Reflection for Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/052312.cfm

In today's Gospel, Jesus prays his high priestly prayer, the essence of which is that God the Father would protect us from sin and Satan, so we can become saints.  Our Lord says the basis of our being made holy is that he made himself holy by being perfectly obedient to the Father, an obedience that went all the way to his death on the Cross: "And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth".  

It is this same prayer that Jesus prays for us at the right hand of the Father in heaven and at every Mass; for at every Mass, our Lord offers himself to the Father under the sacramental signs of bread and wine, so that we might receive the grace of the Holy Spirit from the Father through the words and actions of the Sacred Liturgy, but above all, in the Blessed Sacrament.  This grace is given to us, so we might offer ourselves to the Father "through him, with him, and in him". 

May the Lord always dispose our hearts to receive his grace every moment of our lives, but above all when we participate in the Divine Liturgy.

Reflection for Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/052212.cfm

"Yet I consider life of no importance to me, if only I may finish my course...." - Acts 20:24

St. Paul was headed to Jerusalem knowing that severe persecution awaited him there.  Yet, it did not bother him one bit; for as he said in the above passage, his life did not matter to him.  All that mattered to St. Paul was being faithful to Christ who had been patient with him who was a persecutor of the Church.

How was St. Paul able to love our Lord so much that he did not care for his own life?  How was he able to lose himself in Christ?  He knew that Christ unconditionally loved him by dying for him on the cross; and to Paul, possessing this love was the greatest thing in all the world.  Nothing else mattered, not even his own life; for Christ's life did not matter to him for love of Paul, so Paul's life did not matter to him for love of Christ.

May the Holy Spirit open the eyes of our hearts to see the unfathomable love of Christ for us, so that we might love him above all things, even our own lives.

Reflection on God's Faithfulness and Our Disappointment with Him

Lord, those who hope in you shall not be disappointed, but only those who wantonly break faith. - Psalm 25:3

Promises like the one contained in the above verse should strengthen our faith. When we hope or trust in God, we will not be disappointed. However, some do trust God for specific things; and they do become disappointed with God, because he does not grant them their requests. Do these instances make the promise a lie? Of course not.  


When we ask God for something that we know is his will for us because he has revealed it in Scripture and Tradition, then we can have full confidence that God will give us what we ask. An example would be when we ask God for the strength to resist temptation and become saints.


When we ask God for something that may or may not be his will, then we can have full confidence that God will give us what we ask if it is good for us. An example would be getting a job for which we have interviewed.


Let us always depend on God's faithfulness, whether it is in giving us what he has promised to give us in his word, or whether it is in giving us only what will bring us closer to him.

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/052012-ascension-of-the-lord.cfm

Left to its own natural powers humanity does not have access to the "Father's house," to God's life and happiness.  Only Christ can open to man such access that we, his members, might have confidence that we too shall go where he, our Head and Source, has preceded us. - CCC, no. 661

Christ's return to the Father in the Ascension reveals the depths of his love for us who could never have access to God; for now, within the Trinity, is Christ's glorified humanity; and what is true of him who is our forerunner will be true of us who are united to him by faith and love: we will have access to the Father's life and happiness in glorified humanity. 

However, the benefits of Christ's Ascension are not only in the future; for even now, as our high priest, our Lord constantly obtains for us the grace of the Holy Spirit through his intercession, so that the love of his Kingdom might reign in us.  In other words, our Lord, through the Holy Spirit, is changing us from sinners to saints, so that we might merit the glory of the Father's house and obtain eternal redemption.

Because Christ is such a wonderful Savior, let us keep our hearts fixed on him who is our strength and support.

Reflection on the Sun's Glory and God's

One of the greatest objects God has made is the sun.  Its light can blind the human eye and is a contributing factor in the change of seasons.  Its heat is unfathomable; in no time, it can burn human skin.  Yet, to God, the sun is nothing.  Its light does not bother him, nor does its heat.  It is not a mystery to him, for he understands it fully.  The sun's glory is nothing compared to the glory of the One who created it.


If we are in awe of the sun, let us pass beyond it to the God whose majesty and glory are infinitely greater.  Let us bring the gift of ourselves in worship of Almighty God.

Reflection on Praising God Always

"Why are you cast down, my soul, why groan within me?  Hope in God; I will praise him still, my savior and my God." - Psalm 42:5-6

It is easy to praise God when we are feeling good and in a good mood.  It can be difficult, though, to give him thanks when we are sad and in a bad mood.  In the above passage, the psalmist was depressed, yet he still praised God for being his savior and God.  The truth is, God's goodness to us is not conditioned on how we feel; so that, if we feel good, then his goodness is upon us; but if we do not feel good, then his goodness is not upon us.  God's goodness to us is a fact whether we feel it or not.  The psalmist understood this.


Let us, by God's grace, force ourselves, as it were, to worship God when our souls are not cast down and when they are.

Reflection for Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/051712-mass-during-the-day.cfm

Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. - John 16:20

There is a peace and joy that comes from being at the center of God's will.  However, this does not mean that grief and sorrow are not part of the Christian life; they are, not only because they are an ordinary part of life, but also because there is some pain involved in becoming a disciple of Christ.  Overcoming the effects of original sin and becoming saints involve focus, discipline, and sacrifice.  

It is these latter difficulties that those who do not love God, but who live for the world, do not experience.  In that sense, their lives are easier; however, the end of this manner of life is eternal separation from God.  The end for us who are committed to God's will is eternal joy and peace in God's presence.

Let us keep in mind our Lord's words above: the world might rejoice now while we "suffer" to be conformed to Christ; but if we persevere to the end, we will forever rejoice as we see Christ face to face.

Reflection on Two Kinds of Laughter

When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage, it seemed like a dream.  Then was our mouth filled with laughter, on our lips there were songs. - Psalm 126:1-2

There are two kinds of laughter.  The first is the laughter of the world, which is refreshing for a while but doesn't ultimately satisfy.  The second is the laughter of God, which comes from God's saving love and sets us free to be authentic human beings.  This laughter satisfies us at the deepest part of our being and is permanent.  


The laughter that comes from God comes from the amazement that we have finally found the One for whom our hearts were searching all along.  We had become disillusioned from the laughter of the world, and maybe we had even given up hope that there was anything out there that would make us truly happy.  But now, God has set us free from this bondage; so our hearts are joyful.  


In light of God's saving love, let us offer ourselves to him today.

Reflection for Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/051512.cfm

How were Paul and Silas able to sing joyfully songs of praise to God after they had been severely whipped and thrown into a dark prison?  If these things happened to us, I think many of us would be discouraged and maybe a little disappointed in God for allowing them to happen while we were doing his work.

The joy and hope Paul and Silas experienced could only come about through the Holy Spirit making them confident in God's love.  The same is true for us; therefore, let us ask the Holy Spirit to stir up the courage he gave us in the sacrament of Confirmation.

Reflection on Ceaseless Prayer

In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, St. Paul commands us to "pray constantly".  This does not mean we have to live like hermits who say vocal prayers all day long.  It does mean we have to have an awareness of God's presence and a readiness to respond to him at all times.  One way we can cultivate this "God consciousness" is by praying the Morning Offering below and by renewing it several times throughout the day.  (We can renew the Morning Offering by simply reminding ourselves of the commitment we made through it.  We do not need to pray the entire prayer after we have prayed it in the morning, although it would not hurt if we did.)

O Jesus,
through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
I offer You my prayers, works,
joys and sufferings
of this day for all the intentions
of Your Sacred Heart,
in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
throughout the world,
in reparation for my sins,
for the intentions of all my relatives and friends,
and in particular
for the intentions of the Holy Father.Amen.

Reflection for the Sixth Sunday of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/051312.cfm

In today's Gospel, Jesus tells us to remain in his love by keeping his commandments, so that his joy might be in us and our joy might be complete.  Joy is a perfect and permanent contentment, and as Jesus says, is found in being in the center of God's love and will.  Joy cannot be found anywhere else in the world.  Joy can be present even when we suffer.


May Christ keep us close to himself, so we can experience the joy he has for us.

Reflection on Happiness and God's Commandments

"In the way of your testimonies, I was made happy as with all riches." - Psalm 119:13 (LXX)

There are two fundamental aspects of our hearts of which we are aware every moment of our lives: we want to be happy, and we know right from wrong.  As we grow closer to the Lord, we come to realize that these two aspects are related: our desire for happiness is satiated when we follow our consciences by doing the loving thing and avoiding the unloving thing.  The psalmist, in the verse above, experienced this; he received much happiness as he walked in the way of God's commandments.  He had the same happiness from doing God's will that he would have received if he had won the lottery!  Actually, he had a better form of happiness, because only God can satisfy the human heart; riches cannot.


May God strengthen us to do his will, so we might experience the lasting joy that comes from obeying our consciences.

Reflection for Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/051112.cfm

In today's Gospel, Jesus calls himself our friend, and says that he has shown that he is a true friend by laying down his life for us on the cross.  It is pretty amazing that the Lord of the universe would make himself the friend of us sinful mortals.

Jesus is the best friend we will ever have.  The question is, what kind of friends are we?  Do we show we are good friends by doing what Jesus commands, which is to love one another by laying our lives down for each other?  I am sure we are doing this to some degree, but we could excel still more.

In addition, close friends are transparent with each other; they wear no masks.  Jesus has been transparent with us by revealing all he learned from the Father.  Are we transparent with him?  True, he knows all about us; nevertheless, do we allow ourselves to be vulnerable before him?

May our Lord open our hearts to see what a good friend he is to us, so we can be good friends to him and our neighbor.

Reflection for Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/050812.cfm

As Paul and Barnabas visited the churches, they exhorted the believers to persevere in the faith by telling them that it was necessary for them to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.

The same exhortation to persevere in the faith is given to us, for we too must endure many trials and temptations if we want to enter heaven.  Because God loves us, he wants us to be in heaven with him.  Everything he allows in our lives is meant to purify our souls so that we will possess the love that will merit heaven.  He always has this glorious end in view.

With the strength provided by the Spirit of the risen Christ, let us follow the exhortation of Ss. Paul and Barnabas to persevere in the faith.

Reflection for Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/050712.cfm

In the first reading, St. Paul talks about how God showed his goodness to the Gentiles (non-Jews) by providing rain and crops, which filled them with nourishment and gladness.

In the same way, God provides us with every good thing to show us a Father's love and fill our hearts with joy.  This is why we should refer every good thing and event to God with grateful prayer.  For example, the other day, my wife and I sat on the couch and watched a few innings of the Yankees' game on my iPad while our children played in the playroom.  Moments like this are gifts from God; and if we use them with gratitude to God, they can help us grow in our relationship with him.



May God open our eyes to see his goodness present in every moment.

Reflection on the Fifth Sunday of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/050612.cfm

In the second reading, St. John the Apostle lets us know how we follow Christ's command in the Gospel to "remain" in him: "And his commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us.  Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them...."  So, we remain or stay connected to Christ by faith and love.


The thing that can separate us from Christ, and that we need to avoid at all costs, is grave sin. A grave sin, for the most part, is a violation of the Ten Commandments.  If it is committed with full knowledge of its seriousness and with full consent of the will, then its consequence is mortal, that is, it kills the virtue of love in the heart, and thus, separates us from Christ and his Church.  One cannot commit a grave sin and love God and neighbor at the same time.  If, however, a grave sin is committed without either full knowledge or full consent, then its consequence is venial, that is, it weakens the virtue of love but does not rupture our connection to Christ and his Church.  Grave sins are normally forgiven in the sacrament of Reconciliation, provided we sincerely repent of them.


May Christ help us to stay connected to him through faith and love, and to avoid all sins, especially those that are grave.

St. Faustina on Temptation and Suffering

After going through what St. John of the Cross called "The Dark Night of the Soul", St. Faustina offers some wisdom on God's presence in suffering and temptation, and our soul's inability to see it:

"After such sufferings the soul finds itself in a state of great purity of spirit and very close to God. But I should add that during these spiritual torments it is close to God, but it is blind. The soul's vision is plunged into darkness, and though God is nearer than ever to the soul which is suffering, the whole secret consists in the fact that it knows nothing of this. The soul in fact declares that, not only has God abandoned it, but it is the object of His hatred. With how great a malady are they eyes of the soul afflicted! When struck by divine light, the soul affirms that this light does not exist, although it is precisely because this divine light is so bright that it is blinded. Yet despite all, I learned later that God is closer to a soul at such moments than at others, because it would not be able to endure these trials with the help of ordinary grace alone. God's omnipotence and an extraordinary grace must be active here, for otherwise the soul would succumb at the first blow (Divine Mercy in My Soul, no. 109)."

So, according to St. Faustina, during times of temptation and suffering, God is nearer to the soul than ever; but the soul does not know this; rather, it incorrectly thinks God hates it and has abandoned it.  The only thing the soul can feel is the desire to sin or the pain from the suffering.  In addition, God allows the soul to experience temptation and suffering to purify it and bring it closer to himself.


May we take St. Faustina's wisdom with us today as we deal with temptation and various forms of suffering and self-denial.

Reflection for Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/050412.cfm

"Let not your hearts be troubled.  You have faith in God; have faith also in me".

When the Lord allows suffering in our lives, it can be very tempting to lose our faith in his goodness and presence in our lives.  We may stop believing that he knows what he is doing with us.

In today's Gospel, the Lord encourages us to trust in him when our hearts are troubled.  He lets us know that he goes to heaven to prepare a place for us, and that he permits suffering to prepare us for that place.  As Christ's suffering was for his glorification, so our suffering is for our glorification; everything must serve this end.

May God help us never to lose our faith in him.

Reflection on Trusting God in Temptation

"Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear." - Isaiah 65:24

We are surrounded, both within and without, with many temptations every day.  The saints of old experienced God's faithfulness in times of temptation, and they constantly call us to trust him.  However, trusting God when we are being tempted can be difficult, especially when the desire to give in to the temptation is so strong.

The promise from God in Isaiah above should give us hope and increase our trust.  Even before we call on God to help us resist temptation, we can be sure that he has already come to our aid.

The holy men and women of old experienced God's faithfulness in their fight against sin.  Let us be inspired by their example, so that we can trust God and experience his fidelity to us.

Reflection for the Memorial of St. Athanasius

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/050212.cfm

In today's Gospel, Jesus says he does not condemn the person who does not observe his word; because he came to save the world, not condemn it.  Of course, on judgment day, that word will condemn those who did not repent; but in this life, God's mercy rules the day.  Thanks be to God!

There are times when our consciences condemn us.  If this guilt leads us to flee to Christ in hope and repentance, then it is of God.  If, however, it leads us to shrink away from him in despair, then it is not of God; for Christ says in today's Gospel that he does not condemn.  He desires to show us mercy, not point the finger.  If Christ convicts us of sin, it is to lead us to his mercy, not away from it.

In light of such love, let us be among those who hear Christ's word and observe it.

Reflection on Mark 4:35-41

In this Gospel, a major squall comes up while Jesus and the disciples are on the Sea of Galilee.  Jesus is sleeping in the heart of the boat, just like he slept in the heart of the earth during the time he was in the tomb.  Jesus is awakened, as he was in the resurrection, and commands the wind and the waves to stop.  The wind and waves obey, which shows Jesus is God and has authority over these things, just like he does over sin and death.  Upon seeing this, the disciples become afraid with great fear, and they ask: "Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?"

Jesus is God, so the wind and sea follow his word.  Let us do the same.

Reflection on the Good Shepherd

Jesus is not a hired shepherd because, when he sees a wolf coming, he does not abandon the sheep.  In fact, he lays down his life for the sheep by allowing the wolf (sin and Satan) to kill him rather than the sheep.  And he allows the wolf to kill him, so he might defeat the wolf in the resurrection.

Our Savior loves us, his sheep, more than we will ever know.  Let us follow him unreservedly by listening to his voice through the Church, the Scriptures, the witness and advice of godly people, and the still, small voice within the depths of our hearts.

Reflection on Finding Peace from God in Creatures

Imagine this scenario: A guy comes home from work and is mentally exhausted and feeling a little low, so he pours himself a small glass of wine and sits on the deck for a pick-me-up.


Is what this man did okay?  Or should he have tried to pick himself up in the Lord?  Would it have been okay if he asked the Lord to revive him through the glass of wine and relaxation on the deck?  Or would this have not been okay, because he would not have engaged in a more "spiritual" practice like the Rosary or meditation on a passage of Scripture?


Please let me know what you think in the comments below.  This is something with which I have struggled for a while, and while I think I have come to a resolution on it, I would like to hear your insights.  Let us discuss faith.

Reflection for Saturday of the Third Week of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/042812.cfm

In today's first reading, it says that Tabitha "was completely occupied with good deeds and almsgiving".  Here was a woman who had been touched by the love of the Savior and was now living her life in the Spirit.

Every day, we have many opportunities to extend deeds of love to others.  In fact, we should look for opportunities to serve those around us: spouses, children, extended family members, coworkers, friends, neighbors.  In addition, we can give alms to the poor by putting some money in the poor box every Sunday.

Like Tabitha, we have been touched by the love of Christ.  Let us, then, show our gratitude to him by being "completely occupied with good deeds and almsgiving". 

Reflection on Dryness in Prayer

There are times when we pray, and we are filled with happiness and peace.  There are other times when we pray, and we experience no positive emotions at all.  This lack of emotion in prayer is called dryness.


There are three reasons why we may experience dryness in prayer.  First, it may be due to unconfessed sin.  Second, it may be due to physical and/or mental exhaustion or illness.  Third, it may be due to the fact that God does not want us to experience positive emotions in prayer for a period of time.


There are a few things we can do to try to eliminate dryness.  We can examine our consciences and deal with any unconfessed sin.  We can take a sacramental like a rosary or crucifix and hold it close to us for a few minutes.  We can meditate before a crucifix or image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the unfathomable love of God for us.  We can take a nap or go to bed early if we are physically spent.  If none of these remove the dryness, then we need to gently and patiently accept it as God's will, and continue to pray and move towards God in sincerity.  God is using the "fire" of dryness to purify us and draw us to a deeper intimacy with himself.  


In times of dryness, may God give us the grace not to despise them but to patiently endure them, so he can accomplish the good work he intends to do in us.

Reflection on Superstition

One thing that is true of many athletes is they are superstitious.  If they do well in a game, they will attribute their success to a pair of socks they wore.  In fact, in future games, they will wear the same pair of socks in hope it will bring them good luck.

Without assigning culpability to those who engage in superstitious practices, it needs to be asked whether this sort of thing is harmless fun or something sinful.

One thing I have observed is that superstitious people take these practices seriously.  They treat them as more than just entertainment.  They believe in them on some level.

Consider this: Does a pair of socks, which is an inanimate thing, have the power to bring about positive things in our lives?  Of course not.  Then is it not a little silly, to say the least, for us to put our faith in it?  And when we do trust in it, are we not transferring the faith we should have in the imminent, all powerful, and loving God to a lifeless object that does not even know that it is a pair of socks?  When viewed in this light, we can see why superstition is evil.  It causes the faith that is fitting for God alone to die in our hearts and to be given to a creature that has absolutely no power whatsoever.


May God strengthen us to trust in him alone with ultimate faith, for only he deserves it.

Reflection on Making Ourselves Ancillaries

At the end of the Annunciation, Mary gives her consent to be the Mother of God: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word (Luke 1:38)."  


As you may know, the original language of the New Testament is Koine Greek.  In the late fourth century, St. Jerome translated the New Testament from Greek into Latin.  This Latin translation is called the Vulgate.  In the Greek, the word for "handmaid" is "doule", which means female servant.  St. Jerome translated this Greek noun with the Latin noun "ancilla", which also means female servant.  From the Latin word ancilla is derived the English word ancillary, which refers to something or someone that functions in a secondary or supportive role.  

At the Annunciation (and for her entire life), Mary saw herself in an ancillary or supportive role to what her Son was doing through the Kingdom of God.  She knew God loved her and the world; and she wanted to be a subordinate partner with Christ in bringing his love and goodness to the world.


With Mary, may we taste and see the goodness of the Lord, so we can make ourselves ancillaries in bringing the Kingdom of God to others.

Reflection on Refreshing Ourselves in God's Love

There are times when the stresses of life and our sins weigh us down and take us from God.  In these times, we can feel like God and us are miles apart.  For refreshment, we should spend some time meditating on Psalm 36:6: "Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens".  Is it not incredibly refreshing to know that God's love for us is eternally bigger than the stresses and sins in our life?  Does this thought not stir us up to get back on track with the Lord?  We may have drifted from him, but he never drifts from us.


What love!  What a great God!  Let us renew our baptismal promises to him now.                                                    

Reflection for Monday of the Third Week of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/042312.cfm

This past Saturday, the Yankees played their arch rivals, the Boston Red Sox, at Fenway Park in Boston.  When the top of the sixth inning began, the Yankees were losing 9-0.  When the game ended in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Yankees won 15-9.  As a diehard Yankees' fan, I was happy with this amazing come from behind win.  However, the happiness I experienced was short-lived, because the next day there was a new game where everything started over.

The fleeting happiness I felt from the Yankees' game is an example of what Jesus means in today's Gospel when he tells us not to "work for the food that perishes".  Whenever we seek happiness in a creature, which is anything that is not the Creator, we will always, without exception, experience a happiness that perishes.  This is because God has wired us for himself, and nothing can be a substitute for him.

Keeping in mind that God has made us to know his love, let us follow our Lord's exhortation to "work for the food that endures to eternal life".

Reflection for the Third Sunday of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/042212.cfm

A theme (if not the theme) of today's readings is repentance/forgiveness, which comes to us because of Christ's resurrection.  


I think it is a good idea for us to examine our consciences every day, preferably in the evening, but before we are too tired to do it effectively.  When we examine our consciences, I think it is spiritually helpful if we do it in the following order.  First, we should spend some time, either before an actual crucifix, or before one we imagine in our minds, thinking about the mercy of God that is infinitely greater than our sins.  We should consider that God really wants to grant us forgiveness; otherwise, he would not have sent his Son to die such a painful death.  Second, we should call to mind any sins we have committed during the day and confess them to the Lord.  Third, we should return to the crucifix, think on God's mercy again, thank him for his gift of forgiveness, and ask him to keep us from sin in the future.


Our sins are like a drop in the ocean of God's love and mercy.  May God give us the faith to believe this, so we can be honest about our sins and truly repent of them.

Reflection for Saturday of the Second Week of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/042112.cfm

Our Lord teaches us in today's Gospel that when the storms of life come upon us, he is there in the midst of them saying to us, "I AM.  Do not be afraid."  "I AM" means that he is God; therefore, he loves us and is greater than the storms.  


When we suffer, may God give us the grace not to withdrawal from him because we think he does not care for us, but to draw near to him who is I AM.

Reflection for Friday of the Second Week of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/042012.cfm

The human heart hungers, and in the end, it hungers for God's love.  It may not always realize it hungers for God, but it does.

In today's Gospel,  Jesus multiplies the loaves and fishes, an act which prefigures the multiplication of his body and blood in the Holy Eucharist.  God knows he made our hearts for him, so he offers us himself in the Eucharist; and he offers himself abundantly.  When God gives us himself, he gives us all of himself, which is more than we can contain.  Our inability to totally take God in is what draws us to, and deepens our love for, him.

May God help us either to back off, or to lay aside, anything to which we look to meet the deepest need in our heart, and that keeps us from fully embracing his loving presence in the Blessed Sacrament.

Reflection for Thursday of the Second Week of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/041912.cfm

In today's first reading, the apostles are brought before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme Court; and the hight priest accuses them of bringing Christ's blood upon them.  The truth is, the Jewish religious leaders were guilty of Christ's death.  The apostles were not wrong in mentioning this in their sermons.  But guilt was not the only thing about which the apostles preached.  They also preached that God had raised Jesus from the dead so that forgiveness of sins could be granted in his name.  In other words, the Jewish religious leaders' guilt could be forgiven through faith in Christ.  They did not see this.


We, too, are guilty of Christ's death; for in some way, our sins have crucified him.  We need to be honest about this.  However, we also need to be honest about the fact that God raised Christ from the dead, so that he could offer us forgiveness through faith in Christ's name.  God wants us to see our sins, but only so we will flee to Christ for forgiveness.


Let us not, like the Jewish religious leaders, see only our guilt and not see the means of escape through Christ.  Our God loves us, and does not want to condemn us but to forgive us.

Reflection for Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/041812.cfm

In today's first reading, the angel of the Lord freed the apostles from prison and told them to "tell the people everything about this life."  


This is how it is when we have experienced God's love for us, and have begun to love him in return.  This new life cannot be "imprisoned"; it has to be shared with those around us, because it meets the deepest needs of our hearts.  We have found the One for whom our hearts have been searching, and we have to share his goodness with others; we cannot keep it in.


Today's Gospel begins with John 3:16, the most oft-quoted verse in the entire Bible: "God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life."  Through Christ, our God has loved us.  Let us, then, enjoy his company, so that we can share his goodness with others. 

Reflection on Other People's Sins and Our Own

Over the past 11 years, I have had a few conversations with my students that have left me disgusted and angry with where some of them are spiritually, and with how some of them seem to be proud of their sins.  After these conversations, I have found that, while I am annoyed with my students, I am also annoyed with myself because of my failure to see the sins in my own life.

I think there is a place for us who want to be holy to be angered by the sins of others.  But I think we need to be careful that our anger does not come from a self-righteousness that fails to see that we probably, in some measure, do the things that annoy us about others.  In the end, we are all in the same boat as sinners; so we need to have some understanding, and cut each other a little bit of slack.

Our Lord, who knew no sin, is far more patient with us than we, who do know sin, are with others.  Let us soak in his love and compassion for us, so we can extend them to others.

Reflection for Monday of the Second Week of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/041612.cfm

We all want God to work "signs and wonders" through us, not miracles per se; but the "signs and wonders" of sanctification, holiness, and love.  We want God to be glorified through the way we live, and a life lived in love is no less miraculous than healing somebody from a physical illness or raising someone from the dead.


In today's first reading, the apostles were given the power and boldness of the Holy Spirit to perform signs and wonders through Christ's name as a result of prayer.  As they laid their burden of persecution on the Lord, they were empowered to faithfully carry out the mission that had been assigned to them by the Lord himself.


As we involve the Lord in every facet of our lives, we, too, will be given the power of the Holy Spirit, by which we can live the lives through which God will be glorified.  Let us, then, continually cast all our cares on the Lord, for he cares for us.

Reflection for the Second Sunday of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/041512.cfm

At the end of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the priest prays the words of absolution, which are, in part, "God, the Father of mercies....sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins...."  This fact of the Holy Spirit's role in bringing about reconciliation has its basis in today's Gospel when the resurrected Christ breathes on the disciples, tells them to receive the Holy Spirit, and gives them the authority to be ministers of his peace by bringing forgiveness to people's sins.

Peace, in the biblical sense, is not only the forgiveness of sins, but is also the fullness of life that flows from our union with our loving Lord, a fulness which keeps us from sin.  In other words, peace is not just about healing after we have sinned, but is also about preventing us from sinning in the future.

Our Lord, on that first Easter night, gave us the wonderful Sacrament of Reconciliation by which we are cleansed of our sins and strengthened to resist sin in the future.  This Easter Season, and beyond, let us avail ourselves of this sacrament as often as possible, knowing that our Lord, in the person of the priest, his minister, meets us there to bring us the forgiveness he won for us through his death and resurrection.

Reflection for Saturday within the Octave of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/041412.cfm

In the famous hymn, Amazing Grace, there is a line that says, "Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved".  Most of us have many fears, with death being the greatest of them all.

In today's first reading, it says the apostles had "boldness".  This courage, or lack of fear, came from the love they received from companionship with the resurrected Christ.  As in Amazing Grace, the grace, or love of Christ, relieved the apostles' fears.

The same will happen for us.  As we grow in our knowledge and experience of the love of Christ for us, we will find our many fears lessening and disappearing altogether.


May God strengthen us never to doubt that, though we are sinners, he loves us unconditionally in Christ; and may we find that this love relieves all our fears.

Reflection for Friday within the Octave of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/041312.cfm

Every morning (and constantly throughout the day) our resurrected Lord comes to us and says, "Come, have breakfast".  As we know, this is not an invitation to eat physical food (though our Lord does richly provide for our physical needs), but is an invitation to loving prayer with him, which is food for the soul, and reaches its apex in the Holy Eucharist.

I think it is important for us to set some time aside every morning for prayer with the Lord, to have "breakfast" with him.  It does not have to be long, but it should be sincere and heartfelt.  Let us keep in mind that our Lord wants to converse with us more than we will ever want to converse with him.  Any genuine prayer we share with him is always a response to his loving call to us.  We never take the initiative with Christ; we are always responders.


Let us keep before us our Lord's love that is stronger than death and dine with him, beginning in the morning and continuing throughout the day.

Reflection for Thursday within the Octave of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/041212.cfm

When our sins overwhelm us and cause us to shrink away from God's presence, our resurrected Lord comes to us and says what he said to the disciples in today's Gospel: "Why are you troubled?  And why do questions arise in your hearts?  Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself."


He shows us his hands and feet to remind us that he died for the very sins that have overwhelmed us; but he also reminds us that he rose again as the victor over sin and death, which means it is God's will to pardon and cleanse rather than condemn.


Since we have such a great high priest who loves us to the end and who has defeated sin and death, let us come confidently to him to receive the grace and mercy we need for timely help.

Reflection for Wednesday within the Octave of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/041112.cfm

Ever since the Ascension, our Lord's visible presence has been removed from us; however, he is still with us; and according to today's Gospel, he is present in the two parts of the Mass, that is, the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.


I think, for some of us Catholics, the Liturgy of the Word is something we have to endure on our way to the good stuff: the Liturgy of the Eucharist.  However, the hearts of the two disciples "burned within them" as the resurrected Christ opened the Scriptures for them.  This same burning or happiness will occur within us when we, attentively, listen to the Scripture readings and homily at Mass; for through the Liturgy of the Word, the resurrected Christ is present to his people.


The two disciples recognized Christ in the breaking of the bread.  At Mass, do we recognize the resurrected Christ in the person of the priest and hear his voice as the priest prays the Eucharistic prayers?  Do we truly believe the resurrected Christ is present, body, blood, soul, and divinity, under the appearances of bread and wine?


In love, our resurrected Lord comes to us in the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.  Let us renew the New Covenant with him by having our hearts and minds open to his presence.

Reflection for Tuesday within the Octave of Easter

In yesterday's Gospel, the guards who watched Jesus' tomb were paid off by the Jewish religious leaders, and told to say that the body of Jesus was stolen by the disciples.  However, given the state of fear in which the disciples were at the time, it is highly unlikely, if not impossible, that they could muster the courage needed to pull off such a stunt.  They were hiding in the upper room in fear that the Jews would arrest and kill them since they were followers of Jesus.  With this kind of crippling fear, there is no way they could have stolen Jesus' body.   


In addition, according to the Gospels, it was the disciples' repeated encounters with the resurrected Christ that, gradually, turned their fear into hope and courage.  Something has to account for this emotional change in the disciples, and the Resurrection (as well as the reception of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost) is it. 


God has given us some solid reasons to believe in the resurrection of Christ.  Let us trust that it occurred, and put off the old life of sin and selfishness, and put on the new life of love and holiness.

Reflection for Monday within the Octave of Easter

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/040912.cfm

"God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses."

We do not have any proof of the resurrection of Christ.  In other words, we have not personally seen the resurrected Christ, because he has not revealed himself to us.  So if our faith in the resurrection is not grounded in proof, then in what is it grounded?  It is grounded in the preaching of the apostles, who did have proof because Christ appeared to them many times after he rose from the dead.  This is why St. Peter and the apostles would often say in their sermons that they were "witnesses" of the resurrected Christ.

The question for us is: how much do we believe the apostles' testimony that God raised Jesus from the dead?  Do we find them to be credible sources of information about this miraculous event?

Reflection for the Resurrection of the Lord

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/040812.cfm

Because of the Resurrection, sin and death do not have the final word; rather, love and life do.  This means that at the end of time, Christ will remove sin and its consequences; and perfect love will rule.  However, this process of removing sin and replacing it with love is to be occurring now on earth in us who are united to Christ by faith and love.  In other words, through our union with Christ's resurrection, we who are living our earthly lives now have the power to live lives of love.  And the life of love is one of self-denial; so, in order for us to live a resurrection life, we have to die.  We have been raised with Christ in baptism so that we might die to ourselves.  Isn't that a paradox?


This Easter season, may God strengthen us, with the resurrection power of Christ, to put off sin and selfishness and to put on righteousness and self-giving.

Reflection for Holy Saturday

Jesus Christ is a divine person (i.e., the second Person of the Blessed Trinity) with a divine and human nature.  Since he is fully human, he has a soul and body.  So, where did Jesus' human soul go when it was separated from his body in death?  The Catechism of the Catholic Church answers:

"The frequent New Testament affirmations that Jesus was 'raised from the dead' presuppose that the crucified one sojourned in the realm of the dead prior to his resurrection.  This was the first meaning given in the apostolic preaching to Christ's descent into hell: that Jesus, like all men, experienced death and in his soul joined the others in the realm of the dead.  But he descended there as Savior, proclaiming the Good News to the spirits imprisoned there (no. 632)."

"Scripture calls the abode of the dead, to which the dead Christ went down, 'hell' - Sheol in Hebrew or Hades in Greek - because those who are there are deprived of the vision of God.  Such is the case for all the dead, whether the evil or righteous, while they await the redeemer: which does not mean that their lot is identical, as Jesus shows through the parable of the poor man Lazarus who was received into 'Abraham's bosom': It is precisely these holy souls, who awaited their Savior in Abrahams bosom, whom Christ the Lord delivered when he descended into hell.  Jesus did not descend into hell to deliver the damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free the just who had gone before him (no. 633)."

"Christ went down into the depths of death so that 'the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.'  Jesus, 'the Author of Life,' by dying destroyed 'him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and delivered all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage.'  Henceforth, the risen Christ holds 'the keys of Death and Hades,' so that 'at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth' (no. 635)."

In closing, Pope Benedict XVI offers a pastoral explanation of Holy Saturday:

"Holy Saturday is the day of the 'death of God,' the day which expresses the unparalleled experience of our age, anticipating the fact that God is simply absent, that the grave hides him, that he no longer awakes, no longer speaks, so that one no longer needs to gainsay him but can simply overlook him....Christ strode through the gate of our final loneliness; in his Passion he went down into the abyss of our abandonment.  Where no voice can reach us any longer, there he is.  Hell is thereby overcome, or, to be more accurate, death, which was previously hell, is no hell no longer.  Neither is the same any longer because there is life in the midst of death, because love dwells in it (emphasis mine)."

 

 

Reflection for Good Friday

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/040612.cf

"The Jews answered, 'We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die, 

because he made himself the Son of God.'"

The sin with which the Jewish people charged Jesus was blasphemy because, to them, he, a mere man, revealed that he was equal to God.  According to the law of Moses, blasphemy was a capital offense.  Every other thing Jesus did that angered the Jews (e.g., "violating" the Sabbath, removing the kosher laws, eating with sinners, etc.) stemmed from his claim to be God in the flesh.

The problem for the Jews was that Jesus' claim to be the Son of God did not fit their expectations of the Messiah.  They believed the Messiah would be sent from God, but they did not expect the Messiah to be equal to God.  Once Jesus, in various ways, revealed himself to be Emmanuel, that is, God with us, the Jews felt they needed to get him out of the way.

We Gentiles, that is, those who are not Jewish, have a different expectation of Christ.  We have no problems with the Incarnation or the Resurrection, but the cross seems foolish.  It is ugly, humiliating, and painful; and we do not expect one who is the Almighty God to be defeated like that; and we certainly do not expect him to expect us to unite ourselves to his crucifixion every day of our lives.

Through his death on the cross, Jesus, out of his love for us, shows us that we are wrong.  He shows us that to be God-like, we have to take up our cross and follow Jesus.  Why?  Because God is love, and love puts itself aside for the good of the beloved.  This is what God did for us on the cross, and it is what we have to do for love of God and neighbor.

Reflection for Holy Thursday

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/040512-evening-mass.cfm


On that first Holy Thursday, the Lord instituted the Holy Eucharist and the priesthood, and established an example of service by washing the disciples' feet.  Of the three things, the Eucharist is the source from which the other two flow: the priesthood is based on the Eucharist, and the highest example of loving service is found in Christ's crucifixion, which is sacramentally made present in the Holy Eucharist.

Our Lord made it clear, by word and example, that true greatness and love are found in service to others.  Let us draw strength from frequent and worthy reception of the Eucharist, so we can lay down our lives for God and others, as our Lord did for us.

Reflection for Wednesday of Holy Week

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/040412.cfm

"The Lord God has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might 

know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them."

Isaiah 50:4

In her diary, St. Faustina Kowalska writes how Jesus revealed to her that our lack of trust in his inexhaustible love for us tears him apart.  Jesus complained to St. Faustina that even his death on the cross is not enough to convince us of his love.  

Let us face it, there are times when we do not believe what God has revealed to us in the Bible and the Church concerning his great love for us in Christ.  We really think God's love is too good to be true; therefore, it cannot be true.

In the verse above, Christ says that he knows how to speak a word that will rouse the weary; and this word is his death on the cross.  In other words, through his death on the cross, Christ is saying, as loudly and clearly as he can, that God really loves us.  If this message does not rouse us from the sleep of unbelief, then nothing will.  

May God open our hearts to his unconditional love for us in Christ, so that the chains of our unbelief will be broken, and our hearts will soar with love for Christ.

Reflection for Tuesday of Holy Week

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/040312.cfm


It was through betrayal and denial that our Lord was crucified.  No doubt, these things added to his sufferings.

All too often, we have rejected Christ out of fear of persecution, which is a form of suffering.    In light of Christ's redeeming love for us, I think we need to take a stand for him, regardless of the outcome.  If we learn to embrace suffering as a friend, not for the pain itself, but for what God can do with the pain for our growth in charity, then we should not be afraid to "take it on the chin" for Jesus.  We certainly do not want to add insult to injury by denying him.  After all, we have been rejected at some point in our lives, so we know how it feels.  Let us not, then, cause our Lord this pain.

We must be careful, though, not to be overconfident, like St. Peter, that we will remain loyal to Christ in a moment of persecution; otherwise, we might find ourselves denying him in no time.  It is easy to say we will be true to our Lord when we are not facing persecution; it is much more difficult when we are.


May God give us the strength to remain faithful to him, regardless of the consequences.

Reflection on 2 Corinthians 4:17

This momentary light affliction is producing for us

an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.

2 Corinthians 4:17

If we look at the course of a typical day, we would have to say that there are a lot of little ways we suffer.  The sources of our suffering are people and circumstances.  To be sure, suffering is not the only thing that characterizes our day; but it certainly is part of it.

In the verse above, St. Paul says that if, by the grace of God, we endure these little forms of suffering with patience, then they will contribute to our entrance into eternal life.  How is this possible?  Because when we cooperate with God's grace and endure suffering patiently, then God uses the suffering to increase the gift of love he placed within us in baptism; and this love merits heaven.  Suffering, patiently endured, increases our love for God and neighbor.

In this Holy Week, let us seek God's strength to suffer patiently for our Lord as he did for us.

Reflection for Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/040112.cfm

In the Gospel at the procession with palms, the people joyfully proclaimed Christ as king as he triumphantly entered Jerusalem.  However, Christ did not turn out to be the triumphant king they expected, so in less than a week, they would clamor for his crucifixion.


We are guilty of a similar thing from time to time.  We expect Jesus to enter our lives and triumphantly destroy our enemies of sin, death, and negative situations.  When he does not do this quickly and easily, we become disillusioned.  


Christ wants us to see that, just as he reigned from the throne of the cross, so we will reign with him through the cross of self-denial.  This is not as glamorous as the triumphant king image, but it does reveal the heart of love.


May the Lord,who revealed the true meaning of kingship and love from the cross, strengthen us to reign with him by putting ourselves aside today for the glory of God and the good of our neighbor.

Reflection on Original Sin

I think it is good for us to know how original sin, or the first sin, affected us and how Christ's salvation helps us.

Original sin caused us to lose original justice, which fundamentally, is the will's subjection to God.  Because of this, our minds became subject to ignorance, our desires became inclined to go against reason or conscience, and we became subject to sickness and death.

In spite of this, original sin did not completely wipe out the good of human nature.  At our core, we are still good because we are rational, that is, we are inclined to virtue.  No sin, or amount of sin, can take this away.  If it could, we would cease to be human.

But even though the first sin did not destroy our inclination to virtue, it did diminish it.  As was mentioned above, our feelings and desires have a tendency to go against conscience.  These irrational desires are called concupiscence, and they are an obstacle to our inclination to virtue.  The main problem with these desires is that they can lead us to become too attached to created things; they make it easier for us to love created things more than the Creator.

In baptism, God changes all of this.  The fundamental change he makes is that he restores our lost relationship with him, which brings our wills into subjection to his.  Because of this, the ignorance of our minds is replaced with knowledge of God and truth, and concupiscence is weakened.  We are still subject to sickness and death, but these can be means to a deeper love of God and neighbor.

Because God neither completely removes the ignorance in our minds nor concupiscence in baptism, he has left us with a battle we have to fight every day.  We still have forces within us, which lead us to go against the new creations that we are.  However, the power we have in us from the indwelling Trinity is greater than the elements of original sin that remain.

God will strengthen us to be true to our new identity in Christ.  May we avail ourselves of his help through constant prayer and worthy reception of the sacraments.

Reflection on Vicky

When I was in elementary school, I, and a bunch of my classmates, would make fun of this girl, Vicky, every day.  One day, when we were in fourth grade and were outside for recess, we, as usual, were making fun of Vicky.  But, for whatever reason, I noticed the look of hurt on her face; and it broke my heart because I knew that I was the reason for her pain.  I wanted to yell at my friends and tell them to stop making fun of her, but I did not say anything because I did not want my friends to turn on me.  From that day on, I never made fun of Vicky again.

This is what needs to happen with us and Jesus.  We have to see that our sins caused his crucifixion and continue to hurt him, just like my cruelness to Vicky caused her pain.  We need to see the look of hurt and rejection on his crucified face, and realize that we have caused it.  When this happens, we will begin to detest our sins and love our Savior for using our rejection of him as the thing through which he brings us salvation.

Reflection on God's Purpose for Trials and Temptations

"The genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ" 

1 Peter 1:7

I think we all want to have a deeper commitment to Jesus Christ.  According to the verse above, that will only happen when we endure the heat and pressure of trials and temptations.  There is no other way to burn off the imperfections in our love for Jesus.

In light of this, I think we need to embrace trials and temptations as our friends, not for how they can drive us further from God if we give in to them, but for how they can deepen our love for him if, by his grace, we resist them.

To God, our faith, or our devotion to him, is precious; therefore, he will allow trials and temptations to come into our lives from time to time.  Let us, then, see God's purpose for them and, by his grace, withstand the heat from the furnace.