Blessed are your eyes and your ears

July 21, 2016 6:00 am

 

“But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” (MT 13: 16-17) 

We received the privilege of discipleship—“many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” The value is not in the ability of seeing or hearing, but in the possibility to look on Jesus’ love for us and to hear His words of love to us. When we celebrate Mass or when we adore Him in the Blessed Sacrament or when we read the Bible, we are eye witnesses of His love.

“Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you

July 20, 2016 6:00 am

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.” (JER 1: 5) 

We can listen to these words again and again. It doesn’t matter how it was with our conception from a human point of view; from HIS point of view, we were expected, chosen, loved and important to Him. There were no accidents and no surprises on His side—only God’s love at the beginning—“before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you.” We are loved and we were expected; we were formed by Him to bring forth multiple fruits based on our sincere gift of selves.

“The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower; all who come to him will live for ever.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

Delights in clemency

July 19, 2016 6:00 am

“Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance; who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency, and will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt? You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins.” (MIC 7: 18-19) 

Our God looks for any occasion to show us His mercy, compassion and “delight in clemency.” He “removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of His inheritance.” When we bring Him our sins, He knows perfectly what to do with them: He “will cast them into the depths of the sea.”

“Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him and we will come to him.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

What the LORD requires of you

July 18, 2016 6:00 am

“You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.” (MIC 6: 8)

God’s expectations for us are so simple—“to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.” “To do justice” refers to human behavior in relationship to others. “To love goodness” refers to the kind of love and concern which is at the heart of the covenant between the Lord and Israel; it is persistent faithfulness. “To walk humbly with your God” means to listen carefully to the revealed will of God. Everything is to protect our dignity and our relationship with God and with others. Righteousness and goodness with humbleness protect every kind of relationship, and for sure we will find many occasions to practice it every day.

“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

To bring to completion for you the word of God

July 17, 2016 7:15 am

“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church, of which I am a minister in accordance with God’s stewardship given to me to bring to completion for you the word of God, the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past.” (COL 1: 24-26) 

The mission of St. Paul and the other Apostles— “to bring to completion the word of God”—now needs our service. With His word we can understand ourselves, our vocations, our assignments and our future. The most basic duty is to “keep the word with a generous heart,” and with God’s help, we will be able to “bring a harvest through perseverance.”

“Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and bring a harvest through perseverance.” (Gospel Acclamation)

He brings justice to victory

July 16, 2016 6:00 am

“A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory.” ( MT 12: 20) 

It is natural for us to look for victory in many situations: to be right in conflict or to look for the best solution in our business. Even in daily simple situations like looking for directions—we think our option is the best, of course. Our Lord teaches us how to think about victory without fighting, bringing “justice to victory,” not by force.

“God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” 

I desire mercy, not sacrifice 

July 15, 2016 6:00 am

“If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned these innocent men. For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath.” (MT 12: 7-8)

The civilization of love and life is based on four principles: the person over thing, to be more over to have more, ethic over technique, and, mentioned today, mercy over justice. When we respect these principles, we respect God and His creation.

“My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.

I will give you rest

July 14, 2016 6:00 am

 

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” (MT 11: 28) 

Our Lord knows everything about work-life balance. The Creator of the world and Creator of the sabbath knows how important rest is. The most important part of our rest is not only how often to rest but also where to go to receive the best rest—“come to me and I will give you rest.”

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest, says the Lord.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

All things have been handed over to me by my Father

July 13, 2016 6:00 am

“All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” (MT 11: 27)

When we live as a total and unconditional gift of selves, we share everything. What is mine becomes yours; what’s yours becomes mine. The Father is totally with His Son, and “all things have been handed over to Him by His Father.” They know each other, in a very specific way, and because They love each other, there is perfect reciprocity of knowledge between Them. We can know the Father because we are loved by the Son—we are the ones “to whom the Son wishes to reveal Him.”

“Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

They had not repented

July 12, 2016 6:00 am

 

“Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented.” (MT 11: 20) 

Whatever Our Lord does for us is always to improve our relationship with Him. All “of His mighty deeds [that] had been done” were signs of His love for us. This was and always is His main concern. Repentance is the proper answer on our part to bring us closer to Him.

“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” (Gospel Acclamation)