 lepers as he is about to enter a certain village. They cried out to him, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” In response, Jesus tells them to go show themselves to the priests, and they are healed of their leprosy on their way. It was the responsibility of the priests to ultimately judge whether one was cured from leprosy. Being declared cured was important because a leper was excluded from the community as a whole, and specifically forbidden from worshiping in the Temple. Simply put, lepers were unclean.

We are told that one of the cured lepers, the foreign Samaritan, never makes it to the priests. Instead, upon being cured, he returns to Jesus “to give thanks to God.” He glorified God and fell at the feet of Jesus to thank him. Jesus then declares that this one has been saved by his faith. We can presume that the other 9 lepers presented themselves to the priests, performed their ritual washings, and were reunited with the community.

What did this Samaritan leper experience that the others missed? Why did this leper seem to disobey Jesus’ command to present himself to the priests, but was then rewarded by being proclaimed saved by his faith? Perhaps he realized that the gift of being cured and reunited with the community was indeed a gift, but paled in comparison to the Giver. It’s easy to reverse the two. Perhaps he realized that while the Temple priests could certainly declare him physically clean and reunite him with the social community, only the One True High Priest could declare him spiritually clean and reunite him with the Creator himself.

Heavenly Father, give us the wisdom, insight, and faith of the Samaritan leper, so that we may choose you, the Giver, over the gift. May we recognize your Son as our High Priest, the one True Mediator who atoned for our sins so that we may be reunited with you in the eternal community of your Heavenly Kingdom. Amen.

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Servant of God

Humility is the surest pathway to sanctity, and at its greatest depth, humility is the recognition that God is God, and we are not. To this degree, Humility is Truth. It is this Truth that was violated by our First Parents, who fell to the temptation and believed the lies of the Evil one who said, “your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods….” (NAB, GN 3:5)

In fact, we are not gods, but we are servants of the One True God. Our faithfulness to him is borne out in our obedience to his Word and authentic teachings through the Church. Humility is the virtue by which we follow his will and relinquish our own. Humility is understanding ourselves to be created in his image and likeness merely because of his infinite love. This is how we know ourselves as his servants. The Great St. Augustine’s famous prayer, “Noscam Te! Noscam me” (May I know Thee; may I know myself).

Our Gospel today reminds us, “When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’” (NAB, LK 17:9-10) Father, give me the grace to recognize who I am, your beloved, and who you are, my loving Creator, the one who gives me all that I have and all that I am. Take my prideful heart and give me one of true servanthood, that I may always humbly do your will. Amen.

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Lead Others to Holiness

We receive a stern warning today about personal behavior from Luke’s Gospel. Jesus says, “Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the one through whom they occur. It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.” (NAB, 17:1-2) How often are we the occasion for someone else’s sin?

Sometimes it can be indirectly, such as, by dressing immodestly or acting provocatively, which can draw others into sin. Frequently, however, we implicate others in sin by participating in sin ourselves. Oftentimes we do so in simple ways, through gossip, for example, when we subtly encourage friends, coworkers, or family members to think, speak, and sometimes even act negatively regarding others. Yet, there are times when we directly involve others in sin and we co-conspire to sin. We encourage others to sin when we knowingly cover up or tolerate their sins, even though they may be illegal or violate established rules. There are also times when we directly involve others in our personal sin, most frequently sins related to sex, money, or power. These sins can be the most difficult to eradicate because they are part of the relationship we’ve established with another, and we value those relationships.

We are called today to examine those areas of our life where we do involve others in sin or when we cause others to sin. Lord, enlighten our minds and hearts to see where we are involved in the means of sin. Give us the courage and determination to change our behavior so that we are no longer a stumbling block for others, but rather, through your grace and according to your will, that we lead others to sanctity. Amen.

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Always Faithful

“The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones.” (NAB, LK 16:10) Jesus reminds us today, that it’s not just about the big things in life; little things matter.

God calls us to be faithful, trustworthy, and reliable to him in the “less important” things in life. We all profess that we want to love God and love our neighbor, but oftentimes this becomes an abstraction, a lofty goal, or an ideal, that, deep down, we don’t believe is really possible, at least not all of the time. This leads us to sometimes “cheat” when it comes to ordinary things. We cut corners, we leave work early, or don’t put our best effort into a project. When a cashier rings up the wrong amount and it benefits us, and we knowingly pocket the change we think, “Oh well, the business has made plenty of money from me in the past.” When we pay taxes and pad our expenses “just a little” thinking the government takes too much anyway. Even more so, when it seems that everyone else is doing some minor offense, we sometimes follow right in line.

One of the problems with little sins is that they produce little guilt, and little guilt allows for them to become frequent. Think of how tiny are maggots, insects, locusts, and the like. Yet, though small in size, in great numbers they cause immense destruction. They fully consume and annihilate whatever they’re attacking. If you were to find one of these in your pantry, you would eliminate it immediately! Why not so in our spiritual lives?

And counter to this, our faithfulness to God is precisely demonstrated in our faithfulness, integrity, and reliability in the daily, ordinary things of life. Being on time, praying, respecting others, taking short moments to be with God, and being honest, loving, and caring with others in seemingly insignificant events in our lives, can be the truest test of our trustworthiness, commitment, and dedication to God in the larger things. Our consistency is what matters. Bringing God into the little actions of our life expresses our greater commitment to him. Lord, help us to do what we say we believe, and be who we say we are, especially in the little things of life. Amen.

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Temple of the Holy Spirit

We are reminded today in Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians (3:16-17) of the inherent goodness and splendor of our bodies: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.”

Oftentimes we forget how wonderfully and beautifully we are made by our Creator. Our bodies somehow reflect the very nature of God; we are, after all, each created in his image and likeness. St. Paul says that we are “Temples of the Holy Spirit,” that we, our bodies, are holy. We defile God’s temple when we sin against our body: when we over eat, drink too much alcohol, use illicit drugs, sexually objectify ourselves or others, or knowingly deprive ourselves of needed, reasonable care.

We are not empty shells of flesh and bone. Nor are we angels trapped inside until our earthly death. Persons are BOTH soul and body, and our Christian hope of eternal life is driven by a faith and belief that we will be resurrected in body and spirit to live forevermore in love and truth, that mystical reality we call Heaven. Let us be sure today, to commit, or recommit, to caring for our body in some simple, yet meaningful way. Let us be good stewards of the incredible gift God has given us in this life so that we may best prepare for the life hereafter. And let us recognize in others, that they too are temples of the Holy Spirit, and thereby give honor and respect to the beautiful physical creation of God in each person.

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Everything is Nothing

Saint Paul had everything. He was well-respected and highly educated. He had a pristine family lineage. By all accounts, he was an outstanding and faithful, practicing Jew. He had social status as well. In his letter to the Philippians (3:5-6), St. Paul writes, “If anyone else thinks he can be confident in the flesh, all the more can I. Circumcised on the eighth day, of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrew parentage, in observance of the law a Pharisee, in zeal I persecuted the Church, in righteousness based on the law I was blameless.”

St. Paul realizes, however, that even though he had possessed many things, had worked his way to the top, and enjoyed power and prestige and the admiration of others, that all of this is nothing when compared to his relationship with Jesus Christ. He says, “But whatever gains I had, these I have come to consider a loss because of Christ. More than that, I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (PHIL 3:7-8)

Are we still seeking the things of this world? Are we still hoping that power, prestige, wealth, and physical excess will bring us fulfillment in our lives? All that we see in our world as “good” is nothing compared to the one who IS Goodness itself, Jesus Christ. We oftentimes try to fill our lives with these lesser gains, materialism and things that stroke our egos, but in the end, nothing will ultimately satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts, except the Lord. Father, help us to first seek you and the fulfillment of your kingdom. Help us to make that our priority, so that everything else in our world that reflects your goodness, will be held in proper perspective and not become a replacement or substitute for our true Joy, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Putting God First

We oftentimes underestimate the cost of discipleship. Today, Jesus gives us what appear as harsh words in one of the most difficult passages of Luke’s Gospel (14:26, 33): “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. … In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.” (NAB) Jesus seems to be using extreme language, but it is important to understand what is meant by his particular choice of words.

“Hate” is used several times throughout scripture to mean, “love less.” (cf., JGS 14:16; DT 21:15-17) We must be careful to not attach meaning to this language out of context. The use of extreme language is oftentimes a method of gaining attention, and Jesus’ use of the word “hate” draws listeners in and compels them to think carefully about his teaching, considering its deepest meaning. This is most especially clear when we consider the totality Jesus’ teachings regarding love, even calling us to love our enemies (i.e, those who hate us).

Thus, we should understand this scripture to mean that we who are called to discipleship are to place that call above everything and everyone else, including our loved ones, our possessions, and even ourselves – we are to love them less than God. Our relationship with Jesus should become #1 in our lives, supreme to every other connection, bond, and attachment, precisely because it becomes the very foundation for every other relationship in our lives, including how we understand ourselves. Lord, help me to properly prioritize my life, placing you first, seeking you first, and loving you first. Then, I may properly and truly love others, according to your will and for your glory. Amen.

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Accept the Invitation

In today’s Gospel from St. Luke (14:15-24), we are presented with the story of a wealthy man who has invited many guests from the local community to attend a great banquet, an incredible feast, at his home. But, in today’s story, when the moment of truth arrived and the meal prepared, those who had been asked to attend, refused to come, and they “began to excuse themselves.” (14:18) The specific reasons given for not attending were historically sufficient even to avoid participating in a holy war, according the Jewish Law. These were, by all accounts, extremely well-justified reasons for not accepting the invitation. Jesus points out, however, that this is no ordinary summons.

Jesus uses this parable to make an analogy of our invitation to follow him, to dine with him, and to bring about his Kingdom. We are invited to the Paschal Meal, the Supper of the Lamb, to receive our Lord and Savior, so that our lives may be transformed to bring about the Kingdom of God. Jesus invites us to the Eternal Banquet, yet we allow the passing things of this world to keep us from accepting.

What are we waiting for? What is holding us back? What are our reasons for not responding to the invitation? Lord, free me from my attachments and release me from my excuses. May I seek you and your kingdom first, and so give you glory and honor in all that I do, every day of my life. Amen.

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Authentic Giving

In Paul’s Letter to the Philippians (2:3-4) we read, “Do nothing out of selfishness or vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but also everyone for those of others.”

This is echoed in today’s Gospel (LK 14:12-14), where we hear of Jesus’ instructions to a certain religious leader regarding who should be invited to a dinner party. Oftentimes, people would invite dignitaries, wealthy, and well-respected people to a banquet, so that these well-to-do folks would someday return the invitation. It was all about quid-pro-quo, “I’ll scratch your back now, and you can scratch mine in the future.”

Jesus teaches us that it is better not to do good to others simply to receive something in return; rather, invite those, and give to those, who cannot repay you and have nothing to offer in return. True giving doesn’t look toward what it will get, because true love seeks only to give itself for the good of the other. Love doesn’t look for a kickback. Love isn’t an investment seeking a return. Love is the giving of self, without concern for the cost. Let us take time today to look at our relationships, and then recommit to authentically giving and loving as Christ teaches us.